Thread: Big Bad, Little Red, and the Hunters. (Fates.Gamble and Gunner)

Death metal always made her feel better. Maybe not better but neutral at least. Blue eyes were red and puffy, her freckle specked nose just as red. Three family pets cross the Rainbow Bridge that day. Literally the worst part of being a vet. The man who owned the animal hospital was older, kind and considerate. There was silence for when the families had to say their goodbyes and he waited two weeks before sending a bill. Still, it was always heartbreaking. Oh, that and she had caught her boyfriend of four years cheating that morning. It was just a very good day for her. Danny Filth soothed her soul, just a little even if, admittedly, she only understood one word in five for most of the songs. Catriona, Catty as she preferred, had removed her lab coat and scrubs for the drive home. She wore little workout shorts under her scrubs and a simple tank top. Her curling red hair was caught up with a large, leaf-shaped leather barrette. Gentler on her curls and easier to remove than even a scrunchie. Too bad the scrunchie trend died out twenty years ago. Her car was old and well worn. Well over 100,000 miles, 16 years old, it needed replacing. Too bad rent was painfully expensive in the city and a doctorate wasn't exactly cheap either. She was lucky to be taken on by Dr. Henderson. While the money was enough to afford her bills and some enjoyment there wasn't much else. She'd prefer to get an apartment in the nice little suburb where the animal hospital was. Trouble was the suburb had crazy expensive McMansions as she liked to call them. Pop-up suburbs with massive, cookie cutter homes that went for 400,000 or more. They drove the surrounding prices up. An apartment inside the city was surprisingly cheaper. A studio apartment in not exactly the best of neighborhoods. Catty was safe enough though, apparently. She had taken care of a few neighborhood dogs and her payment was watching her back. She tried not to think exactly what that meant but it seemed to work, no one bothered her. Though it was often recommended she get herself a dog or even a gun, just in case. Neither of which she felt like she could afford anyways. Only a mile or so outside of the city. It was dark on the two-lane road. With all the construction it was easier to take backroads in. Catty wasn't the most confident of drivers and preferred to take the roads that made the least turns possible. Even though the back roads were darker, and it took her an extra fifteen minutes, there were far fewer other cars to worry about. She had been driving that road for half a year. Since it was later the deer should already be bedded down to sleep. It gave her more time to focus on her heart. How it felt ripped in two once more. This was the last time, the only time. It had to be. Of anything she couldn't tolerate it was cruelty to animals and disloyalty. When she got home she was going to open some wine and some Ben and Jerry's maybe put on a... Something was in the road! Catty slammed on her breaks and swerved. Her father had always said don't do that. What if it was an animal?! With a few erratic jerks of the wheel she came to a grinding halt. Tears were gone and she was sure her heart was in her ass. Catty took a sudden, gasping breath as the adrenaline coursed her veins. Her head throbbed to her music, which she quickly reached over to turn off. What the hell just happened? Limbs shaking like a chihuahua shitting a cueball she slowly exited her car. If it was a deer corpse she would have to call the DNR. Unplugging her phone she headed to the shadow bulk in the road. Her feet skittered to a halt. That was the biggest damn dog she had ever seen in her life. It could be a wolf! No, wolves didn't live here. Not for hundreds of years! Just a big dog. Maybe a hybrid. Slowly she approached, focusing the light from her phone on the dog. It was still breathing and looked wounded. Maybe even sick. Catty didn't even hesitate. Was she a licensed veterinarian or wasn't she? Heart still hammering, blood rushing in her ears, she backed up her old car near the dog. It took a good ten minutes of grunting and profuse sweating to lug its massive body into her back seat. Just how she would get it up to her studio...she would worry about later. In ten miles. With the dog safely in the back and as buckled in as possible they started their trek into the city. The apartment building was decently secure. Well the parking lot. She entered her code in and the arm bar raised to let her in. Right to her personal spot she parked and got out. How the hell was she going to get the dog up to her apartment? More grunting and sweating she managed to get it out of her car at least and began hauling it towards the building. Just as she got to the door it swung open. Catty! Came a low, growling voice. She looked up. Raymond! Boy am I glad to see you! Help me out? She asked. Raymond was an older gentleman but strong and burley. He had worked as a bouncer since he was 15. Honestly, while Catty couldn't picture him working any other job, he seemed like too much of a teddybear to be a bouncer. She had never been to the club her worked at, namely because it was a stripper joint, so didn't know what he was like on the job. Uh...yeah sure...new patient? He asked, raising up his eyebrows and scratching his bald head. Something like that. Between the pair of them they got the massive dog up to her apartment. It was decently furnished, barely decorated and very small. Hell, the big dog seemed to take up half of the main floor space. With a thanks and promise of poker on Sunday Raymon left Catty with the large dog. Ok boy...let's see what we can do for you. She said to it as she grabbed her traveling kit and fixed him up as best a possible, complete with a rabies vaccine and an I.V. Well...that should do it... She covered the dog with a blanket when it was all done before going to the kitchen. As she had promised herself before she got a glass of cheap wine, Ben and Jerry's halfbaked, and settled down on the couch near the dog. Dogs didn't know to keep still if they have an I.V. In and she'd rather he not rip the vein open. If he woke she wanted to be there to keep him settled. For the first time since running across the dog she wondered if he was tame. Maybe bringing an unknown dog into her apartment wasn't the most brilliant of ideas.