Chapter Text
The hospital had settled back into its usual rhythm.
Footsteps echoed through the halls. Machines beeped behind closed doors. Every few minutes, the reception bell chimed as another patient wandered inside.
Routine.
Secret Agent preferred routine.
Routine meant fewer unpleasant surprises.
Though unpleasant surprises had a habit of finding him anyway.
He set the last patient chart neatly onto the counter.
Current shift summary:
Twelve patients. (Seven discharged.)
One anomaly.
No fatalities.
…
Good performance.
His attention drifted toward reception.
The Intern was helping an elderly sheep get signed in.
Or trying to.
The sheep hesitated beneath the rabbit’s unwavering smile before reluctantly accepting the nametag.
It wasn’t unusual.
Most patients reacted that way.
The unusual part was the rabbit.
They noticed every nervous glance, every awkward pause. Their ears dipped for barely a second before springing upright again. The smile never disappeared.
Odd.
⸻
His thoughts drifted back to yesterday.
The intern and the anomaly.
One paw reaching toward its head.
No hesitation.
No weapon.
No fear.
His ears lowered slightly.
He still couldn’t understand it.
The rabbit hadn’t looked frightened when he’d pulled them away.
They’d looked…
Confused.
As though stopping them had been the strange decision.
His fingers tapped once against the clipboard.
The scanner had confirmed it.
The rabbit was an anomaly.
So why attack its own kind?
Predatory behavior?
Territorial behavior?
Defensive instinct?
Agent huffed, his tail thrashing around behind him.
He would have to observe some more.
⸻
Agent stared at the Intern.
Not idly.
Deliberately.
Aggression revealed itself eventually.
Under stress.
During rejection.
When patience wore thin.
He simply had to wait.
A loud clatter echoed through reception.
The Agent looked up.
The Intern stared at a pen rolling across the floor.
“…Oops.”
They bent to retrieve it, catching their sleeve on the desk.
Patient's paperwork slid everywhere.
“…Oops.”
The rabbit laughed sheepishly.
The Agent watched them for a moment.
Earlier that morning, they’d caught a falling stack of paperwork without even looking.
Now they couldn’t seem to hold onto a single pen.
Hmm.
Without a word, he crossed the room and crouched to gather the scattered forms.
“Oh!”
The rabbit beamed.
“Thanks, Kitty.”
“…You’re welcome.”
He handed them over and turned away.
“…Wait.”
He glanced back.
The rabbit held out a patient form.
“You missed one.”
…
He had.
“…Thank you.”
“No problem!”
The rabbit smiled as though nothing unusual had happened.
The Agent slipped the form back into the stack.
Hmph.
⸻
The front doors slid open.
A raccoon stepped inside.
The rabbit brightened instantly.
"Hello and welcome to the Animal Hospital!"
They looked at the Intern before hesitantly asking.
“…Is someone else available?”
The rabbit’s ears dipped.
Only for a moment.
“Oh!”
Their smile never changed.
“Of course!”
“Secret Agent!” They hollered, uncaring of how the raccoon flinched.
He stepped away from the hallway he'd been observing from.
“How may I help you?”
Relief washed over the raccoon’s face.
“Oh, thank goodness.”
They lowered their voice.
“I don’t mean to be rude…”
A glance toward the rabbit.
“They’re just… unsettling.”
The Agent looked back.
The Intern was already straightening paperwork.
Pretending not to listen.
The Agent’s tail swished around, but then he turned away from his coworker.
“I’ll take your case.”
“Thank you!”
He led the raccoon toward the X-ray examination room.
The consultation was routine.
Minor dry eyes.
Eyedrops.
Rest.
Recovery.
When he returned, another patient stood at reception.
The rabbit greeted them with the same smile.
The same voice.
The same enthusiasm.
As though the previous conversation had never happened.
The Agent paused.
Interesting.
They hadn’t ignored the comment.
He’d seen their ears fall.
Seen the smile tighten.
They’d heard every word.
And then…
They’d chosen to move on.
Not denial.
Control.
That, more than anything else, held his attention.
As the treatment room door closed behind them, the Agent found himself thinking about the rabbit again.
⸻
The front doors slid open.
Movement at the entrance caught his eye.
…
No.
Not him.
A white rabbit wandered inside wearing a worn brown newsboy cap. A neat black mustache twitched as he looked around the lobby like he’d arrived exactly when he’d meant to.
Barney.
The Agent had never understood Barney.
Nobody did.
He appeared without warning.
Disappeared without explanation.
The doctor appeared to tolerate him.
Somehow.
The Intern looked up from reception.
Their ears shot upright.
“Barney!”
“Hello, friend!”
“…Still coming around this place, huh?”
Barney adjusted the strap of his satchel.
“Well, this place is just so fascinating, I just have to check it out.”
The Intern laughed.
The Agent sighed quietly.
They knew each other.
Of course.
Not wanting to deal with Barney's antics, the Agent disappeared into the emergency wing to prepare for a scheduled surgery for later today.
