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Coffee Break Commission

Terminal Love

By XP Author

James sat in the exam room with his wife, Amanda, her brown furred hand in his white. The mouse couple had just gotten the bad news, and the doctor stepped out to give them a moment alone to process everything. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, trying to reassure her. He wanted to say something, anything, to try and give her some hope, but it all sounded so hollow in his head. When she squeezed his hand back, he could not help but notice now that the grip was not as strong as it once was. Thinking about it, he could see all the signs now. She would drop the basket of laundry sometimes, the little trips and stumbles every so often, and how sometimes she was just so tired. A fatigue that a good meal and a night's sleep did not help.

James and Amanda had been together a long time, despite both only being 21. Friends since middle school, they had been nearly inseparable. It became romantic in high school, and despite all the warnings and naysayers talking against dating your best friend, they made it work. As soon as they graduated high school, they moved in together. Two years later, they were married. There were times that they joked about their love being something out of a fairy tale. Now...

"I'm sorry..." Amanda said, her voice shaking and weak.

He looked at her, a little confused. "Sorry? Why? You have nothing to be sorry for!"

She shook her head, not looking up at him. "I-I... you shouldn't..." She did not know how to put the jumbled thoughts in her head to words. It was all flying through her mind so fast.

When she tried to pull her hand away, he gripped it stronger, using both hands to get her attention. "Hey! Listen. I'm not going anywhere, okay?" He knew his wife, and just what she was thinking. "I'm going to be here for you, no matter what. Okay?"

She finally looked up at him, her big, brown eyes staring at him through the black hair hanging in her face. "I-I..." Her voice caught in her throat, and she suddenly started to tear up. A moment later, she was against him, arms around his middle, clinging to him. Her face was buried in his chest. "James, I'm scared!"

He held his breath, letting it out slow. His arms went around her, holding her close. "I know... I am, too, but I'm here. And I'm not leaving." He just held her as she sobbed against him. For all his efforts, he could not fight tears of his own, but he kept them quiet. He had to be strong for her now, even if he was breaking to pieces on the inside. Amanda had just been diagnosed with Progressive Neuromuscular Atrophy Disease, Mouse Variant. PNAD-Mus was what the sheet they were given had said. More commonly, it was called Herrington's Disease, named after Alec Herrington. He was an Olympic runner from some 40 years prior. He won the gold on his first go, but the following Olympic games, he had tripped less than a meter from the finish line and fallen, losing from the lead position. He came out shortly after having been diagnosed with the disease.

The doctor had told them all about what to expect. It was a degenerative disease that made the muscles atrophy as the nerves stopped responding properly. There was no known cause, and for most species, it was not something that manifest until later in life, 40-60. Naturally, it manifest itself much earlier in mice. It was also fatal in near 90% of cases. She was given 2 years to live. In that time, her body would start to lose the ability to control itself, though very selectively. Arm, leg, and back strength would slowly diminish, but unlike other gradual paralysis diseases, things like speech or cognitive function would be unaffected. She would slowly become trapped in a body that refused to obey her, until she finally died.

Yes, he was just as scared as she was. He did not want to see her like that. She had always been so full of energy, a bright star of cheer and bad jokes that made him smile and laugh. She always had so much more energy than he did. Now... now he would have to be that bright star for her. He squeezed her close as she sobbed against him, soaking his shirt with her tears. He sniffed, swallowing his own sadness as much as he could to steady his voice for her. "I'll be here with you, Amanda. No matter what."

* * *

Two months had passed since Amanda's diagnosis. Her symptoms had started to show more in that time... or maybe the two of them were just more aware of them. Neither could really tell. Some days, she was fine. She was her usual bright, cheery self, tending to her flower garden, going on walks with James, or just doing her usual chores around the house without much issue other than the occasional stumble or maybe dropping something. So far, she had avoided breaking any glasses or plates.

Some days, however, were very off for her. She could feel the trembles in her hands, legs, or even back more. She wore out much more easily, making even her usual past time of gardening a chore unto itself. Those were the hardest days for James, not only because he practically doted on her the whole day, but because seeing her in this state gnawed away at his insides. Today was one of those days. She lay in bed, wearing nothing but her panties again. It was not to be sexy, as she definitely did not feel sexy right now. It was that getting dressed was just... too much effort today. She was constantly wincing as she felt a periodic twitching running along the left side of her back. It was an annoying little muscle spasm that she could do nothing to stop, no matter how much ice or heat she put on it, or how many stretches she tried to do.

