The brick work was excellently done. Each chamber's walls were plastered twenty feet high and the brick above was bare, aches arranged into a spiral pattern disappearing into the gloom overhead. Their delicate appearance deceived one to their true strength. Only the patina of age belied their construction date, and the entire construction was far too decorative to be hidden underground. Such was the craftsmanship of the kats of the past, always creating beauty even when that beauty would never be enjoyed by any but the builder. Nobody went into a cistern.
Starting 200 years ago the cistern system had been slowly abandoned and was now entirely supplanted by modern plumbing and sewer systems. It was an enormous complex of multiple large chambers connected by 9 foot high tunnels directly below the streets of Megakat City. Consequently, the setup was most appropriate for his current needs. It was easily secured, most Kats living above were ignorant of its existence and those few who were permitted access could easy climb down a Kat-hole to find him. Dry, airy, secure, centrally located, and perfectly beautiful in its construction; yes it was a fitting environs for his Hall.
He had found pleasure in it once but today he could not find his former enjoyment in the simple elegance of the architecture. Nor could he muse over his latest plan while at repast, a jeweled goblet in hand, nor focus on the tantalizing complexities of ruling the City that surely was soon within his grasp. No, he could savor none of his brilliant plans. The current duty was far less satisfying.
"Fool!" Cowering at his feet was a ruddy tom, crouched on his hands and knees with his nose pressed to the floor, his body shaking like a leaf which made his hair, all out on end, even more ludicrous. Towering over him, the black and red robed kat stepped forward and pointed a bejeweled hand at him. "Had you stayed your paw and acted with more tact I'd know the identity of one of the SWAT Kats, and one Swat Kat would lead me to the other! This pitiful sketch does nothing," he glanced once more at the line sketch the Kat had cobbled together, distorted by lack of artistic talent. "I need a photograph! Something to run through my superior facial recognition software! Ahh, then I'd have you within my claws, you meddlesome SWAT Kats," he gloated with relish, and he crumpled the sketch and tossed it away with a show of distaste. Ponderously he seated himself in his chair, a throne really upon a dais and looked down at the still shaking minion. "But," he raised a finger and paused, long enough that the shivering underling dared to raise his head just slightly, to see what his master was doing, "perhaps you can still prove useful to me. I will have another task for you shortly, and if you can prove your loyalty to me... I -may- be lenient."
"Yes sir, D-Dark K-Kat, I won't fail you sir," the kat babbled, groveling with his face on the floor. "Thank you my lord, master, you won't regret-"
"Enough! See that you don't disappoint me further, or else..." He let the threat hang in the air as he as he stood, turned his back on the coward and walked back towards the computer array. The cowardly kat backed away on his hands and knees until he reached the doorway to the tunnel into the chamber, and then scrambled to his feet to run.
With a touch of Dark Kats fingers the console and monitors came to life. He perused the information displayed briefly, before he slamming his fist on the counter with irritation. "Those blasted SWAT Kats! I could have had them while they were still at Megakat Memorial, if not for the interfering incompetence of that sparking imbecile and those metallic menaces. I should have moved in, but I wasn't ready!" He fumed, and turned to glower at the computer screens to the left of him. "And now that irritant Feral has hidden the SWAT Kats somewhere! But no matter. No secret in this city is safe from Dark Kat for long," he mused to himself. "In the meantime I will continue to perfect my plans… Soon enough I'll learn where they are, and I will play my hand. And if I grow impatient there may yet be a way…"
Two images were prominent on his computer screen, their biographies listed below. The first image was one he was well acquainted with, for her political maneuverings had long been a thorn in his side. The Deputy Mayor was a deceptively agile and worthy foe, for all her girly pink suits and big hair. The other was unknown to him. It was simply that of a nondescript grey furred tomkat, wearing Enforcer Sergeant stripes.
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"You're sweating," Felina observes.
T-Bone shrugs and mops at his forehead with a towel as they walk, or rather, Felina walks and T-Bone rides in the wheelchair she's pushing. After about the equivalent of a block and a half of walking he'd started getting chest pain, turned pale, and the tech had hurriedly stopped the treadmill. The nurse was called, Dr Bengal happened to come just then to check the wounded warriors and got involved, and it was decided after a lot of fussing that T-Bone was -not- having a second heart attack. But they hadn't let him back on the treadmill and physical therapy was cancelled for the rest of the day. T-Bone had really been pretty pissed, or she suspected that was the prevailing emotion the way he shouted unintelligible words and waved his hands, or did after the sublingual nitro kicked in and he could stop clutching his chest.
