Disclaimer: The SWAT Kats are owned by Hanna Barbera and the Tremblay Brothers. I own the OCs.
As I mentioned before, things are going to get brighter from the last chapter forward. For those of you who want suspense, there is plenty more to come. After two very dark chapters, the story wants some light brought back in.
To my Co-Author MisaRae, I couldn't do this without you.
For those who need it, a brief refresher:
Ulysses pulled back. He was not ready for this yet, but he didn't want to see Callista suffering anymore. He replied, "I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't wait up, I have no idea how long this is going to take." He kissed her forehead after he got up from the couch. He then grabbed his coat and took one last look at Callista before heading out of the door.
Callista watched as he left. She walked to the window facing the street and watched him open the door to his car, then look up at her through the window, and get into his car. Callista watched Ulysses race off into the day before returning to Callie's room to check on her.
Razor was following the orderlies up to the OR floor when he was stopped by the chief surgeon. He said to Razor, "I know that you do not trust us 100% to keep your identities secret, but I cannot allow you in the OR. We're going to be cutting your partner open, so any dust or dirt that you bring in could end up causing an infection. If you want to watch what we do, there is a viewing suite on the next floor. You can see and hear everything from up there. You don't have to worry about who is going to perform the surgery, because I am personally taking over his case. He will be under my watch until he leaves this hospital."
"Thanks, doc. That makes me feel a lot better," Razor replied, before getting back in the elevator to go up to the viewing suite.
The chief surgeon walked towards the OR prep area, and started washing his paws and forearms. He looked into the OR, watching carefully as T-Bone was transferred to the table, and the anesthesiologist adjusted his IVs. When he saw the anesthesiologist reach over to remove T-Bone's mask, the chief surgeon opened the door to the OR and yelled, "If anyone touches his mask, not only will you be looking for a new job, you will never work in the medical field again! Do I need to repeat myself?"
The entire OR staff froze. They all knew that the chief surgeon had major pulling power with the hospital board of directors, and was very well respected by the medical community worldwide, so his comments were not just idle threats. They continued preparing T-Bone for surgery.
Razor made his way to the viewing suite, and took a seat by the glass. He looked down and saw T-Bone laying on the operating table, completely out cold with nothing but a sheet draped over his chest. He watched as the anesthesiologist checked his vital signs one more time before connecting him to the IV drip that would keep him knocked out for the duration of the surgery. The anesthesiologist waited for the surgeon to enter and give the ok before starting the drip.
The chief surgeon finished scrubbing up and walked into the OR. Two surgical nurses helped him into his scrubs and handed him a mask before assisting him with his gloves. The surgeon walked over to the table and took one look at T-Bone before saying, "Don't worry, son. You'll pull through okay, if I have anything to say about it." He then gave the ok for the drip to start.
Razor watched as the chief surgeon asked for a scalpel and started slicing into T-Bone's leg. Razor winced at the amount of blood that started to flow from the wound. The surgeon didn't seem concerned, but Razor was. The surgeon continued his work, slicing deeper and deeper into T-Bone's leg in order to find the bullet.
The surgeon looked up, and was surprised to find that where the x-ray of T-Bone's leg should be, there was only empty space. He asked one of the nurses, "Where are the x-rays of his leg?"
The nurse left the table and checked the folder that the x-rays were in, but didn't find one for T-Bone's leg; only the ones for his chest and lungs. She replied, "I don't have one for his leg. I guess the ER didn't order one?"
"Of all the incompetent crap to do. There is an obvious bullet wound in his leg, and no one down there thought it would be a good idea to find out where that bullet is? Someone get a portable x-ray machine up here stat, and get me the chief ER resident on the phone now. Someone is going to lose their job in the next thirty seconds, and I don't think any of you want to be that cat," the chief surgeon ordered.
Every surgical nurse in the OR scattered to carry out his orders. One of the nurses handed him a portable phone. He asked, "Who is on the line?"
"This is Dr. Roberts, Chief ER resident. Who is this?" Dr. Roberts asked.
"This is Chief Surgeon Feldman, and you had better have a very good explanation as to why I don't have an x-ray of T-Bone's bullet injury up here in my OR," Dr. Feldman said angrily.
"I don't have that chart in front of me, so I can't say what transpired down here with that patient," Dr. Roberts replied.
"Are you trying to get fired? If you are, you are doing one hell of a job. Get on one of those damn computers that you have all over the place down there and look it up. You have exactly one minute before I call the Chief of Staff and have you escorted off the premises with prejudice," Dr. Feldman said.
