Last Request

“I’m letting go.”

“What?!”

Annabeth immediately put her hooves up to her mouth, realizing she shouted a bit too loudly. But the volume seemed justified given what her friend just said. At a more appropriate volume for the hospital room they were in, the sheep continued, “W-Why? Isn’t there... isn’t there something you can do?”

Her friend, a wolf by the name of Jackie, shrugged. “Not really. Docs said they’ve considered just about every option, but the charts don’t look good. Seems like I’d be better off just living my last few however long without also half-dying from more ‘treatment’.”

Annabeth squirmed a bit in place, uneasy by how casually she seemed willing to accept it. Admittedly, they’d both had a long time to prepare for it... it wasn’t like it was coming out of nowhere. You couldn’t easily tell just from looking at her, with all her fur and strongheaded demeanor, but there was a weariness. She was exhausted. Physically and mentally, she’d been through the wringer, and Jackie didn’t want to go any further. Annabeth moved forward and wrapped her arms around her in a tight, wooly hug.

She sat down afterwards next to Jackie, who chuckled. “You always give the best hugs, Annie. Still so soft and fluffy!” Jackie playfully ‘attacked’ her, making Annabeth giggle despite the situation. They stopped once Jackie entered a coughing fit, causing her to turn away while her friend wrapped a sympathetic arm around her back. Jackie glanced at her as she recovered, still always a little conflicted about the gestures of sympathy she’d get these days.

The lapse in conversation ended when Annabeth decided to ask, “...So... What are you gonna do? With the time you have left, I mean...” She knew no amount of discussion would change her mind now-- nor did she really think it was her place to. They’d already talked through this hypothetical before, so Annabeth just wanted to support her friend.

Jackie stared down at the floor, just thinking. Was she just going to rot at home? She certainly wasn’t going to travel the world or anything. She supposed she could go out and make sure she was always under the influence of something. Maybe have some last meals, if she could manage it. The worst part was not knowing when she would die. Her estimated time left was too long of a range for her liking-- it made her wish she could choose when. Though she didn’t want to do that without it meaning anything.

Suddenly, a particular thought came through her mind. She looked back over at her friend with her lips slightly parted, a question on the tip of her tongue. But she wasn’t sure she could ask it too directly. The way Annie was staring at her with that innocent face of hers-- she knew she had to warm her up to the idea. So Jackie finally said, “Hey, Annie... You remember your first ex? The one that just dropped off the face of the earth?”

Annabeth had to actually think about it for a moment. Her brain wasn’t ready at all to jump to thinking about him. “Y-Yes??”

“And you remember how I picked up all that weight like, right after?”

“I mean, I didn’t wanna say anything, but yeah...”

Jackie chuckled. Ever the sweetheart. “Well, since I’m gonna die, I figure I may as well tell you the truth: I ate that motherfucker.”

Annabeth couldn’t even bring herself to say anything back. She was just dumbfounded. So Jackie continued, “Not in pieces or anything, I’m not a total savage. I just swallowed him whole.” She paused for a response, but none came. She grinned, enjoying her complete loss for words. “I’ve been doing that for a long time, actually... Not totally sure how many people I’ve digested. I think I may have accidentally eaten one of your friends one time even, sorry ‘bout that.”

“Why... Why are you even telling me this now...?”

Jackie turned towards her friend again, putting both hands on her shoulder with an excited expression that sparked fear in her for a moment. “Because Annie, I want you to eat me!”

The sheep froze for a long moment and then shouted, “EAT YOU??” She didn’t even make an attempt to control her volume, but Jackie did.

“Shh shhhhh!! Don’t let anyone else find out.”

“But Jackie-- I-- I can’t--”

“Sure you can,” Annabeth said with an encouraging smile. “It’s easy once you get the hang of it. Besides, I’ve seen you indulge in meat sometimes, so it’s not like your body will be completely unused to it...”

“Th-That’s not the issue!! I don’t want to eat you! O-Or anyone!”

Jackie activated her puppy dog eyes and said, “Even if it’s my wast wequest?”

It was hard to resist that, but the whole situation was too much to handle. “Rrrrgh... Why even?? Why me?”

Jackie took one of Annabeth’s hands as she said, “Because, Annie, you’re the closest person to me. Not like I got any family. And besides... I’ve always kinda wondered what it’d feel like. Better to die with someone I know, right?”

“I...” She couldn’t believe she was considering this. But she’d always been willing to support Jackie. “How... How would I even do this...? Surely people would notice...”

“Ah, see, there’s the thing. A lot of people don’t. Depending on what you’re wearing, I’ll be pretty hidden... especially under that wooly coat of yours. Then it’s just a matter of leaving as the shift changes so they won’t notice.”

Annabeth looked down at her feet, nervously twirling her wool around. Trying to imagine what it would feel like. “I... need to think about it...”

Jackie relaxed back onto her bed and said, “Sure. I’m not going anywhere yet. Just remember, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for you! I doubt you’re ever gonna get the chance to be a predator like me.” Annabeth nodded, slowly walking out of the room. They both knew she would agree; she just needed to emotionally prepare.

