FSE

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Derrick sat across from Ryudo, both of their eyes glued onto the table. Nobody said a word as they both sat there. Soon, Ryudo smiled before moving his hand to the table.

“Checkmate,” Ryudo said.

Derrick did a double take before groaning.

“You gotta be kidding me. I thought I had the perfect defense.”

“You did. But you left a slight opening with your rook.”

Derrick rubbed his eyes before sighing.

“So much for all that planning.”

“You had me a couple of times D. For a while I was worried.”

The intercom on Ryudo’s desk chimed to life.

“Dr. Peterson, you are needed in surgery.”

Ryudo hit the speaker button before replying.

“I’ll be right there Nancy.”

Ryudo got up with a stretch before looking at Derrick.

“We’ll try again some other time,” he said grabbing his doctor coat and heading out the door.

Derrick nodded before standing up himself and taking another look at the chess board. He saw where he went wrong and sighed, not believing the move he made as the loud speaker went off.

“Dr. Thomas, please report to ICU.”

Derrick left Ryudo’s office and headed to the second floor where the ICU was located. He walked up to the nurses desk where a lady was waiting for him.

“Whats up?” Derrick said.

“Dr. Thomas, we have a small saint bernard cub that isn’t doing so good. Could you take a look?”

“Certainly.”

The lady lead him to a room where two hybrids and a teenager was. The cub was laying down in the bed, the computer showing his vital signs spiking then returning to normal at an irrelevant pace.

“Can you find out what’s wrong with my son?” the male hybrid said.

Derrick walked up to the cub to see his eyes closed, chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Hey little guy, can you hear me?”

The cub opened his yellow eyes before closing them again and letting out a yelp.

“My eyes hurt. I can’t keep them open.”

Derrick grabbed a pair of gloves before rolling the stool over and taking a seat.

“How long has this been happening?”

“A couple of days now,” the teenager said. “Ever since we got back from the beach.”

“Hmm, the beach huh? Did he happen to eat any sand while he was there?”

“Probably. He likes to build sand castles and be buried in it.”

Derrick smiled before getting up and heading to the cabinet. Reaching in, he grabbed a retinoscope before coming back.

“What’s your son’s name?”

“Tyson.”

“Tyson, I’m going to open one of your eyes to take a look. I know it’s going to hurt, but I just need to take a peek for a minute or two okay?”

“Okay,” Tyson whined.

Derrick reached over and slowly opened one of his eyes and took a look through the instrument, smiling at what he saw.

“Hello there.”

“What’s wrong with him doctor?”

“He has worms in his eyes.”

The male hybrid and the teenager looked at each other in confusion.

“But how?”

“Many people go to the bathroom on the beach at night when nobody’s looking. Little Tyson here must’ve eaten some of the infected sand,” Derrick said standing up.

“Tyson, what were you thinking?” his father said.

“I’m sorry daddy,” Tyson said softly.

Derrick smiled before grabbing Tyson’s clipboard and writing something down.

“Here nurse, laser photocoagulation to fix the eyes and a high dose of benzimidazole should kill the worms and he’ll be right as rain.”

“Thank you doctor,” the teen said.

“Not a problem.”

Derrick exited the room before looking at his watch. It was close to the end of his shift as he smiled. He couldn’t wait to get back home and lay down. It was a long day. He headed to his office, taking off his coat and hanging it up. Grabbing his keys from the desk, he walked out his office locking the door.

“Have a good night Dr. Thomas,” the nurses said to him.

“Have a good night ladies. If you need me call.”

Derrick left through the sliding doors into the evening night sky. The setting sun was a brilliant orange while the clouds around it was a vibrant red. Taking a deep breath, he headed for his car and got in. Starting it up, he let it idle for a bit before heading home. Stopping at a light, he took a look to his left to see a store. A smile crossed his lips before he pulled into the parking lot, coming out ten minutes later with a bag.

“She’ll love this.”

He got back into the car and headed for home. It’s been a month since the incident with the hospital. All the things he did to the hybrids, he couldn’t get out of his mind. It haunted him, even while he slept. He went to a shrink, talking about all the things he did. The shrink laughed at him, asking what the problem was. So after promptly suckering punching the man, he left the building feeling some what happy. He pulled into the driveway with a laugh remembering that event. His home was a modest one, simple one story brick house with a tile roof. A medium sized weeping willow tree was in the front surrounded by beautiful flowers that Blake’s dad did for him. The living room light was on as he turned off the engine and got out of the car.

“Hey Donna, I’m home,” Derrick said walking inside.

“Welcome back master,” Donna said, poking her head out of the kitchen. “I was just about to start dinner, so grab a shower and relax.”

“I told you about calling me that,” Derrick said with a chuckle. “Do you think you can do it?”

“Sorry. Old habits die hard. Of course I can. I want to be useful to you for once instead of dead weight.”

Derrick frowned at that before walking over and looking at her.

“Hey, don’t ever talk like that in front of me. You are not back at Boeing.”

Donna folded her ears and looked down before feeling her chin being lifted up softly.

“You are Donna. You are not dead weight, or anything else these stupid people say. You are who you are, and don’t ever change that.”

Donna smiled at that before licking his nose making him chuckle.

“Go take your shower.”

Derrick smiled before walking down the hall to his bedroom. He plopped down on the bed and let out a sigh as he took off his shoes, wiggling his toes. He took a look at the wall, seeing all the licenses he worked hard to get. But there was one piece of paper that he focused on that made him smile as he got up to look at it. On the paper, it read:

“This paper hereby states that the collie hybrid named Donna, is now the official property of Derrick Eugene Thomas. Should he fail to keep the hybrid up to state inspection or breaks the rules, the hybrid will be taken back to the farm it was bought from and the owner taken to jail and held on charges.”

He smiled remembering how happy Donna was. Just looking into those lavender eyes made him feel special inside. His thoughts were interrupted when he smelt smoke as the smoke detector went off. Hurrying down the hall, he saw Donna tossing a pot into the sink and throwing water into it.

“What happened?”

“I burnt our dinner. I’m sorry master,” Donna said, ears bent and tail tucked between her legs.

Derrick smiled before pulling Donna into his chest as she whined softly.

“You’re not hurt are you?”

“No,” she said, eyes closed and hating that she couldn’t do anything right. Derrick was the one who always did the cooking for them, but she wanted to try once. “You’re not mad are you?”

“Why would I be? I burnt so many of my parents pots when I learned how to cook. How about we just order out tonight?”

“Beef and broccoli sounds good right about now,” Donna said with smile.

“Chinese it is. Want to place the order while I clean up?”

Donna nodded her head before tossing the pot into the trash and picking up the phone. Derrick walked back down the hall to his room, grabbing a pair of boxer briefs before heading to the bathroom. Turning on the water, he waited til it got warm before jumping in. Grabbing the wash brush, he applied some body wash before scrubbing down. Getting nice and clean, he turned the water off and hopped onto the towel before drying off.

“Man I needed that,” Derrick said with a sigh.

He walked into his bedroom, grabbing his night clothes and putting them on in time to hear the doorbell ring. Grabbing his wallet, he pulled out some money and answered the door to see a young man with a pair of headphones on his head and a plastic bag in his hand.

“You ordered the D-11, Beef and brocolli and the D-16 Spicy orange chicken. Here you go, total is 18.50.”

“Here’s a twenty, keep the change.”

“Thanks man. Have a good one.”

Derrick walked into the living room where the table was as Donna came back with ice tea for them both. He handed her order as they both sat down and started to eat. He could hear her tail wagging happily as he smiled. Then, he remembered the gift he got her as he got up to get it.

“I got you a little something on the way back home.”

Her ears perked forward as she watched him hand her a small box wrapped up She took it and started to unwrap it, a hint of a little pup coming out. Opening the box, her eyes went wide at what was inside.

“Is….this for me?” Donna asked in surprise.

“Of course. It’s been a month since we’ve been together and I figured I get you something to celebrate.”

She reached in and pulled out a small gold bracelet with a silver dog bone pendant.

“Derrick…...this is…..this….is..”

She started to tear up, receiving the first gift of her life. Derrick got up and knelt besides her. She lunged into his chest, whining happily with tears in her eyes. All Derrick did was smile and slowly run his hand up and down her back. Once she composed herself, she gave him a lick on the nose, blushing.

“I take it you like it?”

“I love it. Thank you so much Derrick.”

He smiled before gently taking the bracelet and wrapping it around her wrist. She shivered lightly feeling the cool metal around her fur.

“It looks beautiful on you,” Derrick smiled before taking a seat and picking up his fork.

Donna sat there, admiring the gift before starting to eat again. Once they were finished, Donna cleaned up as Derrick sat on the couch, watching a little tv. Once clean up was done, she joined him on the couch, laying her head on his shoulder with a content murr.

“Thank you Derrick. I don’t know how I can repay you for this, but I will try.”

“Seeing you happy, is the only thing that matters to me.”

Donna smiled as she closed her eyes, taking in Derrick’s scent which made her feel at ease. Soon, she fell into a peaceful slumber. Derrick hugged her softly, not wanting to wake her up causing her to sigh happily. Slowly, he picked her up and carried her to her room. Her room was simple, a king size bed, dresser with a mirror and blue curtains that matched the paint. She didn’t want much in her room, just the simple things. He laid her gently on the bed, getting a soft moan as she hugged the pillow.

“Have a good night Donna.”

He walked into the living room, turning off the light and tv before heading to his room. Getting into the bed, he let out a sigh, feeling the A/C kick on making the house more comfortable as he passed out.

////////

“Dr. Thomas, please report to the conference room.”

Derrick looked up, a little confused before bringing his attention back to what he was doing. He looked through the large magnifying glass with the light as he continued stitching up the wound. The greyhound looked on as his leg got stitched up.

“Will I be able to work anytime soon?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t recommend it. You cut your leg pretty deep. Any kind of hard labor will tear the stitches out which will cause you to probably lose a lot of blood.”

The hybrid let out a small whine as Derrick used a pair of scissors to clip the thread. Turning the light off, he stood up and placed all the tools on the counter before taking off his gloves. A knock was heard as a slim lady walked in.

“How’s the leg doctor?” she asked. “Will Rupert be able to work?”

“I wouldn’t recommend it. If he cut his leg any deeper, I would be using staples instead of thread. He’s lucky cause a few inches to the left and he would’ve cut his artery.”

“How long are we talking about for recovery?”

“At least four weeks until the muscle heals.”

The lady looked at Rupert who lowered his ears and whined softly. Derrick looked at her, then Rupert.

“Man, you are useless. I should’ve gotten the doberman.”

“I’m sorry mistress.”

“Ms Kline, with all due respect this is half your fault.”

She looked at Derrick in a tad bit of shock.

“How is this my fault?”

“You knew the ladder that he was working on was bad but you still made him go up there and clean out the gutter. Thus resulting him breaking the window in his fall and cutting his leg deep. My advice, get some better equipment or get a lawyer. Cause if he comes in here again, I will press charges. Have a good day,” Derrick said, tossing the gloves away before leaving.

He hurried up the stairs to the third floor to the conference room where everybody was at. Opening the door, he took a seat, catching his breath before talking.

“Sorry I’m late. The stitches took longer than I thought.”

“It’s all good,” Edwards said.

“What’s this meeting about?” Philip asked.

“I received a phone call from another hospital. They need a hybrid doctor for inspections. Any volunteers?”

Everybody looked at each other before Hunt spoke up.

“Where’s the hospital at?”

“It’s located in Tacoma.”

Derrick’s eyes lit up at that. This could be a chance to see how his sister was doing.

“I’ll go,” Derrick said raising his hand.

Ryudo looked at him in surprise along with everybody else.

“That’s a first for you,” Vincent spoke up.

“I have family there. Would be a good chance to see them.”

Edwards rubbed his chin before leaning back in his chair.

“What say you boss?” Edwards said looking at Ryudo.

“If nobody else has a problem with it, I’m fine.”

“Okay then. I’ll have your ticket ready tomorrow,” Edwards said getting up along with everybody else.

Derrick smiled as he went to his office. He couldn’t wait to see his sister. He wondered how she was doing? Finishing his shift, he headed home to tell Donna. Pulling into the driveway, he saw Donna talking to the armadillo hybrid next door and laughing along with it.

“Oh, there’s my master now. Have a good one Ginger,” Donna said.

“You too Donna.”

