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"Mr. Judith?"

Marion looked up from his paper quickly and lowered his reading glasses, "Yes? Is everything OK?"

"Umm, yeah, it's fine...I wa--I was just wondering..." Chris stammered and looked down at the ground. The wolf in front of him had a very scholarly look when his glasses were half-way slid down his muzzle, though he knew that it was just so Mr. Judith could see him. The wolf had to wear glasses a lot of the time when dealing with his papers because the letters were so small.

"Wondering what Chris?" Marion asked. It had been nearly four months after Chris had moved in and the pup was about to start his last year in middle school. The pup was still very shy and cautious around him. Marion was finding himself more and more comfortable around him though. At many times in his mind he didn't say 'Chris' but rather 'my son' when thinking about the pup. Still, he took his time, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. He was very glad that they were at the point where about three out of seven days Chris would hug him before he went to bed or he would hug the pup. Maybe it wasn't substantial progress or of the nature that most parents strived for, but he felt more than content with it.

"Could...could a friend come over for the night?" Chris managed to get out.

Marion cocked his head, "What's his name?"

"Will,"

"What grade is he in?"

"My grade...I mean...we're both going to be in the eighth,"

"Where did you meet him?"

"Math class,"

"Is he a good person?"

"I guess..."

"You guess?" Marion asked. He didn't want his son guessing if people were good for him or not. He realized he was being rough on the pup, wanting him to be able to judge a person's character, and smiled, "Sorry...I just want to be careful about who you hang out with..."

Chris nodded again. The strange thing was that it didn't feel odd to him at all. His mom had done the exact same thing. Well, she tended to make it more complex and would want to talk to his friend's parents also. The memory of his mother was still painful, but life was slowly moving back into place. Still Mr. Judith was cool; he could be strict sometimes but never in a bad way.

"Well, will his parents be dropping him off or would they like me to pick him up? Of course I guess we'll need to talk,"

Chris nodded again. That was exactly like his mother. The idea burnt for a moment and he felt his eyes threaten to water once more but he pushed it back. "OK...well, they're on the phone..."

"Oh," Marion said and smiled. He reached for a nearby phone and picked it up, "Hello? Yes," he said and looked over at the wolf. "Yes, yes I am. And you? Ok, yes, I understand. Uh-huh, that sounds reasonable. No I do not suppor--I think you're right there...well...No Ma'am. No Ma'am of cou--That is not very appropriate in any circumstance don't you think? Well of course, I'm just saying that. I'm a pharmacist so I know very well about those things. Yes Ma'am I do understand. No. Yes. OK. Yes I can pick and drop him off. Yes I do. No allergies, that's good. What about medications? Yes, yes that is fine. OK, it was good talking with you. Oh, yes, of course. OK...Ummm...Yes, I have a pen...OK...seventeen Walter Street....Got it. I'll be by around seven,"

Chris looked at the wolf and cocked his head.

Marion smiled, "We'll go pick him up at seven...how does that sound?"

"Good, thanks Mr. Judith,"

"No problem...do you want to get a bite at Burger Grove before we pick him up?"

"Umm...yeah, that sounds good," Chris replied. The wolf was always so nice. He gave a tiny smile at the wolf, but quickly turned around and began to move back into his room.

Marion soon found himself driving with his son and his son's friend Will talking about some game or another in the backseat. Will was an otter, and he didn't feel that he displayed any real physical features; of course, he was much more interested in the otter's actions.

Even when they were inside and back home he stayed nearby, if not out of sight. He was in the kitchen reading though for the most part he just stared at the page; his real attention was with his son and the pup. They seemed to be playing soe type of racing game; innocent enough. He knew the pup wasn't quite a pup, but to him Chris wasn't any older than a child whom he might allow to walk down the stairs unaided.

Chris couldn't help but note that unlike normal Mr. Judith stayed nearby at all times. Actually, that was normal; it wasn't uncommon for him and the wolf to stay together till Mr. Judith told him it was his bedtime. But now the wolf's presence was of a lingering essence; like he was watching over him.

