FIC: Forever Home - Chapter 88 of 100
Title: Forever Home - Chapter 88 of 100
Author: Shadowc44
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Kadam (Kurt Hummel/Adam Crawford)
Rating: R
Spoilers: AU. If you’ve seen Kurt and Adam interact, you’re good.
Summary: Adam is bored, and realizes he needs a companion. He decides to adopt a hybrid human/cat.
Warning: Mention of past abuse (non-sexual) from other canon Glee characters. This fic is not particularly kind to most canon Glee characters.
Length: About 5,600 words this chapter. About 393,000 words so far.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Glee characters in this story; they're owned by Fox. Any non-Glee characters are my own invention.
Chapter 87
CHAPTER 88
Gabriel knew he was doing the right thing in adopting Artie. It was right for the young man, and right for him. He wouldn’t allow himself to have second thoughts. He would do the best he could to give Artie a good life, and hopefully an enjoyable one.
When he stepped into the pet store, the cacophony began. The other hybrids started singing, yelling, flat out begging him to adopt them.
“Guys! Quiet down. He’s here for Artie,” Will told them, raising his voice to be heard over the din.
Most of the noise ceased, though there were a few questions and grumbling comments made. Gabriel thought it would be best to ignore them.
He’d already signed most of the paperwork, previously; now he just had to finish a couple more forms.
“I’ll get Artie ready to go,” Will offered.
Gabriel noticed that, once again, there were no other customers in the store. That was the third time he’d been in there, and found no one else. He wondered how they managed to stay in business.
He followed Emma back to the office. He read the papers carefully before signing them, then slid them back in front of Emma.
She cleared her throat. “Ah, Dr. Hanover, I know from the paperwork that you’re a psychiatrist, as well as a vet. Are all your patients hybrids?”
“Not all of them. Some are hybrid owners whose pets are seeing me.”
“I see. Do you ever see anyone who just works with hybrids?” she asked carefully.
“I don’t have any clients who fit that description.” He looked at her expression, which had gone from hopeful to resigned in seconds. “Are you asking for yourself?” he continued.
“Yes.” She straightened the papers in front of her. “I think I could do a better job helping our pets while they’re here, if I knew more about their psychological state. And, to be perfectly honest, I have some issues I’d like to discuss, and I don’t want my husband to know. Not necessarily marital issues, though that’s --“ She sighed deeply. “That might be more complicated than you would want to go into. But I’m mainly concerned about the pets, and want what’s best for them.”
He nodded. “Let me give you my card.” He wrote his cell number on the back of it. “You can call my office number to set up an appointment. If there’s any question, just say I’ve already agreed to see you.”
Emma nodded, her eyes wide. He saw the beginnings of a smile as well.
“And if anything comes up that you want to talk to me about, that might happen before or after an appointment, you can call my cell and leave a message if I don’t answer. Anything you say in session with me will be kept confidential.”
“Thank you so much, Doctor. I really appreciate it. I was also thinking, if it’s not a conflict of interest… I’m not entirely happy with the vet who’s been here in the past. I’d like to hire you, instead, to oversee our pets’ health, in their animal and human form. I’m concerned about some of them, and whether they’re eating too much or too little, for instance. Do you think you could do that?”
He paused as he thought about it. He wasn’t sure it was 100% ethical, when he was adopting one of the pets from their store.
“Let me consult with my attorney about that, and I’ll get back to you. I’d just rather not have any problems come up about, as you said, a possible conflict of interest.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
She squared her shoulders and smiled brightly. “Well, I think everything is in order now. Shall we see if Artie is ready to go?”
Gabriel nodded, realizing she had said all she was going to say about any problems.
“Yes. I’m really looking forward to bringing him home. Everything is just about as modified as I can make it. If there’s anything else he needs, I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay.” She smiled warmly. “You can have your choice of any of the collars and leashes we have in stock, and you might want to get the collar engraved with Artie’s new name and your phone number. All of that is free of charge with any adoption.”
He nodded. “I have no intention of losing him, but better safe than sorry.”
“I’ll get started on that.”
They walked into the main part of the pet store, and Gabriel saw that Artie was indeed waiting for him. He looked nervous, but mostly happy. He was sitting in the old, manual wheelchair, with Will behind him.
“Hello, Artie. Are you ready to go home?”
“Yes, sir, whenever you are. Um, do you want me to stay like this for now, or change?”
“Like this for now, so it will be easier for you to ask me any questions you have,” Gabriel answered.
Will spoke up. “You might want to get him some hybrid food, maybe a bed, or some toys.”
Gabriel understood the necessity behind the sales pitch, but wasn’t going to give in to it.
“I’ve already taken care of all of that. I wanted to have everything ready, so we don’t have to delay getting home.”
Artie looked up at him and nodded, but he still looked nervous. Hopefully he’d be able to articulate any concerns, so Gabriel could put his mind at ease.
“Artie, do you have a preference for your collar and leash?” Gabriel asked, nodding towards that section of the store.
“No, sir. Whatever you want to get.”
“I’ll take a look, then.” He ignored the metal chain link leashes. They might be safer, perhaps, for controlling a large or particularly strong hybrid, but he thought the brown leather leash and matching collar would be fine.
Emma came out with the round disk inscribed with Artie’s contact information, and Gabriel inspected it for errors.
“Thank you, this should be fine.” He showed Artie the disk, which read “Arthur Hanover” and his phone number.
Artie winced slightly, then nodded.
“It’s probably best to have your legal name on your identification,” Gabriel mentioned, “but I’ll introduce you to people with your nickname, if you’d prefer.”
“Thank you.” The words were emphatic and heartfelt.
Gabriel attached the collar to Artie’s neck, and the disk to the collar, then snapped on the leash.
“Have you said goodbye?” he asked quietly. “Do you want to say anything to anyone?”
Artie thought a moment. “Hey, everybody,” he hollered in a surprisingly robust voice, “it’s been real. Take care of yourselves.” He got a chorus of responses, mostly good wishes, with a few complaints that were quickly shushed by Emma. He understood why some of the pets would be envious that they weren’t being adopted yet.
Will had taken off towards another room, so Artie sighed, and smiled at Emma.
“So long, and thanks for all the carrots,” he added.
“You’re welcome.” She looked genuinely happy for him to have found a home. Will seemed pleased, but was very perfunctory in his good-bye to Artie. Perhaps it would be a very good idea, if he could replace the current vet. He didn’t like the thought of someone else losing a client, but it seemed this store in particular needed some help.
He took hold of the handles of the wheelchair. “Alright, Artie, I think it’s time to go home.”
