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There’s a slight, abrupt alert from the heart monitor’s steady beeping.

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Voices muffle in.

   “…   Toki toki Nala-chan, it’s okay   …   ”   …  ”   …   How’re you feeling dear?…   ”   ….  ”   …   We’re here for you, Mi made apple-pies, jan Dorothy teach mi   …”   ”   ….   I hope it’s good memories you have and keep, that I did right by you, loves you shug   …   ”   …   ”  …   Hey Nala jan, we’re nurses,  you’re in a post-op care room, please relax, you’re going to be fine   …   “

Nala woke up sheltered and warm to a clean soft lit room; surrounded by the kiddos, Dorothy, a pig-furrie, and a mousey-furrie that are removing her coconut water intravenous line and heart monitoring machine.

Nala’s lost and hazey.

Disorientated, exhausted, nauseous. 

There’s a large, sore, lump in her throat.

As the blurs start taking shape, she looks and finds, at arm’s reach, caring faces and sincere concern.

…but Vic isn’t there with them.

She looks again, worried, and at not seeing him here..

Nala’s memories start violently crashing through and filling in the gaps.
Her eyes start fogging back up to the visions of Vic’s mutilated torso and lifeless eyes, being chased down and electrocuted by strangers, her leg destroyed by metal batons, being tied up and forced, the petrifying feeling of total defeat and hopelessness…

She lastly recalls cut scenes of her friends shoveling a hole for Vic, far away music, and the smell of powder, iron and static…

Nala knows her legs exist beneath her sheets, and doesn’t immediately understand what to make of it.
She has no control over her face and her arms try to move but they’re like dead weights.

Upset, Nala smile-cries-sobs and begs out in tears, as her heart starts racing and panic starts to take over, “telo, please-please…   telo…”

Nala tightens onto her sheets as she aggressively moves her head outside the side of the bed, the pig nurse reflectively helped Nala throw-up, keeping her hair out of the way and supporting her as she furiously vomits inside the bucket and splashes some onto the nurse’s clothes.

The nurse jans, calmly, comfort her and let her know “it’s all right, the nausea should wear out soon”,
Reassuring her, “it’s all going to be okay.”

Nala is helped to ease back into sitting up in her bed, the pig-nursey carefully wipes her mouth with a baby-wipe.
The mousey-furrie nurse gives her a metal cup half-way filled with water.

The room is quiet, nobody knows what to do or say, as Nala holds the cup, but can’t seem to bring it up.
Genosha stealthily runs out into the house’s kitchen and returns with a straw and assists a fading in-and-out Nala drink some.

Shortly thereafter, Genosha politely backs away with the cup and straw as Nala became further unresponsive.
Nala sat stiff and slumped, with tears rolling down her furrie jan cheeks, frozen-and-affixed in a thousand-yard stare.

The mouse jan nurse cautiously puts her hand on the side of Nala’s bed.

Xavier motions to the nurse and offers up his apple-pie plate, to which she softly nod’s her head to say, no, not right now.

The pig nurse takes this moment and silently excuses herself to change her clothes out.

Dorothy breaks the silence, and gestures with confidence to get closer to Nala with her hands, “Jan Meliorism, should I?…”

The nurse jan nods her head and makes space for Dorothy.

Dorothy leans in closer to Nala, “It’s okay, we’re here for you dear, may i be close and hold you?”

Dorothy rests her hand gently on top of Nala’s fists that were gripping her sheets in place.

With struggle, Nala manages to let go to find her hand to Dorothy’s, and tilts her head slightly to her.
Dorothy understands and cups her other hand over Nala’s wet cheek,  “You’re safe here..  Come back to us, it’s alright if it’s little by little,, we can talk about it, or talk about anything else, whenever you’re ready…”.

Nala reacts positively to this, squeezing Dorothy’s hand a little tighter.
Dorothy wasn’t expecting this and had to keep from squinting in pain, Nala is remarkably strong without meaning to be.

