[Queue Rescue Rangers Theme Intro
[The scene opens two years advanced in the future in Los Angeles]
Chip sits in the Los Angeles Police Department human resources office wearing a white dress shirt with a vintage red tie, gray slacks with suspenders, black leather shoes, and a matching gray jacket. He is questioned by HR officer Wendy Wickett as part of the annual employee evaluations that are conducted.
"So, these past two years have been difficult but all life comes with challenges. Certainly, Dale's stroke was something hard to overcome but he is recovering steadily with the help of some professional rehabilitators I hired. I would say that we are adjusting back to the 'big' city lifestyle just fine. I believe my time spent here over the years has allowed me to gain a better understanding and apply that knowledge in the field. So, yeah." Chip said, answering Wendy's question.
Wendy jots down some bullet point notes on her notepad. "Great, well I'm glad to see Dale is doing better. I would say you have nothing to worry about performance-wise. You have been consistent in your reports and there are no current or pending allegations against you so I think we can wrap it up here." She stated, standing up and walking over to the door to open it.
Chip jumped down from his chair. "Thanks, Wendy. Take care." He said, exiting the room.
"You too. Stay safe out there." She replied, closing the door.
Chip proceeds down the hall and gathers his things from his desk. He opens a small filing drawer and retrieves a set of keys stamped with a Ford badge. He closes the drawer and locks it. Chip grabs his leather briefcase and tucks his chair in as he proceeds for the back parking lot exit. A fellow officer, a mouse named Randal speed walks up to Chip to catch him as he's leaving.
"Hey, Captain," Randal called out.
"Oh, hey, Randal." Chip said.
"How're things with you?" He asked.
"Not too bad. Just heading home, I have to take Dale for his quarterly check-up." Chip explained.
"Ah, I see. How is Dale doing? Can he walk or talk yet?" Randal asked.
"Oh, yeah. He's been able to do that well for a while now. Just having difficulty with speaking in long sentences or using larger words." Chip explained.
"That's great to hear. Say, listen, the guys and I are getting together for beers later this evening. We kinda do this every Friday. We were wondering if you'd like to tag along?" Randal asked.
Randal and Chip exited the building and Chip walked over to his car and inserted the key in the door of his unmarked gray 2002 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
Chip sighed. "Wish I could but I don't have anyone to look after Dale for me." He said.
"Aw, that's a shame. Well, you could bring him along if you want?" Randal suggested.
Chip opened his car door. "No, I better not. He has to take a special pill every night at 8:30 and he's only awake for another half hour or so before he falls asleep." He explained.
"Alright. Well if you change your mind, the offer still stands. See you on Monday." Randal said, walking away towards his vehicle.
"Take care." Chip replied, getting down into his vehicle.
Chip starts the car and drives down the road. He turns the radio on to the local news station as he loosens his tie and lets off a long sigh of relief. Chip drives for a little while as he fights with Friday afternoon LA traffic. He eventually returns to his old house that he bought back after selling years ago when he moved to New York with Dale. Chip parks the car, exit and grabs his briefcase, and proceeds to the front door.
Chip reaches in his pocket and flips through the keys on his key ring. "I seriously need to reorganize this thing." He mutters.
Chip eventually unlocks the front door and opens it. He closes the door behind him as he proceeds to the safe mounted on the wall outside the kitchen in the foyer closet.
Chip punches in the digital lock combination. "Dale, I'm home" He calls out as he unholsters his sidearm and puts it in the safe. He then proceeds to lock it.
With no reply from Dale. Chip looks around the house until he catches a glimpse of him and a female chipmunk Rebecca, Dale's rehabilitation therapist, sitting at the table on the deck under an umbrella. Chip walks over and opens the patio door.
"Dale." Chip said.
Dale turns and smiles. He jumps up and rushes over to Chip with open arms. "Chipper!" He exclaimed excitedly as he hugs Chip.
Chip pats Dale on the back as they break from their embrace. "Hey buddy, how was your day today?" He asks.
"It was…fun" Dale stutters, trying to think of the word.
"That's great to hear. Did Rebecca teach you a lot today?" Chip asked.
"Yeah, I learned a new word. It's per-." Dale said trying to pronounce the word.
