Chapter 5: United We Stand, Divided We Fall
It had been roughly 24 hours after the attack on Marshall, the pack of Wild Dogs had hit several farms surrounding Adventure Bay including Farmer Yumi's where she lost 5 sheep and 1 cow to them, the Wild Dogs where becoming a problem. Ryder however was devoting his time to helping Katie getting Marshall back on his paws, but it looked as though it would take some time for him to be able to walk again.
"You'll walk Marshall, don't give up" Everest said licking Marshall's forehead
Katie smiled pulling the sheets back over him "Everest's right, your body just needs time to recover and heal that's all"
"But I don't want to be laying in bed all the time" Marshall sighed "I feel so useless"
"Marshall you're not useless pup" Ryder kissed his head
"Well your injures are still serious, you have 67 stitches remember?" Katie said looking down at her note pad "The injury on your side has 26 stitches alone, until they heal you can't do any activity that could risk your wounds being reopened"
"Katie's right" Ryder remembered the Letter "I have something for you, it's from Everest" he said handing the Letter to Everest who held it in front of his face
"I meant every word in it" Everest watch Marshall read it
Marshall finished reading it and felt a tear fall from his eye and drip down his cheek "I love you"
"I love you too, my Dalmatian" Everest smiled and rested her head next to him
Ryder smiled then turned to Katie "Katie?" he whispered to her "Do you think he's well enough to go home with me?"
Katie looked at Marshall and smiled "Sure, but make sure he doesn't try to walk without you or any of the pups around, he needs rest" she whispered back
"I'll be with him don't worry" Ryder then walked over to Marshall "Are you ready to go home?" he asked
Marshall's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree "Yes! Yes! I am!" he looked as though he were about to jump up
"Woah, calm down" Everest giggled forcing Marshall to lay still "Don't get too excited"
"Right sorry" Marshall sighed looking down at his severely bandaged body
Ryder sat down on the bed beside him "Marshall, you will get better, the pups and I will help you recover" he pulled the sheets back but noticed something "Katie!"
"What's wrong?" Everest felt her heart sink at the tone in Ryder's voice
Katie was at Ryder's side within seconds "My goodness!" she gasped at the amount of blood leaking from Marshall's side "Ryder, Everest please wait in the main area of my shop"
Everest left with Ryder but not before she kissed Marshall's head, Ryder closed the door behind him
"Katie? It's not that bad is it?" Marshall asked but noticed the concern in Katie's eyes "Katie?" he said starting to panic
"Hold still" Katie un-bandage his belly and side, but the minute she did blood leaked out faster "Marshall you need to stay extremely still for me, can you do that?"
Marshall never answered
"Marshall?" Katie looked up at him, his eyes were rolling to the back of his head, his breathing rapidly increasing "No! No! No! Marshall! Please, not now, don't do this!" she said quickly placing an oxygen mask over his face "Marshall, hey! Stay with me, don't go to sleep, stay awake come on Marshall!"
"Ev-e-rest" Was all Marshall said before everything faded
1 Hour Before The Attack
Marshall had been told by Everest to meet her in the woods behind Adventure Bay for a date, Ryder advised against it and said it was to dangerous because of the Wild Dogs in the area, Marshall agreed, but that was before Ryder received a terrifying call on his pup pad.
"Hello Ryde.." He was cut off when Everest's face appeared on the screen
"Ryder! Help!" Everest screamed out in horror as barking and growling could be heard behind her "The Dogs.. they're... they're... oh no! Ryder they're following me!" she said limping "Plea..."
The call went dead
"EVEREST!" Marshall literally yelled at the top of his lungs "We have to help her!"
"Marshall we will" Ryder said firmly "But together" he clicked on the pups symbols "Paw Patrol! To the Lookout! Make it fast pups"
"Ryder's calling!" All of the pups a part from Marshall said through Ryder's pup pad
Ryder pup his pup pad away "Come on Marshall"
"No!" Marshall snapped at him "There's no time!"
Ryder raised his eyebrow "Are you disobeying my order?"
"Yes, I am" Marshall jumped into his firetruck and drove away with tears flooding down his cheeks "Hold on Everest! I'm coming!"
