Our Finest Hour
Chapter Six: Calling the Folks
Martin lay snoring in his bed while I lounged under his hot shower. I sighed in pleasure as streaming water raked through my pelt. Martin's water pressure was nice and high, easily piercing my fur to clean the skin beneath. Standing beneath the showerhead in the steaming room, I felt the tension in my muscles slip away. A nice buzz from my earlier drinks masked any exhaustion I should have felt. Warmth blossomed up from my gut, spreading to the tips of my ears. I needed that drink, after the terror of what I'd seen. A shudder ran through my body as I remembered lifeless eyes and mangled corpses. How the dying pleaded for mercy brought a few tears to my eyes, invisible amidst the running water of the shower.
Sniffing, I wiped my eyes and turned off the water. Gently pulling open the curtains, I stepped outside of Martin's shower-tub combo and reached for the towel hanging on the rack.
"Ugh." I groaned as I worked feverishly to rid my pelt of every last drop. My luck had to end somewhere. I was fortunate Martin kept a spotless bathroom, but he lacked a fur-blower. Those things were a godsend. Just stand in front of one for a minute or so, and the scorching winds would whisk away all the moisture on your body. Oh how I'd taken that modern convenience for granted. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had to dry off the old-fashioned way.
Still a little damp nearly ten minutes later, I decided enough was enough and ditched the towel. Standing in the bathroom stark naked, I moved for the clothes I'd set on the toilet seat. When I'd first seen them, I was incensed. How dare Talon get me carrot-printed undies!? How the hell did that wolf even find them? I was a hare for god's sake. Arctic hares like myself didn't share our rabbit cousins' insipid obsession with the root vegetable. Giving an indignant little huff, I slipped into the carroty underwear and put on a pink shirt (It sported a cartoony bunny graphic) and grey sweatpants.
Giving myself one last shake like a canine, I opened the door and turned off the lights. Meandering down the hallway in the dark, I found my door and pushed. It swung forward silently. Eyeing the bed affectionately, I felt the familiar ache of tiredness in my limbs. Walking into my temporary room without turning on the lights, I sauntered over to the window and looked out over Happytown. Plenty of predators had great night vision, so there were hardly any active streetlights. I should have counted myself lucky that one of said streetlights was perched right beside my window, or I'd be fumbling around in the dark.
Tiring of watching mammals mill about in the night, I decided to head to bed. Sitting on the bed beside the end table, I reached for the alarm and tuned it to ring at six in the morning. The earlier I head into headquarters the better. I didn't leave home on good terms with mom and dad, but at the very least, I felt guilty keeping them in the dark about my condition.
Laying my head down on the comfortable pillow, I grabbed the soft blanket and formed a nest of cloth around myself. Curling in on my nest, I closed my eyes when satisfied and tried to fall into a slumber. Half an hour passed and still I was yet to fall asleep. Groaning, I kicked off the too-hot blanket and stared up at the ceiling. Shapes filled the edges of my vision in the dim light. I couldn't get to sleep and it was pissing me off. Blowing a sigh, I chalked it up to nerves and forced my eyes shut. In the dark behind my eyelids I saw a deluge of torn limbs. Gasping, I shot upright and felt a cold chill run down my spine. This was going to be a long night…
Ring! Ring!
My alarm went off, singing a cacophony that woke me from restless slumber.
"Shut up." I groaned, pawing at the annoying thing from under my make-shift nest. I kept missing the button to quiet the damnable machine. "Fucking… Off!" I groused, slamming my fist down on the alarm clock. It bounced and clattered down to the floor, but thankfully, it turned off. "Just five more minutes…" I whispered to no one in particular, burying myself in the comforting warmth of my blanket. It felt so good to just lay here, all warm and safe in bed. I didn't ever want to leave. So I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.
Hours later, Martin's frustrated voice woke me.
"God almighty damn this fucking leg!" He screeched from where I guessed was the living room. A few seconds of quiet ticked by before he yelped in pain. "Oh Jesus it throbs!" Sighing, I rolled my eyes and decided it was time to get up. In my exhausted state from getting to sleep so late, I'd disregarded my alarm. It was probably way later than I was comfortable with, and I had something rather important to accomplish today.
Stretching my stiff muscles, I yawned and hopped up out of bed. Walking over to my new suitcase, I looked for even mildly non-humiliating clothes and decided on a green blouse and blue jeans. Slipping out of my pyjamas, I threw on the clothes and added a blue sweater to complete the ensemble. Thank god Talon's sense of humor only went so far as to supply me with carrot themed underwear and a few embarrassing graphic tees. Folding my pyjamas, I set them aside for later and headed out into the hallway.
I found Martin on the couch, staring at the television as he cupped a bottle of vodka in his lap. He looked drunk out of his mind. I frowned at this irresponsibility.
"Drinking this early isn't going to do you any favors." I advised, sauntering over to the kitchen. Martin scowled in his drunken state and swayed back and forth, nearly unable to balance himself. He let his back rest against the cushion and cast me a glare.
