Garrett but he broke his ribs

“Jeez… seriously? You must be kidding me…”

Garrett sighed weakly, his eyes screamed for mercy even if it’s shut. It’s truly a sight to behold to see how the usually sharp-dressed assistant has just turned into a mess… and being holded by a rugged, black haired naut. His big, muscular hands safely carried Garrett in its cradles while the poor assistant sat limply on it with shredded clothes and some holes shaping like a half circle around his chest. Garrett turned to an old, pale skinned naut in front of them, who had been sitting in his work desk as calm as night. “Boss, seriously?”

“I am.” The pale skinned naut sighed wearily, as if he had already anticipated this. There’s a black name plate with Baron Herman Williams J.S.D written with gold ink on top of his desk.  Just like Garrett, this man is sharply dressed with white shirt and gray vest, adorned with black tie and a golden clip. He leaned his big body to his chair. “I won’t cut your salary this time.”

“Thank you for the understanding… BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEAN!!!!” Garrett screamed fearfully before it got cut short by intense coughing from his injury. The black haired naut looked at him worriedly. “Be quiet, you’re still injured.” his deep, tender voice whispered to the brown haired naut in his arm. Garrett glared at him with annoyance more than necessary.

“Anton, you know what happens if the earth-landers found a naut right????” Garrett gripped the black-haired naut’s white shirt that hugged said naut big body tightly. “WHAT IF THEY TURNED ME INTO A MEAL AND TAKE MY PEARLS AWAY????”

“You’ll be a good oyster for fine dining.” William snarked with a subtle grin. Garrett obviously isn’t amused. “Hey William, your joke isn’t funny.”

“We got pearls too.” Anton added with an amused tone. “If yours are valuable, so does ours.”

“Stop throwing jokes at me I’m dying here…!”

Anton laughed while William just snickered with their friend’s reaction. After some time laughing at the expense of the poor jerboa, Anton sighed. “This is why I told you to not go too near terrified sharks. You’re lucky to not end up in their belly.”

“I’ll point you to a naut doctor, don’t you worry.” William finally reassures the panicked naut. He crossed his arms on chest. “Anton also knows this person too. You’ll be fine.”

“Bless you boss.”

“But please use your own money, you had a paycheck yesterday.”

“....”

.

Both Garrett and Anton sit together in dark blue seating, waiting for their turn. Garrett wears a simple grey shirt and deep blue shorts with brown sandals, while Anton wears his usual white polo, black pants and shoes. The white hall of the hospital they were in is full of people walking back and forth yet it still feels spacious. Garrett noticed these people mostly are not the usual mammal-eared land dwellers, but dreadnauts. Yet it seems that the real mammal-eared are either not aware of suspicious imposter between them, or aware of them but just in a place where such suspiciousness won’t lead to anywhere. He whispered to the rugged naut beside him. “Anton, is it just me or is this place safe enough for nauts…?”

“It is.” Anton nodded. His long hair swayed with his head movements. “Dr. Zeke will treat everyone that needs his help. He is a naut too, don’t worry.”

“Zeke who…?” Garrett gazes emptily at the space in front of him, still feeling his broken ribs. With the stinging yet silent pain, he wishes he doesn't exist now. “I’m gonna die…”

“You haven't died yet.”

Suddenly the white door beside them opened, its clacking voice filling the halls as a nurse walked out from it. “Next patient.”

With Anton’s help, Garrett weakly walked into the room and sat in front of a pale, long haired doctor at his desk. He wears a black shirt with a rib-like pattern and blue tie under his white coat, there’s some thin, elongated fins behind his head, in which some of them had a pearl sitting on it . The doctor’s melancholy eyes gazed at his patients pleasantly. “Hello, is there something that I can help?”

“My friend there got mauled by a shark.” Anton opened. His gaze is calm yet full of seriousness. “Thankfully there’s no bleeding for whatever reason, but his ribs are broken.”

“I see…!” Zeke nodded in affirmation, his blue gloved, bony fingers swiftly moving the black pen as he wrote on his notes. “Can I ask your name?”

“Garrett Thompson…”

“Alright…” Zeke nodded before continuing. “Sir Garrett, let’s take an X-ray of your ribs.”

Garrett flinched for a second, as if he knew there’s dangers waiting for him. Anton softly patted his shoulder. “It’s fine, Doctor Zeke is a naut too remember?”

The long eared naut finally complied. “Okay okay…”

After some minutes writing notes of his patient, Zeke finally hands the files to the nurse that’s been standing beside him. “Please tell people there we need to use the radiology room.”

“Alright sir.”

“Thank you.”

As the nurse swiftly walked away from them and through the door, Zeke glared back at his patients. “Okay sir Garrett and sir…”

“It’s Anton.”

“Sir Garrett and sir Anton, please follow me to the radiology room.”

Three of them then rose from their chairs and walked through the white halls together. Zeke noticed the way Garrett’s tail moved to his side with a single eye glared at him, as if it’s sentient. Zeke keeps his subtle smile. “Are you a colony, sir Garrett?”

“Don’t pull my tail please…” Garrett begged.

Zeke chuckled lightly. “I assure you I won’t.” he replied with a gentle tone. “Your act isn’t like a colony that I usually found.”

“His terrors share on single brain cell.” Anton joked. Garrett isn’t amused, while Zeke nodded in understanding. “I see…”

When they finally arrive in the radiology room, Zeke walks to another door in the room while Anton helps Garrett to change his shirt with a radiology apron. “Aw aw…”

“Does this mean you’ll take a break from the office?” Anton asked curiously. “William needs to search for your substitute isn’t he?”

“So what you’ll propose, biting my pen as I try my best to write all the notes?” Garrett finally snarked him back.

“How about with your tail?”

“My tail isn’t prehensile!” Garrett replied with annoyance. “Also kelp won’t agree with that.”

After everything is set, Garrett finally takes an X-ray shot as instructed by a radiologist that’s working at that time. Both Anton and Garrett walked back to Zeke’s room after some waiting time. As they sat on their chairs, they saw Zeke putting the X-ray results on the lightbox.

“How’s the result…?” Garrett asked, still in pain and wished he didn’t exist. When he peeked at the results, all he saw were just… an image of a hamster looking back at him.