Donna walked over and greeted Derrick with a small lick on the nose making Derrick giggle.

“How was your day master?”

“It was great. I need to talk to you about something, so let's head inside.”

Donna looked at him curiously before following him inside. Once inside, they took a seat in the living room.

“Is there something wrong Derrick?” Donna asked with a little concern.

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m going to another hospital for inspections in another city.”

“Really? Is that good?”

“Indeed. Cause the city I’m going to is where my sister lives.”

Her ears perked up at that before smiling.

“That’s great Derrick. Do you want me to stay at Ryudo’s?”

“Of course not. You’re going to come with me.”

“Really?” she asked, tail wagging happily. “Is it okay?”

“Sure it is. I’m sure my sister won’t mind.”

Donna barked happily before hugging Derrick who chuckled.

“I’m going to give her a call. She’ll be surprised to hear from me.”

“Okay. I’m going to go enjoy the weather some more on the back porch.”

Derrick watched her leave, eyes locked on her happy wagging tail. Reaching into his pocket, he took out his cell phone and unlocked it. He went into his contact list and scrolled down, stopping when he got to his sister, Rachel. Hitting the dial button, he put it up to his ear and waited. After a few rings, he hears that voice he missed.

“Well well, the famous Dr. Thomas decides to call his big sister after how many years?”

“Sorry Rach. I’ve been kinda busy lately,” Derrick said rubbing the back of his neck.

“So little brother, what can I do for you?”

“Well, I’m heading to Tacoma tomorrow to help a hospital with hybrid inspections and I was wondering-”

“If you can stay with me?”

Derrick really hated when she did that. Even when they were kids she always seemed to finish his sentences.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t mind. Is it going to be just you?”

“No, I’m bringing my hybrid also.”

“You got a hybrid!?” Rachel said in shocked. “I thought you hated hybrids with a passion?”

“I use to. But something happened that sort of put everything into focus,” Derrick replied, looking at Donna sitting on the bench.

Rachel chuckled softly on the phone before speaking up.

“If you guys don’t mind sharing a room together, then you’re more than welcomed.”

“Great. Thanks sis.”

“When are you coming so I can get everything ready?”

“We’ll be down tomorrow.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then. Later.”

Derrick hung up with a smile. He got up from his seat and went to his room, grabbing a suitcase and started to pack his clothes, not knowing how long he was going to be there for. Donna walked in as he finished packing.

“Should I pack anything Derrick?”

“Yeah. Pack your house clothes so you can have something to wear. I don’t know if my sister would have clothes for you.”

“Okay.”

Once they both finished, they decided to just relax out on the back porch, enjoying the view of the setting sun.

//////////

Derrick and Donna stood at the train terminal, waiting for the arrival of their train with Ryudo.

“Remember Derrick, as soon as you get there, you’ll meet with Dr. Ming and he’ll explain what he needs from you.”

“Got it,” Derrick said with a nod.

“If you need extra help, call me and I’ll be down as soon as I can.”

“Hopefully I shouldn’t. You have other things to worry about.”

Ryudo smiled before patting his shoulder.

“You’ve made me proud this last month. I know we haven’t seen eye to eye in the past, but I’m happy that we’ve put our differences aside and doing our best for the hybrids.”

Donna smiled at that before letting out a yelp as something bumped into her roughly.

“Why don’t you look where your going you stupid mutt!” a man said turning around.

“I’m sorry sir,” Donna said, bowing her head.

He looked at her before noticing the bracelet around her wrist.

“Where did you steal this from dog?” he said, grabbing her wrist roughly making her yelp in pain.

“I didn’t steal anything sir.”

“Sir, I’m only going to ask this once,” Ryudo said firmly. “Let go of her arm and keep moving.”

“Or what kid? You going to call the cops on me?” the man laughed.

“No. I’m going to simply dislocate your shoulder.”

The man laughed before pulling Donna’s arm up and reaching for the bracelet.

“No, this was a present from my master. You can’t take it,” she whined, trying to get her arm back.

“Watch me mutt. Hybrids don’t deserve stuff like this.”

Ryudo calmly walked behind the man, and with three hard, precision strikes, dislocated the man’s shoulder blade as he went to the ground crying in pain. Just then, they heard the announcement for their train.

“You guys go catch your train. I’ll handle things here,” Ryudo said with a smile.

“Thanks man. You okay Donna?” Derrick asked.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Donna replied, shaking a little.

“Come on, let’s catch our train.”

Giving Ryudo a wave goodbye, they boarded their train heading to Tacoma.

/////////

Derrick watched as the train rolled down the tracks, admiring the scenery pass by. He heard Donna give a sigh as she turned in her seat, sleeping comfortably. A steward walked by, pushing a cart with random drinks and stopped.

“Would you care for something to drink sir?”

“Sure, I’ll take a coke.”

She nodded her head before opening a can of coke and pouring it into a cup of ice, handing it to him with a nod of thanks. He took a quick sip before his pocket started to vibrate. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and looked at the caller ID which read Rachel.

“Hey sis, what’s up?”

“I’m at the station waiting for you. How long until you get here?”

“I should be pulling into the station within the next twenty minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll be waiting for you.”

He hung up, placing the phone in his pocket before sipping his drink. Looking in the distance, he saw a tall water tower with the words Tacoma painted on it. The train conductor made an announcement over the speaker.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we will be arriving in Tacoma shortly. Please give all trash to the attendants when they walk bye. Thank you for choosing Monorail. We hope to serve you again. Have a great day.”

Donna’s eyes fluttered open at that before letting out a yawn and looking out the window.

“Have we arrived yet?”

“Yep. We’ll be pulling into the station shortly.”

“Great. I can’t wait to meet your sister.”

Derrick chuckled at that.

“Well don’t get your hopes up. She’s probably a lot more weirder than me.”

Donna smiled at that as the station came into view. The train pulled into track ten and stopped at the platform. All the passengers got up from their seats, grabbing their luggage and exiting the train. Derrick walked out with Donna and smiled at who was waiting for them at the gate.

“There’s my little brother,” a slim lady said, wearing a pair of black khaki pants and nice red dress shirt.

They met halfway with a big hug, finally seeing each other after so many years. They detached as Rachel looked him over.

“I see you’ve grown up a bit. Got a bit of a gut but nothing that a little exercise won’t fix.”

“Gee thanks,” Derrick said with a roll of his eyes.

“So who’s this adorable hybrid?”

“This is Donna. She use to work for Boeing but her owner was a dick, so now she belongs to me.”

Donna gave a small bow of her head.

“How do you do miss Thomas?”

“Don’t be so formal dear. Just call me Rachel.”

“As you wish.”

“That’s better. Come on, my car’s waiting.”

They headed out the station to the waiting car that was by the stairs. Rachel got into the passenger side as Derrick and Donna got into the back seat, a surprise on their face at who was driving.

“Is that your brother?” the bernese mountain dog hybrid said.

“That he is Connie. Derrick, meet Connie, my hybrid.”

Connie turned in the driver seat, her opal eyes looking at Derrick before smiling.

“Good afternoon sir. Rachel’s told me so much about you. Glad to meet you in person finally.”

“Um….glad to meet you. How are you driving?”

“I taught her how to drive. Took a while too,” Rachel said with a smile.

“Does she even have a license?”

Connie reached into the glove department and pulled out a card before handing it to Derrick. He took it and looked at it.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Derrick said, reading the card which stated that Connie have met all the criteria to drive a vehicle. “When did they start letting hybrids drive?”

“About a week ago. People wanted the hybrids to do more so the government decided to let them learn how to drive. It’s what you call a test run. If the response is good, then the hybrids will be allowed to drive small vehicles like cabs and limos.”

“I see. Sounds interesting.”

Connie gave a smile before putting the car in drive and heading home. Derrick was surprised at how smooth her driving was. She worked the pedals nicely, shifting when it was needed and acting like a pro. But then again, if Rachel taught her, then she was in good hands. They made it to Rachel house which was in a nice suburban area. She had a big lawn with a bird fountain in the middle surrounded by lilacs and tulips. Pulling into the driveway, they got out and headed to her house.

“Welcome to my home.”

Her house was lovely. The walls were painted an eggshell white with beautiful nature pictures. Her living room was spacious. Lush beige carpet lined the floor with a computer desk in the corner. A large projection tv was in the middle pointing to the wall which was bare. A blu-ray player was hooked up next to it along with a cable box. An all black leather living set circled the projection while tall lamps were in corners next to the window.

“Nice place sis,” Derrick said.

“Thanks. Took a bit to get everything the way I wanted it, but I’m happy with it. Come, I’ll show you to your room.”

She led them down the hall to the extra bedroom. Inside was a nice queen sized bed next to a large dresser. Derrick walked in and sat on the bed, the springs adjusting to his weight as he bounced a little.

“There should be enough room for the both of you on this bed. I’m going to change into my night clothes. You guys get comfy and enjoy yourself.”

She left the room leaving them alone as Derrick started to unpack.

“Your sister is pretty cool,” Donna said.

“Try living with her for eighteen years. Then come back and speak to me.”

Once they finished putting their clothes in the dresser, they changed into their daily clothes and headed out to the living room where Rachel and Connie were. Donna sat next to Connie as Derrick took the recliner.

“Rachel told me you’re a hybrid doctor. How do you like it?” Connie asked.

“Its great. At first, I was in it for the money. Faking inspections to get money on the side and not caring if the hybrids live or died. But then, I met Donna. And after spending some time and getting to know her, my thought process changed.“

“Wow, who knew that you could change?” Rachel said with a laugh. “Just think, he hated hybrids with a passion. Now he has his own. I’m proud of you brother.”

Derrick chuckled before his phone vibrated in his pocket. Digging it out, he saw it was Ryudo calling.

“What’s up boss?”

“I told you about calling me that.”

“I know, but it's fun,” Derrick said with a smile.

“Did you make it to Tacoma?”

“Yeah. I’m at my sister’s house now.”

“Okay. Dr. Ming called me and said he’ll be waiting for you. Do you know where the hospital is?”

“I have a vague idea of where it is. Rachel can take me tomorrow.”

“Okay. Seems like you have everything you need. Like I said before, call me if you need anything.”

“Will do Ryudo. Thanks.”

He hung up and let out a sigh. Connie stood up and headed to the kitchen.

“I’ll get dinner started, then you can relax for the rest of the night.”

“Can I help you? I would like to learn how to cook.” Donna asked.

“Certainly.”

Donna’s tail wag happily as they went into the kitchen together. Rachel watched them leave before looking at Derrick.

“Where’s the hospital you need to go to tomorrow?”

“Bridgeton Hybrid Hospital.”

“That’s not that far from here. About twenty minutes. Connie can drive you.”

They talked some more, getting caught up with each other. Donna worked at a well known computer networking company fixing bugs and installing computer programs. All her studying paid off cause she loved working with computers. The smell of pasta filled their nose as Derrick’s stomach growl.

“Dinner’s ready,” Connie said.

They got up and headed to the kitchen where a large table was. It had a plastic table cloth over it with a ceiling fan spinning lightly, creating a nice cool breeze from the hot oven. Derrick took a seat next to Donna as Connie brought over a large casserole dish filled with chicken parm.

“Looks great Connie. I can’t wait to try it.”

“Go right ahead.”

They ate with smiles and laugher as Donna recalled all of Derrick’s little mishaps. Once dinner was done, Rachel excused herself since she had a long shift tomorrow. Derrick went to take a shower, leaving Connie and Donna alone in the living room.

“Thanks for the small lesson. I really want to help Derrick out. He’s always the one to do all the cooking and other stuff. It makes me feels kind of useless.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t feel that way. But if you want, I’ll be glad to teach you everything that Rachel taught me?”

“Oh, that would be great,” Donna said, tail wagging happily.

“Great. We’ll start tomorrow once I come back. Get some sleep. You’ll be busy tomorrow,” Connie smiled.

Donna nodded her head and headed to the guest room where Derrick was just getting into the bed. He looked at her and smiled.

“Seems like you two are getting along just fine.”

“Connie’s a real sweetheart,” Donna said.

“Well, let's grab some shut eye. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow for me.”

They both got into the bed, Derrick letting out a relaxed sigh as the springs in the bed conformed to his body.

“Wow, I need a mattress like this.”

