Well I went and did it again. Another chapter far too late, but at least I do provide value when it comes to length, as it's another doozy. Almost 19,000 words without any thank you's or Science Time! Notes.

Now in this case, it is very much a sorry, not sorry moment. I do regret that it took so long to get this chapter out the door, but the reason for it was some exciting results in the lab. Long story short, I may have figured out the gene responsible for disease resistance to a particular plant pathogen. It's something that my team and I have been working on for years, so having the results come in, clearly indicating that we are in the right area kinda took over my life for a while.

So my apologies for being late, but at least I was being productive.

This chapter was also difficult to write because of the content. I outlined some of this in the intro to chapter 9, but now that it's on the page, I'm going to be including some more concrete warnings.

This chapter contains two incredibly sad scenes. As always, I try to keep things as realistic as possible, and not glorify any of the more messy elements. There will be both an infant fatality, as well as a late term abortion in this chapter, and readers who may find these events disturbing may want to give this chapter a pass.

I have tried to add in some more character driven content to soften the blow, but this isn't going to be a happy chapter.

Now with the warnings out of the way, I'd like to again thank WildeNick for editing this behemoth. IF you'd please show him some love and go read his stories Good Cops Like You, and Three Months a Fox.

Since the last chapter, there has been another cameo appearance of some of the characters from Lost Causes in Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps Always My Sly Bunny, Always My Dumb Fox. Carol gets to lend a paw in the latest chapter. As always, he's been a great sounding board for various ideas, and it was a honor to get to contribute to his work.

Thanks also go out to everyone who commented on the story since the last update.

From FanFiction

J Shute Norway: I swear I am working on that Dramatis Personae for the story. I just prioritized getting this chapter out the door. Hopefully, the partial list that I sent you has helped make sense of the various mammals in and around the story.

As a note for everyone, I will be posting the character list as a separate "story" and updating it as characters are added…or removed.

Elderdrake: I'm glad that the story has continued to keep your attention. Being able to incorporate the science into the narrative is a challenge at times, and I hope that I'm hitting the right balance. As for the bathroom issues for equines, the herbivorous diet would help, but I can definitely imagine that the high end, Japanese style toilets would be MUCH more popular in Zootopia.

Chorpion: I really wanted to make the point that the Centre's staff are very close to each other, and in the case of Dave and Jim, they really are tight friends. Seeing someone at their limit and reaching out is something that anyone should do, but all too frequently we walk by. This goes double for the need to help first responders, soldiers, and medical personnel. They are at the front lines, literally in some cases, and as you wrote, they can have their own demons that they need help dealing with. We can and should do better for ALL of them.

jamdea: I hope that the new charting system has been implemented with a minimum of frustration. Also, I hope that the notes regarding the D&E protocols made sense.

tomcatace99: I promise nothing with regards to the Rey's. Make sure to write down your prediction, and we'll see if it was correct when this tale finally wraps up.

Gamer4COD: Thanks for the vote of confidence, and who knows if this endeavor will lead to something original that could be published. I would be remiss if I didn't ask that you take care of yourself, and let's hope that you beat that prediction by a few decades at least.

Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps: As always I thank you for your input. One of the scenes we had discussed earlier shows up in this chapter, and I hope I did it justice. It was a pleasure to help out with AMSBAMDF, and I hope to be able to do it again.

Nicolaiwulf: The last chapter was a bit lighter…this one is not. Hopefully those scenes are as powerful as I thought when planning them out.

Berzerker88: The Rey's will remain a mystery for now, but I'm glad that you're enjoying their plotline. Once again thanks for your help on that last scene, as the last thing I wanted was to run afoul of the posting guidelines.

From AO3

WildeHoppsForever: Thanks for your comment regarding chapter 4. I hope that my explanation has helped to flesh out that scene, and also explain some of Carol's reasons for taking things so far. As I wrote, you'll find out more in a later chapter, but it will not excuse her actions at the bar. She went over the line, but there's more to the story. I hope you'll enjoy finding out more. Also, I really hope that my comments regarding your possible career choices has helped.

Michael: Aside from me making some questionable literature recommendations, I'm glad that you've enjoyed the story so far. I hope to be able to keep the quality…but don't expect anything too spicy from me. That scene really is about as far down the erotica path that I'm willing to go. As for Jason, we'll see how Karma will see about paying him back.

…and yes Rule 34 is real. I remember years ago trying to see if there were limits to it, and a bunch of friends and I went down a very dark rabbit hole. We never found the bottom…it just went on forever.

WolfGuardMiestwin: Thanks for reminding me about the glory of Demolition Man. That film was one of the cheezy highlights of the 1990's.

wherethecoffee: Great questions regarding the use of CVS as opposed to amniocentesis, as well as the gender issue at the Centre. Hopefully the answers worked for you, and the story is now definitely over 100,000 words.

As for me writing a fluffy story. I actually hope to be able to eventually, but who knows if I'll be any good at it. I've got depressing and tragic down pat I think though ;-)

CAPTAINPRICE79: You get to see some the Centre's resources come into play in this chapter…and I still need to see that Evil Dead remake.

And with that, I think you've all waited long enough for this chapter, so let's get started. Be sure to bring some tissues.

Chapter 10: Rejection and Loss

Dave stood in front of the procedure room's sink, holding the small, unmoving form in his gloved paws. It was yet another failure on his part. His deeply analytical mind knew that, as was almost always the case, there was nothing that could have been done to prevent it, but this fact was a cold comfort to the pain in his heart.

As he turned on the water, he subconsciously chastised himself after he had instinctively checked its temperature. The kit was already dead, and well past being able to feel the cold, but some part of him could never help but treat them as if they were. He justified it to himself as being a minor gesture of respect...but he knew that deep down it was also a longing to undo the wrong nature had inflicted on this mammal.

It was a futile and illogical act, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He waited until the water reached a lukewarm temperature, then placed a basin into the sink and let the water fill it before finally immersing the kit's remains.

"Why am I doing this?" He asked himself internally, as he began to carefully wash away the afterbirth that was coating the kit's fur. The light beige of its coat was gradually revealed as his paws worked gently through its coat. He was careful not to rupture the sac protruding from the base of its spine. He needed to make this as easy as he could on Ms. Clawson...on Isara and her husband.

He knew the answer to his question. " Because she asked to see him." and that was more than enough. They needed to see this. They needed to see the physical representation of their loss. In the long term, he knew that it would help...but he also knew all too well just how badly this would hurt them.

This was the second failure for him today, and he knew that what would come next would be the most difficult part. The first had been tragic and unexpected, but this was something that he knew would haunt him for quite some time.

Bringing his thoughts back to the kit in his paws, he thought back on a day of failure; a day that had started out so promising.

6 hours earlier

Sitting in the car in front of the Honeywell Centre, Dave managed to extricate himself from his mates embrace. The previous evening's events had been a revelation for both of them, and they were still trying to figure out if it had rekindled something that had gone quiescent over the years, or represented some new fundamental truth between the two of them.

Regardless of the source, the two had only begrudgingly given way to sleep, and upon waking it had taken every ounce of self-control that they possessed to keep focused on preparing for their day. It was fortunate that they weren't both so far gone as to not realize that they had responsibilities outside of each other, although the looks on both their faces as they gazed into each other's eyes said that this was only the start of something new. Something wonderful, for both of them.

For now however, responsibility had to reassert its dominance on both their lives. He was needed in the Centre, and Carol had meetings scheduled for most of the day over at the ZAF's central office. Both of them were professional enough to realize that calling in sick just so that they could continue on as heat addled teenagers was nothing more than a foolish fantasy, and something that neither of them would tolerate...but that didn't mean that either had to be happy about it.

"You know, I think I'm having a harder time getting out of this car today than I did yesterday." He said as he gave into Carol's pull, as well as adding his own to the mix to bring their two muzzles together again.

Carol was the first to break the kiss with an unabashed giggle. "OK, for real this time Dave. We both need to get our day started...spirits why does saying that feel so wrong?" She had a coy smile on her muzzle as she forced both of her paws to grip the wheel before revving the engine in warning. "Get a move on, Doctor." She said with a false malice that couldn't hide the amusement in her eyes.

They were both enraptured with what had happened, but she was right. "I'm going, I'm going." Dave said somewhat dejectedly as he exited the car. Noticing that Jim was waiting over in the smoker's corner, as usual, he had a smile on his muzzle as he reached into his front pocket and retrieved the final two cigarettes from the pack. He'd missed his usual nicotine fix yesterday, but rather than raising one to his muzzle, he reached back into the car and handed them over to his mate.

"Today was supposed to have been my last day, but I think it's appropriate to turn over a new leaf starting now." He smiled warmly at her as she theatrically broke the cigarettes in half, tossing the remains out of the window. "Happy belated birthday Carol." He said, and she reached out her paw to grasp his own.

"You always were one to keep your promises you sweet wolf. I'm proud of you." Looking out of the window, she gave out a sharp bark of laughter. "Awww, I think Jim saw that. He looks like he's lost his soul mate. Diana will be devastated to hear that."

Looking back over at the antelope, he could see that Jim had his head hung dramatically, and was cupping his face with his free hoof...while taking another draw from his cigarette at the same time.

"Hey, nicotine-based relationships are a hard thing to come by these days; especially at a hospital." Dave said gravely, but he looked back at Carol before he continued. "But I can definitely say that there's only one mammal who gets to call me their soul mate, and that's you."

Carol's smile warmed even further at the comment, and he could see her fight to not reach out to him again, but they had tarried long enough, and with a laugh she returned her paws to the wheel. "I love you Dave...and thank you for being there; for always being there."

Dave was about to respond when something obviously occurred to Carol. "Oh, were we still going out with the guys from the precinct tonight? With all that's happened, I didn't even think about cancelling."

Dave considered it for a moment. "Are you feeling up to it hon? If you prefer to stay in, I think everyone would understand."

Carol shook her head. "As nice as just heading home and continuing on from last night sounds, I think some activities of another nature might be worth considering. Did you want to drop by the salle, or did you need me to pick you up?" Looking him over, she gave him a disapproving glare. "You've been slacking off on your training. Only one session so far this week, and you only lasted 10 minutes before the...other lessons took precedence."

"Uhhh, the salle I guess." Suddenly suspicious of his mate. It was true that he hadn't been able to train as much as she would have liked, but there was something more going on here.

"Good, I'll see you at 7ish." The impish glow was back in her eyes. "I'll make sure to have a few of the ZPD officers stick around to put your through your paces. You've spent far too much time working with similarly sized mammals. It's time to switch things up a bit." She said, before gunning the engine again.

Dave only had enough time to utter a quick "Love you!" before slamming the door and seeing her race out of the parking lot.

Shaking his head at the implications whatever 'switch things up a bit' could mean, he made his way over to the smoker's corner in a return to the normal life at the Honeywell Centre.

Jim was looking right at him as he approached, his horned head shaking gravely. "So you went and gave in early? Do I mean so little to you?" He tried to maintain a dour demeanor, but his muzzle couldn't help but slowly turn into a smile as he broke into an uncontrolled chuckle.

He managed to regain control fairly quickly, and took another draw from his cigarette, flicking the ash away before he continued. "So I take it Carol's doing better today? I gotta admit that that was quite a show you two put on for..." He paused and checked his wristwatch, while a large smile crept across his muzzle. "7 minutes, and 25 seconds."

Dave could feel a blush spreading under his fur, but managed to keep it from his face. "Oh, come on. It wasn't that long...or that bad." He said dismissively.

Jim broke into an almost manic laughter, and he fought for control before continuing. "Dave, what I just saw wouldn't have been out of place under the bleachers at Craymore High. I know you and Carol have always been fairly affectionate, but that was something else." He shook his head but he still had a warm smile on his muzzle. "I'm guessing that you're still planning on going through with you big plan?"

Dave nodded, but had a slightly pensive look on his face. "Yeah, if anything, this has just shown how much I love her...and I've been an idiot for waiting so long." He shook his head. "You know I was raised in a pretty traditional wolf household, right? We were a pack and a family, so you always respected and obeyed the alpha. When you paired off, you needed the blessing of all the parents involved."

He gave a soft laugh at the ridiculousness of it. "I should have known that I couldn't bridge the divide between Carol and ' The Major '. Her dad and her haven't seen eye to eye on anything for over a decade; ever since she enlisted rather than going to college." He looked over at Jim and sighed. "Since mom and dad died, I guess I just wanted that same feeling of family again; like what Becca's managed with Allan and his folks, but Major Latrans just took Carol's decision to date some 'intellectual snob' doctor as another personal snub. If anything, I've probably driven them further apart..."