<><><><><><><><><><>
Artie decided that what he mostly felt was relieved, with a side of hopeful happiness. So far, things were going better than he expected. Gabriel’s house was awesome, and he could reach just about everything from his wheelchair. He had his own room and bathroom, just down the hall from Gabriel’s. There was also an intercom system, so if he needed help, he could push a button and let Gabriel know, and he’d show up. As long as Artie was in his human form.
He loved the little addition to his collar, for use in rabbit form. It was a square, with a button in the middle. It didn’t stick out, so he would have to press his paw on it pretty firmly to get it to work, but it would alert his owner, who could come find him and help him out. It wouldn’t go off accidentally, by just hitting it against a doorway or chair leg or something, but it was certainly an improvement over what he was used to.
His bed was set up so it had rails on the side, so he couldn’t fall out, but they were easy to release when he was ready to get out of bed. There was sort of a trapeze above his head, that he could grab onto and swing himself into his wheelchair. That way, he could get to the bathroom by himself, and could transfer to the toilet, and reach the sink. The large shower had no lip, so he could roll his wheelchair in there. The tap handles were low enough he could reach them, and the showerhead was attached to a metal hose so he could reach everywhere he wanted to pretty easily. This was way more freedom and privacy than he was used to, and he loved it. It was also just a little bit scary.
In his room, there was a comfortable chair, though he did need some help to get into it. There were also bookshelves, filled with all sorts of books, for varying ages. He wanted to stop and read every title, but stopped himself. If he did that, he’d get too excited, and want to read dozens of books at once. Better, maybe to either grab a random book, or maybe just read the first few titles and take the first one that sounded interesting. But just a quick glance at the other shelves revealed his first guess was right; they all looked potentially interesting.
He heard someone clear their throat behind him, and would have jumped if he could.
“I’m sorry, Artie, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Of course it was his owner. Who else would it be? He maneuvered his chair around so they could talk more easily.
“That’s okay, sir. I need to get used to the quiet, instead of thinking there’s something wrong.”
Gabriel smiled sympathetically. “Artie, you really don’t have to call me sir. I know it’s an ingrained habit, but I hope one of these days you’ll call me Gabriel.”
“Yes, sir, I’ll try - I mean, I’ll try to remember, Gabriel.” He had been a bit apprehensive, but it didn’t look like he was going to get in trouble for making mistakes, at least not yet.
“It might be a good idea to set up a routine for you, so you can get used to doing at least some of the same things at the same time every day. Would that help?”
“Oh, yes, sir! Um, yes, Gabriel, thanks!”
As much as he wanted to just read for hours, he was used to having a schedule, and not knowing what was coming next made him a bit uneasy.
“We’ll figure out what works best for both of us,” the vet continued. “As I told you, when I go back to work on Monday, things will be different, and I won’t always be able to keep standard office hours. We’ll have to make some modifications to the schedule, but hopefully it won’t be too difficult for you to adapt.”
Artie shook his head. “No, sir. I mean, no, Gabriel. I don’t mind changes in routine, but it really does help if I know what I’m supposed to do, and what comes next, and when.”
Gabriel frowned. He leaned against the doorway. “What are you used to, a bell, or someone telling you this is over, and it’s time to do that instead?”
“Usually Mr. Will or Miss Emma would tell us when it was time for dinner, or exercise, or things like that. When it’s the same thing every day, you kind of get a feel for how long it’s been. It’s a little harder in my animal form, though, to figure out it’s almost time to quit playing and go back to my cage.”
Gabriel winced. “Well, the good news is, the only time you’ll be in a cage is if I need to transport you somewhere, like from here to the office, while you’re in your rabbit form. Otherwise, it’ll just be the leash.” He lowered his voice, as though talking to himself. “Though it worries me a bit, with you in a wheelchair, to make sure it doesn’t get tangled, or you don’t accidentally get choked.”
“Oh, yeah, um, Miss Emma used to loop the leash around the handles, so it would be easier to steer me with both hands.”
“That’s a good idea. But one thing we’re going to do, tomorrow, is go shopping for an electric wheelchair for you.”
Artie gasped. He couldn’t believe his new owner would spend that kind of money on him! He didn’t know how much those things cost, but he knew they were expensive. “You don’t need to do that. Thank you, but I think I can learn to get around in the manual chair. I didn’t get much opportunity lately, but I can get used to it again.”
“Tell me a little more about that, please. I’m not sure I understand.”
Artie licked his lips, and hoped he explained it well enough. “Usually somebody would help me get into the chair, and out of it, and would push me around in it. When I was at home, my mom let me wheel myself around, when I got strong enough to do it. But at the store, I dunno why, but they didn’t want me to do that. So Mr. Will, Miss Emma, or maybe Finn or Puck would push me around, ‘cause they were the strongest hybrids. I liked it better when Kurt steered me around, because he was always careful not to go too fast, and he never deliberately tried to scare me.”
“But the others did? The other hybrids, I assume.”
“Yeah. Miss Emma was careful, too, but not as strong as Kurt, so I worried she’d get hurt. And Mr. Will just seemed impatient all the time, and he didn’t always pay attention to getting around corners or other things in the way. So I got a lot of bruises on my knees and legs from hitting the furniture or doorway or something.”
Gabriel sighed heavily. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Artie. We’ll keep the manual wheelchair too, but I think it will be easier for you to get around in a motorized chair. On the other hand, the manual one will help keep your arms strong. I’m sure there will be times the motorized one will be easier, so I think you should have both. But I want to take you with me, so we can make sure to get the right fit, and try a few different things.”
“Thank you!”
“And while we’re there, I want to look at some carts, so you can maybe get around more easily in your rabbit form.”
“Carts?” Artie asked uncertainly.
“Yes. For disabled pets. It’s a cart with two, three, or four wheels. There’s a strap around your waist, to help keep your torso and legs in the cart, but you can use your front legs to move yourself around. It will probably make more sense once we see them. There don’t seem to be a lot of styles to choose from, but if we can’t find anything quite right, we can modify one, or have one custom made.” He hesitated, then said, “I actually talked to Adam, Kurt’s owner, about it. He showed some carts to Kurt, and asked him if he could maybe make a better design, based on what he knew about your condition and how you usually move, things like that.”
“Kurt? But why? I get that he knows me, and he’s seen how I move, but I don’t think he’d be able to do something like that.” He wondered why they’d given his fellow hybrid such a difficult task.
“Did you know Kurt designs clothes?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. But I didn’t pay much attention when he talked about that stuff.” Now Artie felt ashamed for not listening better, or being a better friend overall.
“And he used to help his father work on cars in his shop.”
“He did? But he’s not supposed to…” Artie trailed off, not wanting to cause any trouble.
