GIVING UP 3: BACK ON TRACK
By Vampy
"So, how are you doing?" Commander Feral, who was driving the ambulance, looked
back over his shoulder to look at T-bone.
T-bone swallowed and gave Jake a confused look, which only seemed to amuse him.
They, plus Callie and Felina, were in an ambulance heading for the scrape yard.
Chance had been released from the hospital yesterday and they had been planning on
how to get T-bone home ever since.
Eventually, Commander Feral stepped in and told them they would use an ambulance
as cover.
Even though they had been stunned that Feral was the first with a plan, they had
agreed and were steadily on their way.
T-bone could barely comprehend everything. He was lying in the back of the ambulance
like a real patient.
The only thing he did fully realize was that Feral hadn't said one crummy remark
about the SWAT Kats. Hell, he was even being nice.
Jake was sitting shotgun, next to Feral, and Cally and Felina were with him in
the back. It was all very strange. The only one who acted normal was Callie. She
was trying to make conversation, but Felina hadn't spoken a word other than
'Yes', 'No' and 'How are you feeling, T-Bone?' Guess she wasn't in a talky mood.
Razor.. Jake.. He was a little distant as if he was thinking a lot.. But, Feral
started talking to him and soon they were having a conversation. T-bone couldn't make out the
words. Nor did he want to because it was just too strange for him. Feral had
always wanted to destroy the SWAT Kats after all.... And now they were just
having civil conversation with each other, a lot had changed in one simple
year...
Callie handed him a glass of water, and T-bone took it gratefully. "You can't
believe how glad we are that you pulled through Chance..."
T-bone spat out the water he was drinking and started coughing. Jake was with
him in a second, patting his back and looking at Callie with a question mark
plastered on his forehead. She just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know I just
gave him a glass of water..."
Finally, Chance got enough air in his longs to bring out a question for Callie.
"What did you just call me?"
Callie didn't answer that, just said: Oh... That...
Jake sighed. "I know you're quite out of it, buddy, but you are not wearing your
bandanna.
Chance was shocked. "What?" Then, he whispered. "Do they know who the SWAT Kats
are?"
Jake looked down. And after a pause he said "Yeah, they know..."
Chance was still stunned. "I can understand why Callie knows, and Felina too. But
Feral?"
Felina had heard that last remark and jumped in. "It's not just us, Chance.
Whole of MegaKat City knows who the SWAT Kats are."
"Oh, man..." Chance laid back down. "I'm gone for one lousy year.. And, I wake
up in a mess... Doesn't this mean that..."
Jake stepped in too. "Chance, there's nothing to worry about. It's just like
being a Enforcer. Actually, it's exactly the same thing. You'll get used to it.
Now, get some rest. The more you rest, the faster you'll be your good ol' self
again."
Chance still wasn't satisfied. Things were going too fast for him. But he closed
his eyes nontheless. If Jake said it would be okay, it would be okay.
Jake sat back next to Feral. Deep in thoughts. Feral took one look at him and
realized Jake was losing it too.
"You know.."He started. "You didn't had a problem with the identity thing five months ago."
Jake nodded. "Yes but I wouldn't have a problem with my death too, if you come
to think of it..."
Feral nodded. "Of course. It was a rough time. And, now you feel guilty because
you made a decision on your own that's now T-bone's decision too. But, he can't
make it because you did it for him... A very long time ago..."
Jake nodded. "You're right, but what's done is done, right?"
"Exactly. The only big problem is how you are going to tell him what happened to
the Turbokat."
Jake grinned. "That's exactly what Dr. Smith said."
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
...
He felt a strange feeling.
A disturbing feeling. Like someone was shaking him around. Not much, just a bit.
Luckily, it stopped.
Chance turned to lay on his other side and continued his sleep but a hand
prevented that. "Oh no, T-bone. You're going to wake up, not resume your sleep."
The shaking began again and T-bone realized Felina was trying to wake him up.
So, he responded. "Yeah, yeah, just a minute.."
Apparently, it wasn't the response Felina wanted because she growled and
continued to shake him.
"Okay, I'm up. I'm up." He opened his eyes and looked around. They were at the
scrap yard. He got up with the help of Cally and Felina, since he was slightly
dizzy, and they got out of the ambulance. Jake came towards him and took over
for
Cally.
"You okay buddy?" he asked.
Chance grinned. "Sure, I just took a nap and now I can't stand straight again.
I'm just fiiiiiiine.."
Jake grinned too. "Well, at least you're not supposed to be walking up straight
so there's nothing wrong with you. Let's get you inside though."
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
...
There was something very different about the place, but T-bone couldn't put his
finger on it. He was sitting at the kitchen table while Jake was searching
through the cupboards. Chance ignored it and took a good look around. As far as
he was concerned, everything was still the same.
