Toby Recharged Part One: Desire
“Hey, Dad, I think I got it!” came the all-too-familiar voice.
“Alright,” Toby sighed, walking over to a pile of boxes. “Just let me get into place.”
Caspar groaned. “Aw, Dad,” he protested, “I don't need a spotter. Just stand back and watch me.”
“No, no, I'd really feel better if I were here, alright?”
The young pup shook his head. “Okay,” he agreed. Once his father was in place, he stepped back and took a running leap at the stack. Timing his landing exactly, he planted his claws in the top edge of one of the boxes and, after a moment's scrabbling, managed to get his grip. “See?” he said. “I don't need you there.”
“So far, so good,” Toby replied. Deciding to employ a bit of tact, he added, “I'll wait here. If you make it, I don't want to miss a thing.” It was true. Despite dozens of past failures, Toby kept hoping that this time, the pup could do it.
Caspar smiled, placated by the answer. “OK, watch this!” he boasted. Swinging for a moment, he managed to work first one back leg and then the other up onto the box. Then he jumped up to the next one. Little heart pounding with excitement, he focused on the topmost crate. Just one more, and he would be at the top! He jumped, and...
...misjudged the leap, clunking into the side of the box. He fell back down, landed on the box he had jumped from, and was spared another painful landing by Toby's well-practiced catch.
“Aw, man,” he groaned. “I was almost there.”
Toby set him down. “Are you alright?” he asked.
Caspar rubbed a paw on his head. “I bumped a bit, but yeah, I'm OK.”
“Good,” said Toby.
“Can I try again?”
His father shook his head. “No, I think that's enough tries for one day. Why don't we...”
“Toby, Caspar, where are...” another dog appeared, nodding in satisfaction as she spotted them. “Uh-huh. I thought I'd find you here.” She walked over to them, a somewhat stern look on her face. “Have you been doing what I think you were doing?”
The pup tucked his tail between his legs. “I was, uh, practicing,” he admitted.
Luna suppressed a groan and looked at Toby.
“It's alright,” he said quickly before she could voice her objections. “I was here the whole time, and he didn't get hurt.”
“He even checked the boxes first to make sure they wouldn't fall,” added the pup.
Luna nodded. “Well, alright,” she conceded. “As long as he was keeping an eye on you.”
Toby noticed the sun sitting low on the horizon, painting the south-eastern sky a bright splash of oranges, reds, yellows, and purples. “Well,” he said, “Time to go home.”
“Just one more?” pleaded Caspar. “I really think this time I can do it.”
Toby feigned considering the matter. “How about we come back tomorrow?” he offered. “The boxes should still be here, and you'll be well-rested.”
Caspar's tail began to wag. “Promise?”
Luna gently nudged Toby with her hip. “I think we'd better discuss this in the morning,” she interjected. And Toby knew by her tone that what she meant was, “I need to have a talk with somebody before tomorrow morning.” It was amazing how well he had learned to read Luna once they got married.
“Uh, right,” Toby agreed. “For now, let's go.”
“Aww, do I have to?”
“I'll stop by before bedtime and tell you a story if you go now,” Toby promised.
Caspar jumped in the air. “Yipee!” he yelled. He tried to flip to show his excitement, but all he managed was to land on his back. Rolling over, he made a mad dash for Luna's house as fast as his little paws could carry him, his tail whipping like a pine sapling in a blizzard.
“We'll be right there,” Luna called after him. Then she turned and gave Toby one of those worried looks. “You promised to be careful,” she said reproachfully.
“And I was careful,” he replied, starting after their son at a slow pace. “I kept my eye on him the whole time, and I was always in place to catch him if he fell.” Toby knew Luna worried about Caspar, he being something of the runt of the litter. But he still felt justified in what he'd been doing.
“You won't always be there to watch his back,” she replied, walking beside him. “What makes you think he won't go doing the same stunts when you're not around? He could really get himself hurt. And then you go encouraging him with those stories about all the nutty stuff we did when we were kids. Why?”