"You'll try again tomorrow, alright? Like Dr. Bengal said, the miles per hour was a little fast."
He grunts something and tucks his chin into his chest, grumbling half-formed swear words. She was quiet then, and didn't say anything as they reached the door to their ward, and raised her paw to knock.
"This isn't supposed to be running!" shouts a familiar voice. "And why is this dosage so high?!"
"But it's the dosage you calculated," the nurse was heard to protest. "You checked the numbers."
Felina and T-Bone pause and glance at each other before Felina inches the door open and both peer into the room. Barry is standing by the foot of Razor's bed confusedly looking from Razor to the doc, to the nurse.
Dr. Bengal is stalking back and forth, his face livid with rage as he waves his arms and shouts. "It's TOO HIGH! YOU calculated the wrong weight! That's not Razor's weight that's T-BONE'S! This is a toxic dosage!"
The nurse pauses, then her hand moves up to cover her mouth, eyes wide. For a long few moments they all stare at each other in horrified silence
"Damn! You coulda killed him!" Dr. Bengal hollers, and returns to stalking through the room.
"Me?!" Nurse Stripenose throws her hand down and huffs. "I didn't calculate this dosage!" She says, indignant.
"This is why I hate working with temp nurses! Damn Milton, throwing me into this!"
"You have nobody to blame for this dosing error but yourself! You can't - DOCTOR," she says, in an insistent, placating tone, "this is both our faults, alright? We're working without a pharmacist-"
"I'M NOT LOSING MY LICENSE BECAUSE OF YOU!"
"How DARE you speak to me-"
"SHUT UP! ARE YOU STUPID? It's -sedating- him!" Bengal shouts, then groans as he rubs at his eyes. The nurse blinks and moves towards the IV but then leaps back as Dr. Bengal turns on her and starts roaring again. "HE DOESN'T NEED IT ANYMORE! All this stuff is doping him up!"
The nurse is practically cowering against the wall while Barry, obviously in shock, stares at this scene.
"I get it! Stop.. stop yelling at me!" she says but she can't help but get in a jab. "You signed this medication list yesterday! AGAIN! These are -your- orders! We're only giving what you told us to! There was no end date on the ord-"
"Well stop me when I do that!" he huffs, then he seems to try to control himself a moment. It lasts a split second before he starts in on her again. "His leg looks terrible. There's no way a skin graft will take now. DAMMIT!" Without warning he sends the clipboard flying in the nurse's direction and she leaps aside with a yelp. It crashes against the wall above Razor's head and the SWAT Kat jerks, eyes wide.
Barry rushes Bengal and grabs the doc by the shoulder. "Hey! That's no way to act, Doc!"
"These stupid nurses-!" Bengal sputters.
"Don't. Don't act like that." he warns him, with a deadly glitter in his eye. "You throw something again and you are going. to. regret. it."
Nurse Stripenose, now close to tears, scoots around the bed and backs off a few feet.
T-Bone, looking just as pissed as Barry, is out of the chair and stalking to the foot of the bed. He looks like he's about ready to help Barry take the Doc down.
Barry glances at T-Bone and shakes his head, before he pulls Doctor Bengal's shoulder so he sits heavily in the easy chair. "Now tell us what's going on."
"He's been massively over medicated, has DOPED UP OUT OF HIS MIND!" The doc blurts, with an accusatory look at the nurse. "Maybe toxic. Maybe DYING!"
Barry twists the doc's collar and yanks him back up again, onto his tiptoes. "Don't. Shout. I can't stand a tom a-shouting at a she-kat."
"I don't think he's dying," Nurse Stripenose says with injured dignity. "He had labs this morning and his ALT and seg rate and- and CMP and everything was fine!"
"What the hell do you know about it?! Let go of me! Please, Sergeant," Bengal adds with slightly more calm.
Felina eyes the IVs. "So it's all a med? Shut it off," she orders.
The nurse eyes Bengal with angry tear filled eyes a moment before she moves past them to remove the piggyback IV.
"Are you done here? You had plenty of time to examine him, so are you done?" The Sgt asks sternly as he loosens his grip on the doctor's collar.
