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My Special Sister part 9

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My Special Sister (part 9)

*

“Tess? Tess?” Fred’s voice came out soothing so to wake her.

“Five more minutes,” Tess purred softly, her cheek rubbed against Fred’s skin. Her whiskers tickled his neck as his scent filled her nostrils. Her thick and soft fur made her believe she was wearing her own blanket; every place she leaned onto felt comfortable. Fred shuffled under her and she just tightened her grip around his arm.

“Tess. We’re up,” Fred said softly as he gently moved. “The doctor is waiting.”

“The doctor…” Tess mumbled half in her sleep before snapping awake “The doctor?!” she sat up, almost jumping to her feet as she looked around. That drew the attention of other patients waiting for their turn. Some of them, if not most of them looked at her with disgust and caution, as if she could spread the virus just by breathing the same air as her. “Is it our turn already?” Tess muttered dusting the mental cobwebs off her mind while her hand went reflexively to comb and smooth out the fur on her cheek.

“Yes, we were just called,” Fred said, guiding Tess up on her feet. “Better not leave the doctor waiting.”

She held onto Fred’s arm as she yawned. The nurse jumped back as she caught a sight of Tess’ sharp fangs as they passed by, not that Tess noticed. She was just feeling so drowsy. She knew this and was doing her best to get herself active.

Why am I tired? She found herself thinking, her mind running like the reel of a movie as she pondered. Sleeping in a waiting room was so unlike her. Yet it’s been a really tough week for them. So many things going on from many different angles that at times it became difficult to keep track of what was going on.

The first thing that came to her head was Dr. Westin. Her doctor, former doctor, that was in charge of Tess pregnancy had taken it sourly after losing his famous patient. About a day after their last check up with him, he informed Tess, not as a courtesy, but because the hospital practically demanded him to let Tess know he was submitting his findings to a medical magazine. Tess was not happy about it. One thing to be one of the first taurs in Oregon, but another to be the first known pregnant taur in the world. So, Fred and Tess were quick to call the magazine just to dissuade the editor from accepting the unsolicited information. But despite their effort, the information was so valuable the issue was set to come out by the end of September, within a week or so. The battle was lost, and all Tess could do was prepare for the worst.

“I will have to share this with Casey soon,” she muttered to herself on and on. Regardless of having no idea how the reaction would be, it was best to have the media as an ally rather than being the freakshow.

That was the biggest source of her stress, but it was something that was yet to happen, and not one of the reasons for her exhaustion. Another was her job. At the end of last week, she had just about the best moment in the office since her transformation. She stood up to her boss, Mr. Bell and Cranston’s idiotic plan of having Monica pose as Tess, just because she was a taur. She just couldn’t let that plan slide, note even from her boss, so she made her voice heard. She spoke up and set her foot down. She had all the arguments to win the argument, points Mr. Bell just couldn’t ignore as he always did. In the end she got what she wanted, much to her joy. She would be meeting the famous investor, Mr. Devlin, soon over lunch and make new contacts in her career.

She did call Mr. Devlin to confirm the meeting but had to tell him she was a taur (she hesitated but assumed he was open minded person based on his portfolio). Additionally, Tess spent extra hours in the office every day to prepare the investor’s portfolio for presentation and summary. Tess did what she could to possibly impress him. That wouldn’t go unnoticed for her client and by the company. Some of the time of her extra hours, she was daydreaming her future: a raise, more prestige and maybe working from home, spend more time with her family, specially with the baby on the way.

With the news going public in a matter of weeks, Tess saw no reason as to keep on hiding her pregnancy from her relatives. She started with her Mom and Dad, then they carried the breaking news down the rest of the family tree. Fred’s family did the same. Before long, the married couple were receiving phone calls from relatives with mixed emotions. Some were proud, while others were startled the baby would be a taur. Still, they were all trying their best to be welcoming.