“His father didn’t force him to work, he just showed him how to do some things and let him spend some time in the shop. But Kurt has a good understanding of engines, and car design. I don’t know that he’s ever tried to draw either of those things, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try. I liked the drawings he gave me.”
“Can I see them? Now I’m really curious about what these carts look like.”
“Certainly. I’ll spread them out on the kitchen table. You can have a snack while you look at them, if you’re hungry. I’ll start fixing dinner pretty soon, but I’m not sure what time you last ate.” He gestured for Artie to go ahead of him, towards the kitchen.
It wasn’t taking too long to get used to wheeling himself, as he’d been starting to do before he was sent to the store. “Oh!” Artie hadn’t thought about food. “We usually have lunch at 12:00, so it’s only been a few hours.”
“Well, if you think you can wait about an hour, dinner should be ready by then.”
“No problem!” Artie gasped, and hurried on to say, “I mean, thank you very much!”
Gabriel smiled faintly. “I appreciate you being polite, but I’d like you to feel free to express yourself when you’re at home. You don’t have to apologize for everything.”
Artie closed his eyes briefly and let out a small sigh. “Thank you. I’m just used to it. They really emphasized the difference between being more casual when no customers were around, and being more formal for any potential owners.” Gabriel didn’t respond, so he continued. “Because most owners do want to be talked to with respect,” he continued, cautiously, not sure how his words would be taken.
They arrived at the kitchen. Gabriel helped Artie get his wheelchair aligned with the table.
“I see. Well, yes, I think most people wanted to be spoken to with respect. But there’s a difference between respect and formality.”
“But you’re kind of…formal,” Artie concluded, wondering if he should just shut up.
Gabriel shrugged. “It’s a combination of how I was raised, my profession, and just personal preference. But I’ve noticed you’re more casual in the way you normally talk, and that’s fine. I don’t consider it rude. I’ll be back in a moment, as soon as I find the drawings.”
Artie nodded. “Take your time. I mean, sure, I’ll be fine.”
He looked around the room, at what he could see without moving his chair. It was a really nice kitchen.
He could see the corner of the TV in the living room through the doorway. It was off, of course. He wished he had a TV in his room, but knew that was way too much to hope for. Besides, Gabriel probably wanted to monitor what he watched, and if he had to watch in the living room, that was a good way to ensure he couldn’t watch inappropriate things. Depending on what Gabriel thought was inappropriate, of course.
Gabriel brought the papers in, and moved his chair over so he an Artie were on the same side of the table. He spread out the designs, and pointed out the differences.
“The main idea,” he explained, “is to keep you safe, while giving you more mobility. So there are straps around your body to keep you inside the cart, while allowing your front legs to move outside of it, pulling you along.”
“So it’s kind of like this wheelchair,” Artie said slowly, “and I’ll be able to control it with my front legs, rather than a motor or something moving me along.”
“Exactly. It won’t be the same as if you could move your legs normally,” he sighed, “but I think it’s the best we can do for now. Though I intend to keep doing research, and hopefully we’ll find something that will actually allow you to walk. But I don’t want you to count on that too much, because it might not happen.”
Artie shrugged, not too concerned. “It’s okay. I’d love to be able to walk, but I’ve gotten pretty used to the idea that I can’t, and that I need to try to get around the best I can without using my legs. I’m just not sure how much -“ He bit his lip, and looked up into Gabriel’s eyes. He was distracted for a moment, thinking that his eyes seemed very kind. It wasn’t an emotion he was all that used to seeing. “What I mean is, you’ve got a lot of patients, I’m sure, and I know you need to spend time working with them. I wouldn’t want you to take time away from them, to try to help me.”
Gabriel sighed, and leaned back a bit in his chair. “I gave it a lot of thought before I decided to adopt you. You’re right, in many instances, my patients will need to come first. I can’t spend all my time with you, though I doubt you really expected that.”
Artie shook his head. “I haven’t heard of any pets who get to spend all their time with their owners. Usually the humans are too busy with other things. I just don’t want to get in the way, or become a nuisance.”
“Don’t worry about that. You don’t seem like the type who tries too hard to get attention. It might take a while to find the right balance, but I want to be able to help you, and continue to see my patients. I might have to cut back a little on my schedule for a while, but we’ll see. That’s why I wanted to take a few days now, so we can have some time to get used to each other.”
Artie let out a long sigh of relief. “That’s good. I want to be able to do things for myself, but most of my life, I’ve been told I can’t do things for myself. Both because of being a hybrid, and a disabled one, at that. But I don’t want to have to rely on someone else to do things I think I can do for myself.”
“That’s exactly what we’re going to try to find out,” Gabriel said. He sounded quite sincere. “I think there are probably a lot more things you can do for yourself than you realize. But if we find a limitation you can’t get past, we’ll do what we can to lessen it, or work things out some other way.”
“That’s good.” Artie was starting to get a little uncomfortable. He really wanted to change, and explore the house, but of course, even in his rabbit form, he couldn’t get too far on his own yet.
Gabriel observed him closely. “Are you ready to change?”
Artie nodded. “I’d like to. If not now, then soon.”
“I was planning on fixing dinner for us both. You can either change after that, or you can change now, and I’ll give you some food more appropriate for your rabbit form.”
Artie was really torn. Both sounded appealing. “What do you want me to do?” he asked, not used to having a choice.
“Whatever you want. If you stay human, you can ask me any questions you might have while I prepare dinner, and while we eat. Or, if you’ve had enough talking, and just need to stop thinking so much, that’s fine, too.”
He considered, then spoke up. “Yeah, I think I’d like to change, at least for a while.”
“That’s fine. For now, I’d like you to stay in the kitchen with me. I’m going to close to sliding door for now, but -“
Artie couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “I’m not going to get very far,” he said, pointing to his legs.
“Ah, true. I’ll leave the door open, then. But I’d prefer if you’d stay in here for now. After dinner, you can explore a little more, and I’ll be there if you need me.”
“Okay. I’ll probably change back before I go to bed, if that’s okay with you.” Gabriel had already shown him the very comfortable-looking, pillowy pet bed he could use, in the corner of Gabriel’s room. There was also a litter box, in case he needed it. The vet had explained that for now, until he was sure Artie could get around on his own, he’d rather have him sleep in the same room, if he was in his rabbit form.
“That’s fine. Do you want to stay in the chair, or did you want to be on the floor?”
“The floor. I’ll probably stay right under the table for now, and maybe take a nap, if that’s okay. So I won’t be in your way. You won’t need to look out for me underfoot,” he clarified.
“That’s fine.”
