A Companion's Journey

Chapter 5 - Hangover

The next morning Rachel awoke to the sound of coughing. She groaned and saw the clock read 10:54am. She flopped back down on her pillow for a brief second, but heard another bout of coughing that came from the bathroom. She reluctantly got herself out of bed, tossed on a robe, and walked into the hall where she heard running water.

Rachel knocked.

"Karson? Are you okay? Is everything alright?"

There was a brief pause then a muffled reply.

"Yes, I am fine."

There was more running water and the door opened a moment later. Rachel looked at the bedraggled form of Karson. His eyes were red and his ears and shoulders drooped, his tail hung limp. She stifled a laugh.

"Good morning sunshine!"

He winced and scrunched his eyes closed, and moved past her back into his bedroom with a hand held to his head. She suddenly felt very guilty and followed him into the bedroom.

"Are you okay? You don't look so good."

Her tone was full of concern.

Karson groaned but tried to make his response sound cheerful.

"Yeah, I guess I just have to be careful with alcohol. My head is full of pain."

Rachel nodded in understanding; she knew a hangover when she saw one.

"You poor thing. Well, the best cure for that is sleep, and lots of water. Let's get you back to bed and you can sleep as long as you need."

She escorted him back to the futon and had pulled back the covers. Karson unzipped his jumpsuit and attempted to slip out of it and not lose his balance. He never noticed her surprise as he stripped and stepped out of the clothing. His eyes were still scrunched closed as he wobbled to the bed.

She stared at the Companion's lithe frame, in all his detail. His resemblance to a German Shepherd was startling, and if he had not walked upright she might have mistook that he was a Companion. Black fur ran along his back and mixed with the golden tan of his legs, shoulders, torso and belly. His legs and arms where thin but muscled, and she almost gaped at the sheath and testicles nestled between his legs. Karson nearly lost his balance as he knelt to get back into bed and Rachel snapped out of her state.

She helped him climb under the covers and thrust the teddy bear into his arms.

He muttered, "Thanks."

Karson was asleep before she had even left the room. She refilled his cup with fresh water and bent to pick up his jumpsuit. Rachel quickly noticed there was a damp pink spot on the front where he had obviously been sick. She sighed in sympathy for the Companion and silently apologized for letting him get drunk. She promised to make it up to him later.

Rachel stared at the soiled jumpsuit in her hands. She would not only need to have it washed, but also get him some additional clothes. The spare jumpsuit from the agency was all he had left. As much as she would get a kick out of having him walk around in the fur, she knew that was not a practical option. She decided to make a quick trip out while he recovered.

She guessed he would sleep for another few hours. She still left a note by his glass of water before quietly leaving the apartment. Rachel made her way down to the dry cleaners she used for her office clothes. The clerk greeted her as she entered.

"Rachel! Don't usually see you in here on a weekend. Need a rush job for Monday?"

"Hi Becky, uh no, no rush job. But I do need this cleaned."