Thanks to everybody for participating. Some really great entries here.

Notes:

aaacb: I love the story this photo tells, especially the background cop.

RGlasel: really captures the theme. Great shot.

Vaskebjorn: no, that kitten does not look comfortable at all!

Bruce Clark: Great look into the macro world. Predators come in all sizes.

atupdate: Very evocative, even without the background story this is a photo that begs interaction.

Tamia: Thanks for your rescue work! Great photo!

Hattifnatt: Love it! Can't say I would have been comfortable doing that myself!

jacamar: Great shot! Coyote has a cataract maybe?

sealonsf: Oh my! Yeah, no...not getting me out there like that!

SpecialK: Looks exciting!

dlneubec: Cute. Very artistic. Very shy.

Terry C: Yeah, I hope not in my bathroom!

noelcmn: Would not want to be on the receiving end of her wrath!

Honorable mentions:

3rd Place - RGlasel: nice tension between the obvious discomfort and no apparent way out of the situation.

2nd Place: Bruce Clark: terror on a tiny scale!

And the winner is...

1st Place - atupdate: I really like this picture. I find it reminiscent of a painting by Giorgio de Chirico. When reviewing the entries, I tried to imagine them in a gallery with only the contest title as the description. I kept coming back to this shot.

[Vaskebjorn]

James,

Thanks for judging ans congratulations to atupdate.
Looking forward to number 424.

[RGlasel]

@Quartermaster James, this was a different sort of challenge, open to many interpretations, thanks for creating and judging it. Congratulations to atupdate and Bruce Clark and I appreciate the opportunity to have my photograph viewed in conjunction with all the other excellent entries.

[Hattifnatt]

Thank for judging and congratulations to the winners, this was an interesting theme, I don't think it has been done before.

[noelcmn]

Congratulations Atupdate, too close for comfort for one like me that has never been in hospital since birth. And extended to RGlasel and Bruce Clark. Love this challenge, different and interesting! Thanks QuartermasterJames

[atupdate]

Thank you James for bestowing upon me the honor of hosting the next challenge. I'll try to post the next challenge later today.

Tim

[Bruce Clark]

Thanks for the judging and comments and second place. Well done to atupdate on the photo and the other more serious challenge. as always looking forward to the next one.