The morning sun was pleasant and warm as Liam exited the train station and took a deep breath for the first time in almost half an hour. The minty air tickled his throat as he stretched his back and chest, releasing his tenderness and stiffness. Taking shallow breaths for extended periods of time was uncomfortable, but he was getting used to it. It was a small pain compared to the other one that he would experience.

The greens of the Meadowlands had become a comfort since he began associating the yellows of Savanna Central with protests. They had been going on constantly since the press conference, and a pair of good noise-canceling headphones was a gods' send both on the street and during his commute. Staying in his little bubble of music and mint helped keep him sane.

The Meadowlands were a different world, separated from the craziness of the other districts. Or at least, Liam tried to think about it that way. In the early morning the streets were empty and green leaves swayed in the morning breeze. It was a rare occurrence for him to enjoy a walk outside. Like most of the mammals, he tried to stay inside as much as he could. But there was something different about that day. He felt optimistic. His routine hadn't changed, but he looked forward to the day ahead.

On his way to the office, he bought another pack of mints. The scent accompanied him whenever he went outside and he had stopped noticing it as much. The spotted hyena smiled when he saw the empty parking lot in front of the office building where normally there was at least one car in front. He would be able to rub it in Matt's muzzle that he arrived earlier.

The office was empty when he arrived. Habitually, he went to his old spot and chuckled when he saw the tiny desk. Liam turned around and got to his spot in the corner of the room, right next to Matt's before he booted up his computer and checked his emails.

Not only was Liam earlier, but when he checked the time he found that mister punctual was late! Liam's tail wagged as he thought about all the teasing he would do. Should he pretend to be worried that he was dead when he gets here? No, that would be in very poor taste considering current events. Instead, the hyena was going to pretend to be disappointed and heartbroken that the good boy had turned to the dark side. What other rebellious things could the bunny also be doing? Crossing the street without looking? So edgy. Tossing a plastic bottle into a trash can for paper? Someone had to stop him!

Liam's phone pinged. It was a text from his father checking in on him. He quickly wrote back that he was fine and would see them at dinner. Frequent check-ups and regular visits had become common for his family as a pleasant side-effect of the crisis.

The hyena furrowed his brow when he saw the time. Matt was now over twenty minutes late. Liam checked his phone and saw there was no text or email from the bunny. Liam swallowed. Matt was probably fine. Chances are he overslept because he forgot to set the alarm for their agreed time and would run in apologizing at any moment. Matt stayed mostly at home and traveled by car. There was no chance he would run into a savage predator, right? But a quick check online wouldn't hurt. Luckily there weren't any savage mammals reported recently in The Meadowlands. So the bunny was just running late and Liam had to be patient.

"""

Something had happened to Matt. He was forty minutes late and hadn't told anyone what was happening. Maybe he told someone, but not him? Should he call Emma? They were roommates in college, she would know if something was wrong for sure. There had to be something seriously wrong if Matt didn't tell him about a change of plans.

One by one animals filed into the office which stressed out Liam even more. Matt wouldn't just leave the hyena hanging after what he said yesterday. The bunny promised that they would be fine. He had to check on him. Liam had his cell number and the bunny wouldn't mind that he was worried.

The phone rang as Liam gently scratched his desk. He had looked forward to that day because the bunny was supposed to be next to him. Without Matt, the anxieties of the last few days slowly crept back into his mind. What if the bunny got hurt? What if someone hurt him?

"Hello?" Matt's weak, somber voice sounded in Liam's ear.

The bunny was alive. He didn't sound totally fine, but he was alive. Liam should say something, anything. "Hi. Where are you? Is everything alright?"

There was a pause before his distant answer. "I'm sorry. I was supposed to help you and I forgot."

Liam didn't like the tone of Matt's voice. "It doesn't matter. Is everything alright?"

"I'm at the hospital."

Liam's heart dropped. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I brought Kyle home with me and he ate chocolate."

Liam dug more claw marks into his desk. Kyle was at Matt's house, but he was poisoned. "Did they get it all out?"

"They didn't need to. He's not allergic. But they kept him overnight for observation just in case."

Liam blinked. The kit getting sick was probably scary, but Matt's voice didn't seem to match the severity of the situation. What was he missing? The hyena started slowly, "So Kyle's gonna be fine. Then what's wrong?"