Dave sighed as Jim reached out a hoof and placed it on his shoulder. "Family quarrels are always messy, and they cut the deepest simply because they are family." Jim gave a small laugh before continuing. "...but, I have to say, you have been a bit of an idiot."

Dave gave a bark of laughter at the comment. "No argument here. All it took was him telling me I was a 'no good pup killer' to really drive home the point." Dave felt the beginnings of a snarl starting to form at the memory, but shook his head to banish it. That event had happened just over a 6 months ago, and had been the last in a long line of attempts to gain some type of acceptance from the old coyote. The simple offer of lunch had been coldly rebuffed, and had ended with the accusation.

"You're kidding me?" Jim said incredulously. "That asshole is a real piece of work."

"You know what Jim?" Dave replied, with a coy grin on his muzzle. "I actually respected him for that. Lyle was never one to operate under false pretenses. If he didn't approve of you, he never said anything behind your back that he wouldn't say to your face." He shrugged. "In a way he's right, it is a part of the job. It didn't matter to him if I don't like that particular part, and neither does the good that we do. He told me so, and I gotta admit, it really hurt at the time, and it still does, but you know what? It was in that second that I decided, 'to hell with him', and started planning."

He laughed again as he recalled Carol's reaction to the comment. "He's just lucky that I managed to talk Carol down. In this instance, patricide may very well have been cathartic for her, but it would put a damper on our relationship in the long term; what with the whole jail thing." He looked over at Jim, who couldn't help but see the malicious twinkle in his eye. "Her mother on the other hand was apparently very upset with him when Carol told her about the incident."

Jim had a laugh at that comment. "Oh, I can imagine how that worked out. You've told me plenty of times how Carol got her temper from her mom." The antelope shook his head at the thought. "I take it he survived at least."

"He did. Although several pieces of furniture did not." Dave replied. "Marge has been on our side throughout the whole affair. She still loves the bastard, but she's not going to let something like that slide. I know that she'll be coming to the party...and if the Major comes along and tries anything, there will be enough ZPD members there to tranq both the Latrans females before they publically lynch him."

Jim looked confused at the statement. "Don't you mean they'd tranq him?"

"Do you think the little fact that he's unconscious would stop Carol, let alone her mom, the retired Drill Sergeant?" Dave retorted, shaking his head. "Oh no, those two would have his pelt off before he even hit the floor." He laughed, but then had another thought about the upcoming event. "Are you going to be able to make it? I'd really like to have you there Jim."

Jim shrugged in reply, and motioned towards the Centre's doors. "It's all up in the air. The plan was that Doug was going to tell Jason to cover for me, but that's been scuttled. As far as I know, he's going to ask for volunteers, and if that doesn't work, it will go to a lottery system." He looked back to Dave before continuing. "There are a lot of mammals here who'd love to celebrate with you...provided she says yes of course, but who they'll be is anybody's guess."

Dave sighed and rubbed his eyes with a paw. "Great, just what I needed. Another reason to hate that asshole." Looking over to Jim he shook his head. "You know I'm going to ask you to be my best mammal, right? I'll talk with Doug. We'll work something out."

Jim smiled and took a final draw from his cigarette, tossing away the butt with a practiced flick. "Dave, I'm honored, and of course I'll be your best mammal." Jim reached out and wrapped Dave in a rough hug. He quickly released the wolf however, and had a slightly fearful expression on his face."...buuuut don't ask Doug to do too much. Face it Dave, pretty well everyone here wants to be there, but we need to have one physician on duty, preferably 2 given the time." The antelope gave his head a shake and had a quiet chuckle. "That, and if Laura found out that I gamed the system in my favor, she might kill both of us."

Dave joined in on Jim's laughter at the thought...which was more accurate than either male wanted to really contemplate. "Fine Jim, I'm already on Laura's shit list after the whole 'Professor' thing." He acquiesced "I won't try to influence Doug, but I will need to get the number of staff that's going to be here. I'll have the caterer bring dinner for everyone here...minus the wine of course!"

Jim gave him a surprised look at the offer. "That's pretty generous of you. This thing's already gotta be costing you a fortune just based on the numbers...and this isn't even the wedding itself."

Dave shrugged in reply. "It's just money Jim." He gave a small bark of laughter at the thought. "Heck, we've both joked that we could already retire on what we've earned over the years here." His gaze turned towards the Centre, and fixed on one particular room on the second floor. "That's not why we're here though, and after a certain point, money just becomes a way of keeping score in a game that I don't even want to play."

Jim nodded thoughtfully. "You're quite right on that, and that does bring us to a more pressing topic. We got preliminary confirmation that the fetus is a fox-wolf hybrid last night."

Dave's ears perked up, and his head snapped back to Jim. "How did you get the sequence data so quickly? Does Donny know?" He was already reaching for his phone when Jim waved a hoof to call him off.

"We don't have sequence data just yet, but we were able to confirm both Vulpes and Canis surface markers on the fetal cells. Additionally, Penny used some of the sequencing library amplification for DNA fingerprinting." He paused before continuing. "The STRs all lined up with a 50/50 split between Mr. and Ms. Rey. It's still not conclusive, but it looks like she's a true hybrid...but we still don't know what conditions we're going to be dealing with."

Dave cocked his head to the side at the comment. "She? You're certain?"

Jim nodded his head and motioned up to the window that Dave had been looking at a few moments ago. "We're sure. Percy ran a full Vulpes Y chromosome STR panel, and got bobcus." He looked back to Dave. "I haven't told the Rey's anything yet. They hadn't woken up when I last poked my head into the room."

"We should probably wait to tell them until we get the preliminary sequence data back." Dave said gravely. "Damn, this probably means that she's got 3 X chromosomes. Two from Tommy and one From Janet. We had better hope that there's been a lot of recombination on at least one of them or she's certain to have issues from that alone."

Jim sighed and looked back at Dave. "I know...it's damn near all I've been thinking about since yesterday. She might suffer from every trisomy disorder in the book, but if that's the case there's fuck-all we can do, she'll never make it to full term. Hell, we can't even hope for a mosaic trisomy. This is going to be all or nothing."

"If it was that bad Jim, we wouldn't be talking about it. The pregnancy would never have made it this far if that was the case." Dave reached out and gripped his friend's shoulder. "We'll see what the sequencing says, triage the disorders, and fix whatever we can. The floodgates have been opened, as Ms. Longfellow mentioned yesterday. As of now we have full access to whatever we need. Let's just hope it's enough."

"We both know that hope is a dangerous thing to have around here Dave...but we're not going to give up. Not now, not ever." He paused and rubbed his chin with one hoof. "Percy mentioned that the preliminary assembly on Mr. Rey completed a couple of hours ago. The sequencing depth was as bad as we feared, and the contigs are really fragmented."

"How fragmented are we talking about?" Dave asked, as the results could vary from things being merely difficult, to an utter impossibility.

"Over 100,000 contigs and scaffolds, and an N50 of 22kb." Jim said without pause, and Dave cursed quietly.

"Shit, shit, shit! We can't do much with that." Dave began to pace back and forth, his mind working through the possibilities. "Did Percy have any hint as to what the problem is? Is it just a depth issue that we'll be able to resolve when the full run is complete?"

Jim shook his head in reply. "Not entirely. He said something about the depth being an issue, but it would also appear that there's a lot of repetitive DNA in the mix, and that it's going to be an issue for assembling both Mr. Rey's and the fetus's genome."

Dave cupped his muzzle with a paw as he worked through the problem. "If they're causing problems with the assembly, they're big, and probably scattered throughout the chromatin. The BGSeq's don't have the read length to bypass that unless we use size-selected libraries, but those cap out at 10kb." The answer came to him in a flash and he snapped his digits at the obviousness of it.

"The floodgates have been opened, and it's time to start writing those cheques." He said as he reached for his phone. "We need longer reads Jim. We'll have sequencing data from the size-selected libraries sometime tonight when the standard sequencing runs are done, but even then we need more, and we need it now."

He quickly dialed Donny's number and tapped his hind paw impatiently while the phone rang. The bison was quick to pick up however, and his deep voice came over the line. "Dr. Widelhorn here."

"Donny it's Dave. This is going to sound odd, but who was your friend over at ZU who was going to be getting the new Sequel system really soon?" He asked without preamble.

The Sequel was the next version of the long read next generation sequencers, and although the Centre had an order in place, those machines were a hot commodity and it was first come, first served. He knew that the Centre had ordered 3 of the new units, but they were scheduled to arrive in about 5 weeks...and they didn't have 5 weeks to spare.

"Hmmm? That would be Derek Messange over at ZU. Why are you asking?" The curiosity in his voice was clearly evident.

"We got confirmation that the fetus is a hybrid, and I'm about to make Dr. Messange very happy as a result. Mr. Rey's genome apparently has a high content of repetitive DNA, and we're going to need some additional read coverage to bridge the gaps." He replied. "Do you happen to have his home number? He probably won't be in his office just yet."

Looking over at Jim, he could see the antelope's eyes widen as he clued in on Dave's plan. "I'll call Doug, and get this conferenced together." He said simply as he began dialing his own phone."

Dave nodded and quickly added. "Also get Mr. Dray on the line, we'll need legal's help to draft up the paperwork."

Donny gave a low rumble of a laugh over the phone. "Oh I see what you're planning...and I like it. Derek and I have curled together for years. I'll get him on the line."

"Thanks Donny, I'll put this call on hold while you bridge in Dr. Messange." He said, and looked over to Jim, who was speaking quietly over his own phone. Jim nodded his head in response to something that had been said on the other end of the line, and then turned and offered the phone to Dave.

"Mr. Dray wants a summary of what you're planning Dave." He said, and Dave grabbed the offered phone from his hoof.

"Mr. Dray, it's Dr. Hawthorne." He said in greeting.

"I'm on the line as well Dave." Doug's voice called out. "I think I know what you're scheming to do, and if I'm right, I approve, but explain it for Daniel."

Another voice chimed in, first with a quiet laugh, but then more clearly addressed Dave. "Dr. Hawthorne, if you would please let me know why you need me two mornings in a row?"

Dave gave a small chuckle himself before speaking. "First, you should know that we have confirmation that the fetus is a true hybrid. I can't give you any more information than that, but we have genetic evidence that points to it beyond a reasonable doubt."

There was a pause on the other end of the line followed by a quick intake of breath. "OK, that's already more than enough reason to call. I'll inform the board of directors and the trustees immediately."

"Before you go, we'll need you to stay on the line." Dave said and then paused. "We need to get a piece of equipment in here yesterday, but it's currently going to be a 5 week wait...I'm going to make a mammal an offer that they can't refuse, but we'll need to have whatever agreement we come to written up ASAP. We can't afford to wait on this."

"I understand, just give me a moment." The line clicked several times before Mr. Dray came back on the line. "I'm recording this call, for future reference. Once you make the introductions, let me talk to...who is it we're going to be speaking with exactly?"

"A Dr. Derek Messange from Zootopia University." Dave replied, and checked the screen on his phone. The icon indicated that Donny was waiting for them to join.

"Let me speak with Dr. Messange briefly, and then I'll just be a fly on the wall while you work out the arrangements." The cheetah added.

Dave nodded, and then forwarded the call to his own phone, and then passed the device back to Jim. He tapped the icon to merge the calls, and also turned on the speaker so that he and Jim would be able to take part.

He could hear another deep voice on the line, and obviously Dr. Messange and Donny had been conversing while they waited. "...careful this time. Their Skip's too good to miss a call like that, and we need to focus on getting the guard rocks in place before make a move on the button."

Dave had no idea what the conversation was regarding, but that was neither here nor there. "Hello, Dr. Messange?" He asked, hoping that he had correctly managed to send all the calls to the right place.

"Oh, hello! And yes this is Dr. Messange speaking. You would be Dr. Hawthorne?" He didn't know Dr. Messange personally, but it was obvious from the voice that he was one of the larger species...which made sense if he and Donny were involved in sports together.

"Is curling a sport? I never pictured Donny on ice before." He thought to himself before continuing. "That's correct, I'm also with Drs. Cerval and Wilson from the Honeywell Centre, and Mr. Dray who's part of the legal representation for the Centre."

Daniel took that as an invitation to speak. "Good morning Dr. Messange. Before we go about the reason for this call, I need to let you know that it is being recorded, and that the contents will be kept utterly confidential without the consent of both parties. Provided that you all can come to an agreement, I'll have the paperwork sent out later today."

