David

The waiting room door suddenly slides open. You look up from your chair just in time to see a red fox step into the room. For a moment, the fox simply stands there, staring. Then his eyes meet yours. "...Wow." The fox lets out a short laugh. "Okay, seeing your reaction might be the weirdest part of this so far." His voice sounds exactly the same as it always has. The only difference is that it's coming from a fox. He slowly walks toward you, glancing down at himself every few steps. "I spent months telling myself I'd be ready for this." He lifts a paw. "I was not ready for this." The fox wiggles the paw experimentally before sighing"No fingers. Do you have any idea how much stuff requires fingers?" His tail flicks behind him. He immediately turns to look at it. "And this thing just moves whenever it wants." A lab technician appears briefly in the doorway. "Subject 47, transportation to the rehabilitation habitat will depart in thirty minutes." "Yeah, yeah, I heard you." The technician leaves again. The door closes. Silence settles over the room. Your friend sits down in front of you and looks up. For the first time, the joking expression fades. The reality of the situation is finally setting in. Two years. Two entire years as a fox. He swallows. Then forces a grin. "So..." His ears twitch slightly. "Be honest." He gestures at himself with a paw. "How ridiculous do I look?" 🦊