Ryder stood next to the bed, confused. Zuma saw his leader's confusion.
"What's on your mind Ryder?" Zuma asked.
"Something just isn't adding up, this pup fell off of a cliff, one that is clearly marked and baricaited off, he has some odd cuts, and we've had no reports of knife wielding maniacs. And the cuts..." Ryder pushed some of the grey pups belly fur out of the way to see the cuts, "..don't look like cuts from a knife, they are deep but not too deep, and they are too straight, its odd for sure."
The young leader thought for awhile before saying, "It's almost as if-" His pup pad cut him off before he could finish his sentence, "Ryder here." He said before leaving the room. Zuma sighed and went back to watching the sleeping pup toss and turn wondering what was going on in the pups dream.
Zuma laid his head down near the pup's, and whispered, "What is going on with you?". Zuma waited hoping for an answer he knew the pup wasn't going to give. Ryder popped his head back in and said "Zuma, I have a mission, but you probably won't be needed, if you want you can stay here and wait for Rocky to wake up, but I have to go. Farmers Yumi's sheep have gotten loose, me, Chase, and Marshall will take care of it."
"Well, see you later.", Zuma replied as Ryder rushed out of the room.
"Well it's just me and you now.", Zuma says to the sleeping pup. "Whats going on?" Without getting a response Zuma continued, "Why would you want to die?" Zuma rolled his eyes, getting off the bed and walking over to a chair to think of what to say when the pup woke. "He said he wanted to die, he was mad I saved him" The brown pup thought, perplexed. Then the mixed breed started to stir. Grunting, and whining before finally waking up.
"Morning sleepy head." Zuma called out from his chair.
Rocky sat up and looked at Zuma, his expression turning from one of fear, to annoyance. "You again, why are you still here?"
"Well i have a hard time imagining why a strong, young pup like yourself would even consider jumping off of a cliff like that."
"Well because I thought at that height it would kill me, but I was wrong. Better luck next time I guess." Rocky shrugged.
Zuma, shocked, asked "Why?"
"Why what? Why do i want to kill myself, or why did i think that a fall from that cliff would kill me?" Rocky asked casually.
"Why do you want to kill yourself?" Zuma asked.
"Why did you save me? Because it's what you do? Well I wanted to kill myself because thats what I do. That's all I do." Rocky responded coldly. Zuma sat in his seat, glued by shock and disbelief. Rocky jumped off the bed, stretching and started to head towards the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Zuma asked, jumping off of his chair, blocking the doorway.
"I'm leaving, thanks for saving my life, but please don't do it again. Now if you would be so kind as to let me leave, I would be forever grateful." Rocky thought for a second, "Zuma isn't it? Zuma can you please move and let me leave." Rocky asked a second time when Zuma did not move.
"Rocky, whatever is making you think you want to die, it's not worth it. Rocky, please, talk to me. What can I do to help?"
"You don't seem to understand do you? I've already made up my mind, it's done, there is nothing you can do to change it, okay?" Rocky says, trying to push past Zuma. Zuma holds steady, the injured pup is no match for the strong athletic water pup.
"Get. Back. To. Bed." Zuma stares the pup in the eyes, not moving. Rocky returns the stare, until he huffs and turns around, jumping up on the bed, defeated.
"Good, now what's going on." Zuma says returning to his chair.
"What's it to you? Why do you care if i die or live?", Rocky asked, defeated.
"Well I took an oath to save and serve and I saved you, and I'm just doing it again." Zuma responded. "And to help you I need to know what is wrong."
"It is not going to help."
"How do you know, if you haven't tried at least once?"
"Fine, you wanna know? Okay, but its a long story..." Rocky started, clearing his throat.
Rocky dragged himself out of bed, groaning at the time on his clock. Why did he have to get up so early. He thought to himself. He knew the answer of course, if he wanted to catch the sunrise in the morning at the park. He loved that sunrise, and the park, in the early hours the morning fog would cover the ground. And the smell of the dew would bring back memories from before he had memories. He loved it. It also gave him time to study, and finish any homework he had.
He grabbed his backpack, full of papers and projects, and walked out the door to his dorm room. Once outside of the building he took a deep breath, many pups were still asleep, but the grounds were still busy with students going to and fro. He made his way to the park bench, only about 2 blocks from his dorm, along the way he thought of current projects he had in progress.
Once he got settled, he pulled out his latest project, a homemade wind turbine. It was simple, a motor with a propellor, connected to a LED and a multimeter. He was testing different blade designs for the propeller, seeing which one would be the most efficient.