Dr. Roberts turned to one of the computers that had all the records stored on it, and looked up T-Bone's chart. He looked carefully, and saw that an x-ray of T-Bone's leg had never been ordered by the resident. The notes stated that the bullet wound was non-life threatening, so it was recommended that it just be dressed, and the rest would be taken care of in the OR. He looked to see who the resident was, and got the name of the doctor that took care of T-Bone in the ER. Dr. Roberts replied back, "The bullet wound was deemed not life threatening at the time, and the decision was made to just dress it."
Dr. Feldman was absolutely livid. He said back into the phone, "You find that resident and bring him or her personally to my office and wait there! I have a tom on my table that I have already cut into, so when I go to look for a friggin' road map of his injured leg to speed things up and it's not there, I really don't appreciate it. While you two are waiting, I suggest that you both re-read the hospital's SOP, which includes getting x-rays of ALL injuries, no matter how small!" He gave the phone back to the nurse. Dr. Feldman turned back to the table and waited while the radiologist took an x-ray of T-Bone's leg.
Ulysses arrived back at the treasury building and was finally able to take in the devastation. He then turned and saw the TurboKat sitting there on the street, roped off, and from what he could see, wrecked beyond repair. One of Ulysses' officers came up to him and said, "Sir, we have Dark Kat in custody back at headquarters. He is claiming that T-Bone and Turmoil were willing participants in this."
Ulysses turned to his officer and replied, "Please don't tell me that you actually believed anything he said?"
"Sir, his statement was corroborated by another Enforcer officer. I think his name is Snow," the officer said.
"Is that so? Do you expect me to believe that T-Bone would ever side with Dark Kat after all the times he fought him with Razor? Speaking of Razor, wouldn't he be involved in this mess if T-Bone was doing this willingly?" Ulysses asked.
"Sir, I have no idea. You will have to ask Snow when you see him," the officer said.
"You bet your tail I will. I also need that jet taken to the scrap yard, carefully. I am going to hold you responsible if the jet does not get there in the same shape it is now," Ulysses ordered.
"Yes, sir. I'll have the heavy rigging crew take care of it." The officer left to tend to getting the TurboKat moved.
Ulysses walked over to Dark Kat's tank and removed the missile from the tank. He examined it carefully, and realized there was only one cat he knew of who could have developed such a thing: Jake Clawson aka Razor. Ulysses smirked. No wonder Felina had fallen for Jake. Toms with big guns didn't impress her, but a tom who could make something big enough to fire a missile like that would definitely steal her heart.
Felina was having a real hard time trying to figure out how to get Katerina back to prison as Lt. Felina Feral, not Caliber of the SWAT Kats. She started kicking several oil cans that Jake had sitting around in frustration. Everything she thought of was either highly illegal or totally immoral, and she knew she couldn't live with herself if those ever went beyond a mere thought. The longer she considered the situation, the more clear it became that the only real solution was to reveal herself to Katerina.
Katerina heard several loud bangs and things crashing upstairs. She cautiously went up the ladder leading towards the garage. She knocked on the hatch and asked, "Is everything alright? I heard a lot of banging going on up there."
Caliber turned to the hatch and said, "Yeah, everything is alright. I'll be back down in a minute." Then she said, more to herself, "Crud! I have to learn to be quieter when I am frustrated." Caliber opened the hatch and returned to the hangar. After she found Katerina straddling one of the Cyclotrons, she asked Katerina while crossing her arms, "What has T-Bone told you about SWAT?"
Katerina looked directly at Caliber and said, "T-Bone told me that he is Chance Furlong, and Empress is the Deputy Mayor. He also told me that they were engaged to be married."
Caliber was shocked to the core that T-Bone had revealed his and Empress' identities to Katerina, but she tamped her emotions down, not wanting Katerina to realize that she had been caught off-guard.
"May I ask you a question?" Katerina asked.
"I don't see why not. You already know more about us than most cats," Caliber replied.
"Since I saw the Deputy Mayor with Chance at the restaurant, and I saw Razor with Lt. Felina Feral, are you dating Razor, and are you really Felina Feral?"
Caliber thought to herself, "Crud, she is smarter than I thought. I have no choice now. She already knows way too much." Caliber removed her helmet and mask to reveal her true self. She then said, "If you breathe a word of this to anyone, you will not have a happy prison life. Understand, Katerina?"
"Da, I understand completely. While I was incarcerated by Dark Kat, he sent me out for some parts, and after I completed my task, I came across two toms mugging an older she-cat. I stepped in to help. When she asked for my name, I had to think fast, and since I didn't want to give either of my names, I called myself Havoc and claimed I was one of you."
