Chapter sixteen: Epic Fail!
Chase grunted as he shifted his paws over the tender shoulder he'd landed on, as they all drew near. Almost willing himself to stand, he found his fight left him and a couple wobbly steps dropped him onto the sandy floor again.
"Chase, are you ok?!" Chester gasped.
"What were you doing?!" Mariana scolded.
"Uhn.. I'm ok.." Chase groaned, walking his paws up to sit up. Alex soon joined them and as soon as he drew near Billy turned to him with stern, yet tender eyes.
"Buddy, what were you thinking?" He asked the small boy, his voice gentle and calm. "Alex, that was really dangerous. Chase could've been seriously hurt. If he'd of taken that to the head.."
"I..I know, I-.. I'm sorry." Alex gasped. "Chase, I'm so sorry! Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to throw a frisbee for you after all.."
"It's ok, Alex.." Chase answered softly, taking a slightly limping step toward him. "You were fine.. you just gotta be more focused when tossing the Zoom-it's like that. And practice a bit more. It took Billy years to get it right, now he's as precise with his throws as ever."
"I still don't get it.." Chester spoke up. "How did this happen?"
"It's no big deal.. really." Chase spoke up, before Alex could. "-he just.. asked if he could throw me a Zoom-It like Billy was.. And it would've worked except.." His eyes wandered away sheepishly, when finding nothing solid to follow up with to back up his claim.
"I got distracted… I shouldn't have tossed that other Zoom-It for Skyler." Alex sighed.
"And I should've tried harder to stop it." Skyler sighed, clearly haunted by her mistake.
"It's ok, Skyler,.." Boomerang told her. "You tried your-.."
"Not my best.." Skyler sighed to interrupt him, her eyes wandering down regretfully. "Believe me, I can do better."
"At least you're tried." Boomerang reiterated.
Chase stood up to shake the sand from his coat, but caught himself off balance and stepped over his right foreleg to catch himself; trying to force himself to remain standing on it.
"Hang on, Chase.." Marshall advised.
"Yes.." Maggie agreed, coming forward and stooping down to scoop him up onto his back, teh pup squirming in the sudden, yet smooth, transition. "Let's take a look at that."
And Alex just stood there watching as they all followed after Maggie, then lowered his gaze to the ground in shame.
XXXX
"Ihn!" Chase grunt and pulled away from them, even though their touch didn't seem to hurt quite as much as it had before.
"Well, good news? You're in pretty good shape still." Marcus announced when stepping back.
"Bad news is you got a new bruise there now." Daniel finished.
"*sigh* so what else is new?" Chase mumbles dryly.
"Hey now." Billy corrected, sternly pointing a finger to him. "Don't go all sour on me."
"Yeah, didn't you hear? You're doing fine!" Chester piped up, scooting closer to his brother. "Yeah, you added a bruise today, but at least it was an accident.. And it's not that bad, see?" He dragged the mechanically hung mirror over on its hinge so Chase could look into it to just barely make out the darker spot on his shoulder amongst the healing wounds now covered with a light coating of new fur; which had begun to cover it up by now.
Chase's glance still just dropped to the floor and he laid down facing away from the mirror without anything else in mind to say.
XXXX
"Hey dude, how you feeling?" Zuma wondered, when the door finally opened again.
Chase's silence just lowered with a frown.
"He'll be fine." Chester answered for him, looking from his brother to the group.
"Hoh.. well that's good." Marshall sighed, joined by the other pups.
But Chase's expression never changed and he walked on past them with ears laid back and eyes following the ground in front of him.
xxxx
"Hey don't sweat it, Chase." Rayla coached, as he lay above them on the indoor playset; paws hanging off it slightly. "At least you're not back to square one again.. it just set you back a couple pegs, that's all."
"But that's the problem!" Chase groaned, holding his hardened glance on the floor below him. "Just when we gain headway with my training, something bad happens.. I'll admit some of that has been my own fault,.. but sometimes it's not… *sigh* Maybe you're right,.. maybe this isn't my year.."