The spasms were just dying down a little when the door to the bedroom was pushed opened, framing James. He wore a pair of slacks and a blue polo from his job, and the the best smile he could manage. He also carried a not-so-small tray with him. "Good afternoon, love. I've got that black tea you really like, some spaghetti with that spiced sauce and some meatballs from that Italian place you love. I even got your favorite mixed salad. Asked for extra almonds and everything."

She let out a soft sigh, giving him a smile that melted his heart every time. "Aww, that's sweet." She forced herself to sit up a little, wincing as it cause the back spasm to start up again. "Mph... sorry."

He shook his head as he sat down at the edge of the bed, setting the tray down on a little table nearby, which had convenient wheels to drag closer to the bed. It was one of the first things he bought her after the diagnosis, so she did not have to get out of bed to eat. "I keep telling you to stop apologizing. It's not like you're doing anything on purpose."

She sighed again, relaxing visibly as the spasm in her back subsided. "Yeah, I know... but still. You're always doing such nice things for me."

He smiled at her, reaching out to gently take her hand and give it a squeeze. "Of course I do. It's what you do when you're madly in love with someone." He leaned over and gave her lips a gentle kiss. "Now, c'mon and eat before everything gets cold."

She nodded, moving a little to the edge of the bed and picking up her silverware. "It smells delicious." She gave him a sideways glance. "Just what are you having?"

James shrugged, giving her a wry grin. "Oh, I thought I might steal a meatball or two."

She gave him a playful frown. "Oh, like hell you will! I will stab you with my fork if you touch my meatballs!" The two laughed. He totally ate one of the meatballs later. He also showed that he got himself some food while he was at the restaurant, happily enjoying some lasagna and her company. That is, until she gasped when she tried to pour herself some tea. A tremble ran through her hand just as she was picking up the pot, and she dropped it, missing the tray entirely. The ceramic pot hit the wood floor and shattered, spilling hot tea among the broken shards. "Oh... dammit!"

James quickly set his food down and grabbed a wad of napkins, throwing them down onto the floor to start soaking up the spilled tea. "Hey, it's okay!" He shifted out of the bed. "I'll go grab some paper towels and get this cleaned up!" With that, he dashed off to the kitchen, leaving her on the bed.

She stared down at the broken shards among the tea and sodden napkins. "I liked that tea pot..."

He came back a minute later, having just grabbed the whole roll of paper towels, as well as a small hand broom and butler to sweep up the broken pieces. "There we go. It's fine." He started to lay down the towels, then swept up all of the pieces he could find. He made sure to sweep a bit under the bed as well, in case any pieces were hiding down there. Last thing either of them needed was to cut up the bottom of their feet. He smiled up at her, only for his smile to fade. "See, not a... hey! What's wrong?"

Amanda was just staring down at the floor, tears slowly running from her eyes. She had not even realized she was crying until he said something. She tried to quickly wipe the tears away. "I-It's nothing. I'm just being stupid."

He sighed softly, setting everything down on the floor so he could turn and look at her again. "Hey. You're not being stupid. It was just an accident." He managed a soft chuckle. "I mean, I nearly dropped the whole tray on the way in here about four times." She sniffed, nodding slowly, but not really accepting his words. He reached a hand out and placed it on her bare thigh, caressing her fur gently. "It's just a tea pot. We can get a new one."

She shook her head. "No, I'll... probably just break that one, too."

He squeezed her leg gently. "Then we'll get another one after that." He scooted a little closer, practically resting his chin on her knee. "Look at me." She tilted her head up to turn her gaze at him. "I don't blame you for anything, and you shouldn't either. I love you, now and forever." He smiled at her. "Through sickness and in health, remember?" She nodded, sniffing again, but did at least manage to give him a little smile. It took every piece of will he had to not show how much his heart was breaking seeing her like this. It was not even the trembles or muscle weakness. It was how badly she was taking it all. Seeing her so... broken and sad.

He just sat there, his chin on her knee, hand gently caressing her thigh. She took a few minutes to get herself recollected. "Your food is getting cold."

He nodded slightly. "Yeah, but it's warm here. And comfortable."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Oh? You just want your head on my leg staring at my boobs?" She stuck her tongue out at him, which did make him laugh. This was the Amanda he knew and fell in love with.

"Maybe." He reached a hand up to gently poke one of her jiggly boobs. "They're good boobs." Her chest was not overly endowed, but she had enough of a set that they did jiggle and bounce a little when he poked them. She let out a soft squeak at him, which made him chuckle. His hand then went further up to rest against her cheek. His head followed shortly after, giving her lips a gentle but lingering kiss. "I'm just happy that the owner of such a lovely set of tits is such a sexy, smart, and beautiful woman like you."

