The Runt: Under the Weather

By Nekko Erickson

  The carnage that ensued was awe inspiring. The air was thick with snowballs and slush balls alike, filling the air with cries of outrage and cheers of triumph when they connected with their intended targets. Snowflakes began falling not long after the battle began in earnest, fat and heavy and clinging to exposed fur. With it came a slow, but steady drop in temperature that had the youngest participant in the snowball fight shivering in his jacket, and, as if to make matters worse, a bitter wind began whipping up. It was not long before Tod, who was hunkered against his sister's side, began shivering so violently that the battle was forced to halt, despite the puppy's repeated protests of being fine.

   “R-Really! I'm fine! Please? L-Let's keep playing! I-I'm n-not cold, r-really!”

   Amy stared at the pup, her eyebrow quirked in a manner that made it clear that she didn't believe Tod was speaking the truth. She raised a paw above the disintegrating edge of wall that she and Tod had sought refuge behind.

   “Hey, guys, we need to call it quits. Tod needs to get inside or he's going to freeze in his boots.”

   Dante's head peeked out from behind a wall.

   “I was wondering what that chattering sound was. Are those your teeth Tod? Damn little guy, you must be turning blue under your fur!”

   He vaulted effortlessly over the low wall and trotted over to where Tod and Amy stood, each of his breaths puffing out in a tiny white cloud that dissipated into the air. He knelt to pick up Tod, when suddenly a snowball exploded on the back of his head, causing the wolf to yelp and tumble forward on top of Tod and knocking both of them into the powdery snow on the ground. When Tod opened his eyes he found he was staring into Dante's, shining a deep, sapphire blue that made the little pup's face and ears heat with a blush. The wolf cocked a crooked grin and offered Tod an apology. Tod, still on his back with the large wolf's hard body atop his own, could only nod numbly as the wolf struggled to stand in the snow, turning to call Eric names for hitting him in the back of the head during an apparent cease-fire. Eric only stuck his tongue and commented about it being a great shot. Amy sighed as the boys fought and lifted Tod out of the snow.

   With Tod safely in her arms, Amy lurched towards the front door, Eric and Dante soon following suit as the wind swirled snow up their jackets. Advising Tod to wrap his arms around her neck, Amy held the pup under his bottom with one arm so as free one of her paws enough to work the catch on the front door. The door gave a satisfying click, but when Amy pushed the door it refused to move. Tod, his body now shivering so violently in Amy's arms that she was having difficulty holding him, fearfully imagined them being stuck outside and freezing to death. But as the pup fretted and worried, Eric calmly stepped up from behind them and kicked the door. The ice that had built up around the edges that had sealed it shut gave way with a tumultuous crack beneath the vulpine's powerful kick.

   The door banged loudly off of a rubber stopper nestled at the foot of wall, and a shout came from within the home.

   “Quit banging doors!”

   “Sorry dad, door froze! Couldn't get it open. Mom? Could you make some hot chocolate? Tod's shivering pretty badly...”

   Tod would have spoken up, saying that he was fine, but his teeth were chattering too badly for him to offer up an argument. So, instead, he hunkered down in his clothes as Amy kicked off her boots and walked inside. Tod's eyes lit up with wonder when he saw that his father had built a fire in the fireplace. He wriggled excitedly in Amy's grasp and she set him down, but as soon as his booted paws hit the floor, he winced. His paws felt...funny. In truth, he could hardly feel them. He took a few stumbling steps towards the hearth of the fireplace and his effort rewarded him with the sensation of pins and needles pricking his paws. Amy noticed his awkward movement and stepped up behind him.

   “Tod? You okay sweetheart?”

   She lifted him under his arms and sat him down on the stone hearth so that he faced her. The firelight sparkled merrily off of her orange fur, making it seem as if she were wreathed in flames. But most of Tod's attention was garnered by a dull, but consistent ache in his foot paws. Amy gave his boots a tug and pulled them free, and with his foot came a deluge of melting snow. Tod winced as the mess hit the carpet, partly because of the pain in his feet, but also as memories of his mother striking him viciously across the face for trekking dirt onto the carpet once slipped into his mind. She had screamed that he was dirtying the home they lived in and refused to feed him for two days because of that, even thought she never cleaned the house.

   Tod forcefully shut the thought's of his past away, and was greeted by Amy's worried face.

   “Sad memories Tod?”

