Marc pulled up in front of the Clawson house and whistled softly. It was quite large, and even in the fading light, he could make out the immaculately manicured landscaping. Jake sighed, opened the passenger door, and started getting out of the truck. He glanced over at Marc as he opened his door, too. Pausing with one leg out of the truck, Jake said, "You don't have to come in."
Marc shot a strange look over to Jake. "You know, most kats are more polite with strangers in their midst."
It took Jake a second to understand what Marc was talking about, then he had to consider whether it was a good idea. Finally, he nodded once, and finished getting out of the truck. He waited for Marc to join him on the sidewalk, then began the long trek up the front walk. When they reached the door, Jake drew in his breath, then rang the bell. Marc looked at the nervous kat next to him. This was the guy who took on Dark Kat once a week?
The door opened, and a medium-sized brown kat in a shirt and tie looked out. He glanced over at Marc uncertainly, then over at Jake, at which point he smiled a rather unpleasant smile.
"Hello, Leon," said Jake.
"Jake. Lose you job at the dump?"
Jake was determined not to let his composure slip in front of Marc. "No, still there. This is Marc, our bookkeeper." Marc held out his hand, and Leon shook it automatically. "Is Kate here?"
"Y-yeah, but I'm not sure she wants to see you."
"Well, let's just find out." He sort of pushed his way past Leon into the house. Leon just said, "Hey!" but didn't make much move to stop him. He followed him into the house, leaving Marc to let himself in and close the door behind him.
"Jake!" Kate spotted her younger brother before Leon could move. She quickly stepped over and engulfed Jake in a hug. "I'm so glad you're here." Pulling away from Jake a bit, she said, "I wasn't sure you'd make it."
"It took a little doing, but it all worked out," said Jake, smiling a bit. His smile dropped as the door to the kitchen opened and Col Clawson walked out. Marc was somewhat surprised. For some reason, he was expecting a small, wizened old kat. Instead, Col Clawson towered over everyone else in the house, despite stooping slightly and using a large aluminum cane. He was dressed immaculately, and frowned upon seeing his youngest son there in his living room.
"Jacob," Col Clawson said authoratively. Jake stood up straighter and looked over at his father, who went on, "Why are you here?"
"Kate told me what had happened, sir," said Jake simply.
"It was unnecessary for you to come," said Col Clawson.
Jake said, uncertainly,"I just wanted to see her - make sure she's all right."
"I believe we are more than capable of seeing to her well-being. In fact, seeing you will probably simply upset her." Jake started to speak again, but Col Clawson immediately began speaking again. "After all, your post is back in MegaKat City, at the salvage yard. She will probably be quite worried if she sees that you have deserted your post. And the last thing she needs now is something to fret about."
Jake stared at his father for a few seconds, then, to Marc's surprise, let his shoulders drop. "You're right, sir. As usual. I'm sorry - I'll head back." He turned back to Kate and said, "Good to see you again," and gave her another long hug. Jake nodded to Leon, then jerked his head at Marc, indicating for them to leave.
After shepherding Marc out the door and closing it behind them, Jake marched over to the driver side door of the pickup. He held up his hand, and Marc pulled out the keys, preparing to toss them over. "Um, you OK to drive?" he asked hesitantly.
"Pretty sure," said Jake. Marc unlocked his door, then tossed the keys to Jake. Once Jake got in the truck, he smirked a bit. "I should be fine. We're not going that far, anyway."
"We're not?"
"Just to a hotel back by the highway." Jake started the truck and drove back out into the street. "We'll head back in the morning. After I see my Ma."
"Oh." Marc looked out the window, trying to process this. Finally he asked, "Aren't you...worried that maybe your father will be there when you visit?
"He won't be. He has his big weekly staff meeting tomorrow morning, and he hasn't missed that in twenty years."
"Oh," said Marc again, and again Marc let that sink in before going on. "So, are you gonna call around to find out which hospital she's in?"
"She's at St Gertrude's."
"How do you know?"
"Kate told me while I was hugging her goodbye."
Marc smiled. "Didn't know you Clawson kids were so sneaky."
Jake smirked back. "Unexpected benefit of having a military family."
Marc flipped through the long-outdated Sportsweek and yawned. It hadn't been a good night. His longish nap the previous day, sleeping in an unifamiliar hotel room, sharing a room with his boss - all of these had conspired to keep Marc tossing and turning through the night. As he resignedly began reading about the Catamounts' latest draft picks, he hoped Jake wouldn't be too long with his mother. He was looking forward to the drive back, and the possibility of perhaps dozing in the passenger seat on the trip.
