Prices

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

A heavy black and white police cruiser edged slowly down the filthy Floridian alley, two pairs of eyes inside watching intently for their prey through a thick early morning fog. Sweat dripped like rain from one of the vehicles occupants, the other simply suffered. "How many will this make tonight?" the human female known as Sandy asked as she spotlighted another strangely shaped lump of debris.

"Seven, no eight" her skunk-morph partner Kristi yawned. "Cover me while I put the cuffs on, and roll down the back windows this time. These people stink." She stopped her cruiser several yards from the lump, headlights on bright. Even with the cruisers engine making a heavy rumbling vibration through the dense fog the lump didn't move.

"Furry I think, maybe" Sandy decided as she stepped out, noting a short ragged rope-like extension from the pile. She reached back into the cruiser, returning to her position shotgun in hand. "No movement. He's either drunk, drugged or dead." She sniffed and a sickly sweet scent touched her forebrain. "Probably dead." This wasn't normally her patrol but Kristi’s partner had broken her ankle and was limited to desk duty. She rubbed her eyes, waking herself. Some of these characters were high on drugs all the time, a few carried weapons and didn't mind using them. Most of the furries had their own natural weapons. She jacked a bean-bag round into the chamber, double-ought buck was next in line, followed by a solid slug, and waited as her partner walked carefully up to the lump.

"All right tramp, wake up call. Time to go" Kristi snapped.

"Goway, mah corner" a whiskey rough voice answered. Too muffled, to raspy to tell if it was male or female.

Kristi sighed, reaching for her cuffs. No semi-clean or newly used drug materials around but an empty bottle of Turkey Tom told her this one was dead drunk. Probably combative. And the ragged filthy tail next to her foot told her the same story it'd told her partner. Furry. Probably reverted to his species by now. He could be dangerous. She signaled her partner, then pulled off the upper layer of old newspaper, cardboard and musty cloth, 'At least it isn't a weasel' she thought to herself as she worked. More cloth greeted her and a half hearted kick at her foot, a kick she unconsciously avoided. "Come-on you. I'm taking you down to the drunk tank. They'll find someplace for you in the morning." She grabbed the flailing leg, jerking sharply.

A long, thin, emancipated form slid out of the pile. Kristi noticed the bugs only as an afterthought. Furry all right, and a long time on the road to be this bad off. Probably need medical attention too she decided when a stained homemade bandage came into view. She pulled again and the figure slid out into her cruisers headlights. Tall, impossibly tall. The figures fur was too matted, too filthy to determine colour or species. Grabbing a weakly flailing arm she snapped the first cuff on, reached down, grabbed a second, bandaged hand, and cuffed it. "Okay, lets see who we have" she said. Flipping her prisoner over she took one long look, and almost staggered.

"Know her?" Sandy asked. Even undernourished, nearly starved, the form was certainly female.

"Yeah" Kristi answered, swallowing, "Her names Merry... Merry Vanderspoon. Help me get her into the cruiser. Then to my place."

"Your place? Drunk tank and the clinics more like it" Sandy answered. "The way she looks, morgue's a better first choice. Damn, she's covered in sores, bugs and she's filthy. You'll have to shave her just to get rid of the bugs, and that fur... God girl, she's past the end of her rope. We'll be days getting the smell out of our car and you want to take her home?"

"Yeah. She saved my life, and my partners life. About a year ago. I'm taking her home."

"What happened?" Kristi asked while she scrubbed the badly hungover chipmunk later that evening.

Merry groaned, leaned over and emptied whatever was still in her stomach into a trashcan. "Got screwed" she answered, her voice a rough ghost of before. "Got dishonorable discharge. Got fucked." She groaned again, ignoring the medicated shampoo's sting as it killed fleas, chiggers and anything else living on her now furless body.

Kristi turned the shower back on to hot. Grabbing the nearly helpless woman she lifted her back into the shower, holding her under the steaming spray as she washed the bug killer off of her friend.

"You broke the case, shit you saved lives. What the hell went wrong?" she asked as she pulled a curry comb from her bra. Merry yawned, ignoring the question. "Your gonna need a dentist too" Kristi noted. Several teeth were broken, only raw stubs remained. They were probably infected and certainly weren't comfortable. She leaned Merry back, pulled off her own underclothing and started working the now dead bugs out of her own fur.