Silence. If it wasn't for the sound of soft breathing, Liam would think that he got disconnected. Eventually a sniffling came from the other side of the phone. "I can't pick him up. He was hurting and I couldn't pick him up. We took an ambulance, but now he's too weak to go home with me on his own so I need medical assistance because I can't pick him up."

This time it was the hyena who fell silent. He was fully ready to cheer the bunny up, but Matt just stated facts. It wasn't like it was something that could be changed. It would even get worse as the kit grew older. The fact that Matt took Kyle in was a small miracle considering the obstacles standing against him.

Liam didn't know the fox, but he was sure that he needed Matt. Would Matt give Kyle back to the orphanage? It was exactly what Matt confided that he was worried about. The hyena still remembered what they said during the heated discussion they had in the parking lot.

Liam straightened up in his seat. He looked around the office as it slowly filled. Mammals were chatting in the distance while Liam sat alone at his desk. He looked to the side at a much smaller desk which belonged to the bunny. Matt wasn't going to come, so Liam had no reason to stay in an open space. Should he do it? He was going to leave anyway.

"Where are you?" Liam asked as he started writing an email to their team.

"Meadowlands General Hospital."

Liam pressed send and closed his laptop. "I'll be there shortly."

"What? You don't have to!" Matt stammered, "I can manage."

He put the laptop in his bag and made his way out of the office. "I promised help and I'm not moving my desk again. I'll just get you on my way home. Wait for me."

Liam hung up, not giving the bunny the opportunity to talk him out of it. On his phone he found a bus going directly to the hospital and started running, turning heads and frightening animals as the massive hyena ran by them. Mostly, mammals looked to where he had come from, assuming that he was running away from something. But he wasn't worried about strangers right now. He had two mammals that he needed to get to as soon as possible.

His bus stop was now just across the street, and his bus was waiting at the light just next to him. He pounded the button, but the crosswalk light stayed red as the bus lurched forward. Liam looked left and then right. The street was mostly clear, and with a split second decision he jaywalked across.

The bus pulled to the stop at the same time the panting hyena reached it, and he jumped in as quickly as he could. Although there were few passengers, every animal turned their head towards him. Luckily, there were plenty of seats, and Liam tried to pick one away from mammals who were eyeing him.

Liam's breathing had become erratic, and trying to control it only made him pant even worse. It wasn't just about catching his breath; The hyena was overheating, and panting was his body's automatic response and alleviation. There was no way around it, so he covered his mouth with his paws until the panting could stop.

With the amount of air that he was taking in, he could smell them. The uncertainty and the fear. It didn't help that most of the animals on the bus were smaller prey animals. He fished a mint out of his bag and turned to the side so he wouldn't have to look at them. But pretending they weren't there didn't help a lot. It was going to be a short trip. He would manage. As his breathing stabilized, the scent of the mint had become dominant. He was able to lower his paws and watch buildings pass by.

Arriving a few minutes late wouldn't do any harm, but the hyena felt like it was a pressing issue. Matt tended to overthink things. Leaving the bunny alone with his own thoughts could lead him to do something rash. He didn't think that Matt would just give Kyle back... Despite what the bunny said about himself, Matt didn't give up. He just worried too much.

Liam promised he could help with at least one of those worries. Well, he promised to explain things that the bunny didn't understand, but what he was doing felt like a natural extension of that promise. They needed him for something that only he could help with. Matt was already so kind to him, so he was just returning the favor. Mammals should stick together in tough times.

His phone pinged. It was a text message from Matt with a room number. Liam expected more resistance from the bunny. He gripped the phone tighter and bounced his leg. Maybe he realized that there was no way of talking the hyena out of it. There weren't that many stops left but the bus was moving so slow .

Liam was pressed against the bus's door. When they opened in front of the hospital, he stumbled as he jumped out and ran towards the main entrance and turned more heads than before. Many mammals looked concerned, especially the medical staff. He slowed to a fast walk. He was already close.

In the lobby he found a map to get a general area where the room should be located. One elevator ride later, he was on the right floor and he began to look for the room. He power-walked past each open door, trying not to scare any of the patients as he scanned each door number.