Donna pressed herself close, head under his chin letting out a sigh. Derrick shivered a little. He was never this close to Donna before. Sleeping on the couch is one thing, but when your under the covers and you can feel her body heat mingling with yours, it was rather…...exotic. He could feel himself getting aroused rather quickly, hoping Donna wouldn’t notice. Looking down at her, her eyes were closed as her chest rose and fell in a peaceful slumber. His mind was in a blender of confusion. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, sleep descending on him.

/////////

Connie pulled the car to a stop next to a large building. Rachel got out, laptop bag around her shoulder as she leaned on the hood.

“When you are ready to be picked up, give me a call and I’ll have Connie come get you.”

“Will do,” Derrick said with a nod.

“Have a good day Rachel,” Connie said with a wave.

Rachel waved back before heading through the revolving doors. Connie pulled into the street, stopping at the light as people crossed in the cross walk.

“How long have you been with Rachel?” Derrick asked.

“About three years now. I really love being with her. It’s so relaxing.”

“You haven’t seen her when she was younger.”

Connie chuckled at that as she drove on. The hospital came into view as Derrick looked on. It was a nice looking hospital, but he knew looks could be deceiving. It had about ten floors, a lot more then the hospital he was at. Connie pulled up to the main entrance and came to a stop.

“I’ll be waiting for your call Derrick. Have a good day.”

“Thanks. Take care of Donna for me,” Derrick said getting out.

“Don’t worry, she’s in good hands,” Connie smiled before driving off.

Derrick watched the car leave before going through the automatic doors. The inside wasn’t bad looking. The marble floors were clean and had an interesting design patterns of yin and yang in the corners of each tile. He walked up to the front desk, admiring the fine design of glass and oak that made the desk.

“Good morning,” the man said at the desk. “Welcome to the Bridgeton Hybrid Hospital. What can I do for you?”

“Yes, I’m looking for Dr. Ming.”

“Your name please?”

“Derrick Thomas.”

“Ah yes, Dr. Thomas we were expecting you. One second and I’ll call him for you. Please, have a seat.”

He gave a nod, taking a seat in the waiting room. The seats were rather comfortable as they sat upon a simple blue rug. He heard giggling beside him as he saw two cubs playing on the small table with legos. A smile crossed his face as this is what him and Ryudo work hard to see.

“Dr. Thomas?”

Derrick looked over to his left to see a middle aged man walking up to him as he got up to greet him.

“That’s me. You are Dr. Ming?”

“Correct. So glad you could make it.”

“Glad to be here,” Derrick replied with a smile.

Ming directed his hand towards the elevator as they walked to it.

“Our hybrid inspector is on vacation and we have two companies that need their hybrids inspected to start work.”

“How many are we talking about?” Derrick asked as Ming hit the call button.

“About a hundred, maybe more or less,” Ming said hitting the fifth floor button.

Derrick whistled at that.

“Sounds like I’m going to have my hands full.”

“You’ll have help. I’m not that mean to let another doctor get hammered like that,” Ming said with a chuckle.

Getting off, Derrick looked down the halls and gave whistle. Monitors were perched on top of each door, displaying the patient’s vital signs and picture.

“Wish we had something like this back at our hospital. This is really helpful.”

“Yeah, it took a while to get it setup, but it helps us immensely. Come, I’ll show you to your temp office.”

Walking down the hall, Ming used a key to a locked door and opened it. Inside was an executive desk layout with two tv monitors hooked up to a pc underneath the desk. The window was open as a cool breeze blew the curtains a little. Derrick walked around and took a seat in the large leather chair and leaned back.

“Here you are. I’ll have your temporary password ready in a few minutes.”

“Wow, this is comfortable. I could fall asleep in this chair.”

“Well don’t fall asleep yet. Let me introduce you to the rest of the crew,” Ming chuckled.

He lead him out the room and down the hall, waving hi to the nurses at the desk before coming to a door marked conference room. Walking in, they were greeted by five other people.

“Have a seat,” Ming said grabbing a chair. “Everybody, may introduce Dr. Edwards from the Express Scripts Hybrid Hospital.”

“Greetings,” they all said.

“Let me introduce everybody. The beautiful lady next to you is our lead surgeon, Ellen Meara. Head pharmacist Steve Miller is next to her. Lead nutritionist and cafeteria manager Marge Haywood. Head custodian Howard Phaze and finally Junior Norvell our physical therapist.”

“Glad to meet you all,” Derrick said with a smile.

They all nodded before Ming spoke up.

“Alright, now that we have our temp inspector, let’s get down to the thick of things. The two companies coming here are Volt Construction and Aaron Motors. These are high end companies and are paying a lot of money to get their hybrids in and out as fast as possible. So, I want everything by the books. If I find out that the inspections have been fixed in any way, you can consider yourself fired. Is that understood?”

Everybody nodded their heads as Ming smiled.

“Alright, now that that’s out of the way, does anybody have any issues before we go about our merry way?”

Nobody spoke up as Ming nodded.

“Alright, let’s get to it. They start coming in tomorrow morning so once you go home for the day, make sure you get lots of rest. Dismissed.”

Everybody stood up and left the room leaving Derrick and Ming together. Ming stood up and gave a stretch.

“Let me get you into the system so you can start.”

“Okay.”

They headed to the elevator, taking it down to the third floor. Getting off, they walked down the rugged hall to Ming’s office. Ming went to his desk, sitting down by his computer and typing away.

“What password would you like?”

“Donna,” Derrick said with a smile.

“Alright. You can now log into the system. Your username is your name and the password is Donna.”

“Thanks. I’ll get right to work. Where do you want me until tomorrow?”

“Pediatrics is short handed today. Think you can handle a floor full of hyper cubs?” Ming asked.

Derrick smiled at that.

“I’m a blast with the kids. Where’s the pediatric floor?”

“Fourth floor. I’ll let the nurses know you’re coming up.”

/////////

Connie looked on as Donna tried to sound out the alphabet. She was teaching her how to read and write to better herself for the things to come.

“Very good,” Connie said with a smile. “You are a fast learner.”

“Thank you,” Donna said with a happy wag of her tail.

“Let’s grab a bite to eat and we’ll keep going.”

Donna nodded her head as they went into the kitchen. Connie pulled out the dinner she made yesterday, making two plates worth and popping them in the microwave.

“How long have you been with Derrick?”

“A month now. I really like being around him. He makes me feel…..special.”

“Really?”

“I really can’t explain it. When I first met him, he had this smile that made me feel happy. After I lost my leg, he helped me through rehab. During rehab, we really got to know one another. He’s the best thing that’s happened to me.”

Donna lifted her hand, looking at the bracelet he got her. Connie eyed it with an admiring expression.

“That’s beautiful. Did he get you that?”

“Yeah. He said it was for being together for one month. It’s the first gift I ever received.”

“I never knew you lost your leg. I can hardly tell.”

Donna pushed the chair out from under the table and reached for her leg, taking the cover off and showing Connie the prosthetic leg. Donna let out a gasp, covering her muzzle.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m use to it now. It was hard for the first couple of days getting use to it. But Derrick was there for me everyday, helping me get through it.”

“He sounds like a wonderful person.”

Donna gave a giggle, tail wagging rapidly behind her.

“I can’t wait to really help Derrick with the cooking and other stuff. Thank you so much for this Connie.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Connie said, taking both of their plates and washing them off in the sink. “Now then, let’s continue on with your lessons.”

They continued on with the lesson, Connie carefully helping her with sounding out sentences. Donna was quick to learn making Connie smile. Soon the phone rang as Connie walked over to answer it.

“Hello, Rachel Thomas residents.”

“Hey Con, it's me,” Rachel said on the other side.

“Hey Rachel,” Connie replied, tail wagging happily.

“Can you come pick me and Derrick up in about thirty minutes?”

“Sure thing.”

“Great thanks. See you soon.”

Connie hung up and headed back to the table where Donna was trying to write.

“I need to head out and pick up the siblings. Just continue with the little words and tomorrow we’ll work our way up.”

“Okay,” Donna said with a smile.

Connie gave a nod before grabbing the keys and heading out.

/////////

The small dachshund cub giggled as Derrick tickled her.

“So what brings you in today cutie?”

“My daughter's got this weird rash on her back. Can you take a look?” the mother asked.

“Sure thing. Can you turn around for me Susie and lift your shirt up?”

Susie smiled before turning on the bed and lifting her shirt. Derrick gave a grimace when he saw the discoloration on her back. Grabbing some gloves, he ran his fingers over the area.

“Hmm, does it hurt at all Susie?” Derrick asked.

“No.”

Derrick grab a long q-tip, dipping it in some solution before trailing it around the area. Once that was done, he put it into a tube before sealing it.

“I’m going to have this check out. I should know what it is in a day or two.”

“Okay. Thank you Dr. Thomas,” the mother said getting up.

“Thank you doctor,” Susie said.

“You are quite welcome cutie,” Derrick said, giving her another tickle making her laugh happily.

He watched them leave before taking the sample and heading out. Walking to the nurse’s desk, he wrote something down before handing it to the nurse.

“Here you go, have the lab see what this is.”

“Yes Dr. Thomas.”

Derrick looked at his watch, seeing it was almost time to head out. Walking to the elevator, he took it up to the fifth floor and walked down the hall to his office. He took a seat and started typing away all the procedures and tests he performed today. Ming gave a knock before walking in.

“Good first day?” he asked.

“A blast,” Derrick replied.

“Good. Make sure to get some rest cause we’re going to be busy, you especially.”

Derrick chuckled at that before finishing his reports and logging off. Getting up, he gave a stretch before heading out the door.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Have a good one Dr. Thomas,” Ming said.

Derrick headed for the lobby, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Walking out, he went to the automatic doors and walked out into the evening sky. A beeping caught his attention as he saw Connie and Rachel waiting for him. He smiled as he walked up and got into the back seat.

“How was your first day?” Rachel asked.

“Great. I got put into the Pediatrics ward until tomorrow when the inspections take place. Going to be a lot of hybrids coming in from Volt construction and Aaron Motors.”

“Those places are high end. Volt built most of the buildings in this town,” Rachel added. “Aaron motors make some of the better cars that most people drive nowadays. This is one of them.”

“I see. How’s Donna?”

“She doing great. I’m teaching her how to read, write, and cook. She really wants to help you around the house,” Connie spoke up.

Derrick sighed at that. He didn’t mind doing most of the work at home. He hated that Donna thought she was useless which was far from the truth. She was the best thing about coming home from work. They pulled into the driveway and got out, walking through the front door. Rachel went to her room, placing her bag on the floor. Derrick walked into his room, taking a seat on the bed and removing his shoes.

“Welcome back Derrick,” Donna said, tail wagging happily. “How was your day?”

“Pretty cool. That hospital has a lot more gadgets than ours.”

“Connie’s been teaching me how to read and write.”

“That’s great!” Derrick said with a smile.

Once everybody was settled in, they all relaxed in the living room as Rachel was telling some stories about their childhood growing up together. Donna was chuckling away at how silly Derrick was.

“Yeah, my little brother was a real piece of work,” Rachel smiled.

“And who was to blame for that I wonder?” Derrick said.

“Oh come now, don’t get mad bro. You know I only tease you.”

Derrick let out a grunt as Donna gave him a lick on the cheek.

“I like you regardless of how much of a troublemaker you were.”

“Anyway, he turned out to be a great person. And I love him for that.”

Derrick couldn’t hide the smile making them chuckle. Looking at the clock, it was almost nine at night. He got up and took a stretch before letting out a yawn.

“It’s going to be a long day for me tomorrow so I’m going to hit the sack early.”

“Have a nice sleep bro,” Rachel said.

They watched him leave before the girls started talking again.

“So, how do you like living with my brother Donna?” Rachel asked.

“I love it. He treats me so nice and makes me feels special. He even got me this gift,” she said, holding up her arm and showing the bracelet.

“Very nice. You do know what that means right?” Rachel said with a grin.

“What does it mean?” Donna asked, head tilted a little.

Rachel chuckled before getting up herself.

“Forget I said anything. You two don’t stay up to long.”

They watched her leave before looking at each other.

“Don’t mind her. She tends to tease everybody. Let’s head to bed ourselves. Tomorrow, I’ll start you off on a little more advance stuff since you seem to be getting the hang of things.”

“Okay,” Donna said with a nod. “Have a good night.”

Donna watched her head to her room and close the door. She sat there on the couch, trying to make sense of what Rachel said to her. Shaking her head, she headed to her room, seeing Derrick already under the covers. She slid under the covers, letting out a sigh.

