Cujo IV – The Fence Rabbit Rises

Chapter 10

Here's a short one. RL is still kicking me and mine around so haven't had a chance to work on the story. Have become way too familiar with Emergency Rooms the last couple of weeks. I guess it should be considered research?

Any errors are those of Imaginary Beta. I'm sure you're already aware she can't be trusted.

Disclaimer: No money being made from this. Ever hopeful ninja cat still awaiting that promised mouse ranch that offers room service.

*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0* Hawaii 5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*

Found and Lost

There was someone chasing him! He had to get away! Breath sounding loud in his ears; feet pounding the surface beneath him, he ran through the darkness. There was shouting and screaming then a bright flash, a squeal of tires, and then . . . nothing.

He hadn't had the dream in years but it was still the same one.

Jerking awake and automatically jackknifing in the attempt to sit up; pain prevented him from doing so. He hissed and collapsed back onto the pillow, grimacing with eyes squeezed shut until his body decided to stop its protest of the unwise movement.

This sucks.

Trying to control his breathing he waited another minute before opening his eyes; cracking them only slightly to search the room. He hoped no one had witnessed his abrupt awakening. He knew Cath was way too familiar with the scenario and, at one time or another, probably every member of his team had been present when he'd come out of anesthesia or whatever to jolt awake, sweaty and breathless after a vivid reliving of the past. It always embarrassed him but he couldn't seem to stop it from happening.

This time, his nightmare wasn't the usual - an op gone wrong or a case gone suddenly sideways. It was the oldest one.

Can't go there! What's passed is past. he whispers to himself almost as mantra.

He could easily guess what had triggered it. Number one would be his talk with Doris, (of course), and then there was the whole getting-run-over-by-a-truck thing. He should have been expecting this ancient, if still vivid, nightmare. It was very nearly his oldest memory.

His breathing gradually slowed as did his frantic heart rate. Good thing the cardiac monitor wasn't still attached or there could have been a herd of medical personnel rushing into the room to see if their patient was about to expire. Drying sweat chilling his skin, he pulled the light blanket back over himself and once again lay contemplating the ceiling tiles. It was nearly dark in the room but there was enough light to see the grooves between the squares. Yup, still 54 of 'em.

….

Danny stood hands on hips staring at the two cats looking so innocently back at him as if nothing was amiss and people hadn't been tramping through the 'wilds' of Honolulu for a good part of the night on a search for one of them. As it turned out, their roving rodent control officer apparently had a companion on his adventure.

The grouped searchers stood facing the palace's steps where the animals calmly perched as in an irritated tone Danny addressed them, "So, you little horn-dog you've finally decided to come back? Who's your friend?"

Cujo sat silently looking what could best be described as smug while the ginger coated feline next to him stared curiously at the man waving his paws and making noises at them. Should I be worried? she wondered.

"Congratulations brah. Looks like you finally got some." said Kamekona with a knowing grin to the male half of the furry duo.

"I'd say he's got a smile on his face." said Chin in concurrence with the shrimp truck mogul.

"She looks happy too." ventured Warren.

Danny only turned to glare at those who'd commented. "Hey, don't encourage him you animals and what the hell are we going to do with another cat? Even one is one too damned many."

The men in the group smirked back at him while the Kono and Malia looked toward one another and rolled their eyes.

"Okay, so who is this and does it have a home?" asked Danny to no one in particular.

"Oh Danny, she looks so sweet." cooed Kono

"I don't care how sweet this thing is, it's not coming to live here." exclaimed the blonde, his face creasing in a disapproving frown.

"You should take her to see if she's micro-chipped." suggested Warren.

"Micro-chipped?" asked Kamekona as he lumbered forward to get a better look at the sleek red tabby, "Is she a spy or someting? If dats true, den da new popoki will fit right in with you guys and da big kahuna."

Danny frowned even more. He wasn't quite sure if the big man was joking or not.

