A Walk In The Park (Pongo)

Pongo had just settled into his chair, ready to spend the rest of his night relaxed in front of the fire when the phone rang. Loud and insistent it rang and rang. 
Leaning his head back, he took a breath before pushing himself out of his chair and quickly walking to pick up the phone. 
"Hello?" Perry's worried voice sounded on the other end of the phone. 
"Hold on, slow down. Patch is missing?"
He paused, as she spoke quickly. 
"Okay, okay. Don't worry, I will find him. Yes, I can do it, I know this place better than anyone. Before you go, will you put Penny on?"
Another few moments passed as the phone was given to Penny. He knew Patrick pretty well, but not as well as Penny did. If anyone knew where he would go, it would be her. 
"Hey Penny. Do you know where Patch might have gone? Anywhere he likes to go?"
He listened to a few of her suggestions. The Park, the woods, the large field over by the palace. 
"Thanks Penny. See you tomorrow." He hung up the phone. 
As far as distance, the woods were closest, only a few blocks from the orphanage. 
Pongo grabbed his jacket, a flashlight, and a hat as he contemplated which way to go. Patrick wouldn't just leave Penny all alone. If anything he needed a breather. For how long, he couldn't say. But Pongo didn't think he would be too far. The park was a good place to start looking. Pongo closed the door behind him and walked down the stairs of his apartment building and out into the night. 

Pongo looked back and forth, walking slowly so as to not miss anything. Patch had to be here somewhere. He scanned the dark park, streetlights illuminating the path every few yards. He was beginning to think that he must not be here when he heard the low voice of what sounded like a very large man. If nothing else he could ask the man if he had seen Patrick. Following the direction of the sound, Pongo rounded some bushes and saw an incredibly large man facing a smaller boy, or a teenager who looked suspiciously like...
"Patrick!" Pongo called out, distracting both the man and the boy. 
"There you are, I have been looking everywhere for you!" Which was not much of an exaggeration. 
"Ye know this li'l hoodlum?" The man asked Pongo, eyeing him suspiciously. 
Pongo looked up to the man, feeling very small. But he didn't let it show.
"Of course I do, this is Patrick." He walked forward and put his arm around Patrick's shoulders. 


@patch

The man just left, Pongo was thankful for that because he really didn't want to fight anybody, he didn't know how to fight. He had suddenly had a memory of fire, teeth and two men that were taller than he was... though he was lower to the ground than normal. He shook his head, he needed to focus on Patrick right now. 
" I was just wondering if I could walk around the park with you? I haven't gone on a walk yet today." He said, not ignoring what he had said, but letting Patrick now that he was here to help, not to make matters worse. 
He looked at him with a kind smile on his face, Patrick was a great kid, and he knew that he meant well. But intentions don't always go as planned, Pongo knew that better than many. The air was crisp and Pongo was glad he had brought a jacket. 
"Hey, did you bring a jacket with you?"



@patch

Pongo took his jacket off and held it out to Patrick. The boy needed it more than he did, besides he was here to help. 
Their walk took them through the curving walkway and around a beautiful fountain. He felt a strange sense of dejavu as he looked at it, seeming to recall two very wet people, and a tugging at his neck. Pongo scratched his neck in thought, then brought his attention back to Patrick. That was what he was doing, not thinking about a forgotten past. This was much more important, at the moment. 
"Why would I tell them about the man? Nothing happened. He was probably just grumpy because you walked by his bench. He seemed like a yellow livered old skunk anyway." Pongo added this last part, smiling to himself. Perry wouldn't like that sort of language. He probably shouldn't have said it, but it just fit the man perfectly. 
"I remember when it seemed like I could do nothing right.  Those are tough times. But just think. If you did nothing right, would Penny dote on you so much?" He was trying to help, didn't know if it was working, but trying. 


@patch

"I was a teenager once too," he said, shrugging. "You will figure out how to help people too."
He kept walking with the boy, pondering on the situation of his life and what brought him to where he was. What had brought him here? Sometimes he just felt so out of place, like it was strange to be on two legs or something. 
"Sure you can ask me anything." he said, he was glad that Patrick would confide in him for anything. But the question took him off guard. "A family? Well..." His thoughts turned to Perry. 
He looked around the park, as if looking for someone in the empty area around them. 
"Can you keep a secret?"He asked, both nervous and excited to tell someone what he had wanted to say for weeks.


@patch