Kyle didn't want to see Mister Bob. The raccoon was always nice to him... But he showed up every few months and took the fox to a new place. Sometimes Mister Bob showed up earlier than that, after something bad happened. Kyle had known that the raccoon was coming. He wasn't sure why Mister Bob didn't show up after he scratched Matt. Whenever he scratched someone before, he would be taken to a new orphanage. But this time Mister Bob was here to take him. They already had his bag packed sitting next to the nurse's desk with his crutch on top of it. Kyle was leaving that day, and for the first time in his life he didn't want to.

He never liked the places that he stayed at too much. He was always gonna leave anyways, and it wasn't like anyone wanted to be friends with him. He was always the weird kit that other kits avoided. But this time it was different. The orphanage and his room were really nice, and Matt visited him there. Kyle didn't really understand the bunny, and he wasn't sure why Matt was always coming back to see him. Nobody ever did that before... but it felt nice. Kyle didn't know if the bunny would follow him, and he didn't want to leave Matt, so he needed to stay. As soon as Matt came into the nurse's office the fox hugged him tight and said he was sorry and begged him not to take him away.

Matt's warm, gentle arms wrapped around the fox. It was going to be alright, it had to be alright… but it wasn't. Kyle's heart sank when Matt told him he was going to leave. The boy's arms hugged tighter around the bunny. The fox wanted to cry but the bunny was smiling so warmly... why? Kyle blinked in confusion when he heard Matt. What did it mean that he was going home with the bunny? He looked to Mister Bob for an answer. The raccoon just smiled and nodded at him, which must mean going home with Matt is a good thing because Mister Bob was nice to Kyle.

Kyle felt strange. He didn't want to leave because the bunny was visiting him there, but he was going to leave with the bunny. Was the bunny taking him to a different place than the raccoon would? Was that a good thing? The fox needed answers, but there was one really important thing that the boy needed to know before anything else.

Kyle looked with glossy eyes at the bunny and with a weak voice asked, "Will you visit me at home?"

The bunny's eyes went wide, and for a split second Kyle thought that he asked for too much. He shouldn't ask for things! But then Matt chuckled softly. "We're going to my home. You'll be staying with me for a little while... So we'll see each other every day."

The fox looked at the bunny with his mouth open in surprise. Kyle couldn't believe it. Matt was going to be his new Missus Monica! The boy couldn't stop himself from wagging his tail.

"Will you visit me every day?" Kyle asked hopefully. Missus Monica visited him everyday, even if she just saw him for a little while. Maybe the bunny would have more time for him, even if he has other kits to take care of.

Matt's ears dropped and he looked at the kit softly. Something was wrong. The bunny was smiling, but he was sad. Kyle's ice blue eyes grew, and his ears dropped, worried that he had said something bad. He clutched the bunny's shirt as his long, fuzzy tail went between his legs. He was asking for too much and the bunny didn't want to hurt Kyle's feelings. Why did he keep asking for things that he shouldn't? Matt should know that it was fine to say no.

The boy quickly amended, "You don't have to if you don't want to." But to his surprise, Matt got even sadder. What was he doing wrong? He said everything politely.

Matt gently stroked Kyle's ears. There was some weird warmth coming from the bunny. The fox felt that Matt wanted him to stay close to him. "Kyle, it's just going to be the two of us in my apartment. I'll take care of you every day."

He was going to the TV kind of home. The boy furrowed his brow. It was impossible. Of course Kyle had seen them in a few cartoons, but the other kits told him that foxes don't go to those kinds of homes. He didn't want to believe it, but every time when he left with Mister Bob, he went to another orphanage. The fox looked to the raccoon in shock, and Mister Bob only smiled and nodded.

"I'll be visiting you from time to time," the raccoon said, "but other than that it'll be just you and Mister Leaper."

Was it some kind of mistake? He didn't know what to do at home. There were probably different rules for staying at home. Would Matt be mad if he doesn't know them? It would be easier for him to just stay at the orphanage. He knew orphanages. He had been in so many of them... staying at home was new, and scary. They would realize that it was a mistake but before that, he would do something bad at Matt's home and Mister Bob would come to take him away. The fox looked around the room nervously. The adults didn't realize it. He needed to let them know...

