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5.

"A Japanese wolf?" Karasuma said wonderingly, stroking Wolf's fur. "But they've been extinct since the turn of the century, haven't they? I can't believe this is real."

"Alas," Ginsei murmured, "all too real."

"Wolf is an Ezo wolf," he corrected Karasuma proudly. Ginsei he merely ignored. Something about the tilt of Wolf's muzzle made Taketo think he wasn't displeased with the all the admiration Karasuma was lavishing on him. Taketo suspected he wasn't used to it; within minutes of meeting Wolf, nearly everyone else had good reasons to root for extinction.

"Sensei, he's like Ginsei and Salsa," Taketo explained quickly. "Um, you know. A wild-half. And, actually, you've even met him before, he was --"

"Don't compare Wolf to /dogs/," Wolf interrupted, disgusted. "Wolf is a real werewolf." Now Ginsei looked even more peeved.

When Taketo had first hustled Wolf into the taxi and given the directions, Wolf had demanded to know what a "juui-shi" was. Before the driver could respond, Taketo had assured Wolf, without elaborating, that it was simply Karasuma's job. "He works at home, right?" he'd told him. He considered it the purest luck that Wolf had collapsed into his natural form a few minutes after the taxi had pulled away from the clinic, which put off more questions. It was less fortunate that Taketo had had to carry him in -- while he waved his paws weakly and whooped, "Look, Wolf is a bride!"

So Wolf had been in no condition to flee once Taketo had dropped him on Karasuma's examination table. Predictably, Karasuma had taken immediately to this miraculous creature who'd appeared in his city veterinary clinic. Also predictably, Ginsei had been less enthusiastic. Much less. But Taketo trusted Ginsei to at least observe the forms of courtesy. With Wolf, all bets were off -- Taketo hoped he was too sick to take down the building.

"Anyway," Taketo said, "Sensei, you met Wolf before. You remember my, uh, friend from Hokkaido who came to visit while I was in high school?" This was the second time he'd had to refer to Wolf as his friend, and it won him a sly, amused glance from the wild-half in question. Ginsei, on the other hand, had the air of a martyr resigned to a terrible fate. Taketo was thankful that Salsa hadn't returned from the park yet.

Karasuma hooked his glasses down his nose, and stared at Wolf with Ginsei's silver eyes. "I see. Yes, he does have the same colors . . ." He burbled, "This is wonderful! He really is, isn't he?"

"One and the same," Ginsei said dryly. "Kaoru, the sooner you treat him, the sooner he can leave."

"Heh, Wolf feels better, right where he is," Wolf said, lolling his tongue at Ginsei as Karasuma scratched under his chin. To Karasuma, he said, "Hey, what's a 'juui-shi,' anyway?"

"Oh, that's me," Karasuma told him happily. "I'm an animal doctor."

"An animal . . . what?" Wolf went rigid.

"Why yes," Ginsei's expression became beatific, "Kaoru is a veterinarian," he said. "He offers many delightful services. But please don't be concerned -- he won't consider you to be obligated after he treats you."

Karasuma shoved his glasses back up his nose and blinked at Ginsei, confused. "Have I missed something?"

"It's nothing, Kaoru," Ginsei assured him arily, as Wolf began to squirm madly. "But wait -- didn't you mention that Takahashi was studying to be a veterinarian as well, Taketo?"

"What? Takahashi?" Wolf said, looking thoroughly betrayed.

Taketo sighed and rushed over to help hold Wolf down. So maybe he'd been worried about the wrong wild-half -- he hoped Salsa would come soon, if only to distract /Ginsei/.

"Wolf, listen," Taketo said throwing his arms around his back legs, "if you'll just bear with this --"

"Wolf doesn't 'bear with' anything!" he snarled, struggling back.

"I understand, but this will make you feel better, and if you feel better, we can all go clubbing," Taketo said, panting. "All of us!"

"Clubbing?" Wolf paused to consider that. "Huh. When? Yeah, Wolf could really use a daiquiri. Or ten."

"Absolutely," Taketo said. He bid a silent, sad farewell to his budget for that month. "But, see, it'll be no fun if you're not feeling well. We could go with some of my other friends who're home on break, and make it like . . . like a group date. That's even more fun."

"Well . . ." Wolf said, but it was clear that his resistance had been broken by the allure of carousing.

"So let's get started, shall we?" Karasuma reluctantly abandoned his grip on Wolf's coat in favor of fishing about in his tray. "First, temperature --"

"What's /that/," Wolf yelped, staring at Karasuma's hand.

"This?" Karasuma said, surprised. "Don't worry, it's only a rectal thermometer! Then we'll take some blood samples," he held up a needle, "this won't hurt a bit! And then we'll --"

Wolf's howl was deafening.

"Isn't Kaoru wonderful?" Ginsei sighed, as he switched over to his human form to loom over the table.