“It’s okay to relax.  Take a deeeeep breath now dear.  I understand, i learned this from my mother a long time ago.  It goes like this. 
We Inhale love. and then…    we exhale peace.  It really works.  Let’s try it together, i’m here with you.”

After a few soothing attempts, Nala starts matching Dorothy’s rhythm, while easing up on her unintentional vice-grip.

Dorothy carefully removes her hand, immediately relieved, extra cautious now after realizing how easily Nala could’ve broken it.

“There you go hun, you’re doing great.” 

Dorothy gives Nala a kiss on her forehead and wraps her arms around her, moving with a serene hug that cataformed naturally to Nala’s breathing.

Nala responds in kind by unloading tears and snot all over Dorothy’s shoulder.

The mouse jan nurse moved in to support the hug with her hand soft-resting on Dorothy.

The kiddos cautiously joined Nala on the other side.

Nala found the strength to raise her arms and hold onto Dorothy while crying for 5 minutes straight.

Dorothy sustained a double grip of pain on her forearm, keeping hers in as Nala lets hers out.

The group shifted and moved and cried rhythmically with her, inhaling love, and exhaling peace, until the air around Nala became a hum of humid, sniffled and moist.

Nala feels herself grounded and seen, and with a last exhale, feels like she’s finally letting go of shock, at least for now, to regain control, “Thank-thank you”,  *sniffles* , “I feel welcome here, Vic told me that he had a good feeling…   …that you would be nice friends to me….  …he was always right”

They gracefully give Nala space.
The room agrees that Vic was a good person, that they have him in high esteem and are also hurting from this loss.
Nala swears to herself she saw a jan’s shadow suddenly disappear from the doorway.

Dorothy retreats to the side to put on her long sleeve sweater, to hide Nala’s inadvertent marks she left on her.

Nala looks down, not knowing what it’s she’s even feeling and seeing anymore, vaguely deciphering a bad mix-list of confusion, emptiness, frustration, vulnerability, loss and shame.
She imagines what Vic would encourage her to do in this situation, like some kind of inside hero, or internal guide. 
She tries to tap into his imprint; her most significant memories of his character, which somehow was always followed by one of them oldy style songs…

Vic is there grinning and confidently preaching, ever so loud and proud and complete with his unique charades; <<  when the going gets tough, the tough keeps going.  So be ready to toughy up those shoulder’s shuuuuuuuug, cuz you’s way stronger than you know.  And it’s alright, this ain’t nothin’, i’m always right there wit’ ya, every step of the way’  >>.

Nala blurts out a laugh-cry and sharply whimpers a moment..
Then gets herself together to sit up straighter; easing in to squaring her frame up, dignifying herself.
Her hands, riddled with tape, bruises, nicks and scrapes, feel stronger now, readier than ever.
She proves herself fully back; by handedly accepting the tissue box from the mousey nurse jan.
Then wipes her own tears, and blows her own nose.

She’s ready to recognize her right foot now, under the sheets, in front of her.

She explores and tests her control over it.  She can bend and move it just slightly before the ouchies sharply come in, setting immediate physical limits.

The mousey nurse takes this opportunity to introduce herself in a soft clear voice,

“Hey hey Nala jan, my name is Meliorism, would you be open to hearing me share what we understood happened and how we can help in regards to your injuries?”

Nala meekly looks at the nurse and shakes her head, yes please.

The nurse, with Dorothy’s help, moves a wireless flat screen on wheels off of the wall, angles it for Nala’s explicit view, and begins sharing.
(meanwhile Genosha sneakily gave Nala back her cup of water and straw)

“Your friends brought you here 3 days ago.  This is what the building you are in looks like on the outside, and here are some views of the surrounding area as well.” 

The television is showing real-time footage of the location and the weather outside; the split screen sharply displays the 2 story blue duplex house and scrolls along with other pictures and videos.  The view expands between lively scenes of buildings and diverse groups of people and locations nearby, and even higher views of airport city and charlotte-topia both from a literal bird’s eye level as well as circling rc planes.