"Paperwork? Donny what's going on?" Confusion was evident in Dr. Messange's voice, and Dave hurried to explain.

"Dr. Messange, we have a situation regarding a patient, and we need to get our paws on a Sequel system as soon as possible. Donny mentioned that you were expecting one soon, correct?" He asked.

There was a pause before Derek replied. "Yes, we're expecting it to be shipped either today or tomorrow. We're just waiting for confirmation from PackBio on the availability of the installation team."

Dave smiled at the revelation. "So it hasn't shipped yet? Excellent!" There was real excitement in his voice as he continued. "I'll put this bluntly, we need that machine, and we're willing to offer you twice the list price, plus we'll cover the service contracts once you do get a system set up for yourself for a 5 year period."

"Please don't let me have overstepped my authority." He silently pleaded internally, but neither Doug, nor Mr. Dray said a word against the offer.

"Thh...that machine costs one point three million dollars! It took us a year to get the funding together, and you're willing to hand over almost 3 million just like that?" His voice was incredulous, and Dave couldn't blame him.

The low rumble of Donny's laughter came over the line. "Derek, I've told you that funding is never an issue for me."

"I thought you were joking. Damn, I can't really say no to this, can I?" There was a pause as he took a moment to consider things. "How do we proceed from here?"

Daniel took over the conversation at that point. "I'll have the agreement written up by noon, once it's signed, we'll contact the office of research at ZU and set up an unrestricted research grant for your group. The funds should be in place within 5 business days, but your institution might delay their availability for a bit. Will that be acceptable?"

There was silence for a few seconds. "Five days?" There was another pause. "You know every fiber of my being is telling me that this is impossible. Grants normally take months to get set-up, but you'll really do this?"

Doug's voice was the one to reply. "Dr. Messange, we're a privately funded institution, and when things need to be done, you're looking at the entirety of the bureaucratic process required. We need that sequencer, and we're not going to waste time."

Once again Dr. Messange's low rumble of a laugh could be heard. "OK. I guess I'll just need to accept that." He stopped speaking for a moment. "...I don't suppose you're hiring?"

Dave could almost hear Doug's ears perk up in response. "If that's a genuine question, please forward me your CV directly and we'll be in touch." The rabbit stated, only slightly managing to hide the delight in his voice.

"If it's the money that's attracting him, even our rate won't be enough to keep him here..." Dave thought glumly, but any opportunity to increase the research staff was something that they needed to pounce on.

The group had quickly worked out the remaining details, and after a brief conversation with a very confused sales rep, they were assured that the sequencer would be installed tomorrow.

Although he was excited at the prospect of a new toy in the lab, as well as the answers that it could provide, he had delayed the start of his rounds long enough. Dave walked into the Centre and after changing into a fresh set of scrubs and donning his lab coat, he made his way to the nurse's station to get a read on how many patients he needed to see this morning.

Walking up to the desk he was surprised to see an unfamiliar rabbit sitting behind the desk. Her ear twitched at his approach, and she looked up to greet him. "Hi! You must be Dr. Hawthorne." The doe stood up and offered her paw in greeting. It was only then that Dave noticed the monogram on her lab coat read 'Dr. Wilson', and the association was instantly made.

He took up her offered paw in his own and smiled warmly. "And you would be Melissa I presume. I had heard through the grapevine that you'll be joining us, but I'm a bit surprised to see you here so soon. Did you finish off your residency already?"

Melissa laughed and waved her paw dismissively. "I wish! No I've still got 6 weeks of practical to get through." She shook her head and motioned to the stacks of paper in front of her. "I'm just getting a head start on the HR stuff. I want to get started as soon as I can, but I haven't done any work in a BSL 3 lab, so there's a bunch of training and security stuff to deal with."

Dave gave a chuckle at the comment. "Quite commendable, but there's no need to rush that part. Unless I've been misinformed, you have more of a clinical focus in mind, so the research side of things can wait until you get your feet wet at least."

The doe shook her head. "I don't like leaving things that can be done now for later." She shrugged and sat back down at the desk, but laughed as she once again took up her pen. "I get that from dad...I mean Dr. Wilson." She hummed to herself briefly. "I guess that's going to be a little awkward to deal with, but I'll figure it out."

Dave cocked his head inquisitively. "I'm actually surprised that Doug finally gave in on having you start here. He was pretty... opinionated about it just three days ago."

Her ears drooped and a frown formed on her muzzle. "Look. We had a fight about it, but I won, and I'm going to practice here. It's my choice, and I know what I'm getting into." She looked up at Dave, and he could see in her eyes that she did. "I've seen what this place, what the work here has done to him over the years, and I know that he was trying to protect me, but this is what I want to do." She looked away, and there was uncertainty written all over her face. "Maybe I can't handle it. Maybe I will break." Looking back up, Dave could see that there was steel in her eyes. You know what? I want to find out either way, and when I do make it, this is a place where I can make a real difference."

Dave nodded in understanding and a smile formed on his muzzle. Those were the reasons that brought him here as well, and although the road was hard, he could see that she wanted to walk it for the right reasons. "It will be a pleasure to have you on board Melissa, and please call me Dave. We're a small enough group that we only use the titles when dealing with patients."

Any reply that would have been forthcoming was cut off by a commotion from the main lobby. "We need a stretcher out her NOW!" Jim's voice called out, and Dave wasted no time bolting for the spare gurney that they kept for patient transfer. He nearly ran into Doug Mills, as the leopard dashed out of a supply room, obviously hearing the command.

Both mammals grabbed the bed and sprinted out to the lobby. Kneeling on the floor, Jim and Cat were working to assess the condition of an obviously pregnant ferret who was lying on the ground clutching her rounded abdomen in what Dave already knew was a strong contraction. Kneeling next to her was her probable mate, a middle aged stoat, who was staring with a look of confusion on his face. All he could do was reach out and take her paw in his own.

"What do you have, Cat?" Dave asked as he drew up beside the group. He noticed that Cat was still in her street clothes, and hadn't even had a chance to change before their first patient burst through the door. The jaguar was taking the ferret's vitals, and looked up as he approached.

"According to her husband, the contractions are occurring every 2 and a half to 3 minutes. Her pulse is rapid but steady. We need to get her into an exam room to really have a better handle on this, but right now it looks like a normal active labor." Catherine said, motioning for Dave to help her lift the patient onto the gurney. Jim had made his way over the reception desk and was looking at Natalie's computer, the older gnu stepping back to get out of the way of the physician.

"He's probably looking up her information." Dave thought as he and Cat carefully placed the female onto the gurney. Looking at the two mustelids, he forced a warm smile onto his face as Catherine began the more formal introductions.

"Well you two know how to make an entrance." She said with a warm smile on her muzzle. "Ms. and Ms. Paddington, I'm Dr. Willows, and these are Dr. Hawthorne, nurse Mills and Dr. Cerval." Motioning with her paws as she introduced the mammals on paw.

"Paddington? Why is that so familiar?" He thought, but managed to keep a practiced smile on his face as he nodded his head in greeting. Seeing some motion in the corner of his eye, he looked over to Jim, who was waving him over with a hoof. There was no smile on his face however, and the implications caused a knot to form in Dave's stomach. Looking back at Catherine, the two shared a knowing glance.

"Mr. Mills, would you see Ms. Paddington to Delivery Room 1 if you please." Catherine said, keeping her worry out of her voice. "Mr. Paddington you can head in as well. Mr. Mills will get you gowned up once we have your wife settled in."

Doug nodded his head and pushed the gurney through the double doors, and towards one of the two delivery rooms in the Centre. They were used all too infrequently, but were always ready nonetheless.

Dave and Catherine kept the smiles on their faces until the doors closed, then both mammals turned to face Jim, who was looking intently at the screen in front of him. Dave gave a sigh, as he knew that what it showed could only represent bad news, before walking over to look for himself.

Dave had only taken a step when it finally dawned on him. "Oh shit!" He said out loud. "Was that a Melana Paddington?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Jim didn't look up from the screen, but nodded his head sadly.

He had almost forgotten about the Paddingtons. He had done the initial consultation, but had passed it over to Laura once the fetus' condition was known. "She was supposed to terminate the pregnancy Jim. The fetus' heart only has 2 chambers. The cranial malformations were bad enough on their own, but with that heart condition, it's simply not viable." He looked over to Catherine who was reaching for her phone. "I know that Laura went over this with them."

Cat shook her head with a small snarl on her muzzle, obviously remembering the couple now. "She did...and it damn well broke her to do it." She paused in dialing the phone. "She needs to know, but this is going to hit her hard."

Dave nodded in understanding. Laura had lost one kit to the same cardiac deformity. The tragic irony in being a cardiologist, but being unable to do anything to save your own child had taken a toll on the ferret. Professionally, it had somewhat galvanized her to devote even more energy into the clinical and research aspects of the Centre, but on a personal level it had cost her irreparably.

They all knew that the normal procedure would be for her as the primary physician to oversee the birth...and death of the kit, but this wasn't something that Dave would allow if he could help it. Looking back to Cat, he sighed heavily. "Call her, but let her know that I'll handle the delivery. Ms. Clawson isn't coming in until this afternoon, and from the looks of things, Ms. Paddington won't keep us waiting too long." Shaking his head, he continued. "If she insists that she wants to handle it, I'll step aside, but damn it! This never should have come this far."

Cat growled softly in reply. "I don't know what they were thinking, but I do know that Laura told them every detail of what she went through. Jim, did they ever book the D&E?"

Jim was still looking over Ms. Paddington's chart, and nodded in reply. "Yes, the procedure was booked for just over a month ago, but they cancelled, and didn't return any of Nat's calls." He shrugged his shoulders and motioned to the screen. "It looks like they got cold feet. Hell, maybe they were hoping for a miracle, but they're not going to get one if these tests were accurate."

"They were accurate." Dave said somberly. "Both Laura and I ran them independently. We got a full 3D image of the heart anatomy, and it was clear that both the atria and ventricles were fused. The palate and mandibular cleft we probably could have fixed, but that heart just isn't going to be able to keep him alive for long." He felt his lips curl into a snarl and he kicked a nearby waste bin in frustration, earning a disapproving glare from Natalie. "Damn it! Why couldn't they just have listened?"

"Denial is a powerful drug, Dave." Jim said, shaking his head. "We gave them the options of bad or worse and they balked at it."

"We see it damn near every day." Cat said sadly. "You sure you want to handle this?"

" Want isn't really the word I'd use, but yeah, I've got it. You have some booked appointments, and all I have on the go are the Rey's and lab stuff." He ran a paw over his eyes before continuing. "I'll check in on the Paddington's and get an idea of how far along things have progressed. If I have time, I'll stop by the Rey's room to see how they're settling in."

Quickly looking at his watch, he started back towards the nurse's station. "Jim, get out of here before it's too late!" He called over his shoulder as he stepped through the double doors.

Steeling himself he stopped off at the nurse's station to see that Melissa was intently reading over something on one of the tablets that were used when a physical chart wasn't available. He forced himself not to laugh, and put on a grave face before he spoke. "That's confidential information Dr. Wilson!"

The doe jumped at the sound of his voice, and she looked sheepishly up at him. He extended his paw towards her, and motioned for the tablet. "Sorry Dr. Hawthorne. Nurse Mills asked me to load up the patient's information for you or one of the other physicians when he passed by. I know I shouldn't have read it, but I saw the attached notes and...well I couldn't believe it." She said while handing over the device.

Dave glanced at the screen, and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Ms. Paddington's information. Looking back at the rabbit he allowed his face to soften. "For future reference, we do take patient confidentiality very seriously here. You're not on staff yet, and looking at this without the patient's consent is a big ethical breach. Being curious is good, but know where to draw the line in the future."

Melissa nodded and hung her head, making no move to reply. Dave sighed, but then had a thought about what she had said. "As to you not believing that it could happen, this is what it's like here." He said motioning with his paws to indicate the entire Centre. "Every day, you'll come in and have to tell some mammal that they can't have children, or worse that their child won't survive for thousands of different reasons. I am not exaggerating when I say that we fail to help 9 out of 10 mammals that come through those doors. Oh sure, we usually manage to help the parents recover, but for the kits? No, our success with those are rare and precious things."

Melissa looked up as his words hit her, and there was a fire in her gray eyes as she spoke. "I know that! Do you think that I'm oblivious to what this place has done to dad? To Grant? How it eats them from the inside and, if it weren't for the rest of us keeping them together, it would have hollowed them out years ago." She suddenly jumped onto the chair, which not only brought her up to Dave's chest, but she poked a digit into it roughly, punctuating every word she spoke next. "I. Want. To. Help! The patients, dad, Grant, you, everyone here." She slumped back down before continuing. "I screwed up with the chart, but I want to help."

