Dogs
By: AliasCWN
The dog stood by the door to the tent that Tully and Hitch shared. As soon as it saw Hitch it started to growl.
"What's wrong with that dog? I didn't do anything to him. And what's he doing hanging around our tent anyway?" Hitch glared at the dog baring his way to his tent. The big brown mongrel glared right back.
Tully looked at the dog and shrugged. Ignoring the dog, he walked past Hitch and went into the tent.
Hitch tried to follow but the canine let out another low rumble. The two of them stood their ground and faced off, neither ready to step aside.
"Hey Tully. Can you get this mongrel to move?"
Tully stuck his head out of the tent and clicked at the dog. The change was immediate. The canine lowered its' hackles and rushed toward Tully with its' tail wagging so hard its' entire body wobbled back and forth.
Hitch hurried past while Tully petted the mongrel and kept it busy. He was sitting on his bunk when Tully joined him. The dog had stayed outside but it was still near the door.
"Great. I hope that dog gets tired and leaves. I can't call you every time I want to enter or leave the tent." The blond threw a disgruntled look toward the door. "I don't understand it. Dogs usually like me. I never did anything to that mutt."
"Maybe he doesn't like the way you look." Tully offered mildly.
Hitch stared at him suspiciously. Something about Tullys' attitude didn't seem right."
"What's wrong with the way I look?"
Tully shrugged and turned his back to get a book off his bed. "Don't know. But then, I'm not a dog. Maybe dogs can see things that people can't."
"Like what?"
"Don't know. Like I said. I'm not a dog." Tully took his book and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
Tully turned back in surprise. "Outside to read. Why?"
"What if I want to leave the tent?" Hitch ask indignantly. "How am I supposed to get past that mutt? I don't want to have to hurt it. I like dogs."
"Then don't hurt him." Tully answered matter-of-factly. "Don't hurt him Hitch. I like him."
"That's because he likes you!" Hitch almost shouted. "He doesn't like me!"
"I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you should talk to him. Let him get to know you." Tully flipped the book in his hands and stepped out of the tent. The dog rushed to greet him, making eager whining sounds of pleasure.
Hitch watched him go, thinking about what he said. He stood by his bunk watching the shadow of the dog walk around the front of the tent and lay in the shade by the side. He really didn't want to go anywhere but he decided to try to leave, just to see if the dog would let him. The moment he reached the door the dog rushed toward him with its' fangs bared. Hitch ducked back, ready to defend himself. The mutt seemed content to let him go as long as he didn't try to go through the door. Thinking about what Tully had said, Hitch decided it was worth a try. When Tully returned he found Hitch sitting on the ground right inside the door, carrying on a one-sided conversation with the dog.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to let him get to know me. I thought if I talked to him he may decide to be friends." Hitch climbed stiffly to his feet as Tully entered.
"Is it working?"
"I don't know. I haven't tried to leave since I started talking."
"How long have you been talking to him?" Tully ask curiously.
"Ever since you left." Hitch looked at his watch. "Darn, over two hours. I'm going to try to walk past him."
Tully smiled as Hitch headed for the door. He didn't get far before a face full of teeth blocked his path. Hitch backed into the tent , eyes on the dog.
"Guess he didn't like what you had to say." Tully commented as he watched the interaction between his best friend and the dog.
Hitch gave Tully a dirty look before flopping onto his cot. He ignored Tully and the dog and was soon fast asleep.
Tully went to the door and handed the dog a treat while patting it on the head. He glanced back at his sleeping friend and smiled.
The next morning Tully and Hitch left the tent together. They ate their breakfast before heading to the motor pool. On the way, Hitch realized that he'd forgotten some papers he needed to give to the mechanics.
"Where are they?" Tully ask the blond.
"On my bunk." Hitch answered uneasily. "Do you think that dog is still there? He still won't let me pass. I really don't want to hurt him but he's becoming a pain."
"Look Hitch, you just have to make friends with him. I don't want to see him hurt. I like him." Tully held the blonds' arm and looked him straight in the eye. "I wouldn't take kindly to anyone doing him any harm."
Hitch sighed and nodded. "Okay Tully. I'll keep trying. Its' easy for you, he likes you."
"Just talk to him Hitch."
Hitch sighed again. "I talked to him for two hours yesterday. How long do you think it will take?"
Tully shrugged.
"I'll tell you what. I'll go get the papers for you. You go ahead and requisition the supplies and get them packed in the jeeps. Make sure they're gassed up and ready to go. I'll be back as soon as I can to help."
Hitch nodded gratefully and went to carry out the tasks that needed to be done.
Tully put his hands in his pockets and began to walk back to their tent, whistling as he went. He didn't hurry in the heat, pacing himself. When he returned with the papers in hand, Hitch had completed all the tasks and was waiting for him.
"What took you so long?"
"I had to pet the dog. He might not let me through if I don't pay attention to him. You should try it." The Kentuckian suggested.
"No thanks." Hitch snorted. "I happen to like my fingers right where they are. All ten of them. I try petting that mutt and I'd have to walk around with the nickname 'Stumpy'. "
Just then the sargents arrived and the dog was forgotten in the rush to depart the base.