The wolf did give him and Will their space, staying in the kitchen, and yet at the same time he knew that Marion was listening intently in on them. He couldn't help but wonder what it was Marion was expecting to happen, or was the wolf simply just still trying to be near him?

Four uneventful, at least on Marion's part, hours passed by. The most interesting thing he did was set up a place for Will to sleep, he didn't want the otter on the couch; that might seem rude. Marion closed his book and moved out of the kitchen, looking at the two pups who had now moved on to some other game, but it still appeared to be about finishing sometype of task before the other. "OK you two...I've gone and set up the beds for the night...don't stay up too late, OK?" Marion said, looking at his son and then at Will.

"OK Mr. Judith," Chris replied, nodding and trying his best to out-maneuver the otter on the game.

Marion stood there for just a moment more, a part of him had been hoping Chris would give him a hug-goodnight of his own volition, and he didn't dare to so to Chris in front of his friend. He gave a tiny mental sigh and nodded, "OK, good night you two,"

Chris felt a strange feeling in his stomach, like he was forgetting something, but ignored it when he gained the lead on the otter. He looked over at Will and chuckled, "Ha...I'm winning,"

Marion soon found himself staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom and wondering what he could do to help Chris out. He didn't want the pup to be ashamed to bring his friends over, and at the same time he knew everything was much different than it had been when he was a pup. Today they stayed inside and played games, didn't go outside. He couldn't exactly let them watch any movies they wanted, because then who knew just what they might pick? As it was he'd already put on parental controls onto the TV, so that the two pups wouldn't find anything if they stumbled upon it; or searched.

Sleep eventually found him and the next day seemd to fly by. "OK...I'll be back in a few minutes you two," Marion told the two pups who were sitting in front of the TV. He'd already explained to them he was going out on a ten minute trip to the store, and that he'd be back very soon. He hoped that was enough to deter the two from trying to destroy the place; though they seemed quite addicted to the game system.

"OK...be careful Mr. Judith," Chris replied and waved his father goodbye. The door closed and the screen in front of him paused. He looked over at Will, "What's up?"

"Want to try something fun?" Will asked, grinning like an idiot.

_____

"Ice pops..." Marion mumbled over and over to himself as he moved quickly through the store. He'd picked up what he needed and felt like getting Chris and his friend some ice pops might be a nice surprise. After all, it was the middle of summer and what's better to cool you off than frozen flavored water?

The pup had done quite well in school for what he'd been through. Marion had grown attached to him--he was his son and he loved him. Still, he hadn't told Chris that yet. He wanted to but at the same time he felt like it might estrange them somehow. Still, he'd already lost so much time with his son, he wanted to make it all up as quickly as he could.

It may have been a bit of a demented thought, but he wouldn't mind if Chris failed a few years of school, just so he could stay with him. It was strange and amazing all at once. He had a family and he never wanted to give it up. Marion took a corner into the freezer section and came headfirst into another figure.

Marion's nose bumped into the figure's chest and he gave a light yelp of surprise. He looked up at the figure that was stumbling backwards, "I'm sorry about that,"

"Don't be...it's my fault,"

Marion looked up at the figure to see a large Kodiak with a long plaid sleeve shirt and blue jeans on. He chuckled and shook his head, "Sorry about that..." he said, hoping the figure who looked like he just came in from cutting down a forest wasn't angry.

"It's OK..." the bear replied.

"Umm, if you were just in this aisle...were the ice pops on this one?" Marion asked, looking around the bear's frame and down the aisle.

"Yeah...well, I don't know about what brand but I just went down this aisle and I saw ice cream and that kind of stuff,"

Marion gave a sigh of relief, "Thanks a million..."

"Hankering for something sweet?" the bear asked with a small chuckle, his voice having a steady rumble to it.

Marion shook his head and smiled, "No, it's for my son and a friend...I guess they could use a bit of a treat,"

"Oh, well that's nice of you," the bear said with a gruff chuckle. He looked like he belonged in the forest with an axe and not in the grocery store with a small buggy.

