Note: the movie description is an actual film from the 40's called 'The Grapes of Wrath'. For more:
movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800072327/infoChapter 7
"Heeeeheeeheeeeee!" Physco giggled that night as the six sat in front of the TV. Wheezy arched an eyebrow at his friend and billowed out some stale white smoke. "What's so funny about a guy who just blew outta jail and finds his house abandoned and has ta deal with a half-nutty neighbor?" He rasped.
"His haaaaaaaaaair. Ihihihih!" Physco giggled. Greasy groaned and pulled Elmas closer on the couch. The Turkish weasel blushed furiously and looked at her lap. Smart Guy, who was holding an ice pack over his eye, felt a hot fork of jealousy stab him in the chest. Greasy always treated girls like that, but tonight, it ticked him off. He growled slightly and said, "Hey, Grease, why dont'cha run downstairs and get us some more popcorn? We're out."
"Aww boss, do I have to?" Greasy whined as he traced a finger down Elma's back. "Do it or I'll burn yer damn model magazines!" Smart Guy growled. Greasy's face paled. Reluctantly, he patted Elmas' hands and said, "Adios, mi amor." With that, he got up and left the living room. "Thank you." Elmas whispered, a relieved smile on her face. Smart Guy smiled and winked at her in reply. The Turkish toon's face turned the color of a cherry blossom as she turned back to the screen. Wheezy glanced from his boss to Elmas and frowned disapprovingly before turning back to the television.
~*~
"Aaaaaaah! Yok! Yok! Anne! Baba! Beni terk etme!*" (No! No! Mom! Dad! Don't leave me!).
Smart Guy's eyes popped open as Elmas' screams filled the air. He threw the covers aside and ran to the guest room. Stupid was already there, staring at the thrashing girl with a finger on his lip. "Ah, get outta my way!" Smart Guy shouted, shoving the fat weasel aside. He sat on Elmas' bed and gently shook her shoulders. "Hey, hey! Dollface, wake up! WAKE UP!" He urged. Finally, Elmas' cries subsided. She pried her eyes open and looked at Smart Guy. She sniffed as tears bathed her cheeks. "I saw them." She whimpered. Smart Guy frowned and said to Stupid, "Hey, Brainless, go get some milk and heat it up."
"Duh, OK boss! I'll ask Clarabelle!" Stupid announced as his sneakered feet swept him out of the room. "No! We got some in da...ah, forget it!" Smart Guy waved a paw in the air and turned to Elmas.
"Now dollface, what was dat ya said ya saw?" He asked as he helped her in a sitting position. "I saw my mom and dad...they were dying and, and said I shouldn't worry. I...oh, Smart Guy, it was horrible!" She covered her face with her hands and cried brokenly.
Smart Guy's eyebrows went up. He didn't know what to do; he wasn't the best comforter in the world, and he couldn't recall once his cohorts crying (unless he counted the times Physco stole Stupid's peanut butter and the overweight weasel wailed for four days straight). Hesitantly, he hugged her and patted her back. "S'OK, doll. It was just a dream." He said as softly as he could. Elmas hugged him tightly and said, "You're such a good friend, Smart Guy. I...I just don't know what I'd do without you."
Her words made him shiver, but Smart Guy felt his body stiffen at the word 'friend'. He shook it off and said, "Yeah well, no sweat toots." They were interrupted by the phone's shrill cry vibrating the air. The pink-hatted weasel cursed under his breath and let go of Elmas. "CAN SOMEBODY GET DAT?!" He bellowed. Elmas covered her ears with her paws and chuckled. A second later, they heard a groan and the sound of the receiver being picked up.
"Hola?"
There was a brief pause. "What?! Why yes, yes of course! We'll be right there!"
They heard the sound of the receiver being slammed into place. A second later, a panicked Greasy with green trunks, a T-shirt reading 'Date Me If Ya Don't Hate Me', socks, and curlers rushed in the room. Elmas and Smart Guy had to slap both hands over their mouths to keep from laughing. But when they saw his expression, the urge to laugh died.
"Whatsa matta', Grease?" Smart Guy demanded.
"Mr. and Mrs. Tomruk," the Mexican panted, "they died a coupla minutes ago."
Elmas gasped.
~*~
"Movvit, c'mon! Movvit, wouldya?!" Smart Guy shouted in the hospital 20 minutes later. He was wearing his coat over his pink-and-white striped pygamas and was looking for the doctor. Elmas was at his heels, at the brink of crying. The other weasels (all in their pygamas as well) were trying to obtain information (except for Stupid, who was still looking around for Clarabelle Cow). Finally, Smart Guy found the receptionist. "I'm lookin' for Mr. and Mrs. Tomruk." He said roughly. "I need your ID card." the receptionist (an old toon jaguar) said flatly.
Smart Guy stared at her.
"ID card?" He sneered.
"Yes. How else do we know of your intentions with our paitents?" The jaguar answered as though to a Preschooler. Smart Guy blinked, "Askin' us to our faces?"
"I'm sorry, but I need some kind of authorization."
Smart Guy literally trembled with rage. He pointed a finger to her. "Look Miss Thang ya better do as I say 'r yer gonna authorate me ta get ugly and I ain't pretty when I get ugly! Right, boys?" He turned to his cohorts.
"Ugly, no!" Physco squealed, pulling at his straightjacket. The jaguar must've been intimidated, for she didn't even bother to correct him and picked up the phone. Smart Guy smiled darkly. "Now der's a good gal." He said. Smart Guy leaned on the counter and folded his arms. Elmas didn't say anything, but she was pulling at her long black hair nervously.
