Sheila

NOTE: This story is set in the World of Civero.

ONE

"There must be some mistake," said Kevin told the representative standing before him. "I didn't ask for this." He cocked his thumb at the young demihuman woman who had been presented to him. The young woman bowed her head, looking even smaller as she stood in the large office.

"I assure you, sir, do not let her small stature mislead you," said the other man, giving Kevin a warm smile. "She is quite strong and nimble. And her smaller size will make it easier to house her."

"Easier to get underfoot, too."

"She also won't require as much food."

Kevin eyed the young demihuman woman thoughtfully. She was a Rouccuan of the more feline persuasion, with a cat-like tail, ears, and eyes, and a jaguar-patterned coat of short, fine fur over her body. Kevin noted that her fangs and claws had been surgically removed. The Rouccuan kept her gaze lowered, but kept sneaking glances upwards at her prospective buyer.

"You're sure she speaks Ashi?" said Kevin.

"Quiet well," said the man. "See for yourself."

Kevin stood tall before her, his arms crossed. "What is your name?"

"Sheila," the girl said, looking up at him. Her voice carried a heavy accent, but she spoke the language with proper sentence structure, at least. "At least, that's the name I picked when I came here. Back home, I—"

"Whatever," said Kevin. "You're good with nursemaid duties?"

"Yes," said Sheila. "I was one of the sitters for my tribe back home, even before I reached womanhood."

"Well, this particular person is not a child," said Kevin. "He's a grown man. More cooperative in some ways, but more trouble in others. Do you think you can handle it?"

"I am certain I can," she said.

Kevin sighed and leaned in close. He cupped her chin in his hand and forced her gaze up, locking eyes with her. Sheila swallowed nervously, but didn't shrink down. Kevin sighed again, as if exasperated, and turned to the man. "You're sure you don't have a more... capable model?"

"Sir, at the price range you gave me, you're lucky you can afford her," he said. He quickly added, "Not that she isn't a good deal! Certainly, she will tend to your needs as you see fit."

Kevin snorted, and stood tall again. "She's not for my needs." He presented a wad of cash. "Fine. I'll take her."

"Excellent," said the man. "If you'll come this way, we can get the paperwork filled out."

Sheila let out a breath, half-way between relief and nervousness. On the one hand, she was happy to have finally been chosen for ownership. If she had to spend another week in the immigrant camp, she was going to go stir crazy. On the other hand, well, this particular buyer didn't seem all that friendly.

Course, she'd take unfriendly over spending every night back home wondering if she was going to wake up with her skull smashed in by an enemy tribe.

For the next hour, she sat, fiddling with the hem of her simple dress, swishing her tail back and forth, as her new owner, "Kevin," went through all the legal processes necessary to purchase a demihuman for live-in employment. She tried reading a few of the magazines in the waiting room, but their shallow content was of little interested to her. Finally, Kevin returned, and motioned for her to follow. Obediently, she jumped up and walked behind him. He was silent as he went to an old pick up truck, and motioned for her to get inside.

"May I inquire as to my exact duties?" said Sheila.

"You're going to help my brother, Matthew. You will be his attendant and nurse maid. Around the clock."

"I see," she said.

"I have to warn you, he's not going to like it," said Kevin.

"Why not?"

"He hates demihumans."

Sheila blinked. "I see. Is this going to be a problem then?"

"Probably. But if you gives you trouble, I'll set him straight." Kevin gave her a hard look. "But rest assured, if you give him trouble, I will end you. Got it?"

Sheila glanced him over. Kevin was a large man, well muscled; if he attacked her, he would certainly give her a fight. But she'd killed bigger beasts than him back home. Of course, that was back when she still had her claws.

"If he doesn't like the idea of a demihuman helper, why did you buy me?"

"You're all we can afford," said Kevin. He glowered. "Matthew was in an accident. He lost both legs and his right arm. His left arm is semi-palsied. He can't use it for much. Can barely feed himself. Can't even write very well. He needs someone there to take care of him. Me, I'm stuck supporting the both of us. I made a decent living, and we have a small stipend from the government, but..." he trailed off, and his features softened a bit.

"I see," said Sheila.

Kevin's features hardened again and he kept his eyes on the road. "I work long shifts at the factory. I can't be there for him all day. I can't afford to hire regular medical help, not at the hourly rates they charge. And we sure as hell can't afford the prosthetics or organ regeneration."

"But I'm more affordable?" said Sheila.

