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"Carbon?" Adrian dropped Maxie's viewfinder and watched the otter with his own sight. "Hey, what's your game? Run away ag--?"

From a full sprint, Carbon slammed into the husky's chest and latched his arms around tight. "Adrian!"

"Woah... What's wrong, little buddy?"

"She's--!" Carbon ducked his head down and bawled tears into Adrian's shirt. "Gods, I'm--"

Adrian rolled the glowing otter out of direct sight as a few fellow bunkmates walked past on their way inside. "Oi, slow down. One breath at a time, lad." He guided Carbon down to the ground so they both could sit against the side of the barracks. "Now take it easy and tell me what happened."

Carbon adjusted his face mask so it regained a proper seal and then immediately slammed his arms back around Adrian. "She's d-dead. My mom's..." Incessant sniffling forced the otter to hold his tongue, his emotions understandably overcoming his ability to talk. "Goddess, she's just gone..."

"Oh, little buddy... I'm not sure what to..." Adrian rested his paws on Carbon's back and nuzzled between his ears. "It's a shame, and you're still so young. You want to talk through it? Might help a pinch."

"I knew it was going to happen... one of these days anyway..." His claws dug into Adrian's back as Carbon thought about the last few years. "You can't run away from radiation sickness, after all. But now she's gone and I'm all... all alone."

"Radiation? But the bombs dropped decades ago. She had to have been pretty old--" Adrian rephrased his line of thought, realizing the journalist in him was coming to the surface at the most inappropriate of times. "Your mum must have lived a long life. If anything good can be found in any of this, it's that."

"But all she ever did was spy on me in a corner all my life. I don't think she did anything else." Carbon loosened his grip and slumped in the husky's arms. "Now Johnny's freaking out and yelling stuff about being out of a job--" He slewed his head to the side and almost broke into a fit of anger as Evelyn stared back. "Just give it a fucking rest already. I'm not running away."

"Well ~excuse me~ for actually thinking up a plan instead of crying like a child," the now-lifeSized plant girl groaned back.

"Fucking bitch!"

A light slap sounded off the otter's cheek. "Oi! Get a hold of yourself, Carbon. You'll go mad at this rate."

"S-Sorry..." As he ground his cheek into Adrian's shoulder, Carbon grimaced back towards his invisible friend. "I'm just scared, and a bit angry. You would be too if you were in my place. Without my mom... I don't know anything about the world. I'd never survive on my own."

"Come on, now. You're a bright guy." Adrian took a step back in his mind and realized a bit of the otter's words were definitely true, however. "Well, you'll need to work on your fashion sense I'd guess. Not many furs survive wearing medical gowns, after all.

"Hey, if you're just gonna joke I'm going--" In an attempt to wrestle free of Adrian's embrace Carbon slipped his head down low, accidentally yanking his air supply tube free of its pump. "Crap. Wait, shit!" He quickened his breathing in a fret and frantically fumbled with the free end of hose, unable to focus on repairing the unit in panic. "Adrian, help!"

The husky was already trying to help but Carbon's flailing arms were getting in the way. "Calm down and I'll get it!"

"But I need... I need... it..." Carbon started to hyperventilate as his air supply ran dry, eventually resorting to gasps as his body weakened. "Please..."

With significantly less interference from the distressed otter, Adrian found the end of the tube and wedged it into the air feed. "Just breathe, mate. Nice and easy." He checked the pump device for a better solution as the air flow seemed lessened with the quick fix. "We should get you inside. I believe I've got some duck tape by my bunk that could remedy this."

"Y-You see what I mean?" Carbon held his breathing apparatus close by and stood up. "If they don't lock me in a cell somewhere I'll just die out here."

Evelyn appeared next to him, a more confident look on her face. "You've always got me to look after you, Carbon. I'm not our mother, but I'll do what I can."

"Eve... Thanks."

"Eve? Was that your mum's name?" Adrian stood next to the otter and took his paw. "I'm sorry for your loss, Carbon."

"No, it's just... really bad luck." Carbon clasped his other paw over Adrian's and looked up into his eyes. "The other night, when we slept in that field... Can I...?"

