All For a Good Cause
Disclaimers: I do not own Forever Knight or the characters associated with it; they are owned by Sony/TriStar and James Parriott. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This story was inspired by a real-life event. Yes, some people in the U.S. do very strange things for charity. But it's all in good fun.
By Emily Hanson
* * * * *
Nick rolled his eyes as he read the e-mail that listed him as having been nominated to put on a rubber suit and Sumo wrestle for charity. He was at the top of the list, followed closely by Don Schanke and Joe Reese.
"I can't believe this," Schanke grumbled, having just read the same e-mail. "I put my name down, but I didn't seriously think anyone would vote for me."
"Hey, just be glad you weren't nominated for the clown suit," Nick replied.
"You volunteered?"
"Yeah, against my better judgment."
Schanke chuckled at the image of his partner in a clown costume. "When's the wrestling contest?"
"At 11:00." Nick sighed. Hopefully the vampire community wouldn't find out about this. Janette and LaCroix would never let him live it down. It was a good thing his sire was out of the country.
"Trace," he said as she and Vachon walked by, "please tell me you didn't vote for me."
Detective Vetter grinned. "I've got twenty dollars riding on you, Knight. You'd better win."
He sighed. "Not much chance of me getting out of this, is there?"
"Nope." Tracy grinned. "Hey, it's all for a good cause."
As she left, Nick wondered if Natalie had voted for him. He checked his watch. Where had the time gone? Another e-mail arrived to announce the finalists. By the sound of Don's groan, the vampire surmised that he was among them.
"Looks like its you and me, pal," Schanke remarked.
"Sure, Schank. I promise I'll go easy on you."
Don laughed. "More like the other way around."
"There's no full moon tonight," Nick observed wryly. "And I don't think they'll let us cheat."
"Who says I need to cheat? I made the wrestling team back in high school."
"Sumo wrestling?"
"No, regular. Sheesh."
The two captains of the Paranormal Investigations department found their way to a large conference room that had been totally cleared out. There were mats on the floor and large rubber suits made to look like Sumo wrestler bodies. They were completely hilarious. Nick laughed out loud.
Schanke wrinkled his nose. "Those things stink."
"I don't think they're easily washable," Nick replied. "It's all for a good cause, anyway."
"Yeah. Right."
The three ladies from human resources were gazing wide-eyed at them. Finally, one of them smiled. "Go ahead and pick a suit, guys."
"Uh . . ." Schanke looked at Nick. "You first."
"Okay." One of the rubber suits had blue shorts and the other had red shorts. "I'll take the red one."
Nick winced at the smell as he stepped into it. The costume was very much oversized and he needed help from Schanke to put it on. Once the Velcro fastenings in the back were closed, the odor wasn't so bad. He took a step and then another. Waddling was the only way to move around in the huge rubber suit, unless he flew. Then he'd look completely ridiculous, like a hot air balloon floating about the ground.
Captain Reese entered the room and cracked up when he saw his former detective. "Ah, Knight, Schanke . . . you look great." Joe was wearing a black and white referee shirt.
"I can imagine," Nick replied.
"Seriously, in 800 years, have you ever done anything like this?"
"No. This is definitely a new experience."
As he spoke, other people filed into the room. Natalie and Grace were among them.
Nat started to giggle. "Oh, Nick, if LaCroix could see you now."
He grinned sheepishly. "Hi."
"Hello."
He bent down awkwardly to kiss her. "Now I know how the dough boy feels."
Natalie grinned and poked him in the heavily padded stomach of the rubber suit. "Good luck," she said.
"Thanks."
"Phew, that smells." Reese remarked as he helped Schanke get into his costume. "How can you stand it?"
"I've smelled worse. Not by much, though."
Tracy gaped at Nick and Schanke in the highly padded costumes for a couple of seconds and then giggled. "You guys look great, really."
Vachon snickered. "Yeah, Knight. This is a moment I definitely will not forget."
After everyone else was seated around the room, Reese announced, "Okay. The very first Toronto Police Sumo wrestling contest is about to begin. Please remember that this is for charity, and if anyone would like to make a last minute bet on one of the contenders, do so now." He waited for a few people to write out checks. "First one to knock the opponent down three times is the winner. You are not allowed to use your hands. Ready, set, go!"