Nala felt captivated on where she is, and felt from the higher images a similar awe like those she got from her treetop.

The nurse clicks and the screen moves on into a medical review theme, “Your friends informed us that your group came under a really dangerous and violent encounter with money zealots, and that these bad elements were able to attack and hurt you before they could stop them.  You were presented here after a 6 hour drive and we immediately put you under sedation and pain medications in balance with the meds Dorothy jan already shared with you from the trip.  Please, feel free to correct me at any time if anything i say does not make sense, your truths are important to all of us, and we know very well this is difficult and a lot to take in.”

Nala brokenly agrees to the summary, and looks to Dorothy and the kiddos appreciatively with her eyes as the nurse continues, “A team of Orthopedists, people and furries that are foot specialists, visited you while you were asleep from the sedation yesterday.  As you can see they performed your x-rays, and everyone agreed that the best step would be to address the extensive damage on your right foot with surgery.  Specifically, an arthroscopy and an open reduction and internal fixation.  This means we had to replace your knee with a metal one, and we fused together your broken femur bone over a small rod that looks a bit like a nail.”
Nurse jan Meliorism points with a green laser on the screen the highlight’s of the emergency care plan, along with the team’s deliberations and reasons they moved forward.

The tv displayed then refreshed new x-rays of her knee cap and femur bone; on the left is the shattered version from before, and on the right is proof of her repairs after.
It seemed unimaginable to her, impressed at what had to be a bonkers level of mutual coordination and skill, and imagined it must have been harder than stick welding…   …and that all of this was being done while she was asleep…
She still can’t believe to herself her foot was that ruptured like the pictures, and had to know.

As Nala looks away from the x-rays to her right foot, she carefully moves the blanket slightly out of the way to see.

Her entire thigh looks like a mushy bruised fruit with two red marker lines super glued together in the middle.
Her knee is like a swollen purple grape, patched together by dermabond-stitching.

Nala didn’t like what she saw, found it monsuta, and covered it back up.

The nurse continued when Nala signaled she was ready, and a room-recording fast forward plays the multiple teams in masks and surgery gowns and precision tools and equipment working on her leg.  “All of these videos and pictures are accessible to you, when you receive your topia-phone, we can simply store all of this in there for your records.  The more graphic and detailed camera angles of your operation are provided as well.  The people and furries that worked on your footsy are all experienced and highly trusted in this city-topia, and if there are any concerns about anything at all we are always available.  As a matter of fact, if you are open to it, many of them are hoping to visit you tomorrow evening.  They wish to say hi, follow up on how your leg is doing, and answer any questions.”

Nala is appreciative and concerned, 

“thank thank you.  So much help to me.  How do i reciprocate so much help?”

The nurse jan smiles friendily and waves, “No no jan Nala, that won’t be necessary.  Everyone here is here because this is what we love to do.  We care about you and you feeling your best.  Winning for us is knowing our cool patient friend got back on her feet.  These aren’t things that are recipricable directly, if anything at all, we ask you to remember our love of healing and be ready to pass it forward with compassion of your own☺️”

Nala is wholly appreciative as the mousey jan nurse continues,

“…if i may, and again, you can always stop me anytime…  i feel it important to bring…    … the other injury up.  What happened was wrong, and unacceptable.  You won’t find those kind of immediate threats and behaviors here, but outside as you know, we still have more fighting to do against that money disease.”

Mousey jan Meliorism takes a deep breath and continues, “The main community members in this entire area are proficient in self-defense as well as self-care, including nurse Joy and I, so those abusive strategies are quickly identified and removed from this environment.  We all add to the compassion spirit that runs this city.  This is why we say you truly are safe here, and supported.  That said, the psychological factors of being harmed by any members from any society around you is incredibly impactful.  This trauma can create a natural defense mechanism that heightens how we interact with both ourself and others after such an event.  I’m sad our reach wasn’t there to protect you before, but we’re here now, and we offer many different options of helping you heal in mind, body, and spirit.”

