A.N: I was originally going to post this as a part of Chap 10 in CGaL, but realized the pacing would feel too weird because that little meeting should have been written after the events of Chap 7. So it's going up as a one-shot.
Dedicated to Kana and sadclown ;). You know who you are. Thanks for encouraging me.
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Chapter 7.5 – Mismatch
One wouldn't expect to see a poster boy for the perfect young cop like Mahoney tip-toeing along the walls of a dark, uninhabited side alley.
He moved as quietly as he could, keeping his hands flat against the coarse bricks of the wall his back was pressed up against, and trying not to step onto anything that would alert any nearby cats. Their senses were even sharper in the dark, unfortunately for him; human eyes were practically useless at night.
He hoped his hearing would make up for it.
He heard the signal – a low purr – and realized he'd found Shirley.
"Where are you?" he whispered into the darkness.
"By your left foot."
He looked down, and saw two enormous eyes staring at him from underneath the lid of a dirty, bent cardboard box. Or that's what it looked like to him in the darkness, anyway. Shirley soundlessly crawled out of her hiding place and stood up so that she was in the shadow of the policeman's taller figure.
"I want you to be upfront with me," whispered Mahoney, lips barely moving. He knew Shirley's sharp ears would catch his words. "How much danger are you in?"
"I'll have to disappear for a while," said the white cat. "G.P.'s anything but stupid. He knows I gave the police the exact location he'd be at, and he knows I used Top Cat as bait."
"It's my fault your cover's blown," said Mahoney. "I didn't get there fast enough to make the arrest-" but Shirley shook her head before he could continue.
"You got there as fast as you could," she said in her calm manner. "You couldn't have gone any quicker – I honestly thought Top Cat would hang on there for a little longer. It's so unlike him."
"I was three minutes late. It all came down to only three minutes...
If Roser and Bauer weren't with me, we would've lost him. Bauer used to work in medical before he joined the force. He stopped the bleeding and kept him breathing until we got him back to his alley."
Shirley for a moment looked like she wanted to ask something about that, but dismissed the thought. She placed one of her hands on Mahoney's arm and said: "I need you to keep the kids with you for a while. Please, Mahoney."
"No. No, I can't do that, Shirley. I can't take on something like that. And you'd be shoving your double cross in G.P.'s face. Ain't there anyone else you could trust 'em with?"
"None as safe as you," she said. "I would've left them with any of Trish's friends if I wasn't scared outta my wits I'd find them all dead the next time I show up!"
"Put 'em back with Trish's guardians. They'd think twice before trying anything with old Lieutenant Gordon."
Shirley shook her head. "The Gordons are old people, and you know what Bookie's like. They can't keep up with him. He doesn't sit still if his life depended on it, and it's usually the neighbors who bring him back home after he sneaks out on his own. I need someone who can keep up with the kids and protect them."
"Shirley, I can't-"
She squeezed his arm more desperately. "I know you don't want that kind of responsibility thrown into your lap, and I know the dangers, but there's nowhere I can take them now. The one other person who could've worked is Top Cat.."
"Listen to me - you need police protection –"
"Absolutely not. I'll take my chances; I can take care of myself."
"Shirley, you're making this really difficult," said Mahoney, voice rising with worry and anger. For one wild moment, he pictured himself seizing the hand on his tricep and dragging her out onto the street where she could not hide. Then she'd have no choice but to go with him.
But he couldn't do that to her, not anymore than Dibble could lock Top Cat up for more than a day.
"No one likes the feeling of being confined but I'm trying to keep you and the kids alive here!" he growled.
The white feline shook her head, her eyes hardening. "You can't convince me on this one," she said flatly. "I can't handle confinement. Even if I assist the police, you know I was never interested in being at close proximity with them for prolonged periods of time. I'm not about to waste my days hiding behind some police officers who already treat me like a bomb. You're the only one I can deal with, Mahoney; the only one who understands me and I could trust."
Mahoney looked away for a moment, back at the alley entrance, to try and even his breathing. The worry in his chest was steadily turning into anger, and he was trying really hard not to snap at the cat. Felines were the most stubborn creatures on this planet, he could swear.
And some just had a knack to make a policeman lose his professionalism sometimes.
Shirley remained silent, sensing that her partner needed a moment to calm down without snapping at her. She felt bad. She knew she was asking for a lot, but there was no one else she could turn to. The paw on Mahoney's arm remained there, kneading slightly as she herself was quickly lost in her own thoughts.
She started a bit when her paw was suddenly holding empty air. Mahoney had crossed his arms and turned back to her. "Fine, Shirley. I'm taking in the kids."
"Thank you, Mahoney. Thank you, I'll never forget this-"
"On the condition that you keep regular communication. You send me some form of letter telling me your situation, at least once a week."
