you've dealt out so far!"
"There's an old Chinese curse that goes: 'May you live an interesting life'. Well, it definitely applies to me. Never a dull moment.
"You know I had a good time today, actually I've had a good time the last five. Thanks for everything, okay?"
"Hey, you paid for it," She grinned across the pillow.
"Still, you didn't have too. I appreciate it, I've been so cooped up these last years that I've begun to lose touch with the real world. I've been living in a combination fantasy and nightmare."
"Oh, and I changed that?" she laughed.
"This whole trip has changed that," I said quietly, "and you most definitely helped." I reached over then and pulled her close.
Later that night I lay awake and thought about my life. I came to a few startling conclusions, ones that I wasn't too happy with either. Taking the time to reflect had shown me that I didn't much care for the image in the mirror. My friends were right, I was getting out of control. But in my line of work, what else could I do? I lived in an artificial environment, and I don't just mean the pressurized underground 'palace' they stuck me in. The job I did, the people who surrounded me, the things they told me. Rieselle had been trying to show me that last time, now Shotoon and Azelett were trying as well. Maybe they really were my friends, maybe I should listen more to what they said. Maybe I should tell them the truth.
I slept very poorly that night.
The next morning we went out to the showers as usual, got breakfast, then I led her off to the bank. I had made sure we were both well dressed that day, and when I came back into the lobby I was carrying a briefcase.
"What's in there?" She asked as we left the bank.
"Uh, uh, uh!" I chided, "No peeking!" Then I got a taxi and I handed him our destination on a piece of paper.
I could see that Sil was dying of curiosity, literally trying to climb out of her skin. When we stopped she looked out the window and caught her breath.
"That's the med school!" She gasped.
"Right, come on."
"But I can't ..." she started.
"Sure you can," I replied and dragged her out by the wrist. I headed up to admissions and walked up to the secretary at the desk. He was a fairly young squirrel, and looked up startled at my request.
"But you can't see the director of admissions sir!" He protested, you don't have an appointment!"
"Jo, maybe we better leave," Sil whispered in my ear.
"Hush," I told her quietly. Then I turned back to the Squirrel, "Excuse me a moment," and I put the brief case on the desk and opened it a crack. I took out a bill and handed it to him. He looked at it and his eyes widened.
"You were saying?" I asked politely
"It's the door at the end of the hallway." he gasped quietly staring at the bill.
"Thank you," I smiled and gathered up Sil and my briefcase.
"What'd you give him?" She said petrified, "A twenty?"
"Hell no," I laughed. "A hundred!"
"What!" She gasped again.
I have to admit I was enjoying this terribly. I always liked shocking the hell out of people, and I wasn't even having to hurt anyone.
"Don't worry, just let me do all the talking. You said you were already accepted, so this should be easy." I reached the door and knocked.
"Come in," came from inside. We entered.
"Hello, I'm the director of admissions here. What is so important that you must see me personally?" She asked impatiently. She was an older Human, and no doubt didn't care to waste time dealing with Animen personally.
"I'm sorry mamm, I'll make this quick, I can see that your time is valuable." I started off smoothly. "I wish to enroll this Fox in your medical program. Full payment up front, including food, lodging and all incidentals that a student would face."
"I'm sorry, but we only take students who have completed our acceptance procedure," she stated flatly.
I motioned to Sil for her ID bracelet. "If you check this against your computer you will find that my fellow employee has passed your requirements and
"There's an old Chinese curse that goes: 'May you live an interesting life'. Well, it definitely applies to me. Never a dull moment.
"You know I had a good time today, actually I've had a good time the last five. Thanks for everything, okay?"
"Hey, you paid for it," She grinned across the pillow.
"Still, you didn't have too. I appreciate it, I've been so cooped up these last years that I've begun to lose touch with the real world. I've been living in a combination fantasy and nightmare."
"Oh, and I changed that?" she laughed.
"This whole trip has changed that," I said quietly, "and you most definitely helped." I reached over then and pulled her close.
Later that night I lay awake and thought about my life. I came to a few startling conclusions, ones that I wasn't too happy with either. Taking the time to reflect had shown me that I didn't much care for the image in the mirror. My friends were right, I was getting out of control. But in my line of work, what else could I do? I lived in an artificial environment, and I don't just mean the pressurized underground 'palace' they stuck me in. The job I did, the people who surrounded me, the things they told me. Rieselle had been trying to show me that last time, now Shotoon and Azelett were trying as well. Maybe they really were my friends, maybe I should listen more to what they said. Maybe I should tell them the truth.
I slept very poorly that night.
The next morning we went out to the showers as usual, got breakfast, then I led her off to the bank. I had made sure we were both well dressed that day, and when I came back into the lobby I was carrying a briefcase.
"What's in there?" She asked as we left the bank.
"Uh, uh, uh!" I chided, "No peeking!" Then I got a taxi and I handed him our destination on a piece of paper.
I could see that Sil was dying of curiosity, literally trying to climb out of her skin. When we stopped she looked out the window and caught her breath.
"That's the med school!" She gasped.
"Right, come on."
"But I can't ..." she started.
"Sure you can," I replied and dragged her out by the wrist. I headed up to admissions and walked up to the secretary at the desk. He was a fairly young squirrel, and looked up startled at my request.
"But you can't see the director of admissions sir!" He protested, you don't have an appointment!"
"Jo, maybe we better leave," Sil whispered in my ear.
"Hush," I told her quietly. Then I turned back to the Squirrel, "Excuse me a moment," and I put the brief case on the desk and opened it a crack. I took out a bill and handed it to him. He looked at it and his eyes widened.
"You were saying?" I asked politely
"It's the door at the end of the hallway." he gasped quietly staring at the bill.
"Thank you," I smiled and gathered up Sil and my briefcase.
"What'd you give him?" She said petrified, "A twenty?"
"Hell no," I laughed. "A hundred!"
"What!" She gasped again.
I have to admit I was enjoying this terribly. I always liked shocking the hell out of people, and I wasn't even having to hurt anyone.
"Don't worry, just let me do all the talking. You said you were already accepted, so this should be easy." I reached the door and knocked.
"Come in," came from inside. We entered.
"Hello, I'm the director of admissions here. What is so important that you must see me personally?" She asked impatiently. She was an older Human, and no doubt didn't care to waste time dealing with Animen personally.
"I'm sorry mamm, I'll make this quick, I can see that your time is valuable." I started off smoothly. "I wish to enroll this Fox in your medical program. Full payment up front, including food, lodging and all incidentals that a student would face."
"I'm sorry, but we only take students who have completed our acceptance procedure," she stated flatly.
I motioned to Sil for her ID bracelet. "If you check this against your computer you will find that my fellow employee has passed your requirements and
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