Felina had no idea what to do at that point. Katerina had called herself a SWAT Kat! Where the heck did she get off thinking that she had the right to do such a thing?
"Before you start yelling and screaming, Lieutenant Feral, I already had this same discussion with T-Bone earlier. He was fine with my decision, after some explaining," Katerina said.
"I can't verify that now, can I? T-Bone is currently in surgery to remove a bullet from his leg. He is also on a ventilator until his lungs heal from the smoke he inhaled when the jet exploded. I guess you don't know anything about that, do you, Katerina?" Felina asked.
"No I don't! T-Bone ejected me from the TurboKat before he returned to Dark Kat. I have no idea what went on after I gave T-Bone the flash drive with the files on it, and he ejected me from the jet," Katerina answered.
"I believe you, for now, but once T-Bone or Empress comes out of their coma, or whatever they are in, if they don't verify your story, I will recant my testimony to the DA and make sure that you never see anything but prison walls for the rest of your life," Felina replied.
"So now what? I just sit here and wait, or do I get to go back to prison?" Katerina asked.
"You are going back. I just have to change, and then I will take you. My Aunt Adara is waiting for you," Felina said.
"Dr. Feral is your aunt? She always made sure that I stayed on the right path while I was in prison, and she was always nice to me," Katerina replied.
"Well, let me tell you something about my aunt. She is a two-faced, selfish, lying bitch. She may be nice to you, but when it comes to family, she couldn't care less. All she ever thinks about is herself, and what she can gain from any given situation." Felina trailed off, then figured that with all she had already revealed to Katerina, what was one more mark on the tally, anyway? "When I was a kitten, I thought she would be like Uncle, but I learned the hard way that she is anything but. The only cat she cares about is herself, and if you have nothing to offer her, she won't hesitate to cut you down. "Be careful around her. I wouldn't be surprised if she comes at me with a closed fist instead of a hug," Felina said as she turned and headed towards the lockers to change out of her SWAT gear.
Katerina was still admiring the Cyclotron while Felina changed. She asked, "Who designed and built all of this?"
Felina answered while changing, "My fiancé did, actually. He is the brains behind the SWAT Kats. There is nothing that he can't build or fix."
"You must love him a lot. I can tell by the tone of your voice as you talk about him," Katerina asked.
"Yes, I do. I love him as much as Callie loves Chance, if not even more so," Felina replied as she closed her locker. She turned to Katerina and said, "You ready to go back?"
"I guess. I am a little nervous that the warden is going to give me a longer sentence because of this," Katerina said.
"If he tries that, I will talk to my uncle and have him taken down a notch. Dark Kat broke you out of prison and held you hostage. You did not have a choice," Felina said, as she placed her paws on Katerina's shoulders.
"I feel better knowing that you are in my corner, and one day, I hope to find a cat to love as much as you and Callie do," Katerina said, as she turned her head away from Felina so she could not see her tear up.
Felina placed her paw on Katerina's cheek, brought her face to hers, and said, "You will. Have you thought about my offer to join the Enforcers?"
"Da, I told T-Bone that I wanted back in the air, this time on the right side of the law, and being in the TurboKat solidified that," Katerina replied.
"I'm glad to hear that. I actually have a gunner in mind for you to partner up with. She is a little green, but learns real fast. You two should get along well. I will get you the application to fill out while you finish your sentence," Felina said.
Katerina quickly dashed the remainder of her tears from her eyes, trying not to blush at the spectacle she'd made of herself. Even so, she couldn't deny the way her heart lifted at the thought that not only was Felina serious about her earlier offer to join the Enforcers, Felina also had a gunner in mind for Katerina to fly with. Katerina got off of the Cyclotron and gave Felina a hug before saying, "Please take me back to prison. Now more than ever, I want to be free from my old life and get back in the air."
"Alright, Katerina, I'll take you back. My aunt is waiting for us. She has agreed to help you readjust to prison life," Felina replied.
They climbed back up the ladder towards the garage. Once they were both in the garage, Felina secured the hatch. Felina reached behind her back and pulled out a pair of pawcuffs. She said, "I know that these are not necessary, but they are required for all prisoners. I really don't want to put these back on you."
"I understand completely," Katerina replied, as she placed her paws behind her back.
Felina placed the pawcuffs on Katerina rather loosely, so she would be a little more comfortable, then led Katerina back to the car. Once Katerina was seated in the back, Felina walked around the car and got into the driver's seat. She started the car and drove off towards MegaKat Prison.
End of Chapter.