"You fucking better be," said Kevin. "We blew the little savings we had left on you. From here on out, you eat what we can provide, and use the utilities we can afford. That's all you get."

"Alright," said Sheila.

Kevin gave her a glance. "You disappointed? We're not rich. We're not one of those politicians who want to buy a demihuman to parade around at parties or for some PR as a humanitarian."

"I don't care," said Sheila. "I just want to work and live here. Speaking of which, I guess I should ask, what, specifically, will I need to do for him? Without his limbs... well..."

"I'm expecting you to be his muscle," said Kevin. "He can feed himself a little with his arm, type on a keyboard. But that's about it. You'll have to pick him up and carry him, push his wheelchair, dress him, undress him, bathe him, wipe his ass if he needs it. Basically he's an 80 pound baby, who can hold a conversation."

"I see," said Sheila. "That sounds difficult."

Kevin blinked and gave her a baleful look. "You saying you can't do it?"

"Oh, no, I mean, I can't imagine how hard it must be on him. And you." Sheila looked to the floor. "On Zoaheim, he would have been killed. Put out of his misery. The tribe could not afford such weakness."

Kevin grit his teeth. "We're not like you savages. Here, we humans with a sense of decency."

"Well, it's a matter of resources," said Sheila. "On Zoaheim—"

"We're not on Zoaheim," said Kevin, darkly. "We're in Hylan. We don't throw people to the curb just because they're injured. We give people a chance here."

"Forgive me, I don't mean to insult you," said Sheila. Kevin just glowered again. "I mean, um, forgive me, Master."

Kevin sighed and waved her off. "You don't have to call me that," he said. "Like I said. We're not savages."

Sheila nodded and decided silence was the best option. She would learn more when she reached their home.

TWO

Kevin and his brother lived in a more rundown section of the city, in a series of slab homes in a subdivision that had lost its luster at least a decade ago. Many of the houses looked on the worn side. When Kevin they arrived at Kevin's domicile, Sheila noted how unkempt the yard was. It had been hastily cut, but weeds had choked out the small garden in the front, and tall grass still lined the fence and the edges of the house.

"Mas—I mean, Kevin, would you also like me to do your yard work?" she said.

Kevin glanced around. "Um... we'll see. Matthew's your priority."

"Of course," she said.

Kevin paused at the door and took a long breath.

"Are you alright?" said Sheila.

Kevin swallowed. "This might... this might get ugly."

"Does your brother hate demihumans that much?" said Sheila.

"He got attacked by some as a kid," said Kevin. "A little gang of them had formed in the neighborhood, led by a female Rouccuan, like you. Roughed him up pretty bad when he went into their territory." He turned to her. His large frame loomed over her; she barely came up to his chest. "Whatever he does or says, do not hurt him."

"I promise," said Sheila. "I do not wish either of you harm. I just want to serve you."

Kevin snorted. "I doubt you want to."

Sheila frowned. "Well. I want to do what I have to do survive. And not end up back in Zoaheim."

"Guess they don't call it the Forbidden Continent for nothing."

Sheila nodded and shivered slightly at the memories. "An apt word. Trust me, nothing your brother can say or do is going to hurt me."

Kevin sighed again. "Alright. Just let me go in first. Wait here." He came in through the door. Sheila waited patiently on the small concrete square that could generously be called the "porch." After a moment, she heard some shouting. Then some more shouting. Finally a crash. Sheila frowned. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. She glanced around and noted there were several neighbors looking at her. The old man, sitting under a sun-umbrella in his front yard, was actually gaping at her a little. The looks were not exactly friendly ones.

Sheila lowered her head and kept her tail tucked between her legs, as if she could shrink herself out of sight. Not that she was ashamed. It was an instinctive defense maneuver; shrink yourself down, and you looked less meaty, and hence less appetizing, to the monsters storming your tribe's camp.

Finally, the door flew open and Kevin, a little red faced, said, "He's not happy about you. Dropped himself on the floor trying to roll away from me."

"Maybe we shouldn't do this," said Sheila. "You've got three days to return me."

"No," said Kevin. "I'm going to make this work." He paused and took a breath. "Alright, come on."

Sheila stepped into the house, catching a light, but distinct scent of body odor and stale food. The door opened into a messy living room and kitchen. There, on the floor, was a young man with only stumps for legs, a stump for a right arm, and a thin, trembling left arm. He glared at her with his icy blue eyes, his unkempt blond hair giving him a wild look.

"You stay the hell away from me," said Matthew.

