Beep. Beep. Beep.
Hercules hated the sound. He sat down and stared at the woman before him. She was a shriveled husk of a human, her vibrant brown eyes remained closed. He paced up and down the room, occasionally he would sneak glances at her. Maybe she would move?
“Wady Ambew. Famiwy came tu see.”
Hercules’ mouth felt dry as he looked at her face. She was pale, almost shrunken looking as her bruises were fading. It had been months since the accident, she had been hit by a drunk driver during their walks. Several ribs broken, spinal damage, and a cracked skull.
Every time he closed his eyes he remembered pulling her out of the ditch. The smell of burning rubber, leaking gas, and blood. His head throbbing as he had been dragged into the stone filled ditch by his leash. He blinked back tears and stared at the corpse-like thing his friend had become.
Her parents and siblings would come by to check on her. That when he would sit in the corner, Hercules was smart enough to know his presence was an uncomfortable feature to their experience. He sighed and sat on the little mat the nurses had left for him.
“Hey.”
The voice broke his concentration, Hercules turned to see a fat man with thick glasses and stern looking frown.
“Ken?” Hercules said as the man moved closer to Amber.
“Don’t think we’ve met, family said there was a horse in her room.”
“Wady Ambew teww Hewcuwes aww about Ken. Biggest Bothew.”
“Huh. Yeah, I’m the oldest. Has she woken up at all?”
Hercules shook his head and nuzzled her face. “Wat do?”
“All we can do is wait. She is lucky to even be alive at all. The asshole who did this just broke a few ribs.” Ken snarled.
“Caw hit Ambew, and we faww. Wocks gib ouchies to Ambew and Hewc. Puww Ambew out and scream tiww Hewp twuck come.”
Realization hit Ken. “You don’t belong to the hospital.”
“Nu.”
“You are my sister’s sex toy?”
“Nu uh.”
“I’ve seen the commercials. That’s all you can do.”
“Hewc nu hab any enfie. Am bonded but… Wady Ambew no wan enfie. Wan bestiest fwiend.”
Ken gave him a long look. “Fine.”
“Mistah Ken?”
While fuckffies couldn’t move their limbs to hug, that didn’t stop them from trying to share affection with humans. He brushed his head against Ken’s legs.
“Did you know that she used to be scared of the dark?”
Herc nodded, “And Ducks.”
“Yeah I never got the duck thing. They never hurt her as a kid. I’m surprised she was out walking so late.”
“Wady Ambew say dat she nu wan be fat. Say Hewc am bodiegaw-Body…” The golden furred fuckffie struggled with the word before scrunching up his face, “Toughie.”
Ken smirked at the little creature, “So you were keeping her safe. I told her to get a dog but she was scared of those too.”
“Uh huh. Scawed of Bawkies, big biwdies, cwawlies and some hoomins.” Herc blushed, “Made Hewc feew hewpfuw.”
“I know. I was in your shoes when she was a kid. She was jumpy but she always tried to do her best. Now, I just want her to wake up.”
The two males stared at the comatose woman. Ken blinked back tears as Herc gave her hand a kiss. He could see that the chimera had been crying recently. Those bloodshot eyes mirrored his own haunted gaze.
“Hey. You wanna come back to my place so you can sleep? I’m gonna be here for a few hours to speak with the doctors but I live close by.”
“Hewc can’t am bonded.” Herc said with a somber smile.
“I don’t get it.”
“Need Wady Ambew cwose. Too wong an’ Hewc get heawt-huwties den head-huwties.”
Ken nodded but opened his phone to do a quick google search. After several pages of chimera cock and asses, he found the page on their upkeep. His eyes skimmed down to the bonding process and he read the quote to himself.
“Fuckffies can be bonded to ensure total compliance and loyal. Only taking an hour, the bonding process causes the fuckffie to be genetically linked to the human in a variety of ways. Simple skin to skin contact is enough to cause a small rush of serotonin and dopamine in the body. A pet is like winning the lottery, a kiss will have them like putty in your hands. Even your scent will cause them mild happiness. However long periods of separation can cause depression, hopelessness, paranoid and in extreme cases thoughts of suicide and death. Negative effects start at one week of no contact, for long trips please leave them with some genetic material. Note: Side effects are akin to major drug withdrawal.”
He glanced down at Herc who rested his head on the edge of the bed. The stallion was enraptured with his sister. “You can be away from her for a week.”
Herc glanced up, “Do Hewc hab choice?”
“Yeah.”
“Stay. Wan Hewc to be thewe fo’ Wady Ambew. Wub so much, am so wowwied!”
The little creature started to sob, then he let the tears flow. Ken wrapped his arms around Hercules and gave him a tight hug. Bright blond hair tickled his nose and tears stained his shirt. This wasn’t the actions of a junkie but the grief of a friend.
“She’s gonna be okay. Breathe little guy.”
Herc shuddered before slowly catching breath. Ken pulled away and gave him a somber smile. The human was kind and reminded Herc of Amber’s kindness.
“I don’t want my sister waking up to a sad friend. She’d just worry herself, how about I tell you some embarrassing stories about her. You can tease her about it when she gets up.” Ken said.
“Hewc hab fun stowies too. Ambew ate soap before.” Herc gave a sad grin.
“Again? Lemme guess. Shaped like food?”
Herc nodded. “Appwe shape!”
“See that’s why she needs us. Eating soap and crying because a moth touches her hair. Lemme tell you about the time she-”
Herc only had room in his heart for his owner but within an hour he found a Kindred spirit in another human. The ache in his heart was softened but his eyes couldn’t leave his best friend laying on the bed.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