"It'll be alright." Matt said softly. His warm voice was so comforting. Kyle didn't know when the bunny started rubbing his back. "It's new, but I'll be there to help you. We can do it together."

Kyle stopped looking around and his breathing got more even. With those simple words, he was in the dark corner under his bed. He was in his new safe spot. In all his life, his spot was never another mammal. It was all very new to him. The fox didn't know if it was ok to go with Matt, but it felt right for sure.

"We have all your things packed, but if we forgot anything you can tell Matt and he'll tell me." Monica looked over Matt's shoulder at Kyle.

Matt looked to Monica and said, "Thanks." before his focus came back to Kyle. "Would you like to say goodbye to anyone before we leave?"

The fox shrugged. It had never been an option before. Kyle thought for a second, looked at Missus Monica and waved to her and said, "Bye."

The fox has been moved a lot, and he was already used to changing places, but he liked Missus Monica. She smiled at him and waved back. "Goodbye, Kyle," she said. The boy didn't talk with her, but she was still really nice to him.

The fox turned his head towards the raccoon as he approached them. "I think that's everything. My phone number and email are in there with the documents. If you've got any questions, feel free to call me. You should be getting your financial assistance for taking care of him between one and two weeks. It depends on how quickly the paperwork gets through the system. But it's already been submitted, so you should be registered as Kyle's foster parent. In case someone makes a fuss about it you can always show the paperwork." The raccoon patted Kyle's head. "Take good care of Kyle. I'll be checking on you regularly."

"Of course." Matt nodded and looked at Kyle. "Are you ready to go?"

That was a weird question for the fox, and he didn't know how to answer. Sometimes he didn't want to move from his spot, but most of the time he didn't have a choice. He didn't have anything that he needed to do at the orphanage, so the answer should be easy... but it wasn't. The boy was going to a TV home. He looked at the bunny nervously.

Matt waited patiently for the boy's answer. It was a big step for both of them, and hopefully a big improvement for the kit. Kyle should be comfortable with it. Matt was always helping him here, so he would explain what he needed to do at home. Kyle smiled weakly at the bunny and gently nodded.

"Ok." The bunny nodded, and gently pulled away from the hug to reach for the bag while one of his paws rested on the boy's shoulder to help him keep balance.

Before Matt was able to reach it, Mister Bob grabbed it. "Let me help you with that. I'm heading the same way." The raccoon was in a spectacular mood.

When Matt turned to the boy, he started to look confused. Kyle tilted his head to the side. The bunny was thinking about something really hard.

"How would you like to walk with me?" He asked. "You can use your crutch while you hold onto my paw, or you can put your paws on my back and hold onto my shirt." The bunny paused for a moment while his nose twitched. "Or you can go on all fours."

Kyle had played with Matt before on all fours, so he didn't mind doing it with him. But that was always in his room with the door closed. He was scared of doing it outside, where animals might think he was gonna hurt them. He was also scared of using the crutch around Matt because he didn't want to scare him, like last time... Kyle didn't want to be a problem.

The kit wanted to get the answer right. "Paws on the back?"

Matt's ear twitched slightly and looked over the boy to make sure that he was fine and smiled reassuringly. "Sure, Kyle!"

The bunny slowly turned around while holding Kyle's paw. The bunny finally let go as he felt the boy's paw on his back. Monica came closer just in case the kit would lose his balance. When Kyle's paws were firmly on the bunny's back she leaned forward to be eye-level with the fox. "Be nice to Matt. He still has a lot of things to learn, but he'll take really good care of you. And you can always come visit us if you'd like."

Matt looked over his shoulder at the fox, waiting for his reaction. Kyle quietly watched Matt. The bunny told him that he was working really hard not to smell like fear, but the kit sniffed the air and smelled fear. It was more from Missus Monica than Matt. She looked worried from the way her eyes glanced at Matt's, and then back to Kyle. She was worried about them. Did she know something? The boy looked at the white bunny with his piercing icy blue eyes. She'd never smelled like this before to him. The fox nodded slowly but that didn't change her scent.