"That's - that's too much of a risk, Maho-"
"I won't have another citizen in my precinct murdered!" growled Mahoney, forgetting where they were. He bit down his tongue, and looked behind him urgently to see if any passerby had heard him. Shirley shrunk down further into his cast shadow.
"Don't do this to me. There ain't a day that passes by when I don't remember how I failed in saving Trish!"
"That wasn't your fault!" hissed the feline, eyes even wider. "Are you – have you been blaming yourself for Trish? My God, Mahoney there's nothing you could've done about it! It's over."
"What's the point of being a policeman if I can't protect my citizens? Sometimes I wonder if I deserve to be a cop.."
"Now your mind is just guilt-tripping you for the fun of it. It's not your fault. You couldn't have stopped it, and if you think putting me in the Protection Program will ease your own guilt about failing to arrest G.P. and protect me from him, you're wrong! A cat's freedom is the most precious thing they own!"
Mahoney's face was stony. His lack of expression unnerved the white cat. "Fine. You do what's best for you, Shirley. Go hide. And let everyone you know think you died until you grace us with your presence once again."
Shirley stared at him, momentarily dumbfounded, then said: "Officer…now you're just being immature."
He raised both hands up. "I don't wanna be the one stopping you. Do what's best for you, Shirley, you're a free citizen. Just lemme know what you want me to tell the kids while you're gone."
"The kids will understand, it's you who I want to understand. You know I can't walk away with you so angry."
Mahoney was still breathing deeply through his nose. The calmness was coming back, but the happiness was already far, far away in the distance. He realized yet again how much he liked Shirley. He realized how worried he was for her.
"I promise I'll contact you," sighed Shirley. "It's dangerous, but I will. You know I can't walk away while you're mad at me. Congratulations, Officer, and here you thought nincats had no weaknesses."
"I still lose though, don't I," said Mahoney sadly. He let out a shaky breath. His mind was running away with him again, shoving his mistakes and his idiocies in his mind's eye again. He couldn't make Shirley change her mind, but he could choose to believe in her. He could choose to keep her secret if it killed him. He could choose to protect her godchildren.
He put a hand on Shirley's head, and she smiled with a grateful purr.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Mahoney walked through the hospital's revolving doors and into the white lobby. He knew the receptionist that worked the late night shift, and he knew she'd be lenient. She gave him the room number where Top Cat was staying without problem.
The trip up to Room 417 on the fourth floor was a long one; his mind made it so, for it joyfully replayed his newest blunder to him over and over again. Ever since he had brought Top Cat back to Hoagy's Alley, he had been thinking and eventually came to a very unappealing conclusion..
He had handled the situation with as about as much professionalism as a kid dropping a hot potato.
He had basically dumped the whole thing on Dibble the second he could. Dibble would know how to deal with Top Cat, he'd thought to himself. It had seemed a sound idea at the time. Not so much now.
But Mahoney was absolutely certain: had Top Cat been in his precinct, their relationship would have been a stormy, underhanded disaster.
It was for the best, the way fate had matched and mismatched the four of them, because Mahoney knew Top Cat didn't trust him.
He also knew that he was nowhere near as kind as Dibble.
Regardless, the right thing to do was to visit and apologize. It was unprofessional, but it was the right thing to do.
He and Top Cat hardly ever commuted, and it seemed like whenever they did, he always had to mess up wherever that yellow cat was involved. The tension was invisible to all but the two of them, and that amazed Mahoney sometimes. The static of tension between them was so loud, so palpable, he couldn't believe no one else could hear it.
As he turned the corner, he saw a young, tiny blond nurse walk out of one of the rooms, carrying a bundle of reddened blankets and bandages. She turned around and gave a polite smile when Mahoney approached her. "Oh, hello again Offi – oh, I'm sorry-! You're not Officer Dibble."
"I'm his colleague - Mahoney, miss," said the redheaded policeman. So Dibble was here earlier. It didn't surprise him. "I came for a brief visit. I won't be long at all."
"Well, I-" she adjusted the bloody items in her arms to hold them more securely. She was flustered, being in a policeman's presence. "- I was just changing his bandaging and he's still very weak, Officer.."
"I'm only here to see how he's doing, and wish him well. I won't be five minutes."
"I'm afraid he's in pain and needs his medication right away - I'll be back with them in a jiffy. I don't think you'll be able to talk to him right now, Officer."
"It's alright, Miss. I promise, I'll just wish him better and leave; he doesn't need to talk to me. I just want to see how he's doing. He knows me." Well, it wasn't a lie. He just left out the part that Top Cat despised the very sight of him.
The nurse still looked unsure, so Mahoney told her: "I don't even need to go in. I'll stand by the door and if he can't see me, I'll leave immediately."
Perhaps it was because she was new, and he was the ideal image of a policeman. She bashfully agreed to his request with the promise that she would be back within minutes.