Nurse jan Meliorism clicks on the screen different live-view locations nearby, “These are all places you can go to openly connect with others who have also gone through traumatic experiences, some of them are more specific than others, and they can be one-on-one sessions or group based.  Our advice is to use the topia-phone to explore each location for their reviews and offerings, to maybe find a place that you would like to try.  Many of them are available 24/7.  Of course, opening up to trusted friends and family is recommended, and you are also welcome to speak with us over anything, we will do our bestest to help.”

Nala nods at the screen, processing the visuals with the options received, while Xavier quietly blurts out, “We can show you where phones is, and i’m also will do best—“, before Genosha silenced him by placing her hand on his shoulder and squeezing.

Nala didn’t notice, and asks, “jan jan Meliorism, When…     …i mean…   will…    …will i be able to run again?”

The nurse helps breaks Nala’s tension beforehand with a smile, “If all goes well, we are guesstimating a ball-park of 6 months.  Walking without assistance should be within a few weeks.  The prognosis, which is to say, the collective expectations, are all really good.  The recommendation is for you to ambulate, move around little by little, gentle exercises, and slowly get a feel for what you can and can’t do day by day.  
Remember, it’s whenever YOU feel ready and comfortable, do not exhort yourself.  Also, this is something we find difficult for a lot of our patients to accept, but it’s VERY important that you allow yourself to be helped and supported for the fastest possible healing times and to re-enforce our pro-social bonding competencies…   Oh!  And we have some medications for you to help with pain and some ointments to help with skin healing.  We also have a dedicated shop nearby that can make you a personalized 3d printed cast.  We highly suggest a spring adjustable leg brace to improve your recovery, a lot of patients in this city have positive reviews on those models and swear by them.  We can arrange for you to be escorted there, and that is as always, whenever you are comfy and ready.  You and your pona pona friends are welcome to stay here until you feel all set to go and move on with your journey.  I know I spoke a lot, and am always happy to repeat or clarify anything.  Were there any questions at all?”

Nala shakes her head no, she’s trying to digest the information and is hoping Dorothy and the kiddos would be able to fill her in on things she may have missed later.  She reasons if anything serious pops up, she can comfortably ask a jan pona nurse.
While ruminating, Nala is starting to notice the apple pie Xavier’s been quietly carrying on his lap.

Xavier catches this and is about to offer up, until they’re interrupted by the pig nurse coming back in, in a fresh set of clothes.

“Hello Nala jan, pleased to meet you.  I’m nurse Joy Milne.  Nurse jan Meliorism and I maintain this house.

We have other guests that arrived last night and after speaking with your friends, they were hoping to visit you.

Anytime that is comfortable for you would be okay for them, and if you don’t wish to see them that is completely fine as well.
Is this something you are open to?”

Nala looks to her kiddo friends, whom seem to be holding back surprise and glee as they encourage Nala to say yes with their eyes and chin-grins.

Nala nods her head, “Thank you thank you, i would like to try a new friendships and talk, i mean, speak about things with them.  They are welcome to say hi to me if they are there now now?”

Nurse Joy smiles and motions for the other patient guests to walk in.

A confident feminine voice double makes sure it’s okay from the hallway, receiving in turn a collective confirmation from the room, “Come on in!”

Larger than the doorway, and larger than life, a bandaged, battered and bruised buffalo mare; tall, slim and extremely muscular, cautiously squeezes into the room, followed closely behind by a larger framed buffalo bull with slightly less serious signs of body damage.

They are tastefully dressed in custom deer skin clothes, with the buff mare sporting a vicious looking bear-coat skin over her.

Nala’s eyes widened to the unexpected, and remained stunned in surreal surprise.

In front of her, looking at her endearingly, with a smile that’s missing teeth, is the buffalo mare she recognizes from the NY video.

