Cats and Dogs – Recovery

Cruger awakes in the SPD emergency room. His wounds have been bandaged and he feels better, if a bit tired. As he tries to sit up he finds his body screaming against the action. Looking to his right, he sees Kat Manx. "Kat...how..."

"Don't speak," she whispers delicately. Her hand glides over his cool scales lovingly. "Felix said it would be another few days before you were strong enough to be up and around."

"What about you?" he coughs, only to have Kat push a glass of water to his muzzle. She tips it so that he can drink it like a human and lap at it like a Sirian.

"I'm fine, I was only out there for a couple of hours," she murmurs, tone somewhere between sardonic and sarcastic. "You were the one who was out there for weeks."

Kat helps him sit up and he looks at her with clear eyes. "What happened?"

"You passed out once I called for backup. The rangers and Felix came; you were in some awful shape when Felix did his first work up on you," she sighs, voice trembling. She can remember the image of Felix examining him so well, it's like a waking nightmare. "Felix guessed that during your month on Sirius you had become so dehydrated it's a miracle you're alive. The crash had done some pretty awful damage to your outer scales, so you'll be tender where the new ones are coming in. When we actually got you here you were talking nonsense. You said something about finding the 'zysnode'?"

Cruger looks abashed. "The Sirian word for watch is zysnode; I was worried about the watch you gave me in our first year on earth."

Kat smiles and pulls a vaguely recognizable hunk of watch out of her lab coat pocket. "I found it in the wreckage—thought it looked familiar." She smiles and giggles softly at his dissatisfied look. "I can get you a new one. I'd buy a million of them if I could have you back."

Cruger looks at her seriously and she's wistful again, face pinched in anxiety. "Kat, you can't keep doing this to yourself."

"I didn't know if you had died or not, and all I could..." she takes a moment to compose herself, "could think, was that..." Kat's breath hitches and a small whimper comes out. She swipes at her tears and forces herself to go on. "I didn't know...if I could ever see you again. I kept thinking...what if...what if 'see you later' was the last thing...I...got to say to you."

Cruger can do nothing but pat her hand with his paw as she sobs into his chest. "Kat, I'm so sorry, I wish this hadn't been so hard on you."

"You're sorry?!—I would have given anything to be in your place!" Kat sobs. "I just kept wishing it was me in that crash instead of you—"

"Look at me, Katherine," she does and he emphasizes, "I will not accept you feeling this way. I would not have you in my place, and I certainly will not let you blame yourself. If anything, you would have been stuck in that hell with me and I can't bear the thought of that. I won't watch you sit here agonizing over a hypothetical. If you were the one...I wouldn't be able to handle it."

Kat and Doggie sit together in silence for a bit, soaking up the love in the air. Every few minutes she'll smile at him so warmly he wishes he had a tail to wag. As she plays with his paw in her smaller hands he watches her, fascinated. He's enraptured by the beautiful genius playing with his paw in the simplest act of affection. Sometimes their eyes will meet and something breathtaking and unspoken passes through them. She will smile and he will too.

"Kat...Commander?" Bridge has been the one sent to knock timidly on the door, on the front lines and in the line of fire as tribute for the others. "May we come in?"

"Come on in, rangers," Kat invites warmly. As they file in shyly she smiles at them. "I'm sorry if I—"

"We're just glad to have you back," Z breathes out in a hug. The other soon group to agree. "Dr. Felix told us how Sirius' atmosphere is and all."

"I'm all right, thank you," Kat reassures.

"KAT!"

Boom rushes in and is about to wrap Kat in a bone–crushing bear hug until one firmly extended arm of Doggie Cruger makes him skid to a halt. He carefully leans over and gives her a more careful, gentle hug. "I was so worried!"

"Everything's going to be okay, Boom," Kat pats his back with an amused smile, feeling like a mother comforting her child over spilled milk.

"Commander Cruger, am I ever glad you're back," Boom says in earnest.

"Thank you, Boom, it's good to be back," Cruger nods.

"Yeah, man, DC, we thought you were done for," Jack says, cutting through the emotionally thick air, "no offense."

"We're sorry, for doubting you, sir, and for not continuing to search for your, like we should have," Sky speaks up, at attention, hanging his head in shame. "We should have listened to Dr. Manx."

"Nonsense, rangers, you took the evidence and I can't ask for more than that. I appreciate the work you put into my rescue and I wouldn't want all of you going to such extremes as Dr. Manx here," Cruger sneers/smiles at his old friend. "Crazy feline... "

"You wanna go, you stubborn, old dog?" Kat asks, making everyone laugh (though Doggie may not exactly understand that particular expression). "We're just glad you're back to boss us around and keep them under control."

Bridge looks perplexed at the thumb Kat tosses at them over her shoulder, while the rest of the team just smiles. Syd watches the Felina and Sirian interact and speaks up, "hey, guys, I'm kinda thirsty."

"Yeah, me too!" Z catches on and seconds the motion. "Commander, Kat, you want anything?"

"Nothing for me, but please bring a dish of stew for the Commander," Kat turns her warm gaze to Cruger, at which point it both becomes warmer and more stern, "stubborn mutt hasn't eaten anything since he got back."

"Neither have you, I doubt," he shoots back confidently.

"I've eaten!" she protests but as he waits for elaboration she deflates. "I had half of the cheese sandwich Boom left here for me."

"Bring her some stew as well, Cadet." Cruger nods as the rangers elbow–salute and exit. "Kat, you should be taking better care of yourself. Tell me you at least let Felix take a look at you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, he said I'd be fine in a few hours, whatever," she waves off. In actuality, Felix told her to be in bed, and even offered to let her be in the one next to Doggie's. She refused, however, to move from his side until she could see for herself that he was okay.

When the rangers come back with stew and hot chocolate they find their Commander Cruger and Doctor Katherine Manx asleep in his bed. He holds her protectively, arms firmly around her small frame. She is curled right into him, purring loudly.

Syd sets the food down and whispers, "we're glad to have you both back."