Dentistry.

 
Dogfire:


The supermarket line snaked down the aisles, two clerks running the registers.
An Armeni suited idiot was checking line by line a refund due to him. Rather
than walk up there and throttle him. I stared at the bulletin board nearby.  
Triple boards layed with archeological layers of paper. A triptycht of bad 
ads, term paper writing services, leaflets, dot com companies, more leaflets.

I waited, five minutes, ten...I could have made a hot fudge sundae from my 
melting box of ice cream while waiting in the line. Instead I read an ad, 
buried under a retro 80's music ad flyer and a dog walking service. The ad 
offered free dental exams and tooth repair in return for participating in a 
dental study. Even those 'species challenged' would be welcomed. 

I rubbed an old broken tooth as I read the ad.  A legacy of a moronic bet 
with my brother that I could bite open a sealed tin can.  I walked outside 
and slowly felt the phantom shape of my real teeth lurking in my mouth, 
vulpine of course. Perhaps they could fix an old broken fang for a werefox?
 
The clinic was located next to the old biology building, the epicenter when 
an explosion, scattered altered viruses into the air, and left a legacy in 
some people, on certain days, of having to deal with changing into were 
creatures. Not at a full moon of course. 
 
Most folks had gotten used to the idea of when you said a 'bad hair' day, 
your really meant it.  I wandered into the clinic. The receptionist smiled 
and asked me to fill out the paperwork.
 
 
Terrycloth:


I always felt self-conscious on my fox days, and having to grip the pen in 
ill-fitted werefox talons didn't help my mood or my handwriting. It looked 
like the study was specifically aimed at the 'species challenged', at least, 
since half the questions didn't really apply to humans. To uninfected humans.

I turned in the form and asked what the study was about, but the receptionist 
didn't know. The students that administered the study might not even know. I 
remembered a psych experiment I'd been in as a freshman where they'd told us 
we were running the study... hopefully it wasn't one of those. It'd be nice 
to have people actually trained in dentistry working on me.

"If you're selected you'll be notified by mail," the receptionist told me, 
"The study is actually happening next week." I nodded and headed off.


Alopex:


As I headed out of the clinic tried out various scenarios for what they would 
be testing on me and why it would be free, but then drifted off into musings 
of what it would be like to have both canines back again. In fact, I began to 
get second thoughts about whether I wanted to have the tooth fixed after all.

You see, it had been back when I was five that the explosion had happened. 
Normal kid on a field trip to the university's planetarium one minute, 
freakish deviation of nature the next. I was the only one hit by the viruses 
because I was the only one who had run off from the group when everyone else 
was just going inside. I was never one to make life easy for my teachers.

Things only got worse after the virus. The bigger kids initially teased me 
about my shape shifting...until I bit them and drew blood. Luckily, the virus 
was not transmitted in bites. I became even more of a hell-raiser than 
before, and now I had the slit pupils to make me appear even more devious.

But when I broke off that tooth, I lost my main mode of gaining power. Biting 
was too painful to use as a way to keep the upper hand. It grew infected and 
very sensitive, and the other kids knew it. I moved rapidly from the top of 
the heap to the bottom of the dung pile. Of course I could not let things 
stay that way, and began to develop other ways of keeping from getting 
attacked at recess.

I definitely believe now that it's because of that broken tooth that I'm so 
successful at my job...because I've had to learn how to use my brain to get 
myself out of scrapes, rather than my teeth. So, getting the tooth fixed now 
would be great, but it would also be the loss of my main characteristic that 
I've learned to appreciate the most over time.


Tarka:


Nena heard the front door open and the screen door slame shut and looked over 
to the living room. "Hello there Ralph. Back from school alright?" She laughs 
and went back to washing the dishes... he was have a bad hair day again.

Ralph frowned and shook his head. He wished that he could have gotten his own 
appartment. He couldn't affored it just yet. "Hello Nena.... glad to see that 
you are alright."
 
Nena smiled and went back to the dishes. "So what did you do today?
 
"Signed in for a pyche test thing today. They will do free tooth work.
 
Nena looked up.... "Oh.... hope you don't grow some extra ears.
 
 
Dogfire:


Nena blinked when I explained that after taking a few tests, I'd have a tooth 
implant put in. The tests did'nt bother her, it was hearing what the 
treatment involved implanting denatured enamal from a vulpine species into my 
teeth that had her worried. 