"Do you have any pain killers?" He barked. "No? Then shut up." He nursed the bottle of vodka, taking a few sips. "Just let me have this…" He muttered. I rolled my eyes, but decided to let it go. Opening the refrigerator, I looked inside for a bite to eat before heading out. Spotting about a half carton of soymilk, I grabbed it and set it on the table. Closing the door gently, I went off and searched through his cupboards. After a few moments of opening up dishes and glasses, I finally found his dry goods. Taking a box of Cricket Crunchies, I filled up a bowl and poured in the soymilk I left on the table. Rooting around in his drawers for a spoon, I found one and sat down to enjoy a morning meal. Getting myself a spoonful, I shoved it in my mouth and crunched down on the cereal. I frowned at the taste. Stale. Shaking my head, I wolfed down my food and set down my dirty dish in the sink. I'll wash it later.
"I'm heading out." I called to Martin as I made my way to the door. "I'll be back soon. Don't strain yourself." He just grunted in response, drinking from the bottle he cradled.
"Don't get yourself killed." I heard him murmur, but only just.
Happytown had seen better days. All the buildings I passed by were worn down and appeared to have been abandoned for half a decade. Paint was beyond peeled and faded, almost nonexistent. Some buildings had actually crumbled, leaving ruins in the middle of neighborhoods. A relic from Bloody Monday; the Zootopian incursion that cost hundreds of innocent lives. I fumed silently as I remembered studying the fiasco for my assignment here. Mostly civilians were felled in the battle. Men, women and children cut down before a well-oiled machine of an army. The talons had been in their infancy, not yet having secured their borders. Zootopian troops just waltzed in, claiming any and all Predators they came across were terrorists for refusing the collar. That was five years ago.
Headquarters was only a twenty minute walk from Martin's residence. I was walking through the sliding doors of what used to be a market in a jiffy. The place was bustling with activity. Mammals carried supplies to their designated location, offered training in various trades and provided counseling to distraught mammals. Among the crowd, I spotted a familiar figure. Director Mosenhauz. The moose's antlers rose above the heads of other mammals, making him quite the visible figure.
"Director Mosenhauz!" I called as I ducked and weaved through the crowd. One of his ears twitched. Coming up to him, I beamed a smile as he turned to look down at me. The relief in his eyes was palpable.
"Oh thank god." He breathed. "After you failed to check in yesterday, I feared you were dead." I felt a twinge of guilt.
"Yes sir, I should have checked in yesterday, but after the day I had, I felt it was best to settle in as quickly as possible." He huffed.
"I'd heard rumors of a hare taking care of the wounded, but I didn't think… You are quite the brave young lass, you know?" I soaked up his praise.
"Thank you sir." I beamed. Instantly his features turned stern.
"There is one last thing I need to speak to you about, before you're assigned duties." I gulped.
"What would that be?" I asked. Mosenhauz' stern look melted away into one of guilt.
"Your parents left me quite a few messages. I'd appreciate it if you called them back." Director Mosenhauz reached into his pocket and retrieved a smartphone that for mammals my size, resembled a tablet. "Here." He handed me the phone. I took it into both paws. "You can use my office for some privacy. Good luck. I can only imagine that they're deeply worried about their kit." I nodded, feeling tension building up in my gut.
Ring! Ring!
The line rung. Setting down Director Mosenhauz' phone on his desk, I stood in his chair. Resting my elbows on the desk, I waited for my parents to pick up. I could only imagine them scrambling once they saw who was calling.
"Yes Director?" My father panted. "Do you have any news of our little girl?" His voice was wracked with anxiety. Biting my lip, I looked down at the phone and smiled.
"Hey dad."
"Oh my little girl!" I could practically hear him tearing up as his breath hitched. "We were so worried. After news that your convoy was attacked, we thought… and then you didn't call!" He was sobbing now. My lip trembled as I listened to him.
"I'm sorry dad." I apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry. I was just so tired from treating the wounded. Can you forgive me?"
"Of course I forgive you!" He nearly shouted into the phone. "And I'm the one who should be apologizing, for what I said… before you left." He continued uncomfortably. "I'm sorry if I hurt you Mary. I was just so scared and I said something SO stupid." I could hear his fist connect with his head. "So stupid! How could I have said that to my daughter? Can you forgive me, Mary?" I smiled as a few tears came to the corners of my eyes. I was elated.
"Of course I forgive you dad. You're my father and I love you." I could hear my father sigh in relief.
"Your mother and I love you very much Mary. We wish you would come home, but, you're an adult and you control your own life. We trust you. Just know that you can always come back."
"I love you too, daddy." I said as a few teardrops fell onto the desk. "I love you and mom, and I won't lie. After what happened, I'm really scared; but I know that I can do this." Determination flushed through my bloodstream as I remembered how I'd jumped into action. All those lives I'd saved. Even one was nothing short of a miracle. A steely glint entered my eye. "I can make the world a better place." Dad breathed deep.
"Okay." He exhaled softly. "I trust that you know what you're doing. My girl… braver than her old man, that's for sure." He gave a little chuckle.
"I don't know about that. You had to raise me." I teased. "Where's mom?" I investigated.
"Oh, she's at work. I have to let her know that you're okay." I nodded, even if dad couldn't see it.
"Alright. I'll let you do that. I'll stick by the phone for a few in case she calls. Bye dad."
"Bye Mary. Be careful." And he hung up. Not even thirty seconds and the phone rang again.
"Mom…" I sighed, shaking my head as I smiled.