Bengal blinks. "Well yes, I suppos-"
"Good. You're done so I'm walking you out," Barry interrupts him and gives the doctor no opportunity to object as he drives him by his grip on his shoulder towards the door. "Back in a few, Lieutenant," Barry calls behind him.
Felina shakes his head and glances at the nurse, who is shaking a little but going through the motions of flushing Razor's saline lock and gathering up her equipment. "Hey, you're sure he's going to be okay? I mean how long until the stuff is out of his system?" Felina questions
The nurse shrugs, using the motion to wipe her eyes with her shoulder. "I am sorry this h-has happened- but I don't think he's dying," she says with disgust as she tosses the piggyback setup into the garbage. "It'll just wear off. Um, 8, maybe 12 hours?"
"Then he'll come to?" She presses.
"I hope so. Assuming that was the problem," she says, her voice thick with unshed tears.
Felina takes a little pity on her. "Look, you're pretty much done right? You gave him all his meds and he's not gonna get this thing flushed again-"
"I have to get Mr. Razor washed up and -"
Felina shakes her head. "Between me and the Sgt and T-Bone we can get him cleaned up. You go take a break, come back later and do your last whatever you do before shift change."
"You can't do that, it's-"
"I think we can handle it," she says quietly.
T-Bone was standing next to his friend's bed and was looking down at him with a mixture of worry and hope.
"You need to go collect yourself. It'll be fine." Felina says firmly. "We're not going to need anything."
"Th-thank you Lieutenant Feral. I'll be back then," she says between gulps. She was rubbing at her eyes as she left and pulled the door shut behind her.
Felina siiiighs and rubs at her eyes, walks over, locks the door, then slumps her shoulder against it. "Wow. WOW. I'm sorry Chance."
"Uhm?" Chance glances up at her. "Whuh."
"This shouldn't be happening! You should be in a real hospital instead of this makeshift crud!"
Chance shrugs, and drops into the recliner the doc had so recently been vacated from. "Sshhhhhokay."
"It's not okay," she mutters. "This isn't fair."
"Leeeh. Fffffrrg." He waves his hand dismissively. "Fall. No."
Felina shoves away from the door, looking tired as she folds up the wheelchair and shoves it against the wall.
"Crud, it just makes me so ANGRY. That stupid, vicious, jerk of a CEO. Well… you get to brush Jake's teeth tonight."
Smitty felt he was a pretty long suffering kat. He'd been an enforcer for nearly 46 years, longer than anyone else on the force, longer than the Commander or anyone at the Academy, and when they forced him to retire at 42 years in he'd come back three months later and asked for a new job.
The evidence locker was boring at times but that was okay by Smitty. He might not of been ready to retire but that didn't mean he missed chasing down crazy megalos with bombs or snotty (and energetic) teenage pickpockets. The quiet, methodical, orderly routine of the evidence locker suited him just fine. He'd done his time on a beat, he figured by now he deserved a little peace and quiet.
There were days however, the kind of days when he thought about retiring all over again and taking up fishing, like every day in the last week.
"M-m-m-m-m-m-Mac" the voice stuttered. "W-w-wake up."
The red glow that indicated she had vision shorted out again and for about two minutes (Smitty had timed it, it was exactly 132 seconds) the female robot was silent until her eyes flickered red again and she started over with "M-m-mMac. W-w-wake up." For ten seconds, repeating every 18 seconds, for 32 repetitions until she powered down again.
Smitty had long ago tucked his ears full of cotton but the noise was only muffled into an annoying back track. "Pipe down!" He called for probably the thirtieth time. Fat lot of good it did.
When the female Metallikat had started this refrain he'd sent a note up to the Commander's office, and got a memo back from his Sgt stating the Commander would take care of it. Well that hadn't happened yet, and Molly hadn't stopped talking either.
He didn't listen to the radio much, especially since 'the incident'. The Commander hadn't blamed him, after all how was he or anyone else to know Creeplings were tunneling into the evidence locker? But it'd been an avoidable security breach, and he'd sure felt bad at the obvious disgust and disappointment the Commander had shown. The guys down the hall in Security usually got growly if his radio was loud enough for them to hear but when things were quiet the Security staff could hear Molly's voice echoing down the hall. The night shift was measurably more tolerant of Smitty's radio for that reason. Since it was past six pm and the building was thinning out, he figured it was late enough. He turned the radio up loud enough to drown Molly out and sighed in relief before going back to his book, his impulse to take one of the baseball bats in evidence to Molly's metal skull lessening somewhat. Kevin Smith was a gentle Kat but his patience was being sorely tried.
