Any Given Day
Just a little story.
"God..."
Travis was done. Done with work; done with this city; done with life. If the world could be stopped, he would definitely ask to get off.
This day, February 14th, a Thursday, hadn't started out any different from most.
"Drive safe, please!" He remembered Alexander, his mate of 4 years, calling after him as he had rushed to the car.
"I always try, hon. It's the other drivers you should talk to." He'd replied as he opened the car door and got in, nearly closing the door on his tail. Sticking the keys in the ignition, he'd started up the car and backed out of the driveway.
The drive to work hadn't been terrible, either; the reason was work itself, though this was not relatively surprising.
Travis could be accurately described as loathing his job, which, in turn, could be accurately described as the job of "the office bitch". Maybe a pretty well paid office bitch, but a bitch nonetheless. If there were forms no one wanted to complete, Travis did it; papers to be copied, Travis. If there was an office lunch to buy, or a presentation to build, or invoices to look over and mail, who would do them? Travis. Though he had been with his company, a mid-sized marketing firm, for a good eight or ten years, and his job had changed very little. The only thing that had changed over the years was his paycheck and his skills sets. It paid bills, bought groceries, covered taxes, but it didn't mean he had to like it.
The red wolf's day at work was hectic and stressful, filled with mistakes on invoices and the polishing of a presentation of the company's assets. It had been his day to stay late at work, but his work had managed to keep him an extra hour, making it about 9 o'clock at night by the time he'd left the office.
Travis knew he should call home to tell Alexander that he was on his way. "Hey honey! Where are you? I was actually just about to call." The fox's voice rang brightly through the phone speaker, slightly tinged with worry.
"Hey, sorry. I got kept late at the office. I should be home in 15 minutes, though." Travis replied. He turned onto a back road, knowing he could probably make better time using this route.
"I'm sorry, dear. Take your time getting home, and be safe."
"I'll try my hardest, Alex. Don't worry"
"I know you will, and I'll try not to" There was a slight pause, which Travis only assumed was because his fox was worrying. "I love you, see you in a bit"
"I love you too."
~~~
15 minutes later, Alexander was sitting alone in the living room of their home, waiting for his wolf to come through the door. He had the TV on to some home-improvement show, but he wasn't really watching it as much as he was watching the window for the gleam of Travis's headlights. He sighed softly to himself, knowing it was silly to think that he'd be home at the exact time he'd said he would be. That rarely happened, even with the most punctual people. The fox leaned back into the couch, trying not to let the worst come to his overactive mind. 35 minutes later, he had not succeeded.
I need something to calm my overactive imagination, and I know just the thing. He thought to himself as he got off the couch and headed to the kitchen area. From a cupboard next to the sink, he pulled out a small glass, and from the fridge, a bottle of Chardonnay Noir. Alexander carefully filled the glass half full, then put the wine back. Just as he had brought the glass to his muzzle and was about to take a sip the phone rang. Padding over to the wall-mounted phone, the fox picked it up. The caller I.D read "Travis Hardy." Without a second thought, he answered the call.
"Where are you? You're twenty minutes overdue, you silly wolf." Alexander said into the receiver.
There was a slight pause before a gruff voice, which was not Travis's, spoke. "Is this Alexander Lindon?"
"Uh...yes? This is him..." The fox's stomach was a knot of worry.
"This is Officer Fredrickson speaking. You're partner had you listed as an emergency contact on this phone, so I'm calling to inform you that Travis has been involved in a very serious collision with a drunk driver. He is being loaded into the ambulance as we speak." Oh god...no....no no no no.... "We will be taking him to the Columbine Hospital; are you able to meet us there?"
He felt sick to his stomach as he responded, "I...uh...Yes. I can be there right away."
"Good. I'll see you there." And the line went dead. Alexander simply stared at the wall for a few moments, trying to process what had just happened. He then shook himself and grabbed his keys, wallet, and a jacket, and ran out to his car.
On the way there, The fox didn't shed a single tear. He just drove in dead silence all the way there. This can't be real...maybe I fell asleep on the couch? He wondered as he drove.
