Of Mice and Men Ch. 06

"Is that the last of it?" Carey asked, as Ethan set the box down.

"Yep. I didn't have much, and that's all I wanted," he said, staring at their new house. Since he had started his therapy, he had gotten a job. It paid well, and wasn't too hard. Carey was looking, but he still had a hard time being outside for that long. But he had been making good progress. Since he no longer needed to be in the program for infected people, he had decided to move out. Trish wasn't happy about it, and made sure to threaten Ethan a few times before they left, but overall she was happy with the move.

The small house was barely big enough for the two of them, but it was in good shape. Two bedrooms and two baths. They had yet to decide what the second bedroom would be, it wasn't like either of them had any guests to need a guest room.

They had spent the last two days packing everything up, and walking it over to their new house (since they spent every last dime on the place). Ethan sighed and sat down.

"Still feeling a little run down?" Carey asked, putting a hand on Ethan's forehead.

"Yeah, I think I have a cold or something," he mumbled.

"Why don't you go lay down and I'll make you some lunch, huh?" Carey smiled. Ethan smiled back, weakly.

"That sounds awesome. Thanks, babe." Ethan kissed him, and then headed upstairs. They hadn't completely unpacked, but they made sure the bedroom was set up. He fell onto the bed, and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ethan had been getting worse and worse. Carey took his temperature for the third time that day, watching it carefully to make sure it didn't get any higher.

"Ethan, you have a temperature of 102," Carey said, worried.

"It's just a cold," he mumbled, mind hazed with sickness and drugs.

"This isn't just a cold, Ethan," Carey whispered. Ethan stared at him, curiously.

"What do you think it is?" he asked. Carey shook his head and left the room. "Just get some rest," he threw over his shoulder as he left. Ethan felt like crap. He had for days now. He quickly filled the sheets with sweat as he twisted and turned, trying to get comfortable. He knew he should go to the hospital, but he didn't want to make Carey go. He knew the man was still terrified of doctors and hospitals. He didn't want to put him in that situation, especially since he hadn't really been in one since he was released from the lab. Carey returned shortly to wash away Ethan's sweat with a cool rag. His eyes were red and it was obvious he had been crying. Ethan took his hand.

"What's wrong, babe?" Ethan asked. Carey looked down at the bed.

"You won't go to the hospital because of me," Carey replied. Ethan swallowed. Apparently he wasn't very good at hiding his thoughts.

"I don't want you to have to go somewhere you're scared of. Especially if you're not ready," Ethan said, voice filled with exhaustion.

"You shouldn't put that off just for me," Carey mumbled. "What if you're really sick?" he asked.

"I'm fine. It's just a little fever. Some NyQuil and it will go down." He leaned back against the pillows.

"Ethan..." Carey said, worried.

"If you're really worried, I can go to the hospital by myself," Ethan said.

"And how would you get there?" Carey crossed his arms. Ethan hadn't thought about that.

"I'll be fine, Carey. I just need to sleep a little," he mumbled, eyes heavy.

"I'm really worried," Carey said, tears filling his eyes again. Ethan stroked his cheek.

"I know, but don't be. I'll be-" Ethan was cut off mid sentence as he turned and vomited onto the floor.

"Ethan!" Carey crawled onto the bed and held Ethan as he finished throwing up what little food Carey had forced him to eat.

"I'm ok," he mumbled, as he wiped his mouth. Carey stroked his hair as he panted from exhaustion.

"You're not okay," Carey replied, as he pulled the blankets over Ethan, trying to get him to sleep. But before he could settle in, Ethan shoved them off.

"I'm cold," he mumbled.

"Okay..." Carey whispered. "I...I need to go look at something real fast, I'll be right back." Carey jogged downstairs and rummaged through the unpacked boxes belonging to him. He pulled out an old, torn and stained folder. He leafed through it quickly, ignoring the several pictures of him on lab tables, passed out cold from drugs. "Symptoms..." he mumbled, as he found the page he was searching for.

'Subject experienced high fevers, followed by organ failure, and then finally his transformation set in. If not for the care of the facility, subject wouldn't have made it through the change.' The note was scribbled in sloppy doctors writing in a box labeled 'symptoms'.