She leaned into the kiss, but scoffed at the compliments. "I don't feel sexy or beautiful right now."

He brushed some of her black hair out of her face, so he could look into those lovely brown eyes. "You are to me. And that's all that matters."

She stared back at him, a blush hidden just under her fur. She then couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Alright, enough with the flattery. Your dinner's going to be stone cold."

James just smiled. "I can reheat it." He kissed her lips again. "Let me finish cleaning up, and then I can see about keeping you warm for a while."

Amanda giggled, giving him a big smile, her thin tail suddenly swishing behind her. "Oh? I'll hold you to that." He returned the grin, then went back to cleaning up the mess on the floor with a little extra haste.

* * *

Another month passed. Her bad days were starting to outnumber her good ones, leaving her stuck in bed or on the couch, and in once case, just laying on the floor until he came home to help her back to bed. James had also talked with his employer about shifting his work schedule so that he could be home more often. If things went well, he might be able to get a work-at-home position soon. Thankfully, today was one of her good days, and as luck would have it, it was also a day he was off from work. The two were taking FULL advantage of that.

The sound of moaning filled the living room. James sat on the couch, his shirt pulled open to reveal his white furred chest. Brown hands played through that fur, rubbing against his pecs constantly. Amanda sat in his lap, wearing nothing but her bathrobe, which was equally open to reveal her breasts, bouncing almost as much as she was. "H-harder!" She begged, her hips already practically slamming down upon his hips. What had started as simple cuddling had turned into petting, then groping, until she eventually slipped into his lap. The teasing quickly escalated until neither could hold back any longer, practically ripping clothing off of each other in the process.

James groaned as he thrust up into her again and again, feeling her tight pussy squeezing around him. This was the first time they had made love in nearly a month, and it was clear they both were pent up from it. His face was somewhat buried in her bouncing boobs, his hands on her hips gripping tight. "I-I'm... almost..."

Amanda grabbed his head, squashing it between her tits even more. "M-me too!" She panted heavily, her arms slipping around him to cling to him. "D-do it!" She half-begged, half-demanded. Who was he to deny such a request? He gripped her hips harder and thrust up into her with more vigor, their hips slapping against each other audibly. She let out a loud cry of pleasure, then clung around him that much tighter, both around his body and his cock. It was too much for him, and he came with her, jamming himself as deep as he could go and flooding her insides with his seed.

His arms slid around her middle to hold her tight as the two of them came together. He could feel her twitches and shivers running through her body. The good kind this time. He pumped a few more times, emptying himself into her. His cum drooled out around his cock, drooling down against his balls, and dripping onto the floor. When he felt her touch on his cheeks, he tilted his head up to look at her, then melted as her lips pressed to his in a deep, passionate, loving kiss. He wanted this moment to last forever.

Unfortunately, the need to breathe forced them to separate from the kiss. The smile she gave him was nothing short of radiant. He couldn't help but laugh a little. "I'm glad you're feeling better today."

She giggled, wiggling her hips a little. It got a soft moan from him as he was still buried inside of her. "I can tell. You really were backed up a bit, weren't you?"

He smirked, his hands slowly sliding along her back. "Maybe a little." He leaned up to give her another kiss, a gentle and quick one this time.

Amanda let out a soft, contented sigh as she laid her head against his shoulder. "What did I do to deserve a man like you?"

He laughed softly, nuzzling her cheek gently with his own. "You talked to a skinny nerd in middle school and made him feel special."

She laughed back at him. "Oh please. Like I could pass up talking to the only kid playing a GameBoy at lunch?" He shrugged, then the two laughed a little. They stayed like this for some time, not wanting to be out of each other's company. After a while of just enjoying her company, playing fingers through her hair, James asked "So, what are your plans for today?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Think I might tend to the garden a little. I've neglected it quite a bit." She sighed softly, and started to shift off of his lap. They both let out a slight moan as his now softened cock slipped free of her, a small trickle of cum following. She shivered as she felt it running down her leg. "First, some more coffee." She leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, then slipped herself off the couch and to the kitchen.

He watched her tail swishing behind her the whole way, making her bathrobe rise to give him a view of her ass. "Not going to get cleaned up first?" She was leaving a slight trail behind her.

She giggled, wiggling her rear in his direction before turning the corner to the coffee maker. "No. I'm enjoying being well used right now." After pouring herself a mug, she moved to the window that faced the backyard. There was a nice patch outside of flowers, vibrant in the sunlight. "It's such a nice day out there. So clear. I can even see the water tower." The tower itself sat quite some distance behind their house, not much but a field between their house and it. Local kids usually played baseball there in the summer, though they were all in school right now.

