Chapter twenty-four: Project: Late Night
Before long, bright rays were beginning to stretch through the slit in the door.. and the two busy souls, working sluggishly, labored to continue what they had before them.
Rocky yawned. Pausing for only a second to sit and rest seemed to start him nodding off, to a point of near success until he couldn't support himself and nearly fell.
Ryder pulled the socket wrench for a few more tightening turns. Each one growing more difficult than the last, until he couldn't pull another turn with the shaking of his hand and the heaviness of the rest of him.
"Come on, Rocky." The boy sighed, giving in to the night's work by stepping back to sit on the semi-tall barstool right behind him. This then allowed him to lean against the workbench against that same wall.
"We're not getting anywhere with this anymore." He continued running an arm over his brow and sighed, setting his hand loosely over his knee with a tenuous grip on the tool.
"We should go.. should.. Ahf!" Tripping over a part on the floor, he hit the ground flat and stayed there.. even as Rocky hopped over to him. Ryder's momentary attempt to rise from the floor died with the relieving feeling of rest, which he now craved as a result of his earlier objective finally wearing itself down. And actually, a part of him vaguely wished he could just remain there to rest.
"Come on, Ryder.." Rocky's little voice advised, sounding just as drained as he felt. The pup pulled on the boy's collar to move him, but his strength could not even move his leader an inch. And in his defeat, he stumbled forward to drop down beside him so that his head lay on top of the boy's exposed left shoulder.
It was only when he felt movement, that the mixed breed forced himself to move off Ryder and stand up. Ryder finally got to his feet and stretched, yawning heavily then setting the socket wrench aside..
"Ok.." Ryder breathed, turning slowly,.. "Let's go.."
And as he strode for the elevator entrance, straight ahead toward the back of the garage, Rocky fell stumbling in step with him. Only so they could enter at roughly the same time, and both lean against that cool glass to ride it up to a surface level; of which they didn't care which.
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The doors slid open and a tired Marshall yawned deeply before entering. As soon as his eyes lifted from the floor, with the doors closing behind him, his eyes flashed wide as he ran forward; earning the attention of those coming in after him.
"Ryder?" Marshall said, merely whispering this as he reached the boy, lying practically face down on the floor. His head lay to one side and the pups stood there to view it with the utmost subtlety, so not to prematurely disturb him; especially given the sunken nature of his face.
"He looks exhausted." Rubble noted, peering over Marshall's shoulder. A sudden snorkeling sound arose and they all looked back to find Rocky passed out behind them.. He hadn't even made it out of the elevator!
Instead he was laying awkwardly against the glass of the elevator, snoring as though he hadn't slept in days.
"Uhh, what's up with this picture?" Skye wondered, turning to her fellow pups.
Then, Marshall made another realization..
"Ughh.. and where's Chase?"
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The sleeping soul occupying the quiet space fidgeted,.. then fidgeted again. The occasional twitch of different body parts could've alerted anyone to red flags.. But for the unseen eyes, their hiding nature was not without cause…
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Panting with a slightly vocal emphasis, his terror-filled eyes tracked whatever horrid darkness lay ahead. A leap tripped him up from hitting the ground before he was prepared to, due the lack of clear visibility. Wispy structures zipped by as he tore through them, and he could swear he'd singed them on his way by. Still he hadn't a care, nor time to think as he continued to run. He'd wonder why he was running, but he hadn't time for that either..
A thump or a crash somewhere behind him, somehow motivated him to run faster and he could almost feel like he was running faster than even his mighty powers could allow him to achieve. And yet things all seemed so clear as they blasted by him, even in the darkness that surrounded him. It could be said that he was running at hyper speed,.. in a slow-motion environment. But again, his mind was so hyperdrived,.. his brain could not seem to catch on. He found a wall and easily hopped up to push off of it and redirect his fleeing escape, but little did he know of the dreariness that followed.
Diving under structures and scrambling over others,.. He soon found himself crawling through a maze with brambles that seemed to close in on him. Pretty soon he'd all but lost his ability to continue, and he could feel something drawing him in as he let out a scream for help,.. which ended with a CHOMP!