"What?! Don't say that?! Of course this is your year." Rayla decided forwadly.
"Hey..uh..what're you talkin' about? I thought you said he'd be better off waiting another year?.." Tiny murmured to her, hoping Chase wouldn't hear.
"I know, but if he gets too discouraged, he may never will." Rayla mumbled back, leaving him to pace forward toward her police pup friend.
"Listen, Chase.." She said finally, more bold in saying so. "I know Boomerang's been talking to you about this along with everyone else, so I'm just gonna say it.. if you give up now.. all your hard work will go to waste.. and I know that's not what you want. If you give up now.. you'll regret it for the rest of your life! Trust me,.. I know." Chase's gaze turned to her, his blank look unable to hide the interest that sparked deep within his dark brown eyes; and couldn't mask his desire to know more. Rayla's gaze closed with the lowering of her head, then came back up, when she opened them to look at him again.
"You're not the first pup to get discouraged by a situation where things seem against you on all sides.. but that's how we learn our strength." The golden lab stated. "Pups like you and me? We're built to be tough.. but sometimes we play tough just to get by. And when there's not enough tough left, we begin to wonder if we're really tough enough to handle it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that… you don't have to tough it out.. just live it out. You're gonna burn yourself out if you don't.. and that's when you lose sight of the dream." And at this, the gears, she could tell, were turning again.
Focused and thoughtful, as he hopped down to slowly stroll for the door; a subtle gimp still present from the lightly wrapped shoulder.
Madge pushed the door open further to let the pup exit before entering the room and closing it behind her.
"Madge, ma'am.." Rayla piped up softly, when stepping up to her. "We've gotta do something! He's losing himself to this injury, and.. I'm afraid he'll get into more trouble because of it."
"Why do you say 'trouble', dearest Rayla?" Madge wondered, holding a hint of graveness to her expression and tone.
"Well-.. because he's continuing to backslide mentally anytime something goes wrong. He's not healing the way he wants to.. or.. how he expected,.." her gaze sadly lowered again. "I'm just worried he'll fall too deep into his fears of losing his abilities,.. that he'll lose himself to it. There's gotta be something we can do,.. right?"
"I sure hope so, honey.." Madge sighed, nodding thoughtfully as her eyes wandered. But moments later her eyes brightened, lifting in spirits as a spark of hope began to formulate within her mind, which she caught with Rayla's curious one along with the other pups.
"You know?.." she said finally. "I think there might just be a way…" And the pups just stared at her with more confusion, even exchanging them from amongst their group.
XXXX
"Ok, Rayla,.. What're we doing here?" Chase wondered. "And where exactly is here?" The blindfolded pup only stood where his friend's touch left him. And even though he barely limped at all,.. he dared not walk on without some guiding factor to know where he was going.
"Believe me when I say,.." The Golden Lab ventured, looking back at him from where she stood in front of him. "You'll like it." Turning back toward them from a sidelong stance, she nodded to the sheepdog nearby.
Skyler stepped up to Chase, between him and Kylie and took the blindfold from the back and pulled it off from the front. As soon as his eyes were free the young German Shepherd blinked them open, then looked up to view the sight before him.
"Woah.." He breathed at the large colorful sign that arched over the entryway of the fancy, new building; bright letters of the red title and blue slogan reading,.. SKYLAND; THE COOLEST FUNZONE AROUND.
"How did I not know this was here?" Chase wondered, cocking his head a little at the thought.
"You didn't,.. because it's brand new.." Boomerang answered, turning to him thoughtfully.
"What? Seriously?" Chase wondered, turning to him in amazement, before turning to his other side in time to catch Rayla's knowledgeable smile and nod, as she stepped up beside him.
"But how did know that?" He asked her.
"Well,.. cause we suggested it.." The golden lab answered loosely, shrugging her head down to her left.
"Mostly for you." She finished, cocking her glance up to his bashfully; and he could tell a story was coming by the accumulating thoughtfulness that grew around him.