Dave nodded his head and came to a decision. "Come with me." He said simply, then started walking down the hall towards the delivery rooms. "You want to know what it's like here, well you're going to see exactly what we are dealing with." Looking back over his shoulder he continued. "Based on what you read, what's going to happen in there?"

Her voice lacked the clinical detachment that came with performing this job for years, but she was still succinct. "If we're lucky, the kit will be stillborn. If we're not, it'll only survive for a few minutes outside the mother."

Dave nodded. "That's exactly right. Our job is going to be preparing these mammals for what's going to happen, and then seeing it through to the end. Depending on how this goes the kit may die in their arms or one of ours." He spun around and faced the rabbit directly, while continuing to walk backwards. "We do not shy away from it. We do not look away when death arrives. That kit will not die alone on a table, and I will be there for as long as he has. That is the price that this place demands of us."

He knew that he was being unduly harsh on the young physician, but Doug had been right when he said that the Centre ate innocence daily. "She wants to know if she could handle the job. This is how she can find out...and get the hell out before this place breaks her." He thought to himself.

Melissa nodded in reply. "I...I understand, and I won't crumble when the time comes. If need be, I'll be the one to hold him."

Dave allowed himself a smile at her conviction, but shook his head. "No Dr. Wilson. That is one price I can't allow you to pay just yet. This is my patient, and my responsibility. You're here to watch, and to learn. About the job, and hopefully about yourself." Reaching the doors to the assigned delivery room, he paused. "Don't force yourself to do this if you really can't handle it. I'm being a bit cruel here, but sometimes I wish Doug had done something like this with me." He sighed at the memories that came flooding back to him. The seemingly endless stream of small failures he had held in his paws. "I probably would have still signed on, but it would have made the first few weeks easier."

Straightening himself, he nodded to the doe. "Let's take a look and see how things are progressing."

The two physicians walked in on what would be a precursor to unbridled joy at Zootopia General next door. Doug had been joined by his wife, Sara Mills, and both were getting Ms. Paddington settled into the labor and delivery bed. It was currently set up in the labor configuration, which was very similar to any regular hospital bed. Dave didn't think it would stay that way for long though, as Ms. Paddington was obviously working through yet another strong contraction.

A look and a nod from Doug told Dave that there was nothing unforeseen that was occurring, and the two physicians moved to the scrub sink and proceeded to thoroughly wash and dry their paws before donning gloves and making their way over to the couple.

"Ms. and Mr. Paddington," He began when the contraction subsided. "This is Dr. Wilson, a senior resident at Zootopia General. Would mind if she observed the delivery?"

Both mustelids nodded in reply, and Dave could smell the anxiety coming off of them in waves. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to be comforting in this instance, and he took a seat to bring him closer to eye level.

"Before we go any further, I need to make sure you understand what the very likely outcome is for this." He looked to both mammals with a compassion, but also professional resolve. "Based on all the previous tests, the odds are near certain that the kit will not survive for very long, if it's delivered alive at all. I'm very sorry, but the heart condition is not something that we can fix. I need you to understand this."

"We understand doctor." Ms. Paddington replied. "We know what we were told, but we needed to give him a chance."

Dave nodded. "All right then. I'll need to do a quick check to see how you're progressing. Have you given any thought to pain management? The Centre's other Dr. Wilson will be arriving shortly, and he can administer an epidural or a spinal block." He held back a small chuckle at the confusion that having two Dr. Wilson's on staff would cause. "That will numb you from the mid abdomen down. You'll still feel pressure, but very little pain."

The ferret shook her head. "Not, I want to do this as naturally as I...OH SPIRITS!" She cried out as another contraction took hold. Dave glanced at Doug, who checked his watch and held up 2 digits.

"So 2 minutes between contractions." He considered as he glanced as his watch to time the contraction, while reaching out with his other to grip her shaking paw. It began to subside after 35 second, and he quickly took advantage of the lull to move down to the foot of the table.

"Just let me know if you change your mind on that. We can also go for an IV painkiller. It will take the edge off of the pain, but it's nowhere near as effective as the epidural." Seeing his patient nod her head in understanding, he continued. "I'm going to take a look, so just relax, and if you feel any sharp pain, let me know Ms. Paddington."

He went about moving his paws over her abdomen, feeling the uterus and the fetus inside. Everything appeared to be progressing normally, and the fetus was well down in the main body of the uterus, with no signs of a breach.

He lifted the surgical drape, and seeing nothing amiss, he gently inserted two digits into the ferret's vagina. Feeling the cervix with the tips of his digits, he made a mental measurement of its dilation "That's right around 2 centimeters, almost fully dilated. Given her history this is going to be a quick one."

This wasn't Ms. Paddington's first pregnancy; she had successfully delivered three other kits previously. It was only in this latest pregnancy that the genetic dice had come up against the couple. Given the previous pregnancies, Dave doubted that she would be longer than an hour.

Removing his paw, he began to strip off his gloves. He forced a smile onto his muzzle as he looked up to address his patient. "Everything looks fine for now Ms. Paddington, and we're progressing normally. If you can help it, remember not to push just yet. I know you want to, but we're still a bit early, so just try to hold off." He motioned with a paw towards Melissa and himself. "Dr. Wilson and I are going to get changed and then we'll be back."

The couple nodded, and Ms. Paddington spoke up. "Just, please hurry back...and could you...AHHH! C...Could you call me Mel, PleeeeeOHFUCK!" Another contraction gripped the ferret, and Dave quickly moved his paws over the abdomen, ensuring that there was nothing untoward with them.

Nodding his head, he motioned for Melissa to follow him. Before leaving he turned to face the Mill's. "Doug, Sara, if you have the chance, could you please get the fetal ECG set-up. I'd like to get a look at the QRS complex as soon as I can, and if Dr. Pawson makes it in, she'll definitely want to see it."

"I'll handle it Dr. Hawthorne." Sara answered, looking over to Doug who was holding onto Mel's other paw along with her husband.

Dave tossed the used gloves in the bin by the door and then exited the delivery room, turning towards the staff locker rooms. "Ok, let's get into the fresh scrubs and get back in there. This one won't take long if her previous pregnancies are any indication." Looking at his watch he gave a small bark of laughter. "Unless your dad speeds things up, he'll probably miss this one."

From behind him he could hear the clearing of a male throat, and he stopped in his tracks. Cringing both mentally and physically, he turned around, and saw not one, but two unhappy mammals in the hallway. Both Doug and Laura we alternating their looks between Melissa and himself, and Dave knew that some explaining was in order.

Before he could answer however, Laura spoke up. "Doug, before you tear a strip off his hide, can I get a word in?" She asked the older rabbit by her side.

Doug nodded wordlessly, and the sable colored ferret walked over to stand in front of Dave. She motioned for him to kneel down so that they were close to the same level. As soon as he did so, the stern look on her face crumbled into one of profound loss, and she wrapped him in an embrace.

Dave was too shocked to respond, fully expecting to have to face the full fury of the diminutive cardiologist. Instead, all he could hear from her was a quiet "Thank you." before he wrapped his own arms around her.

For all of her fierce demeanor, Laura, like all the mammals at the Centre had a limit as to the tragedy that she could deal with. Having a patient go through the same anguish that she had...when she had tried to warn them\, was apparently the point where here professional pride was willing to take a back seat to her mental health.

The two held each other for a short time, and then Dave felt her loosen her hold, and he did likewise. The ferret sniffed slightly, and rubbed a paw over her eyes, but her professional attitude quickly took hold, just as Dave's on mask did for him.

"You didn't need to do it, but thank you." Her face darkened, as her normal fiery demeanor returned. "What the fuck were those two thinking? After all I shared with them…" She paused and threw her arms out wide in frustration "...they ignored all of it?

"I think Jim said it best this morning Laura, 'Denial is a powerful drug'." Dave replied sadly.

The ferret nodded her head. "I'll need to be in the room to verify the diagnosis." She said, and held up her paw when Dave made to interject. "I know that you can make the call, but this is something that I need to be sure of." Her practiced smirk returned to her muzzle as she looked the white wolf up and down. "I was willing to admit you're better than me at the amnio, but for this? Oh no, Dr. Hawthorne. This is my court, and you will play ball by my rules."

Dave gave a small laugh, but then his face took on a more somber note. "Understood Laura...but when the time comes, I'll be the one to handle it if need be."

There was both relief and sadness in Laura's eyes as she considered his words, but then her head cocked to the side in confusion. "I was afraid that you were going to foist that off on Melissa...if I'm right about that being her, which judging from the quiet but heated discussion going on behind us, I'm pretty sure I am."

Dave looked shocked at the comment. "I'm not a monster Laura, and we need her. Spirits know, we need her." He sighed and stood up. "To her credit, she offered, but I said that it wasn't a price I was willing to let her pay just yet." He looked down at Laura. "The rest of us have had to pay it dozens, no hundreds of times over, but if I can hold off that day, I'm going to." Shaking his head he looked back at the pair of rabbits, who had apparently finished their argument and were hugging each other fiercely. "I just want her to know what she's getting into, and for her to have a real chance to determine if she can handle it."

The pair broke apart, and the two Wilson's made their way over to Dave and Laura. Doug spoke up as he walked past, sniffling slightly as he did. "Shall we be about it Doctors?" Motioning with a paw, he directed Melissa to the female locker rooms. "Dr. Wilson, Dr. Pawson will show you where the scrubs are. Dr. Hawthorne, if you would follow me."

Dave followed Doug into the locker room and immediately made for the orderly supply closet containing the various materials that were needed for the day to day use by the staff. Grabbing a set for himself and Doug's smaller form he made his way back and saw Doug supporting himself with one paw against the locker. The buck's head was bowed, and Dave could see that he was taking several hitching breaths. He walked up behind him and placed a paw softly on his friend's shoulder, and the rabbit started slightly.

Drawing a deep breath, Doug turned around, and Dave recognized the expression, for he had seen it on his own face, staring back at him from the mirror more times than he's like to count. The mixture of anger, frustration and sadness were plain to see, and it stung Dave to know that he had been the cause of at least some of it.

"I'm sorry Doug." He began. "Melissa said that you two had disagreed about here starting here, but I wanted to her to have the chance to see exactly what we have to deal with here before she jumped in." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have done it behind your back, but we didn't have a lot of forewarning on this one."

The buck gave a small laugh at that. "I understand where you were coming from Dave. I'm not going to say that I am not visualizing a number of very creative ways with which I can remove your head right now, but I do understand." He took another slow breath to steady himself. "I think she can handle it here, but I don't want her to have to."

Doug took a seat on the small sized bench and looked up at Dave. "I pulled some strings and had a look at her residency record, and what Grant said about her throwing herself right into the fire was spot on. She has already seen and done things that would have had me running screaming into the night, and forgetting about pursuing a career in medicine." He shook his head. "The NICU is bad at the best of times, but it doesn't compare to here normally, but what she went through Dave? I couldn't say no after I read that."

For all the seriousness of the words Dave couldn't help but laugh at the coincidence, and Doug looked up at him with a mixture of surprise...and some anger on his face. Dave waved a paw to forestall any reply. "I'm sorry Doug, but the whole reason why I brought Melissa in on the delivery was because I caught her taking a look at Ms. Paddington's chart." He had another laugh at the thought. "I told her how seriously we take confidentiality here, and that spun out into the whole 'I want to see if you can handle this' shtick. Now I know where she get her rebellious nature." He was just able to finish the sentence before the lunacy of the whole situation settled on him, and he doubled over in laughter.

Doug gave a short snort of laughter, which also quickly degenerated into something far more jovial...and cathartic for the two.

Once they managed to regain control, the two physicians quickly dressed and made their way back to the delivery room. Their duty was clear, and it was something that both mammals knew what would be needed of them.

Upon arriving, the four physicians had quickly scrubbed in and donned gloves and masks as they quickly made their way to their various stations around the room. Doug was the first to introduce himself, after arriving at the head of the table.

"Hello Mel, I'm Dr. Wilson Senior." He said with a slight twinkle of amusement in his eye at the use of the novel suffix. "Dr. Hawthorne informed me that you would like this to be as natural as possible. Is that still the case?" He asked as he looked over the patient's vitals. Even though she was working through the latest contraction, everything was within the normal range, so he showed no concern.

Collapsing back onto the table, her breathing was quick, but controlled. "Maybe a little something to take the edge off?" She looked over to her husband. "I might have bitten off more than I can chew."