   Tod looked away, feeling awkward.

   “Y-Yes...It's nothing...I'm sorry about the snow! I'll clean it up, I promise!”

   He instinctively winced as she patted him on the head, but Amy only began scratching his ears.

   “Don't worry about it Tod. You just sit here and get warm, alright? I prefer my little brother warm and cuddly, not a popsicle.”

   Amy glanced over her shoulder. Seeing that no one was around she leaned closer to Tod's ear, whispering quietly.

   “I also prefer that little cock of your's nice and warm too, Tod...”

   Tod's breath caught in his throat for a moment as Amy gave him a pleasant wink. Despite his many sexually gratifying experiences in that day alone, the pup felt his blood heating. He chuckled nervously, then his eyes widened as he was forced to grit his teeth against the pain that his paws reminded him that they were still frozen. Amy started rubbing his freezing little paws to try and increase their circulation, but Tod felt only the agony that one experiences from one extreme temperature to another. A tear trickled down his cheek as he held back a sob. Amy spoke softly to him, trying to garner his attention and take his mind off of the pain.

   “Thanks for helping me out there Tod. I thought you said you'd never built a snow fort before!”

   Despite the agony in his toes, Tod cleared his throat.

   “I-I didn't do all that much. You guys did most of the work. I j-just helped a little.”

   “Are you kidding, Tod? You built one of those walls all by yourself! You took to snow like a duck to water. In fact, that reminds me of an old avian friend Eric and I knew. Funny thing is, the mallard hated water, and he couldn't swim to save his life. His family thought he was nuts.”

   Tod leaned in close, intrigued.

   “He couldn't swim? But I thought all ducks could swim!”

   Tod thought back to having read in one of his father's newspapers that ducks loved water. That was, of course, before his father rolled it up and swatted him with it.

   “Well, not Brian. He didn't like getting wet either. He'd throw fits if you got his feathers wet, even though the water just kinda rolled off of him...”

   “Will I meet him some day?”

   “Aw, I'm sorry Tod. He moved away from this part of the country a long time ago. He was a nice kid though...Anyway, tell me, how do your foot paws feel?”

   “They feel...”

   Tod blinked in shock and surprise.

   “Warm! They feel warm again, and they don't hurt!”

   Tod leaned forward and hugged Amy's head lovingly, and immediately he felt Amy's arms wrapped around his middle in a hug of her own. He giggled softly, and as he giggled Tod felt something inside him give way and soon he felt himself crying softly on Amy's shoulder, his face buried against her neck, hugging her tightly as she worriedly patted his back and asked him if he was alright. He heard someone enter the room and there was the clink of a coffee mug on stonework. Liliana's voice was close to Tod's ear.

   “Tod? What's the matter honey?”

   Tod felt Amy shrug as she responded in his place.

   “I dunno, he was laughing one minute as I told him about Brian, then he hugged me, next thing I know the pup is crying.”

   Tod sits up slowly, his response awkward from sniffles and the occasional hiccup.

   “I-I'm alright. I'm just so...so...so happy...For the first time in my life, I'm happy. I'm not scared of being hit, or kicked, or hurt...I...I've never had that before...Thank you...Thank you so much...”

   With that, the puppy placed his face in his paws, still chill from the outdoors, and wept. He felt Liliana's arm encircle him, then Amy's, followed by a third pair of arms that Tod knew belonged to Dante before he heard him speak.

   “I saw everyone hugging Tod, and I wanted to give him one too.”

   Tod slowly calmed down, regaining his composure. As he sat back, everyone let go and watched at him, making Tod all of a sudden feel very awkward and bashful. He fidgeted and smiled shyly, his eyes to the floor. He spotted the mug of steaming cocoa on the fireplace stonework and pointed at it, his paw extending over Liliana's lap.

   “Is that hot chocolate mommy?”

   “Yes it is sweetheart. And it's yours, if you want it.”

   Liliana took the cup and placed it in Tod's grasp. He cradled it in his paws, savoring the warmth of the cup he could feel through the ceramic mug. His sensitive nose picked up the teasing scents of melted chocolate, milk, and a few other spices he couldn't pin down that he was sure Liliana added to enhance the flavor. Tod blew away some of the steam from the dark brown liquid and sipped slowly at the drink. It was a bad idea.