The radio was playing just loud enough that the older Tom again missed the noises in the evidence locker. When he found the hole, and the missing Metallikats, the poor kat threw his hat down it in disgust. After the dressing down Feral was going to give him, if he wasn't dishonorably discharged, he was going to retire this time for good.
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"You ever notice that when Chance plays Jake's cards, Jake loses and Chance wins every. Single. Hand?" Barry asks, gesturing at Chance with his own handful of playing cards.
"...eh...?" Chance straightens up and eyeballs Barry.
"Look at him smirking. You're cheating, Chance. Give Chance a chance to cheat, and a cheat named Chance will chance a cheat."
Chance makes a particularly rude noise.
"Males! Quit it, you two. Are we gonna play another round before I head out, or not? I can play Jake's cards." Felina takes Barry's cards out of his hand and starts shuffling the deck expertly.
"Nnn. Nnnoh..."
"I agree with Chance, Lieutenant. You cheat just as bad."
The three are gathered around Jake's bed with a tray table littered with cans of milk and a empty snack bowl, empty but for cheese puff crumbs anyway. Felina taps the deck together on the surface and slides it back towards Barry. "Your turn to deal."
Jake was propped up high in the bed, still out of it. Nothing had changed since yesterday except that the day shift nurse had switched off with night shift, and they'd started to eye him with worried, puzzled glances, then whisper among themselves. Felina suspected Razor was worrying them but nobody had come out and said anything yet.
As if he knows they're talking about him he abruptly lifts his head and blinks at them all.
"Hey, Jake! You waking up?" Barry greets him.
The swat kat swallows and stares at him with glazed eyes before he groans and thumps his head back on the pillow.
"Hey, relax," Felina says and she reaches over to stroke Jake between the ears. A deep purr rumbles out of his throat, and Felina chokes out a laugh. "Hey, he's purring at me!" she says, incredulously.
Barry laughs with embarrassment. "Oh oh. Well don't tease him, Lieutenant."
"I'm not!" she says with disgust. "Dang, Jake, this is embarrassing, I didn't know you felt that way," she jokes uncomfortably, and there're more snorts of laughter.
"Hah! Ewww. Hey! Sh… soorsh…. dammit," Chance says to him and Jake blinks dully. "...J-ake? J-ake?" Chance stares as Jake's eyes close and he sighs, leaning back in the chair.
"Well... that was something…" Barry mentions.
And Felina shakes her head. "This med reaction or whatever they say it is better wear off soon," she mutters.
"...Maybe you should pet him some more, Lieutenant," Barry mutters under his breath. He gulps when Felina's fingers, claws extended, clutch his collar.
"Did you say something, Sergeant?" she snarls, looming above the tom with glittering eyes.
Barry shrinks in his chair, eyes wide with terror. "No, not a word, Lieutenant! Sir! I mean, ma'am! I MEAN SIR NO SIR MS. LIEUTENANT FERAL MA'AM!" Barry shouts, obviously and rightly in fear of his life.
She glares at him and shoves him away, by his collar. "I cannot believe you said that. Idiot. Deal the cards"
Distracted, Chance stares at the overbed table that they were dealing the cards out on while each receive their hand.
"Chance?" Felina questions, and Chance looks up, puzzled.
"It's your turn," she points out, and he sheepishly picks up his cards. Though he then looks at Felina with an odd confusion on his face.
"He's havin' another one huh?" Barry asks, looking up from straightening his shirt.
"Just give him a minute,". Felina says, irritated at the Sergeant but she was gentle voiced to Chance. "We're playing Go Fish."
"Fih?" he asks, staring at the cards in his hand without comprehension.
"Yeah, you know. Go Fish, Chance. You gotta get matches to lay cards down," Barry sounds just as patient.
For a few moments they watch Chance as he struggles, staring at the cards and finally closes his eyes. "...righ…r-r-r-r. Rihhhhhhight. Yeah." He shuffles his cards again, and makes a selection from the pile. And pauses.
Felina elects not to nitpick and tell him he's missed a step.
"Chance. You got Jake's cards to do too," Barry says.
Chance winces, realizing he forgot. Again. He picks them up, studies them a second and glances up at Felina.
"Feh. Fff. For?"
Felina shakes her head. "Nope sorry. No fours. Go Fish."