Matt also smelled worried. But it was a different worry. Where she smelled more like fear, he smelled like being in a hurry. Like he had to do a lot of things, but didn't have enough time. It made Kyle even more confused, because he looked really calm.

Matt softly said, "Tell me if I'm going too fast." as he started walking, taking small steps so he wouldn't pull away from the boy too much.

Kyle followed him with small, upright steps. He gently said, "Ok." as they walked out the door and looked at Missus Monica waving them goodbye.

"I've to go back to work." Missus Monica looked at her watch. "Take care, and call me in a few days to let me know how things are going."

Matt waved back at her. "We sure will."

The bunny moved slowly through the hallway. He made sure the boy's paws stayed on his back, and the kit wasn't pulling on his shirt. Matt knew that Kyle could walk faster, but he didn't want to tire him out. Mister Bob walked next to them, and watched both of them interact with a smile. The raccoon almost playfully swung the bag and crutch in his paw.

"Your social worker's gonna flip out that you went behind their back and got a placement without them." The raccoon chuckled.

The bunny laughed nervously. "I don't think they will... because I don't have one."

The raccoon furrowed his brow. "But you're licenced foster parent?"

Matt's ears went red. "I had a social worker do my home study, but I was only looking to adopt. I figured the licence would make it easier. Being a single parent, I need any advantage that I can get. I only wanted to foster kits that I could eventually adopt. Most bunny litters in Zootopia come through here, and since I already volunteer here it didn't seem worth the effort to get a social worker who was just gonna tell me what I already knew. If any litters fit my criteria, I would have known about them."

Mister Bob looked a little nervous. "Social workers aren't just there to help you find kits and represent you, they're there to help you. Being a foster parent is a lot different than just being a parent. Do you think that you can get someone assigned to you from your agency?"

Matt bit his lip. "I might, but my agency deals in bunnies. I'm not sure how much help they'd be to me with Kyle."

"Yeah..." Mister Bob sighed as he appeared to mull something over in his head. "I can't let you deal with the whole situation without a social worker… I'll tell you what, I'll be your social worker. Just gonna need to move my schedule around."

Matt blinked. The raccoon didn't ask him if that's what he wanted, he just told him what was happening now. "Wait, can you even do that? Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest? You're supposed to represent and take care of the wellbeing of Kyle. My social worker should be doing the same for me. What if Kyle and I aren't the best fit for each other?"

The raccoon pulled out his phone and began swiping around the screen. "Won't be a conflict at all. Make no mistake, if Kyle's unsafe in your care then I'll have no problem taking him away from you. But I think you'll need all the help you can get. At the end of the day it'll really just boil down to me visiting you a little more often. Nothing really official, I'll just be helping you out. Like it or not, you're the best chance that Kyle's had in years. If I help you, then I help him, if that makes sense."

"Yeah, it makes sense." Matt sighed in defeat. "Thanks."

The raccoon shrugged. "You're in a tough spot... I know what that looks like."

With that, they arrived at the looming doors of the orphanage. Kyle had been outside many times, but it was to go to the playground to watch the bunnies play. The boy had only once gone through the front door, and it was when Mister Bob brought him to the orphanage. Going past the front door was the end. The kit had never gone back to an orphanage that kicked him out. It dawned on him that this was the last time he was going to see this place. That hurt to think about, because this was the only place that he had good memories from. He didn't know if he would ever go to one he liked as much as this one ever again. The fox folded his ears against his head. He didn't want to leave the best place that he'd ever lived in... but at least he was going with the mammal who made this place so nice.

The raccoon opened the doors for them as they slowly left the orphanage. Kyle's small world of the last few months suddenly got a lot bigger. The boy's head was darting around trying to see the sights from behind the bunny's back. It was a rare treat for him to go somewhere new.

"There are a few steps in front of us." Matt said, "I'm gonna turn around and take your paws so we can step down, okay?"

"Ok." Kyle focused his attention back at the bunny.

Matt slowly turned so Kyle wouldn't lose his balance. He grabbed the boy's paws and had his back facing the steps. The bunny slowly walked backwards down the steps. There were only five of them, but they needed to get down safely. Normally, when he moved around the orphanage, he held onto the wall, so he was forced to side-step down the stairs.