"Yeah, broke tha case" Merry mumbled. "An got onna wrong side oh some reall assholes." She lifted her face, letting the hot water cascade over her muzzle, down her throat and between her shrunken breasts. "Woke up two days after I got outt tha hospital an found mahself under arrest. Drugs in mah car, and a love note from a certain skunk. Out by afternoon. No court, no lawyer. Got told ah was lucky, they coulda given me life in sol buh tha dinna want tha publicity."

"What skunk sent you a love note" Kristi asked as she worked a nasty knot out of her own fur. "I'm sorry about your fur, it was just too far gone" she finished.

Merry pushed Kristi away, or tried too. She really didn't have the strength to more than try. "Supposed tah be from you" she admitted. "Seems we ha ah hot steamy 'fair, an add ah certain human fem without her permiss."

Kristi sputtered. "I never... I ... we.... What a pack of LIES!" she cursed. Merry sighed, sliding down the shower stall as she passed out. Kristi studied the near dead figure at her feet, remembering the vibrant full of life woman who'd driven more than a few of her co-workers to distraction with the tiny outfits she liked. Remembered the overpowered copper colored vehicle parked in the stations garage, and started crying over the near bag of bones unconscious before her.

"I'll be back tomorrow afternoon at six" the elderly man said as he helped Kristi clean up the mess he'd made. "She really should be in a hospital. Hell, I've no idea why she's still alive. But its too late now. Any move will kill probably her." He closed an oversized case, handing a small hypo to Kristi. "Get some broth in her when she wakes up. Beef broth. Maybe half a slice of bread. Then give her this. It'll knock her back out until I get back here. No alcohol, no drugs and don't you dare let her pull those drips out." He stood as Kristi took the hypo. "Change her collection bags when their half full. Don't think she's gonna pass any stools for a few days but I want her to take as much liquid as you can get into her, so replace that saline bag when it reaches this mark." He pointed at a dark blue line near the plastic bags inverted top. "Got a dentist friend, I'll bring her with me. I'll check some people about reconstructive surgery for her face and..." He dropped the subject. "Now get some sleep. Your gonna need it. As I remember you've never had any Kits, well you've got one now." He glanced back. "She never will, not now. Whoever did this, they took that away from her too."

"What about her hand Dr. Garner?" Kristi asked. She'd almost lost it when the doctor had opened sores on Merry's right hand, letting yellow-green gunk drain out that smelled as bad as a dead body. Merry's mangled sex had been bad enough but it had healed, her hand had been badly infected.

"It'll never be right. I need to re-break those bones when she's healed enough to take it. You say she's left handed? Good, because she'll never have half the strength in that right one she used too. Too much muscle's gone. The kind that never comes back." Doctor Peter Garner started walking to the door, stopping so suddenly Kristi bumped into him. "You say you've got her fur still?"

"In a garbage bag in the kitchen. It was too matted. I tried to wash her, used a bug killing shampoo but it was.." She shook her head, "Impossible."

"Get it for me. I want my lab to check on what was eating her. Might save us some trouble."

Kristi vanished, to return with a pitifully small white garbage bag. "Thanks. I don't know how I'll pay you, but I will."

The old man smiled, patting Kristi on her head before he took the bag. "I brought you into the world little girl, and I owe a certain police chief more than a few favors. I'll only bill you for the drugs, at cost, and you can take as long as you need to pay. I'd forget the drugs but in today’s new politically correct society I've got to explain where every damn aspirin goes. I'll see you at six."

Kristi closed her door behind the departing man. 'Friends' she thought. 'Small towns get you friends.' She looked back to her bedroom door, standing open so she could hear every tiny noise, 'Big towns get you enemies.'

Merry woke in Kristi's bed... Alone. The smell of a light meal filled her senses. She tried to move only to find herself barely able to. Weakness was most of it, but a third of her body was covered in bandages. And her mouth hurt again. "Helo?" she called, her voice still unchanged. "Got anythin tah drink. Mah mouhs killin me."

"No more alcohol" the Kristi said as she entered the room. "Doctors orders. You've been asleep nine hours, so deep the Doctor cleaned you up, bandaged you and gave you thirty dozen shots and you never moved."

"Kristi? Wha? How.... Ah sheee.... Nah wonder mah butt aches" Merry complained. "Looo... Ah gotta leave. Yah cant get caught up in this. They'll ruin yah too, and yer friend. Gemmie mah clothes an I'll vanish. Promise."