Same place. Same couch. Same carpet. Different TV, but that was normal. Same
furniture.
Only when Jake dusted off his hands did Chance realize it.
There was dust everywhere!
"Sorry, I couldn't find anything to eat. Well, except for a box of crackers,
but you don't want to try them."
"What, you're telling me there's not a single thing to eat around here?"
Jake sat down at the table. "Afraid so."
"Why? You don't live here anymore??" Chance was shocked.
"Well, it's not like there was a lot off things here waiting for me, Chance.
Besides, everyone knew who I was, so it didn't matter where I went."
Felina was entering the kitchen. Commander Feral had left for enforcer business
and Cally had her mayor duties. Of course, the fact that Chance was looking very tired had nothing to do with it.
Felina threw her broomstick in a corner. "Luckily, now T-bone's here, you'll eat
at home and not at McFurleys... ...or my place. Right Jake?"
"Sure Felina, I'll just order a pizza or something.. Which reminds me.. do you
want to go shopping? Or should I, and then you can stay with Chance?"
Felina shook her head. "Nah, I'll do it." She picked up her jacket
which
lying nowhere in particular and faced Jake again. "I removed most of the dust
from Chance's room so he can go to sleep if he wants." Then, she left.
Jake looked at Chance. He didn't look so hot. So, Jake decided for him. "You
heard the lady. Up. To bed with you." And he guided (pushed, removed or
evacuated) Chance out of the kitchen.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Felina cursed out loud when she almost dropped one of her
grocery bags.
Luckily only a few vegetables fell out on the wet and dirty ground, but that didn't
give Felina a
good enough reason to stop cursing. She left the vegetables were they were and
entered the house.
"Damn, slippery junkyard, I swear if I ever have to do shopping in the
rain
again... I'll kill someone!"
She was still balancing the groceries around but managed to throw her jacket
away, somewhere where it could dry.
Then she noticed Jake sitting at the table but
she ignored him.
Afterall she had some bags to get rid off.
Having the
grocery bags dumped and brought into the safety of the kitchen Felina grabbed a
towel to dry herself with. Then she noticed Jake again... He had barely acknowledged her
return. He just sat there with a glass of water in his paws... and not drinking it
from the looks of it.
She threw the towel away, dug in one of the bags for a
bottle of milk, grabbed two glasses and sat right next to
him.
"Hey sureshot. Want a drink?" It was a rhetorical question, since she was
already pouring it in. He just gratefully accepted it.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
It was only a few minutes after midnight when Felina fell asleep.
Jake grinned and shook his head. She was a piece of art. He took another long
drink of his milk and considered waking up the feline right opposite of him.
He shook his head and stood
up to carry her to the sofa. Then spent a half hour
looking for a spare blanket but found none. There was only one blanket left
besides Chance's and he used that one to cover up Felina. Then he sat back at
the table.
He wouldn't be able to sleep tonight anyway... Things had just went too fast for him to
truly comprehend. So he stayed up, thinking.
He would have to tell Chance what happened, once. But when? On one hand he could
run to Chance's room and blur it all out. But on the other hand he could deny
the whole darn thing and 'get on with his life'.
Some long ago said words echoed true his ears. 'If you want to get on with your
life you've got to face it.'
He hadn't wanted to do so back then. He
even made
that pretty clear
to the
psychiatrist. But he wondered...
His thoughts were disturbed by a scream that echoed trough the night.
'Chance!'
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The door burst open letting a worried Jake through. Chance had waken up
and was still panting from his dream.
"You okay Chance?" Jake wasn't comforted by his friends look. Chance looked pale
and was trembling.
"Yeah.. No.. There was this guy, I..."
Jake patted Chance on his back and sat down on the bed. "What guy?"
Chance shook his head as to clear it. "He had this gun..."
Jake froze and backed away when Chance faced him. Then he got a grip on himself.
"You'd better go back to sleep Chance, you need your rest."
"No.. I want.. Was that guy for real?" Chance was still lost in his dream but
apparently Jake wasn't willing to go there.
"I'll get you something to drink." But before Jake was out of reach Chance
grabbed his paw. "Jake! Was that guy for real?"
Jake shrugged his arm free and headed out for the door... but he stopped in the
door entrance, and turned back to face his friend. "If it was a black kat, with a
scar trough his left eyebrow... Yes..."
Then he left. Chance shivered and covered himself with his blanket. When Jake
got back he had fallen in a fitful sleep, a pained expression plastered on his
face.
Jake closed the door softly and sat next to his sleeping friend.
Why? He thought by himself.
They had been hero's.
The legendary and mighty SWAT Kat's!
Hero's...
And hero's don't deserve such a fate. Okay it was highly possible that something
like this could happen. It just had to be one of these day's that something went
wrong.
