"Commander, I'm Dr. Ernhardt. How many months pregnant are you?" An orange tabby asked Feral as he checked him over.
Groaning in pain, Feral gasped, "Almost five months."
"Okay, just try to relax as much as you can. I'm going to do a quick ultrasound to see how the kitten's doing then you're going to be taken upstairs to surgery to remove the knife." Dr. Ernhardt told him quietly.
"I want a chem panel done stat and has a surgery room opened yet?" He asked the room at large as he prepared Feral's belly for the ultrasound.
"They say one will be open in five minutes, doctor." A nurse said rolling the machine to the bedside.
"Good!" The doctor grunted. "Someone get the lights. Alright let's take a look."
For several agonizing minutes, Feral waited to hear whether his kitten was alright while unrelenting pain throbbed through his body.
"Well, Commander we got lucky. The knife entered the abdomen and halted in your intestines. The kitten is fine."
Feral felt instant relief at that pronouncement. The doctor cleaned off his belly, gently pulled the sheet back up.
"Alright, let's get him ready to move." He ordered. The room became ordered chaos as Feral's bed and medical paraphanalia were gathered up and he was rolled out of the room.
Felina was pacing nervously outside the treatment room while the SWAT Kats watched her sympathetically. Suddenly the doors to the room burst open and Feral was rolled out. He looked pale and his face was shadowed with pain.
"Uncle?" Felina called hesitantly.
Dr. Ernhardt came up behind the gurney and halted only a moment. "It's alright Lieutenant. Your uncle is going up to surgery now to get the knife removed. The kitten is fine." He smiled comfortingly before turning to join the group heading for the elevator.
Felina felt relief at that news but was still worried about the surgery. T-Bone and Razor moved closer to her.
"Think we better get up there too, Lieutenant." T-Bone said quietly guiding Felina toward the elevators.
"Thanks guys for hanging around." Felina smiled wanly.
"Just wish we could have gotten there quicker. We're not leaving until he's out of danger and his enforcer bodyguards are here to take over." Razor said seriously.
They reached the surgical floor. As they walked to the waiting area they received many a gaping look but they were far too grim to notice and no one was willing to approach them as they waited for the Commander to leave surgery.
In another country...an hour later...
Shakil was conducting a business meeting on certain trade agreements his clan had with this company. He had just finished his clan's desires and opening the session for questions when a figure burst in hurriedly and rushed to his side.
The small brown furred Kat muttered something to Shakil that the others couldn't hear but whatever it was had made the tiger pale with shock. "When did this happen?...How bad is it?" He blurted anxiously.
"I only know that it happened a little over two hours ago, sir, and that he is in surgery at this moment at Megakat Trauma Center." The Kat told him.
"The kitten...is it alright?" Shakil asked urgently, he felt his heart tighten with worry.
"I'm sorry, sir, I do not know!" The Kat said unhappily.
"Is something wrong Mr. Kamau?" One of the company leaders asked in concern.
"My apologizes for the disruption. I've just been informed that my mate has been seriously injured. I must go to his side immediately." Shakil said gathering his papers.
"Of course, sir. I sincerely hope your mate will recover and do not worry. We will fax any questions we may have to you. Please do not concern yourself." The leader said.
"Thank you for your understanding!" Shakil said quickly, taking his leave, nearly running to the elevator followed by the small Kat. He pulled his cell out. Summoning his guards and his car he then called for his jet to be ready for takeoff immediately. His heart was in his throat and unshed tears filled his eyes as he prayed his mate and kitten would be alright as he rushed to be by Ulysses' side.
It was two and half hours later when a distraught tiger's jet finally landed at Megakat International Airport. As he dashed down the ladder a limo was waiting. He jumped in with his bodyguards and ordered the driver to take him to Megakat Trauma Center quickly. As the limo raced from the outskirts of the huge city for the downtown area, Shakil dug his claws into the upholstery in agonized tension.
It took about thirty more minutes before the limo pulled up at the front entrance of the hospital. Shakil shadowed by his guards strode up to the main reception desk.