“Something wrong?” Derrick asked with his back turned to her.

“It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure? You know you can speak to me.”

“I’m positive Derrick. Let’s just get some sleep.”

Derrick turned to look at her before turning back around. He would have to speak with her tomorrow to find out what Rachel told her.

/////////

Derrick sat in his office, looking out the window as the parking lot got filled with buses.

“Here they come,” he said, watching the hybrids get out the bus and head into the building.

Ming walked into the office, hands in his pockets.

“Ready for the pain?” Ming chuckled.

“Always.”

“Then let’s go meet the crowd.”

Derrick nodded as they took the elevator down the lobby. Walking out, they headed to the large auditorium where the large crowd was gathered. Inside were hybrids of all kinds talking and joking with each other. Ming walked onto the stage with Derrick beside him as the place went quiet.

“Good morning everybody. Today you will all be given your examines so you can begin work at your respective companies. Since there are so many of you, we ask that you stay in here and come one at a time to the examining room. We’ll try and go as fast as we can so we can get you started. In the meantime, we will provide refreshments and entertainment.”

All the hybrids nodded before continuing to mingle with one another. Derrick and Ming walked out to the rooms designated for the inspections to see all the nurses ready to work. Derrick grabbed a pair of gloves before taking a stretch.

“You ready to go?” Ming asked with a smile, placing some gloves on also.

“Ready here. Let the chaos begin.”

The time seem to fly by as Derrick did a thorough exam of each hybrid he worked on. Finding no faults in some and several in many. Lunch time finally hit as he let out a yawn. He went up to the cafeteria, grabbing a turkey burger on wheat with a large cup of OJ. Taking a seat, he began to munch down.

“Man, some of the hybrids are too bang up to even pick up a broom let alone metal. God I hate big companies sometimes.”

“Well look who it is, DT in the flesh.”

Derrick turned around and did a double take at who stood there.

“Arnold Green!? Holy shit dude, how’s it’s going?”

He got up and gave him a hearty handshake and hug before sitting back down.

“What’ve you been up to? Damn, I haven’t seen you in almost what, five years.”

“I’m a manager for Volt construction. I’m here to see how the inspections are going for the hybrids.”

Derrick looked at him before taking a bite of his sandwich and cleaning his mouth.

“To be honest, some of the hybrids that I examined so far are not even going to pass. There are just too many things wrong with them, most requiring major surgery.”

Arnold nodding before running his hand through his spiky blonde hair.

“Understandable. I never thought you would actually go through with becoming a hybrid doctor.”

“Let me guess, you and the others thought I was just kidding?”

“Of course. You were always the kidder of the group. I guess you proved us wrong.”

“So is the old gang still around?”

“Oh yeah. They don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Derrick chuckled at that before finishing his lunch. He got up to toss his trash away as Arnold joined him.

“If you’re not doing anything later tonight, maybe you would want to meet the old gang for a few drinks?”

“Hmm. I would have to ask Rachel since I’m staying at her house until these inspections are over.”

“That’s okay. Just tell her you’re staying over my house. I’ll give you a ride.”

Derrick thought about it. It would be good to see all his old friends.

“Okay, let me call her really fast.”

He dug out his phone as the dial tone rang.

“Whats up Derrick?”

“I just met one of my old friends from way back and he invited me out for a few drinks. Probably might stay the night over his place.”

“That’s fine with me. You’re a grown man after all.”

“Okay. Tell Donna where I’m at for me.”

“Will do. Have fun!”

Derrick hung up before looking at Arnold.

“We’re good to go.”

“Great! I’ll inform the guys to meet us at the bar later. I need to get going. I’ll be back here to pick you up around five.”

Derrick watched him leave before shaking his head. He was going to see all his old friends again. He didn’t know if that was going to be a good thing or a bad thing. With a sigh, he went back to work. Time went by quick before Ming knocked on the door, seeing Derrick checking on a dragon.

“This is your last one for the day?”

“Yep. Almost done here. Okay Zig, you are all set. Just make sure you don’t over exert yourself. Your heart is stable but with the irregular beats I’m hearing, you could have a heart attack at anytime.”

“Thank you doctor,” Zig said with a smile before leaving.

Derrick watched him leave before shaking his head and tossing the gloves in the trash. Ming walked over and chuckled.

“Not liking what you see huh?”

“It’s stupid. I’d say at least seventy percent of the hybrids I checked need something done with them.”

“Same here. This is a first for them. Usually the hybrids are in top shape.”

Derrick gave a stretch before yawning.

“Let’s call it a day and resume tomorrow. Have a good night Dr. Thomas.”

“You too Dr. Ming.”

Derrick went to his office, signing off before heading out of the building. A beeping horn caught his attention as he looked over to see Arnold sitting in a nice BMW. Walking over, he got into the passenger seat as Arnold smiled.

“You ready for those drinks DT?”

“Yeah. I could use them after today.”

“Right on.”

Putting the car in gear, he took off towards the Top Hat bar.

///////

Donna sat with Connie at the table, going over what she learned. She was advancing rather quickly to Connie’s surprise. Rachel came into the room, a tall glass of soda in her hand as she took a seat.

“Where’s Derrick at?” Donna asked.

“He’s hanging with some old friends and probably spending the night at one of them.”

“Oh, I see.”

They continued to work more until Donna had to go to the bathroom. As she got up, her leg buckled as she let out a yip and fell to the floor.

“Are you okay?” Rachel asked, hurrying to her side.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Donna said a little shaken up.

They helped her up to the chair as Donna undid the prosthetic leg and took a look. Rachel let out a gasp as she saw this.

“You lost your leg Donna? How did that happen?”

“When I first went to the hospital to be examined for Biogen. That’s where I met Derrick. He examined me and told me that I had a bad build up of dead tissue in my leg which would result in me losing it. But he helped me through the process and got to know each other better.”

“Yeah, that’s my brother for you. He may be an ass at times, but his heart is true. Ha, listen to me say that about him.”

They both gave a chuckle at that as Donna replaced the screws in her leg, thankful that Derrick showed her how. Once that was done, she attached it as it was good as new. Coming back from the bathroom, she went back to her lesson as Rachel watched her.

“I can see why you fell for her brother. Just make sure you don’t do anything to mess it up.”

///////

Laughs were heard all around as Derrick took another sip of his beer. He forgot how much fun these guys were.

“I still can’t believe you went through with becoming a hybrid doctor. What were you thinking man?” a dark skin man said taking the shot of brandy.

Derrick looked at Walter before shurgging. Walter was always the negative one of the group. If you weren’t with him, you were against him. Next came Carlos. He was okay, but sometimes he can be an airhead. Rick was the supposed funny man of the group. He was trying his hand at becoming a comedian and doing fairly okay.

“I wanted a challenge. And being a hybrid doctor is the best challenge there is.”

“I couldn’t stand being around all those flea bags.”

“Then thank god you don’t own a hybrid.”

Walter looked at him before giving a frown.

“Don’t tell me you have one?”

“Yeah, I do. You have a problem with that?”

“Guys chill. We’re here to have fun, not fight like petty girls,” Arnold said coming in between them.

Walter let out a humph before grabbing another shot. God did Derrick hate his attitude sometimes. Even during high school, he hated his guts. Why he became friends with him in the first place was a mystery. Maybe back then, he still shared Walter’s frame of mind.

“So D, do you still have your quick wits about you?” Rick asked.

“Why do you ask?”

“How about another ‘Your Momma’ battle? I’ve been brushing up.”

Derrick smiled at that. Him and Rick always went back and forth with cracks at each other. Sometimes Rick would win, sometimes Derrick would win.

“Sure why not.”

Rick smiled at that as the bar seem to get quiet around them to hear the jokes.

“I’ll let you start Rick.”

“Cool. Okay, let’s see here.”

Rick was quiet for a second before speaking up.

“Your mother got two fingers and she’s a representative for world peace.”

Everybody laughed at that, giving a few claps as Derrick spoke up.

“Your mother’s so country she had a cornbread for a wedding cake.”

Again more claps before it was Rick’s turn.

“Okay, your momma’s so fat she uses a highway for a slip and slide.”

A lot of oohs were heard and some clapping as Derrick chuckled.

“I see where you’re going. How about this, your mother’s pussy so nasty it has a sign on it that says may cause drowsiness and irritation.”

Everybody covered their mouths at that before cheering and clapping. Rick was surprised at that but held his ground.

“Aight, let’s try this. Your mother’s so fat she fell down, tried to get up and rocked herself to sleep.”

“Nice one,” Derrick said with a clap. “But here’s one for you. Your mother’s so fat she got hit by a bus, turned around and said you kids better stop throwing those damn rocks.”

Laughter was heard loud as people clapped and slapped their knees. Rick could tell he was losing this so he decided to do one more.

“Okay, last one. Your mother’s so fat if she wore a green and white sweater she’ll look like a football field.”

That got a few chuckles and he knew he lost this one as Derrick smiled.

“You were a worthy opponent young padawan. But this one is over. Your mother’s so fat she uses a satellite dish for a diaphragm, and I’m still trying to get HBO from his HOE.”

Nobody could stop laughing at that as Derrick chuckled as well. Rick shook his head, knowing he lost that one.

“Damn, I still can’t beat you. I thought you would’ve lost your edge, but I guess I was wrong.”

“You got some great material Rick. Just keep thinking of stuff and you’ll be great on stage.”

“I know. We’ll try again at a later date. I need to get going. Have to pick up the GF. Nice seeing you again Derrick.”

They watched him leave before chatting again as the time was flying by. Soon it was time for everybody to say goodbye. After exchanging numbers, Derrick and Arnold left for Arnold’s house. He lived in a nice apartment complex which had about twenty floors, him living on the eleventh.

“Nice place,” Derrick said walking in.

“Meh, I could’ve gotten better, but it’s near the bike trail I like to go to. Make yourself at home,” Arnold said, taking off his shoes.

Derrick sat on the large futon with a sigh. It’s been a long day but hanging with his old friends seemed to take some of the stress off. Arnold sat on the recliner and put the legs up.

“You seem to be my size. I left you some of my clothes in the bathroom where the shower is. Help yourself.”

“Thanks.”

After a nice shower, Derrick felt refreshed. And surprisingly, Arnold’s clothes did fit pretty good. Heading back into the living room, Arnold had the futon pulled out with sheets, blanket, and a pillow all ready for him.

“Got your bed all set. This’ll be like old times huh?” Arnold said with a smile.

“How could I forget,” Derrick said with a chuckle.

They sat there, chatting away until the time came up to be almost one in the morning.

“I better get to sleep. Got another long day of examining hybrids,” Derrick said with a yawn.

“Alright man. I’ll give you a ride in the morning.”

Derrick watched him leave, turning the lights off and leaving him in the dark. He sunk into the covers, letting out a sigh. He miss having Donna with him. Feeling her fur on his skin just felt so normal. Not to mention kind of hot. Closing his eyes, he was fast asleep thanks to the alcohol in his system.

///////

Derrick stretched his arms as he called the next hybrid in. Tossing the gloves into the trash, he drank some water as the next hybrid walked in.

“Have a seat and I’ll get right to you.”

“Thanks,” he heard a friendly voice say.

Turning around, he did a double take as he saw a spitting image of Donna.

“Something wrong?” the hybrid asked, head tilted to the side.

“No, its nothing. Let’s get started.”

As he got closer, the hybrid’s nose flared as its eyes widen.

“You have my sister’s scent. Is she doing okay?”

“Donna? Yeah, she’s doing good. She belongs to me and is staying at my sister’s at the moment while I’m at work.”

“That’s good. Me and Patrick were worried about her ever since she got bought by Boeing. I heard that company didn’t treat hybrids good at all.”

“Well, she did have to lose her leg from the knee down cause of a blockage of dead tissue. But she got a prosthetic leg and doing really good on it.”

The hybrid let out a sigh of relief at that. Derrick took his stethoscope off and started his inspection.

“Take a few deep breaths for me. What’s your name by the way?”

“Its Jason,” he replied, taking deep breaths as Derrick listened.

“Okay. Heart sounds good. Stand up for me.”

Jason stood up, reaching the same height as Derrick as he checked his body over. Derrick ran his hand up and down his arm, feeling the rough fur along with checking the bones to see if there were any deforms.