He carefully lifted Artie out of the chair, and set him down on the floor. Artie asked to be put down on his stomach, with his legs out behind him, as it was easier to sleep that way.
He was a little self-conscious about changing in front of Gabriel, but as a vet, he’d seen it lots of times, he was sure. He stretched and relaxed, and in moments he was a rabbit. The floor was a little cold underneath him, but he knew it would warm up soon.
The human moved one chair aside, and put it back where it was before. Now he had plenty of room to crawl under the table. He remembered what it had been like when his legs worked, and he could hop around with ease, but those days were long gone. Now he just wanted to turn his mind off, and sleep. Maybe things would be less confusing when he woke up.
Artie could hear the sounds of his human fixing food, but he wasn’t banging things around or making a lot of noise. He tensed a bit when big feet got close to the table, but the human was looking to see where he was first. Some things were set on the table, then the legs went away again. Shortly after that, he saw a couple of shiny dishes being set down on the floor.
“These are for you, Artie,” he heard. “Whenever you’re ready.’
His nose twitched. He slowly moved in the direction of the bowls. In one he found water, and the other contained shredded lettuce, and tiny shavings of carrots, mixed into the usual boring rabbit hybrid chow. He ate cautiously, until he realized that now the boring food was suddenly delicious!
“Don’t eat too fast,” he heard a voice from above. “You don’t want to get sick.”
As tempting as it was to just eat everything in sight as fast as he could, he realized he didn’t have to. Nobody was going to take it away from him, or make him so scared he couldn’t eat. He could take his time. Artie sighed in contentment as he ate the best meal he could ever remember having as a rabbit.
<><><><><><><><><><>
He was tired, and really wanted to sleep, but it was so quiet! And dark. Though there was a nightlight near the door, and that helped a little bit. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, but he just couldn’t. He was warm enough, and the bed was comfortable, and the sheets and blankets soft. But he was alone.
He glanced over at the clock next to the bed. He tapped the button at the top once, and the numbers glowed green. The numbers were huge, so he could see them well enough without his glasses. It wasn’t even midnight.
A while later, he heard a gentle tapping on his door.
“Come in,” he croaked, still not used to using his voice much. He reached over and touched the lamp with one finger, and it came on. He’d found if he touched it again, it would be brighter, and at its brightest if he touched it a third time. He put his glasses on so he could see more easily.
“I wanted to see if you were sleeping well,” Gabriel said. “I figured if you were asleep, you wouldn’t hear me.” He was wearing a bathrobe belted over dark pajamas.
“I’m having some trouble falling asleep,” he admitted. “It’s just really different. And so quiet,” he sighed. “It’s a nice change, but kind of weird.”
“The alarm clock is also a radio,” Gabriel pointed out. He showed him the buttons. “Do you want to try to find some music you might like?”
Artie grinned. He tried a number of stations, and finally settled on a classical one. He turned the volume way down. “This is good. There aren’t any words to distract me, and it’s not too loud.”
Gabriel nodded. “Whatever works for you. Is there anything else you need?”
“No, I think I’m good.”
“Okay. Let me get this down for you, just in case.” He pulled down another blanket, a soft fleece, and laid it near the foot of the bed, but off to one side, so Artie could reach it easily enough if he got cold.
“Thanks! You’re being really nice. I appreciate it.”
Gabriel’s brows furrowed for a moment, then he smiled. “I really do want you to be comfortable and happy here. If you need anything, press the intercom button.”
Artie glanced at the intercom next to the alarm clock. He hoped he didn’t mix them up by accident. But at least the intercom had a large red button to push if he wanted to get Gabriel’s attention.
“Thanks. I’ll get used to this,” he added quickly. “It just might take a while. Even though the others didn’t like me all that much, and I didn’t really like them too much, either, they understood. I wasn’t the only one, you know?”
Gabriel nodded. He leaned against the doorframe. Artie could really only see his outline, but it was still comforting to have someone there.
“I know. That’s why I’m hoping you’ll be able to spend some time with Kurt, and also Mandy. I know you’ve never met her, but she needs friends, too. And -“ He hesitated, his voice a little bit rougher. “Her owner, Julia, is a friend of mine. Er, that is, we’ve been dating. I’m not sure where that’s going to go yet, but I think we’d both feel better if you and Mandy could get along, than if you didn’t.”
Artie nodded, though he wasn’t sure Gabriel could see him that well, either. “That’s cool. Yeah, I’d like to meet more hybrids. Kurt and I got along pretty well, so we probably still will. Unless he’s changed a lot in the last month or so.”
“Well, he has, in some ways, but I don’t think it’s anything that will affect your friendship. But his relationship with Adam is very different from yours and mine, and Adam is trying to make Kurt as independent as possible.”
“Really?” Artie’s eyebrows disappeared under his bangs. “Independent?” he repeated.
“Well, as much as possible,” Gabriel repeated. “So Kurt has a lot more freedom of speech, for instance, than you’re probably used to.” He closed his mouth and tightened his lips as he looked at Artie’s expression. “You and I are going to have to work out what seems comfortable for both of us, but you’ll have more freedom here, in this house, than when we’re out in public. And even when you’re at the office, things will need to be a little more reserved. I suppose more like what you’re used to at the pet store.”
Artie frowned, but nodded in resignation. He’d hoped things might be different, but -
“I’m sorry, I’m not expressing it all that well,” Gabriel said. “It’s not that we’re going to be breaking any laws here, but possibly bending the rules a bit. But we’ll need to be careful when we’re around other people who might expect a bit more traditional behavior.”
“Okay.” Artie didn’t want to hope too much, in case he was disappointed, but it sounded like things would at least be better here at home. In the vet’s home. He still wasn’t used to thinking of this huge place as his home. He didn’t want to even start considering it a forever home until he was sure Gabriel wouldn’t decide he’d made a mistake and send him back to the store.
“Anyway, it’s late, so let’s both try to get some sleep. If you need anything you can’t reach easily be sure to turn on the light before trying to get into the wheelchair. And if you need any kind of help, please ask. I’d rather you wake me up than take a chance on you falling or getting hurt.”
“Thanks. I should be able to sleep through the night. I hope.”
“I’ll come in and give you some advance notice before breakfast, so you have time to get ready. If you wake up before I come in, feel free to get up if you want. But if you need help, let me know.”
“Whatever is best for you. I don’t want to put you to any trouble,” Artie said.
“Don’t worry about that yet. Try to get some sleep. Good night.”
“Good night. And thanks, Gabriel.” Artie was proud of himself for remembering to call his owner by his name.
“You’re welcome.”