The mission was a short recon, they returned to the base early the next afternoon.
"Hitch, Tully, drop us off at headquarters and you can take the jeeps to be serviced. Get them ready to go out again. I have a feeling that Captain Boggs will want to know more about that caravan traffic we noticed."
"Right Sarge." Hitch answered right away. He led the way to headquarters and waited until the sargents entered. "Hey Tully. Do you think that dog is still hanging around our tent?'
Tully chewed on his matchstick while he considered the question.
"Won't know until we go check."
Hitch looked worried as he dropped the jeep at the motor pool. He nervously folded and unfolded the list of supplies Troy wanted them to pick up.
"Want me to go check and see if the dog is still there?" Tully offered.
Hitch looked relieved. "Would you? I just don't want to have a problem with him. I really do like dogs."
"Sure. You go ahead and get the supplies and make sure everything's ready with the jeeps. I'll be right back."
Hitch unfolded the list and smoothed the paper so he could read it.
"There's a lot of supplies here. If I have to carry them to the jeeps I'll probably have to make two or three trips." He looked at Tully.
Tully pursed his lips in thought. "Well, it shouldn't take me too long to go check our tent. I should be back in time to help. You get it started in case Sarge comes back to check on us." He waited for Hitchcock to agree. When he did, Tully nodded. "Okay, I'll be back." He left Hitch going over the list again as he walked away.
The big brown cur was still dozing in the shade of the tent when Tully walked into sight, It rose and stretched before coming to greet him. He rubbed its' ears and scratched its' back. All the while he talked quietly to it. The big mutt whined and rubbed against him, happy to see him.
Hitch was putting the last newly filled gas can in the second jeep when Tully returned.
"Where have you been? All the work is done." Hitch challenged Tully as soon as he saw him.
"Sorry, I was busy."
"Is the dog still there?"
"Yep. That's what I was doing. Playing with the dog." Tully saw the flash of anger in Hitch's eyes. "I was trying to get him used to us. I let him play with your baseball so he would get used to your scent."
"My baseball! Are you nuts! He didn't ruin it, did he?" Hitch forgot all about Tully missing out on all the work.
"Naw. He just chewed on it a little." Tully answered as Hitch groaned. "He doesn't have any toys. Besides, you said you wanted to make friends with him."
"Not with my baseball!" The blond yelled.
` Tully looked around at everyone who had stopped what they were doing to watch them. "Calm down Hitch. It's only a ball. You want to be able to get in our tent don't you?"
"But my baseball!"
"I told you. He only chewed on it a little. I bet he'll let you go into the tent now. Maybe he'll even let you pet him." Tully glanced over at the jeeps. "If the jeeps are ready, we can go try it."
"Yeah, everything is ready. It took three trips to get all the supplies here." Hitch stopped and looked at Tully suspiciously. "I thought you said you'd be back in time to help."
"I thought I would be." At Hitchs' glare, he shrugged. "It was your idea for me to go see if the dog was still there."
"But you were supposed to come back."
"I did. I'm here aren't I?"
Hitch sighed heavily. "Let's go see if that dog is any friendlier than he was when I left."
A short walk later and Hitch was frustrated again. The dog growled and showed its' teeth as soon as they got in sight of the tent. Tully walked right past it and entered their tent. Hitch stood in the heat of the sun and watched the dog watching him.
"Hey Tully."
Tully stuck his head out of the door. "Yeah?"
"I'm going to take a walk. I'll see you later." Tully watched as Hitch backed away from the dog and disappeared between the rows of tents. The dog watched him go before finding some shade to take a nap. Deciding that the dog had the right idea, Tully returned to his cot and settled in for a nap of his own.
Troys' voice calling his name woke him. He stepped out to see Troy and Moffitt petting the dog. At his appearance, Troy held a bundle out for him to take.
"One of the cooks stopped me and ask me to give this to you. He said you ask him if you could have all of them they get."
Tully took the bundle and unwrapped it. A large bone lay in his hand.
"Tully, what's this I hear about Hitch doing all the work around here lately?" Troy studied Tully as he ask.
"Why? Is Hitch complaining?" Tully looked at Troy with a ghost of a smile on his face.
"No." troy answered honestly. "He just mentioned that he got everything done before you came back from checking on the dog." Troy thought he saw a glint of humor in Tullys' eyes. "And something about you coming to get some papers while he did the work yesterday. That have anything to do with the dog?"
Tully nodded as he handed the bone to the dog. "Hitch didn't want to try to get past the dog to go in the tent to get the papers. The dog won't let him in unless I'm here. He ask me to get them for him."
"And it took that long?" Troys' eyes narrowed at the gleam in Tullys' eyes.
"Well, I did play with the dog a little bit." The private admitted.
"And Hitch has been doing all the work while you play with the dog because the dog won't let him in your tent?" Troy summed it up nicely.
"Yeah." Tully grinned.
"Tully," Moffitt ask with a grin as he watched the dog, "that wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you give the dog bones and he buries them by the door?"
"Maybe." Tully admitted.
"And Hitch doesn't know." Troy guessed.
"Nope."
"And just what are you going to do when Hitch finds out?"
Tully grinned broadly. "Run."