GEP : A King's Christmas Carol pt 4

King Sethrophe lay resting in the medical bay of the Rattler.  Blackguard and Gargan watched from behind the glass windows with worried looks as the medical cyborg examined him.
“Do you think…he…?” Gargan asked, unable to say the word.
“I don’t know, my brother,” Blackguard responded.  He looked at his brother and placed a paw on his shoulder.
After an hour and a half of surgery, EM-E the head Elapid Medical Entity came out into the waiting room where the two wolfmen sat in waiting.
“The damage to his skeletal structure was extensive,” said EM-E in a metallic, although gentle, voice, “but we were able to repair the fractures to his spinal cord and his broken arm.  He is very fortunate that there was little internal bleeding.
“How is he now?” Blackguard asked.
“He is in a medical induced coma to help his body adapt to the artificial substances we used to mend him.  He body could reject them completely if he strains himself within the next forty-eight hours.  We will be keeping him under constant observation until then.”
“Please keep us informed of any changes to his vital signs,” said Gargan.
“Of course,” EM-E said before he went back into the medical center.
Blackguard and Gargan went into the larger medical room of the facility to check on the wolfmen that had been badly wounded.  Gargan goes up to one whom he had spoken with earlier.
“What is your name,” he asked.
The wolfman managed to muster a salute to his general before responding, “Private Marrok, sir.”
“How long has it been since you last saw your children?”
“Too long, general…twas the day they were born into this world.”
“That will all change, Marrok.  As soon as you are well again, I’m granting you permission to leave.”
“What of King Sethrophe,” Marrok replied with a surprised look.  “Won’t he punish you for going over his head?”
“Very likely,” Gargan replied, “but your needs are greater than mine.  Get some rest and I’ll have a transport ready for you when you awaken.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Meanwhile, the Predators had returned to the DEN with their purchases.  Palladon was sitting on the couch in the living room and eyeing the wrapped up gift that he had bought for Cassie.  Arostarr, now back to his human form, comes in and sees him.
“That’s a very nice gift, Pally,” Arostarr said.  “Is that what you’re giving to Cassie?”
“I guess, “Palladon responded with a sigh.  “It’s not really as nice or as expensive as those boots she’s getting from Prowl.”
“I’m sure she’ll like it anyway.”
Arostarr grabbed the remote, sat down next to Palladon and turned on the HDTV.  He flipped from channel to channel dodging infomercials.  Palladon still looked unsure of his choice until they passed by the shopping channel.
“Wait!” he yelled as he jumped up from the couch.  “Go back!”
Arostarr flipped back to the shopping channel, which showed a fine winter set of jewelry.  The set was comprised of diamond earrings, a diamond ring with a silver band and a silver necklace decked out with small diamond stones.
“That’s it!” Palladon said enthusiastically.  “I’ll get Cassie that set for Christmas!”
“That whole set is worth seven thousand dollars,” Arostarr replied.
“And Cassie is worth every penny of it,” Palladon responded as he took out his cellphone.  He then dialed the phone number on the TV screen.
“I’m not sure if you should go overboard.  She might feel a bit pressure—,” Arostarr said before he was cut off by a saleswoman answering.
“Hello, I’d like to order one of your Winter Jewelry sets.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“When should I expect it to get here?” Palladon asked the saleswoman over the phone.
“We can have it delivered to you on the 26th of December,” the saleswoman replied.
“What?  But it’s supposed to be for Christmas morning.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but with so many last minute orders we’ve been getting, our delivery service is too busy to deliver it by then.”
“I see,” Palladon said sadly.
“You could go to any of our stores nearest to your location and pick up the set.  We’re open until 5 o’clock on Christmas Eve.”
Palladon looked at the time on his phone, which reads 4:25 pm.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Very well, sir.  We’ll have the set waiting for you there.  Have a Merry Christmas.”
“Thanks.  You too,” Palladon said, and then hung up.
The panther rushed out of the DEN on his motorcycle and rides to the jewelry store.  He arrives with just five minutes remaining before closing time.  Palladon ran into the store and walked right up to the desk clerk.
“I’m here for the Winter Jewelry Set,” he said.  “Please tell me it’s here.”
“Name please?” the clerk asked.
“Palladon Panther.”
The clerk checked the order on his computer register.
“Oh yes!  Here we are,” the clerk said.  He reached under the counter and placed a box containing the Winter Jewelry set on top.
“Oh thank you,” Palladon responded as he took out his credit card.
“My pleasure,” said the clerk, who rang up his payment. “Would you like this gift wrapped too?”
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
It’s no trouble at all.”
The clerk proceeded to wrap the box in holiday wrapping paper and ribbon.  He then placed the gift and the receipt in a gift bag, and handed it to Palladon.
“Have a happy holiday, sir,” the clerk said happily.
“You too,” the panther said before he walked out the store.   With the bag in his hand, Palladon got on his motorcycle.  He was about to head back to the DEN when his phone rang.  He placed the bag behind him on top of the rear compartment and then answered, “Hello?”
“Pally, it’s Tye.  Since you’re out, I need a favor,” Tye’s voice said over the phone.  “I forgot to pick up marshmallows for the sweet potatoes.  Can you stop by the grocery store for me?”
“Yeah, no problem,” Palladon responded.
“We also need eggnog.”
Without warning a person runs by Palladon and swipes the bag off of his bike.
“Hey!  Come back here!!!” Palladon shouted.
‘What’s going on?” Tye asked.
“I’ll tell ya later, Tye!”
With that, Palladon hung up and chased after the thief.  He followed the thief down an alley way between two buildings.  The guy started climbing over a chain-link fence.  In a stunning move, the panther pounced off of a large waste bin and did a forward flip over the fence.  He landed right in front of the thief, who was knocked down the instant he tried to run again after he got back down.
“You got anything to say for yourself,” Palladon said as he yanked the thief up by his shirt, “before I had you over to the cops, dirtbag?”
“Please don’t turn me in yet,” the man pleaded.  “I can explain.”
“I bet you could.”
“I only stole your jewelry so I can exchange them for money to buy food and medicine for my wife and children.”
“Save your sob story lines for the judge.”
“It’s the truth.  I can prove it.  Please…just give me a chance.”
“Alright then,” Palladon said as he set the man back down, “take me to this family of yours.”
The man led Palladon down the block to a condemned building.
“They’re in here,” he said as he walked up the stairs on the decrepit front entrance.
“Remember, don’t get any funny ideas,” Palladon said as he followed the man into the building.
The man was greeted by a little boy and his older sister.  Both of whom were dressed in dirty, torn clothes.  His wife also came to greet him.  She was coughing heavily.
“Did you bring us anything to eat, daddy?” the boy asked.
“Did you bring some medicine for momma?” the girl asked.
Palladon looked at this family with a sad expression.
“Listen, I have to go for away for a while,” the man said to his family.  “I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I want you all to promise me that you’ll be good.”
The children suddenly felt heartbroken.
“No, daddy, please don’t go!” the girl cried.  She hugged him, and he embraced her in his arms.
Palladon looked at the bag, and then he looked at the man holding his children.
“That won’t be necessary,” he said as he handed his bag to the man.  “You need this more than I do.”
“I…I don’t know what to say,” the man replied.  A look of surprise and joy crossed his face as his son and daughter were jumping with joy.  “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.  You and your family have a Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” the whole family said.