[snip]

After the sixth ball throw and return, Nessa on the seventh throw seemed to start going after it then gave a whine sound a few seconds after the ball had gone behind some crates. A crisp series of two sharp attention grabbing barks followed after a moment followed by a faint warning growl behind the crates where she was out of sight of Rick.

Rick had been mentally planning how he might compose his letter to Barbara when there was a pause from the now familiar skittering of nails on deck plating. Had the ball gotten under something where Nessa couldn’t get to? He had heard about cat owners whose seemingly sole occupation was fishing out cat toys out from under appliances and furniture. The bark was a surprise. It was .. an authoritative one to get attention and it got Rick’s attention. His brow furrowed in thought, then eyes widened at the growl. That was .. unexpected.

He launched himself off from the shelving that he had been leaning against and moved toward where Nessa had disappeared. What would there be to cause a growl? Sure a lost toy might if she was frustrated at the toy being out of reach, but that would have been what? Well, to his experience, limited as it was, he would have expected a less fervent bark, or he’d think that. “What have we got, Nessa?” he asked as he approached where she was. He had to squeeze between two crates to get behind and to suss out what was the situation. Now that he could see better-ish, he repeated, “What’s up Nessa? What do you see?” His eyes scanned for the ball.

• Rick, Eng

As he looked off to the side he saw said ball just laying 5 inches away from Nessa, her attention though was on the nearby life support grate. Once Nessa heard Rick was near she looked back whined then barked again at the grate. It seems something was getting her attention and she felt was worth noting of being a threat or something.

GM CockRoach