"Excuse me. I was informed my mate, Commander Ulysses Feral had been brought in with a knife wound. Can you tell me where I might find him now?" Shakil asked trying hard to keep his voice steady and calm.
"Yes sir, just a moment and I'll see what his status is..." The receptionist murmured quietly, entering the patient's name. "Pardon me sir but I must see some identification. Commander Feral is under major security measures and is receiving a very restricted list of visitors." She told him, eyeing the security alert notice on her screen then looking up at the visitors.
"I am grateful to know that. His life has been in danger for months. Here is my ID." The tiger said graciously, handing over his wallet. "These two gentlemen are my bodyguards." He added.
"Thank you, Mr. Kamau. You are permitted to see your mate, however, I'm sorry your guards must wait here. We have our own security there so you should be safe enough." She said firmly.
"I understand. That is no problem." Shakil said agreeably, signaling his guards to wait here, though by their faces he could tell they weren't happy about it.
"Thank you for your cooperation, sir. Commander Feral was taken to the surgical recovery floor about ten minutes ago. That is the fourth floor, room 402." She told him politely.
"Thank you!" Shakil said with relief turning away from the desk and quickly heading for the bank of elevators. When the doors opened on the correct floor he was stopped by a pair of grim faced enforcers. He showed his ID once more, they checked it against a list one of them was holding, then he was permitted to continue on.
He quickly found the correct room and entered. His mate lay pale and sleeping on the hospital bed. He was connected to many pieces of medical apparatus. Sitting next to him on a chair was his niece, Felina Feral. Standing behind her was the Deputy Mayor. Eyeing him from the wall near the door were the SWAT Kats. He nodded at them in grateful relief. He couldn't think of better protectors than these two. He moved to the bedside.
"How is he?" He asked Felina as he reached out to take his mate's paw anxiously.
"He'll be alright. He was very lucky, the knife nicked a few loops of intestine but never got close to the uterus so the kitten is fine. He was awake for just a few minutes. The doctor says he'll be out of it for most of the night. I'm glad someone told you and you were able to get back here." Felina told him warmly. "I would have notified you but didn't know how to reach you." She added apologically.
"That's quite alright, Felina. I have watchers on Ulysses and one of them brought the message, unfortunately he couldn't tell me if the kitten was alright. Thank you for letting me know." Shakil said smiling wanly at her. "Would you tell me what happened?" He asked.
"Actually the SWAT Kats were the ones on the scene." Felina told him.
Shakil turned his head to look at them. Razor nodded and quickly told the tiger what had transpired.
"I really wished we could have gotten there just a few minutes quicker." Razor said bitterly.
"Don't berate yourself, at least you and your partner did get there and I thank you most humbly for saving my mate. I'm also very grateful to you both for your extra vigilance on his behalf. I can never pay my debt to you for that willingness on your parts." Shakil said warmly.
"Hey. We're just glad we can be of help. Anyway, now that his enforcers are here to keep watch, Razor and I really need to get home and get some rest. We'll be keeping an eye on the hospital while Feral is here." T-Bone told him brushing off the thanks. "Would you like a lift to Enforcer Headquarters Lieutenant?" T-Bone asked Felina.
"Thank you, I'd like that. There's nothing more I can do here tonight." She said smiling tirededly.
"I should go as well. Let me know if you need anything, Mr. Kamau." Callie said quietly.
"Thank you Ms. Briggs, I will." Shahil smiled warmly.
Nodding at the tiger in farewell, everyone left him alone with his sleeping mate.
"Oh, love you've frightened me to death. I've never been so terrified before. I was a nervous wreck racing back. My father is going to be furious that I left that meeting so quickly. I could care less. As long as you are here, I am not leaving your side." Shakil murmured to his mate leaning down to softly kiss his forehead.
A nurse came in to check Feral a few hours later and smiled softly at the sight of the huge silver and black tiger with his head next to his mates and sound asleep. She did what she needed to do without disturbing either Kat and left quietly.