Artie turned off the light and tried to relax. He really was tired. The classical music was soothing, and it helped him feel a little less alone.
Next - Chapter 89
Author: Shadowc44
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Kadam (Kurt Hummel/Adam Crawford)
Rating: R
Spoilers: AU. If you’ve seen Kurt and Adam interact, you’re good.
Summary: Adam is bored, and realizes he needs a companion. He decides to adopt a hybrid human/cat.
Warning: Mention of past abuse (non-sexual) from other canon Glee characters. This fic is not particularly kind to most canon Glee characters.
Length: About 5,600 words this chapter. About 393,000 words so far.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Glee characters in this story; they're owned by Fox. Any non-Glee characters are my own invention.
Chapter 87
CHAPTER 88
Gabriel knew he was doing the right thing in adopting Artie. It was right for the young man, and right for him. He wouldn’t allow himself to have second thoughts. He would do the best he could to give Artie a good life, and hopefully an enjoyable one.
When he stepped into the pet store, the cacophony began. The other hybrids started singing, yelling, flat out begging him to adopt them.
“Guys! Quiet down. He’s here for Artie,” Will told them, raising his voice to be heard over the din.
Most of the noise ceased, though there were a few questions and grumbling comments made. Gabriel thought it would be best to ignore them.
He’d already signed most of the paperwork, previously; now he just had to finish a couple more forms.
“I’ll get Artie ready to go,” Will offered.
Gabriel noticed that, once again, there were no other customers in the store. That was the third time he’d been in there, and found no one else. He wondered how they managed to stay in business.
He followed Emma back to the office. He read the papers carefully before signing them, then slid them back in front of Emma.
She cleared her throat. “Ah, Dr. Hanover, I know from the paperwork that you’re a psychiatrist, as well as a vet. Are all your patients hybrids?”
“Not all of them. Some are hybrid owners whose pets are seeing me.”
“I see. Do you ever see anyone who just works with hybrids?” she asked carefully.
“I don’t have any clients who fit that description.” He looked at her expression, which had gone from hopeful to resigned in seconds. “Are you asking for yourself?” he continued.
“Yes.” She straightened the papers in front of her. “I think I could do a better job helping our pets while they’re here, if I knew more about their psychological state. And, to be perfectly honest, I have some issues I’d like to discuss, and I don’t want my husband to know. Not necessarily marital issues, though that’s --“ She sighed deeply. “That might be more complicated than you would want to go into. But I’m mainly concerned about the pets, and want what’s best for them.”
He nodded. “Let me give you my card.” He wrote his cell number on the back of it. “You can call my office number to set up an appointment. If there’s any question, just say I’ve already agreed to see you.”
Emma nodded, her eyes wide. He saw the beginnings of a smile as well.
“And if anything comes up that you want to talk to me about, that might happen before or after an appointment, you can call my cell and leave a message if I don’t answer. Anything you say in session with me will be kept confidential.”
“Thank you so much, Doctor. I really appreciate it. I was also thinking, if it’s not a conflict of interest… I’m not entirely happy with the vet who’s been here in the past. I’d like to hire you, instead, to oversee our pets’ health, in their animal and human form. I’m concerned about some of them, and whether they’re eating too much or too little, for instance. Do you think you could do that?”
He paused as he thought about it. He wasn’t sure it was 100% ethical, when he was adopting one of the pets from their store.
“Let me consult with my attorney about that, and I’ll get back to you. I’d just rather not have any problems come up about, as you said, a possible conflict of interest.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
She squared her shoulders and smiled brightly. “Well, I think everything is in order now. Shall we see if Artie is ready to go?”
Gabriel nodded, realizing she had said all she was going to say about any problems.
“Yes. I’m really looking forward to bringing him home. Everything is just about as modified as I can make it. If there’s anything else he needs, I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay.” She smiled warmly. “You can have your choice of any of the collars and leashes we have in stock, and you might want to get the collar engraved with Artie’s new name and your phone number. All of that is free of charge with any adoption.”
He nodded. “I have no intention of losing him, but better safe than sorry.”
“I’ll get started on that.”
They walked into the main part of the pet store, and Gabriel saw that Artie was indeed waiting for him. He looked nervous, but mostly happy. He was sitting in the old, manual wheelchair, with Will behind him.
“Hello, Artie. Are you ready to go home?”
“Yes, sir, whenever you are. Um, do you want me to stay like this for now, or change?”
“Like this for now, so it will be easier for you to ask me any questions you have,” Gabriel answered.
Will spoke up. “You might want to get him some hybrid food, maybe a bed, or some toys.”
Gabriel understood the necessity behind the sales pitch, but wasn’t going to give in to it.
“I’ve already taken care of all of that. I wanted to have everything ready, so we don’t have to delay getting home.”
Artie looked up at him and nodded, but he still looked nervous. Hopefully he’d be able to articulate any concerns, so Gabriel could put his mind at ease.
“Artie, do you have a preference for your collar and leash?” Gabriel asked, nodding towards that section of the store.
“No, sir. Whatever you want to get.”
“I’ll take a look, then.” He ignored the metal chain link leashes. They might be safer, perhaps, for controlling a large or particularly strong hybrid, but he thought the brown leather leash and matching collar would be fine.
Emma came out with the round disk inscribed with Artie’s contact information, and Gabriel inspected it for errors.
“Thank you, this should be fine.” He showed Artie the disk, which read “Arthur Hanover” and his phone number.
Artie winced slightly, then nodded.
“It’s probably best to have your legal name on your identification,” Gabriel mentioned, “but I’ll introduce you to people with your nickname, if you’d prefer.”
“Thank you.” The words were emphatic and heartfelt.
Gabriel attached the collar to Artie’s neck, and the disk to the collar, then snapped on the leash.
“Have you said goodbye?” he asked quietly. “Do you want to say anything to anyone?”
Artie thought a moment. “Hey, everybody,” he hollered in a surprisingly robust voice, “it’s been real. Take care of yourselves.” He got a chorus of responses, mostly good wishes, with a few complaints that were quickly shushed by Emma. He understood why some of the pets would be envious that they weren’t being adopted yet.
Will had taken off towards another room, so Artie sighed, and smiled at Emma.
“So long, and thanks for all the carrots,” he added.
“You’re welcome.” She looked genuinely happy for him to have found a home. Will seemed pleased, but was very perfunctory in his good-bye to Artie. Perhaps it would be a very good idea, if he could replace the current vet. He didn’t like the thought of someone else losing a client, but it seemed this store in particular needed some help.
He took hold of the handles of the wheelchair. “Alright, Artie, I think it’s time to go home.”