Nick and Schanke faced each other from across the mat. It was Don who broke the standoff, rushing - as much as he could in the bulky suit without tripping over - towards the vampire. Knight stepped aside and Schanke had to turn quickly to avoid falling off the edge of the mat. He nearly lost his balance then, but didn't. Nick approached steadily. If anyone could manage to look graceful while waddling in a padded rubber costume, it was a vampire. But even he couldn't move very quickly in those circumstances without cheating. Nick got the first knockdown by turning as Schanke approached from behind.
Don got up, amazingly without assistance. He'd broken a sweat and the costume stank even worse. But this was all for a good cause, he told himself.
"Whew. It's getting hotter than blazes in here," Schanke said.
"Yeah," Nick agreed as they faced off again.
Don moved out of the way as Knight advanced. Schanke turned, took a couple of steps forward, and headed straight for Nick. The vampire saw his partner moving out of the corner of his eye, but the costume was unwieldy and he couldn't dodge. Knight went down. He wasn't hurt, of course, though it was difficult to stand up. Reese gave him a hand. R
ound three. Schanke and Nick got a knockdown at the same time. They charged each other, and neither could get out of the way. Sprawled on the mat, both of them laughed until Schanke was red in the face.
"I can't get up," the vampire said. "At least, not without cheating somehow."
Captain Reese hauled Don to his feet. Then they pulled Nick to a standing position.
"You two okay?" Joe asked.
"Fine," Schanke answered.
"Great," Nick added.
Round four. The two partners faced off again. This time, they waddled around each other, neither one wanting to rush his opponent and fall flat on his back. Schanke was getting annoyed. He wanted to get of the rubber suit and into the showers as fast as he could. What was Nick waiting for? It must be uncomfortable for him, too. The heat and the smell of the costume were getting to the werewolf. He growled. A look of embarrassment flashed across his face. Tired of playing the waiting game, Schanke charged.
Nick heard him coming and waddled out of the way. The vampire took a defensive stance as his partner advanced again. The force of the impact was enough to send him flat on his back.
"We have a winner!" Reese said.
Don, still reeling from the impact, took a step forward and lost his balance. This caused quite a stir among the gathered audience.
"Knight? Schanke? Are you two all right?"
"Wonderful," Nick responded. "Just get me out of this suit."
"Me too," Don said.
"Just keep in mind, it's all for a good cause," Captain Reese answered.
"I'm trying to," Schanke replied with a laugh.
* * * * *
The End
Disclaimers: I do not own Forever Knight or the characters associated with it; they are owned by Sony/TriStar and James Parriott. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This story was inspired by a real-life event. Yes, some people in the U.S. do very strange things for charity. But it's all in good fun.
By Emily Hanson
* * * * *
Nick rolled his eyes as he read the e-mail that listed him as having been nominated to put on a rubber suit and Sumo wrestle for charity. He was at the top of the list, followed closely by Don Schanke and Joe Reese.
"I can't believe this," Schanke grumbled, having just read the same e-mail. "I put my name down, but I didn't seriously think anyone would vote for me."
"Hey, just be glad you weren't nominated for the clown suit," Nick replied.
"You volunteered?"
"Yeah, against my better judgment."
Schanke chuckled at the image of his partner in a clown costume. "When's the wrestling contest?"
"At 11:00." Nick sighed. Hopefully the vampire community wouldn't find out about this. Janette and LaCroix would never let him live it down. It was a good thing his sire was out of the country.
"Trace," he said as she and Vachon walked by, "please tell me you didn't vote for me."
Detective Vetter grinned. "I've got twenty dollars riding on you, Knight. You'd better win."
He sighed. "Not much chance of me getting out of this, is there?"
"Nope." Tracy grinned. "Hey, it's all for a good cause."
As she left, Nick wondered if Natalie had voted for him. He checked his watch. Where had the time gone? Another e-mail arrived to announce the finalists. By the sound of Don's groan, the vampire surmised that he was among them.
"Looks like its you and me, pal," Schanke remarked.
"Sure, Schank. I promise I'll go easy on you."
Don laughed. "More like the other way around."
"There's no full moon tonight," Nick observed wryly. "And I don't think they'll let us cheat."
"Who says I need to cheat? I made the wrestling team back in high school."
"Sumo wrestling?"
"No, regular. Sheesh."
The two captains of the Paranormal Investigations department found their way to a large conference room that had been totally cleared out. There were mats on the floor and large rubber suits made to look like Sumo wrestler bodies. They were completely hilarious. Nick laughed out loud.
Schanke wrinkled his nose. "Those things stink."
"I don't think they're easily washable," Nick replied. "It's all for a good cause, anyway."
