Fall from grace.

Episode 1.

Written by Wolfie Steel.

I once had it all, lots of money, big house, flashy car, oh yeah I was once the Lord of all I purvey, what a difference an hour makes. I will never forget that Wednesday morning, just three days before Christmas, my boss calmly walks into my office and utters the four words that put the fear of god in anyone, “We need to talk”

So what can be so bad that my boss, who I’ve been very good friends with for nigh on fifteen years, would utter those four words in a tone which can only mean trouble.

I sit at my desk, a pure breed Husky, and I’m shaking like a leaf, in all the years that I have known Travis my boss he has never ever used those words with me so I know that what is to come is serious.

“Wick, there is no easy way to say this, but the firm is in dire straits and has been for a couple of years now, I thought that making us a leaner firm would help us stay strong and see us through the hard times, but the truth of the matter is that even those of us in the business of law cannot survive once the money and business begins to dry up. I’m afraid that with huge regret I will have to issue you with your redundancy papers, because as of 08:30 this morning, the law firm that is Price, Jackson and Ford, was placed into administration, I’m so sorry my friend”

That was a month ago, and unfortunately I haven’t been able to find another law firm to take me on, and so I have had to sell everything just to stay alive and now I find myself, Wickson Jackson, living on the streets of London, a cardboard box my only roof, I have but a ten pound note left in my pocket which has to last me until god knows when.

It is times like these where I wish I had taken a lesser job and maybe took the paw of a loving mate when I had the chance, but now that is just a pipe dream, two weeks living on the streets of London with no hot shower or expensive fur care products will ruin a guys once proud appearance. There was a time, not so long ago when I would strike fear into those who stood against me, now I’m nothing more than a bum, living paw to mouth.

Oh sure I keep searching for work, and I mean anything, I will even stack shelves for fuck sake, anything to earn a little money to rake out a meagre existence, but I find myself trapped in that catch 22 situation, I need a place to live to gain employment, I need employment to get a place to live.

I have been responsible for putting murderers who thought they would get off Scott free behind bars, the cocky youth pick pockets that believed that I couldn’t touch them, even they have learned the error of their ways, and yet, if I don’t find something soon I might have to resort to petty crime myself, now that truly would be a fall from grace.

I think back just eighteen months ago, Travis had come into my office and offered me a lower paid job that had fringe benefits, it would have meant less hours working and more time for me to pursue the love of my life, a sleek, black furred Doberman by the name of Rick... yes guys that means that I am a gay Husky, get over it.

Well obviously I turned it down, I mean who wants to take a pay cut when you are living the high life, with hind sight I should have taken the job that Travis offered me, but hind sight will not help me now, Rick is gone, my flashy Mercedes is also gone, and my two million pound bachelor pad has also gone, I don’t even have a pot to piss in.

Please accept my apologies for being so course, I’m not usually like this, oh great as if to add insult to injury I can hear thunder, so bang goes my cardboard roof, can things get any fucking worse? Right now I just want someone to put a gun to my head and put me out of my misery, but it figures that even that wish is taken away from me.

<><><><><><> 

So now the storm is over, I’m soaked to the bone, sneezing like crazy, freezing cold even with my thick fur, and to top it all I’m starving, I could use some of the money I have left to get something to eat, but with the price of food now the money won’t last long, so I guess it’s time to do what most of the other homeless guys do, beg and scavenge.

I walk along Oxford Street, looking into the windows of all the posh restaurants, my hunger growing worse every time, one of the Restaurants was a favourite haunt of mine until a month ago, the Spaghetti House, but now I’m just on the outside looking in, it is then that my luck seems to do a 180, at one of the tables I see a lone sleek black furred Doberman, someone I know very well, Rick Strand.

My heart flutters for a second and then dies as I remember what I could have had if only I had swallowed my damn foolish pride. I stand and stare a little too long and he sees me, I turn and run but I trip over one of the tables on the street, I end up taking a nose dive and hitting the concrete hard, the darkness consumes me as I blackout, the last thing I remember is hoping that the owners of the Spaghetti House call the cops, at least then I will get a dry place to stay tonight and maybe some food.

Can my life get any worse? I really should stop asking that question. I begin to wake up and in my semi dazed state I realise that I’m lying down but I’m moving, I can hear sirens, oh good the police have carted me off, but wait, why would I be lying down in the back of a police car? It is then that my brain makes the connection, I’m in an ambulance, my eyes try to focus, I can see a blurry outline of two furs sitting next to me, one of them is doing something to my body, and the other is just sitting there.

Suddenly a pain makes me focus real good, the sitting guy is none other than Rick, the guy doing stuff to my body is the paramedic, the pain I’m feeling is the medic cleaning a wound on my knee with alcohol and a wipe.

“Fucking ouch, like I’m not hurt bad enough”

It is then that Rick does something unexpected; he holds onto my paw and tries to calm me down.

“Easy there Wick, you’ve had a nasty fall”

Now I’m in total shock, Rick actually knows who I am, eighteen months ago he was nothing but a crush to me, and here he is now riding in the back of the ambulance with me, and holding my paw for good measure.

With everything that is going on my brain can no longer take it and I blackout again.