   Tod's eyes shot open wide, and he hurriedly swallowed the scalding fluids, whimpering as he set down the cup. Amy grabbed up the cup and moved it aside as Tod stood up in a rush, waving his paws in distress. Liliana rushed to comfort Tod.

   “Oh Tod, I'm so sorry! I forgot to tell you that it was hot! I just got it off of the oven! Shush shush now, honey, the pain will go away in a moment!”

   Tod slowly stopped his frantic motions, and finally opened his mouth and let his pink tongue hang out. As he panted, he whined gently while looking up at Liliana.

   “It wath vewy yummy...”

   Liliana stopped short in her motherly attentions, staring at Tod who spoke such a kindness so seriously about her hot chocolate. She smiled and then she started laughing, a soft, high sound like the tinkling of bells. The sound made Tod smile and forget his pain as he hugged his new mother and laughed as well, despite the fact that he couldn't feel the tip of his tongue.
  
   Just then Eric and Arthur walked into the room, holding steaming mugs of their own. Eric had stripped himself of his cold-weather clothes, opting instead for a black and green hooded sweatshirt. Eric saw Tod's tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth, pointing at it curiously.

   “Should I assume that you've tried mommy's famous 'Scorching Hot, Burn A Hole In Your Mouth Cocoa' Tod?”

   Tod nodded and managed a smile, though he could not tell if it was a joke or not. Liliana stood and sniffled.

   “Oh, what am I to do? My own son, scoffing at the cocoa that I slaved for minutes over!”


   Eric's self-satisfied smile was demolished when Liliana let her weight swing precariously to her hip as she struck a pouty face, her lip stuck out sadly.

   “Well, I guess I should be a good parent and take away your car keys as punishment for being mean to your dear old mother.”

   Arthur laughed uproariously and clapped Eric on the shoulder as the younger fox's jaw dropped in disbelief, Eric rapidly stammering an apology and explanation at the same time. Tod giggled, thinking how cute Eric acts when he gets flustered. Amy did too, apparently, as she leaned close and whispered into his ear.

   “I love when mom does this to him! He acts like it's the end of the world and treats this all serious, but everyone else knows she's just playing with him...Oooh, look, he's going to start begging!”

   Indeed, Eric began begging for Liliana to not take away his keys, putting forth reasons to keep them such as needing to get to school and finding a job. Just as his begging got ridiculous, Arthur cuffed his son on the back of the head.

   “Enough, you sound as if we were taking away a kidney, not your keys. Now hush up and get some ice for your little brothers tongue, okay?”

   Straightening indignantly, Eric marched off to the kitchen to retrieve the ice. Tod felt a pang of joy at being called Eric's “little brother”, and a smile crept across his muzzle. Just then, Eric marched back in with a little plastic bag, filled with tiny, clear mounds of ice. He knelt beside Amy as Liliana and Arthur stepped out of the room to prepare lunch. Soon to follow were Arthur's cries of distress and the sound of Liliana throwing things at him and shouting "Out! Out!". They listened as Arthur huffily walked off to the to take care of something else. Eric looked at Amy, brow furrowed.

   “I heard you talking to Tod, you know.”

   Tod glanced between Eric and Amy, a smile on his face. Amy smirked and teased Eric's ear.

   “And? Everyone knows how you act when your car comes up in a conversation! When dad needed to borrow the car to get to work, I thought you were gonna cry!”

   “Dad has crashed every car we've ever owned at least once! I was justified in my terror!”

   “You don't think you overreacted?”

   Eric grew silent as he pondered this. He took out an ice cube and handed it to Tod, who gently put the dripping, clear ice on his tongue. It was deliciously cool, and a silly smile passed across Tod's face.

   “Well, I may have overreacted a little bit, but still you have to admit the idea of dad driving my car is more than a little terrifying.”

   Tod removed the ice cube from his tongue and dropped it into the cocoa, where it immediately began growing smaller with each passing second. Tentatively, he took another sip, and he was rewarded with a warm, and no longer scalding chocolate beverage. The pup sighed complacently, enjoying the milky deliciousness that was Liliana's hot chocolate. And then the room seemed to spin, ever so slowly. Tod blinked his eyes, trying to clear his vision. As he did this, his stomach gave a very uncomfortable gurgle. As he doubled over with a groan, he got up from his spot next to the fire and began staggering hurriedly to the bathroom. Eric noticed Tod's awkward retreat first.

  “What's up little guy? You feeling alright?...”

