The Past and The Present

HELP!

Authors note:

Hi all. The first few chapters will have come through quickly, but I'm afraid the rest will take some time due to exams. Enjoy.

Tod's eyes closed slowly as his body hit the ground. Vixey was the first to react, trying to wake the fox lying next to her. She nuzzled his head with her paw. Then, without warning, Tod's body stiffened and rolled over, giving his friends and family a fright. His eyes flickered open and his head looked around curiously. He then got up, using his front paws as leavers. 

His head felt as if it was a vinyl record spinning around on a turntable. He gave his eyes a chance to adjust again before turning his head around to find a sea of confused faces. They couldn't understand what was going on, not even Tod knew, but one thing was sure. He had started gaining feeling in his legs again.

"Tod? Are you alright?" Vixey asked, breaking the silence that covered the barn. Tod had to think quickly. He said, "I... I'm not sure...My head is spinning but otherwise, I feel great." He realized what he had said. He looked down at his legs with confusion, "My legs," he said, "I can feel them!" 

He looked at the sea of confused faces staring attentively at him. Tod decided to try his rear legs by standing up on all fours. He slowly stood up and sat down soon after, feeling a sharp pain drive up his now sensitive legs. He looked over to his mate and saw in her eyes that there was something she needed to say.

Vixey saw this as a good opportunity to tell her mate the good news, as everybody they knew was present. "Tod," she said calling to her mate, "I...uh...Kind of have some good news you need to know about." 

"Yes, Vixey."

Before letting out the news, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She eventually gained enough confidence to say, 

"I'm pregnant."

Tod's mouth opened wide as the words filled his head. His mind started working overtime, trying to figure out what he just heard. He couldn't understand how as his mate had not been around for three weeks before now. "How? It was only one night and even so, it was a while ago." 

Vixey found his lack of knowledge somewhat funny. She giggled as she approached him and said, "Well, it looks like ones was enough." She licked his cheek and smiled at him.

Copper, Rose and Chief surrounded the couple and congratulated them. They continued chatting for a while longer. Tod was eager to show Widow that he was getting better and that Vixey was going to be a mother, but most of all, he wanted to show Rose who had been looking after him. Tod looked at his mother before saying, "Mom, I would like you to meet somebody." Rose nodded in approval. 

"Can the rest of you please come with? Widow needs to know who my friends really are." Their heads bobbed up and down in unison. They stood up and waited for Tod to lead the group.

Once they were near the farm house, Tod heard the distinctive sound of Widow Tweeds telephone. He quickened his pace to the point where his legs were screaming from the jolts running up his sensitive legs. He had to slow down as the pain became almost unbearable. He reached the farm house with Copper and Vixey by his side and the old pair walking slowly behind them, unaware that they had been left behind.

Inside, Widow Tweed answered the phone, merrily greeting the person on the other end, "Hello?" Although she was in a good mood, Tod was still in her mind. The greeting was returned by a shout, "Widow...Help!" 

It didn't take long for her to recognize Amos's voice was bouncing around in her head. She dropped the earpiece without hanging up and headed straight for her car. She started it and set off to help her friend, not noticing that her fox was right by the window.

The three heard Amis Slade's shouts from the earpiece hanging from the wire just as Rose and Chief reached them. Copper and Vixey took off first as Tod told the wolfhound what he had heard. They set off after Widow's car at an astonishing rate, but were unable to keep up. They soon regrouped and ran as a pack. Tod was struggling to keep up due to his sore paining legs. He started to fall back but his mother adjusted her speed and stuck next to him.

Widow was the first to arrive. Sitting in her car, she carefully studied the house but couldn't find anything out of order. She was about to open the door when, out the corner of her eye, she saw movement in the rear view mirror. She adjusted it to focus on the group of animals rushing towards her. She recognised four of the five animals running together. She saw Vixey, Copper and Chief in a row in the front and Tod with an older female fox running alongside him. Eyes wide and full of worry, Widow got out of the car and faced the group of animals racing towards her.

Tod had begun limping as the discomfort in his legs grew to such an extent that he dropped to the ground, screaming as jolts of excruciating pain shot through his sensitive legs. "Tod!" shouted Copper as he turned around and headed to his crying friend. Rose continued running, unaware that her son had fallen until Copper ran past her. The hound dog reached the crying fox and turned his head back to the group, 

"HELP! Somebody help!" All eyes had turned to see Tod laying on the floor in pain. Rose ran back to them as fast as she could. She reached her son screaming blue murder as he lay on the grass. Her motherly instincts took over as she lay down, pressing her body against Tod's. She raised her head to Copper and said, "I got him, go." 

The two dogs and Vixey turned around and raced towards Widow Tweed, who saw everything that had just happened.