There’s bandages wrapped around the buffalo mare’s broken horn and right eye, her right arm is in a sling, three fingers on her left hand are sandwiched in splints.  Her left foot is flexibly supported by a spring brace.  Scars, stitches, and spots of older bruises riddle her body, which radiates a smell of spring with a hint of nag champa.
You could tell she wanted to speak along with her both her hands, but was limited.
Her voice was a continuous soft base that carried love in it’s tones.

“Toki toki Nala jan, my name is Juanita Navarro.  Big lover bull here name is Enkidu.  Other lover-lover is out on errands, but sends toki ponas to you, his name is Maslow.  We sorry if so sudden, we don’t mean to be intrusively.  but mi-mi and dem’ bulls, we worry much for my filly-bebey next door when your pona friends tell us their story.  oh! and Toki toki again nice friends”

Navarro waves and the kiddos plus dorothy greet them back.

“How are you filly Nala jan, how are your feelings wearing now; health and spirit?”

Navarros voice carries to Nala, and she felt compelled to remain silent and instead speak by showing her her leg injury.

Navarro looks at the damaged foot, immediately understanding the communication it represents, and softly responds,

“…dem say out there, that to find the earliest signs of a civilizations, we look for healed femurs…”

Navarro playfully reads the room, “Nala jan, yous is a big heavy filly-bebey, queen size bebey, i see your friends, they maybe will have a harder time to help you in things that we can help you.  If so, please think of mi-mi and dem bulls!  We being here next to you, door way over there after hallway is near, you can yell to us, or call on topia phones, no problem for us-us.  We can help, see?”

Navarro flexes her impressive muscles from her left arm, then squeezes her left hand fingers through the splint, deforming them loose.  She removes the splints and shows stronger, but not complete movement, “Us buffalo jans heal fast, see see, mi-mi can be of assistant, i have two strong feet and one super strong arm, and my bully-bulls always ready to be assistant also.”

She winks at Nala and gives Enkidu a quick stomach slap, initiating him to impress with a wide grin, fake strain grunt, and a goofy muscle-man pose.

Everyone enjoys and laughs at the gesture as Navarro asks Nala directly, “ist okay to think of us for helpy helps bebey filly?”

Remembering that she can’t afford to be unnecessarily prideful, and has to be open to others to leverage healing and stronger bonds, Nala shyly says,

“It’s so nice to meet you, i saw you on video, you’re super strong and brave and…   fast!.

I think it’s nice of you to visit me and offer helps me, thank-thank you Navarro and room jans…   …i can’t say enough sina pona“

Nala awkwardly looks around and at the nurses, blushing, “So so sorry…    …Can anyone help me go to the bathroom, and then maybe help with apple stuffed pies in bigger space outside?  I don’t think i can do that on my own…”

The nurses get to helping, they assist Nala to sit up but given her size and weight it was becoming clear this was going to be a difficult endeavor.

The pig nurse goes to the wall and starts to outfit herself up with an exo-skeleton system.

Navarro offers Nala her assistant Enkidu to help.  Nala agrees.

Enkidu assists nurse Meliorism gingerly guide Nala to the bathroom, helping her to her best position, and removing themselves to afford her privacy.

Outside the bathroom, Nurse Meliorism starts to suit up with an exo-skeleton brace as well and informs the guests that it’s important that they help the patient with a quick shower, that it would be productive if they could help pick some things up before clearing the room.

Genosha and Xavier put Nala’s old sheets in a bag and confirmed that they’ll be using the sanitize option with bleach on the washing machine in the garage.

Dorothy and Enkidu quickly work together in replacing the bed with fresh new sheets, each taking a side and tightening down on the mattress edges.
There also, Navarro manages to squeeze in an ultra plush pillow into a new case, finding it slightly more difficult to do due to her left arm shaking as if afraid.  She thinks to herself, concerned, that her injuries are taking longer to heal than before.