   Tod felt it best that he not open his mouth at that moment, and instead took off upstairs as quickly as possible while still holding back the violent nausea he was feeling. Tod could here Eric running after him, and Amy calling out to Mom and Dad that something was wrong. With an almost cartoonish slide, Tod barely made it into the bathroom. In the space of a breath that Tod didn't have, he had the toilet seat up and his head in the bowl. Eric arrived just in time to here a very wet splash, along with Tod's pitiful retching noises.

   “Tod? Buddy? You gonna be okay little guy?”

   Tod leaned back to answer that he felt better, but immediately leaned back over the toilet bowl to continue with his agonized vomiting. Tod felt Eric kneel beside him, then recoil slightly.

   “Ugh, hot chocolate doesn't smell all that great after it's been in your stomach Tod.”

   Tod nearly laughed as he spoke up, his voice echoing from inside the porcelain.

   “You think it's bad out there? You should smell it in here, and with my nose...”

   Tod was cut short as he stomach lurched again, and his mouth become preoccupied with other, less savory tasks. As Tod continued to fill the bowl, the rest of the family arrived, and he could hear Liliana fretting.

   “Tod? Are you okay sweetie? Oh, maybe the milk I used has gone bad...”

   Tod could hear someone kneel at his side, and Dante spoke up next.

   “I don't think so, me and Eric had some of the cocoa, and we feel fine.”

   Arthur harrumphed.

   “Besides, I just bought that milk!”

   Dante began rubbing Tod's back and whispering soothingly into his ear.

   “It's okay little guy, you're gonna be fine.”

   Tod spit out some bile into the bowl then coughed to clear his throat.

   “Does this always happen when people have chocolate?...”

   Everyone went silent, even Dante's paw stopped rubbing Tod's back. Tod could feel their eyes on his back, Amy's voice cut the silence like a knife.

   “Haven't you had chocolate before Tod?”

   Tod shook his head in the bowl for a moment, but the nausea roiling in his gut quickly made him cease such activity. He gagged and vomited a small amount of bile into the bowl, and he began to feel uncomfortably warm, but he could still hear Amy speak quietly to their parents.

   “You don't think Tod is allergic to chocolate do you?”

   Tod pulled his head up and allowed himself some fresh air and was pleasantly surprised that his stomach was much more comfortable now. His sides hurt, and the taste in his mouth was foul. He stood shakily, with Eric and Dante's paws under his arms for assistance. Arthur shook his head and left, calling back to the family.

   “I'm calling Dr. Williams. I'll be back in a bit, okay? Get Tod into bed until we know if he's got some tummy bug or can't have chocolate.”

   Upon those words, Dante scooped up Tod gently in his arms and carried him out of the bathroom as Liliana, Amy, and Eric stepping aside. Inside the room, Tod was placed gently on his bed, the bed having been made some time during his visit outside with the others. He tried to stay upright, but the room began to swim and Tod gasped and reeled to the side of the bed. Quick as lightning, Liliana had an empty trashcan at Tod's side, and Tod was dimly cheered by the fact that his new spray of vomit hadn't dirtied the carpeting or, worse yet, his own bed.

   Moments passed as Tod spat up what little he had left in his stomach, and soon Arthur joined them.

   “Okay, Dr. Williams has been called. He said with the snow as bad as it is, he should be down in about an hour. Don't ask me how, he just told me to sit tight...I told him he could come by tomorrow, and he laughed! He laughed at me! That crazy otter would march to our house even if he had no legs and his tail was on fire...”

   Tod lay back in his bed, his body suddenly feeling very cold. Eric knelt beside him, though far enough away to give him access to his bucket, and held the little pup's paw. Tod responded by giving Eric's paw a gentle squeeze. His ears pressed close to his head in worry as he pulled the covers up to his chin.

   “Who is Dr. Williams? Is...Is he mean?”

   Tod thought about the only two otters he had seen, back when Eric had taken him to the mall. The otters there were both young, but they were fairly large. Larger than Eric, and that worried Tod for some reason. In his mind, an otter that was twice as tall as his brother loomed before Tod. His eyes glowed red, an evil sneer across his face, teeth razor sharp and glinting horribly in the shadow of his imagination. In one hand he held a syringe of some thick, dark liquid in one paw, a bone saw in the other. Tod had never seen a doctor in his life, though he had heard they also wore white lab coats, and so his imagination put Dr. Williams in a lab coat that veritably bristled with evil looking instruments of torture, like a demonic hedgehog made of steel and fur.