"Organ failure." Carey remembered the symptoms well. He had turned yellow, the result of his liver failing. His joints had been swollen and he could hardly keep any food down. He felt like he was dying, which he probably was. He set the folder down and jogged back up the steps quickly, watching over Ethan as he slept feverishly. His stomach was swollen, which Carey knew to be another sign of liver failure, and his skin was already taking of the faint yellow color Carey hadn't noticed before. "Fuck."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Carey?" Ethan mumbled, as the paramedics wheeled him into the ambulance.

"Shhh... it'll be okay," Carey soothed, visibly shaking at all the medical equipment around him.

"What are you doing?" he moaned, weakly fighting off the paramedics.

"Stop. Ethan, you're sick you... you need to go to the hospital." Ethan was in no condition to take the news.

"But you-"

"You can't worry about me right now. You're really sick. We need to go now. I'll be waiting there for you," Carey said. "They probably won't let me see you, but just know I'll be there, okay?" Carey said, heart pounding in his chest at the thought of stepping foot in the hospital. Ethan was going to say something but passed out instead.

Carey spent the next several days in the hospital. After the second day, he stopped jumping or cringing every time a member of the staff went by. By the third he was able to walk around without having a panic attack. As scared as he was, he refused to go home. He wanted to be there the second they let him see Ethan.

"Can I see him, today?" Carey asked the same question every day, and everyday he was given the same answer.

"Maybe tomorrow," the nurse responded, once again. Carey slouched in his seat and continued flipping through an outdated magazine that was meant to keep people busy. He sighed. They had told him he had been right in his assumption, Ethan was infected. But that was all they would tell him. As the nurse watched his face fall at the news he couldn't see his boyfriend, she took pity on him and glanced around. "Maybe, just a short visit," she winked. Carey jumped up and smiled, before hugging her roughly. She led him down the hall, and opened the door. Carey, from experience, knew what to expect. But it was still shocking. He was hooked up to many machines, all doing the jobs his organs should be doing.

"Is he getting any better?" Carey asked.

"Yes. As I'm sure you know, when his mutations begin to set in, his symptoms will begin to vanish. Until they're completely gone," the nurse explained.

"I know," Carey said.

"Some of his mutations have already started," she said, moving Ethan's hair aside to show two small bumps.

"What are they?" he asked, brushing them with his fingers.

"We're not really sure yet," she mumbled. "But he is growing some fur, so it's some sort of Mammal," she smiled. "I think you two will be cute together, whatever he is." Carey blushed.

"Thank you," Carey said, as she led him out of the room. Saying his last goodbye to Ethan in a long time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another week passed before Ethan was taken off of the many many machines. He had been getting some color back in his skin, and since the machines were gone, they let Carey sit with him through visiting hours. Each day sparked new changes, and it was becoming fairly clear what he was becoming. But none the less, the nurses took a fur sample (part of the ample amount of reddish-brown coat that had nearly covered his body) and tested him, coming up with a White Tailed Deer hybrid. Carey watched, as day by day his antlers grew, and his fur became thicker and more full. Soon, it was only the doctors and their drugs that were keeping him under that saving him from the pain of the transformation, which Carey still remembered all too well.

"We were going to wake him up today. It seems his transformation is mostly done. He still has a fever, but that should disappear too, in the next few days," the doctor said, looking at a clipboard. "I usually have to give this big long speech to family and friends about how they're the same person blah blah blah, but you seem to have a hold of that aspect of it." The doctor smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a friendly way.

"Yeah. I'm all set there." Carey squeezed his tail nervously. While Ethan had been out, he couldn't help but pick up the nervous habit again. "How long will it take for him to wake up?"

"It shouldn't take long. We use a special drug for infected patients. Maybe half an hour or so?" the doctor guessed. Carey thanked him. "Oh and, I'm not sure what your transformation was like, but he's definitely going to need someone to be there for him," he said hesitantly.

"I know. I'll be here for him." Carey placed a hand on Ethan's feverish one.

"Good. I'll leave you two to it, then." He smiled, and hung the clipboard from the bed.

"Thank you, Doctor," Carey replied. The doctor had been so nice to him over the past week. He had made sure Carey left and got food when he would forget to eat, he would let Carey stay in the room with Ethan a little past visiting hours, and made sure he got lots of rest. He was very nice. But for now, all Carey could do was wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ethan moaned as he began to wake up, tossing his head to the side. Carey was sure he still had a huge headache. He remembered how his head felt like it was going to cave in after he transformed. He couldn't imagine how painful those antlers must be.

"Carey?" he moaned.

"Ethan..." Carey stood from his seat and walked over to the bed.

"Where am I?" he mumbled.