"MARSHALL! Get back here! NOW!" Ryder said in his pup pad, but Marshall deactivated his pup tag, Ryder sighed "Why Marshall? Why disobey me?" he watched Marshall sped over the Adventure Bay bridge
"Ryder sir?" Chase said standing behind him with the rest of the pups "Paw Patrol! Ready f..." He was cut off
"Now's not the time for assigning jobs, Everest's in trouble and now Marshall's disobeyed me and gone by himself, all paws on deck for this one, pups go! Follow Marshall I'll catch up" Ryder said running to the lower part of the Lookout
The pups nodded and got into their gear then trucks and drove off attempting to catch Marshall, who was approaching Everest's location
"Don't worry! I'm coming!" Marshall said driving through the woods, he heard dogs barking and stopped his truck by a big tree "EVEREST! Where are you?!" he yelled looking around, then he saw her, limping down a hill "EVEREST!" he quickly ran as fast as he could, in minutes he was by her side, she hugged him and instantly started to cry
"Marshall, I'm so scared!" Everest said hugging him harder "They came out of nowhere" she held her front paw in the air which revealed a small wound on her paw, it was bleeding
Marshall used his weight to help her stand "Lean on me, don't worry I can take it" he kissed her cheek "I'll protect you Everest, I won't let them hurt you, you mean everything to me, I promise I'll protect you"
"But Marshall.." Everest tried putting weight on her paw but it hurt to much "I'm just going to slow you down"
"I don't care!" Marshall said helping her walk "I came here to rescue you, so don't argue with me"
Seconds later, the pack of Wild Dogs came running down the hill towards them, growling and barking.
Marshall knew they wouldn't make it and they were outnumbered, but he would not allow them to get her "United we stand Everest, I'm not leaving you, so don't ask me to" he said as they walked faster
Everest looked behind her to see the Dog's closing in
"No, keep your eyes ahead of us or on me don't look behind" Marshall kissing her cheek "We can do this"
The Dogs were closing in, Marshall knew they would get to them first, he saw his firetruck parked next to a tree "Even if Everest is the only one who survives it's better then both of us dying here, I'll sacrifice myself for her, she has to live" he thought to himself
Back in the Present
Katie spent the next 30 minutes trying to save Marshall, she managed to stop the bleeding with a further more 15 stitches bringing the total up to 82 stitches. However due to the lack of blood loss Marshall had to have blood transfusion. It wasn't long till Katie noticed Marshall was starting to wake up
"Marshall, don't try to move" Katie said detaching the drip from Marshall
"Ka-ti-e?" Marshall spoke slowly through the oxygen mask while opening his eyes "W-what h-h-happe-ne-d?"
Katie sat next him "I thought I lost you for a second there, you scared me Marshall, you almost bled to death" she said taking his pulse rate, she sighed relieved "Everything's ok now, just rest" she smiled at the Dalmatian
"I-I-I-I.. should hav-h-have waited f-f-for them" Marshall said tears filling his eyes
"Marshall" Katie gently stroked his head "I think you did the right thing, if you waited for Ryder and the Paw Patrol, Everest along with your pup or pups wouldn't be here, you risked your life so that she would live"
Marshall moved both bandaged paws in front of his face and sighed
Katie placed her hand gently on one of them "I would have done the same if I were in your position, sacrificing your life for someone proves you have a big heart, and Marshall your heart is so tough and strong, do not give up just because you're injured" Katie smiled "You will get better" she removed the oxygen mask from his face then stood up and let Ryder along with the rest of the pups in
"Marshall!" The pups all jumped up on his bed bombarding him with hugs
"Slow down, one at a time he's still injured so don't all hug him at once" Katie warned walking over with Ryder
Rocky, Rubble, Skye and Zuma all quickly stopped hugging him and sat besides Marshall
"Sowwy dude, you alwight?" Zuma asked holding back tears
"We didn't hurt you did we?" Rubble questioned with worry in his voice
Marshall giggled, a little "Nah! I'm fine"
"How are you feeling?" Everest asked jumping up next to him, Rocky moved out the way for her
"Tired, but I'm ok I guess" Marshall said getting a bit teary eyed "I'm sorry pups, I should have waited for you all"
"It's ok buddy" Chase jumped up next to Skye "Just remember, united we stand but divided we fall, we'll get those dogs for what they did to you, but we'll do it together! just like we're all going to help you get better"
Marshall flashed Chase a smile "Thanks Chase, means a lot to me"
"Your welcome" Chase moved close to him and hugged him
Everest kissed Marshall on his forehead "Marshall? Can you promise me something?"
"For you, anything" Marshall smiled at her
"Promise no matter what, or how much pain you're in, you won't give up" Everest felt a tear roll down her cheek "I-I just can't and don't want to raise our pups alone, please promise you won't give up"
With Marshall's bandaged paws he pulled Everest on top of him, causing pain to shoot through his body, which he ignored "I promise my love" he said before kissing her passionately on the lips, she closed her eyes and kissed back tears falling from her eyes. Marshall separated from the kiss "I won't let you go through it alone, I'll be at the birth I promise, and we'll grow old TOGETHER" What he just said, he meant it.
To be continued