Paws For Effect Ch 10

Chapter 10 -- Barking Mad

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"Hey, how'd that dog get in here?" Max heard someone say behind him.

Through the front door, Max thought. And quite literally. For a police station it wasn't the most secure. Max would do well to remember that and pass it up towards senior management. If he could ever talk again, that is.

He scuttled up the stairs before anyone could catch him and toss him outside. In between legs, he swerved around people too busy to notice him as he climbed the flights of stairs. The journey into town with the other dogs had been and arduous, but he sure as hell wasn't going to give up on the last hurdle. He made sure the other dogs knew that when he had left them in the park across the street to wait for him. It would've been insane for the whole pack of dogs to descend upon the police station.

Finally making it to the right floor, Max trotted down the corridor and spotted the door he had been searching for: "Detective Chris Carey" was emblazoned across the glass.

Max jumped on his hind legs and tapped his front paws against the frosted glass.

"Come in," Chris' voice called.

Max could almost cry puppy tears from the sound of his work partner. He whimpered as he tried to clasp the handle, instead just causing it to rattle.

"What's going on?" Chris sounded peeved.

Max dropped to the floor, hearing Chris get off his chair and striding over to the door.

"I said come in--" Chris tossed open the door and stared at the dog in front of him and looked perplexed. "What are you doing here? Hey, who let the dog in?" Chris yelled down the corridor.

Max jumped onto his hind legs and placed his paws on Chris' chest, licking his face from the excitement of seeing him.

Chris both laughed and growled, pushing Max off him, who ran under his legs and into his office.

"Hey, out! Out! I don't know how you got in here."

He doesn't recognise me, Max thought. Of course, he doesn't, you're a dog, Max. He ran around the office, looking for something to convey that it was really him in the body of the dog. Knocking over stacks of papers and office equipment, he was causing more chaos than good.

"Stop that! Bad dog. Hey, can somebody get this dog out of here," Chris yelled.

"Sorry, Sir," he slipped past us, two junior staff rushed into the office, wide-eyed in search of the dog.

"I don't care, just get him out," Chris pointed to a very panicked Max.

This was his only chance. If he was thrown out now, there was no way of turning back into himself, along with all the other dogs and poor Hugh. He tried to dodge from the men's grasp, but the cramped office didn't leave much wiggle room and the two younger men grabbed hold of him.

"Got him," they lifted him into the air and began carrying him out the door.

Max tried one last squirm, escaping their arms and leapt onto Chris, this time staring him deep into the eyes, a look of deep sincerity filling his eyes. He had to let him know it was him.

After the initial shock, Chris stared at the dog's face. "Wait, hold on," Chris told the younger men who had just grabbed hold of Max. "I know those eyes ... why do I feel like I've met you."

Max jumped down and trotted over to the wall, pointing his snout at a picture of him and Chris.

"What is it? Max and I ... I don't get it ... wait, Max?" Chris looked down at the dog, the cogs now beginning to turn. "Is that you in there?"

Max barked, nodding his head.

"It can't be," Chris was dumbfounded, but found himself hugging his work partner who was, it seemed, the dog at his feet, who licked him.

The other two men looked at each other, brows furrowed as if Chris had gone insane.

"I must be barking mad, but I know it's you," Chris laughed. "Good to see you buddy."

After the hugs and kisses, Max stepped back, a serious look on his face.

"I know that look. Even as a dog, you look like you've got something important to tell me," Chris realised.

Max barked and nodded again.

"But how are you going to tell me," Chris was stumped. "I know! An alphabet chart. You can point your snout to the letters. It'll take some time, but we'll get there. You," Chris nodded to one of the other men, grab me a letter chart."

"Sir?" The man looked puzzled.

"God dammit, boy, go grab me a chart."

"Right away, Sir," the man ran.

Chris turned back to Max and smiled. "We've got some work to do."