With the hoopla over the election over things did begin to return toward a more normal and quiet life. We couldn't afford to stew over the things that did not go the way Molly and I would have preferred. That wouldn't have done us any good. It would be like guys on the Left or Right spending all their time calling the other Socialists, Nazis, Communists, Communist-Nazis, and various other things. From my opinion that sort of thing was what was the tipping point in the Congressional elections. And Molly and I couldn't focus on that. Molly had her students to teach, and as far as I knew, Officer Barnes still had DARE work to do. And so, after breakfast and our discussion about how and when to start our family, we went out.
It was a cool late fall/early winter weather. Temperatures were starting to cool. I could feel it against my fur. And I knew Molly could feel it too, though I assumed she was more used to this then I was. She had gone through the transition from fall to winter the year before and had felt the air temperatures drop. My transformation didn't occur until after we were already in the middle of winter. That said, things had been mild so far, just as the winter before had been fairly mild. I hoped it would last.
Columbia Falls was in the mountains of western Montana, largely just south of Glacier National Park and the Canadian border. Between its distance from the equator and the fact that it was high up in elevation, a big blizzard or cold snap was possible. So far things had been mild and Molly and I hadn't been tested too much by winter's icy grip. Hopefully we wouldn't have anything that present a serious challenge. Largely as the mild weather gave Molly and I a longer then normal enjoyment of seeing the leaves change colors on the few deciduous trees that naturally grew here and on the trees that had been planted by the people who had moved to Columbia Falls over time.
"So, when do you think we'll get our first snow?" Molly asked me as we made our way along the dirt road that would take us into town, "It is November now."
"I don't know," I commented, and glanced up to the west, "I don't think it'll be today though. The sky looks pretty clear out to the west of us."
"It also doesn't feel cold enough to snow yet," Molly answered, "but it does make for a pretty landscape."
And that snow fall did. Seeing the snow cap the mountains the winter before and dust the trees, deciduous or coniferous, had made for a very serene picture. The sort people saw in Christmas cards. That holiday was still over a month away. The thoughts of snow was merely to settle human enjoyments that Molly and I hadn't lost in our transformations.
"Yeah, it does," I commented, "Hopefully when we do get it, it's only a couple of inches... not some blizzard that buries everything."
Molly nodded to that. A big blizzard would be dangerous, as Frank Rhoer had told us somethings about that before the elections. Cattle did have fur, and to some extent their fur would keep the adults warm, but depending on the time of year, blizzards were dangerous for them. Yearlings and calves didn't have the bulk size yet to hold in body heat and risked freezing to death. Domestic cattle also had trouble foraging for food. Frank Rhoer had explained to us why the ranchers commonly let some fields go ungrazed all summer was to insure that they had fodder for their cattle during the winter. It left me wondering as to how well a one ton domestic cow could paw through the snow. We had seen some nature documentaries of Bison, Elk, Deer, and Moose doing things like that. I guessed it was more habit then anything else.
"Yeah," Molly nodded, "I'm not asking for a blizzard. Just a light dusting."
I nodded and we continued on our way in.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The walk into the High School was fairly quiet as I went in. Thoughts about Molly's and my future as parents and what it would be like went through my mind, as well wondering on when we would get our first snow of the winter. I even had one brief daydream of seeming a five year old male and female cubs bounding in and out of snow drifts. One was a White Tiger, which I didn't know realistic that would be to hope for. The Bengal Tiger was known for two "mutant" forms. One was the White Tiger and the other was the Golden Tabby Tiger. Both cases were the results of a cat being born with a set of two recessive genes. For White Tigers, it resulted in a tiger that was all white with dark brownish-black stripes and blue eyes. Golden Tabbys were largely a tannish brown with brown stripes and the areas that were white on Molly and I were even more so on them. And while that made for a very interesting looking tiger, because their genetics revolved around recessive genes, they weren't common, and Molly and I at least carried at least one dominant gene, as we were both a reddish-orange with black stripes and a white underbelly. The typical coloration of the Bengal Tiger. Maybe the fantasy of one of my cubs having those recessive genes was merely a fantasy the "human" part of me dreamed up.
As I arrived at the High School, I found Officer Barnes waiting.
"Morning," I said to him as I approached, "How'd your night go?"