He finally found their door and gently peeked in, trying not to startle the young fox. There was Matt, helping a fox boy to put his t-shirt on. The bunny didn't notice him. His nose was twitching slightly as he studied the fox's muzzle. The boy seemed a little wary of his surroundings, but otherwise looked fine. His fur was messy but it was something that could be fixed with nice grooming. The fox swayed gently back and forth as he sat on the bed and Matt kept his paw on the boy's shoulder to keep him stable. Liam's eyes traveled toward the fox's legs and he knew for certain that it was Kyle.

As Kyle pulled the t-shirt all the way down, he turned his head and noticed Liam. Kyle's icy-blue eyes locked onto him, and the boy tilted his head to the side. He looked at Liam curiously and... sniffed. Liam's eyes went wide and he stared awkwardly at the kit. Matt noticed the boy sniffing, but rather than correcting his behavior, the bunny looked back with him towards Liam.

The hyena just froze. He was only able to move his eyes between the two. They stared back at him without embarrassment. Liam gulped. It was a topic for another day. He was there to help and that was what he needed to focus on.

The silence lasted much longer than was comfortable, and his scrambled mind could only come up with a small wave and a "Hello."

Matt's ears were down, and he looked exhausted, but he smiled warmly. "Hello. Come on in."

When Liam stepped inside the room, the feeling of haste of the last few minutes disappeared from his mind. The weird nervousness that was clinging to the hyena's heart was gone. Matt stuffed some pajamas into his backpack and turned towards the fox.

"Kyle, this is Liam. He's my friend from work and he offered to help with getting you home."

"Nice to meet you Kyle." Liam said with a smile.

The boy looked up at the hyena but didn't say anything. Kyle's curious eyes studied the hyena and he leaned forward to sniff again. Liam straightened his back a little more and looked at Matt for help.

The bunny noticed his friend's discomfort, "He doesn't talk a lot. The fact that he's this calm around you is a good sign."

Another silent pause followed. There was an awkwardness in the room and Kyle turned his head to look between adults. Even with Liam just wanting to help, he stepped into something deeply personal and was seeing the bunny now at his lowest point. No words of comfort felt right. Matt bit his lip and he stroked his droopy ears, avoiding Liam's gaze.

Why couldn't it be easier to comfort someone? Matt made it look so easy, so why couldn't he just do the same? Liam folded his ears and rubbed his paws together. The fact that Kyle was able to get chocolate felt like a small mistake to Liam. Something that in a few years, they would laugh about. The story that everyone in their family would know, but still happily listen to each time they told it… But Matt wasn't at that point yet, and won't be for a long time.

Liam gave the messy fox a side glance. Will they tell this story together, or each of them to their own family? That was another topic to remember for later. Kyle's attention shifted to Matt and his eyes dimmed. It felt like he understood more than he let on. It seemed like he was just as worried about the bunny as the bunny was worried about him.

The AC in the room kicked in and a soft breeze carried Liam's scent toward the fox. Kyle habitually looked in the direction of the hyena before returning to Matt. It was curious. The boy didn't look at Liam, but at his bag. What was so interesting about it? He didn't pack anything special, only the things that he always carried around. Liam looked at the bag and then at the worried fox… Wait, he had something with Matt's scent on it. Was Kyle reacting to that? Liam's ears shot up. That's it! Maybe he didn't need the right words. The hyena got his old taser out of the bag and presented it to Matt.

"Can you hold on to this while I help you with Kyle?" Liam asked hopefully.

Matt's eyes went wide as he looked upon the taser. The bunny opened his mouth slightly, but the words seemed to escape him. The mix of worry and guilt persisted on his tired muzzle. Liam held his position, but started to doubt that it was the right move. The hyena's claws dug into the old scratched plastic and he began to put the device away, but there was a movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to see Kyle softly wagging his tail and looking at him with his soul-piercing eyes. That fox was a weird kit.

The bunny's entire demeanor seemed to change. When Liam noticed, his grip on the taser eased. Matt was looking at the kit with such tenderness. The guilt and worry was still there, but it was pale in comparison to the relief that was radiating from the bunny. The warmth filled the hyena's heart. He felt grateful that he was able to see this side of Matt.

The bunny's small paw gently grabbed the taser, and as they both held it, Matt looked up to meet Liam's gaze. The tears which he had been holding back began to rise up to his eyes. All at once, the stress and the worrying lifted off of Matt's shoulders.

He smiled softly and barely whispered, "Thank you."