Doug gave a small laugh and quickly moved to set up a Demerol drip for the IV. It wasn't uncommon for mammals to want to have a 'natural' delivery, but the reality of the event often did not match their rosy expectations. Doug was well aware of this and was always prepared to step in with a little chemical therapy.

Laura was looking over the fetal ECG, and managed only a curt nod to the couple, along with a simple "Mel, Jacob" in greeting. Although an outsider would have just waved it off as clinical dispassion, all of the Centre's staff knew that it was far more than that. Laura was furious at the couple, but she would never let it affect her performance. Dave could think of little else in this world that would terrify him more than the thought of really being on Dr. Pawson's bad side, but these mammals had earned a special kind of enmity with her, and it was only professionalism that was saving their hides from her wrath.

Dave also knew that Laura held her tongue because she knew more than anyone else in the room just how much suffering this couple would be in for during the coming minutes.

Dave took his place at the foot of the table, but looked over to Laura, who met his gaze and shook her head. She handing over a printout of the fetus' heart rhythm and Dave glanced at the paper. He sighed as it confirmed that the worst was going to happen. The fetus was alive, but the mangled ECG told him all he needed to know. The peaks and valleys that represented the electrical signals the body used to regulate the heart's beating were a disordered mess. Rather than acting in a controlled cascade, the anatomical malformations meant that the whole heart was contracting in a single motion. With only two chambers to work with, it simply wouldn't be able to keep it alive once it was separated from his mother.

Dave worked to keep his eyes neutral as he handed the printout over to Melissa, who looked at the trace and herself sighed at the implications. A glance to Doug meant that the information had made the rounds of all the physicians, and Doug took the opportunity to divert Ms. Paddington's attention away from the sudden gloom that had overtaken the medical personnel in the room.

"OK Mel. I have you on a fairly low dose right now, but if you need more just let me know or squeeze my paw." He said, taking her paw in his own. "This will only take a minute to kick in, so you won't probably won't notice a difference in the next contraction, which…" He began before her paw tightened around his own. "Should be happening any moment now." He said calmly, as he took a damp cloth with his other paw and dabbed the ferret's forehead.

Dave looked under the draping again, and made the call. "We're fully dilated. Let's get this set for delivery."

The team worked quickly, and the bed was quickly converted it to delivery configuration, with Dave seated between Ms. Paddington's legs, fully cognizant of the small form that could even now be seen at the cervical opening.

"Mel, you're doing fine. When the next contraction comes, I want you to push this time." He said and he stood ready to act if there were any problems. Although it was rare in mustelids, or any carnivore species really, there were times when the vaginal opening would need to be widened to help the kit pass through.

The next contraction came almost as soon as he finished speaking, and Mel groaned under the effort, bending over as she worked to push the tiny form out of her body. The contraction passed, and Dave could see the form pressing against the cervical opening. It was so close a moment that should have been a joyous...but the impending reality filled Dave with only dread.

As always his thoughts went back to the paradoxical nature of this place. Today should have been a celebration of new life, with tears only being born out of happyness. Here however, they were destined to mourn another death, and comfort tears of unimaginable anguish.

These thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind as he waited for the next contraction. "That's it Mel. Just a little more. You're doing great." He said.

When the next contraction came, he saw the head fully clear the cervix, and he cried out in an instinctive "I can see the head!" It had been drilled into him so often during his residency that you always announced those key points that signified that the delivery was going according to plan...and Dave had to admit that there was no small piece of him that longed to be able to share those words without knowing that all those plans would soon turn to ash.

He reached a paw carefully inside to cup the small head, while his other paw pressed on Mel's abdomen to carefully rotate the body to make its passage easier. In the bright glare of the overhead surgical lamps, he could already make out some of the details of the face even through the birth sac. The muzzle was almost entirely absent, and from the dark shadows present inside, he could see that the mandibular and palatal cleft were just as pronounced as the ultrasounds had indicated a month ago.

There would be nothing that could be done about it now though, as Mel was once again gripped by another contraction. "That's it Mel! Just give it one big push!" Dave said, his command echoed by Jacob, who was now alternating his gaze between the face of his wife, and Dave. Looking for some sign that they had been right, that everything would work out.

Dave's paws moved in synchrony as the small form slid free, and he cupped the birth sac in his left paw while reaching over with his right towards Sara. "Forceps!" Was all he said, and the instrument was placed in his waiting paw. He moved back to the kit and gently grasped the birth caul just below the kit's neck. Pulling back, the membrane ruptured, and the amniotic fluid that had shielded the kit for the past three months dripped onto the floor.

He worked quickly to remove the caul from the kits head, and from his first glance, the ruined face struck a hole through his heart. Where the muzzle should have been was a continual vertical gash, extending from the top of the neck right up through the nasal cavity and ending in the sinuses. The deformity had caused even the eyes to be malformed, and even though the lids were closed, he could tell that they were too malformed to have ever seen any light at all. It was far down the list of conditions that had already sealed this kit's fte, but it still hurt to see the small form in such a shape.

He began to rub the kits chest and back, working the remainders of the caul free, while mimicking the motions of a mother's tongue, as had been done in millennia past. Part of him hoped that the first breath would never come, but all too soon, the small form moved and a coughing, gurgling squeak that could be heard throughout the room.

"Is that it? Is that him?" Jacob said, standing up on his stool quicker than Dave could move the shield his view of the kit's face. He had hoped to be able to clean up the infant before having at least a few moments to prepare them, but that wasn't to be.

The father took one look at the small form in Dave's paws, and everyone could see the color drain from the visible portions of skin on his face and ears. "Spirits!" He choked out, stepping backwards, falling from the stool and landing on all fours on the floor. The fall didn't even faze him and he looked up numbly. "What is that? What…" He cried out, but was cut off as he reached up a tore off his muzzle mask and wretched onto the delivery room floor.

Both Dougs moved to help the other mammal, and Dave moved quickly to clamp off and cut the umbilical cord, knowing that things were going to go from bad to worse. He had just completed the cut when Ms. Paddington's voice finally cut through the turmoil. "Jacob! Jacob what's wrong?" She started moving and, faster than Dave could believe she was sitting up, and had pushed down the surgical drape, giving her a full view of the small form...of her son in Dave's paw.

A single paw raised to her muzzle, and she shook her head in disbelief. "No! No, that can't be him. Why would they do this to us? How could…" Any other words were lost as a mournful cry that emerged helplessly from her muzzle, and she collapsed back onto the bed, both paws covering her face as she cried out; the final embers of her hope suffocated violently in front of her.

The mewling cries from the infant continued, and Dave sighed sadly. He looked over at Laura, and saw that her face could have been carved in stone for all the emotion it showed. Something in her eyes, however, told him that she was far from emotionless at this stage. Reaching over he grabbed a small blue fleece blanket and made to swaddle the infant, to provide him at least some minimal comfort during what were to be his first, and last miserable moments of existence.

Laura's head whipped towards him, and Dave could see that, regardless of her personal feelings, she would see this through. He walked over to the ferret, and held out the kit. She took him with practiced paws, and cradled him in her arm while her free paw grabbed her stethoscope from atop the ECG. Placing the ends in her ears, she sighed and placed the diaphragm on the kit's chest. It was a struggle to make out the particulars of the heartbeat with all the commotion in the room and the crying of the infant in her paws, but it only took her a few moments to confirm what she already knew.

She shook her head and handed the kit over to Dave, before doing something that was utterly unexpected. She removed her stethoscope, carefully placing it back on the ECG, took off her muzzle mask, and went to stand beside the crying form of Melana, who had turned on her side, facing away from the mewling infant.

Laura reached out a paw and placed it on the shoulder of the other ferret, and then her face crumbled as she openly wept; joining the parents in their grief. She was truly the only mammal in the room who came anywhere close to knowing exactly what the two were going through, and for all the anger that she felt at them ignoring her experience, she couldn't let them suffer through it alone.

As Dave looked over the horrible scene, he loosely wrapped the infant in the blanket, taking the opportunity to remove his gloves and mask as well. For whatever time this little one had left, he would know the touch of fur and flesh. He was having difficulty maintaining his own mask, and he could feel it cracking as his own anguish fought to be expressed.

Seeing the parents sorrow was one thing; seeing Laura's anguish was something else entirely. Part of him wished that either of the parents would look over and reach out to hold their kit for the first and only time. It wasn't to be however. Neither parent made a move to acknowledge the kit that they had defied all reason and recommendation to bring to term, and he knew that a change of heart would not be forthcoming.

Looking over to Doug, Dave made a motion with his head indicating that he would head into the adjacent room...until the kit's time came.

Doug nodded, and looked over to Melissa. Dave also glanced over, and was pleased to see that the young physician had not looked away from the tragedy. Both he and Doug could see the emotion that was warring under her professional demeanor, but she never once looked away from the tableaux of the grieving patients, and the pained resolve etched onto the faces of the staff in front of her as they struggled to provide some comfort to the couple. This was a hard lesson to learn, but she stood firm where so many had crumbled over the years.

Dave acknowledged to himself that she had what it took to make it at the Centre. He simultaneously prayed that this had not dissuaded her desire to be here, and that it had provided the motivation to escape it while she still could.

Dave moved to head to the adjoining room, rocking the still crying kit in his arms. Just as he reached the door, another surprise was to be had as the senior Dr. Wilson's voice spoke out. "Dr. Wilson, would you mind assisting me with Ms. Paddington."

Dave's eyebrows raised slightly, before the reality of the situation came crashing down on him again.

Pushing through the door, he entered into the attached prep room. As he did so, he gently folded back one of the kit's ears. The blue tinge to the skin inside told him that it wouldn't be long. The kit's small heart simply couldn't keep up with the needs of the body it was responsible for. He was powerless to do anything but provide what little comfort he could.

So he stood there, holding the kit to his chest in a single one of his paws, letting him hear his own heartbeat as he rocked him back and forth. As the minutes dragged on, he began humming a wordless tune. It was something from a long forgotten memory, dredged up by this simple act.

Even though the logical part of his mind knew that it would only be a short while, the minutes were an eternity. Throughout it all, he never stopped, and for whatever time this kit had, he would at least know kindness , if only from a stranger.

It truly was an eternity before the kit's cries began to quiet...and then eventually stop. Dave continued to rock and hold the now still form for another minute before finally stopping. He had forgotten his stethoscope in the delivery room, so he raised the small form to his ear.

For this task, it would be enough, and he stood there for another minute listening intently, with silence as his only companion. Sighing sadly, he took the corner of the blanket and covered the kit's face. Another failure for the Centre. Another failure for him.

There was no one else in the room, and the words spoken were for ears that could no longer hear, but he said them anyways.

"I'm so sorry."

The situation in the delivery room had only improved slightly when he had returned, carrying the now shrouded form. Ms. Paddington was now lying on the bed, once again allowing Melissa to assist Doug in the final portions of the delivery.

Many mammals didn't realize just how messy a birth could be...or that the delivery of the kit was not in fact the end of the procedure.

That it should have been a happy moment was one of the soft skills doctor learned in med school, but that lesson was almost never applicable here. Even when he had entered, Ms. Paddington had turned her head away from Dave; away from the small form in his paws. Her husband hadn't even looked up, and had just stared as his partner's face, tears still streaming from both their eyes.

Dave had looked towards Laura, who stood at the head of the bed, and tried to provide some small comfort to the couple. The wetness that had surrounded her eyes and cheeks gave testimony to the anguish that she had felt, but her face had softened from the expression of unimaginable grief that it had previously held. A brief shake of her head and a motion downwards had been all that was required for Dave to understand the situation.

The parents wanted nothing to do with their dead, nameless son.

Finding himself, carrying yet another container that seem to weigh far more than it should, Dave made his way down to the lab to perform yet another grim harvest.

The lab itself was a flurry of activity when he entered through the airlock, reclaiming the container from the disinfectant bath as he went. He hadn't had time to check in the Rey's yet, but these samples needed to be processed.

"Oh how quickly they stop being mammals." The thought came unbidden from his subconscious. A scant 20 minutes ago the he had cradled the living kit through his final cry and then his final breath. In such a short time, his mind had already thrown up his defenses, and striped this kit of all his individuality and rendering it down into simple tissue to be processed. It seemed that the decontamination procedure to enter this room was even capable of sterilizing one's own soul, should such a thing have existed.

The realization of it happening didn't stop him from allowing those emotional perception barriers to form. They were there for good reason, and at times, they were the only thing that enabled him to continue on. "One of only two things that have kept me sane," he corrected himself internally. Even with the requisite shower, his sharp canine nose could still make out the faint scent of the other anchor that kept him grounded, and he allowed the small part of him that needed it to draw comfort from it.

