We're Only Animals: Book 2 - Part 1: Building the Tower

Chapter 21 - Without It

Louis got up early that morning, despite being really tired for some reason. It was probably the lack of sleep, knowing Legosi was alone surrounded by people he didn't know...He had left him alone for so long. They were reunited just to be separated again. He was such a fool.

He got up, making himself a small breakfast and then getting dressed and setting out. He would arrive before visiting hours, but he'd wait as long as he'd need to in a room full of carnivores if he had to.

He used the map on his phone to find the hospital and made it there with little trouble, looking at the building that housed a bunch of mentally ill carnivores. It was depressing to think Legosi even belonged there. He almost felt like throwing up the food he recently ate. But he had to stay strong for his wolf.

The deer walked up to the double doors, pulling them open and strolling inside, keeping his chin up and his posture straight as he walked to the reception desk.

The well-groomed poodle behind the desk eyed him as he approached. "Hello? How may I help you?"

"I'm here to see my fiance, Legosi the grey wolf. He was admitted here yesterday." Louis said, putting a hand in his black jean pocket.

The receptionist nodded in a bit of an exaggerated way looking at her screen. "Alright, then. You'll have to take a seat for a bit if that's okay? You came a bit early."

The deer nodded, smiling and turning, sitting down in a chair and looking at his phone.

He soon overheard voices from the desk. "That was the guy! From the case all the staff are talking about." The buck saw another pair of canine eyes peek up over at him before ducking back down.

"Oh. Well, he is handsome."

"Oh, you're going to play for the herbivore team now, Mina?"

"Oh, hush!"

Louis' ears perked. Were they talking about him? What was this about sides?

He glanced around the room, noting it was mostly empty. The few animals that were there were all carnivores, who were all sniffing the air, most likely confused by the sudden intrusion of herbivore scent.

The cervid looked back down at his phone. He still felt bad about scaring Gosha like that when he didn't come back home. Luckily, the lizard immediately understood when he explained how dire the situation was. It was his grandson, after all.

Speaking of Legosi, Louis was on pins and needles about what would happen when he went past those doors. They better have been treating his canine right, or else...something.

Tick.

Tock.

A stray cough here and there was the only sound in that waiting room other than the analog clock on the wall. Louis felt it definitely should have had a little more sound. He couldn't help but think the silence was due to his presence. But he didn't care. Nothing else mattered right now than getting through this.

The doors swung open and the deer's head jerked up, but it was not his name that was called. He sighed, tapping his foot impatiently. After all this, he was pretty sure he never wanted to go to a hospital again.

More minutes passed by. The time was now fifteen minutes past the start of visitation hours. What could be...

The doors opened again, revealing a tall, maned wolf wearing a long, white coat. He looked around the room before honing in on Louis, taking long strides up to him. "Hello? Are you Louis-san?"

The deer nodded. "I am."

"I'm Dr. Hiroki. I'm taking care of Legosi." He held his hand out, claws cleanly filed down.