"Ah...so I'm doing this right after all?" Marion asked with a chuckle.

"No idea...but it sounds like you're doing it right," the bear said with a laugh.

Marion chuckled and shook his head, "Well, I'll let you get on your way..."

"OK...yeah, sorry for bumping into you,"

"Don't be. I think you might've just saved me a ton time," Marion replied with a chuckle. He shook the bear's paw and thanked him for helping him to find the frozen foods and with that was out of the store in a few minutes.

Marion hopped into his car and thought back to the bear. That was the first real interaction with another fur he'd had in awhile, outside of work. He no longer visited the bars seeing as he had a son to look out after.

Marion quickly shook his head, he couldn't really date right now. There was absolutely no time for it. After all, he was a family wolf wasn't he? He chuckled lightly, though there was no hiding the disappointment at the revelation that dating was no longer an option. Still, he had a better relationship with Chris than he did anyone else.

And wasn't the pup all he needed? Marion wondered if, when Chris moved out--a very long time from now he told himself--if he would date again. Maybe.

Marion pulled up to his house an looked at the clock. He'd only been out for about fifteen minutes, that wasn't too bad considering everything. He walked up the stairs to his door and quickly unlocked it, "Chris, I'm home,"

There wasn't a reply.

Marion looked at the couch, where the game was paused and he cocked his head, "Chris?"

After a minute he began to walk through the house. The pup wasn't downstairs, that was for sure after a quick scan. He began to go up the stairs and looked around as he did, "Hey! Chris--Will!"

"Mr. Judith!"

Marion felt his heart jump at the yell. He'd never heard any panic in the pup's voice before, but the second it registered he began to run. The sound came from his study room and he noticed the door was ajar. The second he was in he noticed Will was on the ground.

"I--I don't know what happened," Chris explained. The otter told him it would be fun to try some medicines--told him he was a pussy if he didn't. Even in his head though he could still hear Mr. Judith telling him to stay out of the study. He still had the pain pills in his own paw. He hadn't taken any yet, for the simple fact that he was scared to. He had been about to when the otter dropped down. The otter had taken something he didn't know about, and it hadn't been labeled either.

Marion noticed various open pill bottles and realized the two had raided his cabinet. At any other time he was sure rage would flooded him but seeing the otter on the ground made concern his primary feeling. He ran over and began to look around at the various bottles. They had taken out vicodin, oxycodone, various cholesterol medications, and some SSRIs from his cabinet--all things he had lying around just from various sources. He noticed that two were open; a vicodin bottle and an unlabeled one.

A groan escaped Marion and he looked down at Will, whose body was twitching lightly. He didn't know why he wasn't shocked, but just felt a pain run through him. He would've much preferred the otter had taken anything except what he saw. He glared over at his son, "Did he take this?"

"I--Uhh...."

"Chris!" Marion yelled. "Answer me!"

"Just one....I swear that's all!" Chris replied and winced at his father's tone.

"Moron!" Marion growled and ran over to his desk. He opened all the drawers and cabinets, digging furiously through them all.

Chris watched as Mr. Judith flung things one way or another. He looked back to Will and shuddered. The otter had seemed fine. He complained about the bitterness of the medicine but that was it. A yelling voice caught his attention.

"Don't just sit there!" Marion urged the pup, "Go call an ambulance!"

Chris felt himself glued in place. He stared at the wolf and then back to the otter.

"Now!" Marion yelled. He saw his son run off and he found what he'd been looking for finally. He ran over to Will and lifted his head up, "Will,"

Will gave a groan and looked away.

Marion felt his head racing. He growled to himself for the lack of any good options, knowing what he was about to do was considered injudicious. He quickly rolled the otter to the side and shoved his fingers down his throat; the reaction was almost instant. Will convulsed and after a moment he retched up what he had taken.