"What, stay the night?" Adrian looked uneasily at the barracks door. "If the guys see you it might be trouble. And if they see us together, uh..."

"He wants to help you, Carbon. You aren't a normal fur though so he's afraid." Evelyn sighed and donned her head. "I'll have to go away for a few minutes so you don't look too strange. Hide yourself before I come back, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll hide somewhere." Carbon slowly started towards the door as his luminescence faded, tugging his paws behind him. "Come on, Adrian. I have a few minutes like this."

"Oi, that might work. Alright, get under my sheets when I say, yeah?" The husky went for the door latch, peeking through a small crack before opening it and leading Carbon inside. "Here, this one's mine. Get under there, quick."

Without the aid of his inner companion Carbon had a bit of trouble understanding Adrian as he whispered in the dark. Still, he managed to find the bed in question and figured out what Adrian meant by 'sheets' when he tangled his hindpaws in them. "So hide under these things? That's easy."

Once the otter had all but his head hidden from sight Adrian started getting undressed, placing Maxie in the trunk at the foot and then peeling away layer after layer of his uniform. "Now so long as you keep your voice down I don't think we'll have any issues. That whatchamacallit have enough juice for the night?"

"Grabbed a full one this time, yeah." He double-checked the readout just in case the accident earlier caused it to bleed atmosphere and confirmed it wasn't the case. "It should be good for a while. Maybe even when the sun's at it's highest."

"Gods, you don't get out much. Noon, Carbon. That's called noon." Once he was down to just his boxers Adrian silently slipped under the covers as well, a strip of tape stuck to his paw.

"That's... better. Much warmer than my bed." Without a hint of it happening Carbon suddenly lit up, his glow ever so weakly diffused through the sheets. "Oh... Is that a problem?" He curled up against Adrian's side and wedged his snout into his shoulder. "I don't want to go back to my room. It reminds me of her."

"No, I think we're fine." Adrian wedged his arm under Carbon's back and pulled him into a hug. "I know what it's like losing one of your parents. If you don't want to be alone tonight, I'll be here."

"One of yours? You had ~two~ parents?"

Adrian quirked an eyebrow at the perplexed expression Carbon was giving him. "Yeah, I lost my dad to a heart disease a few years ago." The expression only skewed into a more intense form.

"Well I never had one of those 'dad' things, but If it's anything like what I'm feeling now I'm sorry you lost it." Carbon looked over Adrian's chest and right into Evelyn's eyes. "What now?"

"Nothing, Carbon. I was about to say something but... Good night."

"Hmm?" Adrian turned his head to look in the same general area, then brought his gaze back. "Something wrong?"

Carbon adjusted his mask, nuzzled into the warm fur next to him, and closed his eyes. "No, everything's perfect now."

Carbon jolted awake the same moment as Adrian, something uncomfortably landing on the two outside the bare protection of the sheets. "Wake up, sunshine."

Carbon didn't recognize the deeper voice so he decided to err on the side of caution and let Adrian do all the talking. "Damn it, Gary. I told you not to bloody pull that shit, mate."

"Well I thought you and your lady friend might want some heads-up before the sarge tears you a new one." A clatter of deep clacks sounded next to the bunk, the other fur probably dropping down from the upper bunk. "She sleepin'? Can I sneak a peek?." A few fingers ran through the fur of Carbon's tail, which he'd forgotten was peeking out from the sheets until now.

"Hey! Paws off, Gary." The covers lifted to reveal a concerned and apologetic Adrian. "Oh, you're up. Good morn', Carbon. Excuse my ass of a bunkmate, yeah? He pries too much for his own good."

"Yeah, I felt that much." Carbon started to pull himself up to poke out from the sheets but Evelyn halted him, quite literally as she seized his muscles for a moment. "Hey, what's that for?"

"Wait, that a guy under there? The fuck, Adri?"

"That's what." The flower girl sighed back and released her control, knowing she overstepped her bounds. "Trust me, they'll freak out if they see you. Be discreet, please?"

"Yeah..." Carbon checked the gauge on his air supply and frowned as he realized their repair job wasn't quite as great as he'd hoped. "You got it. Don't need to waste air panicking."