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"Hah!" Nothing could prepare him for the blast of pure light he'd get with opening his eyes. Nor could a twisted up pretzel for a blanket provide any comfort. And as he tried to escape, nothing seemed to hinder the natural knot, which had been formed. Fiddling around a bit more, it became more of a violent wrestle with himself. He hit his head on the wall and flopped over to his other side. Sliding himself back to hopefully get his paws under him, he found out his front paws were too tightly wrapped and just fell backwards.
"Oof! Ouch!" he hissed, trying to be quiet about it. And as he futzed with the thick, soft material, the clunks and thumps he made seemed to let on an undesirable peak of interest. Till he finally fell forward and caught the edge of his blanket on his pup house's inner console, making him instinctively turn and yank himself backwards. But unfortunately the momentum of the release spilled him flat on his back and he tumbled over onto his stomach.
Wincing hard from rolling over the wrong shoulder, he slowly stepped both front paws under him to lift his head in a similar manner. Sighing didn't seem to make him feel any better, but he couldn't resist another one moments later.
"Chase?" brown eyes shot up as soon as his ears registered his name, which was near immediately.
"What are you doing?" Marshall asked.
"Oh uh.." he cleared his raspy throat, before rising to his feet and stepping toward them out of the folds of the soft blanket. "Nothing..I uh,.. Just a little twisted up,.. is all,.."
He yawned deeply. And Marshall just stared at him with an arched eyebrow that kind of annoyed him.
"Well I think we got another mystery on our paws.." Zuma spoke up, as if unaware of the slight tension between his two friends. "Ryder and Rocky are totally zonked out in the Lookout."
"What?" Chase asked, unsure that he'd heard that right.
"Oh!- he-yeah,.. We didn't believe it either.." Skye said, as Chase came forward for the rest of them to turn and all walk in step with each other toward the doors of the Lookout. Chase's walk a little wobbly amongst the slight gimp of his right side.
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Pretty soon their empty silhouettes reached for the shadows already inside the room once again.. And as they approached, they all felt it necessary to get low for their pup-fu sneak, in order to cross the open floor towards their sleeping friends.
"Remind me why we're sneaking around again?" Chase asked.
"You don't wanna be the one to ruin anyone's beautyrest, do you?" Marshall answered.
"Well no, but..-" Chase trailed.
"Well?" Marshall shrugged, having proved his point.
They finally reached Ryder, and all managed to shift themselves around him to close the gap in front of him.
"Is he.. breathing?.." Rubble dared himself to say, shrinking down a little.
"What?! Don't be ridiculous!" Chase gasped.
Pressing an ear to the boy's back, he could hear and feel the rise and fall of his back under him.
"He's fine.." He said finally. "Just really tired.. *yawn* as am I.."
"Go back to sleep, you guys.." he added, while pacing back through the group. "Ryder and Rocky may have just had a long night.."
"Wait, where are you going?" Marshall asked, turning abruptly toward him from Ryder. "Don't you wanna help?"
"With what?" Chase answered, pausing to look back again. "They clearly need a rest.. I say let them sleep.. they'll wake up and move when they're ready.. I mean.. I'm sure they got there somehow.. and it's early.."
"Too early.." he mumbled finally, as he turned his downward glance front, then continued away from them out the Lookout doors.
"What?" Rubble vocalized in more confusion than he or any of them would have liked. All confused looks meeting one another's.
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"Come on, guys, one more pull!" Marshall goaded, egging Zuma and Skye to pull once more till Ryder's shoulders finally hit the pillow and his arms fell forward off it.
Releasing him as soon as his body came forward, they both fell back while his head settled into place on his right cheek.
"Oof! There.." Marshall breathed. Then all eyes turned back over their shoulders to the elevator.
"So.." Zuma spoke up, turning to those among him. "Who's gonna try to handle that?"
"Don't look at me.." Skye shrugged, letting her gaze wander, Rubble doing the same.
