Chapter 3
Rick sat back in his chair, looking over the finished document titled ‘Fluffy family – Third draft’. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed and closed his laptop. Time to go and check up on his new little toys. He headed to the bathroom just opposite from the saferoom. Running the tap he splashed some water in his face and took a deep breath. Big mistake, the smell of must and shit hit his nose and he looked over to the source of the smell, the cardboard box that served as Turk and Coco’s former home. He would have to remember to get rid of that soon Rick thought. Without further ado, Rick made his way into the saferoom. Gently easing the door open, he poked his head around and saw the two fluffies. Propped on a plush pillow and covered in a blanket, fast asleep.
He slowly opened the door and crept inside, softly closing the door behind him. He wiggled his socked feet on the plush soft floor. It was the perfect material, soft enough that fluffies couldn’t really hurt themselves on it but compacted with enough weight that he could walk as if it was normal carpet. The same material creeping up the walls giving the illusion of grass growth but also to stop the little rats from braining themselves by running full pelt into the hard wall. The movement on the TV screen caught his attention, making his way over he pressed the floor mounted power button with his big toe. “I’ll have to remember to teach them to turn it off when they’re going to sleep or they’ll soon make the power bill creep up” he thought. Looking back to the sleeping pair he noticed that Turk was awake, one eye half open and looking in his direction. As Rick approached them, Turk’s eyes screwed shut. Like a child who is trying to pretend they’re asleep, the little stallions breathing quickened. Rick knelt down next to the pair and Turk moved slightly, putting more of his body between his mate and Rick. That didn’t go unnoticed by Rick “Hey little guy” he whispered. Turk opened his eyes and stared up at Rick “H-hewwo mistah, s-sowwy fwuffies wa’ sweepin’”
“That’s okay, little buddy” Rick responded tentatively reaching out one hand and stroked Turk’s mane. Turk flinched a little but didn’t make any attempt to get away. “How is she doing?” Rick inquired, motioning to Coco’s softly snoring form.
“Speciaw fwend am happy, housie am nice an’ wawmsie, fank oo, gud pwace fow famiwy” Turk tried to smile but it was very apparent to Rick it was forced.
Rick smiled a fake smile back and asked “And you? How are you liking it here?”
Turk looked from Rick to Coco and then back to Rick “Tuwk fink mistah seem nice an’ Coco wike mistah” Turk nodded sagely and then nuzzled Coco’s back.
Whether it was this contact or the noise of conversation, Coco began to stir. Rick took his hand off Turk’s mane and moved it to Coco’s gently stroking her as she cooed and woke up properly, her little eyes fluttering open and looking straight up at him.
“Hewwo daddeh, Coco make gud poopies in wittabox an hab gud sweepies, wub daddeh”
Rick scratcher her behind her ear, eliciting contented peeps from the mare. Turk’s eyes never left this exchange but he didn’t say a word. Coco began to babble on about saferoom this and babies that and then she requested to be taken over to the TV. Rick complied lifting Coco up to her joyous cries of upsies. Turk followed in their wake and watched closely as Rick knelt slowly and gently placed Coco on the ground on her stomach before switching on the TV. It was showing an episode of babies, exhibiting two brightly coloured older foals and their mother all dancing to the inane song that was being played and singing along. Coco tried to sing along but not knowing the words mostly hummed to the tune and wiggled her legs as much as she could in her state.
Rick looked over his shoulder and saw Turk trotting over. Rick turned to face him, it was then that Turk nudged Rick’s knee “M-mistah”
Rick looked down at him “Yes, Turk?”
“Hab mistah hab ova fwuffies?” Turk inquired of his new owner.
“Why do you ask that?” Rick responded, his eyes locking with the fluffy in front of him, as if truly seeing him for the first time.
“Jus, dis am nice safewoom fow fwuffies an’ wots of tings smeww wike fwuffy here” Turk nudged the floor with his front hoof while staring at it.
Rick let out an exaggerated sigh “Yeah, I knew this would come up sometime…her name was Rosie. I had her since she was a foal and she died a month ago” Rick frowned and looked forward bringing his hands to his face “She went forever sleepies and it gave me the biggest heart hurties.” Rick’s face broke out in a grin, fortunately blocked from the sight of the fluffies by his hands.
He felt the lightest touch on his leg and looked down to see Turk hugging it.
“It am otay nice mistah, huggies make evewyfing bettah.”
This development puzzled Rick, not only had the stallion made contact comforted him, getting over the obvious trepidation he has been struggling with up to now but he had also addressed Rick as ‘nice mistah’ as opposed to just mistah. Rick stroked Turk’s mane and while the fluffy froze up for a second at the contact, it was only a second and after that he let out a soft coo. Looks like the little guy was finally warming up to him.
“DADDEH NEE MAKE GUD POOPIES!” Coco shouted her little legs flailing this time in her desperation to turn herself and make her way to the litterbox. Turk ran over to help his special friend but Rick stepped over him and lifted the mare bodily before striding over to the litterbox, Turk in hot pursuit. Rick held Coco’s back end a couple inches over the litterbox and let her go about her business, he had to admit her grunting and straining little face was kinda cute. He looked over to Turk “How about you little guy?”
Turk nodded to Rick and clambered up into the litterbox, squatted down and began to relieve himself “Gud poopies an’ peepees” he squeaked out through the effort of voiding his bowels and bladder. When he was done he kicked some litter over his mess then walked over to his mates and repeated the action.