"Come on, Dale. Remember what I taught you about the sound it out." Rebecca said.
Dale pondered. "Per…plex…perplexing." Dale stuttered as he tried his hardest to pronounce the word.
Chip high-fived Dale. "Good job, Dale." He said.
Dale smiled as he felt immense pride for all the praise he was receiving. "Could I go watch TV now?" He asked.
"Sure you can, Dale." Chip said.
"Okay, thanks!" Dale said, proceeding inside the house to watch TV.
"I best get going," Rebecca said, gathering her things.
"I'll walk you out." Chip said opening the patio door.
Once out front, Chip gingerly sat down on the concrete stairs and lit a cigarette.
"So, how was he today?" Chip asked.
"Dale's doing a lot better, Chip. Better than months ago." Rebecca answered.
Chip sighed. "That's so good to hear." He said, letting off a nasty cough.
"Speaking of which, you should cut back on those if not quit them entirely. They're not good for you, Chip." Rebecca said.
Chip coughed and wiped his mouth. "I know, it's just so stressful with Dale and work, and bills. This just helps take the edge off of things." He said.
"Well, I think you should speak to someone about your problems. Dale can't survive without you right now. I would really consider speaking to a doctor about it." Rebecca said.
Chip nodded and flicked the cigarette. "You are right, I'll try my best." He said.
"Good, I'll see you on Monday," Rebecca said, walking down the driveway towards the bus stop.
Chip groaned from his stiff joints as he stood up and dusted his slacks off. He then proceeded back inside to Dale who was flipping through TV channels. Chip walked up and grabbed the remote and shut the TV off.
"Hey, I was watching…that," Dale said with a pause as he thought of the word.
"Not anymore. Come on, let's get you to your doctor's appointment." Chip said.
"Aw, do we have to?" Dale asked.
"Yes, the doctor will help you get better." Chip said.
Dale sulked as he put his shoes on and walked outside. Chip got into his other vehicle, a black 2022 Cadillac CT5. They backed out of the driveway and towards the medical clinic for smaller-sized toons in downtown LA. Once there, Chip parked in the underground lot and they rode the elevator up to the doctor's office. After waiting ten or so minutes the doctor performed his exam with Dale and then afterward wanted to share his findings with Chip.
"All done, Dale." Dr. Ryerson stated.
"Okay," Dale said, standing up from the bed.
Dr. Ryerson brought over a glass jar of lollipops. "Here you are Dale, you want one?" He asked.
"Oh boy, do I ever," Dale said excitedly as he picked a red one.
"Alright, Nurse Vernon will take you back out to the lobby while I talk to Chip." Dr. Ryerson said.
"Come on sweetie." Nurse Vernon said.
"See ya outside, Chip." Dale waved as he said in a muffled tone from the lollipop in his mouth.
Chip waved back while smiling.
Dr. Ryserson closed the door. "Okay, so I have determined a diagnosis on the cause of the stroke." He said.
"You have? What is it?" Chip asked.
"It's a condition that he has had for a while, sort of like epilepsy but different. I've never seen it before but I've heard of it. Basically, Dale has gone undiagnosed as most with this condition are, and a stroke can happen at any point in the individual's life. For Dale, it was obviously for him in his older years. He certainly is not young in actual time figures even though it appears that his physical aging seems to have stopped at the age of 20. Not uncommon for some toons." Dr. Ryerson explained.
"Hm, so Dale had this when we were kids?" Chip asked.
"Most defiantly Dale was born with this condition but medical science when you two were children would have lacked the ability to diagnose such a disease." Dr. Ryerson said.
"Can Dale be cured?" Chip asked.
"No, I'm sorry he can not be cured. Dale can have another stroke at any point in his life. It could be today, tomorrow, or not for another 40 years. Essentially right now he is back up to have the mental agility equivalent of a 12-year-old. It will take him some time to get his mental ability to process information and think for himself for another couple of years. That's if he does not have another stroke." Dr. Ryerson said.
Chip sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks, doctor." He replied, heading for the door.
"Chip, I would try to spend some precious time with Dale while you can. My medical opinion is that Dale likely would not recover as easily from another stroke. Making him essentially legally dead. He'll be alive but unable to function." Dr. Ryerson said.
