A Prey Among Predators

An olive-green hospital curtain hangs. A hand slips out from its edge and pushes it aside, revealing Nolan on the other side. His left hand holds a small bouquet of orange flowers. His right hand hangs down, bandaged with a gauze.

He looks ahead. “Carter?”

On the other side of the room, by the window radiating the morning sunlight is a hospital bed. Laying on it is Carter, who shifts under the blanket to face him.

A smile cracks on his face. “Patty...hey…!”

Nolan steps up to him and sits on a plastic chair next to his bed. “Hey.” He then places the bouquet on the small table between him and the bed. “For you.”

Keeping his head on the pillow, Carter eyes the vibrant flowers. “Aw, thanks… They’re nice…!”

Nolan then dips his head, his healthy hand picking at the gauze around his other arm.

Carter looks at him before averting his eyes.

Nolan peeks up at him. “Your arm’s doing fine?”

Carter turns to him. “Yeah. Just needed a couple of stitches. But it’s good.”

He nods.

Carter then flicks his eyes down. Nolan casts his eyes to aside.

“Thanks for saving me.”

Nolan turns back to him, spotting Carter peeking at him. “Well...you are my friend.”

Carter gives him a closed smile.

He sighs, subtle distress coming onto his face. “It was hard though...seeing you...like that…”

Carter’s smile fades. “Was I really that bad?”

He nods, wide eyed.

Carter casts his eyes down, filled with guilt. “Aw, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault…” He turns his eyes up to him. “Is it?”

Carter sighs and pushes himself up to a slight sitting position. “It’s my fault for letting myself go out of hand. I shouldn’t have lost control at the aquarium.”

“But you as a feral...that-that wasn’t your fault.”

Carter knits his eyebrows. “No...I-I mean, I could’ve tried to stop ‘em or hold down my emotions but…” He dips his head. “I was already slipping out with all that was happening. They knew what they were doing.”

“But why? Why did they make you feral?”

Carter shakes his head. “I don’t know. I was only in my right mind for just like not even ten minutes with them. They didn’t say why because what would be the point if I was just going to forget about it as a feral?”

“How did they even get you?”

Carter grimances. “They, uh...busted me out of jail.”

Nolan gapes at him. “No way.”

“Yeah. Pheromones.”

Nolan turns away. “And there were pheromones right around…” He rotates his head back to him. “...their ice rink!” He holds his forehead with his healthy hand, stunned. “How did we not catch that clue they were behind your escape—?”

“What do you mean by ‘we’—?”
Nolan straightens up. “Brett, Coach, and I were looking for you since the police searched Coach’s office for you!”

Carter gapes at him slightly. “Oh wow…” A small smile appears. “Well, you did find me.”

Nolan dips his head. “Yeah...more like I was brought over to you.”

Carter scrunches his eyebrows. “Who brought you over to the place I was at?”

He lifts head, gazing at him. “Heiskanen did. Hischier’s command. But he had a different plan than him.”

“Oh…” Carter frowns, looking down. “So Miro is actually...good?”

Nolan’s eyes light up. “Yeah! He let him out the cage...and encouraged me to speak with you. He even protected me from you…” His voice fades as fear crawls onto his face; he leans away.

Carter has sad eyes on him. “I’m so sorry…,” he croaks. “I told you I wouldn’t hurt you…”

Nolan shakes his head. “It did hurt, but I understand. It’s not your fault. You were forced and had no control.”

Carter pushes up a crumbled smile.

Nolan then throws himself at him, pulling him into an embrace. Carter reaches out his two hands around him, only to have his injured hand yanked back to the side of the bed.

“Ugh!”

Nolan perks his head away. “What?”

Carter looks down at his injured hand; Nolan does as well. A pair of handcuffs hold the stitched arm to the side of the hospital bed.

“I guess I’m still under arrest for stealing fish…,” Carter squeaks out.

“Oh yeah…” Nolan slips off of him and sits back down. “So you did steal the fish?”

Carter shakes his head. “No, I didn’t. I just hung out at the aquarium and right before I was about to leave, the penginmimis just led me to the docking station and started accusing me.”

“So who did it?”

He shakes his head with pursed lips. “I have no idea. Maybe the penginmimis set me up or something…”

“Coach is good.” Nolan catches his confused expression. “He guessed you were framed.”

Carter raises his eyebrows. “Hah, yeah, I was.”

“Hopefully, the police will get to the bottom of these two cases though.”

“Yes. And realize that I’m innocent.”

The clanking of the curtain being drawn sounds from the other side of the room. Carter gazes ahead as Nolan peers behind his shoulder.

Clayton stands next to the pushed curtain with a bag of salmon jerky in his hand. A serious expression sits on his face.

“Knock, knock, knock.” He then welcomes himself in.

Carter gives him a small grin, following him with his eyes. “Hey, Coach…!”

Nolan looks up at him as he halts next to him. “Hi!”

Clayton rotates his head between the two of them. “I’d never have guessed I would be visiting two of my teammates at the hospital at the same time.” He places the bag of salmon jerky next to the bouquet of flowers.

Carter shoots him a bewildered look. “Wait, who else is here?”

Clayton straightens up. “Howdy. Those Fury members roughed him up a bit.”

Nolan shoots his hands to his mouth; his ears pin back. “Oh no!”

“He’ll be fine though.” The coach shoves his hands into his pants’ pockets. “He’s a trooper.”

Nolan drops his hands. “Coach…”

Clayton snaps his eyes to him.

“I’m so sorry that I didn’t make it to the game…”

He shakes his head. “Count yourself lucky, rabbit. The game’s postponed.”

Carter gapes at him. “Really?”

He turns to him. “With at least three team members from each team out in a short notice, it was bound to.”

“So when’s the game gonna be?” Nolan asks him, his ears rising in attentiveness.

He looks down at him. “Date’s not set; we’ll see.” He then reaches over Nolan and pats the bag of salmon jerky. “There’s a snack for you, bear. Hang in there, rabbit.” He turns around. “I’ll notify you all when practice will happen.” He then strolls toward the exit of the room, his bushy tail bobbing to his motions.

Carter gazes at him. “Oh, thanks, Coach!”

Nolan peers behind his shoulder and gives him a small wave. “Bye!”

Clayton draws the curtains behind him, vanishing from their sight.

Nolan turns back to Carter. “Wow! We did get lucky!”

Carter chuckles, grabbing the bag of salmon jerky and opening it. “Yeah! Hopefully I’ll be all healed up and free from charges by the time the game comes around.” He shoves his hand into the bag, grabs a handful, and stuffs it in his mouth.

“That would be great— We need you, number one goalie.”

Carter stops his chewing to smile with stuffed cheeks.

Notes