The Illusion of Danger

Chapter 3

It was now just after nine in the morning, Mitzi and Calvin by Rocky's gurney.

"Gosh, he looks near death..."
Mitzi sighed, looking at the orange and white tabby.
"Are you sure you don't know what happened? I've tried to get ahold of Ivy so she could come, but she's got classes this morning that she can't miss. She doesn't know anything about this coat either."

Calvin shrugged and looked down at his cousin with a concerned expression for a moment.
"They said he should be fine to leave now..."
He said as he poked Rocky's cheek.
"Maybe he's dead?"

"Oh no, don't be silly. He's just... mangled and traumatized. I thought for sure you would have seen him like this at least once in your lives."
Mitzi tutted.
"Come on, sweetie. Rise and shine."
She continued softly, lightly patting Rocky's cheek.

The tabby winced, whiskers protruding and falling back as he felt people touching his face.
"Mordi, wouldja stop pokin' me? I'm awake! I'm awake! Jeez!"
Eyes still full of sleep when he opened them, there was more than one figure in front of him but they were all blurry.
"Mordecai? That you?"
Questioning and rubbing his eyes. Once his vision cleared he realized his cousin and Miss M were standing in front of him.

"What... where am I? Where's Mordecai?"
He looked down at himself, realizing he was in a hospital bed covered in a light blue sheet and... a suit coat?

Mitzi and Calvin looked at each other and then down at Rocky.
"Honey, what kind of medication did they put you on for you to be dreaming about Mordecai?"
The woman asked, her worry very clearly getting worse.

Calvin seemed to agree with her on that one, considering his worried expression became more pronounced as well.

"Maybe the man that found you was a different Mordecai. I'm sure there are lots of them around here."
Mitzi continued.

Sitting up gingerly, as to not aggravate his stitches, and also not being able to go any faster, Rocky looked over at his two companions.

"No Miss M, Freck, I swear! Mordecai was the one who brought me here."
He scratched his chin.
"He repeated something only his ritzy behind would call someone that made me know it was him... a cannibal horse somethin' or other."
He grabbed the coat lapels and gestured them at the two.
"Look, see?! This coat doesn't even fit me! It's his!"

"Honey, your clothes are already baggy on you."
Mitzi stated.

"Someone found you on the side of the road. He brought you here, paid the bill, and then left..."
Calvin relayed what Mitzi had told him.

"Does that sound like something Mordecai would ever do?"
Mitzi asked.
"Well, the leaving part sounds about right, but everything else doesn't add up."
She added more for her own sake than anyone else's.
"Come on, when we get back, I'll make you a nice stack of pancakes. That should get your mind thinking right again."

Rocky had to admit... these two were making a lot of sense.
"I mean... that does sound right... but I swear it was him!"

"No need to shout, Rocky. You'll wake the dead."
The woman sighed.

"Then again... I didn't see his face. Maybe it was just a coincidence?"
Rocky took a sniff of the suit coat he was wearing. It sure smelled like Mordecai. He couldn't forget that smell.
Cologne... earthy, old books but not dusty old books.

He touched his bandages lightly and flicked his tail a bit at the pain he experienced.
"I could've sworn that was him."
Slowly, he dropped his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed onto Calvin for support.

Mitzi started walking out as the two gentlemen staggered on behind her out of the room.
"Now, I've already signed your papers and everything. You're a free man again."