The warmth around his heart turned into an unexpected tightness. Matt wasn't all right, but he was going to be and that was good enough. Liam wagged his tail and felt a slight tug from the bunny. In an instant it became almost painfully obvious that he was still holding the taser. He quickly and awkwardly let go of it.

"No problem." Liam rubbed the back of his head as his ears became red. "Are we still waiting for something, or can we go?"

"The doctor checked him, and we're good to go." Matt put the taser in his backpack. "Mister Liam is gonna carry you back to our home. Is that ok?"

Kyle looked as though he was pondering the question uncertainly. The kit shifted between an open and closed posture as he processed the information. Liam was much bigger than Kyle, and could easily pick him up if he really wanted to. But they both looked expectantly at the fox for his answer.

"It'll be a fun ride." Liam said with a big-toothed smile.

Kyle's focus shifted sharply to Matt. The bunny's nose twitched at the sight of teeth, but that was all. Even with his ears down he kept smiling encouragingly. Kyle tilted his head and stared for a second before he turned his head toward Liam and nodded.

Liam slowly got closer and extended his paws. He stopped in front of the kit so Kyle could inspect him. When the boy seemed fine with it, Liam put his paws under Kyle's armpits and picked him up. It was a bizarre experience because Kyle was the first kit of another species that he ever held. He had some experience with cubs from his extended family, but that only made it even more surprising. His weight felt completely disproportionate to his size. It was probably because of how much fur the fox had. It made him seem more massive than he really was.

Liam brought the kit closer to his chest and supported the boy with a paw under his bottom. Then it hit him. He had heard that foxes had a strong scent but he didn't expect it to be so intense. The kit's fur was a mess, so he probably skipped the shower last night. The hyena didn't know the full story, but he doubted that the boy ate chocolate in the middle of the night. It took a moment for him to get used to the scent.

Matt put the backpack on. "Should we get a taxi?"

"I highly doubt we'd be able to find a taxi that can comfortably accommodate all our sizes. It may take longer, but we should just take the bus."

"Aren't you in a hurry? I don't want to keep you for too long." Matt's nose twitched.

"It's fine. I'll just work longer today." Liam's ears straighten up. "That reminds me... You should probably send an email that you won't be at work so we could plan our work accordingly."

Matt bit his lip. "You're right."

The bunny typed up an email on his phone as they walked. The device was too small, so Liam couldn't see what the bunny was typing, but he deleted a few drafts before he finally sent it. Liam's phone pinged. The hyena was also going to need to inform their team that he would start his work later that day.

He looked down to the bunny and asked, "So, what's the email say?"

Matt looked ahead and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, I just kept it short. All it says is that I won't be able to come into work because of a 'medical emergency.'"

Technically, that was true. Except, bunny failed to mention that it wasn't him who had that emergency.

They had barely left the building when Matt's phone started ringing.

The bunny looked at it with a dread in his eyes and declined the call. He texted something and looked at Liam ashamedly. "It was Emma. I'll call her back later when I can clear my head."

The bunny didn't need to explain himself. It was his way of dealing with the situation. It wasn't the healthiest in the hyena's opinion, but he didn't want to force Matt to confront his friends and family. The bunny was actively hiding the truth from them and Liam could understand why Matt wasn't in a mood for that conversation in an already stressful situation.

They walked to the bus stop in a comfortable silence. Their eclectic group turned a lot of heads. Small claws dug into Liam's shoulder which made him look at Kyle. The kit was turning his head around, spotting each mammal who looked at them. He could feel how tense the kit got because of the unwanted attention.

"Don't worry about them. They're just looking at me." Liam gently rubbed the fox's back.

It was a sad truth of the current climate of the city. Mammals were on the lookout for potentially dangerous situations, and a hyena with two smaller mammals was one of those situations. Liam knew that because he would react in exactly the same way, and he was grateful that the bunny was carrying a taser in his backpack.

It was hard to tell if Kyle believed him. The fox stopped looking around, but wasn't any less tense. Surprisingly, though, the boy let his tail hang down in spite of his tension. It seemed as though Kyle was trying his best to keep his tail away from Liam so it wouldn't accidentally brush against him as they walked.

The bunny's phone rang again. The ringtone was different from the one before and it made the bunny stop. Matt looked at the screen in terror. His paw hovered over the screen as he contemplated answering the call. Liam stopped to wait for Matt.

The bunny gulped and pressed the phone to his ear. "Hi mom."