~~~
"Travis appeared to be traveling the speed limit of 55 mph when the crash happened. From a few witnesses, the police found out that the inebriated fur had swerved sharply from the opposite lane right in front of him. Travis likely had no time to react. He has received massive brain trauma from the impact. The airbags failed to deploy, so his head hit the steering wheel when the collision happened. The front of his skull is fractured, and the doctors have yet to find the extent of the damage to the brain. The doctors also believe that serious whiplash occurred, and may have caused damage to the spinal cord." The nurse informed Alexander solemnly in the rather cheerily decorated sitting area of the hospital.
Officer Fredrickson had been waiting in the lobby when Alexander had arrived at the hospital. After a quick introduction to a leopard nurse by the name of Tammy, the Doberman bid farewell and left him with her, who'd led him back to where they were now. The fox swallowed and nodded, not sure what to say. He felt empty inside...hollow.
Tammy continued, "He also lost a significant amount of blood due to compound fractures in his right arm and left shin. It was a nasty accident, but at least he survived."
"Yeah..."
"Well, I guess you'll want to see him, won't you? I'll go back and see how the current operation is going. The surgeon is trying to set the broken bones, so that they will mend together correctly. If you'll just stay right here, I'll be right back." The leopardess got up with a smile, grasping her clipboard in her paw and walking through a pair of wooden double doors.
Alexander leaned back into the chair he was currently in, staring blankly across the room at nothing in particular. Shouldn't he be crying? Or at least feel sadder than he did now? But he didn't. He didn't feel anything. He felt numb inside, due to the lack of feeling. He hadn't moved an inch when the nurse came back. "They're still in surgery right now. They should be done in about 30 minutes, so once they get him cleaned up from the operation, I'll take you to his room. Can I get you anything while you wait, Mr. Lindon?"
"Huh? What? Oh...no. It's fine. I'll be fine." The fox came out of his stupor and shook his head.
"Alright. If you need anything to eat or drink, the cafeteria is right down that hall. Just follow the signs. When Travis is ready, I will come get you." Tammy finished with a sad smile and walked back through those double doors.
Why did this have to happen? Why today, of all days?
~~~
It wasn't until Alexander was led into the ICU where Travis was that the reality of the situation hit him full force. There was his wolf, lying unconscious on the hospital bed. One arm was wrapped in a cast, while the other had an IV running into it. A tube was coming out of his muzzle and connected to a machine to help him breath. A sensor connected to one of his fingers monitored his heart rate, while a few pads stuck to shaved portions of his head measured brain activity. Another nurse fussed with a few of the wires and cords, making sure that everything was in working order.
"Oh...oh god..." The fox stammered as he took all of it in. This couldn't be real. This had to be a dream. There was nothing else it could be. As quickly as he could, he pushed past Tammy, who'd led him there, and walked out into the hall.
The tears started immediately and wouldn't stop. A torrent of sorrow welled up in him, replacing the previous hollowness. Alexander didn't care that he was in a public place; he just slumped against a wall and slid down to the floor, holding his knees up against his chest and sobbing.
A few minutes later, he finally noticed Tammy standing next to where he sat in the hallway, holding a box of tissues in one paw and offering her other to help the fox off the floor.
~~~
Alexander had slept overnight at the hospital, in the Travis's unit. It was lunchtime now, and the fox had gone down to the cafeteria to try and eat something, despite his lack of appetite. Now, he was back in the room, sitting in the chair close to Travis's bed.
"Guess what, they had tacos today for lunch. They're not as good as the one's you make, but they'll do." Alexander said to an unresponsive wolf. Tubes and wires were still connected hither-thither to Travis, with the occasional machine beeping. "The doctors say that they think the brain damage wasn't as extensive as they thought. They still need to do scan to be for-sure." He grasped his paws together in his lap.
He knew that Travis couldn't hear him, but it was comforting to at least pretend he did. There was a soft knock at the door as Dr. Harris entered. "Did you sleep well last night, given the circumstances?" The otter asked as he walked into the room.
"Yeah, this chair is actually pretty comfy."
The doctor chuckled, "A lot of furs say that. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that we'll be taking Travis here soon for scans. We will be checking for the extent of his brain damage, which I don't think is as bad as it appears."
The fox nodded, "That's what Nurse Tammy said."
Dr. Harris continued, "We will also be checking to make sure there isn't any internal bleeding or damaged organs we missed in the initial check. I doubt we'll find anything, but it's important to check."