*/^\*

It was just a couple days later when they executed their plan. Annabeth came to ‘visit’ at about half an hour before the evening shift change. She was all nerves, with Jackie slightly less so. But still, she was encouraging. “You’ve got this. Just ease me in, feet-first. Take as much time as you need... But not too long.”

one-way trip. It’ll be trouble for both of us otherwise. Promise?”

She hesitated, then nodded. “...Promise.” It was time for her to start. She got down on her knees and stared at Jackie’s feet before taking them into her hands. With another nod of encouragement from her friend, Annabeth opened her mouth as wide as she thought she could manage... and plunged them in. The taste caught her off-guard. Of course, she knew meat could be salty and savory, but not like this. And the fur between it reminded her of grass, or maybe hay-- a fascinating mix.

It was only when she heard Jackie giggle did she realize she had been savoring the flavor without continuing. Embarrassed, she swallowed. To Annabeth, this was much less comfortable since she felt like she was choking. Meanwhile, Jackie found the feeling pleasantly warm, if instinctively a bit nerve-wracking. The second gulp started to pull her down from the bed, while the sheep strained as her mouth slowly widened even further.

The process was slow and arduous, but somehow she was managing. Annabeth still couldn’t believe it. Jackie was encouraging, but internally she was caught off-guard by just how hot and tight it was. But down, down, down she went. She even voluntarily tucked her arms into Annabeth’s mouth to try and help. Shortly thereafter however, Annabeth found herself struggling to engulf Jackie’s boobs. They’d never been like that, but having to squeeze them in with her hands felt embarrassing. Then, finally, Jackie was inside looking out, past sheep teeth, to the bright fluorescence of the hospital room. Then the light vanished, and a resounding glulk pulled her down.

As soon as her throat was clear, Annabeth let out a sigh of relief. Looking down at her gut, even under the wool, it was clearly distended. She gently rubbed her hands across it, feeling Jackie wriggle and settle in there. “I... I did it...” she muttered to herself. She expected to feel queasy, but it felt surprisingly... good. Satisfying, at least. She was starting to get why Jackie liked doing this. “What should I do now, Jackie...?”

Inside, she was having a less pleasant time. She didn’t have any illusions about the experience her prey had, but experiencing it firsthand was a different matter. Especially since the herbivore’s stomach strangely pushed her around before she ended up in a place more like what she expected. At least her death was going to be pleasant for one of them. “You should urgh just leave. I left a note on my pillow, so it’ll look like I just checked myself out.”

As Annabeth slowly pushed herself up to her feet, she struggled to balance the new weight in her belly. Satisfying as it was, moving seemed like it was going to be trouble. Reading over the note, Annabeth smiled softly and rubbed her belly again. “Thanks for this, Jackie... This is nice.”

“Glad you like, Annie... It’s... Well, not great, but at least I know now. Don’t let me out or anything, I’m fine.”

She nodded, though at this point she wasn’t going to insist on it. It would probably feel awful to spit her up anyway. She stumbled towards the door, trying her best to regain steadiness before attempting to leave the building. With a deep breath and a pat on her gut, she opened it and walked out of the room. Walking felt weird-- even moreso for Jackie, who was really not enjoying the jostling-- but she could manage it as long as she took her time.

He beamed. “Well, technically I shouldn’t tell you, but it’s such good news I can’t resist! Surprisingly, her most recent results came back good! In fact, we’re thinking she’ll make a full recovery given time. Isn’t that incredible?”

This time both of them froze. He ended up continuing, “Do you want to come with me to tell her the good news?”

Annabeth finally came back to reality, waving her hands as she said, “O-Oh, no, I mean, well, Jackie... left without telling me, so I was actually just leaving to go find her.”

“Oh. That girl... Well, be sure to tell her when you see her!”

“Y-Yeah... Thanks...”

Finally freed, Annabeth clicked the elevator down button as fast as she could. Jackie was starting to move again in her gut. She could just barely hear her say, “Can you believe that, Annie? I’m going to live! I knew there was no way some shitty disease was going to beat me.”

Annabeth didn’t respond. The elevator finally arrived, and fortunately there was nobody in it as she stepped inside. Jackie continued, “Annie, cheer up! Sorry you’ll have to hack me up, but maybe we can find you someone else to snack on, huh?”

Annabeth rubbed a hand over her gut, feeling the shape of it. She muttered, “What if I don’t get another chance...?”

Jackie heard what she said, but it was just quiet enough she was unsure she heard it right. And she didn’t want to think she heard it right. “What was that? Didn’t quite catch it.”

No response came again. A gurgle filled the silence between them.

“Annie, come on. You’ll get another chance.”

The elevator dinged as they reached the bottom floor, putting their conversation on pause. But the sheep’s mind ran as she walked to her car. Would she? Even if she did, it wouldn’t feel the same. It wouldn’t be her first time. It wouldn’t be her best friend. She felt eyes burning into her while she left, noticing her gut, but unsure if it was already that size when she came in. She rubbed over her belly again as she walked out into the evening sun, even letting out a small burp by accident. It felt so good having her in there. She didn’t really want it to end.