"You're cheatin' already, I know it," Barry grumbles, and Chance smirks when he picks up one from the pile only to set down three others. "Oohk….kay."
When the cards are placed he glances back up, noting that Barry is picking at his teeth with a claw and Felina is giving him a disgusted look. Chance shakes his head and on the next turn after going back through his own cards again smiles, and lays another set down.
Barry blinks, and starts to sputter as he goes through his own hand.
I know he can hear me. He needs me to tell him how everything will be okay, and I can't. And I need him to wake up, because I need to hear him say it too.
If I talk to him, he'll wake up. He's gotta… right?
I could borrow that LaMew novel off Feral and read it aloud. I could... Do more than stare at him and wait.
Who's … oh. That's right. Felina. Come on, Felina is talking, idiot!
"Chance? Chance. Chance? T-Bone!" Felina says insistantly.
Chance swallows and continues to stare at the cards in his hands.
"He's havin' another one already?" Barry mutters, and glances at his wrist watch.
"Shh!" Felina replies, sharply.
T-Bone blinks and focuses on her a second before his expression returns to a vague stare.
Barry sighs, and looks down at his cards, between Chance and and Jake.
Chance's eyes are darting back and with blank, faintly puzzled expression.
"Real sorry sight to see isn't it?" Barry states sorrowfully.
Felina eyes him angrily. "You act like you think they're both… both vegetables" she accuses.
Barry shifts uncomfortably. "Course I don't think that! 'Specially cause I know that's not true!" he argues. "But you got to admit this ain't right! Neither of them is 'okay'," he says, making quote fingers in the air.
Felina sighs and lays her own cards down, silent a moment before a malicious smirk forms. "You know sergeant, I just thought of a promotion in your duties…"
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Four hours later, Barry is standing on the steps of City Hall before a crowd of news kats with microphones and stuttering his way through reading the prepared note cards in his hand "...and since then they've been moved to a secure location…" He falters. "I don't know, what else do you want to hear?"
A male news-kat in the front hides his laugh by a quick coughing noise, and Ann Gora speaks up. "Sergeant Bagheera, can you tell us anything about the SWAT Kats medical conditions currently?"
"Uh, yes, uh, Ann, uhm, well they're both okay. I mean mostly. I mean they've got a long way to go yet but they're both going to be okay. Uh. I'm not a doctor," he says, apologetically and Ann gives him a reassuring smile.
"So both of the SWAT Kats are stable and improving steadily?"
"Yes! That's uh, that's a good way to put it," he agrees.
"Exactly what are the nature of their injuries?"
"Uh, well, as I'm sure you're aware from the footage, that was a pretty bad crash. Without saying too much there are some fractures and internal injuries, and burns."
"When do you think they can return to their former lives?"
"I can't answer that. Uh, yes, you sir?"
The reporter was a older, portly fellow from one of the more respectable newspapers, one that was fairly anti-Manx but pro SWAT Kat. He tucked a wisp of thinning hair back behind his ear before he speaks. "Sergeant Bagheera, has Commander Feral ascertained the true identities of the SWAT Kats?"
He shakes his head firmly. "No, that's not a priority, and it's being treated as a matter of security at this time. Uh. Any other questions?"
Among the other members of the press was a kat known for his writing in a cheap paranoia rag that printed bimonthly. He shoulders his way past Ann with a small tape recorder in his hand which he sticks in Barry's direction.
"Will you expose and name and identify the members of our government, of the highest levels of our government, I might add, that are using their influence to protect these dangerous vigilantes?"
Barry pauses in thought a moment then smiles. "That's a serious question?"
There is chuckling from some in the crowd as the news Kat begins to rant. "The people of MKC DESERVE to know! We all know Commander Feral would never let an excuse to identify the SWAT Kats go by! So they have to have high level protectors, VERY high level, elitist controlling powers who can dictate to Commander Feral!" At a few agreeing nods from some surrounding him, he is emboldened, and takes a large breath before bellowing "And the Whistleblower News is sworn to uncover all the plots the lying elite have to keep us unaware, compliant and VACCINATED with unnecessary health destroying neurotoxins! We can be prepared! Wake up!"
Barry blinks at him a couple times. "Oooookay. I don't… wait, is this a real thing?" he asks, disbelievingly. "This is a joke right?"