"Shut up," said Kevin. "You don't get a choice in the matter. She's all we've got."

"I don't want her touching me," said Matthew.

"Get over it, you fucking baby," said Kevin. He went over to Matthew and hauled him up under his shoulders, setting him on the couch. "Now listen," he said. "She's going to be your assistant. Starting tomorrow, I need to go back to work, and I can't just leave you unattended all through my shifts."

"Why can't you just—"

"Because we can't afford it, remember? How many times have we been over this?"

Matthew glowered. Kevin leaned over him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, brother. I love you, okay? And I want to help you any way I can. And right now, this is the best I can do. You think I'm happy about this? You think I want this freaky cat-thing in our house?" He hooked a thumb at Sheila, who frowned, but said nothing.

Matthew slowly shook his head as he looked from her to his brother. "That's right," said Kevin. "I don't. But I'm also not going to let that get in the way of taking care of you. So, the least you could do is grant me the same courtesy. Understood?" Matthew slowly nodded his assent.

Kevin stood up, letting his brother go. "Alright." He turned to Sheila. "No offense. But this is how it is. Understood?"

"I shall serve as you need," said Sheila.

"Alright," said Kevin. "Well. I can't make you two get along or anything. But, sit down, try and talk a bit. The sooner we break the ice, the better." Kevin motioned to a chair next to the couch, then went into the kitchen to get some drinks.

Sheila sat in the chair, and looked at Matthew, who just glowered at her before looking away. "Um... my name is Sheila."

"I didn't ask," said Matthew.

"Alright. Well, just so you know, for when you need to call me for something."

"I don't need or want your help. And I'll call you what I like, you mangy bitch."

Sheila tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm... if you want a proper Rouccuan insult to call me, I recommend grunta. It's a type of parasitic worm that gets in your gut and rots your intestines from the inside out. Metaphorically, a 'grunta' is someone who is a severe detriment to the tribe."

Matthew gawked at her, thin grimaced. "Well, aren't you a wordy little bitch."

"Matt!" yelled Kevin, coming back inside. He had a cup of orange juice, a cup of water, and a bottle of beer. The orange juice was in a large mug with a lid, and a long tube coming from the top. He set it in the couch next to Matthew, propped between two pillows. Matthew gripped the tube and held it to his mouth, using it as a long straw.

"I'd rather you beer me," he muttered.

"Beer ain't healthy for you," said Kevin. "Doesn't do much for you attitude, either." He took a swig of his bottle, then handed Sheila the water. "Didn't know what you liked."

"Thank you," said Sheila. Then she blinked as Kevin leaned close.

"Don't antagonize him. I know he's going to be difficult, but that isn't helping."

"Sorry," said Sheila. "Sorry, Matthew."

"I'll bet."

"Matt!"

"Whatever."

Kevin sighed, and sat on the couch on the other side of Matt. Sheila crossed her legs, and the three sat in silence for a while. Sheila noticed, however, that Matthew's gaze lingered on her legs. He caught her looking and immediately scowled, making an annoyed grunt, and flickered his gaze away.

"Alright, well," said Kevin. "Come on, guys. You're going to have to talk at some point. I'd rather be here for the first shitstorm."

"I suppose we should lay down some ground rules," said Sheila. "Is there anything you would prefer from me, Matthew, when I help you?"

"Don't touch me," said Matthew. "Don't look at me. Don't talk to me."

"That's going to be somewhat impossible," said Sheila.

"Don't think that doesn't piss me off," said Matthew.

"Matt—"

"Fine," he said. He jabbed a shaky finger at her. "Don't mess with our stuff. I catch you stealing anything, your ass is out of here."

"Your materials are of little use to me," said Sheila.

"Well, whatever. Don't touch me or talk to me unless you have to."

"Of course," said Sheila. That seemed to be about as far as the conversation was going to go. Kevin sighed, but gave up trying to get them to talk, and instead sat there while they had drinks. Sheila noticed, however, that Matthew kept glancing at her, and his eyes kept roaming over her body. She didn't confront him about it, but instead, re-crossed her legs, and let her dress hike up just a little bit. She tapped her foot in the air and her sandal slipped partway off.

Matthew swallowed, and out of the corner of her eye, Sheila could see him shift a bit. And then, she couldn't help but look when she noticed he was getting an erection. She looked at him and he met her eyes, then flushed slightly. Then, he scowled and said, "What are you looking at?"