But things went wrong all the time and never with serious results like this. The
worst that had happened was that they had to go trough desperate times even
though it always turned out fine in the end.
But not this time.
Hell no.
Not this time...
Jake shivered and pulled his knees up to his chest.
The room felt chill.
'Like everything else nowadays...'
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
'Wha?'
Chance woke up feeling highly disorientated. Where was he? But he calmed down
when he saw Jake right besides him, cuddled up on a chair making it look
comfortable, which wasn't. Chance was sure of that.
He was grateful Jake had stayed with him though. He softly nudged Jake at his
sleeve. "Hey Jake.. Wake up buddy."
Jake woke up immediately and almost fell of his chair. "Chance? Is it morning
already?"
"Well, when you count the fact that the sun is shining. Yeah."
"Oh..." Jake grinned. "Well, guess I'm not truly awake yet... You must be
hungry, feel up to eating something that doesn't resemble hospital food?"
Chance nodded. So Jake led Chance downstairs.
Felina was still curled up on the sofa and lightly snoring. After Jake had
helped Chance sit down he made some coffee and woke Felina up. Neither of them
were in a talking mood but Jake got out of it by making some sandwiches.
Chance looked at Felina and grinned at her sleepy face.
Felina first ignored the stare but she didn't had the patient for it. "What?
What is it?"
Chance just shook his head. "I thought you were complaining of Jake staying for
dinner.. and yet here you are..."
Felina grinned too and Jake placed some sandwiches in the middle of the table
while taking a seat.
It was silent once more while they were eating. Chance and Jake didn't had much
of an appetite, Felina however was eating over three sandwiches and was getting
her speech back. ...with a full mouth...
"So.. I guess things are going to be though.. You know... T-bone fitting in...
It's a good thing though. Not like I ever doubted to have you back T-bone, you
know better then that. Just since the fact that Razor here really needs someone
to talk too."
Jake pulled up a eyebrow while looking at her. She ignored him. Chance wasn't
really paying attention because it was obvious Felina was getting back at Jake
for spending the night over. Felina just continued
talking ignoring everything and everyone.
"...Plus, there's a fact of T-bone having a traumatic experience, I mean, having
lost a year of life... Man... The worst part must probable be that his friends
went on without him."
She sighed. Chance stirred a bit, while taking a bite of his sandwich though
not very hungry.
Felina continued. "Yeah, I think you two have much to talk about..." She waited
for a response from the two, but they remained silence. Jake even took a sip of
his milk.
"Like what happened a year ago!!??!!" She practical yelled it into Jake's face.
Jake spat out his milk, almost choking in it and Chance became dead pale
remembering his dream.
Felina stood up, looked around for her jacket, found it lying behind the couch
and waved at the two tomkat's.
"Well, see you around, I'm going to catch some much needed zzz's. I'll catch ya
later!" And with that she was gone.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Jake leaned back in his seat, staring at the sealing. While Chance crossed his
arms over the table and laid his head in it, obvious still tired.
Jake was the first one to speak. "So.. You got something on your mind?"
There was a brief silence. Chance looked up.
"About a million things.. You?"
"Same here."
Chance sat up right. "You know Jake... What Felina said, about my friends going
on without me... "
Jake sensed the hesitation and mentioned Chance to continue.
"Well, I wouldn't want it any other way.. You realize that don't you?"
Jake
smiled. "Thanks Chance, that means a lot to me. And you know.. we'll get trough
to this. You'll be part of this new society in no time..."
Chance sighed, he
felt comfored, and more reassured, but the fact remained, he had lost a year of
his life, and he had a lot of catching up to do. He looked up at Jake, who was
smiling reassuringly, and gathered all his courage.
"Jake... What happened back then?"
Jake's face fell immediately. But seeing his friends begging
eyes he realized that Chance had a right to know. Even more then that. But what
to tell? Better yet. Where to begin?
"It's hard. Do you remember that kat from your dream?" Chance nodded. He wasn't
facing Jake but listened non the less.
"Well, that kat was called Carl Enquist. Do you remember anything else about him
besides the dream?"
"No, not besides that his name sounds somewhat familiar."
Jake grinned half hearted. "Well it should be. He was one of the top writers in
MegaKatHarbor. He wrote those crazy best sellers about criminals trying to take
over katkind."
Chance nodded. "That sounds about right, but he went bad right? And he shot me."
He faced his friend. "I though that if something would go wrong eventually, it
would be because of Darkkat or Viper. Not by some disturbed writer.."
Jake shook his head. "You don't remember anything do you?
*silence*
That's okay... I do. It was a week before you got shot that it appeared all over
the news. Carl's last book was not going to be published because of the
disturbing context. We didn't follow it much but I wish we had, because a week
later we got a emergency call from Cally telling us that Carl was in MegaKatCity
and holding up hostages at MegakatBank demanding ransom money and a
get-away-plane.