"Yeah, I understand." Alexander replied with a small smile. He reached out and grasped the paw of his unconscious partner. The paw seemed a little colder than it should, but the fox dismissed it, as he had had cold paws himself plenty of times.
"His vital signs have been pretty good so far. I don't think you have anything to worry about, Alexander. I'm sure he'll get better, it will just take time. I have to go now to prepare some things; we'll be right back to get Travis." As he turned and gave a second glance back at the screen showing the red wolf's vitals. A small, unidentifiable look passed over the otter's face, but was gone in an instant. He smiled and waved goodbye, exiting the room.
Alexander sighed and looked sadly over to Travis.
I really hope you get better soon, darling.
~~~
"Well, it's officially been three years since the crash."
"Really, it's been that long?"
"That's what I thought when I saw the date. And I have you to thank for helping me get back up on my feet after everything that happened."
"It's no problem, Alexander. You were understandably a little emotionally messed up. I probably would be too, had it happened to me. ." A German Sheppard sitting in the passage seat of the car said to the fox driving.
"And thank you for being so understanding with everything, Thomas." Alexander quickly looked over at his fiance and smiled.
"Of course I understand. You lost someone you loved dearly; I would be more worried if it hadn't affected you as bad as it had." The canine reached over and patted the fox's thigh.
"I think I'll want to be alone for this, alright?" Alexander asked as he turned onto a road with a sign of to the side that read "Resthaven."
"Yes, of course that's alright." Thomas leaned over and pecked Alexander on the cheek as the fox pulled to a stop along the dirt road interspersed with large oak trees. Alexander nodded and grabbed a bouquet of flower from the back seat.
"I'll be right back."
"Take your time." The German Sheppard called as Alexander closed the door and started up the dirt path. It was a slightly chilly day, just enough for the fox to zip up his jacket as he walked between the rows of solemn stones. He looked up at the sky as he went along, watching the clouds billow across the blue February firmament. Everything was calm...
There, on the ground, was a plaque. It was what Alexander had been looking for. He knelt down in front of it and read what was written:
Travis Dominick Hardy
1976-2010
A loving partner and a dear friend, taken suddenly from this world.
One never knows what will happen on
any given day.
After a few moments, the fox spoke up. "Hey, Travis. How are you doing? Me? I'm doing well. That Sheppy I told you about last time, well, after two and a half years of being together, he proposed to me! Thomas proposed; can you believe it? He popped the question when we took our trip to Disney Land together about two weeks ago. Right in the middle of Main Street USA! I said yes, of course." Alexander took the opportunity to show the plaque the gold and silver filigree ring. Diamond studs sparkled in the light. "Isn't the ring he picked beautiful? I still have our set, just so you know. Thomas knows I kept them, but he's okay with it. He understands." The fox let out a heavy sigh.
"It's been three years exactly since your crash. Some days it feels like it's been an eternity between then and now, and others it feels as if it happened just yesterday. I still miss you, but you can rest assured that I wouldn't give up Thomas for the world. I'll be faithful to him just like I was to you, and you to me. I know you'd just want me to be happy, and I truly am. Thank you for all those great years you gave me. I'll be sure to give Thomas just as many, and hopefully many more." A single tear slid down Alexander's muzzle and dropped down on to Travis's marker.
The fox took the flowers he'd brought and set them across the grave. Irises. Travis's favorite. With a small smile, Alexander stood up and started back to the car where his German Sheppard. As he walked, he looked over his shoulder at where he'd left the irises. He then gazed up into the sky and sighed with content.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Travis."
Thank you everyone for reading this. This is just a filler submission to hopefully calm my faithful watchers a little. I promise that'll get my main stuff done soon.
This was a story I had sitting on my drive for a while. I cleaned it up and here it is. It isn't my best work, in my opinion, but definitely worth sharing with all of you. Yes, i know some situations in this story probably don't follow what happens in real life, like procedure at the hospital, but I tried my hardest to make it as close to what really happens.
Comments and critiques are always greatly appreciated, as they can help me become a better writer.
And for any who were wondering, this is what I had in mind for ring that Thomas got for Alexander -> http://www.diamondharmony.com/productimages/prodimg/RG3066TT/two%20tone/fl.jpg A little fancy for an engagment ring, i know, but oh well :P