"You mean those maggot infested shreds? Burned 'em while the doctor was here. And your not going anywhere until your well. I owe you that much."

Merry tried to sit up, "Yah don unnerstand, thell kill everyone yah kno. Theyll make yah lik me... an animal barely survivin."

"I don't think so, you weren't surviving anyway. You were dead. Anyway I've already told everyone who needs to know. Look, for what its worth you have a lot of friends here. And more than one slobbering admirer who remembers those outfits of yours. Now lay back while I feed you and you can tell me how you got here."

"Thas easy" the chipmunk answered as she laid back, easily overpowered by her savior. "Ah got no ide. Las thin I member is bus station... sommer in Tennessee. Tha was... Shit, Decemmer? Winter? Donno nothin after tha."

They chatted a while longer, finally Merry went silent. Too exhausted to talk any more and not really wanting too anyway. Finally Kristi sat the tray aside, opened a nightstand drawer and took out the pre-loaded syringe. "Doctor said after you eat to give you this. He's got a dentist friend that will be here later. She'll take care of your mouth, as much as she can. At least pull those stumps. When you heal we'll get implants put in, then find you a job. You've been through hell Merry and you didn't deserve it." With a swift jab she shoved the needle into a much too thin arm, depressed the plunger, then sat it aside. "Pain'll go away in a few seconds. Now sleep."

Merry pulled away, trying again to roll out of the bed. "Ah can't stay... Kriss... Yah can' trus me no more." She looked away, her voice thin, almost invisible. "Ah really di fall in lov with yah Kriss... Yah gotta thro me out. Dump me at ah trantrack, I'll head North. Canada mahbe. Get away from yah. Dammit girl, yah don need som cheep shit bitch lik me aroun..." Merry yawned, "Yah gotta protect yerself...." she slumped down on the bed, asleep. Still unaware her fur and hair had been removed. All of it.

Kristi moved her friend back into a more natural sleeping position. She covered the skin and bones that had once been a vibrant woman, cleared the tube running from a nearly empty bag then tucked the sheet under Merry's chin. Standing she stared down into the haggard face. A face older by centuries than it had any right to be. 'In love with me' she thought. 'Poor girl, I don't even think I'm interested in finding out if I'm that kind. But I can't throw you out. Not until your well at least. I owe you way too much for that.' Taking the tray back to her kitchen she returned with a new saline bag, replacing the nearly empty one and, as a precaution the urine collection bag as well. Finished she yawned, walked to the sleeper sofa and pulled off her robe. First to cure Merry, second take care of whomever did this, third Merry's love problem... Third... She'd work on third later.

"I've seen worse" the young woman was telling Garner when Kristi came back with the suitcase from the Doctors trunk. "These were broken, oh seven, eight months ago. Probable mid-December if I had to guess."

"That fits with her hand" the man agreed. Whoever did this..." He stopped as Kristi walked in, setting his suitcase at the foot of her bed.

"Go on" Kristi ordered. "I've seen worse. Gang?"

"Too professional" Garner said. "She was worked over by professionals. There's a bullet in her back near the surface I have to get out, but it's way too close to her spine. Probably explains her lack of response on her right side. I need a full team, I need an operating room and I need it now. But we can't afford to move her."

"And you can't afford not to get it out now" the other woman finished. She held out her hand. "Lucille Marks, Dentist to the wanna-be's" While Kristi took her hand Lucille turned her attention to Garner again. "We'll be your nurses, you work. After your done I'll seal those stumps. Nothing I can really do until she's stronger but seal them and kill the infection." She ran several fingers across Merry's bare skin. "I remember her, cute. Damn cute. My brother nearly asked her for a date. Would have if they hadn't kidnaped you two from the hospital." She shook her head, "While I clear out my stuff woman, get all the lights you can. Bright lights."

Kristi swallowed, 'Surgery? In her bedroom? In her bed?' Turning around she started hunting up portable lamps, starting with her halogen ones.

Three hours later a green faced skunk sat at her own kitchen table being served hot coffee by a dentist she barely knew. "You did pretty good in there" Lucille was saying. "Proud of you."

"Police training" Kristi muttered as she lifted her cup. Half its contents vanished in a single gulp.

"I wasn't aware the Police Department gave courses in surgery."

"Yeah, You know. Basic Brain Surgery 101. In case we happen to have a really bad headache."