“Very good boy” Rick complimented Turk “And you too little lady”
“Yay Coco am wittwe wady!” she giggled squirming happily in her owner’s grip.
“Fank ‘oo nice mistah” Turk added.
“You guys wanna go back to watching the TV?” Rick enquired of the pair.
“Yay wub teebee, wub daddeh” Coco sang in her usual cheery tone.
‘She really is a happy fluffy’ Rick thought ‘Her life must have been pretty good so far, which considering her colouring and the fact she seemed to be a feral was somewhat of a surprise. Rick picked up a blanket and pillow and holding Coco under one arm, placed the pillow in front of the TV, the mare on top and then the blanket over her, leaving plenty of room for Turk. Turk trotted over, stuck his snout under the back of the blanket and made his way under and next to his special friend, cuddling up to her, his little head staring up at the TV.
“Tank ‘oo nice mistah” he squeaked out.
“Yay! Tank ‘oo daddeh” Coco chimed in “Wub daddeh, wub speciaw fwend, wub tummeh babbehs, wub teebee! Wub wub wub!.
Rick smiled to himself, he was a lucky man, the fluffies were exceptionally well behaved. Coco had acclimated to life in the house marvellously. Turk was definitely coming around and he would need to for the plan to take full effect. Now all there was to do was wait, the next phase would occur when the fluffies had given birth to their brood.
Turk yawned as he awoke, his special friend still snoozing gently next to him. It had been many bright times, nine days but Turk couldn’t count that high, since Rick had taken them in and they had made a makeshift nest out of the cushions and blankets that he had provided. It was the comfiest nest that Turk had ever had. He yawned and stretched slightly. The room was dark, lit up by faint lights that imitated stars on the roof of the saferoom. It wasn’t bright enough to disturb their sleep but plenty for them to meander their way to their water bowls or litterbox, the latter of which was the reason for Turk’s midnight jaunt. As he walked the short distance to relieve himself he thought about how their life had changed. From the cold hard floor of the alley to the soft and spongy green not grass his hoofs now padded on. From the cold soggy box that they called home to the warm saferoom with all the cushions and blankets and toys that they could ever want. From the struggle to find food and provide for his family to having three meals a day and clean water delivered to them. Hell, they had even had sketties twice. Turk and Coco had never had sketties before. Turk hopped into the litterbox and squatting down, straining being the good fluffy for the nice mister. Having finished his business he kicked some litter over his waste, Rick would be in later to clean it up but the litter would cover the worst of the smell until he did. Rick felt a little thirsty so he decided he would get some water before going back to sleep.
He put one hoof out of the litterbox.
“SCREEEEEEE WOWSTEST TUMMEH HUWTIES!!!” Coco absolutely bellowed at the top of her lungs. The sudden noise caught Turk off guard as he was putting his other front hoof down and he went tumbling out of the litterbox banging his snout on the cushioned floor. The fall did no real damage but it dazed him for a fraction of a second, enough time for Coco to screech again.
“SCREEEEEE BIGGEST POOPIES!!!” Coco was sobbing as she lost control of her bowels, the pain overwhelming her natural bodily functions. Turk knew what that meant, he had known enough soon mummahs, their babies were coming. He raced over to his mate who emitted another loud SCREEEEEE!!!
“Speciaw fwend, Tuwk am hewe” Turk comforted her.
“EEEEE SPECIAW FWEND! Wowstest speciaw pwace huwties!” Coco choked out between the pain and sobs that rocked her rotund body.
“It am otay, Tuwk am hewe an nice mistah…nice mistah!” Turk suddenly remembered Rick. “Wait hewe speciaw fwend, Tuwk wiww ge’ mistah wick”
“NOOOO SPECIAW FWEND! Pwease nu’ weave Coco” The mare begged, her little mind going into overdrive at the pain and fear of what was happening to her.
“Tuwk wiww be wight back” he promised as he dashed off to the red panic button that Rick had shown him when they first moved in. He stamped on it like his life depended on it, hitting it with all the force his front hooves could muster. He just hoped it would work and that Rick would come, when he was feral and in a herd experienced mothers would coach new mothers through the process of giving birth. Turk was decidedly out of his depth and Rick was their only hope if something went horribly wrong.
Rick was awoken by the droning alarm on his phone. The one specifically set for the panic button from the saferoom. He rubbed his eyes and grabbed the phone from his bedside table. Pulling up the saferoom camera he saw that Coco was wailing like a banshee, thrashing and shaking as best she could in her immobile state. Turk on the other hand was running himself ragged, dashing between the mare and the panic button, hitting the latter when he came to it. Rick laughed to himself as the mental image of the stallion getting confused and slapping the mare like she was the panic button. He sat up on the side of the bed, stretching and stifling a yawn with the back of his hand. He quickly slipped on a dressing gown, his slippers and grabbed the little toiletries bag which held his fluffy midwife supplies. Not much more than a clean hand towel a small spoon and a tiny plastic bottle filled with fluffy milk with a little rubber nipple. Enough to keep a foal quiet for a few minutes and avoid any newborn hunger pangs. He slipped this bottle into his dressing gown pocket and made his way to the saferoom. As he stood outside the door, he could hear the relatively heavy breathing of Turk as he ran about and Coco’s violent scree’s as if someone was ripping her apart with their bare hands. Rick forced his face into an expression of concern that would fool the fluffies into thinking he cared about their wellbeing. However all he cared about was making sure phase two of his plan went smoothly. He grabbed hold of the handle and opened the door.