Your Redemption: Chapter Five: The Ascension

With summer now in full swing, Javert and Emily were reluctant to leave the apartment at all, but Javert knew from past experiences that to relieve himself in the bathroom, like any normal person (or at least any normal person who was turned into a dog), was not alright. And so their evening respite was walking, for only then and the morning was it cool enough for the pair.

Watching them, one might find a sense of serenity about them. An aura, as it were. While Emily was utterly happy and knew it, Javert didn't recognize his own joy in life, for joy was something he had rarely experienced, and never in so pure a form. To be certain, he had been happy when he had finally tracked down Valjean. He had been happy when he thought he had won the cat and mouse game. But this was different. This was what true happiness was made out of, and having never known it, Javert could not recognize it.

In August, when the worst heat was, he and Emily were taking their evening walk according to plan. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Passing an ally way is what changed it all. A hand reached out and grabbed the girl from behind, muffling her screams with his hand. Torn so viciously off the sidewalk, Cojack was cruelly yanked with her. The mugger threw her against the brick wall, a gun in one hand, a finger at his mouth saying "Make a sound and die!"

Cojack was kicked roughly to the side, slamming into a set of trash cans, spooking slightly as the lids came down around him. Looking up, he saw Emily and the thief in an abstract sort of way.

It was Chief Inspector Javert who was growling savagely. It was Chief Inspector Javert's duty to protect the innocent, and just because he'd switched bodies did not mean he had switched tasks. Red hot fury poured through him and the menacing dog was growling savagely.

Leaping, he caught the attacker by the wrist, but misjudged the jump, and caught the one that wasn't holding the fire-arm. He cried out, and began to hit Cojack on the head, the butt of the gun drawing blood to the surface.

Javert did not notice the wounds, did not feel them. He barely felt pain as he was tossed to the side, hitting the brick wall with force. He only could feel the anger boiling over inside himself as he leapt again.

The gun went off, and the attacker ran, fearing that now he had drawn too much attention.

He just barely heard his mistress scream "Cojack!" as he hit the ground. Now he felt pain. Too much pain. All at once he was aching and hurting, but one hurt complained the most.

So odd.... He found it hard to breathe.... Something red was gushing out all over, and he could not remember what it was. It hurt too much to think, which required oxygen drawn into the blood stream, which hurt. Blood. That's what it was called. He remembered now. Where could blood be coming from?

Emily was leaning over him, fretting and screaming as people began to look in nervously. A police officer was among them, for he had heard the shot. Javert wanted to stand up and give a full report, but mere movement sent him yelping in pain. He was ashamed of himself. Not since he was a child had he cried out because of a hurt.

"Cojack, Cojack, Cojack," Emily repeated, tears streaming down her face.

What Javert did not know, couldn't realize, was the bullet had lodged itself in his chest, in his very lungs. Breathing was an absolute effort, and someone was talking about a car to get him to an animal clinic.

...

P.O.V

Javert

Location Unknown

Present Day, possibly. Can't remember. 2004.

Nothing firm stood out in my mind about that moment, and the ones following it. Consciousness was a fleeting thing, and I drifted in and out of it constantly. Emily was covered in something red after picking me up and carrying me to a monster, holding me on her lap. I try to raise my head to lick her tears. Ow, it hurts!

Why is she wet and red? Is she bleeding? Where are we going? I try to ask, but I cry out in pain again. Ow, ow, ow.

When I do wake up, a funny little cup is pressed against my nose, and I cannot move my head to see what it is. Breathing has become a little easier now, and those blasted doctors are leaning over me, and Emily is fretting in a corner.

I try to growl, and tell them off, but the sound! Oh, it hurts! What are they good for, if not for stopping the pain? Why aren't they doing their jobs? Emily? Where are you? I can't see you.

Everything, it's all so hazy, so dark.....

"He's bleeding to death, there's nothing we can do."

Who said that? Who's bleeding? Who's dying?

"Please Miss Leroux, you must make a choice. I know it's hard, but every second he's loosing more and more blood."

Leroux? That's Emily's name! Why are they saying such things to her? No one's dying!
"Better to end his suffering now then to keep him hanging by a thread until the very last moment."

Who is suffering? Oh sure, I'm hurting, but even that's dulling off a bit. I'll just get up and we can go home! Emily, we can go home now! But my legs aren't working, and I cannot move. Oh, I'm so tired! I yelp as one leg does move, jarring me slightly. It's nothing, I'm fine! Just a flesh wound!

Sobbing, Emily is nodding, and she reaches out, her hands holding and caressing my head. Now please no more mushy stuff. I'll get up and we can get going. Why are you crying?

Someone is turning the dial of the tube that sends some sort of air into my cup. It's smells faintly different now. Oh well, that doesn't matter.

"Oh, Cojack. I am so, so sorry....." she sobs, burying her face into my hair.

Is there anything to be sorry about? Stop crying, please I beg of you! I try to raise my head and – ow! It hurts!

"Goodbye Cojack. I love you."

Goodbye? What do you mean? I'm coming home with you! Suddenly, I'm so tired.....

"You were a good dog, Cojack. I'll never forget you."

Emily? Emily? Wait! Where are you going? Why am I so tired? You can't leave without me! Wait.....Oh......So.....tired.......

To Be Continued.....