Herc sighed heavily and kept walking, kept looking for this cursed sweet dog. Max was nowhere to be found, despite of the locked door of his room. Maybe he had left the door open when Tendo had called him into the LOCCENT because some UN chairman needed to speak with the new Marshal of the PPDC which suddenly was the crown of the UN defense strategy. Herc couldn't recall, and there were many things he couldn't recall ever since he had ordered that the war clock should be stopped. He knew that state already, when he had lost Angela, this time he knew once the shock was over, once the realization had gnawed its war to his consciousness, there would be no duty, no task to bury him with so that he could run away from it. His mind knew what had happened, his mind knew that all he had left was this frigging dog, which probably would live another two years and then he would be all alone. Herc had fought his war so that his son would have a normal life, so that his son wouldn't suffer the same losses he did, but now Chuck was gone.
The bay of Striker was empty, like someone had cleansed it out. Usually even at the dead of night, like 3 am, someone was here, but without a Jaeger to look after where was the point? Herc kept walking and focusing on his task to find his son's dog which probably was looking for its master, not knowing an never understanding that his master would never return, and never be found. Chuck's body wasn't even lost at sea; it was evaporated in a multi-ton explosion. Herc clenched his jaw reminding himself not to think in that direction; it wasn't helpful, he needed to focus.
Being too tired to raise his voice and call out for the Max he marched through the empty and dim hangar, knowing that the dog would come over to him if it was there. It didn't. If Max hadn't found anything it would have come back so it had to be somewhere. Herc stopped as one idea crossed his mind that somewhat stung in his stomach as a result. There was only one person he could think of right now that would take in Chuck's dog when it was found rummaging through the corridors of the Shatterdome. Again he sighed deeply and shook his head to continue his walk. Mako was the last person he wanted to see. Not because he didn't like her, quite the contrary, because she was his best friend's surrogate daughter and the one other thing apart from this dog that was rubbing reality into his face. And right now he couldn't have that. He needed to be the fixed point now, the one who stood strong when every member of the PPDC looked at him, since no one knew where this project was heading with the Breach closed.
Two loud barks echoed through the hangar and made him flinch. His eyes burned and been though he'd never admit it Herc felt weary and he guessed that the term old was the right one. However Max had found him and relief made him relax a bit, before his mind could reminding him of the circumstances, or the fact who was walking up to him right next to that dog.
Speaking of the devil, Herc thought to himself.
Just when he was about to say some sheepish line about the dog and his affection towards Mako he could see how she was wiping her eyes. A brief look around make clear that Raleigh wasn't with her, something he hadn't expected, simply because they had been inseparable since their first drift. This of course was typical for co-pilots only his son and he had been different and that was a whole other story.
"I'm sorry", Mako bowed briefly when she had come close enough so that she could speak normal, yet her voice still sounded hoarsely. "He was strolling around in my corridor, so I thought that I should take him for a walk since he was sure about where he was heading to."
She looked tired and Herc knew that if the lighting had been brighter he would be able to see that her eyes were red and swollen. So this was probably the reason for her being where no one else was: so that she could mourn. From what he remembered of her from when she was a child expressing emotions was something done in private. That wasn't just because she was Japanese, but also something Stacker had taught and encouraged. Herc himself always had had trouble dealing with that and he often had wished to know that Stacker's secret had been, apart from Tamsin. Maybe, so he thought, he just was – no – had been a crappy father. He swallowed dryly, trying to choke away the ache in his chest.
"No, it's okay", Herc managed to answer and even give her a smile, because that dog was at least able to comfort her.
He wanted to add something to fill the silence, but Herc never had been good with words; he couldn't wrap truth in present paper or make them more colorful that they stung less. So all that came into his mind that Max just was looking for Chuck and he was relieved that he found someone to accompany him. As she held out her hand to give him the belt she had used instead of the leash that was still lying on Herc's desk, he wanted to tell her that if she wanted to she could take Max with her for tonight, but then again he knew that he shouldn't run away from his responsibility once again. So he reached out to take the belt and tried not to flinch as their hands met. Herc had always avoided to touch her and never had tried to investigate why.
Her sink was softer than he had expected, because she was always working with them, and warmer since it was quite cold in the huge, empty hall. After realizing this he noticed that she was looking down almost shyly and he pulled back, dropping the belt: the downsides of being right handed with a broken collar bone, trying to move as quickly as one is used to with the left hand.
Herc tensed and before he was able to movie Mako already apologized and had bent down to get the belt. Max was curiously watching them.
The second attempt of handing over a piece of leather was quite similar to the first one, apart from that Herc was trying to make sure not to drop it again and therefore basically took Mako's hand who looked down again. Now the dim lighting probably was a perk for Stacker's kid again, because Herc was sure she was blushing; and he probably too. In his case of course because he was an embarrassed cripple, even though her fingers were instinctively clenched around his. He could feel her tremble through that simple touch and his heart dropped to his feet.
Where the hell was Raleigh? He asked himself. That boy was definitely rather fit to comfort Mako than him. Herc swallowed down the lump in his throat. He wasn't sure if it was paternal instinct or something else as he pulled at her hand and her with it. She followed without hesitation. And before he knew what or how or why or what even Mako had buried her face against his unbroken collar bone. He could feel her hot tears against his skin, seeping through the fabric of his hemley. She wasn't sobbing, but breathing shallowly, shivering slightly and being careful to not pressing herself against him too much. When he wanted to place his unhurt arm around her that held the belt which was used as Max's leash, Herc noticed with surprise that he already had done that, so he just placed his cheek against her hair and tried to keep his own tears from falling.