With everyone out, and the nurses geared up with customized load bearing exo-skeletons, they confidently assist Nala in moving on from her bathroom visit to an extra gentle shower.

Finished.  Dressed.  Equipped with crutches.
Nala leaves the room to everyone outside ready to receive her, clapping to see her on her feet again.

She blushes from the love, as they celebrate with apple pies, fresh fruit, and homely cooked foods in the large lounge room space by the kitchen and swap bits and pieces of their lives with each other.

They learn that Navarro and her bulls came with a much larger herd of buffalos, normies and furries, but she and the bulls separated while they recover and are intending on going to Cali-mexico.  In contrast, their NY group are going to Ireland to re-enforce, with snipers and fry bread, the Choctaw/Irish esprit de corps between them. 

Navarro shares, “In Ireland, they were forced to suffer.  In trail of tears, they were forced to suffer.  One side of the dying and scared hungry people, somehow, found a way to feed their jans in suffering a big-far ocean away…    …and this made them both so much stronger.”  Navarro takes a sip of her wine and balances her glass slightly to her chest and with a nod, “respect”, Enkidu and the nurses echo “respect” to the unsuspecting Nala, kiddos and Dorothy.

  Enkidu finishes, “we wishes to have little-buff buffalo bebeys, but not honorable to bring bebeys into a world that is forced, scared and hungry…   …that would be, irresponsible.”

Nurses Meliorism and Joy could relate to the buffalos having to survive their wake up day in a research facility.  Nurse Melorism used to be a lab-mouse at North Dakota State University before the storm. 

Under a different section in the same facilities, Nurse Joy was a pig that was scheduled to be shipped out to Virginia for military contracts for live tissue training.

Nurse Joy brings up, “As you know, when the news broke-out that animals would be turning to people, many normies went into a fear frenzy, and many of us did not survive that assault.  In my case, jan Meliorism and her wake-up day friends came and saved me from a dirty cage I was locked in…”  Nurse Meliorism continues the story line, “…and before that i was saved by a small group of normie lab assistants that agreed that killing us because they were afraid of new humans simply wasn’t right, and stood up for us against others.  Some of them died doing that, giving us a chance to escape…    …we helped open nearby cages and had to fight and go through so much…” 

Nurse joy recalls their trip over, “Charlotte-topia had sent a few planes and saved us a few days later while we hid and survived together…   …we were welcomed here, and we’ve been loyal to the city since then…    so crazy to believe it’s been only 3 months…     …feels like 3 years.”   . 

Jan Meliorism bitterly posits, “I learned that, where i was as a lab-mouse, I would have been exposed to a life of Coca-Cola’s splenda-vax drinks until death or results.  Thankfully, the storm came just in time.  I just…   after we woke up, and i learned of the economics religions..    they had a culture of letting sick and injured people die, because their religion requires many kinds of paper permissions and credits to other strains to enter what they call modern medicine…     ….I speak for both of us when I say we reject that, we live our lives promoting unconditional health and healing to any souls that come this way.”

Enkidu and Navarro accept the nurses warrior-fight with, “Respect”. 
The kiddos, dorothy and Nala echo in “respect”.

The house patients and guests thank the nurses.

Nala asks, “Charlotte-topia is huuuuuuuge, and so many intersting things.  If i were to sleep all day tomorrow, what would you jans be doing?

Xavier happily brings up, “i totes want to go to the race track.  They have a mud-track next to it, and they have engine shops everywhere.  Colton said he has a jan friend there and is available tomorrow if anyone wants to go check it out.  Oh!  Colton is cool, we like him because he helped mi-mi when we come over here, we didn’t know anyone or where to go.  I told colorado friends i was scared, things were bad-bad, and they call Colton, and Colton call us and we came here to pona jan nurses home.”

Nala realizes the open loop, and she implores xavier, “please please, can we call colorado friends, i can say hi and thanks you?”