<><><><><><> 

I wake up again, this time I’m in a hospital room, a tray with a plate of salad is waiting at the foot of my bed, I hate salad, but right now I would eat the decaying leather of my shoes I am so hungry, I let out a groan and a paw rests on my left shoulder, I turn to face the paw, and then the owner, it is Rick.

“I wouldn’t mind betting that you are a little hungry, am I right Wickson?”

I nod gently and then suddenly Rick’s other paw is placed on the back of my right shoulder as he is gently raising me up into a sitting position, with that done he moves the plate of salad to within my reach and in seconds it is gone.

A female Collie clothed in a nurse’s uniform enters my room followed by a tall Horse dressed as a doctor.  The Horse stands at the foot of my bed and speaks.

“Ah Mister Jackson, finally awake I see, well that is fantastic news”

Man I could so smack that Horses smug look from his face right now, if only he knew what I have been through, the Horse continues.

“You will be pleased to know that your injuries were nothing major, a few bruises and scrapes here and there so I see no reason for keeping you in hospital, you are free to leave”

With that he turns around and struts out of the room while the nurse disconnects any wires and tubes from my body. Great I’m free to leave, where the fuck am I going to go? It is now Rick’s turn to speak.

“Wick, the last time that I saw you was when we were at Sandra’s retirement party, you said that you were just leaving for home but you ended up spending the evening with us guys from the mail room. Let me tell you that you won a lot of friends that night, the other two partners would not have been seen dead hanging out with us, you looked wonderful all done out in your suit and tie and your manicured fur, now look at you, matted fur, scrounging for food handouts, geez I can’t believe that you really are the same guy”

I close my eyes a little as I make my sarcastic reply.

“Thanks for not hitting a guy when he is down”

Rick realises what he has just said.

“Oh crap, I didn’t mean it like that, I’m sorry, I’m not as good with words as what you are, I guess when Price, Jackson and Ford went belly up, it hit you the worst”

I nod gently in affirmation and then I reply.

“But what about you, I mean you lost your job at the same time I did, and yet your fur is still, well business like and clean, what is your secret?”

Rick gains a little twinkle in his eyes.

“Well, I have a modest home which while I was working at the firm I was able to pay off completely, so no one can take it away from me, the money I had for my redundancy paved the way for me to get a business start up grant and so I now run my own law firm, though I don’t do the all singing all dancing cases, I mainly look after the cases from the lower end of the market, and I run it from home, so no expensive office building to pay for”

Right here and right now I envy Rick with what he has done with his life since losing his job, if only I had been able to follow his lead. Rick sees that I’m lost in thought and then speaks again.

“So, if you want I will give you a ride home, I mean the car I have isn’t much, but it’s paid for and it runs...just”

I turn my head away and sigh.

“I have no home to go to, except the nearest back alley; I’ll just find a cardboard box and stay inside it for the night”

Rick staggers back a little and has to hold on to the arm rest of the chair.

“You mean to tell me that you are homeless?”

Again my sarcasm gets the better of me.

“Ding Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner, let’s see what the prize is that they will be taking home tonight”

The next thing that happens catches me completely by surprise; Rick actually slaps me hard across the face.

“That is not the Wickson Jackson that I know of old, I have watched you in many a courtroom, if you got knocked back you just dusted yourself off and came back stronger, now stop fucking feeling sorry for yourself”

I rub my muzzle where Rick had landed the slap; it was a pretty good one I have to admit. I shouted my reply back at him.

“So what the fuck am I supposed to do with no money, no home and no prospects?”

Rick’s voice became quiet, almost silent in fact.

“You accept help when it is offered to you, and before you say that no one will help you, there is one person who is ready to offer you a paw, me, I won’t be able to pay you what you are worth, but I offer you a free roof over your head, and the chance to continue practicing law”

I blush a little at the offer, Rick sees my blush and inquires as to the reason.

“If I’m offering you a helping paw, why should you feel the need to blush?”

Again I let out a sigh as I make my reply.

“I’m grateful for the offer of help I really am, but you see there is a problem...”

I’m cut off mid sentence.

“Okay so you are a gay lawyer, so what?”

I’m taken aback a little but then I continue.

“It is not only that I’m a gay lawyer, the fact of the matter is that for the longest time I have had a crush... on you”

The sound of silence fills the air for what seems like hours, and then a small smile creeps across Rick’s muzzle.

“Is that all, geez I thought you were going to say that you were in love with an alien... look Wickson, you are not the only guy who has a crush, you see I do to, and the guy I’m interested in will do whatever it takes to be a winner, does that sound like someone you know?”

I recognised instantly the description of the guy I used to be. I finally let out a resigned sigh.

“Okay Rick, you win, but if I’m going to work for you I’m going to need transport and at least one suit”

The Doberman gently helps me out of bed and hands me what is left of my clothes, he then wafts a paw under his nose and giggles.

“Yeah and a shower and a good feed too, but those are things that can be easily sorted, so Wick I guess that you are now plum out of excuses”

There is no denying it anymore, I need a job, I need a home, and the fact that I’m being offered both of those with the added benefit of working with my crush I realised that I would be stupid to turn Rick’s offer down.