It was the first time he'd done so while facing them. It was scary to not have the familiar safety of the wall. To get down the stairs he needed to lean forward, which normally for him would mean tumbling down. But Matt's paws held him firmly. There was a warmth in the boy's chest. Even though Matt was helping him, he couldn't do it. He was going to fall if he kept going. Kyle's tail went between his legs and he froze in place.

Matt's nose twitched, which caused Kyle to lower his head. The bunny looked calm, but to Kyle it felt like a bad nose twitch. The bunny didn't look angry at him, but the scent of worry got stronger. Without saying anything, Matt stepped sideways towards the stair's balustrade and gently guided Kyle with him.

As soon as Matt let go of Kyle's paw, he immediately shot it towards the wall and he dug his claws into the sturdy, familiar stone. Matt still wanted the kit to get down the stairs while facing them. He could do it. Matt patiently waited for the fox to take each uncomfortable step. They moved down the stairs one step at the time, but each step they took went faster than the last.

They arrived at the bottom even faster than Matt anticipated. "Great job!" Matt praised. Kyle wagged his tail softly. Maybe it really was better doing it like that. Mister Bob smiled in satisfaction at how well both Kyle and Matt were doing.

The bunny turned his head to the parking lot, and his eyes fell on his car. "We'll go the last few feet with me holding your paws."

Matt walked backwards to the car while holding Kyle's paws. He felt lucky that he parked so close to the entrance that day. In a few short steps his back bumped against the car. The bunny guided Kyle's paws to the car so he could rest them against it while Matt pulled out his keys. He opened the door and put the documents on the passenger seat.

Matt's car was for the bigger size category, which Matt had to modify so it would be comfortable for him to drive. He had bought it on purpose. Zootopia was a hectic city, and he felt a lot better in a bigger car which was more visible in traffic. All cars in Zootopia were equipped with anti-crash technology, but it wasn't a chance Matt was willing to take.

He went to the trunk of the car and grabbed the spare booster seat he kept. Only the driver's seat was modified, so in case his friends needed a lift he kept a booster seat for them to use so the seatbelts would align properly. After he had put the seat properly in place, he grabbed Kyle's paws and gently guided him to the back door and helped the boy in. Then, he climbed in behind the boy to put on his seat belt and make sure that everything was safely locked.

"Are you comfortable?" Matt asked while pulling on the seat belt to see how restrictive it was.

Kyle just nodded as he looked around the car. It was different from Mister Bob's. The racoon had a van with multiple seats and a few times the fox was on it with multiple kits. It was odd to be in the car which had only front and back seats.

Matt jumped out of the car and grabbed the bag and the crutch from the raccoon and put them in the trunk.

Bob was checking his phone as he casually said, "I'll visit you in about a week to see how you're settling in. I'll call you to set up the meeting. If you have any questions don't hesitate to call."

The fox's throat was itching uncomfortably and he started coughing. It wasn't that bad. His throat was dry and breathing felt funny but Matt looked at him with a worry in his eyes.

"Well I already have a question. I don't like his cough, and I'd like a doctor to take a look at him." Matt looked uncomfortable, and Kyle noticed the scent of being in a hurry got stronger. "I know all the best pediatric clinics for bunnies in the area, but I don't know any good canine specialists."

"There's a very good clinic on Oak Street. They don't specialize in pediatrics or canines, but they do have a lot of predator specialists, so it's more or less a predator clinic. I highly recommend it." The raccoon pulled up his wrist to check his watch. "Sorry for cutting this chat short, but I still have a few other kits to check on. We'll be able to chat more during my visit. Take care."

The raccoon looked through the window and waved at Kyle before going to his own car. Matt was standing there watching the raccoon walk away, clenching his paws nervously. He looked at Kyle and smiled weakly before he got into the driver's seat. The bunny adjusted his rear view mirror so he could see the boy's muzzle in the corner.

Matt asked again, "Are you feeling alright? Are you comfortable?"

The fox looked at the bunny in the mirror. It was so different from going anywhere with Mister Bob. The raccoon was always doing so many things at the same time, and Matt had a problem doing just one thing. Kyle slowly nodded his head and nervously looked around.