Lucille laughed, "Peter's one of the best GP's around, specialized in morphs. I think right before your birth. Good with a knife. If complications don't set in your friends going to make a complete recovery. At least he didn't indicate any really bad damage."

"I got the slug" Kristi stated. "Gonna run it local ballistics. See what pops up."

"Why not the FBI" Dr. Garner asked as he entered the kitchen, gratefully accepting a cup from Lucille.

"Cause they might be in on it. I ain't trusting no Fed's I don't have too. Not anymore."

"I see." He took a drink. "Nice blend. Lucille's right, pressure was causing the numbness. Merry might have long term dullness somewhere on her right side. I wouldn't bet on it. It wasn't as bad as it looked and she's one damn tough chipmunk."

"And alone" Kristi added. "I ran a check. Her boyfriend suffered 'a fatal accident' a few days after she was tossed out. Same with her whole family ended up in the hospital or jail within a few months. Fire, auto and 'heart attacks.' Seem's anyone she tried to stay with ended up bad hurt or in jail for some reason within a week after she moved in."

"Your not worried?" Lucille asked.

"Nah. Besides, I owe her my life. If they wanted us we'd have been gone a long time ago. No. I think they, whoever they are, have moved on. Whatever vengeance they wanted from her they got. But they made two really bad mistakes."

"What's that” Peter asked.

"They left her alive... And they let her get to me."

"Fatal" Peter remarked, taking a drink.

"Amateur's" Lucille added, settling back. "So what do you plan on doing?"

"Nothing. Unless Merry ask's me. First we have to find out who 'They' are. Then enough proof to keep us out of trouble when 'They' vanish. I'm think a long sentience in a small cell with someone nick-named Bubba tha Ballbuster. Merry's alive, so I'm... She's limited in what she can respond. Other than her boyfriend, and that probably wasn't supposed to be fatal. No... Someone wanted to crush her and they did a real good job of it."

"That sounds like a great deal more than friendship" Lucille noted. "Professional ethics?"

"Merry said she loved me."

Peter gulped, gagged then coughed. Both women watched as he fought to breath. "And you?" he husked.

"Com-on Doc. I'm a skunk, I'm NOT de-scented. Have you ever read how sensitive a chipmunks nose is? She'd have to really BE in love to stand that. Even my natural scent caused her tah wrinkle her nose the first night we met. As a skunk you tend to notice those things."

"I meant" he continued in a more normal voice, "Do you love her?"

Kristi giggled, "You gotta be kidding Doc. I never even kissed a girl, unless you count mom. Fall in love with one? That's rich. Nah, its boys for me."

Both Doctors glanced at each other, "I need to seal those stumps" Lucille said suddenly. Standing she sat her cup down. "Peter, what antibiotics have you given her?"

"Standard stuff" he answered, following her out of the room. "Terra...."

Kristi found herself alone, staring at her empty cup. "God" she whispered, "What am I gonna do?"

Nine weeks later Kristi tugged a mainly healed, but still weak Merry into the station house. "It's time you started working again and I really can't afford to feed you any more unless you do."

Merry pulled back at the doors, "Ah can't" she whispered. "You know the law. Dishonorable Discharge, Ah lost my certification. Ah can't be a police officer any more."

"So you scrub the cars. Learn to take crime scene photos. Hell you were trained better than I was so shut up and do this." She pushed her friend forward. "Look, you need this. Doc. Garner ordered it and I got 'requested' to bring you in." She pointed at a closed door. "He's waiting. He gave me a month off with full pay to take care of you. Now go in there and talk to the man. You owe him that much."

Merry shivered, the long dark brown dress she'd gotten from Kristi hid most of her body, the still healing scars, too short fur and bone thin body. But the skunk had her arm on the chipmunks back. She could feel the fear. Merry had built up a lot of her lost weight, but she was still awfully thin. Still her beauty was coming back, and she'd started her Martial exercises the day her hand had been taken out of the cast. She'd be a heart killer again in a few months but something was gone. Kristi watched as Merry walked up to the door, tapped, then hesitantly entered. Only then did she notice it. A lack of hip movement, the missing energy, the fact that too-covering dress wasn't anything the Merry she knew would have worn. Even after the surgery Merry hadn't regained the vibrant energy she'd had when they first met. Turning to face another door Kristi headed for ballistics. They'd called this morning, they had a match.