Chapter 8

Mittens sat on the sofa, trying to sleep. Rhino was rolling in circles, frantically.

They were both waiting for Bolt to come home. He had been taken by the animal control. They were testing him for rabies.

If he didn't have it he would be home soon. If he did, he'd never come home.

But an hour later the door opened. Penny and her mother came in. Bolt followed.

Mittens was excited enough to hug him. But she quickly saw that he wasn't feeling the same way.

He had a beaten down expression on his face. He looked up sadly at Mittens.

"Hey Mitts."

"Bolt? You okay?"

Bolt nodded drearily. "Yeah. I'm not rabid."

"I know Bolt. I never thought you were."

Bolt was quiet. Mittens had never seen him so quiet. Not since the time he had kidnapped her.

"Where is Lance?" Mittens asked.

"He's dead. Vince killed him. And yes, before you ask, Vince is dead."

"How did he die?"

Bolt looked at her with an even worse expression. She had asked a bad question.

"He died badly." He said coldly.

"So…that's good then. He's dead. Lance is a shame, but…it's over now."

She could tell Bolt wasn't taking that statement well.

"Everything Vince said was right." He said, surprising Mittens.

"What?"

"The world is an evil place. I am nothing without my superpowers. I can take a life."

"That's not true. You are something…"

"THEN WHAT?! WHAT AM I, MITTENS?! PLEASE TELL ME!"

Mittens backed off, obviously hurt.

Bolt sighed. "What's the point?"

He padded past Mittens and went up the stairs.

Mittens watched him go. Adjusting had just gotten a lot harder.

Rhino came up behind Mittens.

"Cat? Why was Bolt shouting?"

Mittens sighed. "He's been hurt Rhino. Bad."

"But he's a super dog. He can't be hurt."

Mittens shook his head. "It's hard to explain to a rodent. He's been…psychologically damaged. It's something no superpower can save you from. His mental state has been hurt. It may take a while for him to get better."

Rhino cocked his head to the side. "Oh. Like the Joker? He's coo-coo?"

Mittens smiled. "No. He's just hurt. He'll get better."

Even as she spoke those words, Mittens realized that this wasn't a sure thing.

Bolt had already been weakened. The realization that his super dog life was a lie had hurt him. Now he was in even worse shape.

Two days later Lance's body was found. He was given a proper funeral. He had been the best police dog in years.

The same day a truck driver stopped at a truck stop. He noticed that there was a dead dog on his grill. He called an animal hospital. The police confirmed that the dog had been a police dog once. He had been missing for two years.

Three days later, this dog, Vince, was given a proper police funeral. The police, of course, had no idea what Vince had done.

As far as anyone knew, Vince had been a good young police dog who had gone missing, then was killed in a simple road accident.

Mittens had not asked Bolt to recant the events of that night.

But he was crying a lot. He had almost completely stopped eating. Penny had been terribly worried about him. He wasn't himself.

Mittens and Rhino went up the stairs. Bolt was in his small bed, awake, staring at the ceiling.

"Bolt? You okay?"

"I'm sorry for the way I talked to you Mitts. You're a good friend."

"What about me?" Rhino asked.

Bolt managed a smile. "You too Rhino."

"Penny wants you to eat wags. So...anytime you want to come down."

There was an ackward silence. Then Mittens and Rhino left the room.

They were downstairs watching Burn After Reading.

"See you don't hide in the closet. That's such a stupid place to hide." Mittens said.

"Well duh. That's why he got shot in the face."

"No." Another voice called. "He got shot in the face by luck. The other man happened to have a gun on him."

They both turned to see Bolt. He was smiling.

Mittens chuckled. "Finally coming down Bolty?"

Bolt stretched. He looked happier than he had in weeks.

"I'm hungry."

Mittens smiled. Maybe the road to recovery wouldn't be so difficult after all.

Cast

Bolt: John Travolta

Vince: Conner Trinneer

Mittens: Susie Essman

Rhino: Mark Walton

Lance: Samuel L. Jackson

Penny: Miley Cyrus