Before leaving, he downed a mug of coffee to preserve what little sanity he had left.
By the time he returned, Barney was still leaning against reception while the Intern chatted happily enough for both of them.
Secret Agent glanced at his old mug that still sat forgotten on the counter.
Half full.
Stone cold.
He should probably dump the rest of it out and put the mug in the sink.
"So friend, can I ask for a favor?"
Barney leaned forward, tapping the check-in desk with an extended claw.
"I've had a long day, and I could use a cup of coffee."
The cat frowned, looking at the empty coffee machine.
"Could I trouble you for one, friend?"
The Intern also noticed the empty coffee machine.
The Intern and the Agent shared an awkward glance before the rabbit turned away to answer Barney.
"Well, actually..."
Their eyes nervously darted around the room before stopping on the half-finished coffee mug on the counter.
Then back to Barney staring at them.
Then back at the stale mug of coffee.
The Agent followed their gaze.
…
No.
Before the Agent could intervene, they picked up the forgotten mug and offered it to Barney with both paws.
“Will this do?”
Barney looked into the cup.
“…Not very full.”
“Sorry...”
“It used to be Agent's.”
Barney looked down into the mug.
“Oh?”
A slow smile tugged beneath his mustache.
“Well, if it’s Kitty’s…”
He accepted the mug.
“…How could I possibly say no?”
The Agent’s ears flattened.
...
Ugh.
The Intern blinked.
“…Huh?”
Before they could question it, Barney tipped the mug back and drank.
Not a cautious sip.
The whole thing.
The Agent watched in silent disbelief.
Barney lowered the empty mug and smacked his lips once, making sure to give the cat a pointed glance.
“…Not bad.”
The Intern stared.
“…You drank it?”
Barney tilted his head, acting innocent.
“Well, you offered.”
“I… did.”
“I just accepted.”
“I didn’t want it to go to waste,” the Intern said, a little more stiffly.
“A noble cause.”
Barney set the empty mug neatly back on the counter.
“Thank you.”
“…Yeah.”
The answer came flat.
A beat later, the rabbit seemed to remember themself.
“You’re welcome.”
The Agent desperately wanted to flee this situation.
“…Excuse me.”
Without waiting for a response, he disappeared into the treatment wing.
The swinging doors clicked shut behind him.
Reception grew quiet.
Barney watched the doors for another few seconds.
His eyes drifted toward the direction of where the agent left.
Then back to the Intern.
“You’ve found yourself a pretty little kitty haven't you?”
The Intern’s cheerful smile vanished.
“Shut up.”
Barney smiled beneath his mustache.
“You’re awfully protective.”
For just a heartbeat, the rabbit’s posture changed.
Shoulders squared.
Eyes narrowed.
Protective.
“You did that on purpose.”
“Yeah.”
“You made him uncomfortable.”
“Yep.”
Neither of them spoke.
The rabbit folded their arms.
“…Leave him alone.”
One eyebrow rose.
“Oh?”
Barney chuckled.
“I was only curious.”
"Well, stop being curious."
The tense moment passed.
Barney adjusted his cap,
A second later, the familiar smile returned to the Intern’s face as if it’d never left.
“See you later, Barney.”
“I’m sure I will.”
He tipped his cap and wandered toward the exit.
The automatic doors slid open.
By the time they slid shut again…
He was gone.
…
The hospital carried on.
Another patient hesitated at reception.
Another uncertain smile.
Another awkward conversation.
No adjustments.
No complaints.
No visible irritation.
Just the same practiced smile.
The Agent stopped trying to predict them.
Instead, he returned to work.
⸻
The surgery was uncomplicated.
A lizard.
He scrubbed in.
Sterilized his instruments.
Closed the wound with practiced precision.
Efficient.
Predictable.
Routine.
Just the way he preferred it.
By the time the patient was resting comfortably in recovery, the reception bell chimed again.
The Agent removed his gloves and stepped back into the lobby.
A pen clattered across the floor.
“…Oops.”
The Intern bent to retrieve it.
Their sleeve caught the edge of the counter.
Another stack of paperwork started sliding.
Without looking, the rabbit caught it against their hip before it could hit the floor.
“…Huh.”
A second later, they fumbled the pen again.
The Agent paused.
Earlier, they’d caught falling paperwork without even looking.
Now they couldn’t seem to hold onto a pen.
…
Odd.
The bell chimed again.
He raised his head.
…
Ratthew.
A tiny black rat wandered inside, twisting his paws in nervousness. His white snout twitched as he scanned the room before smiling in recognition.
"Hi.”
“Hello, Ratthew,” the Agent replied.
The government still hadn’t caught the rat.
Not his assignment.
Not his problem.
As long as the rat wasn’t endangering anyone, the Agent saw no reason to interfere.
The rat gave a cautious nod before spotting the rabbit.
“Oh!”
The rat's nose gave a minute twitch.
“Intern!”
The rabbit looked up from the counter.
“Ratthew!”
Their smile came easier this time.
“Been behaving?”