"The hospital," Carey explained. He finally opened his eyes and stared at Carey.

"Baby, you're in a hospital," he said, stunned. Carey nodded with a smile.

"You needed me," he whispered. Ethan smiled.

"I'm proud of you." He took Carey's hands in his. "What was wrong with me?" He turned his attention back to the reason he was in the hospital.

"Well..." Carey pulled his chair closer to the bed and sat down.

"What? Am I okay?" Ethan began to get worried.

"Yes. yes! You're fine. You're not dying or anything," Carey laughed nervously. Ethan sighed and smiled.

"All my limbs are intact, then?" he laughed.

"Yep. All your limbs... and a few more," he mumbled the last part.

"What?" Ethan frowned, thinking he hadn't heard him correctly.

"Ethan, you know I'll always love you. This doesn't change anything," Carey said. Ethan stared at him.

"What's wrong with me, Carey?" he asked. Carey swallowed.

"There's nothing wrong with you," he answered, honestly.

"You're lying to me. Carey why are you lying to me?" He began to panic. "What's wrong?" he asked, as Carey began to cry.

"Ethan, please just calm down," Carey said, holding his hand tight. At the comforting presence of Carey's hand, he took a few deep breaths and began to calm down.

"Carey, please, just tell me what's going on," he said. Carey took a deep breath.

"You had a fever, and your organs started failing," Carey began. "I knew what it was, I just didn't think... fuck," Carey swore and put his head in his hands.

"Carey, please..." Ethan begged. Carey took his hand, and slowly moved it up to the top of his head, letting him feel the medium sized velvet antlers growing from his skull. He went pale and tried to get out of the bed, landing on his new hooves. He nearly fell, being caught by Carey who could barely hold him up. Carey set him back in the bed.

"Okay, okay. Just hold on." Carey, said and hurried to the bathroom, grabbing a small handheld mirror. He handed it to Ethan hesitantly. As soon as he saw his reflection, he began to cry. "Ethan, it's okay," Carey soothed, putting a hand on his back.

"Don't touch me!" he snapped, and slapped Carey's hand away. Carey held his hand to his chest like he had been bitten. It didn't really hurt, not physically anyways. "This isn't happening. This is just a n-n-nightmare. I just need to wake up. Please wake up, please." Ethan slid deeper into the pillows.

"I still love you," Carey whispered.

"I don't want this! I can't be like this!" He held his ears, now longer and furred.

"Why? There's nothing wrong with you, Ethan. I think you look great," he murmured, holding onto his tail.

"Tail... tail!?" he sat up. His hooves kicking under the covers, using the bed to support himself as he turned and looked over his shoulder at the mirror, seeing the small tail dangling just above his ass. "Fuck... I have a tail, what the fuck?!" he screamed. He pulled the mirror back and chucked it at a wall, making Carey flinch.

"Ethan please, just calm down. You shouldn't be exerting yourself," Carey said, afraid to approach his boyfriend.

"God, this can't happen to me. I can't be like this. I'm disgusting." He held his antlers in his fists, tugging at the solid velvet covered growths. Carey stared at him silently.

"Is that what you think?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you think I'm disgusting?" Tears fell from his eyes.

"I'm not talking about you, Carey!" Ethan shouted at him.

"So what? Infected are okay, as long as you aren't one? Is that it?" Carey snapped. "It's all fine until they get too close to home, right?" he yelled.

"Yes! Okay?! Yes! I have no problem with you or anyone else but I don't want any of this!" he shouted.

"Fuck you, Ethan," Carey stormed out of the hospital room.

He didn't feel like walking all the way home, so he grabbed a cab, throwing the cabbie a fair tip before walking inside the house. He had finished unpacking while Ethan was in the hospital, trying to keep himself busy when he couldn't sit with him in the room. He walked up to their room, and crawled into their bed. He stripped naked under the covers and curled up in the comfort of the pillows. Before he could even think about what had happened, he was asleep.

He was woken a while later, by the sound of the bedroom door opening. He knew who it was instantly, by the soft sound of hooves clicking on the hardwood floors. Instead of looking up at Ethan, he stayed curled up in bed, pretending to be asleep. But Ethan knew otherwise.

"I'm sorry, Carey. Please don't be mad at me," he whispered.

"How did you know I was awake," he asked, bitterly.

"I guess these new ears come with new hearing. It's kind of throwing me off," he mumbled. Carey turned onto his back in the bed and stared at Ethan in the doorway. "I'm sorry about what I said. It wasn't true."