"You!"
Marc looked up and spied who was speaking. He put the magazine aside, got up and said, "Hi. Leon, right?"
Leon indicated the hospital room door with his chin. "Don't tell me. Jake's in there with Ma."
"Yeah," admitted Marc.
"I can't believe it. After what Dad said to him?"
Marc didn't really feel like putting himself in the middle of a family squabble, but he did feel a slight sense of duty to his employer. "Well, she is his mother. Why wouldn't he want to see her?"
Leon looked down his nose at Marc. "Look, Marc, you don't get it. Jake's caused a lot of problems in our family, and it's probably best if he doesn't make things any worse than he has."
Again, Marc hesitated before speaking, but finally, loyalty won out. "Well," he began, a bit hesitantly. "Jake sort of filled me in. And it kind of sounds like you're the one that doesn't understand."
"What are you talking about?"
"Leon," Marc said, then paused. He wasn't sure how much he should say. "Look, Jake likes you. He's...proud of you - what you've done with your ad agency and all."
Leon seemed a bit taken aback. "He told you about the agency?"
"Of course. He said that one of the only positive things to come out of the plane crash was that finally your father started appreciating all the things you've done." Marc paused for a second to let that sink in, then went on. "Look, I don't know Jake all that well. But so far, he seems like a great kat. I'd hate to think you're shutting him out just because your father is playing favorites."
"Well, that's all good and fine, but..." Leon stopped when the door to the room opened. Jake came out, jaw set and eyes somewhat misty. After closing the door, he spotted Leon and made an attempt to get control of himself.
Marc quickly found an exit. "I'm...gonna get some coffee. You want any?" Both Jake and Leon shook their heads, and Marc scurried down the hall, leaving Jake and Leon staring at each other.
"So you came anyway," said Leon simply.
Jake nodded. "Well, I...don't always do what Dad says, y'know."
Leon regarded his brother for a bit. "How is she?"
"Real weak. But OK, I think."
"She's probably worn out." Leon sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't go in and see her now."
"Leon, she'll want to see you."
"I know. But I can wait." He sat down in the chair Marc had vacated, looked up at Jake, then looked down at the floor. "Um, if Dad asks, I didn't see you here."
Jake, a bit surprised, took a bit of time to say, "Thanks." While trying to decide what else to say, he heard - and felt - a buzzing coming from his hip. He pulled his phone from his belt and read the page. "911" read the display, and he frowned. SwatKat emergency.
"What is it?" asked Leon.
Jake groaned, "Problem at home. I gotta motor. Look, keep an eye on Ma for me, K? And you'll...?"
Leon nodded. "I'll keep you posted."
"Thanks." Jake shot his brother a smile, then took off at a sprint down the hallway.
Marc tried not to guess how fast Jake was driving, and he willed himself not to look over towards the speedometer. "There's no way you can get back to MegaKat City in time," he said.
Jake, his eyes on the road, murmured, "No need to. T-Bone's gonna pick me up."
Marc's eyebrows went up. He had never heard Jake refer to his partner as "T-Bone" before. "Where?"
"This old farm out in the middle of nowhere. It's about a mile off the highway - no one lives there anymore."
"Oh." After a pause, Marc asked, "How was your mother doing?"
"Worn out, but OK." Jake weaved around a semi, then went on. "She'll probably be in the hospital another few days, and in bed for a bit longer, but other than that..."
"Well, that's good."
"Yeah." Jake maneuvered the truck off the highway and began driving away from civilization.
"So how's this going to work?" asked Marc.
"T-Bone's bringing along my flight suit. I'll do a quick change, then off we'll go."
"And I...drive back to the yard?"
"Right."
"OK, gotcha."
"Sorry," murmured Jake. "I keep thinking you know how everything works."
Marc shrugged, a bit ashamed. "I'm working on it."
Jake drove up to an old barn just as the TurboKat pulled up over the northernhorizon. Jake skidded the truck to a halt, and quickly leapt out. The plane came to a landing in a fallow field, and Jake immediately leapt up and began throwing on his flightsuit. In about fifteen seconds, Razor was ready. He slapped a control, and the cockpit closed. The TurboKat lifted up slowly, then turned slightly. Razor gave Marc a small wave just before the plane shot off to the north. Marc got in behind the wheel of the truck, but then stopped and watched the vapor trails dissipate for a minute. Finally, Marc shook his head, smiled and started the truck, hoping he could remember the way back to the highway.