Chip sighed once more. "Alright, thanks for telling me, doctor." He said.
"Oh another thing, Rebecca called my office. I wrote you a prescription for varenicline. That should help you cut back on the smoking." Dr. Ryseron said, passing the prescription to Chip.
Chip nodded. "Thanks, doctor." He said, leaving the room.
The scene transitions to Chip preparing dinner in his kitchen as Dale appears to be occupied with a sketch pad in the adjacent dining room. Chip fries the chicken breasts in a pan and then plates them on a bed of rice with green beans on the side. Chip grabs a cloth and wipes the outer rim of the plate. He grabs the two plates and walks into the dining room and places them.
"Ready to eat, Dale?" Chip asked, sitting down.
Dale continued sketching. "Just an s-second." He said with a slight stutter.
"What are you drawing?" Chip asked in intrigue.
Dale placed down the pencil, stood up, and walked over to Chip. "Done. I drew you a picture." He said, passing off the piece of paper to Chip.
Chip wipes his mouth and grabbed the sketch. It was a strong attempt but a poorly drawn drawing of him and Chip beside each other. A caption below reading "Best Brother Ever". Chip smiled and put the sketch down.
"Come here." Chip said with open arms.
Tears rolled down Chip's face as he held Dale tight. Words could not describe the immense emotions running through Chip's mind at this point. The constant imminent fear that death was knocking at Dale's door struck great fear in Chip. Losing someone so close after so many years apart would likely be the death of both of them. Maybe not physically for Chip, but it would be a spiritual death no doubt.
Chip broke from his embrace with Dale. "That's a very nice photo you drew. I'm going to hang it on the fridge after dinner." He said.
Dale smiled. "I knew you would like it. It is my way of saying thanks for being there as I recover." He said.
Before Chip could respond their happy moment was interrupted by the house phone ringing.
Chip stood up. "Now, who could that be?" He pondered aloud.
Chip answered the telephone.
"Hello?" He said.
"Captain, it's Randal." Randal said.
"Randal, I said I couldn't come out tonight." Chip stated in frustration.
"I'm not calling about that, sir. We have a situation that requires your attention. Another toon has gone missing." Randal said.
Chip sighed. "I'll be there soon." He said.
Chip looked to Dale who was eating and then flipped through his address book and began calling various phone numbers to try and find someone to watch Dale. With no luck, Chip slammed his fist on the table next to the phone.
Dale looked up. "Everything okay, Chipper?" He asked.
Chip sighed, turned, and put on a fake smile. "You and I are going on a little trip. I have to go take care of something at work." He explained.
"But what about my bedtime medicine? It's almost time to take it." Dale asked.
"I'll make sure we're home in time. Now come on, get your shoes on and grab a coat because it appears to have started to rain." Chip said.
Dale complied and Chip proceeded to hook his badge onto his belt, holster his sidearm from the safe and grab his peacoat and classic fedora. They walked outside and got into Chip's Ford Crown Victoria and drove over to the scene of the crime. It appeared to be a car that had collided with a pole.
Chip put the car in park and turned the heater on. "Now you wait here Dale while I go look into this and then will go home." He said.
Dale nodded in compliance and Chip got out and put his hat on.
"Alright, what do we have?" Chip asked, approaching the other officers.
"One car collided with the pole. Appears it was caused by another motorist. The victim's window was punched out and he was dragged out of it." First Class Detective, James Peters explained.
"What makes you think this wasn't just a bystander trying to rescue him?" Chip asked.
James pointed. "Note the blood-stained blue fur on the window. Also, note that the victim is not at any hospital in 75 miles. We checked. There is also probable cause to suggest this was an abduction due to the victim's stature." He explained.
"That being?" Chip asked.
"Ugly Sonic was his stage name. He ran a booth over at the LA convention center. People seemed to have a distaste for him and we believe someone acted out one of those disgruntle feelings towards him." James stated.
Chip scoffed as he examined the documented evidence. "Ugly Sonic, huh, never thought I'd see the day." He said.
"What are your instructions from here, Captain?" Randal asked.
"Detective James, I want this all photographed, physical evidence bagged and tagged and the car taken for forensic evaluation. Put an APB out for Ugly Sonic. If someone has seen him I want to know." Chip said.
