Page 42 of Virus
“Well, she looked hungry,” said Cam. “Sorry.”
“She’s not hungry. She’s happy. Can’t you tell the difference?” Cam stared at Gaspar for a moment and then laughed.
“No. I can’t.”
Gaspar took a seat on the bench beside Trak who was gently stroking the head of Alvin. The two Russian wolves walked up and he greeted them like old friends.
“Hello, Oleg. Hello, Vansa. You both look well today.” The wolves let out low slow growls and Gaspar chuckled. “No, you cannot eat the flamingos. They are not dinner. If you’re hungry just let us know.”
“This might be too much for me,” smirked Luke. “I never thought I’d see my father taking over for my grandmother.”
“I’m NOT taking over for my mother!” protested Gaspar.
“Then what do you call this?” asked Hex.
“I call it… I call it, serving. That’s what I’m doing. I’m serving the animal kingdom instead of the human kingdom. It makes me happy.” He shook his head at his son and friends.
“In fact, truth be told, it makes me happier than I ever imagined possible. The animals are wise and knowledgeable beyond what we can imagine. They knew what was causing the virus and we just weren’t listening. I’ll try to ensure that I listen more intently in the future.”
Vansa and Oleg nudged his hand, begging for a little love and he gladly provided it. Benglash licked his arm, tasting the saltiness of his flesh and actually smirked at him. When they turned and left, he smiled at the men.
“What did you want again?” he asked Luke.
“Actually, I have no idea. That was enough to keep me happy for a while. I’m glad you’re doing well with this, Dad.”
“Me too. Don’t tell your grandmother but I probably owe her a lifetime of apologies. The animals are really something else and I’m glad we saved them.”
“Where is Chaos?” asked Eric. Chaos was Gaspar’s new puppy. A Great Dane that he’d found on his last op.
“He’s with Lucy and Sniff learning to not chew on Alexandra’s shoes. If he ruins one more pair I’m going to be the one sleeping in the dog house.”
“Dad? Are you really doing okay with this whole retirement thing?” asked Luke.
“I am. Really. I think we all are,” he said looking toward Trak for confirmation. Trak, in his own way, grinned at them and gave a curt nod. “We needed to stop. For our own sanity. It will happen for all of you one day as well. Just don’t put it off too long. We did.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re all happy with the decision.” They started to walk toward the other animals when Gaspar called to them.
“Boys? You did great work with the virus and finding the cause. Nice job.”
The men all smiled as they continued to walk the island, stopping to pet the animals and speak to them in their own way. Semu was always willing to translate via sign language.
When they got back to the boat, Trak and Gaspar were gone but the men were still smiling.
“I think we’re nothing more than little boys,” said Luke laughing at them.
“Why do you say that?” asked Cam.
“Because we got a compliment from my ‘daddy’ and we’re all still smiling like a kid who just got his first base hit.”
“You know what,” smirked Eric. “I’m okay with that.” Cam laughed, slapping his back.
“Me too, brother. Me too.”