“So far I’m not seeing anything wrong with you. But I’ll get a blood and urine sample to be sure. Here’s a cup and the bathroom’s right behind you.”

Jason took the cup and went into the bathroom, coming back out a few minutes later with a full cup.

“All right, you are good to go. I’ll make sure to tell Donna you said hi.”

“Please do. Me and Patrick worry a lot about her. She may seem strong on the outside, but on the inside, she very fragile. She gets depressed very easily. Please take good care of her. Also, give her this. We wanted to give her this before she got bought.”

Jason handed him a picture. On that picture was Donna standing in between both her brothers as teens it appeared to be. They all had smiles on their faces sitting under a tree. They looked so content together, not a care in the world.

“You have my word Jason.”

Jason gave him a hug which caught Derrick off guard but he returned it with a smile. With that done, it was time for his lunch and he was starving. He went up to the cafeteria and got the usual as he took a seat. He was joined a few minutes later with by Ming.

“Halfway done Dr. Thomas. How you holding up?”

“I’m hanging in there. This experience has been great. Getting to see my sister is a big plus also,” Derrick said with a smile.

“That’s good to hear. I thought it was going to be rougher but it seems to be flowing smoothly.”

“That’s a good thing,” Derrick said taking a sip of oolong tea.

“You know Derrick, if there was a spot open, would you consider transferring? You obviously have great potential. Maybe you can run this hospital and I can be your backup?”

Derrick coughed on his sandwich before swallowing hard and looking at Ming.

“Why me? Surely you have other people on your staff that are more qualified than me.”

“I may have one or two people in mind. But just being around you these last few days, I see somebody that loves his job and the hybrids.”

Derrick sat there in silence. Running his own hospital was a good thing. He could even be near his sister. But he would get homesick and miss his new friends.

“Let me think about it. Kind of a big thing you sprung on me.”

Ming gave a chuckle before gathering his trash.

“Give it some thought. All you have to do is say the word, and this hospital is yours.”

Derrick watched him leave before sitting there, lost in his thoughts. He shook his head before getting up. No time to think about it now. There were still hybrids that needed to pass inspection.

///////

The girls were out in the mall, doing some shopping and having a good time. Donna noticed that the hybrids weren’t walking around on their hands and knees with a leash attached to their collars.

“This town is so much different than ours. All the hybrids are usually walking on their hands and knees,” Donna said.

“Yeah. This town is more lenient towards hybrids. That doesn’t mean equals. If you don’t have your collar, you get shipped back to the farm you were bought. But not before giving a ‘punishment’,” Rachel said with disgust.

“What kind of punishment?” Donna asked softly.

“Best that you don’t know dear,” Connie replied.

Donna folded her ears at that before giggling as Rachel tickled her chin.

“Don’t worry about trivial stuff. We are here to have fun. Did you see any stores you want to visit? Don’t worry about paying for anything. I can cover for you.”

Donna’s tail wagged happily at that as they went from store to store. She didn’t get much though, a nice fur brush, a robe for the shower, and some shampoo. Heading to the food court, they took a seat and try to decide what to eat.

“What shall we get ladies?” Rachel asked.

“Hmm, how about some tacos?” Connie said happily.

“Tacos?” Donna said, head tilted a little.

“You never had tacos? Girlfriend, you don’t know what you’re missing,” Connie said.

“Tacos it is. I’ll be right back,” Rachel said, getting into the long line.

They watched her leave before Connie turned her attention to Donna.

“So, do you have that special hybrid in your life?”

“Not really. I never had any chance at Boeing. My master kept me busy. How about you?”

Connie directed her eyes back to Rachel before smiling.

“You’re looking at her.”

Donna’s eyes went wide before covering her muzzle.

“You mean, you and……”

“Surprised?”

“More than surprised. More liked shocked. How did it come about?”

Connie smiled before leaning back in her chair.

“She was always coming home with different men, trying to find the perfect mate. One night, she came home with a rather frisky male. It started off good. Lots of hugging, kissing, and feeling. But something wasn’t right and I could sense it. Soon he wanted to go further, reaching his grubby hand inside her pants.”

Donna could see Connie’s hackles start to rise a little remembering the event.

“She told him she wasn’t ready but he wasn’t having any of that. He held her down on the couch and tried to pry her clothes off. That’s when I stepped in, claws around his neck ready to slice his jugular. He screamed at me, saying he was going to have me sent back to the farm. So after tossing him out on his ass, I went back to comfort her.”

Connie gave a smile, tail wagging happily behind her.

“She held onto me, crying on my shoulder saying she’ll never find the right person for her. I licked her tears away softly when she looked up into my eyes. Right there, something just clicked in the two of us. The next thing we knew, we were grinding each other hard, having climax after climax.”

Donna gave a blush at her words as Rachel came back with a tray of tacos.

“Why the blush Donna?” Rachel asked. “Did Connie tell you about us?”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t pry in your personal life.”

“Don’t be. I couldn’t be happier with Connie at my side. She was the last piece of my puzzle.”

Connie whined happily, feeling Rachel fingers scratch between her ears as he tongue hung out.

“Well I’m happy for you both,” Donna said before crunching into a taco, her eyes going wide at the flavor. “WOW! This is good.”

“Ain’t it?” Connie replied, adding some hot sauce.

“I’ll tell you one thing Donna, you already have your match. You just have to make the connection,” Rachel said, wiping her mouth.

Donna looked at her in confusion.

“You mean Derrick? But I don’t think…...eep,” she yipped feeling Rachel’s hand go up her thigh slowly making her squirm.

“Trust me. My brother is dense. If you don’t make the move, he sure as hell won’t. Plus, I can see the way you look at him. It’s a look of complete love.”

Donna blushed hard as they both giggled. Rachel looked at her watch, noticing the time.

“Well ladies, as much as I want this day to last forever, we need to pick up my better half.”

They cleared their garbage before heading out, both hybrids tails wagging happily behind them.

///////

Derrick was quiet as he sat at the table, a folder of all the hybrids in front of him as he made some notes. But for some reason, he couldn’t get what Ming said out of his head. Could he actually run his own hospital? What would he do about Ryudo? He gave him a second chance after all. Without him, he wouldn’t be where he was now. He couldn’t just up and leave. He was so involved with his thoughts that he didn’t hear the door open and close.

“Derrick, are you here?”

A hand on his shoulder made him jump and turn to see Donna looking at him, worry in her eyes.

“Are you okay Derrick?”

He put on his best smile before nodding his head.

“I’m fine. Just too much paperwork. I didn’t hear you guys come in.”

“We went by the hospital to pick you up but they said you got a ride,” Rachel said, walking over to the fridge and grabbing a soda.

“Yeah, Arnold gave me a ride.”

“Could’ve called. Would’ve saved me some gas.”

“Sorry,” Derrick said before noticing the bags in Donna’s hand. “Did yourself a little shopping huh?”

Donna blushed before nodding her head.

“Yeah. Rachel took us for a girl’s day out and I got me a few things, not much.”

“Well I’m happy for you.”

Donna smiled before her nose twitched. She leaned closer to Derrick, making him a little nervous as she took deep breaths.

“That’s Jason’s scent. I recognize it anywhere. Where is he?” Donna asked.

“I had to inspect him today. He’s working for Volt Construction. I told him I’m taking good care of you.”

That made her tail wag, knowing her brother was doing good. Derrick remembered something as he dug into his pants pocket and presented the picture to her.

“He asked me to give this to you.”

She took it, eyes watering at the sight as she took a seat.

“I remember this picture. We were all together on the farm before we got separated. The owner of the farm was nice, keeping us together until we got bought. I got purchased first, not wanting to leave my brothers behind. But they told me to be strong and they would always be thinking about me.”

Derrick reached over and grabbed her paws which she squeezed back.

“Thank you for this Derrick.”

“Anything for you cutie.”

“Should I prepare the room for you guys?” Rachel said with a smile.

This shook them up as they separated, a deep blush on each their faces before Derrick cleared his throat.

“Anyway, he seems to be in perfect health. Must take good care of his body.”

“Jason was always a health nut. He would drive the owner of the farm crazy sometimes with all the food questions,” Donna chuckled.

“How many more hybrids do you have left?” Rachel asked.

“We should be done in another day or so. The inspections are going along rather smoothly.”

“Good to hear. Come on Donna. Let’s go see if I have a frame for that picture.”

Donna nodded her head and followed Rachel out the kitchen. Derrick watched them leave before his smile faded and he looked back down at his files.

////////

The cougar let out a grimace as Derrick ran his hand over its chest.

“How long has this been going on?”

“A few days.”

“Did you do anything strenuous or bump into anything hard?”

“I had to catch something that fell from pretty far up. Maybe that was the cause.”

Derrick nodded his head before writing something down.

“All right Max. What you’re describing and what I’m feeling are just bruised ribs. You should be up and about after a few days rest. Just don’t do anything heroic like that again,” Derrick said with a chuckle.

“No need to tell me that,” Max smiled. “Thanks again doctor.”

“You are quite welcomed. Take care of yourself.”

Derrick watched him leave before Ming walked in.

“And that takes care of all the inspections. I want to thank you again for the help. Couldn’t have done this without you.”

“My pleasure Dr. Ming. It was a fun experience. I’ll have to come visit again.”

“Have you given any thought about my offer?”

Derrick went quiet before running his hand through his hair. He was going to answer when a nurse knocked on the door.

“Excuse me doctors, the owners of Volt Construction and Aaron Motors are here to see you.”

“Okay, thanks Tina. Shall we go see the tyrants?” Ming said with a smile.

Derrick nodded his head as they left the inspection room and headed up to the fifth floor where the conference room was held. Walking inside, they saw five people dressed in business suits, one of them happened to be Arnold. They took a seat across from them as the business people smiled.

“Doctors, I hope the inspections went okay?” one of them asked.

Ming looked at Derrick and nodded his head. Derrick sighed before looking at them.

“To be dead honest with you gentlemen, out of the hundred and eighty hybrids we inspected, only about twenty percent pass. The other eighty needed some kind of surgery and rest. I hate to say it, but you guys need to take better care of the hybrids if you want to keep making money.”

“So you’re taking sides with a bunch of walking flea bags?” another one spoke up.

“I take sides with what I’m seeing. Here, look for yourself,” Derrick said angrily tossing a folder to them.

They opened it and saw the x-ray photos and pictures of where all the major problems were and the surgery needed to fix them.

“So how much are we talking about? We still need to finish the contracts for our clients.”

Ming handed them a piece of paper that was folded. When they looked at it, they all laughed loudly.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me! No way are those fucking slaves are worth this much.”

“If you want to keep your contracts, I suggest you pay. Otherwise, you will be sued for neglect,” Derrick said sternly.

One of them stood up and leaned over to him.

“Are you threaten us?”

“No. I’m just stating the truth. The government wants proof all the hybrids are up to health code. If you force them to work, I will email them every piece of paper in that folder and you will be fined to the highest degree possible and lose ALL your licenses. The choice is yours.”

All the businessmen gathered together, talking silently before coming to an agreement.

“Is there anyway to compromise? We really need to finish our projects by the deadline. Can we put the twenty percent to work and worry about the rest later?”

Ming took this time to speak up.

“Again gentlemen, we wouldn’t recommend it. A body can’t function without all the parts working together.”

You can see the anger in all of their eyes except Arnold as they stood up, fixing their ties in the process.

“Very well doctors. We’ll play by your rules. Let us know when we can start.”

They all left the room, leaving Derrick and Ming there. Once Arnold left the room, he was pulled aside by his boss.

“Arnold, you know one of those doctors right?”

“Yeah.”

“Get him to okay the start of the building with all of our hybrids. I’ll get them ready to start tomorrow.”

“But sir….”

“I don’t care what you have to do. Bribe him with whatever he needs. We need to get this building done or we’ll be out of two point six million dollars.”

“But……”

“Do it or your fired!” the man said before walking away.

////////

Donna sat on the lawn chair, enjoying the sun beaming down on and warming her fur up. She took a look again at the picture of her and her brothers. God, how much she missed them. The way they would cheer her up when she was down. Her thoughts were broken up when Connie took a seat next to her.

“Hey there girlfriend. I brought you some lemonade.”

“Thanks,” Donna said with a happy wag of her tail.

“Whatcha got there?” Connie asked taking a seat.

“A picture of me and my brothers, Patrick and Jason.”

She showed her the picture as Connie whistled.