With two people pregnant within the group, Marion and Olivia were all on board of looking out for their friends. Marion was determined to get herself elected godmother of either kid, even though she was already Nick’s. She was always present, doing her best to ease up the piling tension off Tess and Dinah’s shoulders. Olivia, on he other hand, had been reading books about pregnancy and studies recommending the best multivitamins and supplements that might benefit the babies the most. Of course, most of her advices were directed to Dinah since she was having a “human pregnancy”. She was cautious when advising Tess, unsure whether the information would be helpful for her taur body, such as what to take and how much per day. Their meetups would double, as if her friends were trying to squeeze as much Dinah time as possible before she leaves for Europe.

And as if all that wasn’t helpful, Tess was already starting to feel the effects of her pregnancy. Most of the mornings she would wake up with a knot in her stomach that could only be the morning sickness she heard about. She was becoming a bit self-conscious of her body, in particular her rump and the mood swings. She might have not noticed she had been a bit erratic, just what her husband and friends said. She got worried. After all, she brought her hopes up on the pregnancy and this was the farthest she’d ever lasted. She would’ve tried to put up a brave and excited face at the question, but if asked if she was actually scared and worried, she would’ve confessed she was, without consideration. She was afraid that at one point, she would lose the child, flying blindly without a doctor to guide her. Often wanting to cry anguish and joy. Not sure what to take, what to eat, whether should follow her gut and go on a meat diet or a balanced meal, whether or not she should ask Dinah for some of her multivitamins. If she were to say yes, how many should she take as a dosage? Two? Or one and a half? Would those work for her body or not? The anxiety was causing her to lose sleep.

To make things more stressful, there was the search for a new hospital and doctor. Each day of the week she scheduled appointments with potential doctors to take up her case. Everyone of them haven’t been successful and all the stress in Tess’ life was affecting her performance.

“Very well…” The attending doctor said after meeting them. He seemed resolute and stern in his attitude. Professional, was the word that came to Tess’ mind, but then again, she had also thought of Dr. Westin.

Tess eyes wandered around the room as she sat on her hindquarters, shuffling every so often to not fall asleep. She noticed the doctor’s diplomas and certificates hanging on the wall behind him, a usual sign of a status along with pictures of his family. The window’s blinds were open to show off the 23rd Street in the Northwest District. The sky was growing darker while cars outside were switching on their lights during a slight traffic jam. The view from this place just reminded her how far they had gone on their search of a new doctor.

Many doctors turned her down, but the few appointments they had were not really close winners. The first one was a polite denial because of her form and healthcare policies. In the second appointment she was treated as a biohazard. The third appointment was a yes, but it was so far that Tess was seen as a medical science experiment, even the doctor asking to have her eggs for analysis. Tess could only imagine what he would do to her baby.

And that’s how they wound up at the present appointment. Dr. Quinn was a thin man in his fifties, with graying hair and a thick set of glasses. Unlike Dr. Westin, he seemed to be a man of few words. No sooner they entered the room, he merely asked them to sit down and asked a couple of quick questions.

“Mrs. Fritz,” Dr. Quinn said in a monotonous tone after a rather long pause, or at least it felt long. Was she starting to dose off again? Tess thought for a moment before the doctor continued his talk. “I have reviewed your file, even brought it up to the board. It wasn’t easy.” He made a small pause, probably for suspense “We are willing to accept your case.”

Weight was lifted off Tess’ shoulders. “The hospital is more than willing to provide the guidance and help for this situation. However…”

And just like that, the weight returned.

“Because of your particular condition, the delicacy of the situation and the reputation you now seem to hold. The hospital is willing to take care of you… but not the baby.”

“Are you suggesting an ab-” Tess said, only to be interrupted by the doctor. Thankfully, she wasn’t sure if she could even say those words.

“What? Why?” Fred muttered.

“There are too many unknowns and so many elements that could make the pregnancy process dangerous. What were to happen if your time as a taur would finish before you could deliver. And that is the least of it. What would happen to the hospital’s reputation if we didn’t provide the proper prenatal care? It is a risk we can’t afford, considering how well known you are.”