"The fuck's going on under there?"

"He talks to himself."

The bottom corner of the sheets suddenly started to move and Evelyn commanded Carbon's arm to hold it in place. "Sorry! I just saw it first..."

"Don't worry about it." Carbon slid up Adrian's chest by his own and stared up from beneath the gap in the covers. "Can we sneak out of here?" He tapped his mask to strengthen his point.

"Oh, sure Carbon." The husky looked back to his bunkmate and more sternly pressed, "Gary, can you give us some room before the others wake up? I need to get the lad back to his place, and they can't know he was here."

"Hey, I'm not helping a couple of faggots. In fact, I'm getting the sarge."

Adrian shot out an arm and clenched it tightly around Gary's wrist, accidentally throwing the covers off his and Carbon's upper torsos. "It's not like that, mate. Please, the lad's got a condition and needs to go back to hospital."

The large elk connected to Adrian huffed out a breath as he rethought the situation. "He's a fucking kid, man. That's sick. Gay's bad enough, but a pedo too? I should beat the shit out the both of you for that."

"Gary! He just lost his bloody mum last night!" Adrian corrected his voice and let Gary's wrist go free as a concession. "He was scared and didn't want to be alone, alright? Nothing else happened. But if the others spot him Carbon's gonna be in a tighter pinch and he doesn't need that right now."

Gary took a step back as he rubbed down the coarse fur on his wrist. "That true? You just lose your mom, kid?"

"Yeah..." Carbon nodded slowly as he corrected his medical gown to cover more of himself.

"And what's with the getup? What's all that stuff for? And what's with the glowing?" Gary turned to Adrian and pushed, "The kid's not hot, is he? I need to get a haz-mat team?"

"Bloody hell, Gary. You think I'd spend the night with him if that were the case?"

"I, uh... I can't breathe without this thing, and it's almost out. Maybe I can explain later, but I really don't have time now."

"Time, Carbon. It's a seven minute straight shot to your room and there's about ten in the tank," Evelyn reminded.

"Crap. ~Really~ out of time here."

Gary sighed as he stepped back against a nearby wall. "This sounds like some crazy shit, Adri. If you're gonna keep this a secret you've gotta spill some more details later. Got it?"

Eve vanished for a moment but made herself known. "He's already compromised and he's taking too long to decide. Just drag him along if you have to."

Carbon squinted across to a now-fullSize Evelyn near the exit and then sat up in bed. "Screw it. Just come with us. I can get you cleared... I think, anyway."

"Well what about the sarge? He'll chew my ass when we start drills and I'm not allowed to snap pictures all day like you, Adri."

"Hey, if you're cleared by Carbon's friends it won't be a problem." Adrian slipped out of bed and immediately began rummaging through his belongings for anything to wear. "Hurry up, Gary. I don't know what happens when he's out of air but I'd rather not find out, yeah?"

Gary pulled out a set of uniform clothing and rushed into them right along with Adrian. "So what about the kid? He gonna walk around with his ass hanging out like that?"

"He's got a name, you know." After throwing a shirt over his head Adrian grabbed another set of pants for the otter, even though they were a bit large for him. "Here, these should hold you over until we get to Johnny."

Carbon slipped off the bed and into the pants, a flash of memories from the other day coming thanks to Evelyn to remind him how the clasp and zipper worked. "Thanks, Eve." Once the pants covered him properly he removed the medical smock, which in turn drew both of the other furs' attentions. "What now?"

"Carbon, mate..."

"So the kid always have those or what?"

Adrian hurriedly forced a shirt over Carbon's head and then worked his arms through, not even bothering to replace the breathing tube from beneath the cotton fabric. "No, and that's all the more reason he needs to go to hospital."

Carbon quirked his head as Adrian grabbed the breathing apparatus and led the group out the door. "Adrian, what's wrong?"

Evelyn appeared ahead of the three and apologetically waved a hand. "Sorry. I might have bitten off more than I can chew." When the plant girl only received a gawking stare in response she sighed and cupped both hands below her flat chest.

"Uh, I'm not exactly sure how to explain that one, little buddy..."