Mahoney stood motionless at the door for a moment after she had left, then turned the handle quietly. He stepped into the dim room and stayed by the door. He was surprised to see that not one, but two cats were lying in the white hospital bed.
"Benny..?" he called softly, but the short blue cat didn't hear him. Benny was purring as loud as he could.
"Benny?" whispered Mahoney again, and Benny's head perked up. His pupils were round and large in the dimness of the room. He hesitated for a moment, and then slowly removed his arms from around Top Cat. He landed on the cool tiles, and padded soundlessly to the policeman.
"Officer Mahoney..?" said the blue cat.
"Hey, Benny. How is he?"
"He's better now, I guess…but the doc says it's gonna be a' least a couple weeks before he can eat properly," said Benny worriedly. "An' he's gonna have ta stay over two months. T.C ain' gonna like that at all.."
"I'll bet. T.C. hates the hospital, doesn't he?" Benny nodded anxiously. "Well, too bad - he should listen to the doctor's orders. You're gonna be here looking after him, right?" Benny nodded again.
"You're a good friend, Benny. A really good friend," smiled the cop. He almost reached out a hand to pet the blue cat on his head, but caught himself quickly. He wasn't sure if he should, considering the situation that happened when they were little children. "I know this got really old, but for what it's worth, I just want to say I'm sorry about what I did when we were kids."
Benny looked lost. "Huh?"
"The whole incident with the muzzle at school. That was outta line. I was a stupid kid back then. I'm sorry."
"Oh. Um, gosh..I..I mean I guess it's okay, Officer Mahoney, sir. I forgot about that a long time ago."
"So, we're friends?" said the policeman, smiling. Benny nodded and even lifted a paw to shake hands. Mahoney took it and this time petted the blue cat on the head without reservations.
"Benny…?"
Mahoney perked in surprise. He looked back at the bed and saw Top Cat slowly, weakly, push himself up on his elbow to a semi-seated position.
"Oh, I'm right here, T.C! No, no, ya keep lyin' down, I'll be right there. I'm just sayin' hi ta Officer Mahoney. He's here ta visit ya. Ain't that nice?"
Top Cat's eyes – alarmingly dazed and quite expressive with pain – stared at the policeman unrecognizingly for a long moment. And then he did.
"The hell are you doin' here-?!" he choked, and began to cough.
"You gotta lie down, Top Cat!" cried Benny, running over to the bedside. Top Cat's paws were at his bandaged throat, but with one paw he grasped Benny's weakly and made as if to pull him onto the bed. In his weakened state though, it was impossible.
Mahoney looked over his shoulder into the corridor. The young nurse still wasn't back, so he strode to the bedside table and rang the bell several times.
"Y-you-! Get out – I don't want ya in here-!" wheezed the cat through his hacking coughs. A trickle of blood began to run down one side of his mouth.
"Please calm down!" cried Benny, sounding about ready to burst into tears.
"Calm down! Calm down," said Mahoney urgently, raising his hands in the air. "Look, I'm gonna walk right out. I won't do anything to hurt you or Benny. Just lie down, alright?"
But in addition to his clumsy movements, Top Cat was uncharacteristically disoriented. Mahoney realized he must have been doused with painkillers.
And the nurse went to bring more? Is she trying to slip him into a coma?
He strode back to the door and waited silently by it. Benny had finally calmed his friend enough to lie him back down, and softly wiped away the thin trickle of blood. "W-where is this..? Am I..is this the hospital..?" asked Top Cat weakly.
"Yeah.."
"H-how did I..get here..? Why you here, Benny? Oh g-gosh-"
"What is it?" asked the blue cat fearfully.
"Spook.." was all the yellow cat uttered. His eyes were full of pain and fear. He turned to Benny and the look of confused desperation in his eyes was so great Benny had to look away. "W-where's Spook? Y-you know, Benny? How did ya find me? What did ya see-?"
"I...I…it wasn' me who found ya, T.C.." said the blue cat in a tearful voice. "T'was Officer Mahoney. He saved ya life."
"That – that can't be right..he wouldn' lift a finger," Mahoney wondered if Top Cat thought he'd already left. "He's a hack..hypocritical wag..."
"Oh, c'mon T.C…"
"He hurt you..when w-we were kids.. remember that, Benny..?"
"T.C., we were just kids-"
"Always been…an..an eager beaver. Does whatever it takes move..up..s-steps over everyone..even Dibble.."
Mahoney should have just left. He should have let the distressed, confused cat have his rest, but the childhood issue wouldn't leave him alone. "Hey, now, wait a minute," he interrupted. "Top Cat, what are you on about? I never did anything to you or your boys since that incident back at school."