   Tod began shaking with fear, and as the others exchanged glances, his fears grew stronger. The room began to feel hot and oppressive as Tod stewed in worry. It was finally Liliana who spoke up.

   “Well, Tod, Dr. Williams has been treating my family since I met your father, and we've always had him as our family doctor. I must say, though, that Dr. Williams is a little...different. He takes some getting used to...”

   All of the others, even Dante, nodded in agreement with Liliana's assessment. Eric patted Tod's shoulder, a grin on his face. Tod tried to return the smile, but his stomach ached with worry. Or maybe it was whatever problem that he was dealing with internally that had made him sick earlier. He couldn't decided. His vision swam and he felt very warm. Arthur squatted beside Tod and tousled Tod's hair playfully, but soon his strong paw stopped, resting against his forehead. Arthur leaned close, his brow furrowed with worry.

   “Tod? Are you feeling okay?...”

   Tod nodded, not wanting to to worry his family, but he felt himself sliding sideways against the wall. Unbidden, a groan escaped him as the world twitched and swayed in his vision. Tod tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea racked his stomach and he found himself forcing bile back down his throat. Tod shivered gently, though Tod felt like there was a furnace door open nearby. He shut his eyes with a whimper, wishing that whatever was happening to him would finish him off instead of tormenting him.

   But then Tod felt a cool rag on his head, and Arthur's strong paws laying Tod down so his head was on his pillow. Covers were pulled up around his chin, and the clunk of something hollow and plastic was proof that someone, probably Liliana placed the trashcan beside his bed. The noise made the little pup's head throb, but he didn't comment on it. He heard Arthur stand, and urge the other to do so. Tod felt Arthur's hand squeeze his little paw, and he returned the squeeze with one of his own. He spoke, but Tod was getting drowsy, his body sluggish and achy, and soon he wasn't catching everything his father said.

   “Tod, just rest okay? If Dr. Williams is hiking here he should be here in a few hours...told him...symptoms...be okay...love you Tod...be alright...”

   And then it went dark.

   Tod barely felt the passage of time, the moments passing him like dust in the breeze. He had fleeting visions, glimpses of his past, and dreams of flying. He felt uncomfortably warm, and it irritated him because it distracted him from his dreams. Then there was a pressure on his wrist, and a low, droning voice. Tod tried to pull his hand away to cover his ear, to block the unwelcome noise, but whatever held his wrist had a firm grip. Tod growled, gritting his teeth as he gave his paw another fruitless tug in an effort to free himself from whatever held him back from soaring through the skies. Slowly, Tod began to understand what was being said, and the words were spoken in a quiet tone, and it took Tod a moment to realize that the inflection was faintly Irish.

   “There you are laddie, no need to fret now. Just your friendly neighborhood doctor, here to see his new patient...”

   Tod's eyes immediately snapped open and he jumped away with a terrified yelp, nearly wrenching his arm out of it's socket as he frantically pulled away from the owner of the voice. Tod's retreat was severely impeded by the wall on the opposite side of the bed and, with nowhere to go, the small canine curled up in the corner and hid his face behind his tail. The doctor spoke again, a chuckle adding warmth to his voice.

   “Now now, laddie, no need to be fearing the doctor. I'll get you up right as rain in no time, you'll see.”

   Tod peeked through the fur of his tail to take a good look at the doctor. It was indeed an otter, just as Arthur had said, but he was not nearly as large Tod's imagination had painted him to be. His shoulders were stooped, as if they were carrying a burden for far too long, and his whiskers and the fur on his cheeks had streaks of grey, but his hazel eyes showed an inner fire that left Tod feeling both safe and loved. The otter stood, and Tod was shocked to see that he was in fact shorter than Amy was, and he gestured with a finger for Tod to scoot closer. Reluctantly, Tod obeyed, and was surprised when the doctor reached down and took Tod's paw into his own and shook it gently.

   “Dr. Williams, at your service laddie. I've been the family doctor for the Baron family for nigh twenty years, and have always done right by them. Now, as your father, Arthur, has kindly informed me, you are new to the family and the special circumstances that surround your arrival. Allow me to allay any fears you have and assure you that I will not, in any given circumstance, bring intentional harm to you.”

