Chapter eight: On The Surface
Chase practically twisted himself into a pretzel with the blankets he'd wrapped himself up in. Laying on his side, he strained to stretch himself out. As if suddenly receiving a blow, he jerked his head back hitting the wall that he came into contact with him. Disoriented and in pain, he scrambled upright; rubbing his head with his paw until the pain went down a little. The pup lowered his paw to inspect it.. as if checking for blood; and even though he didn't see any, he still set his paw down with a heavy sigh.
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The mini audience turned toward him, when hearing the Lookout doors slid open.
"Morning Chase." Marcus greeted warmly.
"Feel any better?" Skye wondered hopefully.
"Yeah.. I guess." The pup replied, though they couldn't tell if his half-hearted response was because he was still feeling down,.. or if he was still just a little sleepy.
"Well.. We're ready to try again if you are." Daniel put in, brightly rising from his chair. "We still have a lot of work to do to get you ready for the competition… That is… if you still wanna compete."
"Of course I still wanna compete." Chase lightened up, as if surprised that he'd even imply such a thing otherwise.
"Relax Chase.." Frank reasoned softly, gesturing a hand to him subtly. "He was just joking."
"*sigh* Yeah ok." The pup sat back on his haunches and dropped his gaze away from them.
"Chase.. are you ok? You've kinda seemed a little off these past few days." Ryder mentioned gently. "Is there something going on that you're not telling us?"
"No.. I…" The pup trailed, listlessly wandering his eyes out toward the door. "I guess I've just had so much to think about." The pup admitted solemnly. "Ever since I got back everything has.. changed… I guess I'm still figuring out how to adjust."
"It's ok, Chase.." The boy said, coming to pull the pup into a tender embrace. "I know it's hard.. but we're here to help you.." He stroked the pup's head as he laid his chin on it. "That's why Marcus and Daniel are here to train you… they wanna see you compete in the competition as much as the rest of us."
"I know." Chase sighed, as they broke apart again; his eyes downcast. "And I'm trying to stay positive.." He lifted his deep brown eyes to meet the ones if his leader. "It just seems like it's been getting harder and harder to do that lately."
"I bet it is.. but I think part of it is you're trying too hard." Billy reasoned, and he began to explain when Chase gave him an odd look. "I know you wanna be healed.. but the reality is you're.. not quite there yet… But that's why we're here, to get you back to that point; as close as we can get anyway." Chase's heart sank at the last part, but he chose to force himself not to show it; knowing that it'd raise suspicion, though something inside him wondered that that might've already happened.
"Either way.. we'll get you in shape for living your long awaited dream." Maggie encouraged. "..No matter what it takes."
"And I think it know a way that's both helpful and fun." Marcus noted. "And I think your pal, Zuma, can help with that." The Chocolate Lab was taken aback by the mention of his name; indicated by the lightening of his expression that blinked its way onto his face.
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Marshall snapped the tape off the rest of the roll and smoothed the end of it down over his friend's shoulder. And then Maggie helped him step into his wetsuit, zipping it on, up his back.
"Soo.. what are we doing again?" Chase wondered, looking from Maggie standing over him to Billy nearest to the water's edge.
"We're gonna work on strengthening that shoulder again." Daniel explained, clipping a cinch to the back of a harness; then knelt down to Chase to tighten it onto him. "Ok.. so since your shoulder is really the only obstacle we have to overcome.. the water is a great place to work on that."
"Huh?" Chase questioned.. finding no understanding of what this meant.
"The swimming motion allows you to build up the strength in it again." Billy explained, as he escorted them up onto the dock to board the Flounder; which set sail for open water once everyone was aboard. "And with careful monitoring from Marshall, we can manage your pain and swelling till it starts to get stronger."
"Um ok, I guess that makes sense." Chase nodded slowly. The Flounder made it out a short distance before dropping anchor.
"This is it.." Capt'n Turbot announced peeking out from the pilot's cab. "The perfect place to take the plunge."
"That's your cue, Chase." Billy said, as everyone's gaze fell upon the pup once again. "You ready?"
"I guess so." Chase replied simply, and Billy took him up, and let him jump out of his arms into the water below. Chase immediately came up and maintained a steady paddling motion that easily kept him afloat.
"So.. now what?" The pup wondered, looking up at them quizzically.
"Now.. we challenge you." Billy answered thrillingly. Zuma suddenly emerged from the deep splashing forth with his water rescue pack and helmet.
"How's it hangin', dude?" The Chocolate Lab smirked.
"Ok, I guess." Chase answered a bit offly.
"Ok Zuma.. place the marker." Billy instructed, pointing out to his left; which would be the two pups' right.
"You got it!" The brown pup in orange responded, jetting his way over about ten feet; before setting up a weighted buoy with a bright red flag on it. The end of this buoy was secured to the access ladder of the Flounder by a long cable to prevent it from floating too far away.
"So.. what's next?" Chase wondered, glancing up at the ones still left on the boat.
"You swim to him.." Billy replied simply. "As fast and as best you can."
"Um.. ok." The pup responded, turning toward his friend far out beyond them.
"On my count." Daniel called, holding up his watch. "One.. two.. three.. go!" Chase swam as hard as he could, his sights set on the Chocolate Lab awaiting his arrival. But as he'd made it about halfway a tingling pinch in his shoulder stuck needles into it, prohibiting his movements a bit; but he struggled on. I can make it.. I know I can!! He told himself strongly, pushing himself to keep going. But the more he pressed the more it seemed to hurt; yet still he persisted. Have.. to keep.. going!! Paddle after painful paddle, he finally neared the buoy marker; breathlessly pressing a paw to it when reaching it.
"Great work, dude!" Zumba praised excitedly.
