- Are you sick? -
asks the reptile in the company canteen.
- It's just a cold. -
Answers the wolf from the other end of the call.
- So? -
- . . . can you bring me some medicine? Please. -
- Yes, I'll come when I get off work. -
- How bad is it? -
Webs asks across the table after his friend hangs up the call.
- I'm sure it's recorded to ask for my help, but he won't admit it. -
Snake replied after swallowing his phone.
- The poor bastard had the bad luck to get sick when all his friends on the floor are busy. -
- What about his job? -
- He should have asked for the day off. -
Solve the one in yellow without giving the matter too much thought.
- Send him my regards and tell him I couldn't visit him. -
He points to his open laptop, with the source code that was full of errors.
It was written by a new employee as part of a new employee training program.
As the one in charge of teaching them, she must correct them by today.
- Okay. I'll say it's from you and Shark. -
Skipping lunch breaks was almost the norm in the Sales Department.
Shark right now must be on that grueling journey he makes every month, walking endlessly from one business partner to the next until his legs cramp up to meet the quota.
Even after all that grueling work, sometimes he couldn't get a new contract.
.
.
.
Snake took a detour off the main road, going into side streets and alleys to reach the slums.
When he reached the door, he first made sure it was the right address.
A small, coal-blackened one-story house that had been built more than a century ago.
In those days planning was not done very conscientiously.
Places like these are notorious for being airtight, not watertight, poorly lit, and not suitable for housing some species.
They don't compare one bit to the historic preservations of the city.
Ring the doorbell that looked like it was going to fall off.
A low, tired voice carried from beyond the door, and hearing it, he felt uneasy and waited at the entrance.
The door suddenly opened to reveal a wolf with tousled hair and wearing a face cover.
It's dark, and the dim light escaping from the door revealed swirling dust particles.
Wolf opened his mouth to speak, his chest suddenly rose in a suffocating cough, and he used a wet handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose.
He hyperventilated and leaned against the door.
His brows furrowed as sweat began to trickle down his forehead, sliding down the side of his sickly face to his chin.
- To Bed. Now. -
Snake ordered pushing him in and slamming the door shut.
Which made the white paint come loose from the ceiling and mix with the dust to fall down and cover them both.
- It's a pigsty. -
He declared as he looked at the building from the inside.
It was in need of repairs, and the air was polluted with lingering traces of smog.
A fresh coat of lime plaster covered the walls, but it had been applied haphazardly, and old water stains peeked through the white paint.
They had a cretonne sofa and an old wooden coffee table adorning the otherwise empty but tidy living room.
The floor was covered with a thick mat of something sticky, with a sinking softness.
- I'm surprised they were able to stay healthy. -
- The important thing is to have a roof over your head. -
Defends the canine being followed to his room which he shares with Piranha.
Compared to the rest, the room is a bit cleaner.
The bedroom was mostly white, cramped and minimalist.
A bunk bed that looked like it came out of a reform school in white, the white curtains that were tightly closed, the equally white desk, and a closet of the same color.
- You. . . . You know that there is a torture that works by locking people in white rooms, don't you? -
The few belongings scattered around the room were the only brightly colored things in the bedroom.
- . . . I have developed migraines since I came here. -
That was his answer before he went back to bed.
- Here is what you asked for. -
The reptile approached with a plastic bag with the logo of a supermarket and handed it to him.
- Thank you, on the desk I left the money for... -
He was surprised to see that there was more than just medicine.
- What about this? -
The wolf smiles suspecting what happened but feigns ignorance.
- The syrup is from Webs, the tea bags are from Shark and the honey bottle is from me. -
- Thank you. -
He looked at the snake with a smile on his face.
The one in yellow remained silent and left the room.
The brown raised an eyebrow, pricked up his ears as he heard noises on the other side of the wall.
Snake returned with a bowl full of cold water, and personally, and inexpressively, helped apply a cold compress to Wolf's boiling forehead.
- Sweetheart -
He hums with a smile.
- Shut up. Is there anything you can eat in here? -
- Piranha left some noodle soup in the freezer for me. -
- I'll go get it, please don't die on my way back. -
- I'm much better now that you're here. -
Minutes later.
Wolf sweats all over.
The breaths he exhaled burned.
Snake jumped in the direction of the medicines.
Then he filled a cup of cold water with ice.
He went to support the wolf and cradled him gently in his rings to lift his head.
- Wolf, Wolf, have some. -
The named one's eyes were dazed.
He could only let it lean against his body as he helped it take the water and medication.
- Try to get some sleep. -
The wolf felt suffocated by the heat, but Snake's body was cool and pleasant, so he grabbed him and moved closer to him while catching him in a hug.
Snake suddenly felt tickled by the situation.
It almost wanted to reach out its tail and rub his head.
But after a second look at that unconscious face, he decided against it.
- . . . Just this once. -
mutters the reptile reluctantly.
She put her coils around his waist, and helped him lie down.
The warmth he felt made him worry.
His forehead, face and body is soaked with sweat.
With the cold compress he wiped his face, arms and legs, in an attempt to regulate his temperature.
He looked at the clock on the desk, it was already late, but it was not the right time to leave.
The person before his eyes urgently needed some rest.
And he's a night owl anyway.
He shrank into the wolf's embrace to share his natural chill. (And try to avoid enjoying the feeling of warmth.)
After a while, Snake felt the wolf's breathing and temperature become regular again, the relief he felt gradually making him drowsy.
Snake didn't know how long he slept before waking up startled.
- Good night. -
Greetings Joy along with Rhonda.
- Did they finish the project? Wolf said they would be working all night. -
Studying chemical engineering can't be easy.
- Rhonda is very worried. -
She looks at her best friend with a raised eyebrow.
She's telling the truth.
But it wasn't the little canine who nearly blew up the lab because she felt uneasy about leaving her friend alone.
- Thank you for taking care of him. -
Continues the raven.
- This guy has a weakness in the heat, with the heat wave and his fan breaking down, it was only a matter of time before he got sick. -
- How many times has he been sick with the same thing? -
The reptile squints his eyes.
- This is the third time since we've known him. -
Snake sits with a frozen face when he hears those words.
In a sudden movement he releases his coils, causing the wolf to turn and crash into the wall.
He first looked at the wolf and saw that it was still sound asleep.
Then he raised his head and said coldly.
- I'm going home. -