"Nena, it will stimulate my teeth to self repair itself and it will grow back 
as good as new."
 
"Ralph, I'm not sure, this doctor...doctor..."
 
"Barnes..."

"Yea, Barnes," Nena chewed her lip. She did this when she was worried. 
"Was'nt he the same doctor that did research on the virus that changed folks?"
 
Having no ears to lay back today, I gruffed, "Yea, what of it?"

Nena dried a dish, "I remember reading article, that described his grandose 
vision of changing mankind even further." She looked at me, "Ralph..what if 
something goes wrong?"
 
"Nena, nothing will go wrong, it's just a dentistry procedure."

Despite my reassurances, Nena remained worried when I set off for my 
appointment the next day. I was lucky, she was the first woman who did'nt 
shirk from me when I 'changed'. In fact, she thought it made for amusing 
times.
 
As I rolled out my bicycle, she walked up to me and kissed me, "Good luck."  
I pedaled off, but she smiled, waving, but still chewing her lower lip.

As I pedaled towards the clinic, I had to twist a wheel to avoid hitting a 
large white canid running across the road in front of me. The canid darted 
into the bushes. I shouted, "This aint' a werecrossing ya know!"

I locked my bike in a parking post. As I latched the lock, something about 
that were bothered me. I had seen all types of weres. But that one looked too 
odd, it's gait was well low to the ground almost as if...

The clinic door opened and the receptionist smiled, "Good day, we're ready 
for you."


Terrycloth:


She directed me to the basement, where I got to wait in another room with 
several other people. I couldn't tell for sure if they were weres or not. 
There was a pile of forms on the table set in front of the couch. I took one 
and looked it over. 'Please fill out completely and turn in prior to your 
procedure.' It asked a few more questions about my medical history, but was 
mostly a waiver. I skimmed it and scribbled my signature at the bottom.

After a few minutes the door opened, and a wrinkled old man in a white coat 
said, 'Next.' The woman seated near the door got up and walked over. The door 
closed.
 
"Where's the last patient?" I asked the man sitting next to me.

He shrugged. "They must  be leaving through some other exit, I haven't seen
anyone come out through here."
 
"Doesn't that make you... nervous?"
 
He chuckled, and I felt silly. But still kind of spooked.

The long minutes passed, and people went in, and others arrived, and after a 
half hour or so I was the next up. The butterflies in my stomach lurched as 
the door finally opened. It was finally my turn. "Next."


Alopex:


I followed the nurse/receptionist/student to the door. Just as I was leaving 
I noticed that big canine I nearly ran into come padding down the stairs and 
into the reception room. He and the nurse exchanged looks, and then she 
curtly led me onward.

We walked down a long hallway not unlike that of a typical dentists' office 
with it's old posters on the walls reminding you to floss and brush in 
circles. But the fact that you were in the dank underground was not far from 
my senses--what with the wet stains and mildew on the cinderblock walls.

She turned into one of the rooms near the end of the hallway and sat down at 
a little desk in the corner, and with a wave she indicated that I should take 
a seat in the dentists' chair. Before sitting, I noticed that it had an 
indentation in the seat for a tail. "Nice touch" I thought. Sitting on your 
tail was not the most comfortable when morphed.

For the next few minutes I answered questions about things I had filled out 
on the forms, and some that had not been there. The nurse seemed especially 
intent on me affirming that I had not had anything to eat that morning, as 
directed. It seemed a bit extreme for a simple dental proceedure, but I went 
along with it. For free dental work, I can put up with eccentricity and 
hunger for a bit.

Eventually the nurse snapped on a pair of rubber gloves and donned a mask, 
then pulled up a stool and tray of tools next to me. She probed my mouth with 
various implements, and especially my broken tooth. My eyes watered when she 
hit the exposed nerve, but I managed to avoid lashing out. No need to bite 
down on the pick and break the other tooth.

She seemed happy with what she saw, made some notes on her clip board, and 
then rose. "Everything checks out, Mr. Lauren," she said. "I'll go and fetch 
Dr. Barnes to begin the proceedure. It'll be only a couple of minutes. Just 
stay there and make yourself comfortable. Above all else, do not leave the 
room."