" This isn't a joke at all, not at all! The Whistleblower news is the only major publication brave enough to ask the questions the mainstream media is too afraid to ask! Our readers aren't blinded like the rest of the sheeple who trudge through this city, enslaved to their employers and listening to their elitist rulers and politically shackled police, OR to scientifically illiterate 'doctors' advising vaccines and toxic medications! We're awake and we demand the truth!"
"...The truth?" Barry shouldn't of asked.
"For instance, the profits generated by the depopulation agenda, which you can read about in our latest issue! Research has PROVEN that FIV is a government created GMO disease created for population control. WAKE UP, katizens! And!" he adds, "they're now conspiring to fund the SWAT Kats so they can keep endangering the lives of the good katizens of Megakat City!"
Barry goggles at him. "Uh. Okay. Sure. Funding the SWAT Kats. That's definitely something that the Commander's behind. Why not."
The rest of the press bursts into laughter, however the paranoid kat emits a loud gasp before shouting "This is not a laughing matter! They ARE funding the SWAT Kats, they HAVE funded them, Mayor Manx rebuilt their jet once PUBLICALLY! I have evidence that Commander Ulysses Feral has contracted with the SWAT Kats to spread dangerous, untested aerosolized VACCINES through their jet CHEMtrails!"
"Through their what?"
"CHEMtrails, the chemicals that they spray out of their jet engines that masquerades as harmless water vapor!"
"Okay first of all, I'm not a pilot but that's the stupidest line of hooey I have ever heard."
"ADMIT THAT COMMANDER FERAL IS A JESUIT ILLUMINATI FUNDED PUPPET!"
Barry blinks at him.
"See! YOU DON'T EVEN ATTEMPT TO DENY IT!"
"Alright this press conference is over!" Barry says hastily as he walks off, with a wary look over his shoulder as he walks off the steps. "I ain't had enough coffee today to put up with that."
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"Hey, Lieutenant, that was a dirty deal," Barry accuses Felina, who's leaning against the door frame smirking as he comes back in.
"I think you did pretty good, Sergeant. Come on, let's get back to HQ. We can play another hand or two with Chance before I head out."
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"If you win this game you're gonna be 3 for 3, Chance," Felina comments.
"I still think he's cheatin'...I just can't figure out HOW," Barry complains, as he shuffles his hand. They were playing Old Maid this time, and Felina guessed he had her in his hand, by his scowling.
All their ears perk at the sudden inclusion of a voice they'd not heard for days.
"Chance?" Jake mumbles, and opens his eyes. "Hey…. What's… up?" Jake murmurs.
There is a *CRASH* and Barry yelps as he is pushed aside and Jake is attacked by a big yellow stripey tom cat.
"Chance…. hey…." Jake whispers, and squeaks as Chance squeezes him so tight his ribs protest. Chance is crying like a kitten, with big uncontrolled sobs, which shocks Jake a little and he's patting Chance's back, trying to be comforting even as he's getting the stuffing hugged out of him. Jake hugs him as tightly right back and for a long moment they're holding each other like to let go would be the end of their entire worlds.
You're awake! You're awake! Stay awake. I missed you buddy.
I hope you're okay Jake. You seem okay. Are you in pain?
It's my fault this happened. I'm so sorry, alright? I let that missile hit the jet.
"Come on pal…..., it's alright. Relax. Okay?" Jake says soothingly.
Chance nods shakily and finally lets go of Jake, wiping madly at his eyes. Concerned, Jake reaches to grab him again but Chance shakes his head. One hand grabs the bedside tail and the other clings tight to Jake's arm.
It's not okay... Not really. But you're back. That's what matters.
Jake then spots the overbed table, and cards laid out on it. "...Well I didn't... dream that!"
"You knew we were playing cards?" Barry questions as he and Felina re-approach the bedside.
"Yeah….. yesterday too... right?" he murmurs. They stare as he lifts a hand. It's shaking a little but he reaches to the cards.
"...This is a real... cruddy hand, Chance," he comments as he flips them over. "You.. set that… to cheat me?"
Chance's face screws up again and he turns away, surreptitiously wiping at his eyes.
"Aw crud, quit... pal. You cry and…. then you're grumpy. For a week," he mumbles.
Chance snorts and rubs at his eyes and Felina is laughing. "No, not a week! I can't hardly stand him for ten minutes!" There is relieved laughter at that and Felina leans in next, wrapping Jake up into a hug.
"Hey, I can get….. used to this…." Jake jokes, glancing at Barry.
