Looking for the Pups; Lugh!
Posted on Wed Aug 9th, 2023 @ 7:08pm by Lieutenant JG Kikua Mahone & Lieutenant Gunnar Arnason
Edited on on Tue Aug 15th, 2023 @ 10:30am
1,449 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Pressure
Location: Haumea Restaurant/Entertainment District
The call was made at the sight of the hungry black and white furred malamute. But, as happy and personable as he was, Lugh seemed to dodge out of everyone's reach, bouncing back and forth on his paws when they attempted to pursue him. Indeed, it was odd to see the dog without his master, who came around during this time when all the smells were to be had. A 'survey of the fineries' that Haumea had to offer, Luka would proclaim, with Lugh and Haechi (mostly) obediently at his side. Those who knew the trio knew which treats to ply which dog with, but even those treats were not enough to have Lugh stay put.
So, when the call was made to Davna, she decided to reach out to two of the only people she knew of who Lugh was familiar with, Gunnar and Luka's younger sibling, Kikua. And while the latter only recently learned of his brother's disappearance, he was still in the dark on the details. He was eager to come help regardless.
"I don't know what kinda toys Lugh liked, but Davna had me swing by and pick these up," he stated absently, holding up a well-worn plush that, at one point in its life might have been targ-shaped. He had pulled it from a sizable bag of Lugh-friendly treats and toys. "She said he was nearby one of the delis - the one run by the Bolian and Gorn couple? I guess they know how to keep him staying put."
"Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't been able to get hold of his collar. He's usually pretty amenable to people offering meat," Gunnar replied. It concerned him, in fact, since whatever the dog had witnessed had clearly made the normally friendly and out-going malmute skittish of people. "Hopefully, he'll be more comfortable with us."
As they approached the deli, Gunnar could see Lugh pacing outside. The dog was looking back and forth, partly toward the Bolian trying to lure him closer with a sausage, partly toward the street and people watching him. There was an uneasiness, whether because Luka was not among the crowd or because he was watching for whoever had made him run earlier. Either way, Gunnar realized this wouldn't be as easy presenting a familiar human to bring him over. Reaching into the bag, he retrieved some dried liver treats - one of Lugh's favorite training rewards - and then felt around for a stuffy that still had a functioning squeaker. "Lugh!" he gave a short whistle, a recall signal they'd established in puppy training. "Come."
The dog spun in place at the sound of Gunnar's voice. Sure, the sausage was tempting, but he heard the squeak of the (soon to be de-squeaked) toy. He sniffed the air, prancing back and forth on his front paws at the smell of the treat. Gunnar knew how to get his attention! His tail wagged as he trotted over, standing in front of the man.
Kikua waved at the poor Bolian man, who seemed offended that the dog chose a dried treat over his sausage (made from the finest of ingredients, that dog didn't know what he was missing out on). Chuckling, the young engineer instinctively reached down to give Lugh a pat. But that was when Lugh sprung into action, leaping away from him and towards Gunnar, attention now on the semi-familiar Mahone twin. "... He's never done that before."
Also surprised at the reaction, Gunnar handed Lugh the treat and quickly secured his lead. "Good boy," he said, stroking a hand over the dog's head, then handed over the squeaky toy to keep jaws occupied while he felt along the Lugh's back, sides and legs, checking for injury. "No outward sign of injury or tenderness," he noted, and pulled out his medscanner for a better reading. "His heart rate is elevated, and he's obviously stressed, but I'm not seeing anything that would explain leaping away to avoid touch. We should get him back medical for a more thorough exam. And forensic analysis. I don't see any blood, but that doesn't mean there isn't evidence on him somewhere."
Kikua's head tilted to one side as he crouched down to get a good look at the now contented malamute. Lugh sat himself next to Gunnar as he held the toy, eyeing the young engineer carefully. "At least he's okay. Wish we could see what he saw last night. That'd clear some things up, but I dunno anyone who could look into a dog's head like that. Or if I'd wanna disturb him."
And, as if he understood, Lugh snorted at Kikua and turned to Gunnar, tail wagging. "Wonder what spooked him."
"I don't know." Gunnar patted Lugh, stroking from head to shoulders. It would be easy to assume the dog was just confused and 'off' due to trauma, but Gunnar had spent too much time helping with injured and/or frightened animals to dismiss this so easily. "Telepaths shy from trying to reading animals, probably for good reason. But there are empaths that work with animals with behavioral issues - use their skills to get a better sense of what an animal's feeling to understand why it's responding like it is. Hmm... I know we don't have anyone with that specialty, but there are empaths on the colony. If he keeps reacting to you like this, I'll ask around. Someone might be willing to try."
While Lugh was content with Gunnar's company, he was still very much alert to his surroundings. His eyes darted and his ears were up the moment he heard a noise as he paused to look for a few moments, before returning his attention to being content with pets.
"I wonder if there's a language barrier between animal and telepath that would make it hard to comprehend what they're seeing," Kikua mused, before giving a nod. "Probably a good idea. I can get with Davna and get his stuff so we can find him a comfy spot to park it. Hopefully none of it is stuck in the crime sce-I-ah... the cabin."
Gunnar's jaw tightened a moment, then he took a deliberate breath. Thoughts of the scene were distressing, for a number of reasons. But dogs were sensitive to stress in those around them, especially those they knew well, and Lugh had had more than enough distress and upheaval already. "No need to find him a spot. After we've checked him over, he can stay with me." He stroked the dog's ears and neck, thinking that with all the memories Luka's abduction was dredging up, it was at least as comforting to him as to the dog. "Honestly, I could use some company."
"Might be for the best." Kikua scratched the back of his neck. In reality, he was trying hard not to freak out. Between the two of them, Luka tended to cause the least amount of trouble. He was not usually prone to getting caught up in - whatever this was. And Kikua had no way of knowing how to break this to his parents, or his weird alternate reality sister, if it came to pass that Luka was more than simply missing. "I'll make sure to send all that stuff your way, whatever we can pick up."
His badge chirruped in alert, and the young engineer frowned. "... I guess that's my cue. You need anything else? I can contact you if anything comes up - You're probably more privy than I am to stuff, but who knows what the hell's going on."
"I can handle caring for Lugh," Gunnar assured, standing, leash in hand to bring the dog back to the hospital for a closer check over. "Do let me know if you hear anything. I'm less in the loop than you might think, but I'll keep you informed as well."
"Maybe put together we'll have a full story," Kikua chirruped positively. Lugh seemed to be cooperative to Gunnar's presence, which was a relief to Kikua. He was not sure how the dog would react to his tiny tiny quarters space. It worked for Kikua, but Lugh was a full grown dog. And full grown dogs needed space. A lot of it.
The noise of his badge went off a number of times. Frowning, Kikua tapped it and a panicked, female voice erupted from it.
"BRO PLEASE PICK UP! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!"
Snatching the device and pulling it from his jacket, Kikua stuffed it into one of his various pockets with an unaffected smile to Gunnar. Before the other could say a word, Kikua tipped his nonexistent hat, winked, and ran off.
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