Matt opened a map on his phone and found the clinic the raccoon suggested. He turned on the GPS, placed the phone in the holder on his dashboard, and looked back at Kyle over his shoulder. "We're gonna go see a doctor to make sure that you're doing alright before we go home. Okay?"

Kyle's ears dropped and he nodded. With that they were on their way. Kyle could hear a nice voice from the phone telling them where they needed to turn. The fox was looking outside the window enjoying the view of passing buildings. He loved getting to be outside the orphanage, because they never really brought him anywhere. Getting to see the city felt like a big adventure!

"""

The way the sun rays hit the fox's fur made him look as if he was engulfed in flames. Matt couldn't help but glance back at the fox, as it was the first time that he had seen the boy in the direct sunlight since the scratching incident. So many things had changed since then. He had changed since then. The culmination of that change was sitting in the back seat of his car, and he was woefully unprepared. All his careful planning for bunny kits crumbled down now that he was taking care of Kyle.

They finally arrived in front of a sleek, modern, single-floor building. It was newer than the buildings around it, but the architecture blended well with the brick-and-mortar style of the surrounding area. Matt was easily able to find a spot in the parking lot. As soon as the car was off Matt sighed and said, "We're here."

Matt grabbed Kyle's bag and documents folder. He didn't think he'd need all of it, but in case the database hadn't updated yet, it would be good to he had everything together, he jumped out of the car to help Kyle out of his seat. The boy was eyeing the building with cautious apprehension. Matt turned around, presenting his back to the boy as the bag hung to his side. "You can put your paws on my back, again."

Matt was able to park close to the entrance, which made it a short walk. They passed by a parking spot for a handicapped mammals. Matt wondered if Kyle's condition gave him eligibility for handicap plates. That was a question for another time, however, as they approached the sliding doors of the clinic.

Matt had to admit that the building was making a great first impression. It was far nicer than the clinic that he was going to. Everything was new, and the warm colors on the walls filled the foyer with a pleasant, comforting feeling. There was a three-tier reception desk in the waiting room, each meant to best accommodate varying size categories. A gentle, nervous grip on his back reminded him why he was there. He looked back at Kyle. The fox had his tail between his legs and ears held against his head.

"It's just a check up, okay? There's nothing to worry about." Kyle acted as if he didn't hear him, and continued anxiously looking around. Matt's nose began to twitch.

They walked to the lowest desk, where a ferret was working at her computer. When she noticed Matt step up to the counter in her peripheral, she focused her attention to greet him and was visibly surprised for a moment before reciting with a practiced smile, "Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?"

"I would like to set up an appointment for today."

She smiled politely and said, "For prey mammals we only have general practitioners available. If you need a specialist, I can direct you to a nice prey-oriented clinic nearby."

"Oh it isn't for me. It's for him." Matt stepped to reveal to her a distressed looking Kyle.

"Oh! Hi there, little guy." She looked between two of them. From the look on her muzzle, it was clear that she had more than just the vetting questions in her head. "What is his name and social security number?"

"Kyle Wildfire." Matt answered. He reached into his bag and pulled out the folder, then handed her the document which had Kyle's social security number on it. She nodded as her suspicions were confirmed.

"And what is the purpose of your visit?"

Matt bit his lip. He wasn't sure what doctor he should see. He leaned in and looked around to make sure that no one could overhear it. "He has inhaled some pepper spray fumes and has a cough that I would like to get checked out."

She froze in shock and her eyes traveled to the taser whis was hanging off Matt's belt "Sh-should I call the police?"

"It… It's already been taken care of." Matt didn't have a heart to admit that nothing could be done about the attack. He pointed at the date on the emergency placement document. "That's why he ended up with me."

The ferret looked with concern at Kyle. "I-I'll register you to a general practitioner. If he needs a specialist, they'll let you know. If you could find a place to sit in the waiting area, the doctor will call for you soon."

Matt collected his documents and they found some smaller seats. Matt helped Kyle up into the seat next to him. The fox had his ears folded, and darted his eyes around as he softly coughed. He was worse for wares, both physically and emotionally. Matt followed the kit's eyes to see what was getting the most attention. The bunny gulped when he turned towards the room. Everyone was staring at them.