XXXX
The young leader of the PAW Patrol had just exited the Lookout to head out around to the pup houses, when a voice called for his attention.
"Ryder?" The golden visitor addressed him softly.
"Oh,.. Hi Rayla,.. and,..PUP Pals.. what're you doing all the way up here?" Ryder greeted quizzically, even with his usual perky tone.
Rayla hesitated, stealing glances at her fellow pups, before lifting it to Madge; who nodded for her to continue, then finally turning her gaze back to Ryder.
"Is.. something wrong?" The boy wondered, clearly becoming concerned now.
"-no.." Rayla spoke up quickly. "Um,..well.. we just had a thought that.. might help Chase out.. somehow.. Maybe..lift his spirits again?"
And this got Ryder's attention immediately with the lightening of his expression.
xxxx
"Ok, Ryder, what's this all about?" Billy wondered, when the whole group gathered together in the lower level of the Lookout; Chase, the PAW patrol, and the PUP Pals all present amongst the group of people. "You said you wanted all of us here to discuss something you found out earlier today." The boy nodded then turned to Marshall.
"Marshall,.. can you and the PAW Patrol take Chase outside for a minute.. I think I misplaced a tool that he might be able to find."
"Um,.. sure thing." The Dalmatian nodded, catching the German Shepherd's glance and nodding for the door, to then lead the six pups out into the sunshine of afternoon.
As soon as the door slid closed, Ryder led the group to set their gaze upon the remaining pups.
"Ok Rayla,.. Tell them what you told me.." The boy said.
"Well.." Rayla began, preparing to repeat herself with another deep breath…
XXXX
"Interesting.." Billy commented, sliding his elbows forward to brace to the edge of his knees now.
"But would it work?.." he wondered aloud, pressing his interlocking hands to his lips in deep thought.
"I'm almost positive it would." Rayla asserted. "It's not physically challenging..and shouldn't bother his shoulder, yet it could still suffice as part of his therapy.. And its' fun so.. He might be put more at ease while doing it, so he's not feeling so stressed all the time. And if he takes it easy and watches himself,.. It could be a great way to still practice."
"Look, Rayla's never been wrong about something like this before.." Tiny spoke up boldly. "And she's always found a way to do it."
"Yeah,.. Ray's the best!" Skyler added, nudging her friend's shoulder knowingly. "She 's never let any of us down."
"I have to agree." Boomerang nodded. "She may be young, but she has good instincts.."
"It.. could be worth a try,.. Right?" Kylie piped up, almost hesitant to say, until a hand came down to stroke her back. Which she found to be Madge's, making her feel more sure of herself with a soft smile and a gently wagging tail.
The opposite party mused in silence,.. Billy's posture unchanging, as he thought about this. Marcus and Daniel exchanged looks then released them to Billy.
"She's gotta point.." Daniel mentioned thoughtfully. "All her points are solid.. And Chase could use a confidence boost right now."
"I just worry if he's strong enough to handle it." Maggie reasoned, stroking Boomerang's thick, fluffy neck.
"The whole concept is sound." Billy corrected her. "He should have no problems with it at all.. We'd just need to keep an eye on him the whole time.. and not leave him unattended while doing it;.. just in case."
"Then I think we have our new plan." Frank put in, holding both hands over his cane, set upright in front of him on the floor.
"All we'd need to do is find out if it's even possible to do here." Marcus remarked.
"I think I can handle that." Ryder said, catching a beaming smile on their openly thoughtful ones...
Hey guys, what up?! I'm back! Finally.. ;D Again, sorry 'bout the absence,.. But life is crazy and it only gets crazier.. This chapter has actually been sitting here nearly finished for a while, but then an idea occurred to me that I couldn't pass up, so I'm setting it up with these last few scenes.. Soo excited too, cause it's gonna be super fun to write this in the NEXT chapter. XD XD Anyway, enjoy THIS new chapter and I'll see you next time! Thx!