"I was just wondering if you needed me to do anything yet," said Sheila. Her tail swished and Matthew's gaze slipped to it, and he swallowed. He forced himself to look away and huffed.

"I need you to go in the other room," said Matthew. Sheila looked to Kevin, who just shrugged, finally giving up. "Or outside."

"Come on," said Kevin, getting up. "I may as well show you the rest of the house."

"Hey, I need to go to my room," said Matthew. "I want to use the computer."

Kevin looked at Sheila and motioned to his brother. "Ladies first."

Sheila nodded and stepped up to Matthew. He stiffened, and his arm came up in an almost defensive gesture. "Hey, come on, just carry me yourself, bro."

"No," said Kevin. "This is what she's here for." Kevin crossed his arms and gave Matthew a hard look.

Sheila held out her arms, slipping them under Matthew's shoulders and buttocks. She easily cradled him like a child, and even though he was secured, Matthew reluctantly hooked his arm around her shoulders. Matthew swallowed nervously, but when Sheila looked at his expression, he scowled. She hefted him up with ease. Matthew wasn't heavy, exactly, but still weighed more than a young woman of Sheila's build would indicate. Kevin cocked an eyebrow at how easily she hefted him up, however. Rouccuan were said to be anywhere from three to five times as strong as normal humans, and it showed. She didn't even breathe heavy out of exertion.

Kevin led her to Matthew's bedroom, pausing at the bathroom door. "You need to go?"

"No," said Matthew, though his gaze lingered on the door.

"You sure?"

Matthew sighed. "Yeah, okay, I gotta pee," he said.

Kevin nodded. "Alright," he said. "May as well get this out of the way. I'll show you to help him in here."

"I believe I can managed," said Sheila. "I've assisted some elderly in this task."

"No, Kev, come on," said Matthew. He squirmed a bit in Sheila's arms. "I can do it myself."

"No, you can't," said Kevin. "Last time I left you in here by yourself, you shit your pants before you could get them off."

"But—"

"No buts!" Kevin smirked at the pun, and motioned to the door.

Sheila brought Matthew in, and Kevin decided to spare his brother the humiliation of having to bare himself in front of his sibling. Of course, baring himself in front of a strange beast woman wasn't much better.

Sheila pulled down Matthew's shorts, and made sure not to linger her gaze, positioning him on the toilet, and turning aside to give him privacy. It took him some time to get going, but finally, he did his business. However, even though Sheila didn't look at him more than necessary, she could feel Matthew checking her out.

"Fuck," he hissed, and Sheila glanced over to see he was getting an erection. She looked up at his face, but he turned, face red with shame. "Don't look at me!"

"I don't mean to cause you discomfort," she said. "But I should probably get you dressed now."

"Don't touch me! Just hand me my shorts!" Sheila complied and waited patiently for him to dress. The effort made his cock shrink, but he was still red faced. He just glared at her as she picked him up and carried him to his room, where a computer had been set up for use next to his bed. A bell was set on the desk in case he needed anything.

Leaving him to his own devices for now, Kevin and Sheila went back into the living room. "Kevin," she said. "Are you sure Matthew hates Demihumans?"

Kevin gave her a curious look. "Isn't it obvious he does?"

Sheila frowned, giving him a studious look. "I suppose it is," she said.

"Still, this is going better than I'd hoped," he said. "I was expecting a lot more screaming." He shrugged. "But, maybe he'll come around faster than I'd hoped. Anyway, I'll show you the rest of the house, and then I'll show you where the nearest grocery and pharmacy stores are."

THREE

Over the next two days, Sheila learned the routines. Carrying Matthew around the house, dressing and undressing him as needed, and fetching items for him. Matthew was mostly silent accept when he gave her orders. He vehemently protested against Sheila sleeping in his room, so they settled for setting up her cot inside the living room, and keeping Matthew's door open.

However, there was one task Sheila had not been called upon to perform, and which Matthew kept resisting. Eventually, however, at Kevin's insistence, it had to be done. Sheila had to give Matthew a bath; Kevin wasn't going to help him with this one anymore.

So, on the third night, while Kevin prepared dinner, Sheila drew the bath, and came into Matthew's room. He glowered at her as she sat down on the bed next to him. "Easier to remove your clothes here, I think," she said. Matthew shrank away from her as she reached for him, and she paused. "Matthew, I'm not going to hurt you."

"I don't want you looking at me!" he hissed. He knew better than to shout, as that would just bring Kevin back in to give him a lecture.