As she turned to leave, she also turned on a radio for me to listen to while 
she was gone. I recognized it as Dr. Teeth from an old Muppets show I'd seen 
as a kid. "Natch" I thought to myself and smiled.


Tarka:


Later....
 
I looked around, the jingle from Natch still playing through my head but the 
office was gone. In its place was the park and my cloths were just filthy. I 
looked at my watch but found that it wasn't there. At least I wasn't in my 
bad hair form today. Then I remembered and felt at my broken tooth with my 
tongue and for the first time in many years acturally felt that it was there. 
I wasn't sure how I got to the park.... but at least the tooth was fixed.
 
"Can I help you sir?"

I turned around and saw a cop standing away from me... his head held a little 
behind his hip. In easy reach of the gun there.

"I'm alright officer. I was just onmy way home."

I beat a retreat from the cop and headded for home and tried to remember what 
had happened at the office. The only image in my mind though was a turned 
over garbage can.
 
 
Dogfire:


The campus cop had that look in his eye, almost horselike. Probably a were 
too and one not to trifle with. I got up and waved him off. "I'm walking 
home."

After a few words, I got up and reassured him I was heading home which was my 
intention. The groggyness had suddenly vanished as I walked down the path. I 
had only walked several paces when I doubled over in pain as stars flashed in 
my eyes and that familiar 'bad hair' day feeling came over me...
 
I always wear sweatpants and a loose fitting athletic workout stretch t-shirt 
to prevent clothes from ripping. Saves on replacing them. But this time, I 
must have yowed in pain as my joints seemed on fire and my clothing became a 
prison instead of stretching to accomodate my wereform.

All I recalled was thrashing about and finally freeing myself as I galloped 
down the road. Wind whipping through my ears, tongue panting around my jowls, 
everything moving smooth and free. And so free it was, I never felt this way, 
galloping with all legs...All legs?
 
I padded to a halt and stared at a shop window, I expected to see a fox head 
and ears, but an enormous flowing body, four legs and tail stretched 
out...What in tarnation?

According to the encylopedia, real foxes are small creatures, under 30 lbs.  
I did'nt feel like calling up Colliers and telling them that there was a four 
legged, 200 lb fox staring at himself in a shop window. I tried to say 
something, but my jaws opened, flexed and only a hissing came out...

My ears flashed and I bared my teeth as a large dog approached. Like me he 
was oversized too. I bared my teeth ready to use my newly repaired fangs, 
when at once, I head voices, well a voice in my head.
 
'Calm down...I'm using telephony..to talk to you. It's the only thing the doc 
left for use to talk.' 

I pawed my head, this is too weird, and found myself answering, 'And for your 
information you big ugly dog, it's telepathy!'
 
'Sorry, I'm just, or was the Quad Janitor...'
 
 
Terrycloth:


The dog explained, while leading me off campus, that the evil Dr. Barnes was 
turning weres into... well, into real animals... well, almost real... through 
the cover of his 'dentistry' procedure. The cops were paid to turn a blind 
eye, and most of the population didn't care. But they would.

"We're infectious now, you see. I don't think he planned on that. As soon as 
we get that tooth out of you you can join our little plan.
 
"We're going to turn this whole city into a were sanctuary. Then we'll get 
Barnes."
 
"Why -- why do you want to take out my tooth?" I asked, running over it again 
with my tongue. "It's the only good thing to come out of this..."
 
The dog led me into a dark alleyway, and we walked past decaying buildings 
into an urban canyon, with cement to either side and rusting exposed girders 
overhead. Feral eyes glittered from the shadows. "The tooth is a symbol of 
your servitude."
 
A man was waiting there -- no, an ape. A gigantic ape, 10 feet tall, with a 
huge, spiked pair of cast-iron pliers. I cowered back, but more dogs had 
circled in behind me, blocking my escape. "Don't worry," the ape rumbled, "I 
only ever need one yank."
 
I don't remember all the details of how I got out of there. I scrambled and 
scraped and scurried and hide in shadows and bit and scratched and dodged the 
dogs that chased me and tried to hem me in, but I'd studied foxes well as a 
child, and knew the tricks better than they knew how to hunt.
 
Finally, battered but fairly sure I was free of them, I pulled myself out of 
the bushes by the side of a dirt road, just in time to be run over by a semi.
 