"Yeah. Right."
The three ladies from human resources were gazing wide-eyed at them. Finally, one of them smiled. "Go ahead and pick a suit, guys."
"Uh . . ." Schanke looked at Nick. "You first."
"Okay." One of the rubber suits had blue shorts and the other had red shorts. "I'll take the red one."
Nick winced at the smell as he stepped into it. The costume was very much oversized and he needed help from Schanke to put it on. Once the Velcro fastenings in the back were closed, the odor wasn't so bad. He took a step and then another. Waddling was the only way to move around in the huge rubber suit, unless he flew. Then he'd look completely ridiculous, like a hot air balloon floating about the ground.
Captain Reese entered the room and cracked up when he saw his former detective. "Ah, Knight, Schanke . . . you look great." Joe was wearing a black and white referee shirt.
"I can imagine," Nick replied.
"Seriously, in 800 years, have you ever done anything like this?"
"No. This is definitely a new experience."
As he spoke, other people filed into the room. Natalie and Grace were among them.
Nat started to giggle. "Oh, Nick, if LaCroix could see you now."
He grinned sheepishly. "Hi."
"Hello."
He bent down awkwardly to kiss her. "Now I know how the dough boy feels."
Natalie grinned and poked him in the heavily padded stomach of the rubber suit. "Good luck," she said.
"Thanks."
"Phew, that smells." Reese remarked as he helped Schanke get into his costume. "How can you stand it?"
"I've smelled worse. Not by much, though."
Tracy gaped at Nick and Schanke in the highly padded costumes for a couple of seconds and then giggled. "You guys look great, really."
Vachon snickered. "Yeah, Knight. This is a moment I definitely will not forget."
After everyone else was seated around the room, Reese announced, "Okay. The very first Toronto Police Sumo wrestling contest is about to begin. Please remember that this is for charity, and if anyone would like to make a last minute bet on one of the contenders, do so now." He waited for a few people to write out checks. "First one to knock the opponent down three times is the winner. You are not allowed to use your hands. Ready, set, go!"
Nick and Schanke faced each other from across the mat. It was Don who broke the standoff, rushing - as much as he could in the bulky suit without tripping over - towards the vampire. Knight stepped aside and Schanke had to turn quickly to avoid falling off the edge of the mat. He nearly lost his balance then, but didn't. Nick approached steadily. If anyone could manage to look graceful while waddling in a padded rubber costume, it was a vampire. But even he couldn't move very quickly in those circumstances without cheating. Nick got the first knockdown by turning as Schanke approached from behind.
Don got up, amazingly without assistance. He'd broken a sweat and the costume stank even worse. But this was all for a good cause, he told himself.
"Whew. It's getting hotter than blazes in here," Schanke said.
"Yeah," Nick agreed as they faced off again.
Don moved out of the way as Knight advanced. Schanke turned, took a couple of steps forward, and headed straight for Nick. The vampire saw his partner moving out of the corner of his eye, but the costume was unwieldy and he couldn't dodge. Knight went down. He wasn't hurt, of course, though it was difficult to stand up. Reese gave him a hand. R
ound three. Schanke and Nick got a knockdown at the same time. They charged each other, and neither could get out of the way. Sprawled on the mat, both of them laughed until Schanke was red in the face.
"I can't get up," the vampire said. "At least, not without cheating somehow."
Captain Reese hauled Don to his feet. Then they pulled Nick to a standing position.
"You two okay?" Joe asked.
"Fine," Schanke answered.
"Great," Nick added.
Round four. The two partners faced off again. This time, they waddled around each other, neither one wanting to rush his opponent and fall flat on his back. Schanke was getting annoyed. He wanted to get of the rubber suit and into the showers as fast as he could. What was Nick waiting for? It must be uncomfortable for him, too. The heat and the smell of the costume were getting to the werewolf. He growled. A look of embarrassment flashed across his face. Tired of playing the waiting game, Schanke charged.
Nick heard him coming and waddled out of the way. The vampire took a defensive stance as his partner advanced again. The force of the impact was enough to send him flat on his back.
"We have a winner!" Reese said.
Don, still reeling from the impact, took a step forward and lost his balance. This caused quite a stir among the gathered audience.
"Knight? Schanke? Are you two all right?"
"Wonderful," Nick responded. "Just get me out of this suit."
"Me too," Don said.
"Just keep in mind, it's all for a good cause," Captain Reese answered.
"I'm trying to," Schanke replied with a laugh.
* * * * *
The End
