The Fox, Red

079 -This Is Your Burn Notice

I've had restless sleep where I toss and turn all night. Where I have an issue with keeping my eyes closed as I try to rest. Most of those nights I will lay on my back with my eyes closed and try to let my mind wander. What ends up happening, most of the time anyway, is that I become too focused, and whatever I'm trying to wander off to just holds on to me. It refuses to let me go and drift off to sleep.

I wish I had that kind of rest. I wish I could have comfortably closed my eyes. Instead, I find myself twisted in an odd position resting against a hard surface, cold and wet. My head hurts just as bad as my muscles. I can feel my fingers and toes moving. I'll take that as a win. I open my eyes to get my bearings. I'm tangled in a cluster of rocks while being washed over by ocean water. I try to move but my muscles aren't that responsive.

One more try to force me up. I'm up to my waist in water as I start to move around again. Why couldn't have I washed up on a sandy beach instead of a rock face? I have to keep telling myself to keep moving otherwise I'm not getting started again. The water gets up to my chest before I see a spot where I can get up on land. I have no idea where I am. I have no idea where to go. All I do know is that if what the agent said was correct, then I don't exist anymore.

I need to check myself before I go too far. Make sure everything is still attached and all. All my fingers move. I can feel my toes and they move the tip of my boot. Knees still bend in the right direction. Nothing feels uncomfortable when I try to move it. Just stiff. That means nothing is broken. My ears are still on my head. My muzzle doesn't shift in any weird places so it's not broken. One tail. Two tails. Three tails. Four... Tails... That's a new one.

I don't know I'm surprised at this point. I know what's happening and what's going to happen. I just wish I had some warning of when this was going to happen. Every time there is a little bit of a learning curve to try and adapt to the slight shift in weight. I imagine that the more I grow, the less it will impact me. But at the same time, these tails are ungodly hard to move around discreetly. They attract attention for being unusual and the more that are there, the more unusual I become. I can deal with it later. I need to get somewhere else.

A little ways away, I find a road. There are no signs so let's hope that one of these choices is shorter than the other. I push my feet to keep me walking. One step after the next. I start finding buildings and finally a sign. I'm in... Havana? As in Cuba? How did I wash up here? At least that's close to the US. I know there will be an embassy. If I can get there, maybe I can get home. I don't have my ID or any way of identifying myself other than just having knowledge of myself.

I stick out like a sore thumb here. Everyone else is in regular clothes but I'm in a beaten uniform that doesn't match any local nation's armed forces. I look like a mess. But I arrive at the gates of the embassy where I'm greeted by some folks who look extremely unhappy to see me. Understandably so. I announce that I am a US Citizen in need of help getting back home. I try to explain that I was on a ship that had sunk. That was enough that they at least let me into the building to talk to someone who can help me.

He was a well-dressed gecko that was kind enough to greet me with a smile as I took a seat at his desk, still wet from seawater. "You look like you need more help than just what we can provide." I chuckle as I look myself over, "I'll deal with that later. Right now I need to get the process started to get home."

"I will do what I can but I have some questions we need to go over first. First, I need your full, legal name."

"Red Steven Welch."

"Social security number."

"XXX-7X-5X5X"

"Last known address where you would have received official government communications."