"His time's not good." Daniel noted subtly to Billy so Chase wouldn't hear; glancing at him from the corner of his eye. "But that's what we expected given the circumstances."
"I know, he's got a long way to go.." Billy returned quietly. "But let's not let him know that."
"Agreed." Marcus put in slowly. "We know how down he's been lately. And how down he's gotten when things aren't going right for him."
"I..uh.. think I'm ready to be done now." Chase called, beginning to swim a bit oddly.
"Ok, come on back then." Billy complied willingly, waving to him. Eyes fixed ahead, Chase began the paddling trek back.. soon realizing that his strength was nearly spent; and his shoulder was starting to really hurt.
"You ok, dude?" Zuma wondered, coming alongside him.
"Yeah..um.." He adjusted himself again to keep from falling under. "I'm kinda just struggling to keep going, that's all."
"Oh.. well don't worry Chase dude, just hang on to me." The Chocolate Lab offered putting a paw around his friend; to which the gesture was returned. "I'll help you back to the Flounder."
"Why's Chase holding onto Zuma like that?" Marshall wondered, when shielding his eyes to see them.
"Maybe he's out of energy to keep going on his own?" Rubble suggested, looking at Ryder; who simply shrugged for lack of a better response. The two pups made it back to the boat, and Billy bent down(with help from Maggie) to bring Chase back up on deck, before bending down to retrieve Zuma as well. Setting Chase down, the pup shook off as much water as he could and sat down; his shoulder throbbing by this point, making him completely reluctant to use it. As Zuma came up onto the deck, though, he tried his best to give the illusion that nothing was wrong; willing himself to look anything other than in pain.
"We'll try this again later." Ryder figured. "But, for now, let's give your shoulder a rest. Don't wanna overdo it, ya know."
"Uhh.. yeah.. sure." Chase agreed slowly, remaining where he was after a slight hesitating movement.
"You ok, Chase?" Skye wondered a bit suspiciously. "You seem a little.. uncomfortable."
"What do you mean?" Chase wondered, a bit of nervousness hinting in the back of his mind, though refusing to show it.
"It's just that-.. you seem like you're in pain.." The Cockapoo's eyes bore into Chase's innocently. "Is your shoulder hurting more than your showing?" How did she guess?! Chase's mind cried.
"Umm.. kinda?" The German Shepherd answered, almost as a question. Feeling unconvinced Marshall elbowed Chase's right shoulder just below the injured area.
"Ow! Marshall!" Chase reacted, placing a paw to his shoulder and frowning at the Dalmatian painfully.
"Sorry.." Marshall apologized earnestly. "But I think you really are hurting more than you say."
"It's ok to admit that it hurts." Rubble spoke up. "I mean.. you did get pretty badly hurt when that Rottweiler; Rex attacked you."
"Rubble's right." Rocky agreed. "You don't have to play tough with us about your injury."
"In fact, we wanna know when it hurts." Marshall added. "We wanna be able to help you.. you don't have to 'tough it out' all the time."
"Especially if you don't have to." Ryder confirmed the pups' points.
"*deep sigh* I know." The pup sighed, almost in an exasperated tone; which no one saw coming from the police pup in blue.
"Well.. don't worry, Chase. Once we get back to the Lookout we'll ice it, and I can give you something for the pain again." Marshall offered rather forwardly.
"Ok." Chase complied with another heavy sigh, then turned away to lay down. The teams hearts broke once more, as they exchanged more glances of concern and hurt.
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Chase dipped his nose into the bowl of water set before him, drinking up the dissolved medicine within it. Finishing it by licking his lips, he looked up when a cold sensation pressed into his shoulder; then laid down in catching a glimpse of the one pressing the ice pack on him.
"Hang on, Chase." Billy told him, sliding his hand under the pup to lift him up again. "We're gonna try something new." Chase felt a tightening occur on his shoulder and opposite side; then vice versa for the other one. Billy's hand ran straps from the blue ice pack, round each shoulder and securing them to the straps that wrapped down around his sides; these straps crossing paths underneath him at his chest. "This'll hold the ice pack in place for ya." Billy explained, shifting away after finishing.
"Ok.. thanks." Chase thanked him flatly, laying his head down on his paws. Billy gently rubbed the pup's head and stood up, making his way over to the group standing a short distance from him; watching everything.
"He looks so sad." Rocky sighed sadly.
"He's even worse than before." Marshall added hurtfully.
"Maybe he's not healing like he should be?" Rubble supposed, looking to Ryder and the people among him.
"Oh he's healing.." Frank stated, glancing briefly at the pups to return his gaze to the single, lonely one.. "Just not adequately in every area."
"His shoulder is gonna hurt some, as we begin to work on it again." Billy explained. "But Chase is beginning to lose hope in himself."
"You think there's anything we can do?" Skye asked hopefully.
"Maybe." Maggie shrugged, without breaking her gaze from where she was sitting on a beanbag. "But what it is'll take a bit to figure out." The pups' gazes dropped down to Chase once more, as they stared wistfully over at him. Silence ensued creating an awkward atmosphere that disturbed everyone.. but no one knew what to say or do.
"We'll continue the physical therapy program we have going for him.." Billy spoke up finally, breaking the uncomfortable silence, much to everyone's relief. "And in the meantime we need to come up with a plan on how to boost his spirits, if we have any hope in truly recovering him to full strength." Chester took a couple cautious steps forward, before giving in to his legs' plea to approach the other German Shepherd; lying listlessly in front of them.
Hey everybody!! So here's the next chapter. Not exactly sure when I last posted to this story, but I know it's been a little bit. But anyway, can't wait to hear your thoughts on it and I'll see you next time! Thx!!!