“Wow, they are cute. Wish I could’ve met them sooner.”

Donna chuckled at that.

“Do you have any family?”

“Yep. I have a little sister. Rachel wanted to get her also, but by the time she got back to the farm, she was already gone.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay. The owner who bought her wrote to us saying that she is being well taking care of. Even sent me a picture of them all together.”

The girls went quiet, sipping on their drinks and enjoying the weather.

“Do you think it’s weird for a hybrid to be in love with a human?” Connie spoke up.

Donna blinked a few times and looked at her from the side of her eyes before at the sky.

“I don’t think so. If two people love each other, I don’t see why they have to be separated by species. Why do you ask?”

Connie ears went back before sighing.

“I love Rachel so much. I want to express that to the world, but I know we’ll be hated if we do. Why do people hate us so much? Every time I see humans hugging and kissing each other in public, I just want to do the same to Rachel.”

“Connie, you’re worrying about things that you have no control of. Maybe one day, hybrids and humans will put aside their differences and realize we are all living creatures that work side by side.”

Connie was quiet, letting what Donna said sink in before smiling again.

“You’re right. When did you start becoming a shrink?”

“I’ve been around good friends that speak from the heart. So it kinda rubbed off on me,” Donna chuckled.

“Then those are the best friends to keep. Thanks for cheering me up,” Connie replied, reaching over and squeezing her paw.

“We’re even now. Thank you for teaching me all those things to be able to help Derrick.”

A warm breeze rustled by them, making their tags wag as they closed their eyes and enjoyed the weather together.

/////////

“Are you fucking serious?”

Arnold looked at Derrick who was sitting at his desk typing away.

“I’m dead serious man. We need to get those hybrids going on that building project. Otherwise we lose a lot of investors and money.”

“I already told you, I’m not going to sign off and let those hybrids work. I didn’t spend all that time studying and busting my ass to let some big shot company try and give me hush money,” Derrick said angrily, remembering the guy at Boeing.

Arnold bit his lip before pulling out the company checkbook and slapping it on the table. Derrick raised an eyebrow at that before looking at him.

“Name your price. The CEO is willing to pay whatever it takes.”

“Arnold I’m not……”

“Dammit Derrick this is my job we’re talking about. I make an eight figure salary every year. I have a nice car, good apartment, and almost close to getting the girl of my dreams. I’m not about to lose that cause your getting a conscious.”

Derrick looked at Arnold for a few moments before back at the blank checkbook. He could use some extra money to help around the house. With a sigh, he reached over and grabbed the book, a smile coming to Arnold’s face.

“You’re making the right decision man. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Derrick wrote on the checkbook before handing it back to Arnold who sighed in relief. He reached down to read the amount, only to find the words ‘Go fuck yourself’ on the amount line.

“I really wished you reconsider this. You could live on easy street if you just cooperate.”

“I am on easy street. I may not make eight figures and drive fancy cars, but seeing the happiness I give to hybrids by helping them live another day, is more than money can buy. Now if you’re through lecturing me, I have things to do.”

Arnold stood there, balling the check in his hand. What the hell happened to the Derrick from old times? He wanted to speak up but his phone rang.

“This is Arnold Green. What!? Seriously!? I’ll be right there.”

“What’s wrong?” Derrick asked.

“Come with me. I’ll explain on the way.”

They hurried down the stairs, by passing the elevator and into the garage. Arnold hopped into the driver seat, waiting for Derrick to get in and gunned it out to the street, almost hitting people on the way out.

“I would like to live to see my next birthday,” Derrick said, holding onto the seat. “Can you explain what’s going on?”

“There was an explosion at the work site. Half the building collapsed.”

“Seriously!?” Derrick said wide eyed.

“Yeah. The CEO didn’t want to wait, so he had the hybrids start working.”

Derrick gritted his teeth at that. How could someone have that little respect for life and more for money? The sound of police cars and ambulances could be heard in the distance as well as lots of smoke in the air. They came to a screeching halt, getting out the car with open mouths in shock. The building was in ruins. Half of it was on the ground in rubble while the other half was still standing. Fire was gushing out into the open as firefighters doused it with water.

“Holy jesus. What the hell happened?” Derrick said.

Arnold rushed over to one of the foreman who was getting patched up.

“What the hell happened here?”

“It all happened so fast. One minute everything was fine, the next there was a huge explosion.”

“What about the hybrids?” Derrick asked. “Were any still inside?”

“Fuck them. I was lucky to save my own ass.”

Derrick got furious at that and socked the foremen in the face before rushing over to the rubble. God, if there were any hybrids in there, they wouldn’t stand a chance of survival. Ming arrived in an ambulance and hurried to Derrick’s side.

“Christ. That bastard really went and did the opposite of what we said.”

“Money rules everything.”

They looked over to see the large gathering of hybrids not getting any attention. Some were on the ground with injuries, others were trying to dig their friends out anyway they could. They hurried over and started to examine them.

“What happened? Are you guys okay?”

“Most of us were in the building when it went down. Some are either dead or buried,” Max said.

“We’re going to need more help,” Ming said, putting pressure on a deep wound a cougar had.

“HEY, OVER HERE!” a gekko yelled out.

Derrick rushed over to where it was at and saw a hand weakly moving. Not wasting time, he dug into the debris along with the others. Soon, they reached the owner of the hand which was Jason.

“Jason! Are you okay?” Derrick said, removing the last piece of debris off him.

He looked terrible. But that wasn’t what had him concerned. The large piece of metal that was sticking through his chest was what he was concerned about. Jason tried to talk, but the only thing that came out of his muzzle was blood.

“Don’t talk. Don’t move,” Derrick said, looking at where the metal was lodged in his body. “Shit. This object went right through your lung. If I take it out, you’ll choke to death on your own blood.”

“Tell…….my sister…..I’m sorry…..I…..” he couldn’t finish as he coughed up more blood.

“Whatever you want to say to Donna, you say it to her. I’m not letting you die,” Derrick said, taking out his phone and hitting the speed dial button. “How fast can you get down here? We have a major situation.”

///////

Derrick had a dry cloth applied to his face as he worked in the surgery room. This was the tenth hybrid he worked on and the fatigue was starting to get to him.

“More suction nurse,” Derrick said, trying to work through all the blood that was coming out.

Once the blood was removed, he continued to stitch up the vein until it was properly closed. Once that was done, he stitched up the hole and let out a sigh.

“Take him to the IC room and keep the IV of B12 going through.”

“Yes doctor,” the nurse said wheeling the ursine out the room.

With a sigh, Derrick went to the preparations room and started to scrub down, watching the blood get washed down the sink. Drying off, he walked out the surgery room as another hybrid was wheeled in followed by Ming. Derrick leaned on the wall closing his eyes. It took almost three hours to get all the hybrids out of that rubble. Most of them didn’t make it and some died on the operating table which affected him the most. A single tear went down his cheek which he quickly wiped away.

“You okay?”

He looked to his right to see Ryudo standing there. It didn’t take him long to get to Tacoma after his phone call. He was just happy he could be here to help.

“I never thought I would see so many hybrids die while I was trying to help them live.”

“You did what you could D. That’s all that matters. They died, knowing that somebody tried their best to save them.”

“It still doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“Derrick!!”

They looked to the elevators to see Rachel, Connie, and Donna there. Donna rushed over and hugged him tight whining softly.

“Are you okay? We heard about the explosion.”

“I’m fine but…..”

Donna started to tear up.

“Is my brother…….dead?”

“No. He’s beat up pretty badly though.”

“Can I see him?”

“Of course. Ryudo, that’s my sister Rachel. Sorry you guys couldn’t meet under better circumstances.”

“It's okay. Go take Donna to her brother,” Rachel said.

They took the elevator to the ninth floor where the IC rooms were and headed to room one ten. Opening the door, Donna teared up at seeing Jason on the bed.

“Brother. Oh god no.”

Derrick spent almost five hours stabilizing Jason from the time he got to him in the rubble to the time in the operating room. It was a LONG procedure. Luckily, the hole in his lungs wasn’t as bad as Derrick thought it was. But he did suffer a broken collar bone, leg, and arm. That would heal after a few months and some rehab. But what wouldn’t heal, was the lost of his left eye as it was wrapped up, leaving the right side of his face exposed. Donna reached up with a shaky paw and touched his which twitched in reflex.

“Jason? Can you hear me?” Donna asked softly.

Jason’s good eye opened slowly before turning his head. The smile on his face couldn’t be any bigger as he saw his sister next to him.

“Hey there fluffy tail,” Jason said softly.

Donna cried before hugging him, making sure not to aggravate his other injuries. Jason nuzzled into her neck, taking in her scent which he missed for so long. Derrick smiled at the reunion as Donna took a seat next to Jason’s bed.

“You look good sis. How long has it been?”

“Five years, but who’s counting,” Donna chuckled.

Jason looked back at Derrick and nodded his head to the best of his ability.

“Thank you for saving me.”

“I said I would. And I always keep my word. I’ll leave you two alone now so you can catch up. If you need anything Jason, just hit the button.”

“Okay,” Jason said before turning his attention to Donna as they started talking.

Derrick left, closing the door softly behind him. Getting to the elevators, one of them opened as Arnold and his boss come out.

“Where is he?” the man said.

“I’m sorry.”

“The hybrid that caused all that damage and me money. Do you realize how long it’s gonna take to get back to normal?”

“Don’t care. You can go bankrupt for all I care. I told you not to make the hybrids work, but all you saw were dollar signs in your eyes.”

The man balled his fists up as Arnold adjusted his tie.

“You better realize your place fur fucker, or I’ll put you in it. You don’t know who your fucking with.”

Derrick sighed before walking past him to the elevator.

“Empty threats from an empty human being. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have patients to attend to. Sorry if I don’t see your pompous ass to the exit.”

“Who do you think you are you little fucker?” the man snarled grabbing his shoulder hard.

That was a bad mistake on his part. Derrick grabbed the man’s hand and with a hard twist, broke it as you could hear the pop of the bone. The man went to yell but was silenced with a strong punch on the nose which poured blood instantly, sending him stumbling backwards to the nurses desks as they rushed over to tend to him.

“Leave him be nurses. This is a hybrid hospital, not a human.”

They looked at each other before going back behind the desk. The elevator door opened as Derrick got in. Arnold went to his boss who shoved him away hard, blood messing up his suit as he stared daggers at Derrick.

“You haven’t seen the last of me you little shit. There will be hell to pay.”

Derrick couldn’t help but smile at the man as the door closed.

///////

Ryudo put the glass down and let out a sigh. He and Derrick were at the bar getting drinks after putting in long hours helping the hybrids the best they could. Out of the ninety hybrids that were assigned to work for Volt Construction, only sixty five could be saved. The rest either died in the explosion or on the operating table. The ones that did survive lost either an arm or a leg but would get prosthetic limbs to replace them.

“Well, today was an interesting day,” Ryudo said with a chuckle, trying to lighten up the damp mood.

“Interesting isn’t the word. Today was a cluster fuck. And it was going so well too.”

“You did what you could D. You can’t keep beating yourself up.”

“If only that fucking idiot didn’t make them work, none of this would’ve happened,” Derrick said angrily.

He took the rest of the drink to the head before slamming the glass down and putting his hands to his face.

“Why are we so stupid Ryudo? Why do hybrids have more common sense then us?”

Ryudo was quiet, taking another sip of his beer. The chair next to them was pulled out as Ming took a seat.

“Thanks for the help Dr. Peterson. It was a pretty bad scene. I’ll take a Bud light barkeep.”

Getting his mug, he took a big swallow, letting out a happy sigh followed by a burp.

“Glad I could help Dr. Ming,” Ryudo said with a nod of his head.

“Thank you for loaning us Dr. Thomas also. He’s a very talented doctor.”

“I know. That’s why I hired him.”

“I wanted to know if he would consider coming to run this hospital? I could always use another doctor like him.”

“That’s all up to him.”

Derrick was quiet as the barkeep refilled his beer. He took a swig before looking at the glass.

“I’m going to have to decline Dr. Ming. As much as I want my own hospital to run, I can’t leave Dr. Peterson. Without him, I wouldn’t even be a doctor.”

Ming smiled at that and nodded his head.

“Well, always know that if you change your mind and want your own hospital, just give me a call. I’ll keep your information in the system just incase.”

They shared a few laughs while talking until Arnold came up. He undid his tie and asked the barkeep for a straight shot of something hard. Derrick looked at him as Arnold did another shot.