He smiled as he watched her leaning against the windowsill. "Yeah. I think it'll do us both some good to get some sun."

She grinned. "Y'know, I think I should plant some roses back there. I've always wanted to have a nice garden of roses." It was a bit of a pipe dream now, though. Roses were quite finicky, and required a lot of attention.

Even James knew that much, but he still nodded. "Yeah, I think they'd be pretty out there, among the tulips."

She giggled softly. "Definitely. We're going to have a garden full of roses. Big red ones! It'll be really pre-" The shattering of glass interrupted her. It was not just the mug shattering on the floor, dropped from her hand. That shattered a moment after the glass of the window had. Unheard, was the shattering of her skull as a high velocity bullet struck her forehead, ripping through her and exiting the back of her head to embed itself in the floor.

James jumped up as he heard the glass shattering, turning in time to see his wife's body falling backwards, blood spraying from both the front and back of her head. He watched as she fell in almost slow motion, collapsing onto the floor, arms spread wide. He could hear his own heart pounding away in his chest as he watched her lay there in the growing pool of blood. He realized he had been holding his breath, and forced himself to breathe. It became a rapid panting instead. He rushed over to her side, crouching beside her.

Her eyes were wide in shock, but stared up at the ceiling blankly, her mouth slightly open, that last word dying on her lips with her. A neat hole was in her forehead, oozing blood, which soaked into her fur. Her bathrobe had fallen open, blood splattered upon those lovely breasts of hers. They had bounced a little when she fell, but now were still upon her. Her flat belly was just as still, her chest not rising and falling with her breaths. She had died instantly, the bullet tearing through her brain and killing her before she even began falling. She was now completely still, no more twitching, no more spasms.

He stared into those big, beautiful, blank brown eyes, his own filling with tears. He reached down to cradle her gently. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." He sobbed, above her, kissing her lips gently. "I'm so... sorry..." She had died because of him. The sniper was sitting on the water tower, with a clear view of the garden. He had expected it to happen when she was outside. He paid the sniper hitman to kill his wife, but to make it clean and instant. It was not malicious. She would suffer more and more as the disease ravaged her body, leaving her trapped in a useless shell of the once vibrant woman she had been. He had not wanted her to ever go through that. So he made sure she died on a good day. One last day of being her old self, spending time with him, smiling, and still basking in the afterglow of their love. It was the way he would always remember her.

He gently set her head down, sniffling and wiping tears away from his face. "Rest now, my love. Rest. No more pain." He leaned down to give her lips a gentle kiss again. "Now you can be in a garden whenever you like. Full of roses."

* * *

James lay a bouquet of roses down upon the ground. A dozen, bright red flowers. He looked up, seeing the gravestone. It read: 'Amanda Reinhardt née Johansen' with the words 'Loving wife and daughter. May she always be surrounded by flowers' under her name. He sighed softly, reaching out to touch the ground. "I brought you more roses. I know you always loved these." Today was the 10 year anniversary of her death. He felt the tears in his eyes as the memory of her falling came back to him. That moment, and the blank look in her big brown eyes were forever burned into his memory.

"Are you okay?" He looked over at the 2 year old girl beside him.

He gave her a melancholy smile, reaching out to tousle her hair. "Yes, I'm okay." He looked back as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He reached up to rest his own upon it.

"Take your time." The woman spoke softly. Her name was, ironically, Rose. A fellow mouse, her fur almost as brown as Amanda's had been, though her hair was much lighter. He had met her during the group meetings for grief counseling. She was a widow, her husband, Charles, had died after a car crash. He was left in a vegetative state, and she had had to make the call to pull the plug. She had only been married to him for a little over a year. It still nearly broke her.

The two bonded and became friends. Then, more than friends. It was very awkward at first, with neither of them wanting to accept that they could feel anything again, or that they would be betraying the memory of their dead loved one. Eventually, though, they finally were able to move past it... with the help of a whole bottle of whiskey. He had even told her his secret, about hiring the hitman. Instead of freaking out like he thought she would, she understood. She held a similar weight on her shoulders for pulling the plug on Charles. She accepted that he wished for Amanda to die with some dignity. They have been married for 5 years now. She was also very pregnant.

He looked back at the mouse behind him, then at her very large belly. They already knew it was going to be a boy. They were naming him Charles, after her first husband. He was due any day now. "I'm okay." He wiped away his tears and stood up, then reached down and offered his hand to the little girl at his side. "Come on." She smiled up at him, and happily accepted his hand. The three slowly walked back to the car. James, Rose, and their daughter Amanda.

* * *