Placing the container on his bench, he noticed Donny hunched over one of the workstation terminals, his hooves pecking their way over the oversized keyboard. Knowing that he had a few minutes to spare before needing to collect the samples, he started over towards the bison.

"I need a few minutes to finish collecting myself anyways." He thought as he made his way over and tapped the bison's shoulder in greeting.

Donny looked up from his keyboard. "He never did get the hang of touch typing." Dave mused internally. Then again, he was fortunate in having been introduced to the world of computers from a young age.

"Oh, good morning Dave." Donny said warmly. "I'm surprised it took you so long to make it down this morning. With all the craziness from the last two days, I would have thought you'd be chomping at the bit to look at the data."

Dave took a moment before responding, and Donny recognized the expression. "We had an... incident up in the clinic." Dave said, pointing to the opaque container sitting on his bench. "And would I really have been able to help out with Mr. Rey's sequence anyways? From what Jim described it's even more of a jigsaw puzzle then we even guessed."

Donny first sighed at the sight of yet another loss, but had to chuckle at the Wolf's comment. Shaking his head he looked back to Dave. "No Dave, this one is over your head...and even over mine really." The bison shook his head at the admission. "I've been sending code back and forth with Melanie at ZU all morning. Between the two of us, we're pretty sure that it's not his genome's intricacies that are the problem. It really is just the depth, and the repeats. His chromosomes tetrads are so divergent that I'm honestly not even sure if any of the standard algorithm sets are going to be able to crunch the data streams."

Giving his head a shake, Dave rubbed his chin in thought. "Based on the karyotyping so far, I think these chromosomes are even more different than they appear, and once we can get some additional depth...and break in our new toy of course." Both mammals smiled under their muzzle masks at the prospect of having the brand new Sequel system up and running tomorrow. "We're probably looking at big translocations." Looking back at Donny, he glanced over at the screen to see multiple terminal windows, each streaking blurring lines of code as nearly a petaflop of server processing power was wholly consumed by the various algorithms attempting to parse meaning out of Tommy's seemingly impossible DNA. "Any idea when you'll have the new assembly together? We need to start triaging the possible genetic conditions so we can have a short list for when the fetus' single cell results come in...tonight?" He asked with no little hope in his voice.

Donny laughed and nodded his head, clicking his hooves over the keyboard to bring up the GUI representation of the BGSeq's progress. "It's got 10 hours to go Dave, and I had better have this assembly pipeline ready to go by then. We should meet with the lab crew before our normal shifts start tomorrow. I want everyone who can to be looking at that sequence data to be doing just that."

Dave nodded in agreement. "If we can even get a preliminary assembly we can screen for known genetic defects. That will make things easier…" He paused briefly and glanced over to where Beth, Genevieve, and Abby were working to map Mr. Rey's chromosomes onto their wolf counterparts. "...and you know that Beth and Genevieve are going to hate us for making her do this. Their passion is the molecular work, not the bioinformatics stuff."

Donny gave a rumbling laugh. "I'll deal with the two of them. For this, they'll grumble but give it 100 percent regardless." The bison looked thoughtful for a moment and then motioned with a hoof back towards the tissue culture room. "I know he's not your favorite mammal, but Jason's been in there almost non-stop since that first meeting. He came out earlier this morning and said that the cultures were working better than expected. He should have enough for a real de novo assembly by mid-afternoon tomorrow."

Dave's eyebrows raised in surprise. Getting cell cultures started was a delicate thing. To have them established and growing in 24hr was almost unheard of. He knew that Jason was pushing the cell division to the limit, but he had to give credit where it was due. The deer would have had to monitor them around the clock to achieve such a growth rate, or else the cells would have either died, or delved into chaos.

"Having a plate full of pre-cancerous cells could be a handy thing...but not in this instance." He mused internally. If left alone in a room with the deer, Dave still figured it was even money whether or not the cervid would leave needing a feeding tube, but the odds had just been nudged ever so slightly in the direction of him getting to keep most of his teeth.

Looking over to the clock, he motioned with his paw back towards his bench. "All right Donny, keep me posted if anything happens. I need to get these samples prepped, and then I need to head back up. I have one more...procedure for the day, and then I need to check in on the Rey's. The issue from earlier kept me from seeing them, and Tess will have my hide if I don't give her a progress report on her patients today."

Donny dismissed him with a wave of his hoof, and returned his focus to the screen in front of him. Dave made his way back to his bench, and placed a fresh scalpel blade onto the standard handle. Opening up the container, a small portion of his mind cried out at the sight, but the diversion had allowed him to compartmentalize that part of himself away. Once again he removed the small form, no longer willfully seeing it as it once was, and after placing it on the dissecting scope, he began his grisly work yet again...that small part of him weeping in the darkness behind his walls.

In this instance, the lab was less a refuge than a duty, but it also provided a kind of mental respite from what was yet to come. He could let his paws move on autopilot, and when the final sample was collected, a brief look at the clock told him that there was just enough time for lunch before Isara's arrival.

Dave had to chuckle at the absurdity of the thought. "You know you've completely dissociated yourself when you can be on the brink of tears one minute, and then contemplating what to eat the next." It was the truth however, and the growl that came from his stomach told him that it was time to pack things up for now.

He knew that it was all part of his method for coping, and as he placed the container into the fridge to await either cremation or transport to a mortician, he was both thankful and fearful of what such a disconnect meant. "That however is a moral quandary for another time." Dave thought as he began to exit the lab, ignoring the fact that 'another time' had yet to arrive for any of the previous times he'd made that promise to himself.

Passing by Genevieve, Beth and Abby he stopped and looked at the screen that the three females were clustered around. As expected it was a side by side comparison of Mr. Rey's karyotype with that of both a standard Vulpes vulpes , and Canis lupus ...or another Canis species, he couldn't quite be certain just based on the image.

"Found anything interesting?" He asked jovially, and all three heads swiveled in synchrony towards him. If it were possible, he would have incinerated on the spot from the gaze of the six bloodshot eyes staring up at him. Taking a step backwards and raising both paws in surrender he backpedaled. "Sorry, I was just curious!"

Genevieve sighed and rubbed her eyes, a move that was quickly mimicked by the mouse and wolf as well. "Sorry Dave, we've been at this for hours now, and we're making progress, but Mr. Rey's genome is…" She paused searching for the right word.

"A jigsaw puzzle?" Beth chimed in.

"A jigsaw puzzle after you tossed it into a wood chipper...maybe." Abby added, looking back at the screen. "Aha! Got you, you little fucker." She said triumphantly, blocking one whole arm from one of the Canis chromosomes and dragging it over to line up with one of Tommy's.

Beth squinted her eyes, but shook her head in confusion. "I'm not seeing it Abby." The mouse said.

Abby motioned towards the screen. "Take the portion above the centromere and invert the whole damn thing! It matches up with Mr. Rey's chromosome vary closely. That inversion was documented in Vulpes chromosome 6 previously, but it looks like in his case, this portion of the chromosome arm was translocated to chromosome 9, but only for one set of them." She pumped her fist in triumph. "That's two chromosome pairings fully mapped out."

"Aaaannnd 37 to go Abby." Genevieve said while making several notes in her lab book.

Abby deflated slightly. "Can't a girl celebrate just a little? We've already mapped out most of the major changes to his chromatin, and we'll be able to use the cell culture material starting tomorrow to see how the pup's...I mean fetus' karyotype looks."

Dave nodded, and once again was forced to concede that Jason may not have been better off dead, but his somehow becoming significantly disabled still seemed like a reasonable compromise. Sighing at fantasies that would have to remain unfulfilled, he waved a paw at the trio. "I'll leave you to it. I need to get back upstairs, but I should be back down later this afternoon."

The three females waved dismissive paws at him, and returned their gazes to the screen, but something caught Dave's eye, and he looked more closely at the three.

"Abby, could you look over here for a second?" He asked. The she-wolf sighed and turned to face him. Dave reached up with one paw, and placed it on her cheek, pulling down the lower eyelid with his thumb, looking at the color of both the eye and the flesh underneath. The flesh was pallid and he saw the slow perfusion of the tissue when it was released.

Noticing that both Genevieve and Beth made it a point to turn away once they realized what he was looking at, he suspected the same would be true of all three of them.

"When was the last time you three had a break?" He asked sternly.

None of the three volunteered an answer, and Dave sighed. "Abby, you're dehydrated as hell, and I'm going to guess that you two are even worse! Beth, you must have a splitting headache already." He pointed to the three. "I'm not going to make you leave right now, but finish up what you're doing and at least get some Pedialyte into you, we've got stock to spare. Abby, 1 litre, Genevieve, a quarter liter, Beth, 20cc. No arguing, and I will be checking in this afternoon, or worse, Laura will !"

Once again, the looks he received could have melted solid granite, but he held firm. Amidst grumbled assents, he nodded and made his way out of the lab, stopping only briefly to glare at Donny, who laughed before replying.

"I actually take my breaks Dave...it gives the code a chance to compile."

Dave shook his head, but accepted the excuse. They were all dedicated to their work, but it was possible to take things too far. Hoping that his orders would be followed, he started his way back to the main floor.

By the time he had showered and donned a fresh set of scrubs, it was just past 11:30. Isara wasn't due to arrive for another 45 minutes, so it gave him a chance to refuel before he had to dive back into the unfortunate realities of his position.

As he made his way to the staff lounge, he was greeted by the strong smell of coffee wafting from the room. Poking his head inside, he saw Laura standing by the sink, using the built in steps to reach the countertop. The ferret was tapping her hind paw as she watched a small French press in front of her.

Her left ear twitched in his direction, and she turned to face him, leaning back against the counter as she did so. "Ah, Dave. You're timing's perfect. Would you like a cup?" She asked, as she reached out and pressed the plunger down on the pot.

Dave's eyes widened slightly as he made his way over to stand beside her. "Sharing some of your personal stash? Are you feeling OK Laura?" He asked, but with more amusement than anything else in his voice.

Laura laughed at the questions as she grabbed two of the smaller mugs and poured out the dark brown liquid. "I'd say you earned a treat." She said as she passed over the mug. "Thanks again for helping with the Paddingtons'." She shook her head before taking a long sip from her mug, her body seeming to relax instantly as the coffee hit her tongue.

Dave took his first sip, and his eyebrows raised in admiration. As coffee went, this really was something else...and the Centre didn't tend to skimp on these things for its staff. Seeing his expression, Laura chuckled knowingly. "Sometimes it's the simple things that make life worth living. Experiencing a truly great cup of coffee is one of those things, Dave." She said and took another longer sip, sighing contentedly.

Taking another sip himself, Dave nodded in agreement. "You might just have a convert Laura. Any chance I can get the name of your supplier?" He asked with a smile.

"No chance in Hell Dave." She said, although there was more amusement than anything else in her voice. "It's a small batch place, and you drink so much of this stuff, you'd wipe him out and leave none for me!"

Dave gave a sharp bark of a laugh. "Oh come on Laura. I'm not that bad."

"Oh really?" She set her mug down, and crossed her arms over her chest theatrically. "How many mugs did you down yesterday, hmmmm?"

Dave thought for a moment before replying "Only 8..10 tops."

Laura laughed and pointed to her mug. "Eight to ten of these, or 8-10 of those?" She said pointing to the large mammal mugs.

Dave felt a slight blush tinge his face as he pointed to the mid-sized mugs. "Mostly those...and two of those." Motioning to the large mugs.

Laura almost looked wistful for a moment before gazing up at him with envy written on her face. "This is the only time you'll find me wishing to have your body mass Dave. If I drank that much, I'd be in the ER...if I even made it that far." Pointing back to the pot. "I'm only allowed to buy enough for 7 pots a week, and only two small mugs per pot. Can you limit yourself to that?"

Dave shrugged, "It becomes a treat, and I use the normal stuff for actual caffeine top-ups." He said, and drained the last dregs from his mug. Mentally, he figured that he could get one good sized mug out of each pot...and it would be worth it.

Laura looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'll ask if my guy will add you onto his list, but no promises!"

Dave cocked his head to the side before replying. "OK Laura, are you really feeling all right? You're close to bubbling right now." Pausing briefly he added with a laugh "...it's almost disconcerting."

Laura had a small laugh at the comment and shrugged and sighed. "What you did today. It really meant something. You didn't have to do it. In many ways, you shouldn't have done it." Her face scrunched up in distaste. "I...I feel like I owe you for it somehow."