Top Cat froze for a moment, and his face morphed into a snarl. He made to get up again, and Benny pushed him back into the pillows with a high-pitched plead. Top Cat swore and again began to cough painfully. Benny whirled his head back to the officer helplessly.
Mahoney hesitated, but then took a couple steps into the room as two brunette nurses rushed through the door, followed by a blond one; the nurse from before, with vials and more aids in her arms.
"What happened?" demanded one of the nurses in a distinct accent. She got to the bed first, and Benny scooted quickly aside to make room. He tripped over the blankets and landed on the floor with a thud.
"Benny-?" said Top Cat in worry as the other two nurses quickly filled his already-dazed vision.
"Stand back," the British nurse told Benny curtly. "He's aggravating his wounds."
"O-okay.." said the blue cat in a small voice. He took a few steps back, and found his back pressed against Mahoney's leg. The blue cat clutched his paws together, and began to purr to himself. Mahoney petted his head again.
"Get –get out of the way!" cried Top Cat hoarsely, batting blindly at the hands trying to help him. "Mahoney!"
The policeman started. "What – what happened to Spook?"
"..I don't know."
"Y-you lyin hack- you want to ruin me. That's what ya here for, isn' it?!"
"Mister Top Cat, if you don't calm down I'll have to give you a sedative!" huffed the nurse. She evaded the foot aiming for her face. "Mister-! Why, I never!"
"Listen to me, T.C," began Mahoney with forced calm against his quickening heartbeat. Top Cat thought he'd killed his friend? Or held him captive? How low does he think of me, exactly?!
"Don't!" hissed the cat, enraged. "Don't ya dare call me that-!"
"Okay, fine! Listen, I know how this looks. You were betrayed by a friend of a friend, and you might feel endangered –"
"Officer, please leave!" cried the blond nurse as she tried to keep one of Top Cat's paws from scratching the British nurse's face and wrap gauze around his aggravated wounds at the same time.
"-And you – Officer - don't know me at all!" sneered the cat, stressing on the title with blatant disrespect. "I ain't afraid of ya or ya hack cronies! Tell me where Spook is or you're gonna regret the day ya knew me!"
"Will you stop it? You're hurting yourself!"
"Benny, get away from him!"
"I don't know where Spook is! I'm on your side, dammit!" said Mahoney crossly. "The only reason I'm here was to make sure you're alright! I was the one who brought you back! You were near-dead when I found you! Do you understand? If it weren't for that you wouldn't be here with us!"
"Benny get over here!" cried Top Cat at his friend. He snarled when the British nurse pinned him back into the pillows.
"Mr. Ball will wait for you outside until you're in proper condition, Mr. Top Cat," huffed the nurse, blowing her bangs out of her face.
"The hell he will! Let go o' me, ya posers!"
The third stout, brunette nurse left her colleagues and went to Mahoney and Benny, and she shooed them curtly towards the door. But Benny leaving the room, and with Mahoney with all people, only agitated the yellow cat further.
"No! Neither of them leaves this room! Don't let him go with that hack!" cried the yellow cat. "Benny!"
The fear in his voice stopped Benny in his tracks, and he looked back towards his friend with a torn expression on his face. Mahoney saw a foreign, openly scared look on the cat's face and realized he'd crossed a very serious line.
"Hey! He stays," he said.
"But that is-"
"He'll cooperate a whole lot more willingly if you let Mr. Ball stay, I assure you," said Mahoney.
The nurses, all quite young and not very experienced with their job, were unsure of how exactly to respond to an order by a policeman. Reluctant they were, but they didn't stop Benny when he walked back into the room and climbed onto the chair beside the bed.
And with that, Mahoney briskly walked out of the room, feeling like he had walked out of a junction box.
I told you so, his mind told him condescendingly.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Top Cat's eyes remained closed, and he sensed rather than saw the soft light of morning through his eyelids. A warm body was softly breathing against him, and its familiar purring reverberated through his ribcage.
He felt calm, a very odd kind of sleepy. Somewhere deep down a desperate, thin voice pleaded with him to get over himself. The voice was frightened – terrified – and its urgency was not a feeling Top Cat liked at all. Urgency meant danger. Urgency meant hurt. And he wasn't in any mood to feel either right now. He still didn't know where Spook was, and the voice screamed at him louder to do something, but his body was so terribly tired. In moments, he was asleep again.
A man walked quietly into the hospital room. Benny lifted his head drowsily to take a look, and sat up when he realized it was the doctor.
"Is he gonna be alright, Doc?" he asked.
Dr. Rommel regarded the cat with kind eyes. "Physically speaking, Mr. Top Cat will be fine if he sticks to his bed rest and takes all the recommended supplements. It'll take a while, but he'll be alright.
As for mental state, he's in delayed shock. It's common in situations like this. It will wear off soon enough. But you don't need to worry about that now."
That didn't make Benny feel better at all.
oOoOoOoOoOo