Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait, I've been fairly busy.

But here's the next chapter, enjoy.

Chapter 10: Hatred (Part 1)

Marshall has been working on Rocky for 2 hours, he had the bleeding from Rocky's head injury, it was a deep gash, which he stitched, cleaned, and wrapped in bandages Pedz had given him. However Rocky's side injury Marshall was having issues with, not to mention Marshall himself is injured, his paw ached and he was coming down with a puppy-flu. Nether the less, Marshall was set on saving Rocky's life.

It wasn't till he managed to stop Rocky's side wound from bleeding, that his own vision began fading.

Pedz placed her hand on Marshall's head and says. "Marshall you need to rest, let me finish up."

"No!" Marshall snapped, shaking his head in hopes his vision would return normal, but if anything his vision only got worse. "I need to do this,"

"Marshall why?" Pedz knelt down next to the dalmatian, who violently vomited on the ground. "You are sick, let me"

Marshall shook his head, and finished stitching Rocky's side. "You don't understand, I need to do it"

"But why?"

"I'm scared of him Pedz" Marshall tilted his head to look up at the Super-Star. "I-I... thought I hate him, because of what he did to me. He tried to kill me more then once, he tried to kill Chase... I'm a f-father now, and I'm scared, worried he could hurt my pups. His life is in my paws, Pedz I could easily let him die, b-but I-I can't!" Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes, but he continued. "Please you have to let me do this, I need to! It helps me to get over my fear of him"

Pedz smiled pulling her bag over, she unzipped it taking out some bandages. "Sounds like you still love Rocky."

Love him? No way! After what he did!

Marshall rejected his feelings, although Pedz was probably correct there's no way Marshall could ever trust Rocky again.

Sighing, he continued to wrap Rocky's side injury. "Pedz I think he needs an operation, it looks like a rib has punctured one of his ribs."

"My helicopter has been detained by the storm." Pedz placed her hand on Rocky's head. "He feels hot,"

"He's possibly getting an infection." Marshall explained with a worried expression on his face. "I can try to do the operation here, but I don't think he'll se-" he was cut off when he felt his body swaying.

Pedz quickly helped him remain sitting. "Marshall slow down, you'll make yourself sicker. You need rest" She says, patting his head.

"I have to keep eye an on Rocky" Marshall replies rubbing his eyes in hope it would fix his vision, but it only made his vision blacken more.

"No Marshall, I can look after him. You need to rest" Pedz says forcing Marshall to lay down.

He didn't fight her, his body already was feeling numb. He felt sick in the tummy, and was developing a fever not the mention his paw was aching something bad.

Sighing he looks up at Pedz. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, now get some rest Marshall." Pedz replied standing up, walking towards the entrance of the cave.

"P-Pedz?"

She turns around. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Uh, never mind" He sighs closing his eyes.

Roughly 20 minutes later, Marshall opens his eyes up and is startled at what he sees in front of him.

"M-Marshall, I-I.. Um.. T-thanks?"

He just stares straight into Rocky's brown eyes. "You're awake?"

"I think so?" Rocky chuckles, but groans.

Marshall quickly brings himself to his own paws, before sitting beside the Mix-Breed even though his consciousness was telling him to keep away.

"Don't try to move, you need to rest." He tells Rocky who lightly smiles.

"Marshall I-"

"Rocky don't"

"But-"

"No, just please don't bring it up."

"Why not? You saved my life after I-I..." Rocky gulps, closing his eyes trying to fight tears which are threatening to spill. "After I tried to kill you, why? Why'd you do it? You should of just let me die!"

Marshall blinks shaking his head. "I did it because it's what I do, I'm the EMT pup remember? Just because I don't lik-trust you doesn't mean I'm going to let you die."

"Well you should have! Marshall what use am I? No-one trusts me anymore, I'm sure even Ryder doesn't! It's my fault, everything that happened to you back then at the park was my fault, I'm so sorry Marshall"

"Rocky-"

"Listen to me, Marshall I'm a monster you're right to be afraid of me." he pauses. "I don't deserve anything! I certainly don't deserve Wendy, or even to be a father" Then the tears fall. "I-I-I hate-"

"Rocky!"

"No! I hate myself! WHY! WHY! Couldn't you just let me die! all your worries would be gone! You wouldn't have to look over your shoulder every 5 minutes thinking I'm going to come and try to kill you again, you could live in peace." Tears keep rolling down Rocky's cheeks falling on the cave's floor, creating a small puddle. "I hate myself Marshall, I really do."

Marshall's speechless what could he possibly say to make Rocky feel better? After all, he doesn't trust him.

"Just go"

"Excuse me?"

"Marshall, go! leave me here. You have pups now to take care of, so go to them, go to your mate, don't spend your time here looking after me."

"Rocky-"

"No! just go! I hate you!" Rocky shakes his head. "Leave me" he begged, feeling his body trembling, and the tears kept falling.

Marshall did something, that shocked himself.

Rocky's eyes were shut tight until he felt warmth, paws wrapped around him. Opening his eyes he was met with Marshall who had embraced him in a hug. "W-what a-are you d-doing?" He cried.

"For once in your life shut up" Marshall merely tightened his grip around Rocky, licking the tears from his cheeks. "I don't hate you Rocky, I just needed time.. B-but I forgive you."

"You whhhhaaaa?"

"I forgive you" Marshall repeats holding Rocky who continues to cry, but not because he's sad, but tears of joy.

Before Rocky can continue, Pedz runs in.

"We have to go" She says, worry filling her voice. "The water is rising, it is not safe in here."

Marshall glances at Rocky. "He can't walk."

"Neither can you" Rocky says back.

"I can" Marshall huffs standing to his paws. "See, I can carry y-" he feels his body tilting sideways, but Pedz picks him up.

"I will carry both of you" She takes Marshall in one arm then Rocky in the other.

Not long after they left the cave and climbed out of the Canyon, the flash flood hit.

Pedz placed both pups on the ground "That was a close one, you both ok?"

"I guess" Marshall sighs looking at Rocky who's eyes were shut. "Rocky?"

No answer.

"Rocky are you ok?" Pedz knelt down, and felt his pulse. "Marshall he's getting worse."

Marshall's own fever was also getting higher but he ignored it. "I can't do anything else for him Pedz... I-I think he's also giving up on living"

"What? He can't, he has Wendy and their pups to live fo-"

"But he thinks everyone's hates him, it's my fault." Marshall gulped, looking up at Pedz. "M-maybe I shouldn't have treated him the way I did"

"You had every rights to Marshall, he tried to kill you"

"yeah but that's no excuse to hate someone, if he dies-"

"Hey hey slow down, he will not die." Pedz put her hand on Marshall's head. "Marshall! you are burning up."

Marshall sighs laying down. "Puppy-flu but don't worry I've had worse, beside Rocky needs the attention not me"

"Nonsense," Pedz pulled out a bottle of water from her bag and wet a clothe then placed it on Marshall's head.

"Pedz?"

"Hm?"

"No matter how much I tell myself, everything will be alright I-I don't believe it, I want to trust Rocky again, but I just can't and it hurts so much." Tears formed in Marshall's eyes, he continued. "It hurts Pedz, I forgive him but I'm still afraid."

Pedz sat beside him. "It is only natural for you to be afraid Marshall."

"But I don't want to be afraid!"

Rocky suddenly sat up, causing both Marshall and Pedz to jump. "I can solve that issue!"

In one swift movement, Rocky jumped off the Canyon's edge.

"ROCKY!"

To be continued