   Tod's ears drooped. Dr. Williams wasn't a monster as Tod had first thought, and he felt ashamed that he would think such thoughts of such a kind old soul.

   “I-I'm Tod...”

   The doctor smiled and then let go of Tod's paw, before reaching into his coat and pulling out a large syringe, filled with some blood red fluid, and having a needle as long as Tod's paw.

   “It's always nice to meet a new face. So, are you ready for your shots laddie?”

   Tod's jaw dropped, and suddenly Tod felt as if some of his fears had suddenly become proven true. He hurriedly backed up against the wall and babbled out incoherent things tinged with panic. And then Dr. Williams started to laugh. He placed a finger to the needle of the syringe and pushed down. It bent in half before springing back into place, wiggling gently.

   “It's rubber, you see laddie? Heh, I haven't been able to use this prop of mine for ages now. All of my other patients have grown wise to me. No fun at all, laddie, no fun at all.”

   Tod cracked a smile, but it was forced. He now understood why Dr. Williams was described as 'different'. Still chuckling at Tod's reaction, Dr. Williams reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pair of spectacles which he perched on his nose to examine a clip board that he had set on the bed.

   “Well laddie, I do believe you just have the flu. It's been going around lately. Have you been playing with other children lately, like within the last few days?”

   Tod nodded, his mind revisiting his encounter with Mia and Tia. His ears turned a shade of pink at the memories of the twins and what they did to him. Tod thought it better not to mention such promiscuous dealings with the family doctor, so he kept his response short.

   “Y-Yes...Eric and Amy took me to the park. And that was with their friends...”

   “Mark, Sheila, Dante, and Snow. Or Shade, as he prefers. I've visited all of them quite few times over the years. For everything from broken legs to sniffles and sneezes. Which is what I think you have. Basic flu symptoms. Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and how's your head little Tod?”

   Tod hadn't noticed before, but suddenly he was aware of dull, throbbing pains between his ears.

   “It...It hurts....”

   “So, Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, fever...Well, Tod, I would think that you don't have an allergy as miss Amy fears, but actually the flu. I'd suggest taking a warm shower or bath laddie. The steam will do you good. I'll have your mother brew her chicken soup and add some garlic. Other than that young one, just be sure to drink lots of water. If you aren't coughing yet, you will be soon, so be sure to suckle on cough drops to help your throat. Don't want you to have a sore throat on top of everything else, do we laddie?”

   Tod shook his head, a smile crossing his face. Then the smile disappeared. With practiced ease, Dr. Williams lifted the trashcan at Tod's bed side just as Tod leaned over to vomit into it. He rubbed Tod's back with his free paw as the pup choked and spat up bile and the remnants of his breakfast that had stubbornly avoided his previous purgings.

   “Aye laddie, you're going to be doing a bit more of that too, I'm sure. Keep with the water so you don't dry yourself out, eh? If you get tired of chicken soup, I'm sure your wee tum can take some toast and scrambled eggs, maybe yogurt. Nothing heavy now, or you'll be seeing it again before you can say 'potatoes'. And stay inside laddie and out of the cold. If you go gallivanting outside in the snow and like, you might find yourself with pneumonia instead of just the flu.”

   He set the bucket down on the floor, the new contents sloshing about sickeningly, then ruffled Tod's cheek fur.

   “I'll go speak with your folks laddie, you get yourself plenty of rest now. I'll be back to see you before you know it, eh”

   Tod nodded, and shook the greying otter's paw once more before laying down.

   “Thank you, sir, for helping me...”

   Dr. Williams smiled and stepped out of the room. The doctor's footsteps retreated a short ways down the hall before they stopped. Tod heard hushed voices in the hall, and his ears perked. He sat up and scooted to the foot of his bed, fighting a churning stomach the entire way. At the foot of the bed, he heard Dr. Williams speaking to his father, Arthur.

   “He be fighting a bit of the flu, Arthur, but that isn't what concerns me...”

   “What's the matter doc? Will he be okay?”

   “Well you see, Arthur, the poor lad's underweight. Not terribly so, but poor eating has taken a toll on his immune system. How long did you say the boy had been on his own?”

  “Eric spoke to Tod about that, and apparently the little guy was out on his own for three weeks at least. He even survived the blizzard that hit early this year.”

   “Well, he's a right lucky pup, that he is, eh? To find such a loving family such as yourselves. To think his own family would abandon him like that, it breaks my heart.”

