Pandemonium

I groaned as my alarm started blaring, reaching up to turn it off and felt an arm slide around my waist and try to tug me closer. I rolled my eyes and elbowed the man behind me sharply in the ribs.

“Fuck dude what was that for?” He groaned as I sat up and pushed my hair from my face with one hand and rubbed the sleep from my eyes with the other.

“Novak I said you could crash here for the night I didn’t say shit about you crawling into my bed once I fell asleep. You know the rules,” I replied, checking a few texts I’d gotten during the night before standing up completely, stretching, and grabbing a discarded towel from the floor and heading to the bathroom.

He had relapsed two years ago and stolen Bam’s Mercedes before crashing it and had gotten kicked out of Castle Bam as a result. He still wasn’t clean, but I allowed him to sleep on my couch every once in awhile out of sympathy.

“I can’t help it you’re so warm and cuddly Wyn,” he yelled from the other room. I double checked my wallet was still untouched before stepping into the bathroom and stripping once the shower was running.

Novak irked my soul but, in my mind, he was still family. Bam was still not talking to him and he had his opinions about me associating with him after what he did, but I could say the same about a certain someone he still talked to. Novak didn’t like him to begin with and had been there for me the coming months afterwards. I knew it was just because he was trying to swoop in and save the day, but it was a kind gesture I felt I needed to repay.

I grumbled aloud just bringing up the painful memories as I washed my mid length silvery white hair. I shook it off though. Fuck that shit.

Once I’d gotten over my heartbreak after months of lying in bed and moping, I’d made it my mission to do better. Missy and Novak had both been there for me ever since Bingo had moved out to Delaware for school. We kept in touch, but she worked long nights and I worked long days.

I had enrolled in the local college with no idea where I was going in life, ended up getting my license as a veterinary technician which surprisingly I was very good at, and bleached my hair. I was not that little naive girl with big blue eyes and her heart on her sleeve anymore. I moved out of Castle Bam and into my own little apartment and I moved on. That’s not to say I wasn’t still involved in the family shenanigans, but I needed my own space to be alone at the end of the day. My place wasn't much, a simple one bedroom flat but it was on a decent side of West Chester and my neighbors didn't mind my loud music.

Finishing up, I stepped out into the foggy little bathroom shivering at the cool air clung fast to my warm wet skin. My newest tattoo, a cluster of sunflowers and roses on my right forearm, was healing nicely and went well with the surrounding ink. My entire right arm was now covered in a sleeve and I was working on my left one slowly but surely.

Drying off quickly, I wrapped my hair in a towel and donned my work uniform- a simple pair of black scrubs. I made a mental note to make sure to wash them tonight as I noticed they were covered in long black cat hair. Doing my makeup quickly in the mirror, I raked a brush through my still damp hair before throwing it up in a messy bun, keeping all but my bangs and a few loose wet strands out of my face.

A loud scratching noise broke my concentration and I opened the door to see Jailbait looking at me expectantly with his big blood orange eyes.

“Well good morning little kitty man,” I cooed, picking him up and cuddling him to me. He rubbed his forehead against my face and purred loudly in response.

“Why can’t you greet me like that?” complained Novak, finally making it out of bed. He stood in the doorway shirtless but in old dirty jeans. My trained eyes instantly noticed the newest needle marks on his left arm, still fresh from use and I had to look away.

“Because you’re disgusting and he’s my wittle kitty baby,” I hummed into his fur, nuzzling my fluffy Persian.

“Yeah yeah,” he muttered, continuing to the kitchen to raid my fridge.

I watched him go before putting Bait down to finish getting ready for work. I had gotten a job at a small nearby clinic right out of college and while the hours were long, the pay was decent, and the doctors were bearable.

Finishing up in the bathroom I slipped on some socks and a pair of beaten up Vans. I took mental note of the blood specks that covered them from a Yorkie who’d chewed out its IV the day before. I’d have to wash these tonight as well.

“I helped myself to this cake,” I heard Novak shout as I entered the kitchen to see him shoveling pieces of the dark chocolate into his mouth with his hands.

“Oh, come on man, hands off! Ape made that for me!” I complained, snatching the tubberware container from him as he finished off my last piece of ‘Better Than Sex’ cake.

“Ugh fuck I miss her cooking,” he moaned as he licked his fingers clean.

“You fucking suck,” I growled, narrowing my eyes at him and throwing the now empty container into the sink with a clatter.

“I can if you want to baby, you know nobody gives better dick than a dope fiend looking for a place to sleep,” he joked, making obscene gestures with his tongue, spewing crumbs all over my clean floor.

“Yeah yeah I know you’ve got nothing else to give, get your shit together I need to get to work,” I replied, making sure my good pen was in my shirt pocket and slipping my wallet into my work bag.
I noticed him eyeing it.

“You might live to tell the tale after you steal from Bam, but I’ll break your fingers fucker don’t forget,” I growled as his sunken eyes snapped up to mine. He knew I meant it too.

“You know I like it rough sweetheart,” he gave me a half grin and slipped his shirt on before opening the door for me. Grabbing my keys off the countertop, I followed him out, making sure the door was securely locked before saying goodbye to Novak who said something about spending the day looking for copper to sell. I told him to be careful and headed out into the sunshine and whatever the day held.

“So, when are you going to give me your cousin’s number?” my coworker Tracie asked for the millionth time as she restrained a Great Dane so I could vaccinate him. She was an older woman who’d been a vet tech for longer than I’d been alive.

“When his wife isn’t my best friend,” I commented, sticking the dog with the needle and injecting it quickly. He didn’t even move.

“Awh what a good boy!” I cooed as I capped the needle and rubbed the area I just stuck. He wagged his tail, smacking both Tracie and me with the long whip like appendage.

Tracie rubbed the massive dog behind the ears as I stood up and picked up his chart to fill out the paperwork, leaving her with the owner.

I was finishing up the chart and letting the doctor sign off when I felt my phone go off. Pulling it out, I saw it was a message from Bam.

“Hey can you come look at the cat when you get off????”
I texted him a confirmation quickly and returned my phone to my pocket.

A few seconds later I felt the familiar buzz again.

I opened the text to a video of one of his cats stumbling around like he was drunk with his head tilted to the side.

Instantly, I excused myself outside to call him.

“Hello?” He answered on the first ring.

“Bam when did he start stumbling?” I immediately went into tech mode.

“Earlier this morning after he threw up,” he answered, I could hear the panic in his voice.

“He’s vomiting too?” I questioned, my brain going to a thousand different diagnoses.

“Yeah he’s been puking for the last few days but with us changing his food we though he just didn’t like it,” he commented defensively.

“Bam you should get him to a vet immediately,” I said sternly. It could be anything from encephalitis caused by a virus to head trauma and neurological issues weren’t to be messed around with.

“Alright thanks Wyn,” he responded shakily and hung up.

Dropping my phone in my pocket and opening the door I came out of; I heard my name being called from another room.

“It’s gonna be a long day,” I sighed to myself and rushed off to see what was going on.

I opened the door to find what looked like a murder scene, Tracie and an elderly man I presumed was the owner trying to hold a Cane Corso with a face full of porcupine quills so the doctor could sedate it.

After we managed to get the dog down, veins full of sedatives so they could take him in the back once he was nice and compliant, I left the room to help the next patient. Walking in the room while grabbing the chart without looking, I was instantly looking into a pair of surprised but deep soulful green eyes, having come face to face with the last person I ever wanted to see again.

Ville.

It was going to be a long day indeed.