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Artie decided that what he mostly felt was relieved, with a side of hopeful happiness. So far, things were going better than he expected. Gabriel’s house was awesome, and he could reach just about everything from his wheelchair. He had his own room and bathroom, just down the hall from Gabriel’s. There was also an intercom system, so if he needed help, he could push a button and let Gabriel know, and he’d show up. As long as Artie was in his human form.
He loved the little addition to his collar, for use in rabbit form. It was a square, with a button in the middle. It didn’t stick out, so he would have to press his paw on it pretty firmly to get it to work, but it would alert his owner, who could come find him and help him out. It wouldn’t go off accidentally, by just hitting it against a doorway or chair leg or something, but it was certainly an improvement over what he was used to.
His bed was set up so it had rails on the side, so he couldn’t fall out, but they were easy to release when he was ready to get out of bed. There was sort of a trapeze above his head, that he could grab onto and swing himself into his wheelchair. That way, he could get to the bathroom by himself, and could transfer to the toilet, and reach the sink. The large shower had no lip, so he could roll his wheelchair in there. The tap handles were low enough he could reach them, and the showerhead was attached to a metal hose so he could reach everywhere he wanted to pretty easily. This was way more freedom and privacy than he was used to, and he loved it. It was also just a little bit scary.
In his room, there was a comfortable chair, though he did need some help to get into it. There were also bookshelves, filled with all sorts of books, for varying ages. He wanted to stop and read every title, but stopped himself. If he did that, he’d get too excited, and want to read dozens of books at once. Better, maybe to either grab a random book, or maybe just read the first few titles and take the first one that sounded interesting. But just a quick glance at the other shelves revealed his first guess was right; they all looked potentially interesting.
He heard someone clear their throat behind him, and would have jumped if he could.
“I’m sorry, Artie, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Of course it was his owner. Who else would it be? He maneuvered his chair around so they could talk more easily.
“That’s okay, sir. I need to get used to the quiet, instead of thinking there’s something wrong.”
Gabriel smiled sympathetically. “Artie, you really don’t have to call me sir. I know it’s an ingrained habit, but I hope one of these days you’ll call me Gabriel.”
“Yes, sir, I’ll try - I mean, I’ll try to remember, Gabriel.” He had been a bit apprehensive, but it didn’t look like he was going to get in trouble for making mistakes, at least not yet.
“It might be a good idea to set up a routine for you, so you can get used to doing at least some of the same things at the same time every day. Would that help?”
“Oh, yes, sir! Um, yes, Gabriel, thanks!”
As much as he wanted to just read for hours, he was used to having a schedule, and not knowing what was coming next made him a bit uneasy.
“We’ll figure out what works best for both of us,” the vet continued. “As I told you, when I go back to work on Monday, things will be different, and I won’t always be able to keep standard office hours. We’ll have to make some modifications to the schedule, but hopefully it won’t be too difficult for you to adapt.”
Artie shook his head. “No, sir. I mean, no, Gabriel. I don’t mind changes in routine, but it really does help if I know what I’m supposed to do, and what comes next, and when.”
Gabriel frowned. He leaned against the doorway. “What are you used to, a bell, or someone telling you this is over, and it’s time to do that instead?”
“Usually Mr. Will or Miss Emma would tell us when it was time for dinner, or exercise, or things like that. When it’s the same thing every day, you kind of get a feel for how long it’s been. It’s a little harder in my animal form, though, to figure out it’s almost time to quit playing and go back to my cage.”
Gabriel winced. “Well, the good news is, the only time you’ll be in a cage is if I need to transport you somewhere, like from here to the office, while you’re in your rabbit form. Otherwise, it’ll just be the leash.” He lowered his voice, as though talking to himself. “Though it worries me a bit, with you in a wheelchair, to make sure it doesn’t get tangled, or you don’t accidentally get choked.”
“Oh, yeah, um, Miss Emma used to loop the leash around the handles, so it would be easier to steer me with both hands.”
“That’s a good idea. But one thing we’re going to do, tomorrow, is go shopping for an electric wheelchair for you.”
Artie gasped. He couldn’t believe his new owner would spend that kind of money on him! He didn’t know how much those things cost, but he knew they were expensive. “You don’t need to do that. Thank you, but I think I can learn to get around in the manual chair. I didn’t get much opportunity lately, but I can get used to it again.”
“Tell me a little more about that, please. I’m not sure I understand.”
Artie licked his lips, and hoped he explained it well enough. “Usually somebody would help me get into the chair, and out of it, and would push me around in it. When I was at home, my mom let me wheel myself around, when I got strong enough to do it. But at the store, I dunno why, but they didn’t want me to do that. So Mr. Will, Miss Emma, or maybe Finn or Puck would push me around, ‘cause they were the strongest hybrids. I liked it better when Kurt steered me around, because he was always careful not to go too fast, and he never deliberately tried to scare me.”
“But the others did? The other hybrids, I assume.”
“Yeah. Miss Emma was careful, too, but not as strong as Kurt, so I worried she’d get hurt. And Mr. Will just seemed impatient all the time, and he didn’t always pay attention to getting around corners or other things in the way. So I got a lot of bruises on my knees and legs from hitting the furniture or doorway or something.”
Gabriel sighed heavily. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Artie. We’ll keep the manual wheelchair too, but I think it will be easier for you to get around in a motorized chair. On the other hand, the manual one will help keep your arms strong. I’m sure there will be times the motorized one will be easier, so I think you should have both. But I want to take you with me, so we can make sure to get the right fit, and try a few different things.”
“Thank you!”
“And while we’re there, I want to look at some carts, so you can maybe get around more easily in your rabbit form.”
“Carts?” Artie asked uncertainly.
“Yes. For disabled pets. It’s a cart with two, three, or four wheels. There’s a strap around your waist, to help keep your torso and legs in the cart, but you can use your front legs to move yourself around. It will probably make more sense once we see them. There don’t seem to be a lot of styles to choose from, but if we can’t find anything quite right, we can modify one, or have one custom made.” He hesitated, then said, “I actually talked to Adam, Kurt’s owner, about it. He showed some carts to Kurt, and asked him if he could maybe make a better design, based on what he knew about your condition and how you usually move, things like that.”
“Kurt? But why? I get that he knows me, and he’s seen how I move, but I don’t think he’d be able to do something like that.” He wondered why they’d given his fellow hybrid such a difficult task.
“Did you know Kurt designs clothes?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. But I didn’t pay much attention when he talked about that stuff.” Now Artie felt ashamed for not listening better, or being a better friend overall.
“And he used to help his father work on cars in his shop.”
“He did? But he’s not supposed to…” Artie trailed off, not wanting to cause any trouble.