Fred looked at Tess as they held hands for a moment. Once again, the possibility of something going very wrong because of the pregnancy. It was something she had shared her concerns with Fred, imagining what would happen if she was carrying a nine month old taur baby just when she changed back. Just thinking of it made Tess shudder. Would it be safe to keep up with it? Would the baby be okay? Too many questions to ask and yet none had a clear-cut answer that she could hold to.

“So, the board does believe that, for the best of all those involved, the pregnancy should be terminated to avoid any risks. That is the only reason as to take you in as our patient. We will provide free process and include the cost of follow up checks just to make sure you are save.” The doctor kept on speaking through Tess and Fred’s silence.

Even so, Tess felt this could be different. This was already a huge difference when she was told that she couldn’t have kids. She squeezed Fred’s hand and got up before the doctor finished his spiel as to the costs and rates.

“Thanks but I’m not doing it,” she said, her eyes sternly glaring down at the doctor, almost doing her best not to let her lip curls and growl. It was Fred’s hand holding her that prompted her to relent.

Dr. Quinn was rather startled by the sudden answer. “I don’t think this is the appropriate decision…” he began, “I can assure you this is for the best of interest. The hospital will rather have one living patient rather than risk your life for a dangerous element.”

Dangerous element? Does he mean my kid? “Is there a way to get the services provided without having to abort the child?” Tess asked. Fred was now standing at her side with the same glare at him.

A long pause was followed by the answer “I don’t think so. The board was pretty clear on this matter. I’m sorry,” he said.

“Very well… thank you doctor.” Tess said as she held Fred’s hand. The two were already making their way out of the doctor’s office.

“You are making a mistake,” he spoke up no sooner than Tess hand touched the doorknob. “There are few hospitals in this city that will take in taurs and are just as cautious as ours.”

In a way, Tess knew he was right. This one was the most expensive hospital on their list, and as such the last resort. Tess and Fred exchanged looks as they walked out of the room and into the hallway. What would they do now? They would have to travel to another city to get the proper care, or even the tolerance for taurs.

They quickly made their way over to their parked car. Tess prepared to endure at least an hour worth of traffic stuffed in the back seat, yet that seemed to be the least of her concerns right then.

“I’m sick of hospitals,” she muttered.


**********

“Fi, don’t rub your nose on your fur,” Mom chastised playfully while looking in the rear view mirror. “Doctor Cleos wasn’t exactly joking when she said she could put a doggie cone on you.”

Her daughter reeled her hand back as soon as her name was spoken and giggled. She adjusted herself in the taur seat of her car, her finger close to the release button of her seatbelt, and her tail swishing in anticipation while coming back home.

“So Fi, are you going out exploring while I prepare lunch?”

The little snow leopard taur thought for a moment, finger under her chin. She was already done with her homework, so she could go out and have some fun traversing the forest, maybe even drop by the junkyard again and explore a bit more. Maybe take a souvenir with her as well, if it was clean enough. Though she remembered seeing several neatly stacked magazines there and wondered if Nick would want them.

However, today she just didn’t feel like going out. Instead she was looking forward to spend time with her brother. Weekends used to be their time together.

“Nah, I think I’ll play inside today,” Fiona smiled just to have her Mom’s hand gently stroking her ears. “Maybe play some games with my brother.”

“Very well, sweetie. That’s one less worry. And I am sure your brother would appreciate it as well.” she said just for Fi to giggle in response.

Mom drove up to the parking spot around the house before turning off the engine. Fiona was quick to unbuckle her seatbelt skip over the modified seat and out of the car.

“Daddy!” She greeted as she entered the house through the kitchen, having already seen his car in the driveway.

“Fi, my little kitty,” Dad said, Fiona tackled him, wrapping her arms around his waist and her tail wagging happily. “How was the university?”

“Good!” Fiona chirped as her as Dad reached down to stroke her head right behind the ear.