“Well, I just got fired.”

“Sorry to hear,” Derrick said. “Why did you get fired?”

“Well after you broke his nose, he said he would sue. I told him he had no basis to sue since he did ignore the doctor's orders. That’s when he flipped out on me, cursing me out and calling me a hybrid helper. After that, he fired me on the spot saying I was useless and he’ll find someone else to do what he wanted.”

Arnold just laughed before taking another shot.

“Five years down the drain. What the hell am I going to do now?”

Everybody was quiet before he spoke up again.

“Oh well, it was good while it lasted. Guess I’ll see you whenever I see you.”

“What’s going to happen to the hybrids?” Derrick asked.

“The boss has no need from them now. He’ll go to another farm and buy more to keep somewhat close to the deadline.”

All the doctors looked at each other with disgust. Typical company. Something goes wrong with the hybrids and they just replace them like light bulbs. Arnold got up from the chair, leaving some money on the counter for the drinks.

“Sorry for forcing you earlier. I guess karma is coming back to kick me in the ass.”

“What will you do now?” Derrick asked.

“Don’t know. Maybe I’ll stay at home for a bit and think about what the hell just happened. Maybe a few days off will help me think about my career choice.”

The watched him leave, head down and out the door.

“He was a good guy,” Derrick said. “But he got into the wrong business. Anyway, where are you staying Ryudo?”

“Dr. Ming got me a hotel near the hospital so it's not that far.”

“That’s good. I couldn’t have handled all those hybrids by myself. I’m still mad that some of them died. But I did what I could. At least they died in good hands.”

“That’s the best way to look at it,” Ryudo said with a smile. “Anyway, I’m going to head back to the hotel to get some sleep. Going to head back in the morning and help out the best I can. See you tomorrow.”

They gave Ryudo a two finger salute as he left the bar, leaving them alone. Ming looked at Derrick before smiling.

“I can see why you don’t want to leave. No bother. Like I said before, the spot will always be there if you want it. Have a good night and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Derrick watched him leave, leaving him all alone with his thoughts. With a sigh, he finished his drink, leaving money for it as well as a tip and left.

///////

A knock on the door made Derrick look up from his computer screen.

“Come in.”

The door open as Arnold walked in along with that asshole of an ex boss of his and another guy with a suitcase

“What do you want this time?”

They took a seat before the boss spoke up.

“I want to apologize for my actions as of late. I hope this doesn’t affect the report you will send to the government?”

“I was just about to send the reports now. All I need to do is hit the send button,” Derrick said, showing them the screen.

“Can we work something out? I brought my lawyer here so we could work out some kind of deal.”

Derrick chuckled at that before leaning back in his chair.

“What is there to work out? We told you not to put the hybrids to work but you let money be your deciding factor.”

“You have to understand where I’m coming from. I’m a businessman. And business is what I do. I have to abide by my clients demands and wants. If they need something done by a certain time, I have to obey their wishes.”

“I understand that. But sometimes you need to tell the clients that your deadline isn’t working and needs to be pushed up some.”

“Doing that will make me lose money.”

“So will going against doctor’s orders.”

The man gritted his teeth before looking at his lawyer. The lawyer nodded before opening the suitcase and pulling out some papers.

“We are willing to give you anything you want if you don’t send that report. You have to understand that this is business.”

“Business shouldn’t be at the expense of lives.”

“So a couple of hybrids died. Big deal. In the long scheme of things, they won’t matter in the end.”

Derrick eyes narrowed at that.

“I think this conversation is done gentlemen. Expect to hear from the government.”

“Arnold say something dammit.”

“What do you want me to say? You fired me remember?”

“Fine, you’re hired back on. Just talk some sense into him.”

Arnold looked at Derrick who looked back at him, arms folded across his chest.

“What can we do to make those reports disappear? All we want to do is finish the building for the clients.”

Derrick thought about it before smiling.

“Very well, here’s what’s going to happen. I’ll let you finish your building. But the hybrids you bring in will be in a hundred percent health. And all the hybrids that you let get injured due to your neglect, will be compensated.”

“What kind of compensation?” the lawyer asked.

“Once they get fully healed, you will let them come back to work with full benefits. That is non negotiable.”

The lawyer moved to the boss and whispered something into his ear as they went back and forth. Finally the lawyer spoke up with a sigh.

“Full benefits might be a little hard with all the hybrids we employ.”

“Then I suggest you get a bigger budget.”

The boss looked at the lawyer before nodding his head.

“Very well. You have a deal.”

“I want that in writing.”

“You’ll have it in the morning.”

Derrick smiled before turning the screen around as they watched him erase the email. The boss and the lawyer seemed to let out sighs at that before getting up.

“Thank you for your cooperation doctor. I hope the next time we met, it could be under better conditions,” the boss said, taking his leave along with his lawyer.

Arnold stayed behind and looked at Derrick.

“Are you still going to send that report?”

“Of course I am. Corporations like his needs to be taught a lesson.”

Arnold couldn’t help but let out a small smirk at that.

“No arguement here. I may have gotten my job back, but I’ll try and find something else in the meantime. I’ll catch you sometime in the future.”

They gave each other a handshake and hug before Arnold left. Derrick sat back down and smiled. Boy is that guy going to be mad. No matter. People like him won’t change. He sat there for a bit longer before getting up and heading towards Jason’s room. Reaching his room, he saw Jason eating his lunch with his good arm.

“How you feeling Jason?” Derrick asked with a smile.

“A tad better. Still mad that I can’t work anymore now that I can’t see out of one eye.”

“Don’t worry about that. I made provision that would help all the hybrids injured in that accident.”

Jason’s ears perked up at that before smiling.

“And here I thought all humans were bad and only cared about themselves.”

“Your sister showed me the errors of my way.”

Jason chuckled at that.

“Yeah, she has the way of getting you to show your emotional side.”

Derrick chuckled at that before an idea popped into his idea as he took a seat next to him.

“Want to come live with us?”

Jason looked at him with wide eyes.

“You mean it? But what about my other owner?”

“I’m sure they’ll ‘see’ the light after I’m done with them.”

Jason’s tail wagged happily under the sheets.

“I’d love to be with my sister again. Thank you for the chance. I’ll make sure to do all I can in my injured state.”

“Don’t worry about little things like that. You won’t have to do anything but live a happy life. I’ll go get everything ready. You just stay here and heal up.”

Jason nodded his head, a smile on his face as Derrick got up and left. All that was left was to report to Ming and he’ll be done for the day.

//////

Donna sat at the table, working on some exercises that Connie had planned out. She was happy that she got to see her brother, even though he was a little worse for the wear. Connie walked over and took a seat.

“How you doing so far?”

“Almost done,” Donna said with a happy wag of her tail.

“Connie, I’m going to go pick up Derrick. Be right back,” Rachel said, leaving out the front door.

Once she left, Connie looked at Donna before speaking.

“I’m going to miss speaking to you when you leave. You’re just like my little sister.”

“I’m going to miss you too. You’re a fun person to be around.”

“Maybe we’ll come visit you one of these days.”

“That’ll be great. I can’t wait. Okay, I’m done with this. Take a look.”

Connie looked over the problems before nodding her head.

“Everything looks good. You have really picked up on everything faster than I expected.”

Donna smiled happily, a small blush on her cheeks. Connie put the papers down before standing up.

“How about we fix the siblings some dinner together?”

“Okay.”

They started to fix everything when the front door opened. Derrick walked into the living room before taking a seat. Donna walked over and gave him a lick on the cheek before speaking.

“How was everything today?”

“Great. All the hybrids will make a full recovery and will be compensated for their injuries. I made sure of that,” Derrick said with a smile.

“How’s my brother?”

“He’s recovering. It’ll be awhile before he’s at hundred percent.”

Donna nodded with a smile. She knew Derrick would take good care of her brother. Her nose twitched as the smell of food flowed through the house.

“Need to check on dinner. It should be ready soon.”

Derrick watched her leave before his phone vibrated in his pocket. Looking at the ID, it was Ryudo.

“What’s up?”

“I’ll be leaving on the seven o’clock train back home. What time is yours?”

“Eleven.”

“Okay. I’ll see you when you get back home.”

“Will do.”

He hung up before the phone rang again, this time it was Ming.

“Hey Dr. Ming. What’s up?”

“I wanted to thank you again for everything you’ve done over the past couple of days. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“I’m just glad I could be of service. Did you get my email I sent?”

“Sure did. Thanks again for looking out for the hybrids. I’m sure they thank you also.”

“Just doing my job.”

“Just remember, if you ever want a hospital of your own, all you ask to do is ask. Have a safe trip back home.”

“Thank you Ming. Hope we’ll meet again.”

He hung up in time to be called in for dinner which consisted of rice, roasted potatoes, and veggies. After getting his fill, he took a shower and laid down. He was going to miss his sister, even if she drove him crazy. The bed shifted as Donna joined him, letting out a murr as she hugged him. He wouldn’t ruin the surprise just yet.

//////

The trip back seemed longer than normal. Maybe because Derrick couldn’t wait to get back to his own home. Not that his sister’s house was bad, but he would rather be in his own domain. Walking through the front door, he let out a sigh as he inhaled that familiar smell.

“Man it’s good to be back home.”

“I know. Let me unpack our bags,” Donna said, walking down the hall.

Derrick watched her before grabbing all the mail that was on the floor. He filtered through them, tossing away all the junk and keeping the bills. Looking out the window, it was getting dark so there was no need to do anything. He took a seat on the recliner, extending the bottom to stretch his legs out.

“Well, that was a great experience.”

Donna came into the living room, a smile on her face as she laid out on the couch, tail wagging happily behind her.

“Did you enjoy yourself Donna?”

“Very much. Thank you bringing me along. I even got to see Jason thanks to you,” she said happily.

Seeing Donna happy always stirred something inside him. He could get lost looking into those lavender eyes. He got up from the recliner and went to the radio and turned on a smooth jazz station. With that on, he walked to Donna and held his hand out.

“Would you care to dance Donna?”

She blushed at that before looking down.

“I don’t know how.”

“That’s okay. Just followed my lead. We’ll take it nice and slow.”

Donna nodded before accepting his hand. He pulled her close, feeling her shiver from the contact. Once he got them in the middle of the room, he started to teach her slowly, moving in time with the music. She stepped on his feet several times, blushing hard and saying sorry. But soon, she got the hang of it as they danced together.

“You catch on quick,” Derrick said, spinning her lightly.

“I have great teachers,” Donna smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck as the music turned slow.

Derrick held her waist, feeling that soft fur run through his fingers. Donna murred softly, resting her head under his chin. Then she remembered what Rachel told her about making the first move. But could she do it? Her heart skipped a beat just thinking about it.

“Derrick…..I….” she started before going silent again.

Derrick looked down at her, seeing her eyes look into his. Before he knew it, he was leaning down and connecting his lips with her. It was a weird experience, kissing something with a muzzle but was far from pleasant. Her eyes went wide at the contact, but she slowly began to kiss back. The kiss lasted several seconds before they pulled back. Donna had the biggest grin on her muzzle as her tail wagged rapidly.

“Does this mean what I think it does?”

“What does it mean to you?” Derrick asked.

“That you love me.”

“Then you would be correct.”

Donna yip happily before kissing him again, her arms tightening around his neck. Derrick did the same, hugging her close to his body.

“Wait,” Derrick said pushing her off gently.

“Did I do something wrong?” Donna asked, ears folded slightly.

“Of course not cutie. I just want to be comfortable when making you feel good.”

Donna blushed but nodded as they hurried to his bedroom. Once in there, Derrick started to undress as Donna watched him. The shirt came first, showing his chest. Sure he didn’t have a six pack, but it was well defined, which was good enough for her. Then came the pants as he left the underwear on.

“Don’t leave me hanging Derrick. I want to see it all,” Donna said with a slight, lustful growl.

This made Derrick blush a little as he reached down and slowly slid his underwear down, releasing his pride and joy to the air. Donna looked at it with wonder, never seeing a human naked before. The scent of his body filled his nostrils making her insides tingle.

“Your turn my dear.”

Donna nodded, beginning to take off her house clothes. Her fur looked soft and inviting, just waiting to be roamed and caressed. Her breasts were perky, black nipples protruding through the brown fur and stiff. The pants dropped to her ankles, showing that triangular, black mound that glistened in the light from her excitement.