Well, he had already found the most efficient blade, and already turned in the project, but he loved watching the blade turn and seeing the LED turn on. It was very satisfying to watch, something so trivial as the wind, most people don't even notice it till it gets dangerous, turning on a light. He smiled as the wind picked up and the windmill turned, and the LED flickered on. He glanced up and saw the top of the sun rise up above the horizon. He smiled and thought nothing could ruin this moment.
Thunk
Something hit the back of his head, not too heavy. A crumpled piece of paper landed next to him on the bench, he looked around to find the pitcher, but the morning fog was thick, and hid whoever threw it. He rolled his eyes, no doubt it was one of the bullies, the ones who torment him day and night. He'd never understand them, taking pleasure in making a pups life horrible. Rocky tried to ignore the piece of paper and focus on the sunrise, but curiosity got the better of him, and he unraveled it.
Rocky rolled his eyes once again, sighing, looking at the crappily drawn picture of him doing obscene actions. The anatomies were all wrong, he thought. He got up and headed to his first class of the day. On the way he threw away the picture, trying his best to forget about it.
At lunch he grabbed a bite to eat and took it to the park bench, sitting and watching the pups and people play. And he thought about the day, the picture in the morning, the glares during the day, the slurs in passing. He choked a little on his food as a tear ran down his face. Fears that he usually suppressed flew into his mind, poisoning it. Thoughts like, no one likes you, no one cares about you, you are a failure. And many more. But even though he knew these thoughts to be lies, they still hurt, he felt the sting of every word, and tears ran down his face as he sat on the park bench.
He shook with each sob, the pain of the slurs and glares adding up. He got up, without finishing his food and rushed to his dorm. His mind on autopilot, his legs knowing the way. He locked his door and laid down. Feeling safe, for the time being, the door separating him from stares and glares, the slurs and the pictures-
While Rocky had been telling his story, Zuma had climbed the bed and embraced the shaking pup. Rocky cried, shaking the whole bed. Zuma hugged him harder, trying to remind him that someone cared, someone was there for him. That Rocky had someone to hold onto. Someone who would never leave him.
The room had grown quiet after what felt like hours of tears. Everyonce and awhile Rocky would sniffle, and shake the bed again. Katie came in once to check up on the pup but Zuma gave her a Hes-fine-please-leave-us-alone look, Kaite understood and left the two. Once Zuma thought Rocky had calmed down and stopped crying, he climbed off the bed.
"Thanks." Rocky sniffled, turning over to look at Zuma.
"No problem, remember, I'm here for you." Zuma said, placing his paw on Rocky's bed.
Katie came in with water and food for Rocky and Zuma, they both didn't react. "Eat, both of you." Katie said sternly. Rocky hadn't noticed his hunger, and Zuma was too worried to care about eating. But once Rocky started to chow down, Zuma went to his bowl and started to eat.
"Good." Kaite said, leaving the two once again.
After they both finished eating, they started to chat.
"How are you feeling?" The brown pup asked the mixed breed.
"Better." Rocky replied. Just then Zuma's dog tag beeped.
"Zuma, we need you, Farmer Yumi's sheep have gotten near the river, and we are worried that one will fall in and drown." Ryder said though the pup tag.
"You got it Ryder." Zuma replied.
"I have to go." Zuma told Rocky while heading towards the door, he looked back and saw Rocky frown, and turn, trying to go back to sleep. Zuma left, not having time to explain to Rocky what was going on. He hoped he got the idea as he rushed to his hovercraft.
After the rescue Zuma made his way back, smelling like wet sheep. He had to pull one from the river. And Chase got it back into the pen. He stopped at the pet parlor, taking off his clunky gear. He hated the gear, but Ryder insisted they use it, it was annoying and it got in the way. The oxygen tank wasn't designed for a pup. It was a small oxygen tank, made for scuba diving.
Once he got inside Katie's he went straight to the mixed breeds room. Only to find the Mixed breed gone, and the sheets made.
"Kaite, where did Rocky go?" He frantically asked katie.
"He left, I tried to convince him to stay but he said he had things to do." Kaite said, confused.
"Oh. Okay." Zuma said, rushing out of the pet parlor and jumping in his hovercraft. Leaving Kaite Confused.
Something I just noticed while writing this chapter, is that I haven't seen a sunrise in so long. Well anyway, this was a bit longer than expected, but i am still happy with it all the same. Thanks to Sturmivik, your comment gave me the energy to keep writing this chapter.