A Pet To Keep

Homeward Bound

Jackson returns to the alley early the next morning, with this back pack on, and a box of crackers in his hand. He scowls when he finds the alley empty and starts to wander around the neighborhood. When he sees someone who might be jogging or walking to work, but looks like they live in the area, he asks them, "have you seen a stray hu-pet around?" For a while there was no sign of the boy, but then one jogger overhears him asking an old lady, and stops. 

"Oh hey. A stray pet? I saw one down by the west laundry mat last night. He ran off pretty fast."

"Really? Oh geez. Thanks so much for stopping," Jack thanks the jogger lady again, and heads down to the laundromat, sure that it was his stray.

Behind the laundromat, Jack finds the dried up remains of an apple core and goes on alert.  "Heeeyy little buddy. You here? I brought you some more food." He gently shakes the box of crackers then pulls a few out. He is looking all around, slowly and quietly, in case the pet is here, Jack didn't want to scare him off again. He shakes the box again and there was a soft whine.
Jack turns towards the sound and sees feet tucked up behind a metal box coming out if the back if the laundry mat. He moves up closer, finding the pet curled up against the large dryer exhaust fan. He must have huddled up there against the warm air coming out during the cold San Francisco night.

The pet looks up, bleary eyed in the early rising sun. It was still fairly cool in the shadows, and a breeze came by sending shivers through the tiny pet.
"Heeeyy there," Jack speaks softly, "you sleeping? I'm sorry I woke you little buddy."

The pet just watches curiously, rubbing at his eyes which are sunken and dark. Then his eyes fall on the crackers and he gasps. Jack nods and holds the crackers out. The pet takes the ones in offered and chews them up quickly then holds his filthy hands out for more. Jack continues to feed him quietly, till the boy was coughing.

"Dry? I have water." He takes his back pack off and hands the pet a blue sports bottle filled to the top. "Here. This is for you. Drink all you want."

The pet holds the water with both hands for a moment before suckling from it like a toddler with a bottle. He keeps drinking till it was almost empty then holds his hands out for more crackers.
Jack grins and gives him some. "I'm glad you like the crackers. Would you like more food?"

The pet nods and chews, taking a sip now and again.

"Would you come with me and let me feed you?"

The pet pauses, just looking confused.

"Would you come to my house. I have so much food there. And it's warm." He gives the pet another cracker.

It yawns softly, to malnourished to have energy for very long.

"And a bed."

The pet just nods, his eyes heavy with exhaustion already. He holds his hand out, and Jack gives him one cracker before standing. "Come on. Let's get you to my car." He holds a hand out and the pet wraps his hand around a few of Jack's fingers. Jack walks with him, slow, at the boy's pace while feeding him crackers by hand, and letting him hold the water bottle. People give them weird looks that Jack ignores, too focused on the small pet.

After a few blocks, the boy starts limping. Sores on his feet getting angry as he walked on the rough concrete. "Okay, here goes nothing." Jack breaths before sliding two arms under the pet's and lifting him straight up. The pet yips and latches on, afraid to be dropped. But as Jack carries him with ease, he settles down though his grip doesn't loosen. The trip is shortened drastically, Jack takes long, powerful strides to his car. Once they reach the small, blue, four door, Jack lays the pet down in the back seat and sits up front.

"Gonna get you all cleaned up. Get those pains fixed. Full belly. All good as new," Jack looks back at him, seeing the boy laying down, suckling from the nearly empty bottle.

The drive was hardly a mile long, the small business area melting into residential. Houses deeper into the area, Brown Stone houses grew up tall from the main road. Jack pulls around back, and parks in his aloted spot behind the brown stones. With his keys in hand, he comes around to help the pet out.

It scoots to the end of the seat, his feet dangle out but aren't able to touch the ground. Jack holds his hand out and smiles. "Come on. Let go inside!"

The pet whines and holds it hands up into the air.

"Oooh," Jack says in understanding and picks him up again to carry the boy to the back door. Unlocking it they step into the kitchen.

The pet squirms untill he's set down back on his feet on the smooth wood. Slowly he wanders around the first floor of the house. Jack has three stories of the building.

First he finds the bowl of fruit on the counter and tries to climb up to it, and ends up knocking over a bar stool. Jack picks the stray back up and grabs a banana for him. He peels it and breaks a piece off.

The pet seems unfamiliar with this fruit, sniffing it, then licking it. He squishes it between his fingers before eatting it. He smiles, enjoying the fruit. Jack sets him back down and gives him the peeled banana.

The pet wanders around more, exploring the house and checking out different things that were eye level or lower to him. When the banana was all gone he climbs onto Jack's sofa and lays down with a sigh. Jack cringes. The pet was filthy. But he is so tiered. So Jack dashes to the laundry room and grabs some towels from the dryer. He picks the pet up and lays the towels out on the sofa, then sets the boy back down. "Sleep on these." 

The pet didn't seem to mind the towels, but clutches a throw pillow tight. Jack didn't mind that. He could wash a pillow. So he covers the boy with a blanket as well. The house was quiet, and when Jack listens to that quiet, he hears the soft steady breathing of the young boy.

His hair was matted and filthy, his skin was bruised and grimmy, his hands and feet were cut up, and he could see the strong lines of famine in his body. But his chest rose and fell slow and steady, as he slept.

Jack sits on the floor by the sofa with his lap top and starts to work. Finding some names and numbers he needed. He had alot of work to do before the boy behind him was healthy again, like he'd promised.

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