A couple of minutes later, a toon baboon with a white lab coat came forward. "Um, Elmas Tomruk?" He called, looking around. "Yeah, it's me." Elmas called. "Ah, hello my dear." The doctor said nervously, "my name is Dr. Rolands, and I cared for your parents."
"Please tell me they're not dead." Elmas begged, even putting her hands together. He sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry, I did everything I could." He said, "It was just...too much." Elmas' face crumpled as she hid her face in her hands again. Physco whimpered and nuzzled her legs while Smart Guy asked, "So what did they die of, egzacticly?"
"I think you already know," the doctor said glumly, "Liver failure. It was from that poison they were taking, paracetamol. In fact, um, Miss Tomruk, the police would like to have a word with you." Elmas frowned and asked, "Why? What's wrong?"
"I don't know, I just know they're in your parents' room. Room 423." Dr. Rolands said. Elmas hesitated before nodding and gently prying Physco off of her legs. She walked to the room with her head bowed.
~*~
Smart Guy leaned on the wall next to room 423, listening to every word. A gruff policeman's voice said, "So you're telling us you had no idea that you were feeding them poison?"
"Yes," Elmas replied meekly, "My brother bought it and told me it would make them better."
"Hmm. That's odd, because we contacted your brother and asked him. He said that he never bought any medicine, and that he spent the days looking for a good doctor."
Smart Guy felt his chest tighten. He could almost hear Elmas' surprised expression. "W-what? Sir, I assure you--"
"Miss, your parents' will shall be read tomorrow, but if they leave you anything and you prove to be guilty, whatever you receive shall go to your brother."
Smart Guy's eyes widened as the pieces came together in his mind. No wonder Cahit had disappeared without a trace. No wonder he had given the 'medicine' to his innocent sister.
It was all a set-up.
He heard Elmas sigh and whisper, "Yes, sir." The policeman grunted in reply and left the room. He didn't even glance at Smart Guy as he exited the corridor. Smart Guy shook his head in disgust and straightened his coat. He entered to Elmas hiding her face in her hands and shaking her head. Without looking up, she practically whispered, "Smart Guy?"
"Yeah, doll?"
"Did you have these kind of problems with your family?"
Smart Guy couldn't hide his surprise. No one, not even the rest of the Toon Patrol, had ever asked him something like that before. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember ever sharing his past with anybody. He chuckled and sat in a stool next to her, his hand on her knee. Elmas stiffened at this gesture but said nothing.
"I guess ya could say dat. My family an' me ain't exactly 'close'." He stared, lighting himself a cigar. Elmas straightened up and listened. "I had a big sista', see. Katie. She was da favored o' da family. Whenever I did somethin' wrong, it was all 'Katie this' and 'Katie that'...ugh, I hated dat!" He rubbed his eyes. "So anyways, I moved out on ma 18th birthday. I found da Toon Patrol and, after a while, got in and became Sergeant." He grinned and straightened his jacket. Elmas giggled, some of sadness already leaving her eyes. She looked like she was about to say something, but her stomach growled fiercely. "Um, I'll be right back." She said bashfully, covering her stomach with her arms. Smart Guy pistol-shot her and watched her go.
For some reason, he felt fluttering feelings in his own stomach. He frowned and patted his furry belly. Had the Sergeant eaten something bad for him? Was it indigestion?
Whatever it was, it wasn't painful. At least he had been spared of pain.
"Boss?" A voice rasped.
Smart Guy turned to see Wheezy standing there, smoking nine cigarettes in total. "Ya know it ain't allowed ta smoke in 'ere." He said drily.
"Look who's talkin'." Smart Guy retorted. "Look, I've been t'inkin'," Wheezy said, "I t'ink, maybe Elmas ain't as goody-goody as she looks. I mean, who'd be so stupid as ta give yer parents poison without even knowin' it?"
Smart Guy growled, "What's yer pointed?"
Wheezy ignored his boss' grammatical error and said, "I t'ink we should leave 'er ta da judges. We'd get paid anyways, so we won't need 'er reward."
Smart Guy coughed on his cigar, pounding his chest with his fist. "Are ya nuts?! Elmas didn't do no murder! We ain't throwin' her in jail!" He shouted. "Who cares if she did it 'r not? We need dat money, boss, and our deadline's tomorrow!" Wheezy retorted between hacks.
"No, no it ain't right..."
"I know why ya ain't agreein'." Wheezy said. "Oh, do tell!" Smart Guy mocked, folding his arms. "Yer in love with da girl." Wheezy said simply.
Smart Guy felt as cornered as a poached rabbit. Wheezy must've seen his eyes widened, for he continued, "Yeah, ya got soft. Ya care about 'er--"
"NO I DON'T!" Smart Guy bellowed, "I don't care about da girl! I tell 'er t'ings from time ta time! I preface ta be 'er best buddy but it's bolony!"
"I didn't know ya could pretend so well," Wheezy remarked drily. "Well, ya can!" Smart Guy shouted, "With 'er, it's just business! It's ALWAYS been business! I'm USIN' da girl! And when we're done wit' 'er, we'll dump 'er ta da first taker dat comes! Is dat OK with you?!"
"Sure, boss," Wheezy rasped a bit more meekly. It was clear he hadn't been expecting this outburst.
Suddenly, the blue weasel frowned and turned around, as though expecting to see someone there. He gasped and dropped two of his cigarettes. Smart Guy frowned and followed his cohort's gaze.
He felt his heart rip in two like a tapestry.
There, with an apple in her paw, was Elmas. She sniffed and wiped at her glassy eyes with her arm. When she saw Smart Guy's face, she cried out and ran out of the hall. "Hey, hey! Doll! DOLL!" Smart Guy shouted, pushing past Wheezy. As the smoker watched his boss disappear in the hall, he felt guilt seep into his chest.
What had he done?