“oh!  that’s a good idea, i forgot to call them yesterday!”,  Xavier looks around the lounge with an imploring smile, canines pleading, “is okay we all say hi to them?  they’re totes cool, we like them.”

  The rest of the room agrees they would love to say hi.   

Xavier does a selfie video with Nala, waving thanks and appreciations and smiles and thumbs up, going from themselves to the room then back to them with audio visual valedictions-   they then send this video package to Xavier’s colorado jans group chat.

Within seconds there’s ding bubbles ringing in, (((so happy you’re all tucked in!))), (((Colton’s the jan!  You guys rock, get well soon horsey-jan!  we can’t wait to see you xavier))), (((xoxo’s))), (((is that dorothy and genosha jans you always talk about!?  You guys are so cute, they seem nice.  tell them we say hi!))), (((get well soooon!  whaaaaa! there’s buffalo’s in Charlotte-topia?!)))

Nala follows up with Genosha and Dorothy.

Genosha brings up, “Well, Xavier and Dorothy met two normies at the tower, they said that one of them is a security person with a 1900’s hat and he lives in a training camp nearby.  Colton said he can introduce us whenever we like, I was hoping to meet him to learn more about how they protect themselves.”  Dorothy also posits, a little rosy cheeked….   “they were lovely with us…   …i think, i think i might take Dave’s offer, he invited me to visit the dino-park and drinks after…

Xavier barks up, confused, “like a romantic date?!”

Dorothie’s cheeks and freckles glow redder.

“not like that..   more like a friendly date?  I think it’s very kind of him that he’s interested in making me feel more welcome to the whole topia scene…   

…i know it may be a little expected for you guys, but for me it’s been a…       …well, my whole upbringing convinced me that places like this are not possible, so, yeah.  I think he’s doing it to be nice and…     …i welcome that and may go see him…”

Dorothy shrinks in a bit as the room gasses giggles and teases, “oooooooooo00000hhhhhh la-la”

Genosha brings up, “Dorothy san, is he being…    chivalrous?!  Is he doing chivalry with you, is it working?”

Dorothy smiles for a minute and says…     …”He’s certainly being chivalrous…”

Xavier and Nala look at each other fun faced, nod and agree, “We like that he is being a chivalrous pona jan with our dear friend.”

Nurse Joy brings up, “Many of us know him, he is super brave, not all planes make it and not all pilots were willing to go out for others.  He was part of the plane groups that picked us up and brought us here…”

Dorothy asks Nurse Joy, “Does he do this with everyone?”

Nurse Meliorism smiles at nurse Joy, “He’s a sweetheart with everyone, but we think that maybe… he likes you and want’s to get to know you better?
Recent rumors are that he will be retiring from flying and he’s unsure what to do next.”

For a brief moment, Nala remembers that Vic thought the world of Dorothy, and would want the same for her that he wanted for her.
<<<   always go where you are treated best shug..   you have to find your tribe  >>>

Navarro, a little tipsy from the red wine she’d been slowly enjoying with apple pie mini bites, leans over to Enkidu and sensually kisses his neck; telling his ear.

“I think it’s time for us to go…     …everyone here is well.  Maslow says he’ll be back later later…   …i am feeling open to…”  Navarro finger walks over Enkidu’s ribs, giving him goosebumps, “you be chivalry with me.”

Enkidu stands up, “well well, it was nice hellowing you house jans.  thank you.  we be available if any jan need us, always feel free to call…”

Navarro smiles and waves mischievously goodbye at everyone,

Enkidu continues, “Lover mare is waaaaaaaay too drunk right now, we are going to bed and rest.”

Navarro puts her monsuta bear blanket to the side and playfully puts her good hand up to Enkidu, to which he gracefully pulls her up and wedding bride carries her to their side of the 1st floor down the hallway.

Everyone says goodnight as a merry Navarro is whisked away by her bull.

Nala continues the remaining group discussion, asking for guidance, “Do we know how long phone and braces can take?”