"Pretty good," Officer Barnes replied, "Mrs. Choir won and Officer Jenkins can sleep quietly knowing that Megan can go through school without some lunatic deciding she's a man-eater."
I nodded to him. Aside from Molly and myself, Officer Barnes and Officer Jenkins had the most at stake in regards to the elections, or at least the local ones go. Because Megan required a transfusion from Molly to save her life, Megan would have come under many of the same restrictions that Hireman had placed on Molly as she grew older and began to mature from cub to tigress. But like Molly and I, she wasn't enslaved to her instincts and from what I heard, Officer Barnes and Officer Jenkins were doing a fairly good job of making sure that she was able to adapt to her instincts.
"Yes," I nodded, "a victory for good all around... I doubt many people around here would be pleased with the Congressional results at the National level..."
"Romney could still very well win the Presidency," Officer Barnes shrugged, "they were still counting in Nevada when I left this morning."
I nodded, "for me though, Tabby's victory is the big thing. As much as some people like to think the Federal Government is too big, sometimes the things closer to you can be more dangerous. What's the line from the Patriot... One tyrant one thousand miles away or one thousand tyrants one mile away?"
"Yeah," Officer Barnes commented, "and for us, it was the problems closer to home that were the real issue. Things here won't change all that much regardless of the national level victories... but Mrs. Choir will hopefully put us on the right foot."
I nodded again as we went into the office we used.
"And now we can move on to things that don't divide us," I replied.
"Yeah... politics is done for another two years," Officer Barnes answered, "the thing I love the most about the day after election day."
There was a brief silence as I set my lunch box down and Officer Barnes moved to get some of the tasks he had to do to start the day done. After a moment a question seized him.
"Did you or Molly hear a scream sometime last night?" Officer Barnes asked before I could go out to keep an eye on the students as they came in.
"Hm?" I wondered.
"Megan heard someone cry out last night," Officer Barnes answered, "I'm not sure if it woke her up or if she wasn't sleepy yet... but she heard something and asked her mother about it."
"Did you or Officer Jenkins hear it?" I asked him.
"Not well enough to know what it was," Officer Barnes told me, "but then of course, Megan's hearing is better then ours. I wondered if you and Molly might have heard it."
I sighed and shook my head.
"Molly and I never heard any sort of scream... at least not to the point that we'd be able to identify it," I sighed, "We're out in the rural area outside of town, so we're just far enough away that a lot of loud noises in town become much softer by the time they reach us and not always able to fully understand if it a vocal command or a word..."
"Nuts," Officer Barnes sighed, "I suppose we'll never know..."
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," I told him and made my way out to carry on my monitoring duties.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The entrance of the students into the school went very well. Things were a quiet and no one caused any trouble. And at the same time, from what I could see, Amy's ribs were healing quite well. She wasn't wearing the padded vest she had been given to wear immediately after the attack, but I wasn't completely sure on how long she still had before her ribs were completely healed. As I began to end back to the DARE office, the main secretary flagged me down as I went past the office door.
"Yes?" I said slowly as I walked in.
"You've done a good job with watching over the students as they come in," the secretary replied, "but I think we're at a point where those services are no longer needed."
"No longer needed?"
"Yes, the election and the heated atmosphere that it created is over," the secretary nodded, "with that over, I do not think it is wise for you to be standing outside the front doors as the students come in. It would give people the impression that we are running a police school here... We needed it during the election because of all the nonsense that Hireman threw around, but that is no longer necessary. I would think that you would enjoy not having to stand guard every morning to make sure some idiot didn't start a fight?"
"To some extent, I would," I nodded and gave a heavy sigh.
"Then there is no problem," the secretary replied, "Don't worry... with the election over, the things that get people agitated are not an issue anymore. They'll be fine."
And with that I returned to the DARE office and informed Officer Barnes on the change of missions. He nodded to that.
"It is to be expected," Officer Barnes answered with a shrug, "things will be cooling down now."
I nodded, as that was the best I could do. In the meantime, Officer Barnes continued.
"And at the same time, we have the first "don't do drugs" lecture today," Officer Barnes continued and held up a small calender which held the date that had been written down with that message on it.