Dave smiled and reached out placed his paw on Laura's shoulder. "You don't owe me anything for that Laura, and you never will." He said, as Laura turned back towards the counter and clutched her mug between her paws.

"Thank you." Was all she quietly said, before she took another sip.

Sensing that dwelling on this topic wouldn't help either of them, Dave decided to change the conversation. Opening the fridge and grabbing several of the sandwiches provided by the Centre's caterer, he set out two plates at one of the tables before speaking again. "So, would you like to hear the latest on the mystery that is the Rey's?"

The ferret's ears perked up at the words, and Laura turned to face him, curiosity written clearly in her eyes. Seeing the food laid out for the two of them, she gave a small laugh, and grabbed one of the mid-sized mugs, filling it with, inferior, but still palatable coffee and made her way over to the table, handing over the mug before hopping up on the chair and grabbing a tuna sandwich from the plate.

"So what fundamental truths have been unraveled downstairs?" She said dramatically before taking a bite out of the sandwich.

Dave laughed, and proceeded to down half an egg salad sandwich in a single bite. "I wouldn't go quite that far Laura, but progress is definitely being made." He motioned with his mug downwards before taking a sip. "Donny's still a ways out from an actual assembly, but Abby, Beth and Genevieve seem to be getting a handle on…"

The two colleagues shared their thoughts on the couple upstairs, while discussing the findings to date. Comparing notes and predictions over lunch was a refuge for each of them; refuge from the morning that had been, and the inevitable that was yet to come. It was a temporary thing, but as with the coffee, it was a treat to be savored.

As always, reality reasserted itself in short order, and a buzz from Dave's pocket told him that it was time to prepare for Isara's arrival.

"And that is my cue Laura." He said collecting his plate and mug, placing them on the small pile of dirty dishes from the night shift.

Laura sighed, and looked at her watch frowning. "I should be off as well. I've got 4 more consults this afternoon, but I might actually be able to get down to the lab before you and Cat leave. What about you?"

Dave shrugged. "The Clawsons." He said simply.

"Oh crap, I forgot." She said wincing slightly. "Sorry about that."

"Not your fault Laura, but I'll probably be seeing you in the lab later." Dave motioned wide with his paws. "After the D&E, I need to check in on the Rey's, but then I think some time downstairs would be for the best."

"Here, here!" The ferret added before the two physicians went their separate ways.

Dave stopped off in the locker room, and changed into a fresh set of scrubs before checking to see if the Clawson's had arrived yet. Seeing that Mina was staffing the desk, Dave smiled when she looked up.

"Good afternoon Mina. How was your day off?" Dave gave a slight chuckle. "You missed out on the excitement."

The sheep looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "You doctors have a very odd sense of excitement." Shaking her head she laughed at the thought. "No, I'll take the situation now that things have calmed down slightly." Her face showed that she had suddenly remembered something, and checking her notepad, she tapped the page while nodding in confirmation. "Dr. Willows wanted you to know that Mr. Rey needed to head into work this morning. Ms. Rey is still upstairs...and I can see from the chart that you haven't checked in on your patient yet Dr. Hawthorne." She added with no small amount of reproach.

Dave laughed and raised his paws in supplication. "I know, and I full intend on seeing them once I'm done with the Clawsons." He looked over to the board, and was surprised to see that his patients were already admitted. Double checking his watch, he made certain that he wasn't late, and he heard the quiet chuckle of Nurse Wolner.

"They just arrived no more than 5 minutes ago. Sara took them into Procedure Room 2." The nurse supplied, not wanting to keep the poor wolf in a state of confusion.

Dave cocked his head at her choice of words. "Sara took them ?" He asked.

Mina nodded. "Yes, Ms. and Mr. Clawson both discussed it, and both indicated that they wanted Mr. Clawson to be present."

Dave sighed, and rubbed his eyes. "That's...that's not an ideal situation for this. I'll speak with them."

Turning from the station, he made his way back towards the procedure rooms. Knocking on the door, he entered, and saw that the Clawsons were already almost prepped for the procedure, or more correctly, Isara was prepped and laying on the operating table, William was sitting on a stool beside his mate, wearing a surgical gown and muzzle mask. Nurse. Mills and Dr. Wilson Sr. were also present, and were already going about the process of prepping the room and the patient.

Dave made his way over to Isara, and pulled up a stool to sit beside her. The fennec fox was speaking with Doug, and both mammals looked up as he approached, and he nodded in greeting.

"Hello Isara. How are you feeling?" He asked, already knowing at least a part of the answer as his nose picked up the acrid scent of fear that subtly permeated the room. It wasn't overpowering, but was unmistakable.

Isara gave a small bark of laughter before replying. "From the twitch of your nose, I'd say you know very well how I'm feeling Dr. Hawthorne." She sighed before continuing. "We're...I'm OK. Now, no offence, but I don't want to be here, I don't want to do this, and every bone in my tiny body is screaming at me to run out the doors and not look back...but aside from that,yes, I am OK ."

The comment drew chuckles from around the room, Dave had a real smile on his muzzle when he replied. "I should have known that another Canid would pick up on the nose thing. Sorry about that."

Isara waved a dismissive paw at him. "Eh, it's not something that we can really control now is it? When it gets embarrassing is when you're on the train and someone breaks wind and you have to fight not just looking right at them, but also reciting exactly what they had for dinner the previous evening." She added, and more the one eyebrow raised in the room, followed by the failed attempts to hold off real laughter at the joke.

As a way of defusing the tension, Dave had to admit it worked, and the mood in the room lightened significantly...and he wasn't going to add that she was only slightly exaggerating. "That might spoil the joke." He thought to himself, all too aware of how much information he and other keen-nosed species could glean by scent alone. Combined with big city living, the results were usually... interesting .

Doug was the first to fully regain control, as he coughed into his mask to hold off another bout of laughter. "To bring things back to why we're here, Ms. Clawson are you sure you just want to use a local anesthetic? I can make this procedure much more comfortable for you, and even make sure that it goes by without you noticing at all."

Isara vehemently shook her head. "Thank you Dr. Wilson, but no. I need to remember this." She said, and there was no hesitation in her voice.

Dave understood in some way, but he needed to be sure that the fox wasn't doing this for the wrong reasons. "Isara, you don't need to punish yourself for this. Is this something that you really want?" He asked, with real concern on his voice. He had seen it before when patients faced the same terrible realization that they had, or were going to lose their child. They took it as being their fault, when the reality was that, under all but the rarest of instances, there was nothing that any mammal could do to change events.

Isara looked at Dave, and he could see the sadness in her eyes. "That's not why I want to remember it, Dr. Hawthorne...and I think you know that." She said and Dave just nodded sadly in reply. Seeing his expression she sighed. "This is the closest that we've come." She said, as she reached out her paw to her mate, who grabbed it without hesitation. "It's probably the closest that we'll ever come. I...we need to remember this."

Both physicians nodded in understanding. Doug checked over Isara's vitals, and looked over to Dave. "She's ready to go. You get scrubbed in, and I'll administer the local." Looking down at Isara, he pulled down his mask so she could see the warm smile he had on. "I'll be right up here with you for the entire procedure. If you start to feel uncomfortable, just let me know, and I'll fix it right away." Replacing his mask, the rabbit hopped down from his stool and moved to the foot of the table, while nurse Mills brought over the chloroprocaine solution for the local anesthetic.

Dave saw that Doug and Sara already had things well in paw, and it would take about another 7 or so minutes for the local anesthetic to kick in, so he made his way to the sink and went about vigorously scrubbing his paws and arms. This procedure didn't call for full surgical sterility, but he liked to play things safe...and his surgical training really wouldn't let him accept anything less regardless.

By the time he had finished drying his fur, as well as donning gloves, a muzzle mask, and a head mounted light, Doug was back at the head of the table, and Sara had taken up station next to where Dave would be sitting.

He made a minor adjustment to the room's overhead lighting, and then took his seat. "All right Isara. I'm just going to be poking you a little bit first, and I want you to tell me if you feel any pain, OK?" He asked, accepting the probe that Sara offered.

"Oh, I'll let you know. Don't you doubt that." Isara replied, once again making the room chuckle, regardless of the actual feelings in the air.

Dave moved quickly, and prodded, various portions of Isara genitalia, making sure that the local had fully taken hold. When she made no reply, he handed the probe back to Sara.

"OK Isara, we're ready to go. If you feel any pain, or you start to feel lightheaded, just let Dr. Wilson or I know right away." He announced, although his only reply was a small upraised thumb moving into his field of view from behind the surgical draping.

"Could I get the Paderson Weighted please Sara?" He asked, and the bobcat handed over the weighted speculum. He moved quickly to insert the device, which helped to open up the vagina, to give him better access for the procedure. Seeing that the laminaria sticks had done their job, and the fennec's cervix was at full dilation, he nodded before taking a breath to steady himself and removed the semi-solid gel that the sticks had left behind.

The procedure itself was a simple one, although he always tried to take a slightly more difficult approach when it came to this procedure. Where possible, he tried to perform an intact extraction. He hoped that his reasons for doing so wouldn't be needed today, but part of him dreaded the near certainty that it would be.

He first inserted a curette into the uterus, and used it to gently detach the placenta from the uterine wall. Once this was done, he used a pair of long forceps to grasp the fetus, and being the process of its removal. This was the portion where he took the greatest care, using his limited field of view to rotate the fetus into a breech position, and then drawing it towards the cervix.

The procedure room was quiet except for the constant, but encouraging beeps and clicks of the various pieces of equipment, and Dave continued to draw the small form into the light. Still encased in its birth caul, the feet were the first to be drawn out, followed by the hips and torso. Under the guidance of his careful paws, not a single tear in the caul could be seen.

In most cases the head was the most difficult portion to extract intact. The size of the cranium was at the physical limit for safe passage in some species, but he knew that this wouldn't be the case here. Even without the anencephaly, there was little risk with most Vulpes species. As a result it only took a little manipulation to free the entirety of the still form from Isara's womb.

Taking the amniotic sac in one paw, he waited for Sara to hold out an emesis basin before he finally ruptured the birth caul, and proceeded to remove it from the now fully visible kit. Under the harsh light of the procedure room, the awful truth of the deformities were laid bare. The meningomyelocele was a large as the ultrasound had predicted, and the cranial deformities were equally hard to view. Only a thin membrane covered the entire top portion of the flattened skull, and Dave could clearly see the shadow of what little brain matter had formed there.

While Dave examined the fetus, Sara took the emesis basin and examined its contents for any residual fetal tissue. It was imperative that they fully remove all the tissue from Isara to avoid a septic infection.

When he was satisfied that the fetus was intact, Dave took the glass sample dish from the instrument tray and gently placed it inside before depositing both into one of the ever-present opaque containers. He then went back to Isara, and completed the removal of the placenta along with the final scraping of the uterine walls to ensure that nothing remained. After double checked for any bleeding of note, he removed the speculum and breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's it Isara, we're all done. There were no surprises, and everything looks fine." He said confidently, working to lower the fennec's legs into a more comfortable position.

Silence greeted him initially, followed by a quiet sniffling. William's voice was the first to be heard, as he quietly comforted his mate; his voice equally filled with sorrow. "I know sweetheart, I know. I'm...I'm right here."

Everyone in the room could tell that he was also on the brink of tears, but his words seemed to calm Isara slightly. When she spoke however, it was the words that Dave had dreaded since the procedure was booked.

"Wa….Was it a boy or a g...girl? She asked between hitching breaths.

Williams's voice was tight when he spoke, as he fought to maintain a facade of strength for his mate. "Are...are you sure you want to know?"

"I have to know, Will. I...I need this." She said simply.

Dave closed his eyes and took a deep breath before replying. He had known the answer since the ultrasound, but he hadn't volunteered it, and would have taken it to his grave had they not asked...but now that they had, it was no longer his secret to keep.

He reached out and lowered the surgical draping so that he could see both their faces before replying. As gently as he could he answered. "A boy Isara, William. He was a boy."

The simple words were too much for William to take, and his control shattered in the form of low moan that broke free from his muzzle as he finally wept. For Isara, the tears streamed down her cheeks in silence, as she shook her head on the table. They gripped each other's paw so tightly that it was the only parts of them not shaking.

Isara took a deep breath and looked over to her husband, who leaned over to rest his head against her's. They stayed that way for a few moments, Doug's paw reaching out to rest on William's shoulder.

When they broke apart, Isara looked at Dave. He could see the request in her eyes, and internally he howled as he silently pleaded with her not to ask.