“…Mostly.”
“Mostly?”
The rat shrugged.
“I’ve tried.”
“Good enough.”
The Agent found himself eavesdropping as he restocked some of the shelves, oddly low on maple syrup.
As he listened, he noticed that Ratthew talked to the rabbit differently than he spoke to anyone else.
Less guarded.
Like they already understood each other.
The rabbit slid a clipboard across the counter.
“Same reason as last time?”
“Mhm.”
“Alrighty.”
Ratthew filled out the paperwork without another word.
When he finished, the Agent stepped over.
“May I examine you now?”
The little rat stiffened.
Only for a moment.
Instinct.
The rabbit leaned against the counter.
“Kitty won’t bite.”
A teasing smile tugged at the rabbit’s face.
The Agent’s ears twitched.
Please stop calling me that.
Ratthew glanced between them before nodding.
“…Okay.”
The examination was brief.
Heart.
Lungs.
Eyes.
No abnormalities.
“You’re cleared to leave.”
“…Already?”
“Yes.”
“...It's nice when you examine me.”
The Agent blinked.
“…Thank you.”
“You don’t keep me here forever.”
“I have things to do.”
Ratthew looked around the hospital.
“Bye, Agent.”
“Take care.”
“And bye, Intern.”
“See you around.”
The doors slid shut behind him.
The lobby quieted again.
The Agent watched the rabbit for only a second.
Ratthew trusted very few people.
The rabbit was apparently one of them.
⸻
Silence settled over reception once more.
Not total silence.
Never total silence.
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead.
The coffee machine gurgled quietly.
Some monitor somewhere kept a slow, steady rhythm.
The Agent had almost finished another chart.
Three lines remained.
“…Sorry.”
His pen paused.
He looked up.
The rabbit shifted awkwardly behind the reception desk.
“…For Barney.”
A beat passed.
“He likes getting reactions out of people.”
The Agent stared for a moment before looking back at the paperwork.
“…I noticed.”
“He wasn’t making fun of you.”
“…I know.”
The rabbit rubbed the back of their neck.
“He just…”
“…Does that.”
The Agent finished the last line on the chart.
“…It’s fine.”
The rabbit studied him for a second.
“…You’re lying.”
His pen stopped.
“…Perhaps.”
The rabbit’s ears lifted ever so slightly.
“…Sorry anyway.”
The Agent set the clipboard aside.
“…Thank you.”
⸻
The front doors slid open.
His attention shifted.
Dr. Harlow.
Every muscle in his body stiffened.
Mission objective.
Observe.
Report.
Do not draw attention.
Across the lobby, the rabbit straightened almost as quickly.
Their smile remained.
But it wasn’t quite the same.
“Dr. Harlow.”
The doctor acknowledged them with a brief nod.
“Agent.”
“Doctor.”
“Intern.”
“Morning.”
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Dr. Harlow stepped farther into reception, his lab coat swaying behind him.
Immaculate.
Not a wrinkle.
Not a stain.
Unlike everyone else in the hospital, Dr. Harlow never looked tired.
His black eyes drifted across the lobby.
Watching.
Evaluating.
The Agent had the uncomfortable feeling that he’d already noticed everything worth noticing.
“I’ve received a call.”
The room got quiet.
“An ambulance will be arriving shortly.”
The rabbit tilted their head.
“Bad one?”
“…Potentially.”
Dr. Harlow folded his hooves behind his back.
“I expect both of you to remain alert.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
“Of course.”
Only after Dr. Harlow disappeared into the treatment wing did either of them breathe again.
The rabbit let out a tiny sigh.
“So…”
Their paw brushed against the Agent’s as they both reached for the same clipboard.
The Agent immediately pulled back.
“…Sorry.”
Instead, the rabbit caught his wrist.
“…Kitty.”
“What.”
“Your paws are freezing.”
“They’re fine.”
“They’re like ice.”
Before he could object, the rabbit took both of his paws between their own.
Warm.
Ridiculously warm.
The Agent froze.
“…Intern.”
“Hold still.”
“I don’t need—”
“You do.”
The rabbit gently rubbed slow circles across the backs of his paws, sending tingles all the way down the cat's back.
“Are you always this cold?”
“...”
“Hehehe Kitty.”
The Agent attempted to pull away.
Nothing happened.
Intern was strong.
Far stronger than they looked.
He considered trying again.
Decided against it.
The rabbit hummed thoughtfully.
“There.”
“A little better.”
The warmth lingered long after they finally let go.
The Agent stared at his own paws.
His ears had become suspiciously warm, and he could feel his whiskers uncontrollably quivering.
The rabbit smiled.
“There.”
“Much better.”
“…Thank you.”
The words escaped before he could stop them.
The rabbit blinked.
Then smiled a little wider.
“You’re welcome, Kitty.”
The Agent quietly decided he would not be thinking about this for the rest of the day.
He immediately failed.
Outside, a siren echoed in the distance.
Both of them looked toward the entrance.
The ambulance had arrived.