   “I would have to say that we were lucky to find him. I haven't seen Eric and Amy this happy, or this protective over anyone since they first met Mark. You remember Mark, don't you doc?”

   “Oh aye, the tabby. Lad ruined a good pair of my pants when he was seven when he vomited on them. Poor lad never had much of an immune system, you know. Got sick every month, like clockwork. On that note, Arthur, I need to be speaking with you about Tod's diet. I know the poor laddies got a small form, but after what he's been through he's going to need to buck up his strength, otherwise this winter is going to be harsh for him.”

   “Well, we have been trying to get some wholesome food in him...”

   Dr. Williams barked a laugh.

   “As long as Liliana is cooking, or Amy...Even Eric perhaps. I've heard too many horror stories about your dinner-time experiments Arthur.”

   Tod could hear both of them start laughing even as Arthur began to complain, but then the voices began to recede as footsteps moved down the stairs. Tod lay back in his bed, his eyes on ceiling. Sick? The flu? The prospect of being stuck in bed with naught to do while Eric, Amy, and Dante went about there day, laughing and joking, enjoying one another's company and generally having fun on their day off from school without him made Tod choke back a sob. But what did it matter to him anyway? He was always left behind, or left out of activities when he lived with his old family.

   His thoughts drifted back to when he was eight. Snow was falling lazily outside the window, the smell of cookies in the air wafting in from the large kitchen making Tod's mouth water. Ashton and Terrance were outside, laughing and pelting one another with snowballs, and his sisters were in the den playing with dolls. He wandered over to them and asked them if he could join them. His youngest sister, Tory, glared at him and stuck out her tongue.

   “We don't want you to get your icky on them!”

   “My icky?”

   “Yeah! Mommy and daddy say you're icky, and they wish you hadn't been born!”

   “W-Why wouldn't they want me to be born?”

   The eldest sister, Angela, looked at him with an air of smugness. She spoke while looking down her nose at Tod.

   “Because we're too good for you, that's why! You're a runt, and that makes you less of a person. Father said so, and he says that you're a disgrace to the family, and father is a lot smarter than you are.”

   Fria, the only sister who didn't seem to begrudge Tod for being born, didn't say a word but kept her eyes on her doll. Tod nodded and quietly slipped out of the room, tears filling his eyes. He knew his parents resented him, but he didn't understand how being smaller than his siblings made him less of a person. But, his father must be right. His father, after all, was very smart. Everyone that came over for dinner parties told him that he was, and his mother always complimented her husband for his bright ideas that helped the company. Maybe he was worthless.

   As Tod was walking slowly back to his room, Ashton and Terrance came inside, panting and laughing. They both saw Tod. Terrance marched up to Tod, mocking the little pup short stature by flaunting his own.

   “Hey loser! You missed out. The snow is nearly waist deep!”

   “Mommy said I couldn't go outside. She said she didn't want to pay for a doctor to come see me if I got sick...”

   “Yeah, I wouldn't want to waste money on a twerp like you either. I would just drive out into the middle of nowhere and drop you in the snow outside and let the snow finish you off. It would be cheaper.”

   Ashton smirked and crossed his arms.

   “I wouldn't even bother with that. Leave him on the doorstep and lock the door. I wouldn't want to get cold for his sake.”

   Tod sniffled, tears welling up in his eyes. His brothers constantly taunted him, teased him, and made fun of him, but it still stung to hear their words. He tried to turn away, but Terrance caught him by the jaw with his paw.

   “Aw, what's the matter? Did the big baby get his feelings hurt? Buck up big guy!”

   With that, he tapped Tod under the jaw with the back of his hand, causing his teeth to clack painfully together. As Tod whimpered and nursed his jaw, Ashton and Terrance wandered off, laughing and making snide remarks about Tod, loud enough for the small puppy to hear them. His teeth smarting and his tail between his legs, Tod walked over to a window and look out at the snow, snow he couldn't play in. Tears slid down his cheeks freely now, unobserved by the rest of the family.

   “Tod? Tod, are you okay? Why are you crying?”

   Tod opened his eyes, then blinked. Arthur was standing over him, a look of worry on his face. Tod reached up and felt his cheeks, and found the fur to be damp with tears. He smiled sheepishly at his father.

   “I was just thinking about when I was younger, when it snowed. My parents said I couldn't go outside even though my older brothers could play. My sisters wouldn't let me play with them, and my parents were too busy to do anything, not that they cared...I must have fallen asleep.”