James nodded. "Will do." He said, turning and instructing other investigators on what to do.
There was muffled chatter as Chip turned to focus his attention on Dale who was distracted making drawings in the fogged-up passenger window.
Randal patted Chip's back. "He'll get better. Don't overthink it." He said.
"Yeah, I hope so." Chip said.
"Anyways, we've got it from here Captain. You're free to leave if you want." Randal said.
Chip nodded and shook Randal's paw. Rain rolled off his hat as he lowered his head. "Let me know if you find anything." He said.
Chip turned and proceeded back to the car. He opened the door and got in and drove back home. Once inside, Chip followed his routine and then gave Dale his medicine after he was ready for bed.
Chip sat at the end of Dale's bed as he poured medicine on a spoon. "Alright Dale, open wide." He said, gesturing the spoon towards Dale's mouth.
Dale opened his mouth as Chip inserted the spoon. Dale grimaced at the awful taste of the medication he was prescribed.
Chip chuckled. "You'll never get used to that taste will you?" He asked.
Dale shook his head. "No, that stuff is gross." He replied.
Chip stood up. "Well, I best get some work done before I head off to bed. Good night Dale." He said, shutting the light off and leaving the bedroom.
(This portion of the story was co-written by AnimalHumanFriend until the indicated asterisk)
"Chip?" Dale said.
Since he did not leave the bedroom, Chip turned the light back on and looked at him with concern. "What is it?" He asked.
Dale felt embarrassed. "Can you please sing me a lullaby? I may not go to sleep that easily." He pleaded.
Chip was surprised at first. But he then smiled.
"Of course. Anything for my brother." Chip said softly.
Chip walked over to the bed and lay down on it next to Dale. Lying on his side, Chip beckoned to Dale, who snuggled closer to him and Chip laid his arm around him. Chip began singing to him "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". Listening to the lullaby, Dale began to feel sleepy. He slowly closed his eyes and, eventually, drifted off. When he finished singing the lullaby, Chip noticed Dale was asleep and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. He then carefully got out of bed, turned off the light, and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
A half-hour later, Chip was in the living room, sitting on the couch and going through some work files. He then pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. He was about to light the cigarette, but stopped himself, remembering something. Putting them on the couch beside him, he then pulled out the prescription for varenicline and looked at it. After a moment, he looked up, his eyes narrowing.
"I'm going to quit smoking. Not just for me, but for Dale as well. I need him just as much as he needs me." He said aloud to himself.
Pleased with himself for making that promise, Chip got up with the work files and walked with them over to the desk which had his computer, putting them in a drawer. After brushing his teeth and changing into his nightshirt, he went to bed too.
The next morning, Dale awoke, feeling refreshed. He sat up in bed, yawning and stretching.
"Oh boy, do I feel great," Dale said joyfully.
He got out of bed and did the squats exercise for several minutes. Dale then caught the scent of something wonderful coming from downstairs and, knowing what it meant, a smile grew on his face.
Downstairs, Chip was in the kitchen, making blueberry oatmeal for breakfast. Dale then arrived in the kitchen, still clad in his nightshirt. When Chip turned, he saw him.
"Good morning, Chip," Dale said.
Chip walked over to him and they gave each other a brief hug.
"Good morning, Dale. Did you sleep well?" Chip questioned.
Dale chuckled. "Like a baby!" He said.
Chip also chuckled. "I'm glad to hear this. Anyway, you're just in time for breakfast." He
replied.
"Blueberry oatmeal. My favorite. Thanks." Dale replied.
A few minutes later, the two were in the dining room, enjoying their breakfast. Suddenly, Dale remembered yesterday's events when he and Chip went to the scene of the crime. Putting his spoon down, he looked at Chip curiously.
"Chip?" Dale asked.
Chip looked up from his food and saw Dale staring at him. He also put his spoon down.
"Yes, Dale?" Chip said.
"What happened yesterday? I noticed a car collided with a pole and you were talking to the officers. I wanted to ask you about it yesterday, but since it was almost bedtime, I had decided to ask you about it this morning." Dale wondered.
Chip sighed. "You want to know? I don't want to stress you with my work." He told him.
"You can explain to me in just a few words. Your answer doesn't have to be that long." Dale told Chip.