"Yes it was," Carey stated. That was what hurt the most. That he knew it was true, but neither of them wanted it to be.

"Maybe. But I'll get over it," Ethan smiled.

"This isn't funny, Ethan. This isn't something you just take a pill for and it goes away. You're going to be like this forever and if you can't-" his voice cracked as he took a deep breath. "If you can't learn to at least... at least accept it." Carey sighed. "I don't want to lose you," he admitted.

"Lose me? Carey, what do you think I would do to myself?" he asked. Carey shook his head as the tears fell from his eyes.

"I've known more than one infected who just couldn't handle it and-" he just sighed and gave up trying to talk.

"Carey, listen to me." Ethan sat down on the bed. "I love you, and that's all I need. I can... I can learn to deal with this, if I have you." He smiled. Carey smiled back and hugged Ethan. "Do I have to sleep on the couch?" he pouted. Carey laughed and shook his head. "Good, I have no idea what these antlers would do to the upholstery."

"Hey, watch those things. I could lose an eye," he laughed and kissed Ethan.

"You really don't mind? All of this I mean." He looked down at his soft brown fur, with white fur covering his chest and the bottom of his tail.

"No, I don't mind. In fact, I kind of like it." He brushed his fingers through the fur. "Your ears are soft." He touched Ethan's ears, making him moan.

"Now I know why you like that so much," he sighed, leaning into Carey's touch.

"I didn't think they would be soft," Carey touched the medium sized antlers on his head. "I wonder why you became a deer?" he asked, while trailing his hands over Ethan's body.

"I went hunting with my dad once. Key word being once. I never was one for the 'sport'," Ethan mumbled, snuggling in with Carey. "Go figure, right?"

"Ugh, hooves suck," he grumbled, kicking them under the covers.

"You'll get used to them," he kissed Ethan gently.

"I suppose," he yawned, as his eyes began to close.

"They let you out of the hospital already?" Carey asked.

"Yeah. They said since the symptoms fall away so fast, I was fine to go home," he mumbled, already falling asleep.

"Good..." Carey mumbled. "I'm glad to have you home," he smiled to himself, as he drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Fuck!" Ethan swore, as he slipped for the thousandth time.

"Okay, note to self, get carpeting." Carey handed him a cup of coffee.

"Please," he mumbled.

"We can go shopping today for some rugs until we can get the floors redone," Carey said. Ethan sighed.

"It's just so weird to think of this as a long term thing." He accepted the steaming cup of coffee. "How did you handle this?" Ethan looked up at Carey.

"My situation was a little bit different," Carey laughed. "I mean, I was kind of locked in a lab with a bunch of scientists poking and prodding me," he said.

"Right..." he mumbled. "How do you deal with all the sounds? I don't know how good your hearing is compared to mine, but I have a massive headache," he groaned.

"Here." Carey walked to a drawer in the kitchen, and pulled out earplugs. "Just wear them when it gets too much, I still have to use them sometimes," he smiled. Ethan shoved them into his ears and shrugged, thanking Carey. He sat down, and was silent for a long time before Carey noticed he was staring at his reflection in one of the glass cupboard doors. "Ethan?" he whispered, snapping Ethan out of his reverie.

"Sorry, spaced out," he said, looking down at his coffee.

"Are you okay? I know it can be a lot to take in... I... when I first changed..." Carey sat down and took a deep breath. "I got a hold of a scalpel and tried to cut off my tail." Carey grabbed the long extremity and showed Ethan a thick scar near the base. "They wrestled it away from me before I could do too much damage, but I've always regretted it. You really do get used to it, Ethan. Look on the bright side of things, okay?" Carey smiled, blinking his large innocent eyes. Ethan stared at him, before giving him a kiss.

"Thank you for helping me through this. I'm sorry I fought with you," he said. Carey nodded.

"It's okay. I knew you wouldn't take it that well, I was prepared." Carey smiled, sickly. Ethan stood and put his empty cup in the sink, but not before falling on his face on the way back to the table.

"So... rugs?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After spending a LOT of cash on rugs, they managed to form a makeshift pathway throughout the whole house. He would still need to step on hardwood floors for some things, but to get around he was safe from the dreaded hardwood and tile flooring.

"Better?" Carey asked, as Ethan walked around. Instead of his knees reversing, his ankles had grown slightly, to support his weight on his new hooves.