In a brightly lit room there was no way to hide, and everyone had the perfect view of the pair. A bear cub was pointing at them and said something before his mother lowered his paw with hers. Most of the children in the room were visibly curious. When it came to parents, they ranged from ones who seemed to scold their children for not being nice to ones who openly stared along with them.

Matt had been worrying about Kyle so much that it was all that he had been focused on. However, in that moment where he had no choice but to slow down, he became calm enough to notice that he was in a room full of predators. His heart beat faster, and his nose started twitching.

He was fine with predators which he knew, and ones which were on the smaller side. But in the room with him were some big predators. The bunny's own eyes started to move from one set of claws to another.

Many older mammals folded their paws in such a way that the claws wouldn't be visible. The bunny lowered his ears. He had made someone less relaxed by just being around. They were mindful of him when all he could do was to feel uncomfortable. It only took a minute for most of the bigger adults to hide their claws.

After his attention could finally leave the claws, he noticed that only a few of the adults were looking at him, while most were glancing to his side. He turned his head and it became almost painfully obvious why.

Kyle's fur was disheveled, and needed to be brushed badly, his claws desperately needed to be trimmed, his shirt was oversized and crooked, and his eyes were red and bloodshot. This was, for the most part, the norm for Kyle, and Matt had become accustomed to that. But now that they were out in public, he was overcome with embarrassment. But what stood out most of all was how distraught and frightened he was.

Matt had been so frantic and focused on getting Kyle safe, he didn't notice how overwhelmed he was. The fox's eyes were moving from one child to another, and he looked as if he wanted to run, but didn't know where to go. Matt's bunny ears finally picked up what the other children were saying: they were all talking about Kyle's feet. The boy pulled his legs up and hid them with his tail.

Kyle didn't like being a center of attention. Matt wanted to tell him that he shouldn't care what other mammals thought, but the bunny knew that wouldn't make Kyle feel better. Matt himself could feel the weight of their gaze, and it was probably much worse for the boy.

Matt was as common as it gets. He was just one of many bunnies who didn't stand out from the crowd. Most of the time others just ignored him. The only visually distinctive thing about him were his glasses, but not many mammals cared about them. The attention he was getting was new to him. The two of them were a novelty. Something unexpected that not a lot of mammals would see again. And everyone had their own opinion about what they saw.

The bunny-fox combination was interesting in itself, but Kyle's condition just added to the spectacle. All the bunny could do was move nearer to the boy on the chair to wrap his arm around him and gently pull him closer.

Matt would need to check if foxes were huggers. It was something that bunnies naturally did for comfort, and Kyle didn't seem to mind it. He could feel how tense the fox was. He needed to get Kyle's mind off of what was happening. He tried to think what the fox would like. The only thing that came to mind was the science cartoon, but he couldn't just pull out his computer and start playing it. But that gave him another idea. He tried to remember what he had in the bag and realized that he could do something fun. Matt got his nose under control and smiled.

"Do you know that you can move paper without touching it or blowing on it?" Matt asked casually.

Kyle looked at Matt with confusion, which was a small step up from general nervousness. "I'm telling the truth. I can even show you how to do it. Would you like to see that?"

Kyle's focus was torn between Matt and the room, but the fox was curious by nature, and the bunny was going to use that. The boy nodded slowly.

Matt smiled and hugged Kyle with one arm while he pulled his bag into his lap. He pulled out an old sticky note and a plastic pen and handed them both to the boy.

Matt handed the paper to Kyle and asked, "Why don't you tear this into a few small pieces and then put them on the bag?" The boy looked at the note with furrowed brow but did what he was asked to do.

"Ok." Matt handed the pen to Kyle. "Try to touch the paper with the plastic part of the pen."

Kyle gingerly took the pen and touched the pieces of paper... nothing happened. The paper was as unmoving as it was supposed to be. He furrowed his brow and looked at the bunny disappointed.

"See? Just normal paper and pen. Now, here's the trick." The bunny smilled. "Rub the plastic part of the pen on the fur on your forearm."

