"Hey honey bunny." Mike said as he peeked around the screen, a dozen red carnations in a vase in his paws. "How are you doing?" "Mike!" Cassy visibly perked at his appearance. "Fine love, just…um, fine." "What’s wrong, Cass?" Mike looked concerned as Cassy sighed. "I've been talking with the doctors, and um there's something I need to tell you. And—and if, you wish to call it off, I-I understand..." The look on her face was heartbreaking. "Oh, Cassy honey…" Mike soothed. "It's just... they say I-I-I can't have kids…" A tear slid down her cheek, Mike was at her side to wipe it away. "Oh honey, It's okay…" She shook her head, "I know how much you want a family, And, Oh Mikey, I so wanted to have kids with you!" Cassy burst into tears. "Honey, Honey, No, no, no. It will be all right. I love you too much to lose you. I was so afraid that you would die on me...so, kids or no kids, I'm marrying you, Miss Bhunny. That is, if you will have me." Cassy just nodded, her lower lip quivering..."Cassy honey, we will get through this. Dr. Vulpus told me that there was a 50/50 chance of you being paralyzed from the waist down if you got pregnant." She nodded "I don't want to risk that, honey love." "…But there's a 50% chance I won’t get paralyzed…" Cassy said hopefully. "Gods I Love you, Cassandra. Let's deal with that possibility after you are all healed up, okay?" "Knock knock!" Max Badger said poking his head in with a grin. "Max!" Cassy said. "Come in!" True to form, Max Badger was dressed in a dark blue suit. With him were his boys and his wife Kath—a shapely badger fem with just a bit of extra padding. She bore a potted fern in her paws. "Hello, Dear." she smiled warmly. "I brought you this to brighten up your room. Oh, hello Michael, how are you two doing today?" "Were fine, Mrs. Badger," Cassy smiled, patting Mike's paw. "Wonderful. We were just on our way home from church, and thought we'd stop by, and see how you were doing." "Thank you Mrs. Badger, I appreciate it, really." Cassy beamed "Hey boys, how goes it?" "Um, were okay, Miss Cassy. Bummer you got shot." Bill said. His mother glared at him. "Yeah, bummer…" mirrored Ted. "So, do you think you'll have like a gnarly scar?" he grinned at her. Trying not to laugh, Cassy beamed. "I don't think so, Ted. The doc's say I'm healing cleanly, but we'll see." "That'd be Awesome!" Ted grinned. His mother swatted him for his flippant remark, then led both boys out of the room by their ears. Max just chuckled. "Is there anything that you need, my dear?” he asked. Cassy thought for a moment. "Not that I can think of, thanks Max. Could you please let everyone know I'm okay, and I should be outta here in 10 or 12 days?" "Oh, and to set your mind at ease, your medical is 100% covered." "Oh wow, thanks! Max, you’re the best!" The badger gave her the thumbs up. "Cassandra, you just heal up for now. And when you’re ready, come and see me. Okay?" the badger smiled at his waitress and headed out the door. "That's the best news I've had all day, thanks Max!" "Wow, That's great news," Cassy sighed with relief. "I hadn't even thought about how I was going to pay for all this." "How we were going to pay, my love. I want you to know, as soon as you are out of here, I'm going to take you down to the courthouse and make an honest woman out of you." Mike declared. "So you'd better hurry up and heal up, because I don't like to be kept waiting." Cassy shook her head, paws on her belly trying not to laugh. " M-mike, oh- it hurts to laugh!" she giggled. "What, you think I'm joking? ... Meeee?" he said with mock offense, wagging his eyebrows at her. "Oh-oh, stop! Hehehehe, I give! I surrender; you are one crazy fur, and I love you." she gasped trying not to laugh, but it was so funny! Mike leaned in and kissed her. The EKG increased its tempo as he broke the kiss "Hey now, you don't want the—" he was interrupted by the appearance of a fox fem in a crisp white nurses uniform. "Are you all right Miss—" She stopped, seeing Mike and Cassy grinning guiltily, their muzzles fluffing a bit in embarrassment at being caught. The nurse shook her head. "Okay, never-mind." she chuckled as she left the room. "So how are you doing, my love? You seem more relaxed today." Cassy asked her beloved. Mike nodded. "I am. I tell you that Gwen is a miracle worker...Max sent me home last night and Gwen took me back to there place, Fixed me a great dinner, Then dragged me into the hot tub...where she showed me the truth." Mike paused a moment seeing how she was taking this. She had an impish smile. "Aaand?" she asked, waiting for him to go on. "She led me to one of the guest rooms, laid me on the bed, and massaged me into Jell-O. Then she sat at the foot of the bed till I fell asleep." Mike smiled. "Darn!" Cassy snapped her fingers. "And here I thought you'd get lucky," she teased. "Oh, I did get lucky," Mike grinned. "The day I asked you to be my wife." he bent and kissed her paw.
