After finishing up their investigation, Maggie, Socrates, and a frightened, hungry, and hurting Dale went back to the police station. The Rescue Rangers followed them carefully ready to strike if the female police officer suddenly decided to hurt their dear friend. But by the looks of it so far everything was fine. They pulled into the precinct garage, dropped off the squad car, and headed for Maggie's sedan. Maggie held the chipmunk carefully in her arms.
"Hang in there little guy." She said.
Unlocking the car, she opened the back passenger door for Socrates and he jumped in happily, then after buckling Dale safely into the passenger side (where the Rangers snuck quickly inside before she could close the door), Maggie got behind the wheel and drove off to her apartment, unaware that she was carrying extra passengers besides Socrates and Dale.
A few minutes later they pulled up to Maggie's apartment complex. Socrates bounced out and waited patiently while Maggie carefully took out her patient. With Socrates, and the Rangers at her heels up they went to Maggie's apartment.
Once inside, Maggie didn't spare anytime treating Dale. While Socrates sat on the sofa and gnawed on a chew toy, Maggie took Dale into her bathroom and pulled out her first aid kit. Dale just looked at her confused and a little scared as Maggie approached him. Seeing the fear in his eyes, she knelt down.
"Don't be scared sweetie." She said giving him a little scratch on the head. "I'm just going to take a look at your cuts and patch you up. Think you can trust me?"
Dale looked up at her kind face.
'Maybe she isn't going to hurt me after all.' He thought.
"What a cute top." Maggie said looking at Dale's Hawaiian shirt. "I wonder if you were once someone's pet. Though a chipmunk as a pet is not really common these days. Do you mind?"
Dale didn't say anything as Maggie gently lifted the shirt from Dale being careful not to worsen his wounds. Putting it aside she looked the chipmunk over carefully unaware that there was a group of tiny eyes watching her. Socrates had been too preoccupied with his favorite chew toy to notice the intruders that had snuck in.
"Well I am happy to say that you are going to be okay!" Maggie exclaimed. "You just got some glass shards stuck in you, but not too deep thankfully. I am just going to pull them out with some tweezers and then we'll clean you up. How's that sound?"
"Sounds good to me." Monty whispered.
And Maggie did just that. After firmly, but carefully pulling the glass shards from Dale's fur, she disinfected the cuts and wrapped him up in a little gauze and tape.
"There now!" Maggie said smiling as she washed her hands. "All better?"
Dale looked up at her and smiled. The Rangers meanwhile breathed a sigh of relief. Maggie then gave Dale a pat on the head.
"You're absolutely adorable!" She said. "And what a cute little red nose! How about a snack?"
Maggie didn't have to ask twice when the chipmunk nodded.
"Let's see what I got." She said. "I think I have some grapes and some peanuts…that should be okay right?"
Maggie then took Dale and walked into her kitchen. Putting him on the counter Maggie searched her cupboards. Finding a jar of peanuts, she poured a few onto a plate, then after a quick dig through her fridge she took a small stalk of grapes and added that to the plate then placed it in front of Dale. Dale took in the scent and immediately began to eat.
"Well you have a healthy appetite!" Maggie said grinning. "I guess you are going to be our little house guest for a day or two huh? I don't think we mind, do we Socrates?"
Socrates just barked from the couch.
"Socrates come!" Maggie called for the dog. The German Shepard jumped from the couch and met his owner.
"Okay Socrates, I am going to feed you your dinner, then I am going to go shower and change. Think you can watch our visitor while I am gone?"
"Arf, arf!" The dog barked happily.
"Good boy." Maggie said petting her dog. After giving him a bowl of kibble and fresh water, Maggie went into her bedroom. Within minutes the sound of the shower could be heard.
What nobody knew was that the group of intruders that had followed behind Maggie, Socrates, and Dale were dealing with a situation of their own. The Rangers had run into an open closet to continue to hide, but when Maggie had opened the refrigerator, the leftover extra cheese pizza she had had the night before was having an effect on a certain someone. That certain someone being Monterey Jack. His keen sense of smell had picked up the scent of the cheese and sent him into one of his cheese fits. While Chip, Gadget, and Zipper were able to hold him off until Maggie had left the room, they had lost the battle when he flew out of their grip and into the kitchen just near Socrates who was finishing his dinner. Dale had just finished his when he saw Monty floating towards the fridge.
"MONTY!" He gasped trying to stand up.
Dale's scream immediately alerted Socrates who looked up just in time to see a plump looking mouse opening up Maggie's fridge. Just as Monty was about to grab the pizza pie from the fridge Socrates let out a low growl and lunged for the mouse. However, just before he could reach Monty, Socrates was caught off guard when a toilet plunger flew right into face, sticking the rubber right at his nose. The impact from the fast moving plunger sent him flying into his food and water dishes splattering their contents all over the kitchen!