Carbon looked down and tilted his mask out of the way, then stared back at Adrian wide-eyed. "What the hell are these?"

"The beginnings of a nice rack of tits, kid." Gary grinned as he stared where the small extension of Carbon's chest had formed, only to be punched in the side by Adrian.

"Eyes up and head out the gutter, mate."

"Sorry, sorry." The elk rested a paw on Carbon's back and laughed. "Not every day you see a guy with tits. I think I'm going to like whatever experiments those eggheads are doing though."

"Oh, Johnny. He doing fine?"

The fox walked over to his old desk rather than his newly-inherited one and placed a file on the surface. "It'll take a bit for the blood tests but he looks fine to me. It's good you brought him in on time."

"And that the kid's an otter. I'd never have been able to hold my breath that long." Adrian checked his watch and then shot a glance to Carbon through the one-way glass separating them. "You have a phone down here? I planned to call my mum today."

"Nah, only direct lines. Secret bunker and all that. I'm going to town later if you'd like me to make a stop though."

"No, she's not in town. Besides, Carbon needs some company today. I'll find a phone before we leave."

Johnny looked over to Carbon and then back to Adrian. "You're shipping out? Please tell me you're planning on telling Carbon. He'd be devastated if you left now."

"Well I have until the start of next week, so I'll find a way to fill that ditch." Adrian walked over to the glass and sighed. "Might be best to delay that a day anyway."

"Think that over again," Gary mentioned as he stepped out of the restroom. "I tried that with my sister and she got pissed. She wanted to spend time with me before I left and I didn't know it."

"Oh... Yeah, I wasn't thinking of it that way. Ta, mate."

"As bad as the kid is right now, I think he could take it. I mean he's a trooper at heart if that stunt this morning says anything."

Just then everyone turned to watch a bunny girl walk into the lab office, dressed in a nurse's outfit that could only be described as 'snug' on her curvy frame. "Hey Johnny. Oh, and Mister Halcyon! Nice to see you again, honey. Who's the new guy? A new doc?"

"Gary Bloom, miss. I'm just a visitor though." Gary grinned towards Johnny and offered his hand for a shake. "Gave your boss here a scare to say the least."

"Boss? Oh, no. I work under--"

Johnny went over to the window and stared at his saddened subject. "Alice, Claire's... not with us anymore. Her condition flared up and took her while you were off."

"Gods..." The bunny walked over to the glass and peered into the holding cell as well. "No wonder he looks so sad. Poor lil' guy was fragile enough as it was."

"Well he had an incident today too. Ran off last night and these two huffed him back here out of air."

"Carbon does love talking about Mister Halcyon. If I were him I'd go to find a good friend too." Alice looked back and added, "Sorry. I'm talking about you when you're right there, aren't I?"

"It's fine." Adrian met the others at the glass and sighed as he motioned a paw towards the otter on the other side. "I'd just fret over Carbon instead. There's a tad more to that story than Johnny here's admitting."

"There's more?"

"Well you can't tell too well since I'm letting him wear his clothes for once..." Johnny spun around and leaned against the reinforced mirror glass. "Gods, this sounds ridiculous just in my head so don't laugh. Carbon appears to be changing into a female."

"A woman? He can do that?" Alice checked again and indeed found the little bumps poking against the front of Carbon's shirt. "Wow. How is that even possible? He doesn't even know how any of... that... works, does he? He's been isolated."

"That's sort of what I'm dreading talking to you about." Johnny went over to his desk to take his seat. "You know I respect you and all... but I was wondering if you could give Carbon a quick anatomy lesson. A paws-on one, you know?"

"And so that's why you called all your friends here. That's low, Johnny. I thought you were a good guy."

"You think I want to take a look? Alice, I just want to make sure that if Carbon's changing himself that he doesn't permanently mangle the job. The poor guy's had a hard life as it is, for gods' sakes." Johnny huffed as he reached for a control panel and snapped a few switches. "I know it's against the rules, but I'll keep the cameras off the whole time. I do have to watch just in case something happens, though."