We got there as soon as we could and only to find out that there were 7 hostages
and the enforcers were not planning on negotiating with a bunch of terrorists."
Jake grinned at the thought of Chance's behavior against Feral, the tom kat had
been less then pleased and made it pretty obvious to the commander. Though Jake
understood Feral more now a days, he still disagreed
with the Enforcer. But when he did he wouldn't show it like he used to do with
T-bone at his side.
There just wasn't anymore fun in ganging up against Feral, not without T-bone.
Chance was still waiting, though he hadn't noticed the long silence since he was
also lost in his own thoughts, but after a while he mentioned to Jake to go on
with his story, even though he didn't really wanted to hear the unhappy ending...
"Well, there really isn't a lot to tell about..."Jake continued. "We ignored the Enforcers and went
in separated at different angles, hoping to take the bank robbers out one at the time. It
worked for a while, but then it went horribly wrong... The terrorists got on to
us, and threatened to kill another hostage if we didn't show ourselves. So we
did. We let them capture us and it made Carl over confident.
*pause*
It didn't take long before we made our move, trying to
take out the terrorists. We really could've made it, you know, freed all the
hostages and captured all the bad guys. But it didn't happen."
Jake shuddered at the thought of what happened next. A
gunshot, sounded trough the commotion of yelling and screaming. Then all was
seemingly still and moving in slowmotion
as T-bone's body jerked. The tom kat tried to look around and
see who had hit him, but he was down before he knew it. Shot in the back while
he was busy taking another terrorist out...
Jake remembered how he had forgotten everything and just ran to his partner.
Forgetting all carefulness until a bullet too seized his shoulder. He turned
around in his fall and fired a laser at the direction of the shooter. It hit the
same time he hit the floor. Carl Enquist uttured
a yell
of pain when the laser hit his thy. Then all was like in a blood red haze. The
terrorists fledding, just like the hostages had done,
Carl Enquist limping towards him, Enforcers shouting outside. T-Bone...
He remembered every word Carl spook to him. Every
detail in his face as he did so. The cool iron of his gun pressed against his
forehead. The swallow he made, the grin he saw. The retreating limping
form of the terrorist while he exited the building without
killing the only remaining SWAT Kat.
It was cold and it was the most loneliest moment Jake had ever been trough as he
crawled to his partner, tears had already mingled
themselves with the dust that was now slowly
setting down in the disserted bank.
T-Bone just laid there and the sounds became even fainter.
Obviously, the terrorist had escaped and the Enforcers didn't know what to do
now...
Felina had entered the building with a couple of Enforcers and called for a
paramedic the moment she saw T-Bone in Razors arms. Razor had
seemed to be in shock, but she
didn't know how to handle him so she just let him be. When the paramedic's came
and they began CPR however, she saw a sparkle of hope shining in Razor's eyes.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The slim kat rubbed his eyes, so early in the morning
really wasn't a good time to spill his guts to his friend.
But he continued his story.
"Carl Enquest was the one who shot you, when you were busy taking out one of the
terrorists. I only saw it too late. I'm sorry, I've should've watched your
back.."
Chance shook his head in disbelieve. "No you're wrong, you had your hands
full, I didn't suspect you to watch my back." He
looked Jake in the eyes. "It was bad luck, that's all
it was. But you haven't finished the story,
what happened next?"
"Well.. the paramedic's came in and started CPR on you, and managed
to safe you're life."
"That's not what I meant, what happened to Carl? Did you get him or did
he get away?"
Jake affirmed it with a nod, but wasn't facing
his partner. "Yeah, I got him."
T-Bone let out a sight of relieve and seemed to truly relax for
the first time since he came out of his coma.
"Good," He said. "so now there really isn't anything that can stop us from getting our
lives back together, is there?"
Jake smiled softly. "Yeah, not a thing..."
Chance stood up slowly and headed back up stairs.
"Need a hand, buddy?" Jake asked, but Chance refused it.
"I'm going to wash myself and get dressed on my own. The sooner I'm completely
mobile, the sooner I'll feel comfortable and on the way of getting my old life back, right?"
Jake nodded and smiled while he looked at the retreating form of his partner. It
felt really good to have him back, but it wouldn't take long before Chance would
start asking questions again, and Jake dreaded that moment.
There would also come a time when Chance would want to be a SWAT Kat again, and
Jake dreaded that moment even more...
He took out his wallet and opened it. A small white note fell from it on the
table, and Jake took it in his paws.
"I've got him back. can you believe that? I had given up all hope, and now I've
got him back...
But why am I so afraid?" His voice trembled. And his eyes were teary. "Why am I so afraid that it's suffocating me?"
His hand shook, and he crumbled the piece of paper in his hand.
"Oh please don't let it happen again..." He whispered. "Please not again..."
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
To be continued