Chip sighed once more. "Very well." There was silence for a moment before he finally stated "Ugly Sonic must have been kidnapped."
Upon hearing that, Dale stared at Chip with wide eyes for a moment. He then put on a sad expression and nodded.
"I see. Poor him. I do hope he will be saved. Thank you for telling me." Dale said calmly.
Chip also nodded. He was pleased that Dale remained relaxed. "You're welcome." Chip replied. He then changed the subject and added "But let's not think about this now. Today is Saturday. We should spend it the best way we can. What do you think we should do?"
Dale thought for a moment, then an idea crossed his mind. "Do you want to go shopping?" he asked.
Chip smiled profusely. "That's a wonderful idea! We were almost out of food anyway!" he
exclaimed.
After breakfast, Chip and Dale cleared the table from the dining room, washed the dishes and cutleries, and put them back in their right places. They then got dressed, walked outside and got in Chip's Ford Crown Victoria, and drove to a supermarket for smaller-sized toons downtown. Once they arrived there, they grabbed a shopping cart from outside the supermarket and then proceeded inside the building to buy the products they wanted.
Dale looked around and noticed there were many other smaller-sized toons in the supermarket. "This place sure is crowded," Dale told Chip.
"Guess everybody wants to spend their Saturday going shopping." Chip stated. He then pulled out a shopping list and looked at it. He added "Okay. The first thing we need to get is milk, which is in the milk and milk-based products aisle." Chip said.***
Chip and Dale proceeded through the store until Chip's phone began to ring. He answered and it was Detective James Peters
"Hey, Cap. We found something you need to see at the forensic lab. It's something we feared has returned." James explained.
Chip sighed. "Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can." He said, hanging up the phone.
"Who's that?" Dale asked.
"Work. We have to go, Dale." Chip said.
"Oh, okay," Dale said in a subtle tone.
The scene transitions to Chip walking through a warehouse containing various sectioned-off areas where forensic work was being conducted. Dale followed closely behind.
James turned to the sound of Chip's black leather shoes on the concrete floor. "Chip, glad you could make it." He said.
"What do we have here?" He asked.
James caught a glimpse of Dale looking around. He pointed. "Why's that kid here? You know we can't have civilians in the crime lab." He said.
"For one, he's not a kid he is my brother. Two, he's currently in rehabilitation and requires ongoing care. Three, it is none of your fucking business what I do. Understood?" Chip quietly whispered.
James subtly nodded and gave a firm expression. "Noted, sir. Sorry." He replied.
"Now, tell me what is so urgent that I had to rush out of Walmart and drive across town to see?" Chip asked in a flustered tone.
James held up a VHS tape." This." He said.
"What? A VHS tape?" Chip questioned.
James slipped it into the VCR and it played CCTV footage of the crash. It appeared to have been caused by another car running Ugly sonic's off the road. Two shadowy figures got out and there appeared to be a struggle before the tape ended.
"What the hell was that?" Chip asked.
"It appears that the toon disappearance issue has re-emerged," James said.
"But Dale and I took care of that last time. It was Sweet Pete and Captain Putty." Chip said.
"Exactly, but this time it seems to be targeted," James said.
"How do you reckon that?" Chip asked.
"Those who worked as antagonist characters on shows or movies are the target. Gaston, Ursula, and Jafar were all reported missing by family or friends in the last week. Ugly Sonic just made the list." James explained.
"But Ugly Sonic was never featured. He's not even an antagonist." Chip said.
"Although, everyone hated him. Hence the name." James said.
Chip thought for a moment then turned to Dale. "Dale." He called out.
Dale looked up. "Yeah, Chip?" He replied walking over to Chip.
"Did Ugly Sonic have any known enemies?" Chip asked.
Dale pondered. "Well, yeah, I guess." He said.
James scoffed. "I guess." He mocked.
"Well, everyone disliked him, that's why he never made the cut for the movie," Dale said.
"Hm. It's going to be tough to narrow down." Chip said.
"Where do we begin to look, Captain?" James asked.
[The scene focuses on Chip's face]
"Let's pay a visit to the Uncanny Valley." Chip said.
To Be Continued.
[The scene fades and the outro music begins playing]