Kyle looked at the pen, and then at his forearm. He brought the pen closer to it and looked at Matt again for assurance. Matt nodded with a smile and motioned for the boy to go ahead. Kyle gently rubbed the pen against his fur for a few seconds.

"Ok that should be enough. Now slowly move the pen towards the paper, but don't touch it."

Kyle nodded and with a great focus he slowly moved the pen towards the paper. This time however, when the pen got close enough, the small pieces of paper jumped. The fox instinctively pulled his paw away when he saw an unexpected movement, but he wasn't fast enough, and a few pieces of paper got stuck to the pen.

His eyes grew wide as he looked at the pen covered in the paper, and the tip of his tail flicked as he observed it with great interest.

"Science." Matt laughed softly.

Kyle looked at the bunny with his big, curious eyes. It pained the bunny to see how red they were, but that wasn't that important. The boy wanted to know what was happening. Mammals were still staring at them, but a simple experiment relieved Kyle's mind from his stress.

"It happened because of static electricity." Matt rubbed his chin. "It's a little complicated, but imagine inside the pen are very small balls marked with pluses and minuses. When you were rubbing the pen on your fur, balls with the minuses escaped from the fur to the pen. But the pen wants to have an equal amount of pluses and minuses. Since paper also has those balls, the pen wants to give minuses back to the paper."

Matt, at that moment, had the boy's full attention. "Another fun thing is that your fur will follow the pen. You can try getting it close to your tail and you should see it move."

Almost immediately Kyle moved the pen towards his tail and watched in amazement his fur moving towards the pen.

Seeing the boy so entranced also gave some comfort to the bunny in a room full of predators. While Kyle, being as messy and unwell as he was, wasn't a perfect picture, Matt was content with Kyle feeling safe. Everything else could be changed over time.

A door nearby opened, and a nice looking cheetah lady in white coat came out. She looked around the waiting room. "Kyle Wildefire?"

The bunny's paw shot up to bring the doctor's attention to them. "That's us."

Matt turned to Kyle and interrupted his play with the pen. He stuffed the scraps of paper in the bag before he jumped off the chair and looked at the boy. The fox was gripping the pen nervously and looked at the mammal in the white coat uneasily. He also looked past her into her office. Compared to the warm, bright colors of the waiting area, the office seemed cold, and the light oppressive. The bunny knew that it was just to make the examination easier, but it clearly unsettled the boy, who was still sitting in his chair.

Matt nervously said, "Come on, Kyle. Let's go so the nice doctor can make sure that everything's alright." Again, the attention of the whole room was fixed on them.

Kyle nodded slowly as he began to get off the chair, but his paw was gripping it tightly. Matt extended his paws to the boy so he could grab it, but Kyle didn't move a muscle. He looked at Matt with big scared eyes.

"I don't want to." Kyle said as he folded his ears and put his tail between his legs.

The cheetah doctor crouched and looked at Kyle with a smile and her tail flicked behind her. "I promise that I'm really nice."

Kyle wasn't convinced. Matt gently grabbed Kyle's wrist and pulled softly so he would know that it was okay to let go and the bunny would help him keep the balance. The fox kept gripping the chair and his eyes again darted around the room realizing that mammals were watching him, which only caused his breathing to quicken, and his paws to clamp down even tighter.

"Kyle please." Matt said softly.

"No!" Kyle cried, with a growing tension in his voice. "I don't wanna go in there."

Matt pulled on the boy's wrist again, but it only caused him to resist even more. The doctor, in the meantime, went to the reception area and said something to the ladies working there, then went back to standing in front of the room invitingly.

"I want to go back," the fox said in panic, "I want to go home."

"We will. We just need to do this one thing. It'll be fine I promise," Matt said as he got closer and hugged the boy, who was gripping the chair for dear life.

Then from the hallway came out a wolf in nurses scrubs. She smiled softly at Matt. "Let me help you with that."

She grabbed Kyle by the scruff of his neck, and he went limp in an instant. Judging by the boy's expression he was even more shocked than Matt was. Then she picked him up. Matt became terrified that Kyle would get hurt, and he wanted to say something in protest, but he noticed that the boy looked fine and was more confused than anything.

The wolf smiled warmly. "Please follow me."

Matt grabbed his bag and hurried after the nurse.