“She is always happy whenever she goes into the university,” Mom said after coming through the back door. “Dr. Cleo says she is growing up just fine. She doesn't seem to need any orthopedics and she seems to be eating well. Despite the full on sweet diet she seems to be carrying on.” Fiona to stop her purr and give her an innocent cat like grin.

Mom smiled as she checked the clock in the kitchen. “I got here just in time, perhaps a bit early, to start off cooking lunch.” She rolled her sleeves up as she browsed the day’s menu she made the week before. Fiona watched her mom cook. She had tried to help her once, while her pancakes were “spot on” as her dad said, she ran into a bit of trouble with the maple syrup. From there on, Fi would always have to wear gloves, hairnet and mask when in the kitchen to that it dissuaded her from cooking anymore.

Snow leopards aren’t supposed to eat their meat cooked, she thought to herself.

“I think that’s all… Fiona, could you ask Nick for help? We’re running a bit low on soy sauce and rice,” Mom said as after checking the grains before taking a large steak out of the fridge.

“Okay!” Fiona said with a small giggle. She was heading to his room anyway.

“Fi, wait a moment,” Dad called out after Fi left the kitchen, but she did not stop before the stairs.

“What is it?” Mom asked.

“Just so you know. Nick has some friends over from school on a group project in his room.”

“Oh dear. I completely forgot about it. Who is it?”

“Dylan and Janice,” Dad clarified even though to Fi, she didn’t really know who the were. Her ears just perked and her tail swished with curiosity. Her brother had brought friends over from school? What were they like? How did they look? What project were they working in? Fi was particularly curious about the girl, Janice. So far the only girl closer to her age she knew of was Tina. Meeting some of her brother’s classmates drove her curiosity.

Without losing much time, she silently padded upstairs to her brother’s room and was actually about to open the door before she found it locked. Her ears dropped at that as she tapped on the wooden surface.

**********

“Nick? Are you in there?” Called a voice sweet enough to make any adult fawn. Nick was quick to act.

“Yes, but we’re kinda busy,” he answered, remaining attentive, wondering what else to say if she insisted.

“Can I come in, pretty please!?” Fiona said as she started knocking on the door several more times. Janice and Dylan were looking at the door too. Nick was close to opening the door or raising his voice when his mom interjected from downstairs.

“Fiona, leave your brother alone. He’s busy.”

That seemed to do the trick as Nick heard Fi sigh, “Yes, Mom.” She padded away from the door. Nick took a relieved breath while his project partners noticed the reaction.

“Nick, I have lunch for you and your friends. It’ll be ready in about an hour.”

“Alright, Mom!” Nick called out through the door.

“What was all that about?” Janice asked curiously.

“Lunch.”

Janice rolled her eyes “No, I meant the one behind the door. Fiona, right?”

“That was my sister. She’s a bit annoying,” Nick said.

“Oh…” Janice said. Her brow furrowed for a moment, as if trying to understand his reasoning but shrugged. “I suppose that makes sense? I do have an older sister and now I wonder if that’s how she sees me.”

Dylan snorted “I have two older brothers,” he said, not in the mood to explain further.

“Really? Are they in our school?” Nick asked, somewhat glad he was able to shift the conversation away from Fi.

“None of your business… but yeah, one is a senior year and the other is in college. They’re annoying to say the least.” Dylan grumbled as he adjusted himself in the bed to get a better look at Nick’s computer screen where they were gathering information.

“So, shall we get to work?” Janice said “We’re almost over.”

“Sounds fine,” Nick nodded, somewhat eager to get this done especially now that Fi was home. He wondered if there was a way of keeping her from running into his classmates, but had to worry about it later.

**

“Can you do this for me, Cassey?” Tess asked on the phone. She hated to do this but she figured this might as well help.

“Don’t worry, I completely understand. And congratulations, Tess! This is big news, both personal at a large scale even. I am not surprised you want my secrecy,” the reporter said with her cheerful demeanor.

“So I…”

“You have it. I won’t tell anyone else about this before you.”