Seeing his opportunity to educate, Max explained in his pedantic and oddly cadenced way, "Micro-chipping is a way to . . . track . . . lost animals if they are remanded to a shelter or veterinarian by someone . . . who may discover them wandering unattended and cannot . . . identify an owner. It's actually a very efficient tool."

"Yeah, I guess." said Danny, "Last time Cujo went on an unauthorized stroll Steve had him micro-chipped just in case he got out again. Now it's impossible for me to get rid of the little shithead by dumping him off in the middle of nowhere without worrying someone's going to bring him back again. He's like a bad penny . . . a really bad penny."

"Oh, come on Danny" teased Kono, "You were worried about Cujo. You're the one who organized this search party".

"That's only because the Cat Lady would blow a gasket if his fur covered piranha disappeared. Since it happened while I had the helm," (Danny silently congratulated himself for his clever naval reference), "he'd probably have me court-martialed or force me to walk the plank or something. It was only in the interest of self-preservation that I even bothered to look for Rambo's weapon of mass destruction." defended the detective

"Uh huh" responded at least half of the people standing there, (all of them snickered in disbelief).

"Come on then." ordered Danny as he ascended the steps to the front door. The felines only looked at him blankly and didn't budge.

Rolling his eyes, the blonde said, "If it pleases your highnesses, get your mangy little asses inside before I drop-kick you like furry footballs." After what seemed a long moment of consideration, the two cats finally turned as one to trot haughtily past him as if he was their doorman.

As the regal couple ascended the stairs to H.Q., humans following in their wake like loyal courtiers, Danny called after Cujo, "Just so you know, you horny fence rabbit, she's not staying!"

…..

"Stevie, you still somehow expect the world to make sense . . . and it doesn't. It never will. You still think there's some sort of big plan where everything is going to fit together like pieces of a giant puzzle and right and wrong are so easy to determine."

He needed to think about something else . . . anything else rather than his disturbing conversation with Doris. His mind paged through the most recent events he'd observed and stopped at Danny's phone conversation with Dave.

He wondered what his 2-IC was up to. Having learned to trust his instincts, (well except about Doris); that mysterious call had put him on alert. He was certain there was something his partner was trying to keep hidden from him. Danny had apparently joined the club along with his mother and his mentor and God only knows who else were trying to deceive him.

In the morning maybe he'd try calling Kono. In some ways she was perhaps even more observant than Danny of the general goings on in the unit. He knew Cath would kill him if he ever mentioned 'women's intuition' but the island girl was pretty good at sussing out things people were trying to hide. She had a real talent for it.

She was also the most likely to spill. Chin, damn him, was just unreadable and Danny, at least at the moment, was being tightlipped. He actually smiled at thinking of his garrulous partner as being unwilling to talk. Usually, if it was in Danny's head it was out his mouth. The man had no censor button and could be uncomfortably direct. Steve had always thought it one of his friend's best qualities . . . well, most of the time anyway.

Breath hitching as he leaned toward the side table since it necessitated actually moving part of his body; he reached carefully toward his cell phone. Bambi had charged it for him. She was probably worried it would make him even more likely to escape if he couldn't at least feel somehow in touch with his team. He still wondered why she was being so nice - not that she couldn't be.

Last time he'd been laid-up here at Queens she'd actually driven him to visit Cujo at the vet hospital. Both he and his not-my-pet had managed somehow to wind up in the hospital at the same time: he due to a wacked-out serial killer and a large china cabinet, (long story), and Cujo due to an overly zealous pursuit of the same guy.

Groaning loudly he stretched further toward his phone. He'd almost reached it when someone came into the room. Thinking it was only Bambi making her rounds he didn't look up. It was almost time for his caregiver's final night check before she ended her shift to administer the meds that would allow him to sleep.

"Steve? Do you need some help?" he heard in soft greeting.

…

Hope you all had a great Turkey Day and have now recovered from your food coma.

Revelations to come in next chapter. Please let me know what you think of this one.