Chapter Text
Max was strapped to a table. This had happened before, many times before, but every single time was nerve wracking. His heart beat like a maniac as looked around the room. The television was turned on. Unfortunately, it was on an ad break. There was a strange-looking man singing badly and playing a banjo:
“Sam’s discount pet wash is the place you otta go~”
Sam?
He knew that name from somewhere…
This wasn't any time to dwell on memories! He was being experimented on by his former elementary school bully, Melvin! Melvin had some sort of giant needle full of green fluid, he said something as he pointed towards Max.
Wait… he knew this Sam character from the exact same place as Melvin! Sam, his best friend from elementary school, was running a pet wash nearby! He needed to get out of here. He needed to find Sam.
#×+×#
Sam was going through the routine of closing his semi-new pet washing business. Disconnecting the cleaning machines, sweeping and mopping the floors, making sure no one had left their pets there accidentally. No one had of course, because barely anyone came in to begin with. Hopefully that would change now that he had paid for advertisements to be shown on TV. He was just about to close up and go home to his girlfriend when he heard a knock at the door. He looked through the peephole. There was a short rabbit-like creature on the other side that looked oddly familiar. He opened the door.
“Hello, sorry we're cl-”
“You're Sam right?” The creature before him said quickly, cutting him off “I'm Max, I saw your advertisement and wanted to talk”
“Well we're closed for today,” he responded awkwardly “can it wait until tomorrow?”
Max tisked at him “That is the kind of attitude that will keep your business at the low level it is now.”
Sam sighed,”I suppose we could talk, but try to keep it quick, I'm kind of tired.” He opened the door and let the businessman inside. There were several strange things he noticed about his new visitor: he wasn't wearing, any clothing, he had extremely sharp looking teeth, and he smelled weirdly like a hospital.
How queer. “So, what sort of business plan do you have” Sam asked awkwardly.
“Well you see, I run a um… vet clinic.” He started “And we have a lot of… uh some of the patients we have are really gross… and need cleaning! Which you can help with?!” He nodded enthusiastically at him. Vet clinic. That explained the hospital smell
“I can” Sam responded
Max continued “But first! I would have to do an overnight inspection? To make sure that the premises are… er safe” While Sam was excited by the new business proposition, he didn't yet trust this funky character in here alone, especially not overnight
“Well that sounds great! I just have to call my girlfriend to let her know I'll be staying here tonight” Sam said. “After all I wouldn't want to keep ‘the kind of attitude that will keep my business at the low level it is now’”
Max’s eyes widened “Can I do it?”
Sam looked at him confused. “Call my girlfriend?”
“Us businessmen have a thing for making calls,” he responded.
Sam shook his head, laughing to himself “You crack me up” He walked over to the phone on his desk and picked it up, dialing her number. “June.”
She picked up immediately “What is it?”
“I won't be going home tonight.”
“Huh- wha- why?” She stuttered
“I have a businessman here. We are going to talk business about our businesses and hopefully make a business deal.” He responded in a very matter-of-fact tone.
“Really, a ‘businessman’ huh? Well I would just love to meet him” She sighed sarcastically
“You will if the business goes well!” He smiled before hanging up the phone.
He turned to Max “Good news! My girlfriend wants to meet you!"
Max stared at him blankly “You really need to stop saying business”
“Anyways let's get on with our-” The beady eyes of his visitor glared at him, knowing he was about to say ‘business’ again;“er the tour- what do you want to see?”
Max looked around, almost concerned and then said “Right, show me-” he paused awkwardly “Where you keep the animals while they aren't being washed?”
“We don't usually keep animals here overnight you know” Sam responded
“Ah well we might have to” Max stammered “after all the animals at my vet clinic are incredibly filthy, disgusting, downright decrepit creatures” Huh. Why did this guy own a vet clinic anyway? Probably not worth worrying about right now.
“Follow me then” he responded, walking into the storage area. This area was mostly used for storing animals until their owners were able to pick them up, but he supposed if the place got very busy he might have to use it to store animals yet to be washed, even possibly overnight. Suddenly, Max crashed on the floor so hard Sam briefly worried if he'd gotten a concussion.
Fortunately he didn't have to worry for long as he heard Max mumble “Jus gonna go ta sleep now” into the floor before passing out. He looked at the now unconscious naked body on the floor. Sam grabbed a towel off the wall and said
“This is a towel, but for our purposes it should work fine as a blanket." Max did not respond. Oh. Right. He was asleep. Sam gently draped the towel over him. He then grabbed a bigger towel from off the wall and found his own spot to curl up.