Reposted with kind permission from Saetia of FurAffinity. :3

September 27th, 2013

When one of Elizabeth’s colleagues, a white parrot named Dr Jim Wasse, had rushed to contact her after receiving a concerned phone call, what he heard wasn’t something he envied by any stretch of his imagination. The neighbour said he had heard a scream, and immediately he had a hunch as to what had gone on. And it was to be proven right, for when Elizabeth finally answered the phone after ten minutes of trying, he was shocked by what he heard. He had never heard her sound this upset before, and were she in front of him now, he was certain the fur on her muzzle would be moist, for her voice wavered, telling him that she had been crying. What’s more, he could hear her voice shivering. From his experience, these were clear signs that she’d experienced a panic attack.

“Jinx? It’s Jim.” he said softly. “I just got a call from a guy who said his name was Ernie. He said he was your next door neighbour. What’s going on?” Her answer came not as words, but from her losing her ability to contain her despair any longer, letting out loud, howling sobs down the phone.

“Whatever’s the matter?” he asked, remaining silent as he allowed her to cry. After a moment that felt like an eternity, she was finally able to calm herself enough to explain what had pushed her so far.

“Someone at the hospital’s trying to get me fired.” she admitted. Jim could hardly believe what he was hearing.

“Are you serious?” he said, utterly aghast.

“Yeah. It’s Dr Tanner. And all because I admitted I was in love with him.”

“That’s what it took?” he asked, not daring to believe someone could be so heartless. She could be flirtatious, he knew that, but in turn, she also knew where the limits lay.

“Yeah.” she sniffed. “He said he was just there for the job. He didn’t want romance.”

“Then that should have been the end of it.” responded Jim.

“That’s what I thought. But then he said to our bosses...that I was sexually harassing him.”

“He did what?”

“That’s what I don’t get. I left him alone after he rebuffed my affections, and he still went and did...this. I got a phone call a couple of days ago saying I’ve got to attend an inquiry. If they fire me...” She didn’t finish, for she soon descended into tears again, but this time she didn’t sob. Jim remained silent, wanting to allow her to regain her composure first. But there was something else he needed to know.

“They got any proof of any harassment?” he inquired, testing the waters.

“No.” said Elizabeth. “They’d review the CCTV footage.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it, Jinx.” said Jim with a confident chirp. “That’s just like him. I don’t think anybody in the building likes him. He always did think he was better than everyone else.”

“I was a moron. I thought he’d soften up. When I started falling for him, I thought a girlfriend was what he needed. But this guy’s the best liar I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen him...show any emotion.”

“You fell in love with someone who’s got no conscience, Jinx. You don’t want a man like that in your life. He’s screwed other creatures over before, and he does that to anyone he thinks is getting in his way. But he’s never gone this low. Calling that sexual harassment? What does he take you for?”

“What if he –”

“Our bosses aren’t idiots.” said Jim warmly. “Once they see there’s no proof, they’ll chuck the book at him. What department’s Dr Tanner in since he got kicked out of the pharmacy anyway?”

“He...he works in the fracture clinic.” said Elizabeth.

“No wonder I never saw him.” commented Jim. “Then again, I’m glad I didn’t, or I’d have pecked his eyes out or bent my beak trying. I can’t believe he’d do that to you.”

“Someone beat you to it.” said Elizabeth. Jim noticed a small change. Was it just him, or was she starting to sound like she was cheering up? Or was it just the thought?

“No,” exclaimed Jim, not being able to help but sound ecstatic, “have they?”

“Yeah. I heard from Damien that he told someone he’d grind them into the earth if he ever caught them trying to compete with him, so he got a scratch to the face. I saw the scratches, but Damien doesn’t know who did it.”

“Serves the bastard right.” said Jim curtly. “I can’t wait to see him get sacked. Just hang in there, Jinx. As long as they’ve got proof of what he did, he’ll be out of there so fast, his medical clogs won’t touch the ground.” Suddenly, Jim’s office phone started to go off. “Uh, Jinx, I’ve gotta go. My three o’clock’s just arrived. Take care of yourself, alright?”

“Alright.” she said, her voice beginning to waver once more as the line went dead. Disgusted by what she was embroiled in, despaired it could happen to her, she wished she hadn’t received the phone call. While it helped that someone was rooting for her, it also added further weight onto her back by beginning its spread around the hospital. The last thing she wanted was the risk of anyone siding with the man who was trying to destroy her career. Not being able to think of anything else she could do to escape from this or relax her mind, she ran a bath, emptying an entire bottle of lavender scented bubble bath into it. She climbed into the very hot, almost burning water, and even as tears continued flowing from her eyes and into her fur, she was finally able to emit a smile as the running water massaged her fur and the skin underneath. Whatever the next few days held for her, this was just what she needed at this moment in this dark period of space and time.

An image of mixed moods, both happiness and sadness at the helm, comes another beautiful picture made by :iconSaetia:. Baths are a great way to relax, and with what Elizabeth has been through here, this is something she could never turn down. Trust me, it works. ;3

Original image: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/9246333/