Genosha beats Xavier in replying, “it’s super fast with the phones, fun also!  No time at all Nala-nala chan, demo…    …as for braces…”

Nurse Meliorism fills in, “Getting the measurements will be fast, but you would have to return after a few hours for the cast to be printed and assembled.”

Nala nods and brings up, “I don’t want to sleep all day tomorrow, i want to get phone, and brace, and go out with you guys and do things with you!  can I tag along, can we go and do things together?  I think tomorrow I will be good enough…”

Genosha and Xavier work out that they can combine their day with Colton and visit different places, and invite Dorothy to come with them if she doesn’t have a date.

Nala encourages everyone to explore without her at any time, she doesn’t want to be the center of attention, but is looking forward to tomorrow.
She admits she misses Vic, wishes to rest, and asks if it’s okay to retreat to her room.

Everyone is supportive and gets up to clean the lounge room.

As they help her up and out, Nala notes the slim vertical bookcase there, similar to the one Vic had, also full of books.
She even recognizes one she already read.

Nala asks the nurses, “Is okay to borrow a book, read, and return?”

The nurse says she can take any one of them as a gift, and when she’s done is encouraged to either keep it or return it to whatever topia library is closest to her, as they will simply file it in their system for another soul to enjoy.

Dorothy looks away for a moment and whispers to herself, “respect”.

Nala is anxious at the thought of getting lost in a book, away from this reality, that’s been so wonderful and at the same time so evil.

She seeks escapism, and reads the spines from left-to-right, then down a shelf and right-to-left, and so on;

…
Frankenstein, M. Shelley
Animal Farm 1984, G. Orwell
Diary 2026, Nemeny
Brave New World, A. Huxley
Fear and loathing, H.S. Thompson
War and Peace, L. Tolstoy
Ordinary men, C.R. Browning
On Killing, D. Grossman  
Blacksad, CG
The Handmaid’s Tale, M. Atwood
V for Vendetta, A. Moore
The Number 23, T. Kretts
Harry Potter and the bigotry stones, J.K. Rowling
…

Nala’s curiosity settled her onto the 2026 diary book, recognizing it as her birth year.
Vic told her once that; writing forces you to get real with yourself, and that helps iron out internal conflicts.
She wonders what insights she might find from a Diary style book, as she had noted Vic was never was able to write.
He thought his writers block was based on fear and being alone, and didn’t know how to overcome it.

Nurse joy shares a quick fact with her, “Did you know, at the other side of the world, they have a fun zodiac calendar for their years.
It’s still 2026 for them, and it’s the year of the fire-horse.”

Genosha takes blacksad after seeing the cover, excited, tail waving merrily behind her.

There’s some hard rhythmic beating throughout the house, almost shaking it.

Xavier perks up to this, “Oh!  I’ll go check the laundry, sounds like a shoe is in the washer or something”

Dorothy and the nurses quickly intercept, with nurse joy cutting in first, “no no, it’s okay!  er…    the washing machine does that sometimes, the whole house sometimes does that, sometimes…   Please jan!  No need to trouble yourself ☺️, I’ll be making sure to put those sheets in the dryer later.  No needs to worry.”

Dorothy smiles to herself and makes believe she’s using her phone for a second.

The lounge room and couches picked up and ready, Nala is assisted back to bed to read and rest.

She’s given a walkie-talky and explained how to use three of it’s channels; one for the bulls, one for the jan nurses, and one for the kiddos and Dorothy.
The television has games and an endless library of movies, songs, series, etc on tap.
On her bed, there’s a button that will make doorbell noises and display the room camera onto all house T.V.s as an emergency signal.

Everyone takes a break from being care-givers, with a sense of ease and confidence that their horsey furry-friend is feeling better. 
It was another heavy day for them.

In her room, snuggling in for an afternoon read, Nala opens up her book and struggles to immediately understand the third person illeism that immediately stands out from the diary pages.