When she got to her car, she opened the door and sat on the seat facing out. Jackie spoke up, “Are we free now? You can probably just hack me up right here.”

There was yet another pause. Annabeth swallowed. Then she said, “I... don’t think I want to...”

Silence. Then, her belly jerked as its contents kicked out for a moment. Annie let out a sound between pain and pleasure while Jackie said, “Annie, come on! This isn’t a game, you heard the doc! I’m gonna live!”

Annabeth couldn’t help but let out a single bittersweet chuckle. This earned another internal blow with Jackie saying, “Annie, this isn’t funny!! If you don’t let me out soon, I’ll--”

Patting from the outside cut her off as Annie said, “I know... But... You just feel so good in there! I’ve never been so full in my life...” She let out another burp and added, “Excuse me.”

Jackie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Annie, you’re-- this-- you’re going to fucking kill me!!”

Annie winced. “Well... I mean, I wouldn’t say it like that.” She rubbed her belly, enjoying the way it shifted and grumbled around her meal-- her friend, she meant. ”You wanted to experience this, didn’t you? Digestion and all?”

“That was when I thought I was dying!”

“You made me promise, though...”

“Annie, COME ON!! Remember how you wished we could be friends forever? We’ve known each other since high school!”

That bittersweet feeling came back, but... “I know, I know... but what if the doctors are wrong anyway? You wanted to know when you’d go, right? And just think, you’ll be with me forever this way too...” She actually giggled, imagining Jackie as part of her body. “Gee, I didn’t think about how fat you’re going to make me. At least I’ll still be able to hug you, sorta.”

Jackie was a ball of turmoil at this point. Anger, despair-- it was all adding up. Not to mention how uncomfortable (and worsening) everything was. “Annie!! Annie, please, please, it’s starting to hurt...”

Annabeth frowned. “Aww, Jackie, don’t do that. You feel so good in there... You understand, right? Besides, I doubt you ever let anyone out anyway... I’m sure it’ll be over soon... Probably...”

Minutes passed until the wolf could muster up the strength again to say “Annie...”

“Shh, shh... It’s okay, Jackie. You’re with me. You were sooo yummy... I can’t thank you enough for letting me do this. I’ll stay with you until the end, okay?” She didn’t respond, so Annabeth continued. “I’m really glad you asked me to do this. I know I didn’t want to at first, but... I get why you liked to do this.”

Jackie couldn’t respond. Even if she had the strength to, she didn’t know the words. She would take everything back if she could. She didn’t realize she’d be unleashing a monster. That something so dark was underneath that innocent demeanor. Even she never ate her best friends. Betrayed someone like this.

Annabeth took her silence for acceptance, or so she hoped. She let out another belch, and Jackie seemed to go still. One more time, she rubbed over her belly, thanking her best friend for letting her do this. Even if she was sorta conflicted about it at the end. She finally got into the car proper, starting it up and heading home so she could rest and enjoy her friend’s last request.

*/epilogue\*

Jackie woke up. She was still horribly cramped, aching and burning everywhere, packed deep in sheep guts. Her moment of passing was merely a lapse in consciousness. But she was utterly unable to let Annabeth know she was still there-- the most she could do was weakly squirm. It was something the sheep just assumed was a normal digestive movement (given the circumstances). She didn’t understand why she was still there. She didn’t think any of her own meals lasted this long (however long it had been). Was it... because she was an herbivore?

Days seemed to pass. She could only tell because her former friend’s heart would slow for a long period-- and she snored. Burning pain was, ‘fortunately’, a diminishing constant as more and more of her disintegrated away. Jackie began to appreciate meals, just because when food eventually reached her it would provide a very brief respite as the mash surrounded her body.

Every so often, Jackie would hear Annabeth talk to someone else. Often the conversation would be about her-- discussing her death. Jackie got to listen as they spoke about her as if she were dead, with Annabeth mentioning just how bittersweet her final request was-- without going into it as ‘private’. She seemed to be taking it well, others would say. She would respond back in kind, saying that Jackie would always be with her.

In private, Annabeth still idly rubbed her stomach, still bloated from the meat it was dealing with. But after some time, she seemed to grow impatient with just how slowly her digestion was working. At one point she even said, “If I knew how long it’d take to digest her, maybe I would have...” Annabeth couldn’t quite bring herself to admit she could have changed things. And when she remembered just how good her meal felt when it was alive, she regretted it less.

Eventually, mercifully, her stomach finished up. A week and three days after Annabeth thought she had passed, Jackie was finally gone. Annabeth almost missed the feeling of a lump in her stomach, knowing that her friend was still with her. As she expected, she’d picked up quite a few pounds in the process-- something to remember her by. As she squished her own softness, she hoped it wasn’t too bad for Jackie in the end. She hoped she was at peace, wherever she was.