Parka Puppy

== Meta ==
Timing: Jaeger Academy, Kodiak, Alaska (USA); Hansen family quarters, cafeteria
Setting: July 2015
== Text ==
Herc doesn’t know how to tell his angry, hurting twelve-year-old that he’ll have to say goodbye to his almost-friends, [some other thing], and that his beloved puppy’ll be making the trip to Hong Kong in Cargo because the carrier won’t fit under the seat.
So he writes it out instead and tapes it to Chuck’s door. 
Excited yapping heralds their return. 
Herc holds his breath. 
The barking stops. 
Paper rattling, a snap of tape, stomping feet. 
Herc stands. 
Chuck appears in the doorway. 
“There’s nothing–”
Chuck holds up the paper–
“Rules are rule–”
Rips it in two. Four. Eight. 
“I can’t–”
Mashes the pieces between his hands. 
“He’s–" 
Throws them to the floor, stomps on them, grinds them under his heel. 
Herc closes his mouth. 
Chuck storms off, Max on his heels. 
.
The next day, in the cafeteria, Taller Kaidanovsky rumbles, "Seat taken?" 
Herc offers it. 
Taller Kaidanovsk sits. "Smallest Hansen write good product review, yes?”
Herc snorts. “Can only hope.”
.
Three days later, on the tarmac, Chuck, Max, and a Cherno Alpha parka show up without Max’s carrier–at least, Herc thinks that’s a Cherno Alpha parka. Doesn’t recall it having handles. 
Scott calls, “Where’s your pup’s carseat?" 
Chuck lays the once-parka on the cement. 
Max waddles in, turns around three time, and lies down with his head in the hood. 
Chuck zips it up, dares Herc to say something. 
The pilot pauses in the pre-board check, asks, "Fit under the seat?" 
"Yea." 
"On you go, then." 
Chuck hefts Max and former parka and lugs it onto the plane. 
Category:Ficlet
Category:Herc
Category:Chuck H
Category:Scott
Category:Taller Sasha
Category:Herc (ficlet)
Category:Chuck H (ficlet)
Category:Scott (ficlet)
Category:Taller Sasha (ficlet)
Category:Cherno Alpha fashion
Category:Product testing
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Category:Max
Category:Max (ficlet)
Category:Hansen family (ficlet)
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