"Wait,.. why are we having the conversation?" Marshall wondered, and all eyes landed back on him.
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Rocky snuggling into the blanket loosely swaddled around him seemed to give them the peace of mind they were looking for. Especially since he never woke while they did it.
"Works for me.." Zuma said, as they all admired their careful work. "Now let's eat.."
"Now you're talking!" Rubble exclaimed, as he watched his friends stroll for the door, passing him from behind. But even when he caught up to them, they all seemed to stop at the same time; right before they were in range for the doors to open.
"Wait.." Skye said,.. A realization coming to all their minds as they looked back at their sleeping leader,.. and they all sighed.
"Awh man!" Rubble moaned. "So what now?"
"Well I'm not waking him.." Marshall shook his head. "Guess we'll have to handle this ourselves too."
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All the pups groaned, and pulled harder,.. pushed harder,.. then fell over each other when their grips failed to yield any success.
"Oof!.. This bag is too heavy!" Skye gasped.
"Ugh, you're right." Marshall huffed. "Someone go wake Chase.."
"Wooph!" Zuma breathed. "Chase?.. But,.. isn't he still.. You know,.. Recovering?"
"Yes, but he's still bigger and stronger than we are.." Marshall reasoned. "We could use his help, even if it's not his full strength."
"*sigh* I'll go get him.." Skye sighed, then turned to hurry off out the door.
Approaching the blue police style house, she could vaguely hear the sound of heavy breathing. And when she arrived to peer in, she could see why..
Chase lay curled up in a thick, blue blanket that covered his back half. Wrapped up and over his left shoulder, which he was laying on.. And still had enough blanket left to snuggle with under his head and partially over his eyes. And if it weren't for the fact that her friends were counting on her success, she would've let him be. But she just sighed and came forward.
"Pst! Chase.. Chase, wake up.." She said, nudging him gently.
"Ugh, what now?" Chase groaned, barely shifting positions, which was enough to lose some of the coverage from his eyes; making him wince.
"We need your help.." Skye told him,.. "Trust me.. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important.. Chase?"
Chase breathed in a light snore and Skye had to shake him again.
"Ah..uh..ah! What?!" Chase moaned.
"Everyone's waiting for breakfast,.." the cockapoo informed him.
"Then go ask Ryder for help.." Chase mumbled, waving a paw at her so he could snuggle down a little more; never opening his eyes once.
"We don't wanna wake him," Skye told him. "And honestly I'm not sure we could even if we wanted to.. He looked pretty tired,.. He didn't even wake up when he moved him to the pillows earlier."
Chase just groaned.
"Can't it wait?" he asked, hoping she'd say yes.
"Do you wanna tell that to Rubble?" Skye returned. And Chase just heaved a big breath.
"We already tried handling it ourselves.." Skye emphasized. "We couldn't do it.." she placed her paws on his shoulder.
"That's why we need your help.." she finished shaking him gently.
"Ok! Ow-h-hww.." Chase whined, begrudgingly getting up. Stumbling forward, he started to follow even as a twist of the blanket held onto his back paw, and even when he yanked it free he had to catch himself. And in doing so, Skye halted quickly to look back, mostly to make sure he was coming before resuming her lead toward the Lookout entrance.
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By now, Marshall had resorted to pacing, while others among him sat around waiting; until the doors opened again.
"What took you so long?" Marshall asked, stepping towards the aviator pup. And all she did was glance to her left as Chase stumbled by her.
"Let's get this over with.." The German Shepherd grumbled, as he hobbled by them, making Marshall meet Skye's glance once again. And all she could do was shrug. So as Chase bent down to start pushing,.. the remaining pups gathered in to do the same.
Hey guys, how's it going?! A new chapter coming in hot!
Challenge for Bluewolfbat on an inspired moment within the natural parameters of this story, which I've been working on for a while now. ;) ;D And shout out to him in advance for his help in some upcoming events and those coming soon in another story I'm currently working on. ;)
And for everyone else?.. Enjoy! Thx!