I looked at it and slowly nodded. Officer Barnes and I had both been working on the various lines that we would need for this lecture. By what the Health/PE teacher had told us, he only expected us to say drugs were illegal. That didn't entirely sit right with me as anyone could say drugs were illegal. He didn't need us for that. So Officer Barnes and I began to go over various things that we had learned when we were trained on the effects of various drugs. We also did a little bit of side research to make sure that we weren't missing anything.
"So when do we tell the kids not to do drugs?" I asked.
"Our first go around is at nine," Officer Barnes replied.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
And at nine AM, Officer Barnes found ourselves in the Health Classroom. The students were all seated quietly in their seats as we made our way in and approached the teacher, Robin Pollski. As he began the class he stepped forward to introduce Officer Barnes and myself.
"Good morning students," Robin Pollski announced, "as you all now we are beginning our drugs segment of the health curriculum. To assist in this, I have asked Officers Barnes and Wayne to make a few brief comments to explain the risks involved in drug use."
Robin Pollski then surrendered the floor to Officer Barnes and I and we stepped forward. It was Officer Barnes who spoke first.
"Good morning," he greeted them, "In the past, the previous DARE officer has only informed you that many of the drugs you are studying are illegal in the eyes of the law and could land you in serious legal trouble should you be caught with them. And while that is true, Officer Wayne and I feel that is not entirely worthy of having us present to gave that lecture. So we have prepared a few remarks that get into many of the other problems that drugs give, and thus why there are age restrictions on some and why others are outright illegal. Your teacher will probably go into these things in greater depth."
"The underlying thing with all drugs," I picked up, "is the issue of addiction and what various drugs do the brain. Addiction is what draws people into continued drug use. People take them, feel the high and then feel they need to take more. That is basically what addiction is. Some drugs, like Tobacco, Marijuana, various Narcotics including Heroin, various forms of Cocaine, and even artificial drugs such as Methamphetamines, are highly addictive. They truly draw people in... and the more people use these drugs the more they are held in by the addictiveness of these drugs, which makes them all even more dangerous."
"Is it the addictiveness that makes some drugs illegal?" one student asked.
"And which ones are illegal?"
"For kids your age, ALL such drugs are illegal," Officer Barnes answered, "Once you turn eighteen you will be considered legally old enough to use various tobacco products and it will not be until you turn twenty one until you are allowed to legally consume alcohol. And addictiveness is a factor in why many other drugs are illegal, but another major part of it is because of the direct effects of these drugs. An overdose of Narcotics or other drugs can kill the user. And it is these considered threats to one's life that makes many drugs illegal, which Mr. Pollski will probably explain to you in greater depth."
"The drugs that are illegal to all people, regardless of their age are most Opiates like Heroin and Opium gotten directly from the poppy plant," I continued, "Marijuana, Cocaine, Methamphetamines, Speed, and designer drugs like Ecstasy. Some of them are deadly in the short term... and some have such a disorienting effect that you would run the risk of being caught in a very serious accident that could claim your life without your knowing it, but again Mr. Pollski will be able to explain these things in greater detail."
And so our lecture went on for a few moments. Mr. Pollski seemed a bit surprised by the fact that we had gone beyond what was part of his original intent, but he didn't seem offended by it. We stayed there until he had finished his own part of the day's lecture, taking even more questions from students. As they made their way out, he approached Officer Barnes and I.
"You went a bit beyond what R2 did while he was here," He commented bluntly.
"Having us just say that the drugs are illegal would be overkill," I replied, "you don't need us to come down to tell kids that Marijuana is illegal. For the most part they're already going to know that."
"I'm not complaining," Robin Pollski said back, "you two actually did a decent job of explaining some things and setting things up for the rest of my lecture."
"That's what we were looking for when we finished talking with you about what you normally did in regards to these things," Officer Barnes spoke.
"And it turned out better then I could have thought," Robin Pollski told us, "could I ask you about staying on as the DARE officers?"
"We're better suited to being patrol officers," Officer Barnes informed him, "we'll probably only be her until early January... depending on whether or not the city council will request enough money to hire a new permanent DARE officer and whether or not the state government in Helena will have the money to give to the city."
"Well..." Robin Pollski then sighed, "hopefully then you'll leave some good written notes for the guy that takes over the position full time."
To that, Officer Barnes and I nodded.