“You are beautiful Donna.”

Her ears folded back in a hug blush as her tail wagged happily. He walked over and embraced her with a kiss, loving the feel of her fur against his naked body. She whined in bliss, pushing her tongue against his lips wanting access which was granted instantly as saliva was exchanged and their body heat increased.

“Take me Derrick,” Donna whined, out of breath from the kiss. “Make me yours.”

Derrick smiled before leading her to the bed and laying her down like a delicate flower. She laid there, left leg up as her tail wagged happily. He crawled between her legs before giving her another kiss, feeling her arms hold him close. Breaking off, he went down her neck, giving it small nibbles and kisses making her whine.

He can’t believe he waited this long to do this. Maybe he didn’t want to rush anything and wait for the perfect time like now. He made it to her breasts that were jiggling in rhythm with her breathing. He lashed his tongue out over one nipple, getting a strong intake of air from Donna as her back arched. He covered it with his mouth, licking, sucking, and biting it.

Donna didn’t know what to do. Her body was on fire as her human lover pleasured her body. The only thing she could do was whine and pant, her tongue lolling out. Derrick switched breasts, but not neglecting it as he squeezed and pinched that slippery nipple. He could feel the shivers go through her body making him smile, knowing he was pleasing her good.

Having enough of that, he went down lower on her body. He paused at her stomach, giving it a tickle making her giggle and squirm playfully. A strong, musky scent hit his nose as he went lower till he was face to face with that black mound. He ran a finger over it, watching it twitch in anticipation as he collected some of the liquid that already escaped and give it a lick. It wasn’t all that bad.

With a smile, he ran his tongue slowly over those puffy lips earning a loud moan from Donna. That was what he wanted to hear as he did it again and again. Using two finger, he opened her lips seeing the pink walls that would soon become home to his cock. Without hesitation, he drove his tongue him getting a yelp from the sudden intrusion.

“Oh…..god...Derrick,” Donna whined, feeling his tongue do circles in her most private area.

She twitched, moaned, and whined feeling her body being serviced. Her paws gripped Derrick’s hair hard, pushing his face in between her legs. If this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up ever. Being her first time, she could feel that burning climax coming ever closer. She didn’t want it to end that quickly. So with a whine, she pushed his head away breathing hard.

“Are you okay?” Derrick asked concerned.

This is why Donna loved Derrick. Even in the act of mating, her well being was all he cared about. She reached down and cupped his face, bringing it to hers and kissing him lovingly.

“Nothing is wrong. I need something to snack on now,” she said with a lick of her lips.

Derrick got the message as he sat near the top of the bed, his back on the headboard. Donna crawled up to his face, giving him another kiss before trailing her tongue slowly down his bare chest. He shivered, feeling that rough tongue go down his body. Donna gave a chuckle when she reached his penis that was rock hard.

“I love the little patch of fur you have down here. Its cute.”

“Don’t say things like that. It’s embarrassing,” Derrick blushed.

Donna smiled before bringing her paw up and lightly gripping that hard piece of flesh. She could feel it throb in her grasp in time with Derrick’s heart as she stroked it up and down slowly. Her ears perked at the moan she coaxed out of him.

“Feel good?”

“Very,” Derrick said. “Your pads are super soft and warm.”

She smiled at that before bringing her nose down and inhaling his true scent. It smelt just like she expected...manly and strong. Her long tongue circled his sensitive head earning a soft buck of hips and a bead of pre. That was quickly collected as she made another swipe, loving the taste. Having enough of that and being mindful of her sharp canines, she inched her muzzle slowly over his cock.

“Fuck,” Derrick moaned, feeling the heat from her muzzle surround him.

She took what she could before gagging and bringing her head back up, repeating the process with a happy whine. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Opening her closed eyes, she looked up at his face to see the mask of pleasure plastered on it. She squeezed her legs together as a twinge of pleasure ran through her, making her nether regions demand more attention.

Derrick huffed, feeling his cock being serviced by this beautiful hybrid. In all his life, he never thought he would ever fall for a beast like her. But all that changed when he got to know her. Now, he couldn’t see his life without her in it. He could feel his cock throb angrily in her muzzle, dispensing pre non stop in preparation for the next stage. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He wanted to be inside her and judging by the constant whines Donna was emitting, neither could she.

“I think we waited long enough,” Donna said, raising her muzzle and licking her lips with a growl. “It’s time to make this dream a reality.”

Derrick grinned at that as she climbed into his lap and grinded hard against his saliva covered prick. He could feel the heat and wetness cover the shaft. He could only imagine what she would feel like. Breathlessly, she raised her hips and lined herself up, feeling the tip of his cock kiss her black lips.

“Are you ready for this Donna?” he asked softly.

“I’ve been ready,” she replied with a lustful growl.

She pressed herself down, feeling her lovers cock pop into her virgin tunnel making her whine softly. Derrick kissed her softly, watching in amazement as she slowly lowered herself down until they hips connected, finally becoming one. She opened her beautiful lavender eyes and looked at him with love.

“Finally,” she said happily. “I wanted to do this for so long, but I didn’t know if you felt the same way.”

“Same here. I wanted so many times to hold and kiss you, but I didn’t want to force myself on you.”

“I guess your sister was right. I should’ve made the first move.”

“Please don’t mention her now,” Derrick said with a frown.

She giggled at that before kissing him softly. Placing her hands on his shoulder, she eased herself up, spikes of pleasure running up her spine before lowering herself back down with a yip. They started off slow and sensual, just like a dance. Each connection of their hips were followed with a moan from both parties.

Derrick knew her insides would be tight, but this was a whole new level. He could feel her walls squeeze and mold itself to every inch and contour of his rod. His hands gripped her rear near her rapidly wagging tail and squeezed hard earning a deep growl from the recipient and faster movement. She had to be without a shadow of a doubt, the best lover he ever had.

Donna on the other hand never thought she would find love after being bought by Boeing. Her owner was a slave driver and gave her so much work that she never had time to find the right mate to be with. But the gods were kind to her in bringing Derrick into her life. Sure he was a human, but what difference did that make? What mattered to her was the way he treated her like an equal. Always caring and always had a smile on his face that could make her giddy all over.

“Oh Derrick. It….feels so good,” she whined, moving faster, making sure to grind herself hard whenever their hips met, stimulating her clit.

“God Donna, I love how you feel. So tight and warm. I don’t think I can control myself,” Derrick said, using his hands to slam her down harder to penetrate as deep as he could.

“Then don’t. Claim this body as your own.”

With a groan, he spun them around, letting Donna get comfortable before rocking into her hard. Donna let out yelps, with each impact, feeling the power behind each thrust. She ran her claws across his back, baring her teeth in a snarl as pleasure she never felt before clouded her brain.

Derrick smashed his hips repeatedly into her, threatening to break her in half. He thought for a second he was hurting her but she wrapped her legs around him, begging him to breed her. The headboard slammed violently into the wall behind them, the springs groaning their protest to the heavy love making. You could hear the heavy impact of flesh meeting fur, along with the slick sounds of fluids being leaked and mixed together.

Donna could feel her pleasure start to reach it apex. Her tail began to wrap around Derrick’s waist as her tunnel started to spasm wildly. It was a miracle she lasted this long. She panted heavily, tongue licking Derrick’s neck needingly. Derrick wasn’t that far behind her. He could feel her tunnel constrict heavily on him making it harder to thrust but maximizing the pleasure for both. Soon it was becoming too much to handle as his balls drew into his body ready to inseminate the female he was mating.

“Donna…..I….can’t….”

“In me. In me please,” she whined. “Let me feel your love deep inside me.”

Derrick buried his face into Donna’s neck, shivering heavily and trying to hold on for as long as possible. Donna could tell what he was doing and would have none of it. With a growl, she bit into his shoulder and squeezed down on his cock with a vice like grip. Derrick let out a yell of surprise, pushing as deep as he could and exploded in bliss. Donna howled with victory before joining her lover in orgasmic bliss.

She could feel every shot spill out from the tip, coating her hybrid tunnel with his human spunk and dooming the eggs in her system if she was in heat. They grinded out their climax for everything it was worth before crashing down back to earth. Donna felt Derrick collapse on her chest as she held him close, afraid to let him go even for a second. Once their senses came back and breathing returned to normal, Derrick got on his elbows and looked down at his new lover.

Her lavender eyes looked glazed but satisfied as a goofy smile was on her muzzle. Her fur was disheveled in many places as his body was covered in sweat. The room was filled to capacity with their pheromones but neither of that matter to them. What mattered was they were in the arms of the person they loved. Derrick leaned down and gave her a lover’s kiss which she returned happily before rolling onto his back. She threw one leg over his, her head under his chin and sighed happily, feeling the aftermath of their mating mat the inside of her thighs.

“Thank you for everything Derrick. I’m so glad I met you,” Donna said softly, sleep beginning to creep up on her.

“Same for you Donna. I don’t think I could ever find anybody that would replace you in my heart. You complete me Donna.”

Donna whined happily at that, giving him a lick on the cheek before snuggling closer to him, letting out a murr feeling his arm hold her close. It was quiet before Donna chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Derrick asked.

“Did you know Rachel and Connie were lovers?”

Derrick coughed at that before looking at Donna.

“Seriously?”

“Uh huh. Connie told me all about how they first mated. It was a real surprise to me.”

“Ha. I knew she was hiding something. Oh well, as long as she’s happy, that’s good enough for me. Which reminds me, I have a surprise for you.”

“What is it?” Donna asked, ears perked in curiousity.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Derrick said, kissing the tip of her nose making her giggle.

Without another word, they fell in a peaceful slumber in each other's embrace.

///////

“Dr. Thomas, you have a visitor in the lobby.”

“Okay, I’ll be right down.”

Derrick grabbed his coat and headed for the first floor. Getting to the lobby, he couldn’t help but smile at what he saw.

“He’s all yours,” Arnold said.

“Thanks for doing this man. I owe you.”

“Don’t worry about it. Consider us even.”

“Speaking of which, how is everything?”

Arnold shrugged his shoulders before speaking up.

“It sucks at the moment, but the guy had it coming. All the hybrids are being well taken care of now. We should have that building done by next month.”

“I see. Sorry for causing you trouble, but I was doing my job.”

“So was I,” Arnold said with a shrug before his phone rang. “Hello? Yeah boss, I’m heading back now. Okay, I’ll make sure he gets the message. Bye.”

Derrick looked at Arnold fix his tie and hair before turning to the exit.

“The boss says thanks for being lenient with him. You also have my thanks. Let’s meet again with the gang for drink one day?”

“You got yourself a date. I’ll see you later.”

Arnold gave a two finger salute before leaving. Derrick watched him leave before turning his attention to the hybrid next to him.

“Let’s get you home.”

The hybrid smiled at that and nodded his head, tail wagging happily. Getting into Derrick’s car, they headed home. Pulling into the driveway, they got out and went to the front door together.

“Donna, where are you honey?”

“Yes love?” Donna said, poking her head around the corner before freezing at who was there.

“Hey there fluffy tail. Good to see you again,” Jason said with a smile.

Donna was speechless before running up and hugging Jason tightly, tears of happiness running down her cheeks.

“What are you doing here brother?”

“I have a new job and owner,” he said looking at Derrick who smiled.

“I said I had a surprise for you.”

Donna barked happily, kissing Derrick deeply as her tail wagged nonstop.

“Thank you Derrick. I love you so much.”

“I love you to fluffy tail,” Derrick grinned making her blush. “Show Jason to his room and I’ll get dinner started for the three of us.”

She nodded her head and took Jason down the hall to his new room as Derrick watched them. Once he was settled and dinner was served, he told Donna that Jason would be working with Nick and his master once he got healthy. Donna was thrilled to have at least one of her family with her. Jason told her that Patrick was doing good and would write as soon as he could.

Once dinner was over and Jason was settled into Donna’s room, the collie eased her way into Derrick’s bed and kissed her. Derrick shivered, feeling that luxurious fur tickle his bare skin.

“You’ve made me the happiest hybrid ever,” she murred happily.

“I’m glad I could. Seeing you happy is all I want.”

Donna growled softly before sliding on top of him, grinding their waists together.

“Then how about we make us both happy?”

“Sounds like a plan lover.”

Donna smiled before easing herself down fully onto Derrick as they mated through the night. Knowing that as long as they had each other, nothing else mattered.