   Tod looked up at Arthur, smile gone as tears filled his eyes again.

   “D-Daddy? You don't wish I hadn't been born, do you? I'm not less of a person just because I'm small...right?”

   Arthur blinked, his eyes wide.

   “Tod! No! Never, never would I think such a thing!”

   He pulled Tod close to him, hugging the pup tight as the he started to cry once more.

   “Oh Tod, hush now...It's alright. Those people are behind you now...Far, far away, and out of your life, you hear me young man? And no one, not a soul in this family would ever wish that you weren't born! Tod, for the short time that you've been here, you've been nothing but a blessing. Eric and Amy have not stopped smiling since you arrived, and Lily's been positively glowing ever since she first put you in the guest bedroom. And me, why, I feel like this is my chance to do some good in the world by showing you what a good father is. I'm not usually one to judge, Tod, but the folk and family you came from weren't good people, Tod. I'm just happy that it hasn't made you a bad person. You're sweet, gentle, caring, and make everyone around you smile. Why would anyone think ill of someone as kind as you?”

   Tod lay there, speechless, with his muzzle pressed against his father's shirt. No one in his old family had every given him a kind word before, much less a passing glance filled with contempt. He found himself fighting back tears once more, though this time he had a smile on his face. His life was so much better now, why was his old life bothering him so much still? Arthur rubbed Tod's ears, making the pup shiver pleasantly, his body relaxing against the touch.

   “Eric is bringing in the television set from the old bedroom, and Amy is lugging up one of those game consoles they love so much. She said something about 'finding games that you would like'. I was going to make you something to eat, but Lily threw silverware at me until I left the kitchen. Apparently oatmeal with carrots and broccoli is a bad combination...”

   Tod had to stifle a snicker, but he smiled up at his father.

   “Thank you, so much! I don't want to be a burden...”

   “Oh Tod, when has caring for your child been a burden?”

   Tod opened his mouth, but he couldn't seem to find his voice. Just then, Eric trudged through the door, a small, albeit heavy television in his paws.

   “Hey, dad, where can I set this thing? It weighs a ton!”

   Arthur hurriedly went and grabbed the night stand from beside Eric's bed and set it next to Tod's, accidentally knocking the lamp and alarm clock to the floor. He mumbled an apology as Eric set the television on the night stand. As they began hooking up the television, much of this involving Eric crawling under the bed and shouting for his dad to stop throwing the cord into his armpit, Amy walked in, the console in her paws, along with a jumble of cords and two controllers. She called under the bed her brother.

   “I have another cord for you to plug in.”

  “Gah, damn it!”

   Arthur kicked Eric's foot gently.

   “Er...I mean, Gah, darn it!”

   “That's better son.”

   Liliana came in, with a plate of scrambled eggs and a slice of toast, a glass of water in her paw. She looked around the room.

   “My, but aren't you just the center of attention! Tod, I brought you some eggs in case you are hungry, and some water to wash it down.”

   She stepped over Eric's legs which still stuck out from under the bed, and weaved between Arthur and Amy before squatting beside Tod. She set the plate on his lap and gave him a peck on the cheek. He blushed and giggled as he nibbled on some of his eggs. They were delicious, and he told his mother so, to which she responded by giving him another kiss.

   Eric finally emerged, dust bunnies clinging to his whiskers, but they only lasted until the fox sneezed violently several times. Wiping his nose with the back of his sleeve, he touched a button on the television, and the tell-tale hum of electronics filled the air. He popped in a game and the screen soon showed a simple 8-bit side-scrolling game involving a space ship and aliens. It was called “Alien-ator”, and the simple graphics appealed to Tod.

   “Here you go Tod. I'll bring in your sketchbook and pencils so you can draw, and me and Amy will be around to keep you company, okay? Mom and Dad will be in to check on you ever now and then too, so you won't get lonely.”

   Tod smiled. He was tired, and not feeling quite right, but he was warm, comfortable, and his family loved him and worried about him when he got sick. Everything felt perfect. Liliana stood up and Arthur moved to his side.

   “This is your family now Tod. We won't turn you away or mistreat you. We love you Tod.”

   He stood up.

   “But, we need you to get better. Otherwise, I might have to cook for you.”

   As Tod looked up to thank him, and everyone, his father patted him on the back. And then Tod puked.