The smell was a minor annoyance to Marion as he made sure Will was done throwing up and quickly moved him back onto his back. Inducing vomiting is usually never recommended, usually for caustic substances. Luckily, the otter had swallowed a pill that wasn't unsafe to throw up. Of course, if Will had begun to choke on his own throw-up Marion wasn't sure what he would've done; that had been the risk.

Reaching to his side and once more grabbing the bottle Marion poured some of the pills into his paw. "Will, I need you to take this...crush it up and swallow," Marion ordered and put the pill into the otter's mouth.

"No,"

Marion noticed how the otter's cheeks were twitching and he shook his head, "Do it!" he commanded once again. The otter, in his stupidity about getting high off prescription drugs, had just assumed that any would work.

Of course Marion couldn't help but feel a bit terrible for it all. The otter hadn't taken any medication but a pesticide that contained strychnine. It's normal kill dosage was at about fifty milligrams--for adults. The best option had seemed to be to inducing vomiting first, because if he hadn't he wasn't sure if Will would survive.

Will groaned again and his body twitched. Marion scowled and realized the posion had begun to enter his bloodstream, which would mean the convulsions would only get worse. He was trying to get some activated carbon into the otter but Will refused to eat. The carbon would do plenty but it wasn't a sure cure.

Marion cursed under his breath and grabbed a paper and a light stand. He used it as a make-shift mortar and pestle, crushing it up. The pill was basically charcoal, which is effective in removing toxins in the bloodstream. He had some for indigestion problems, though he hardly needed to take it. He cupped the paper and put it in front of the otter's mouth, forcing it open.

"No," Will groaned.

Marion scowled and forced the otter's mouth open and pulled on his tongue then began to pour the now powdered material down the otter's muzzle. There was a lot of coughing and he was sure that the otter had swallowed most of it. That was all he could do for now. He gave Will a tiny amount of water, just to help get the powder down and then did the best medical care he knew how.

________________________________

"Son?" Marion asked, looking at the pup in front of him. It had been a long hour; from the time it took the paramedics to get to his place till they had the otter out of his house and at the hospital. It was still too soon to say definitely but he was pretty sure Will would live; the otter hadn't had a sure-death amount of the drug. The paramedics had been rather angry that he had induced vomiting, but after an explanation they had all agreed it was a risk worth taking; it might have saved him. In the slurry that had been in Will's stomach there had been the remains of two pills, which would've been double a lethal dose.

Chris looked away and down at the couch.

"Chris...what did you do?" Marion asked, his voice becoming stern and with a hint of anger.

Chris felt his face go a bit white under his black fur, "I didn't mean to,"

"Mean to what?" Marion asked though he knew the pup knew it was as rhetorical as rhetorical questions could get.

"I'm sorry...Will said it migh--"

"I don't care what you're friend says--Hell, I don't care what any of your friends even think! You are never to mess around with that type of stuff!" Marion said sternly. He took a step forward, "No one should ever make you do something you know is wrong. Do you know how stupid you were?"

"W--"

"What? 'We felt like playing Let's see how moronic and dud-brained we can be game?' That was the stupidest, most..." Marion exclaimed, clenching and unclenching his fist. He glared down at the pup, "What on God's green earth made you want to do that?"

"We just wanted to see if the medice--"

"Just wanted to see?" Marion nearly yelled. "I had to shove charcoal down his throat because of this and he will be in the hospital overnight because you two were such idiots! That's even if he makes it through the night Chris," he said and saw the look of fear on his son's face. Afterwards he would regret it but in his anger he didn't watch what he said, "That's right Chris. Will could die. He might die!"

Chris clenched his teeth together and looked away. Will was his friend, and the idea of losing someone else bit coldly at him.

"You never play with medications--never!" Marion growled. He felt like this was a conversation he should've been having with a group of elementary school furs and not with his son who would soon be in highschool.

"I'm sorr--" Chris tried to get out, feeling tears well up in his eyes.

"I told you! I told you the week you came in this house that those cabinets were strictly off limits at all times!"

"B--"

"But what?" Marion growled. "But you wanted to be cool?"