"I knew bringing the plunger gun was a good idea!" Gadget exclaimed as she, Chip, and Zipper tried to grab a hold of Monty who was still under the smell of melted mozzarella and once again reaching for the pizza. Poor Dale was doing his best to help, but his wounds still stung as he tried to move around off the counter. Socrates meanwhile was shaking about wildly trying to get the plunger from his snout. His actions though sent things flying from shelves and Maggie's coffee table.
Just as the Rangers were able to tie a string to Monty's tail (courtesy of Zipper) and try to bring him back down to the ground, Socrates finally got the plunger off. After a whimper and giving his nose a good rub he spotted the culprits and once again growled and jumped for them.
"GERMAN SHEPHARD FOUR O'CLOCK!" Gadget screamed as she held onto Monty's back end while Chip maintained hold on his front. The chipmunk and mouse ran just in time. The dog smacked into the refrigerator door hard enough to send paper plates, napkins, and some oranges down onto the top of his head causing him to see stars and moons.
"Or maybe it was 3:45." Gadget surmised.
"WHO CARES, LET'S JUST GRAB DALE AND GET OUT OF HERE!" Chip yelled. "MONTY SNAP OUT OF IT! ESCAPE NOW, CHEESE LATER!"
The portly mouse was slowly coming to, he had gotten a nibble off of a pizza slice just before Chip and Gadget got him down.
"Cheese?" Monty said in his classic slur.
However, just before they could reach the counter they ran smack into two dark angry eyes and snarling teeth.
"Uh oh." Zipper said as the team backed away trying to look for a way out.
"I GOT TO HELP THEM!" Dale said to himself. Looking around he saw a silver spoon near him. Thinking he could use that to distract the dog, he lifted it as high as he could (which wasn't much for a chipmunk and a weighty spoon) ready to drop it on the dog's head when….
"WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON OUT HERE!?"
The voice was loud enough to stop everyone from what they were doing. Standing in the doorway of her bedroom Maggie stood, wearing her casual clothes and a shocked expression.
"My…my kitchen, my living room! Socrates what did you do?! This whole place is a disaster!"
The dog turned to Maggie and the Rangers used that to move away from him and go get Dale.
The dog gulped and whimpered while its master looked down at him annoyingly.
"Socrates…why!?"
The dog whimpered trying to formulate his answer in the best dog movements he could.
"I don't want to hear it!" Maggie said shaking her head. "You're on report Socrates! No treats or sleeping on my bed for a week! I don't know what's gotten into you, but I am very disappointed!"
The dog's mouth dropped open.
"Now go to your bed!" Maggie pointed in the direction of the large dog bed next to her own queen sized one.
Once again the dog tried to explain.
"Go!" Maggie said firmly.
Defeated the dog whimpered his way to his bed.
Maggie shook her head and surveyed the scene again.
"It's going to take me a millennium to clean this up!"
Then she remembered Dale.
"I hope he's okay!" She raced over to the counter to see the little chipmunk wasn't there.
"Oh no…he can't run off in his condition! Those wounds need to heal for at least a night! Here little chipmunk you can come out now, you don't have to be scared!"
The female officer checked in her living room looking under the couch, bookcase, and end tables.
"Hurry before she finds us." A voice suddenly caught her ear. It was faint, but she still caught it nonetheless.
"OUCH watch the bandage there, I'm still very tender!"
"Sorry Dale!"
Maggie froze. Maybe she had been wrong that the accident had been caused by Socrates and that he was trying to defend her and the apartment from robbers!
With a gulp she grabbed a vase that had fallen, but thankfully didn't shatter on the carpet. She always kept her service revolver at the station, so that was the next best thing to a weapon. Sure she could kick his butt with her defense moves, but a little extra equipment didn't hurt. Quietly she crept in the direction of the voices.
"I used a tracking device that automatically sends the Ranger Wing to wherever we are. It's probably on the roof of the building!" A female voice said. "Zipper go up there and open the door for us."
The fly saluted and out it flew the large space under Maggie's front door.
"Think you can handle getting to the elevator Dale palie?"
"I can try."
"Just hang onto me Dale."
Taking a deep breath, Maggie jumped.
"Hold it right there!" She yelled.
"IT'S THE COPPER, RUN EVERYBODY!"
Maggie heard the voice and lunged in its direction. However, she hadn't anticipated that the floor would still be slippery from when Socrates spilled his water dish. Off she slid on the kitchen floor, dropping the vase, just as she saw a parade of rodents run by.
"HURRY!"
Maggie stopped sliding, slowly got back to her feet as she watched the little feet scatter past her.
"Oh no you don't!" She said and she jumped just before they could reach the front door. She was able to reach the two chipmunks first and quickly grabbed her patient gently, but firmly by his tail and the other one by his bomber jacket. Monty and Gadget stopped and ran back as Maggie lifted the two chipmunks to her eye level. They didn't know what to do.
Dale gulped.
"I think we're in trouble Chip." He said.
Chip said nothing as he stared anxiously at the woman.
Maggie could only just pant.
"Am I losing my mind or something?" She finally said when she caught her breath. "Did I just hear you talk!?"