“Thanks, Cassey.” She smiled on her end of the line. Knowing that the reveal of her pregnancy was right around the corner, she had to tell Cassey Koi, especially since the woman was blending well within her circle of friends.

**********

Fiona pouted as she walked around the house, looking for something to entertain her. She was close to calling Nick a stupid head for not letting her into his room, but her mom had a freakish sense of hearing.

She wanted to know more about Nick’s school and meet his friends but he didn’t sound keen on letting her near them. “Now that I think of it,” Fiona muttered spotting her basketball in the backyard. As she walked to it she said to herself “Nick doesn’t really want me around his friends, does he?” The realization of that made her ears drop as she thought back of the times Nick invited people over. Most of the time he would go at their places rather than letting them come. Was it because of her? She thought before shaking her head as she let the ball roll closer to the garage and by the thick tree Fi used as a scratching post.

Her eyes followed from the tree’s trunk to the top. The tree was thick and had a lot of thick branches spreading in every direction. The bark was coarse and rough, perfect for Fi’s claws. It grew right alongside the house, with some branches growing close to the wall that Dad often trimmed. As she looked further, one of the branches was by a window.

Nick’s bedroom window

An idea began to sprout in Fiona’s head. “Could I?” She mused. Her intrepid personality saw it as a challenge rather than considering the drawbacks, as she never tried anything like this before.

Standing on her hind legs, she rested her paws on the bark and clenched her toes just so her claws could sprout at full length, digging into the bark. While not sharp, they seemed to do the trick on the rough surface.

“Okay, okay, just think of this. You’ve seen videos of it many times,” she muttered, her hind legs tittering in anticipation as she used her hands to cling off the bark. “Quick moves and claws out. Cats always fall on their feet,” she said forcing herself to give a nervous smile before she jumped up.

**********

“It doesn’t work like that,” Nick clarified.

“It does, I’ll tell you,” Dylan said. “I know it first hand.”

“No way. You can’t get infected just because a taur sneezed on you. Even though he had yet to experience the taur transformation, with the many visits at the university with his sister, he could be considered an expert in the whole group.

“How would you know? If I remember well, I don’t think you have turned into a taur yet.”

“Have you?” Nick countered.

Dylan stuttered for a moment, giving a small glare at Nick before saying “Yes, I have.”

“Guys! Guys!” Janice interjected standing between the two boys, arms outstretched keeping them from fighting. “We slipped in a tangent here. The topic at hand is the early onset of the virus, can we get back to it?”

Janice sat back on the bed, as her eyes briefly passed by the open window, missing the shadow that moved behind the curtains where a gray figure with black spots looked in with a sense of childish fascination and an amused smile.

**

“Cassey! Just who I wanted to see!” The editor greeted the reporter as she dropped into the office after lunch

“Hello, Walter,” Cassey answered, where her overweight boss was leaning up against, grinning and bearing a smug look. That was already triggering Cassey’s intuition alarms that there might be something amiss, even when Walter never greets her like that. They were at odds with each other. The only times both of them would “get along” was when there was a party or a special event.

Cassey looked around. No balloons nor cake.

“What is it?” She asked putting her purse on her desk.

“Oh, I just had the most peculiar conversation with a friend of mine working for a magazine,” Walter said.

“Is he the one that deals the adult material?” Cassey joked, which made her editor frown. That’s more like it, she thought.

“No. This one works for a prestigious science and health magazine. He basically gave a sneak peek of an article to be appearing in their next issue. Quite a rather interesting development that has to do with the latest source of gossip. One of the first taurs in Oregon.”

“What?” Cassey thought while keeping a straight face.

“Apparently, Mrs. Theressa Fritz, is pregnant. The first pregnant taur, in the world,” Walter said that last part with a dramatic pause and tone just emphasize the news, and even annoy her. Cassey was close to giving out she already knew the secret, but managed to gain her composure just a minute later.