“His father didn’t force him to work, he just showed him how to do some things and let him spend some time in the shop. But Kurt has a good understanding of engines, and car design. I don’t know that he’s ever tried to draw either of those things, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try. I liked the drawings he gave me.”
“Can I see them? Now I’m really curious about what these carts look like.”
“Certainly. I’ll spread them out on the kitchen table. You can have a snack while you look at them, if you’re hungry. I’ll start fixing dinner pretty soon, but I’m not sure what time you last ate.” He gestured for Artie to go ahead of him, towards the kitchen.
It wasn’t taking too long to get used to wheeling himself, as he’d been starting to do before he was sent to the store. “Oh!” Artie hadn’t thought about food. “We usually have lunch at 12:00, so it’s only been a few hours.”
“Well, if you think you can wait about an hour, dinner should be ready by then.”
“No problem!” Artie gasped, and hurried on to say, “I mean, thank you very much!”
Gabriel smiled faintly. “I appreciate you being polite, but I’d like you to feel free to express yourself when you’re at home. You don’t have to apologize for everything.”
Artie closed his eyes briefly and let out a small sigh. “Thank you. I’m just used to it. They really emphasized the difference between being more casual when no customers were around, and being more formal for any potential owners.” Gabriel didn’t respond, so he continued. “Because most owners do want to be talked to with respect,” he continued, cautiously, not sure how his words would be taken.
They arrived at the kitchen. Gabriel helped Artie get his wheelchair aligned with the table.
“I see. Well, yes, I think most people wanted to be spoken to with respect. But there’s a difference between respect and formality.”
“But you’re kind of…formal,” Artie concluded, wondering if he should just shut up.
Gabriel shrugged. “It’s a combination of how I was raised, my profession, and just personal preference. But I’ve noticed you’re more casual in the way you normally talk, and that’s fine. I don’t consider it rude. I’ll be back in a moment, as soon as I find the drawings.”
Artie nodded. “Take your time. I mean, sure, I’ll be fine.”
He looked around the room, at what he could see without moving his chair. It was a really nice kitchen.
He could see the corner of the TV in the living room through the doorway. It was off, of course. He wished he had a TV in his room, but knew that was way too much to hope for. Besides, Gabriel probably wanted to monitor what he watched, and if he had to watch in the living room, that was a good way to ensure he couldn’t watch inappropriate things. Depending on what Gabriel thought was inappropriate, of course.
Gabriel brought the papers in, and moved his chair over so he an Artie were on the same side of the table. He spread out the designs, and pointed out the differences.
“The main idea,” he explained, “is to keep you safe, while giving you more mobility. So there are straps around your body to keep you inside the cart, while allowing your front legs to move outside of it, pulling you along.”
“So it’s kind of like this wheelchair,” Artie said slowly, “and I’ll be able to control it with my front legs, rather than a motor or something moving me along.”
“Exactly. It won’t be the same as if you could move your legs normally,” he sighed, “but I think it’s the best we can do for now. Though I intend to keep doing research, and hopefully we’ll find something that will actually allow you to walk. But I don’t want you to count on that too much, because it might not happen.”
Artie shrugged, not too concerned. “It’s okay. I’d love to be able to walk, but I’ve gotten pretty used to the idea that I can’t, and that I need to try to get around the best I can without using my legs. I’m just not sure how much -“ He bit his lip, and looked up into Gabriel’s eyes. He was distracted for a moment, thinking that his eyes seemed very kind. It wasn’t an emotion he was all that used to seeing. “What I mean is, you’ve got a lot of patients, I’m sure, and I know you need to spend time working with them. I wouldn’t want you to take time away from them, to try to help me.”
Gabriel sighed, and leaned back a bit in his chair. “I gave it a lot of thought before I decided to adopt you. You’re right, in many instances, my patients will need to come first. I can’t spend all my time with you, though I doubt you really expected that.”
Artie shook his head. “I haven’t heard of any pets who get to spend all their time with their owners. Usually the humans are too busy with other things. I just don’t want to get in the way, or become a nuisance.”
“Don’t worry about that. You don’t seem like the type who tries too hard to get attention. It might take a while to find the right balance, but I want to be able to help you, and continue to see my patients. I might have to cut back a little on my schedule for a while, but we’ll see. That’s why I wanted to take a few days now, so we can have some time to get used to each other.”
Artie let out a long sigh of relief. “That’s good. I want to be able to do things for myself, but most of my life, I’ve been told I can’t do things for myself. Both because of being a hybrid, and a disabled one, at that. But I don’t want to have to rely on someone else to do things I think I can do for myself.”
“That’s exactly what we’re going to try to find out,” Gabriel said. He sounded quite sincere. “I think there are probably a lot more things you can do for yourself than you realize. But if we find a limitation you can’t get past, we’ll do what we can to lessen it, or work things out some other way.”
“That’s good.” Artie was starting to get a little uncomfortable. He really wanted to change, and explore the house, but of course, even in his rabbit form, he couldn’t get too far on his own yet.
Gabriel observed him closely. “Are you ready to change?”
Artie nodded. “I’d like to. If not now, then soon.”
“I was planning on fixing dinner for us both. You can either change after that, or you can change now, and I’ll give you some food more appropriate for your rabbit form.”
Artie was really torn. Both sounded appealing. “What do you want me to do?” he asked, not used to having a choice.
“Whatever you want. If you stay human, you can ask me any questions you might have while I prepare dinner, and while we eat. Or, if you’ve had enough talking, and just need to stop thinking so much, that’s fine, too.”
He considered, then spoke up. “Yeah, I think I’d like to change, at least for a while.”
“That’s fine. For now, I’d like you to stay in the kitchen with me. I’m going to close to sliding door for now, but -“
Artie couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “I’m not going to get very far,” he said, pointing to his legs.
“Ah, true. I’ll leave the door open, then. But I’d prefer if you’d stay in here for now. After dinner, you can explore a little more, and I’ll be there if you need me.”
“Okay. I’ll probably change back before I go to bed, if that’s okay with you.” Gabriel had already shown him the very comfortable-looking, pillowy pet bed he could use, in the corner of Gabriel’s room. There was also a litter box, in case he needed it. The vet had explained that for now, until he was sure Artie could get around on his own, he’d rather have him sleep in the same room, if he was in his rabbit form.
“That’s fine. Do you want to stay in the chair, or did you want to be on the floor?”
“The floor. I’ll probably stay right under the table for now, and maybe take a nap, if that’s okay. So I won’t be in your way. You won’t need to look out for me underfoot,” he clarified.
“That’s fine.”