"I don't know... I'm not some cheap girl, just so you know. I've never shown myself off to anyone, in fact." Alice went over to Johnny's desk and stood up straight. "Johnny, I can't just strip down like that. There's something I have to tell you first." She looked back to the others and then leaned in closer. "In private."

"Sure. Uh..." Johnny spun around in his chair and stood once he remembered the recently-vacated office. "We can talk in Claire's office I guess."

Gary waited for the two to walk over to the private office and then toothily smiled. "I've ~prayed~ to have a smoking hot nurse like that. Any chance you could help set us up?"

"I've only known her a few weeks, mate. Besides, I've got more pressing matters to tend to before we leave. Remember?" Adrian reached for the microphone to the cell's speakers and gave it a try. "Carbon? Can you hear this?"

"Adrian?" The muffled voice didn't repeat back through the return speakers until Adrian remembered to enable them. "It's still sort of fuzzy since they last fixed it. Is that you talking?"

"Aye, it's me lad. Sorry we can't speak face to face but I still don't know how any of this works."

"Aww. And Johnny won't help you? I know he can hear this. ~Please~ Johnny?"

"Ah, he's in another room for a minute--" Adrian flared open his eyes and spun around, making sure to let off the transmission button as a loud, female moan sounded from the office. "uh... 'talking' with Alice. Is there any way you could show me what to do? It's a bit ~distracting~ out here."

The otter mumbled a few things as he looked to his side before speaking up. "Evelyn's showing me what you need to do and it's not too hard. Are there any masks by the door?"

Adrian checked and found a rack around the corner with not only gas masks of some sort, but full suits to compliment them. "That and more. Put that on before all else, yeah?"

"Yup! Then there's a pair of big doors. You have to go inside the set and hit a big yellow button to change out all the air. There's a bit more to it if something goes wrong, but I'm sure we can figure it out once you're in here."

"Oh, do I need a suit or not?"

Carbon mumbled to Evelyn again and rolled his eyes. "Unless you're in here for hours you're fine with just a mask."

"Alright, I'll just be a minute." Adrian took one of the masks and placed it over his muzzle, making sure it had a good seal by swiping his fur down flat. A few minutes of loud clacks and hissing later and the husky was granted access to his new friend. "Hey, little buddy."

Carbon grinned and helped pull the inner door to his cell open. "It's nice to be on the other side of the mask sometimes, huh?"

"Proper hard to breathe in this thing, but it does well enough I guess." Adrian slipped through the final door and then let it shut on its own. "Carbon... I have something to tell you but I just had to do it to your face. You deserve that much."

Carbon's smile slowly melted into a pout. "They're taking me away, aren't they? Goddess, Johnny promised we'd be alright!"

"No, no... It's me. My unit's gotten orders..." Adrian paused to sit down with Carbon on his bed. "We're shipping out next week."

"Shipping out? So ~you're~ leaving me too? Fuck!" The otter was about to wail on Adrian's shoulder in frustration, but managed to stop himself and just collapse over the husky's lap. "At this rate I'll end up five floors underground where I'll never see another person ever again. Or sunlight. Or those beautiful stars." He cringed and dug into Adrian's legs. "Or my best friend that showed them to me."

"Carbon... I'm sorry. I'd ask not to go but I've signed all sorts of papers already. I'm stuck." Adrian put a paw on Carbon's back and rubbed it in slow circles. "Besides, Johnny's a quick bloke. He's probably figuring out everything that'll happen to the both of you."

"But he's not." Carbon sighed and took a moment before continuing. "Evelyn knew before I did from his blood pressure or some crap. I realized she was right when he began avoiding looking me in the eyes. We're done, and he doesn't want to admit that I'm getting the bad end of the stick because he's flustered."

"No..." Adrian rolled him over by the shoulder so they met gazes. "I'm looking you in the eyes right now, and does it look like I'm worried? We'll just have to find something new for you to do that the Army can support. You need to breathe and they need to fight a damn war. There's plenty to trade there, and if we need to we'll ~scrounge up~ something they want."

"You..." Carbon quirked his head to listen to the cycling of the airlock. "You've got something Johnny doesn't. A fighting spirit, maybe. Just one more reason I don't want you to leave, Adrian."

