Thanks, Mister
Bobby and Alex, CSU, the mobile Morgue had all gone back to their jobs as Dan Ross walked away from the crime scene, lost in thought and bitter that he'd thought he could trust Kathy and she had played him. He kicked a larger pebble ahead of him just for something to do. He didn't know how far he'd actually walked when he saw the brush wiggle to his right. He stopped still, just in case it was something that might attack him. Sometimes wild animals just weren't predictable. The movement ceased and he walked on. He thought he heard a noise, but it didn't come again so he kept on going.
"Lucky. Lucky, where are you boy?" a childish voice called faintly from off in the distance.
Dan turned away from it so he wouldn't encounter anyone. He kept walking and kicking the pebble. Crashing sounds announced the arrival of the young boy still calling for Lucky. He was about 9 or so, dressed in play clothes and rather ragged with curly red hair and dirt on his hands and shoes. He crashed into the clearing where Dan stood. "Hello." Dan said.
"Have you seen a puppy around here? He's about that big, brown and white. He has a chain on."
"No, I haven't. I'll keep an eye open for him."
"His name's Lucky. He got loose and I can't find him."
"I'll let you know if I find him."
"Thanks. Lucky!" he stumbled on with his long legs ready to grow out of his pants and shirt.
Dan turned to watch him go for a few minutes then continued on his way. It was getting cooler and it looked like a storm was coming up so Dan turned around to head back to the crime scene. A car had probably been left there for him. As he passed the little boy, he saw that he was starting to cry. He stopped and the boy turned a tear stained face up to him.
"Still can't find him?" Dan asked.
"No, and now it's going to rain. Lucky is sc-scared of noise. He might get hurt out here."
"Let's see if we can't find him together." Dan said. This little boy sniffled a bit and started calling again.
Dan followed his instincts and walked back along his path until he came to the spot where he'd seen the movement before. The bushes were still. He saw there were brambles there but there was also a glint of metal from this angle he hadn't seen coming from the other way. He stepped carefully into the bushes so it didn't tear his suit and moved the bushes aside.
One of the brambles poked him in the hand but there under all that foliage was a tiny brown and white puppy. He had gotten his chain stuck in the bushes until he could hardly move. His bright eyes watched Dan and his tiny tail wiggled as much as the dense foliage would allow.
"I found him." He called to the boy.
He reached down to unhook the chain from the puppys collar, nearly impossible from the tongue that gratefully licked everything he could reach. He finally pulled him out and the boy nearly knocked him down grabbing the puppy in a tremendous hug.
Dan watched for a minute then reached again for the chain and pulled it free from the tangle of thorn bushes. It was long and he ripped several of them out getting it free but he didn't care. The boy had lost concentration on everything but the wriggling bundle in his arms. Dan coiled the chain and went over to set it beside the boy. "Is he okay?" he asked crouching down beside the pair.
"He's okay."
"Good. I need to get home. You should too, before this storm hits."
"Okay." The boy took the chain and his puppy and started off toward his home supposedly.
Dan resumed his journey back to the crime scene.
"Hey Mister?"
Dan turned back to see the boy holding his dog.
"Thanks for finding him." He said and ran off embarrassed by the show of emotion.
Dan smiled and went on his way. Not all bad things ended up badly, he thought.
Complete