He carefully lifted Artie out of the chair, and set him down on the floor. Artie asked to be put down on his stomach, with his legs out behind him, as it was easier to sleep that way.
He was a little self-conscious about changing in front of Gabriel, but as a vet, he’d seen it lots of times, he was sure. He stretched and relaxed, and in moments he was a rabbit. The floor was a little cold underneath him, but he knew it would warm up soon.
The human moved one chair aside, and put it back where it was before. Now he had plenty of room to crawl under the table. He remembered what it had been like when his legs worked, and he could hop around with ease, but those days were long gone. Now he just wanted to turn his mind off, and sleep. Maybe things would be less confusing when he woke up.
Artie could hear the sounds of his human fixing food, but he wasn’t banging things around or making a lot of noise. He tensed a bit when big feet got close to the table, but the human was looking to see where he was first. Some things were set on the table, then the legs went away again. Shortly after that, he saw a couple of shiny dishes being set down on the floor.
“These are for you, Artie,” he heard. “Whenever you’re ready.’
His nose twitched. He slowly moved in the direction of the bowls. In one he found water, and the other contained shredded lettuce, and tiny shavings of carrots, mixed into the usual boring rabbit hybrid chow. He ate cautiously, until he realized that now the boring food was suddenly delicious!
“Don’t eat too fast,” he heard a voice from above. “You don’t want to get sick.”
As tempting as it was to just eat everything in sight as fast as he could, he realized he didn’t have to. Nobody was going to take it away from him, or make him so scared he couldn’t eat. He could take his time. Artie sighed in contentment as he ate the best meal he could ever remember having as a rabbit.
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He was tired, and really wanted to sleep, but it was so quiet! And dark. Though there was a nightlight near the door, and that helped a little bit. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, but he just couldn’t. He was warm enough, and the bed was comfortable, and the sheets and blankets soft. But he was alone.
He glanced over at the clock next to the bed. He tapped the button at the top once, and the numbers glowed green. The numbers were huge, so he could see them well enough without his glasses. It wasn’t even midnight.
A while later, he heard a gentle tapping on his door.
“Come in,” he croaked, still not used to using his voice much. He reached over and touched the lamp with one finger, and it came on. He’d found if he touched it again, it would be brighter, and at its brightest if he touched it a third time. He put his glasses on so he could see more easily.
“I wanted to see if you were sleeping well,” Gabriel said. “I figured if you were asleep, you wouldn’t hear me.” He was wearing a bathrobe belted over dark pajamas.
“I’m having some trouble falling asleep,” he admitted. “It’s just really different. And so quiet,” he sighed. “It’s a nice change, but kind of weird.”
“The alarm clock is also a radio,” Gabriel pointed out. He showed him the buttons. “Do you want to try to find some music you might like?”
Artie grinned. He tried a number of stations, and finally settled on a classical one. He turned the volume way down. “This is good. There aren’t any words to distract me, and it’s not too loud.”
Gabriel nodded. “Whatever works for you. Is there anything else you need?”
“No, I think I’m good.”
“Okay. Let me get this down for you, just in case.” He pulled down another blanket, a soft fleece, and laid it near the foot of the bed, but off to one side, so Artie could reach it easily enough if he got cold.
“Thanks! You’re being really nice. I appreciate it.”
Gabriel’s brows furrowed for a moment, then he smiled. “I really do want you to be comfortable and happy here. If you need anything, press the intercom button.”
Artie glanced at the intercom next to the alarm clock. He hoped he didn’t mix them up by accident. But at least the intercom had a large red button to push if he wanted to get Gabriel’s attention.
“Thanks. I’ll get used to this,” he added quickly. “It just might take a while. Even though the others didn’t like me all that much, and I didn’t really like them too much, either, they understood. I wasn’t the only one, you know?”
Gabriel nodded. He leaned against the doorframe. Artie could really only see his outline, but it was still comforting to have someone there.
“I know. That’s why I’m hoping you’ll be able to spend some time with Kurt, and also Mandy. I know you’ve never met her, but she needs friends, too. And -“ He hesitated, his voice a little bit rougher. “Her owner, Julia, is a friend of mine. Er, that is, we’ve been dating. I’m not sure where that’s going to go yet, but I think we’d both feel better if you and Mandy could get along, than if you didn’t.”
Artie nodded, though he wasn’t sure Gabriel could see him that well, either. “That’s cool. Yeah, I’d like to meet more hybrids. Kurt and I got along pretty well, so we probably still will. Unless he’s changed a lot in the last month or so.”
“Well, he has, in some ways, but I don’t think it’s anything that will affect your friendship. But his relationship with Adam is very different from yours and mine, and Adam is trying to make Kurt as independent as possible.”
“Really?” Artie’s eyebrows disappeared under his bangs. “Independent?” he repeated.
“Well, as much as possible,” Gabriel repeated. “So Kurt has a lot more freedom of speech, for instance, than you’re probably used to.” He closed his mouth and tightened his lips as he looked at Artie’s expression. “You and I are going to have to work out what seems comfortable for both of us, but you’ll have more freedom here, in this house, than when we’re out in public. And even when you’re at the office, things will need to be a little more reserved. I suppose more like what you’re used to at the pet store.”
Artie frowned, but nodded in resignation. He’d hoped things might be different, but -
“I’m sorry, I’m not expressing it all that well,” Gabriel said. “It’s not that we’re going to be breaking any laws here, but possibly bending the rules a bit. But we’ll need to be careful when we’re around other people who might expect a bit more traditional behavior.”
“Okay.” Artie didn’t want to hope too much, in case he was disappointed, but it sounded like things would at least be better here at home. In the vet’s home. He still wasn’t used to thinking of this huge place as his home. He didn’t want to even start considering it a forever home until he was sure Gabriel wouldn’t decide he’d made a mistake and send him back to the store.
“Anyway, it’s late, so let’s both try to get some sleep. If you need anything you can’t reach easily be sure to turn on the light before trying to get into the wheelchair. And if you need any kind of help, please ask. I’d rather you wake me up than take a chance on you falling or getting hurt.”
“Thanks. I should be able to sleep through the night. I hope.”
“I’ll come in and give you some advance notice before breakfast, so you have time to get ready. If you wake up before I come in, feel free to get up if you want. But if you need help, let me know.”
“Whatever is best for you. I don’t want to put you to any trouble,” Artie said.
“Don’t worry about that yet. Try to get some sleep. Good night.”
“Good night. And thanks, Gabriel.” Artie was proud of himself for remembering to call his owner by his name.
“You’re welcome.”
Artie turned off the light and tried to relax. He really was tired. The classical music was soothing, and it helped him feel a little less alone.
Next - Chapter 89