Alice stood on the other side of the inner doorway and looked through the small porthole on the door. "Hey, this wasn't part of the deal! Johnny, I'm not doing anything with ~him~ in here too!"

"Hmm? What's that all about?"

Adrian propped Carbon up and shook his head with a sigh. "Johnny's idea. You're turning into a woman so you should study one. I'll let her take my place, alright?"

Carbon pouted as he watched Adrian work the latch to the door. "Please... Don't leave me. Can't you stay longer?"

Adrian looked back as the door started to open, then focused on helping Alice over the bulkhead. "Sorry. I didn't realize you were going to help so soon."

"Well I am and I'd like you out of the room. Got it, mister?" Alice slipped over to a chair near the mirrored glass and turned it to face the middle of the room. She sat down and only then did Adrian realize why she was so tense, a brief glimpse beneath her lab coat proving most provocative. "That means ~now~ Mister Halcyon."

Adrian looked back to Carbon and then to the nurse. "The little guy wants me to keep close. I'll leave if you really want, but I do have to give a fuss for his sake, yeah? Besides, I don't-- I'm--" He stopped himself and came in close to Alice's floppy ear to whisper the rest.

"Interesting," Evelyn commented, leaving Carbon in the dark on whatever she'd learned.

"What's that?" Carbon tilted his head to the plant girl and huffed when she refused to acknowledge him. "Fine. Be that way."

"Looks like you and Evelyn can calm down, Carbon. In light of... ~recent~ information I think I'll let Mister Halcyon here stay if he can keep his paws to himself." Alice opened her lab coat to reveal she wore absolutely nothing beneath, as well as the fact that her fur retained a slight dampening of sweat. "Or better yet, maybe I could get you to hold up this coat so that friend of yours can't see so well?"

Adrian stood behind her and obliged. "My pleasure. I understand how embarrassing this could be for a lovely young lady."

"Oh, Miss Morgan..." Carbon reached forward without time for Alice to react and suddenly granted himself touching rights between her legs. "You're leaking something white from here. Does that mean you're sick? We can wait until you feel better..."

"Ah!" Alice pulled Carbon's now-messy webbed paw away with a forced smile. "No, I'm not sick, Carbon. And I guess that's as good a place as any to start. You see, when a man and a woman love each other very much--"

"Gods, you're having the same bloody talk my father gave me..."

"Mister Halcyon, manners! I'm offering myself up so I get to do this how I want!" Alice turned back to Carbon and started again. "So, as I was saying. When a man and a woman fall in love, sometimes they wish to be closer. More intimate..."

"Like you and Johnny?" Carbon sniffed his paw and then tentatively licked it clean in a 'cute if it wasn't so naughty' way. "Evelyn says whatever this is came from Johnny."

Alice flustered pink beneath her white cheeks and instinctively covered herself with her arms. "Carbon! Y-you-- Wait, I'm doing the talking so shut up! Now where was I?"

"Birds and bees?" Adrian chipped in with a smirk.

"Right. Well when a man and woman... uh... Damn. Well when Johnny and I wanted to be close we decided to--"

"There she goes. It feels good to get a secret off your chest, eh?"

"So we like each other and I happen to be in heat! Just don't get any ideas because at least now you know I'm taken!"

Adrian leaned down closer and smugly whispered to her. "I'm not looking and Carbon doesn't know what you're on about. Just all in good fun, so take a gasp and help the lad. Good?"

"Y-yeah." Alice spread her legs again and went back to her demonstration. "Let's start fresh. This is what a woman looks like down here."

"But Evelyn looks different..."

"Then tell her to put some clothes on for gods' sakes. We're talking about our own kind, Carbon." Alice drew the otter back towards her groin and forced him to focus by using his own paw rather than hers to point out the landmarks. "Starting from the top is the clitoris, or 'clit' as most girls call it..."

Suddenly the speakers clicked on and Johnny poured through. "I said show him what it's like, not give him the personal tour, dear. Sheesh."

Gary must have grabbed the mic as some rustling could be heard. "I wouldn't mind one myself. Is that coat really necessary?"

"Yes!" both Adrian and Alice shouted back, followed by a pair of laughs shared between them.