Survivor
#1 of Survivor Series
He woke up to the sounds of birds chirping. Sunlight already beaming in through the windows. Several things went through his mind. Where was he? Why am I hungry? What time is it? What happened while I slept? When did I fall asleep? It just seemed to be normal for him as he rose up out of the bed, stretching and popping his stiff joints. He slowly made his way to the bathroom and lifted the toilet seat, relieving the call of nature. After he had finished and flushed the toilet, he looked in the mirror, seeing emerald eyes staring back at him, as well as the all familiar tiger anthromorph head with dark red hair almost covering his ears.
Sighing, he turned on the shower and stepped in. He remembered the season now. Summer, with it's hot days and humid nights. It's a wonder why he slept without clothes. Not that he didn't mind however. He felt the water spraying on himself warm up to the temperature he liked, dampening and soaking his fur down on most of his body. Most of it, at least. He rubbed his left arm, feeling his soft paw against the painful reminder of his haunting past. The doctors told him he was lucky they could save the arm, but at what cost? What cost to be alive? What cost to keep an arm that pains continuously at a dull aching throb on most days, a sharp, indescribably pain on the worst days?
The looks of disgust by other adults, the looks of fear by cubs, just to know he survived that night? He contemplated suicide many times, but he didn't have the willpower to go through with it. He always thought he knew what it felt like to be a victim, until that night. The night that he was branded with that painful reminder.
He heard the phone ring, bringing him back to the present. He shut off the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist as he picked up his cellphone, checking the ID. "Dr. Moore". He pushed the button to answer it, then held it up to his ear.
"I'm up doc. You caught me in the shower." He said softly into the phone.
"I hope you weren't thinking of me Max. You know the rules." A feminine voice said back in a professional tone. Too professional.
"What's it today? Another look at the arm?"
"No, not today, just got some news for you is all."
"Well lay it on me, I do have a job I need to get to today, and they won't take too kindly to me showing up in only a towel here."
"Funny... Alright here's the news. A doctor has been trying to come up with a new therapy for burn victims. A 'Fur Regrowth' serum if you will."
"Dr. Moore... that's not my problem right now. You know the issue I have with my... my arm."
"And that's a massive nerve surgery that you're insurance repeatedly declines on paying for. We've been over this."
He looked out his window to see a Jaguar parked outside, next to his Ford Taurus. He couldn't help but chuckle. "You know, I see you outside my apartment doc. Taking me to breakfast, lunch, or something else?"
"Ugh... You know how I am about you males."
"Yeah I know doc. You prefer to stay on the same side of the fence. A woman like you, that female is very lucky."
"Why? Because I'm so good looking I got all kinds of males melting on the spot?"
"It's your personality doc. I tell you this over and over again. What kind of doctor isn't passionate about their work?"
"And what kind of tiger gets caught up in a spill like that?"
He looked at his malformed arm, remembering that night again in his mind's eye. "You know why I was there."
"And the others? What do they have to say?"
"That I did a good job in getting the person out alive. And that I came out alive as well."
He swore he could feel her smile through the phone before he continued, "But due to the issues with my arm, I'm only good enough as a janitor at the firehouse. At best."
"Well hurry up Hero, I'm gonna take you somewhere."
"I told you, I got work to do."
"Right, when did saving lives become just another job?"
He sighed, reluctant to answer with his bitter remark. He knew Dr. Moore for two years now, ever since that night. He just hung up and got dressed in his dark brown uniform and his heavy duty boots. He grabbed his keys and headed out of his apartment, locking his door behind him before descending the steps, passing by a couple of humans who just stared at him, out of fear or shock, he couldn't tell. But he knew what they were staring at.
He stepped off at the ground level of the complex, looking at a pantheress in a very formal business suit, a suitcase in her right paw, and her golden eyes staring straight into his, and not at his arm. Very few people would look him in the eye nowadays. He walked up to her as he pocketed his keys into his right pocket, then extended his good paw.
"Care to tell me where you're taking me?"
"A trial in progress. Thought you'd be interested."
"No, I'm not interested." He said with finality before brushing past her to get to his car.
"Not even your insurance company on trial for denying funds to people who didn't have prior conditions before signing up with them?" She said resoundedly as she turned to look at his back.
"That's probably some lawfirm suing the hell out of em."
"No, full blown trial. They broke the law by denying their customers the funds they needed when they were in painful and life-threatening situations. You're name came up on it too Max. You had no prior conditions before signing up with them, no family or medical history of anything that isn't too common these days."
He turned to her, finality set in his eyes. "I want nothing to do with that. No matter what is said at the trial or who's there, it won't make a difference. Best case scenario they actually get shut down and they won't be able to open up another legit business again, leaving those that are on their coverage to end up finding another insurance company. Worst case, they get off with nothing but a verbal warning and a slap on the wrist."
"Not even when you're whole department is there? I was the one who brought your name up and handed the judge your current file. It was because of you that the company was being charged with withholding of funds. Besides, for a company that seems so legit, they have been doing some very illegit work. I thought you'd be interested in watching the company that spat in your face crumble before a supreme court."
"What have they been doing in the dark Doctor? Drugs? Gangs? Dog Fights? What?!" He looked at her and spat out, obviously getting irritated.
She just stared straight at him before pulled out a simple folder, a document, and held it out for him. He gently took it and opened it, reading through it quickly. When he finished, he looked up at the panther with shock in his eyes. Her golden orbs glinted with victory, before restating what was on that paper with a bit of a toothy grin, "They set that chemical fire that burnt your arm and killed several of your firefighter brothers, as well as an estimated fifty citizens, human and anthro. They are being charged with withholding of funds AND homicide."