“Wait, what? No way!” She said, just enough surprise in her words to get Walter to believe her reaction.

“Precisely. The magazine apparently received the report by one of Mrs. Fritz doctors. He documented that she was pregnant since day one of her transformation, even confirming the fetus was growing with nonhuman characteristics. This. Is. Big, Cassey. We have to make a note on this! Work on your magic, get an interview from her, the world must know!”

“I don’t think Mrs. Fritz will agree,” Cassey said, measuring her words.

“Why wouldn’t she? We have a sort of implicit exclusivity with her. We’re the only news chain she talks to and everyone else knows it thanks to you. I have no idea how you did it but I don’t argue the results. If there is news around her, it is our duty to get them out to the world and be the first. Weekly interviews of her pregnancy will need to be met and when that little freak is born, we will spend hours with her just to get the latest exclusives. If kittens and babies are cute, I’m sure a baby taur might draw up the ratings, even an internet viral tyraid. Just imagine it, Cassey. We might do a collaboration with the CDC.”

Cassey was staring at her editor with an appalled face. “Are you out of your mind? There’s no way she would agree to that. It’s practically inhuman.”

“And what is she?” Her editor snorted. This was a usual answer from him, just spew whatever came to his head to counter her. She led it slide before, but for Tess and her family, this felt way too sensitive.

“She won’t agree to it. Not even I would agree to.”

“We have an exclusive agreement with her. We can just ask her, just like we manage to get the interview with her.”

“No,” Cassey stated, much to the editor’s dislike.

“Sorry, Cassey, but as the editor, this has to happen. You will ask for an interview with her. If you aren’t willing then I’ll ask another reporter to do the job.”

“Correction, she has an exclusivity agreement with me and just me, not the cameraman, not the team and not with you. I won’t go on with this plan if it implies making her more of a circus freak of the country and piling more stress than she already is under.”

“You’ve grown too close with her,” the editor chastised, though for Cassey, it didn’t matter. “The board and the people want this interview to happen. Don’t you see? They will want to know what happens now and what happens after.

“I can’t go on. Putting it plain and simple, I won’t.”

“I am ordering you as your boss then,” Walter said, but Cassey was already going for her purse, producing her press pass and unceremoniously dropping it on the desk.

“Fine. Good luck getting that interview,” Cassey said with a winner smile.

“You know you’re burning off your career,” Walter stuttered as if to try to dissuade her. “I will make sure no one hires you!”

But his threats didn’t shake her. She just shrugged.

“I was considering a change of career anyway. I am so much better suited for many other things.” Cassey shook her head as she left the office, heading over to her desk to collect her belongings.

**********

Fiona giggled as she adjusted herself on the thick branch. She was able to get a minor glimpse from inside the room, at the same time, being out of view from her brother and friends.

Her ears remained perked as she overheard their conversation, trying to picture what school and group projects were like. She, occasionally took a small peek into before hiding back before she was noticed. So far it was going smoothly, though it wasn’t long before she found herself bored of the experience, or at least remaining perched on the tree branch.

“I guess I should go down,” she muttered to herself, figuring she learned enough and that her nose started picking up her mom’s cooking and already feeling hungry.

“I’ll ask Nick about his friends later…,” she said as she backed away, but finding her rear end pressing against the tree and her footing lacking against. How was she supposed to dig her claws on the tree on the way down? Realizing that just made the ground seem more distant than before. She just didn’t think it through.

“Uh oh…” Fiona said with a short sad catlike mewl.
Sorry for the delay in this case. I will try to make these posts more regular if i can get my focus back on.
We find out more of Tess' struggles to work out her pregnancy with more of Fi's present hijinks.

As usual, any comment is appreciated,

Previously --- malagua.deviantart.com/art/My-…

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As usual, hat tip for :iconcooper3: for his work as a support and editor.
© 2016 - 2024 MaLAgua
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Ho, boy. If they heard that mewl...


Also, I love the time jumps. It leaves me asking how characters got from point A in the past to point B in the present.