I woke up shaken, but human. What had happened? Where was I? I ran my tongue 
over my tooth, but it was there. Was it... was it a dream?


Alopex:


No, the nurse showed me pictures of the accident scene that confirmed that it 
was not all a dream. Of course, the terrible pain that came and went in my 
head and the brace on my leg could have served as strong evidence too. It 
seems I managed to miss the wheels of the semi, but got a good knocking by 
the axles underneath. Luckily the semi wasn't moving too fast.
 
There was considerable debate among the doctors about the nature of my 
transformation back to human form and whether it was permanent or not. For 
several days, my condition was unchanging, but then the following night came 
the answer to their questions.
 
Over the course of an hour, my body contorted and writhed under the force of 
Dr. Barnes' cruel effects. It wouldn't have been so bad if my hindleg had not 
been trapped in that stupid brace, but with a good gnashing of teeth I tore 
the straps off. the transformation had a restorative effect, such that my leg 
could take full force now, and my head no longer throbbed. I rolled off the 
bed and padded down the dimmed hallways of the hospital, looking for the door.
 
Out in the cool evening air I was invigorated. I breathed it deeply into my 
lungs and it invited me to run.  I loped down the roads and through the 
parks, not caring where I went...and yet not surprised when my peregrinations 
eventually found me on the street where I lived.
 
I calmed my pace down to a walk and made my way down the pools of light 
dotting the sidewalk. The light was on, and I saw Nena's form silohuetted in 
the window. Should I? I asked myself. I shrugged--a rather silly thing to do 
when you're on four legs, but I wasn't still completely used to this stance.
 
I made my way up to the front door and rang the bell with my nose. After a 
few minutes, I saw the door open and Nena looked out.
 
"R...Ralph?"
 
I wagged my tail.
 
Nena stepped out and looked me over. She stroked my fur thoughtfully and 
scritched my ears. I also noticed how she shook her hand to free it of the 
clump of fur it had picked up.
 
Nena placed her hands on her hips a moment and bit her lip in thought. She 
stroked my fur a few more times, then held open the door and let me in.
 
"OK," she said. "I guess it's ok for you to stay here. Just no piddling on 
the floor and no chewing on the furniture." With that, I saw her head for the 
closet and place a fresh bag in the vacuum cleaner.


Tarka:


*Fred, are you sure he is in there?*
 
*Aye sir. We tracked him all of the way here.*
 
*Good... Good. We have to get that tooth out of him or he will just transform 
back into a human again. If he takes it out then he will be cured.
 
Barks padded up. *Damn that Dr. Why did he have to go mucking about trying to 
fix all the wrongs in the world. We wouldn't have had to kill him if he 
didn't try and publish.*
 
*Fred, Barks, keep your minds shut... I can't keep from hearing your chatter 
so shut up. We move in tonight when the fox is asleep. Kill the female human. 
She knows to much.*
 
They quieted down and layed in wait out in the dark night.
 
 
Dogfire:


Dr. Barnes minivan backed into the University slot. The doctor jumped out of 
the door and opened the tailgate. "Get back inside." He grumbled, a tail 
tucked Bark padded in, "I thought you had a sense of smell idiot!"
 
'But, but that house was filled with fox musk and I could'nt smell a 
thing'.....The dog ducked a cuff as Barnes shut the door, "Smell? you 
attacked a stuffed dummy in bed! They're onto us."
 
"As we are to you, Barnes..."
 
Barnes and Barks looked down the hallway, into the barrels of a few shotguns, 
welded by the meanest looking pair of werewolves in a suits. The sounds of 
more padding told Barnes and Barks they were surrounded.
 
"IRS.  Barnes, you're under arrest for failure to pay back taxes...."
 
I could say a lot of how Nena and I slipped out of town. It seems Barnes was 
not as carefull as he thought, and one of his henchdogs tipped us off. We now 
living in seclusion in Canada.  Much to my delight, Nena picked up the 
telepathy and we can converse. I found I could control my changes and for a 
few nights out of the month I'm in human form again.  We tend to make up for 
lost time. I dictate articles as a free lance writer. Nena works at a 
Library. Life is great...
 
And today is a red letter day. The postman delivered those curry comb dog 
brushes. I never realized being brushed could feel so good...