"Can…" She broke off, and closer her eyes as more tears flowed down her cheeks. She took a breath and without opening her eyes, made the request. "Can I see him?"

"Isara, are you sure you want…" His question was cut off, when her eyes opened again. He could see the resolve in them, and knew without a doubt that this was what she wanted.

"Please...David...I need to see him."

Brought full circle by his memories, Dave stood holding Isara's kit in his paws. The now visible beige and grey fur had been cleaned of afterbirth, and he reached over for a towel to dry and fluff as much of the coat as possible. When he was done, he hesitated only briefly when reaching for one of the small blankets that were kept in the room. Selecting a blue one, he proceeded to swaddle the small form, using the body of the blanket to hide the spinal deformity, and wrapping the head so that only the small muzzle and face could be seen.

It was the only comfort he could provide, and he knew that Isara and William would need it.

Turning back to face the couple, he caught the eye of Doug and Sara, and motioned with his head towards the door.

Both mammals nodded in understanding and made their way out of the room, Doug making one final check of Isara's vitals, and indicating that he would look in on her later.

Neither one of the Clawson's made any motion to reply, as both of their gazes were fixated on the small wrapped bundle in Dave's paws. Dave fought to keep his own emotions under control as he made his way over, and laid the still form into Isara's arms.

There was no sound in the room for the longest time. Just silence, as the magnitude of their loss settled onto their shoulders. Isara's small body began to shake, and as Dave reached out to place a paw on each of their shoulders, a small keening wail broke free from her muzzle.

There were no words that could be said, and nothing that he could do but stand there and hold on to the two would-be parents. His own mask was slipping, but for once, he didn't fight to regain control.

Isara was rocking back and forth, her husband holding onto her while his own tears fell freely from his face.

When Isara did speak, the words shattered any mental armor Dave had left and he joined the pair in their grief with tears that he so rarely allowed himself to shed. The words, so similar to his own, and so familiar to him, struck to the very center of his being.

In the midst of her grief, Isara spoke words that were intended for ears that had never had a chance to hear, before once again falling victim to an anguish more profound than any other.

"I'm sorry...Mommy's sorry...Mommy's so sorry."

End Notes:

Well that was a difficult scene to write, but I hope that it resonated with all of you. The title of this chapter, Rejection and Loss, is particularly fitting and tragic because both of those scenes are based on the reactions of patients in similar situations. A close family friend was an OBGYN for almost 30 years before retiring, and they still remembered those tragic moments where things went wrong. He saw parents reject infants due to deformities, and had to console more than one mother whose child was either stillborn or died shortly after birth.

Grief is something that varies from person to person, and no one is immune to it. You can't predict how an individual will react to tragedy, and all you can do is be there for them.

Now it's time to move away from the tragedy and engage in some Science Time musings. Today the topic will be Evolution in Zootopia. Most of this information was posted on the latest Reddit Zootopia Science Discussion thread, and I'm going to just focus on the most "realistic" scenario this time around, that being natural evolution using similar rates to what we have in our world. In future chapters, I'll bridge off into the possibilities of either an abbreviated timeline, and also the possibility of Zootopia being an engineered society.

First, some background information regarding evolutionary theory.

Quite simply evolution is just change over time. For organisms on this planet, that change takes the fundamental form of mutations in the genome, which results in altered function or expression of genes. There are a bunch of different types of mutations that can occur:

Single Nucleotide: During replication, the enzyme (DNA polymerase) makes an error and puts the wrong nucleotide into the genome.

Insertion: A portion of DNA is added to the sequence.

Deletion: A portion of DNA is removed from the sequence

Duplication: A region of DNA ranging from small di and trinucleotides, right up to entire chromosome arms, are duplicated. This can take the form of tandem repeats, where the duplications occur right beside each other, or can occur over different regions.

Repeat Expansion: There are regions in the genome that are composed of stretches of repeating nucleotides. Normally these are between 2-4 base pairs long, and they repeat end to end. These are used for DNA fingerprinting, as mutations that increase or decrease the number of repeats are common enough that they can differentiate between individuals, but are conserved enough that familial relationships can be determined.

For each of these mutations, there's a chance that they'll occur in a part of the genome where they could change a gene. When they occur in the coding region (the part that encodes for the amino acid sequence of the protein), there are three possibilities.

The mutation changes nothing (silent)

The mutation changes the amino acid that's incorporated into the sequence at this point (missense)

The change results in a stop codon, prematurely terminating the protein (nonsense)

In the case of insertions or deletions, there is also the chance for a frameshift mutation. In the coding region, the nucleotides are read in groups of 3, with those sequences corresponding with a particular amino acid. For instance ATG is the codon for methionine (in RNA the T becomes a U). If you have a sequence that reads ATGTGCAAAAGACATTAA it would normally encode for methionine-cysteine-lysine-arginine-histidine-stop. If we insert a single G after the methionine, we end up with ATGGTGCAAAAGACATTAA, and that same sequence now encodes for methionine-valine-threonine-lysine-threonine-leucine…and it would keep going because the stop codon was changed.

Most of the time, a frameshift results in a nonfunctional protein, but it can also provide a source of new variants. Overall most mutations are silent, and have no effect on the genes of an organism. Every now and then, you get a mutation that is deleterious, and if it's bad enough, the organism won't be able to outcompete others, resulting that lineage dying out. On the other side, every now and then you end up with something that give the organism an advantage, and over time, this new trait becomes the dominant allele in a population.

It's important to note that sometimes losing a trait can provide an evolutionary advantage. Take the human example of lactose digestion. In most mammals, the enzyme lactase stops being produced after the mammal is weaned. Thousands of years ago, and probably in the region where modern Turkey resides, a mutation occurred in the lactase gene's promoter region that caused it to be kept permanently in the on position. This meant that this individual (who we think was male) could consume dairy without any issues…which is a huge advantage and opens up new food sources.

The speed at which a trait becomes "fixed" in a population is directly proportional to the selective pressure that it addresses. Basically, if a change gives a big advantage to an organism, it is much more likely to become dominant in a shorter period than a trait that only has a transitory advantage.

In the case of the lactase mutation, it rapidly became the dominant allele in most of Europe, the Mediterranean, Eurasia, and only really stopped at the Himalayas. Interestingly, parallel mutations (but different ones) occurred in the Middle East and Africa, but not in the Far East or Australia. In a comparative blink of an eye (on an evolutionary scale) over 80% of Europeans became milk drinkers.

So that's a basic overview of the kinds of changes that we're dealing with. Small and big changes that can affect organisms. It's important to know that these are random. Evolution is not a directed process, and the only thing that matters is if a change gives an advantage or a disadvantage to an organism. A common misconception is that evolution will lead to the best outcome. This is rarely the case, all that matters is that it is better than what was there before.

As for evolution in Zootopia, if we go with the hypothesis that the degree of evolutionary divergence is similar to real-world analogues, then the first thing that we have to deal with is the concept of multiple sentient species.

Sentience isn't a single genic trait. It along with intelligence are multifaceted, but appear to involve multiple genes, and are correlated with development in the medial prefrontal cortex, and the medial posterior parietal cortex. Additional changes in the posterior cingulate cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and insular cortex contributing towards self-reference and self-reflection.

As this is a complex trait, the odds of it evolving in multiple species simultaneously is very, very low. To date, there is only one species that we consider to be fully sentient (humans) and 7 others who have passed the mirror self-recognition test (where they are able to distinguish an image as representing themselves): Chimps, Orangutans, Bonobos, Asian Elephants, Bottlenose Dolphins, Orcas, and the Eurasian Magpie. This means that something like a virus (common Sci-Fi trope) or parallel evolution is unlikely to be the source.

So what can we do to resolve this?

We go back in time.

Scientifically speaking, the best way to account for multiple sentient species is for an early form of sentience occurring back around 95-120 million years ago, particularly in the ancestors of crown mammal species. Mutations increasing the size and neuron count, particularly in the prefrontal cortex could spur this along, and with an early sense of sentience, it could also bring with it an increased propensity for a family unit to form, which could improve survivability, and also increase reproductive isolation between rival groups, thus accelerating speciation (to a small degree).

Some key time points:

95-120Mya: Protosentience evolved in the therian lineages. These would then evolve into the marsupials and crown mammals. Geographic and reproductive isolation provide the basis for the genetic divergence of these species. Keep in mind that during this time, mammals were generally small, as the dinosaurs were the apex at this time. The one advantage that mammals had was being fully endothermic meant that they could operate in locations and times that the larger predators couldn't.

65-95Mya: Geographic dispersal and continued speciation. The earliest divergence occurs when epitheria and Xenarthra lineages (anteaters, armadillos and sloths) diverged around 80Mya, and then the separation of Epitheria and Philodota (pangolins…and that's all that survived). It's important to note that these were the only major deviations prior to the next big event…and keep in mind that mammals were the new kids on the block, and were competing for resources with dinosaurs. But not for long

65-66Mya: The K-Pg extinction event (AKA Armageddon without Bruce Willis to save the day). Yes this is the famous event that spelled the end for the dinosaurs (well really they became modern birds, but give me some narrative license). This resulted in a whole lot of species going extinct, but this also resulted in a huge opening for other species to move in, and this is when mammals thrived. Various surviving family groups would have been able to take advantage of new territories, and there would have been a big selective advantage towards the development of some rudimentary tool usage at this stage, also driving the development of some changes to the forelimbs to become more suited to grasping and manipulating objects. Nothing extreme at this point, but any change that would give an advantage would help. The probable isolation of the various groups would lead to rapid adaptive radiation as each group falls under the selective pressure of their new environment. This is also where a strong selective pressure to begin to deemphasize the use of the forelimbs (or hindlimbs really...but that would be a bit odd) for movement, and giving greater emphasis on them being used for manipulating the environment.

65-40Mya: The insectivores are the first to branch out here (moles, hedgehogs, shrews), and their focus on a single main protein source kinda forces them to remain on the small side. For the remaining mammals the next big break occurs between the lineage that will become the carnivores and ungulates, from the rodents and primates….except the ancestor of that one choked on a bad berry and left the picture.

40Mya-30,000ya: This is where the major mammal groups would have evolved, and also where the real interactions would have occurred between mammal groups.

So that's the most scientific possibility, but there are plenty of others. If the selective pressure was much higher, it could have driven speciation at a faster rate. …and yes the possibility of Zootopia being a designed society is still a possibility. Disney Magic™ and all that.

In the next chapter, we'll go through some of the adaptations that would have had to evolve to get to the Zootopia that we know and love, and also go into one of the major issues that this scenario causes, namely the protracted duration of all these species at what amounts to a Paleolithic level of development. Hominids only spent a couple of million years at this stage, but for Zootopia, we're looking at 10-20X this length. Could this happen, and what would be the underlying cause?

A few final notes regarding some of the terminology used in this chapter:

N50: This is a measurement used in computational biology when dealing with large sets of contigs (assembled DNA sequences of varying lengths). The N50 value is the size of the contig where, when added with all the contigs larger than it, contains half of the genome of an organism. For instance, if we have 5 contigs with lengths of 5,10,8,15, and 11, the sum of those contigs is 49, so half of the genome would be 24.5. As we can reach this using only the 2 largest contigs, 15 and 11, the N50 for this collection is 11. In terms of a genome assembly, having an N50 of 22,000 is really bad. You generally want this figure to be in the megabase range (1,000,000 bp).

Emesis Basin: This is a term that's more commonly used in commonwealth countries. In the US, I believe this is sometimes called a kidney basin, so named because of its shape. It's commonly used in medical procedures all over the world…although ironically, it's rarely used to catch the results of emesis itself (vomit). The slope of the sides, as well as the volume are generally not large enough for it to handle the duties.

Paderson Weighted Speculum: It's actually a Peterson speculum, but I felt the need to at least make at least one terrible pun in this chapter. For those who are unaware, when examining female genitalia, a speculum is an instrument that is inserted into the vagina in order to open in up for better visibility and access. When a patient needs to have surgery, or is undergoing a D&E, a weighted speculum is used in order to further expand the vaginal opening.

Pedialyte: This is basically medical grade Gatorade. It's an electrolyte replacement solution, intended for use in children, but has increasingly been used by adults, both as a sports drink, and also as a hangover cure. It contains far less sugar that most sports drinks, as well as additional sodium and potassium.

Anyways, I'll wrap things up for now. I'd like to say that the next chapter will be shorter…but I also said that about this one and we can all see how that worked out.

Regardless, keep sending your questions, comments or concerns and I hope that you'll all continue to enjoy the story.

Eng050599