"That's not it...I ju--"

"What do you think would've happened if you had taken that pill?" Marion asked, though in truth he was happy his son had only almost taken a pain pill. "Do you realize that they could take away my license for this? They'll question me on this...because you and your friend decided to play 'cocktail medicine party'!"

Chris winced and wished he'd taken oxycodone for the simple fact that it might help with the pain he was feeling now. It was hardly physical though. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to get you in trouble,"

Marion sighed and rubbed his eyes in aggravation. That had been it. His anger had finally subsided with the final rebuttal. All he felt now was tired...and scared. He could so easily, in his mind, switch Chris's position with Will's. He gave a shaky breath and looked down at his son, "I...I don't care about me getting in trouble ...look...Chris...I understand curiosity but there is no excuse for being ignorant and foolish," he said, his tone the calmest it had been yet. He took in a few deep breathes and shook his head, "What about when you're going into high school; there will be a lot of people, some may want you to do stuff like this, and I know you know better,"

Chris felt his ears flick and another wave of pain run through him.

"I asked you about him, I talked with his parents. I let Will into our house because you told me he was 'good' Chris," Marion said and shook his head in disbelief. "Chris...I've trusted you and I don't want to have to not do so...but I obviously can't trust your judgment anymore,"

"B--" Chris said but no words would come out. His ears were still twitching with the idea that the wolf had called this 'their' house--as if he owned it too.

"That's hardly what I care about though. You can earn my trust back...but...Chris...you can't do this to me. What would I do if you got hurt Son?"

Chris felt a tear fall down his muzzle and he tried to rub it away, "I didn't mean t--"

Marion shook his head, "You fully meant to do this! I've told you not to mess with the things in my office and you still did it!"

Chris felt the tears begin to fall down his muzzle and he shook his head. His father didn't understand, he didn't know what he wanted to say. His father still thought he was worried about him losing his job? The strange thing was that he didn't care about that right now but about the fact he'd hurt his dad's feelings, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to hurt you,"

Marion felt the next rebuke stop dead in his throat and he cocked his head.

Chris wiped the tears away but they were quickly replaced, "I'm sorry," he sobbed and curled up in a ball like he usually did when sad.

Distress and grief quickly flooded over Marion's anger and anxiety. He walked over and sat down next to the crying pup--he'd never meant to make him cry. After Nancy's death, he'd decided he never wanted to see Chris cry again. One of his arms somehow went around the distraught teenager and he pulled him a bit closer.

"D--Dad...I'm sorry," Chris admitted.

Marion felt himself nearly jump with surprise. His son had just called him dad. His emotions were running over each other with their progression. All the anger and anxiety, grief and distress flew out of his mind and were replaced with a feeling of astonishment and love. His son called him dad. He pulled the pup closer and into a full hug. His son had called him his father!

Chris buried his head into his father's chest and felt more tears drain out of him. He could hear his dad telling him that it was OK, and that he forgave him. Still, it was stupid. Now he wasn't crying because of the situation. He was crying because he was with his dad--and he was happy because of it.

Marion felt a few tears roll down his muzzle, but these tears were the exact opposite of his son's sad tears. He'd never cried in elation before, though he knew there was a first time for everything--even this. His paws stroked down the pup's back, "It's OK...I forgive you," he choked out again and felt a smile on his muzzle.

Chris nuzzled at his father's chest to dry his eyes and dried his nose a little on the shirt, not thinking about if his father would mind or not. Instead of moving away or anything he leaned back into his father and rested his head on his shoulder, "I'm sorry,"

Marion rubbed his son's arm and kissed him on the top of the head, "Hey...we all make mistakes...it's OK..."

Hope you liked it, and i just feel the need to add this tiny little note....No, you really shouldn't induce vomiting if you don't know what you're doing. I'm a bit unsure of the workings exactly of strychnine, aside from the basics of it and what not, but the point remains that generally your stomach has a bit of protection and what not and it it best to just do what the posion control center would advise....not that i feel this isn't obvious...but....well, just don't induce vomiting...