"Hmph, you heroes. Getting all the she-kats," Barry jokes.
"...So…. I'm confused," Jake says slowly, glancing between them all.
"I'll bet you are," Barry replies. "I'd be confused too if the Lieutenant was hugging me!" Felina grabs the kleenex box off the counter and SMACKS Barry's shoulder with it.
"No no, uh, no," Jake chuckles.
"You've been out of it for a while." Barry comments.
"... Yeah I kinda… wait, a while? How long... a while?" Jake asks, alarmed looking.
"A few days," Felina hedges, "but It's alright. Both of you are going to be okay now," Felina replies.
Barry is nodding his agreement with Felina's words.
"Oh. Alright well. I'll just… take you at your…. word huh? I'm still confused but…." Jake shrugs.
"You wound up having surgery, then after they tried waking you up, you well, you wouldn't," Felina explains. "Just been waiting for you to come back."
"You…. okay? Talk to me, buddy."
"Jake, I think Chance is a little too overwhelmed..." Felina says, her tone cautious.
Chance exhales, frustrated and Jake's hand is starting to hurt from the grip, but no way is he letting go.
"Chance? Speechless?" Jake grins. "It's ok… I already know. I shouldn't... be teasing. You've been… Trouble talking" Jake mumbles, nodding. "Been listening. S'ok Hotshot. Know you'll…" He swallows. … Ok."
"Are -you- feelin' okay there Jake?" Barry questions.
"Just.. real tired. And throat's…. Dry."
"Bet we can fix that second part anyway," Barry comments, as he gets up and heads for the bathroom.
"Hey, why's Barry…. in on our secret identities now, hotshot?"
Jake, it wasn't me! But Barry is a stand up guy. I doubt he knows more than our first names and our faces. Which, admittedly, is still too much but the damage is done.
Chance exhales, looking rather guilty, then shakes his head. "Nn..Neh Nnno. Nnnnnno Meh," he starts, then gives up, shaking his head. He reaches over and pats Felina's arm, obviously placing the blame elsewhere.
"Yeah you can blame that one on me. Barry's trustworthy," Felina says lazily.
"Lucky me," Barry grumps, as he's returning, but he flashes a wink at Jake as he hands the cup and straw to Felina, who helps Jake hold it. "Let's just say the Lieutenant has induced me not to tell."
As Jake drinks thirstily he glances around. Chance had taken Barry's seat when offered and Barry was trying to untangle Chance's IV line enough that the stripey tom wasn't caught. Obviously neither of them were 'okay' yet but….. A smile creases Jake's face as he finished drinking. "...Good to see… you, partner. You had me worried, alright?"
Chance swallows, and nods, not looking up right away. He was still wiping away a stray tear or two.
"I'm sorry. I shoulda known Dark Kat woulda… tried something underhanded like that, Chance," Jake says quietly.
Chance's ears perk and he glances up, surprised. What's he doing?
"I knew his weapons systems were… online. I didn't say anything, I mean…. why wouldn't they be?" he asks. "That's… my job. To keep the bad guys from… hitting us, isn't it? Or disabling... them before they can. Heh. If I woulda hit... him with a Plain Old Missile, we coulda been... through with Dark Crud…"
He sighs. "I could of prevented this... happening to you…. But we try so hard not to kill. Chance. I'm so sorry. You've got to live with this cause of me," he says softly. "I don't know… if you're gonna forgive me..
Jake, no. Jake. It's my fault. I got too close. Jake. Don't. You didn't do it! I don't blame you. Partner? Please read my mind or something!
He grabs both Jake's shoulders, staring at him.
Quickly Jake grabs at his wrist. "Buddy. Whatever it is. It's okay. We're a team still. Alright?".
This is idiotic. Both of us blaming ourselves for being blown up and for not being there for the other, and the other not being there for him. Idiots. both of us.
Chance pauses a long moment, then quirks a smile, and sits again. "Ssssssh-uure. To-... To-g. Uh…. With," he finishes.
Jake laughs. "You're right. Together. Yeah….. that's the Chance I know."
Yeah. I shoulda known he woulda taken it like that. Nothing phases my buddy Jake. We're in it, together. Like always.
Felina was trying to compose herself by wiping at her eyes surreptitiously with the heel of her hand. "Great to see him back isn't it?"
Barry shrugs. "Long as we don't go sailing out a window this time."
Felina almost chuckled but her eyes were still suspiciously moist.