Chapter 25: Leaving
(the * means everything is in a flashback.)
*"Y-You're sending me home?! I have to leave Pup Training Camp?!" Marshall asked with a shaky, upset voice. The Pup Master nodded his head yes.
"No! No, I don't want to! What about my friends?! What about Rocks and Snow?!" Marshall asked in disbelief.
"They will stay here. I'm so sorry Marshall. We all tried to figure out a way for you to stay, but as long as your legs are getting better, there's nothing we can do. We don't want you to get hurt more than you are now," the Pup Master explained, understanding Marshall's feelings. Marshall just looked at the Pup Master with widen, watery eyes, and shaking his head with a look of disbelief of his face.
"No...No! No! No! No! NOOOOOOOOO!" Marshall screamed while crying. His wheel-chair was attached to his legs, so he did the only thing he could think of. He ran! Marshall ran/wheeled past the Pup Master, into the wooden hallway, and outside towards his and Rocks tent. The Pup Master sighed knowing how hard Marshall was talking the news.
Marshall ran/wheeled right into the sheet tent while being careful that the wheels didn't rip the bottom of the sheet tent. Rocks was in the tent too, and didn't see Marshall. Once he was inside the tent, Marshall collapsed, and cried.
"Marshall? Is that... Marshall! What's wrong buddy?" Rocks asked as he ran over to his friend and carefully gave him a hug. Marshall hugged back.
"I DON'T WANNA LEAVE CAMP!" Marshall screamed before crying into Rocks arms. Rocks asked what happened and Marshall explained everything.
"They said I need to leave so I can get better... B-But I don't want to leave you and Snowflake! You guys are my b-best friends!" Marshall explained before crying and hugging Rocks again. It took a while for Marshall to calm down and then he was lead back into the Pup Masters cabin to his room. The Pup Masters talked with him, and even though he shouldn't have run out of the cabin like he did, Marshall wasn't in trouble. They all understood his emotional pain.
Rocks told Snowflake everything that had happened. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Later on that night, Snowflake went to see Marshall and he told her the same thing he told Rocks. What was worse, he found out that he would be going back home within two day. After a tearful and heartbreaking hug, comforting words and some bonding time, Snowflake left the cabin and told Rocks the news. The two pups broke out in tears.
Two days had passed and as the bus got loaded with Marshall's bags, Marshall was saying his last goodbyes to Rocks and Snowflake.
"G-Goodbye Rocks and Snowflake. I'm going to miss you guys!" Marshall said with a shaky voice and teary eyes.
"I'll miss you too buddy!" Snowflake replied, also with a shaky voice and watery eyes.
"And I'll miss you too!" Rocks added in a similar voice.
"I really enjoyed all the good times we had. We built a tent, swam, played tag, went on a hike, sang songs around the campfire, played funny games, and- and- " Marshall said before he started to cry. Snowflake and Rocks carefully hugged and cried with Marshall to comfort him.
"Wait, I have an idea!" Rocks said as they separated from the hug and ran off. He then came back with a stick covered in mud.
"We could put our names and paw prints on our scarves. That way, the paw prints and names will always be a sign of our friendship!" Rocks explained.
"That's a great idea Rocks!" Snowflake exclaimed as Marshall agreed. They all then took off their Pup Training Camp scarves, put mud paw prints and their names on the scarves, and let them dry in the sun so the mud would be dry. As the loading finished, the mud on the scarves were dry and the three friends put their scarves back on. Suddenly, they heard the bus horn beep.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye. I love you Snowflake. I love you Rocks," Marshall said with a shaky voice and watery eyes.
"We love you too Marshall!" Snowflake and Rocks replied as the three pup buddies gave each other a tearful group hug one last time. The Pup Masters took pictures of the three pups hugging on a camera with some more pictures on it. Once Marshall, Snowflake, and Rocks separated from the hug, they said goodbye, Marshall got the camera and his backpack, said goodbye to the Pup Masters and then got on the bus.
The bus drove away slowly and as carefully as possible. Marshall looked back at his friends and the Pup Masters as he started to leave the camp. Then, just as he was driven past the camp entrance sign, Marshall looked back, hugged his backpack, and started to cry.*