Chapter 9: The Price of Bravery

In the Present

Ryder had rushed all his pups to Katie's, all of them had sustained some bad injuries

"Katie!" Ryder yelled running in with Zuma and Rubble

"Oh my, Ryder what happened?" Katie asked motioning Ryder to place the pups on beds

Ryder shook his head "All my pups are hurts"

"What?! All of them?" Katie asked examining Zuma's head

Ryder nodded running out then brought Rocky and Skye followed by Chase and Everest then finally Marshall, Katie brought out more beds which all the pups were placed on

Katie looked at Chase and Skye who both had the most severe injures "Ryder what happened to them? How did they get like this?" she paused looking at a bite mark on Chase's tail "Were they in a fight?"

"Yes Katie" Ryder replied tears falling down his cheeks "They went up against that pack of wild dogs"

"It's my fault" Marshall mumbled laying on a bed next to Rocky "The pups wanted to get revenge for me, and look where it got them!" he yelled tears forming in his eyes "Everything is my fault!" he cried, breathing heavily

"Marshall slow down" Katie said, cleaning an injury on Skye "It's not your fault"

Ryder helped Katie, and dressed Everest's injuries "Katie's right, how is this any of your fault?"

"BECAUSE! I disobeyed you! Then I got attacked by those dogs, if I didn't none of this would have happened! My mate could lose our pups!" Marshall yelled then started to hit his hind leg with his front paw over and over, trying to take the cast off

"Relax, Everest is fine and you're pups will be fine too" Katie said now checking Everest over "She hasn't got any major injures, just knocked unconscious"

"It's still my fault!" Marshall forced himself to stand up and jumped off his bed falling on the floor "I.. I... can't do this!" he yelled finding strength to limp out of Katie's Clinic

"MARSHALL! Come back!" Ryder yelled running after him

Katie noticed Skye was bleeding badly from her neck "Ryder! I need you!"

Ryder ran over and looked to see Marshall limping away, he sighed then turned to Katie "What do you need Katie?"

"Put you're hands on Skye's neck" Katie said feeling Skye's pulse which was extremely weak "Ryder... She's not going to make it... I'm losing her.." tears fell down her cheeks

"I can't lose Skye.. I just can't" Ryder said bursting out in tears "Now Marshall's blaming himself for what happened"

Katie tried to stop Skye's neck from bleeding but the wound too was deep "Skye's wound one of those Wilds Dogs bit a chunk of her flesh out, at this rate its only matter of time before s-s-she" Katie couldn't bring herself to say it, Chase started having compulsions "Oh no! That's not good!"

"Katie?" Ryder said holding his hands tightly around Skye's neck

Katie kissed Ryder's cheek then went to Chase's bed "No! No! Chase! stay with me!" She yelled listening to Chase's heart "His heart is failing, he must have internal bleeding, there's nothing I can do for him" she looked down at the now motionless Shepherd "Chase you have to hold on" she pressed her fingers against his neck feeling his pulse

"Is he?" Ryder looked down at Skye, he could feel her getting weaker "This can't be happening... First I almost lost Marshall now this, Katie tell me this is a nightmare, tell me they'll all make it" tears fell from his eyes

"I can't Ryder" Katie also had tears running down her cheeks "I'm so sorry Ryder" she once again felt Chase's pulse

Thud...

Katie broke down crying

Suddenly... Katie felt Chase's heartbeat growing stronger

"What's going on?" Katie wiped tears from her eyes listening to his chest "Ryder!"

"What is it?" Ryder asked crying into Skye's fur

Katie was lost for words "It's Chase, his heartbeat is strengthening"

Ryder didn't hear her he was too busy soaking Skye's fur with his tears "I failed them as a leader, Skye s-she's dying"

Skye began to stir, her heartbeat growing stronger too

Ryder wasn't paying attention "Marshall's blaming himself for all of this, it's not his fault. If anything I'm the one to blame"

"Ryder no! Don't play the blame game, it's no-one's fault" Katie smiled, Chase was now stable

"But Katie it is my fault! I'm their leader" Ryder replied still not noticing Skye

Katie looked over at Skye, and could see the rise and fall of her chest "That's impossible"

"What is?" Ryder asked looking at her

Katie pointed to Skye "For starters, internal bleeding doesn't just stop" she said looking at Chase

"Marshall! He thinks they're dead..." Ryder looked back at the Clinic's door

Unknown to Ryder or Katie, something was resting on the roof of the clinic. It spread out its wings and flew off

Meanwhile with Marshall

Marshall made his way around the beach "I'm nothing but a failure!" he yelled to himself "Because of this stupid injury I can't do anything... And now the pups risked their lives for me, now they're all injured, who's fault is it? mine! I had to go and disobey Ryder's orders, resulting in these injuries!" he bashed his hind leg against a rock instantly shattering the cast, pain shoot from his leg he ignored it and continued to limp until he came across a high cliff over looking sharp rocks at the bottom

"They probably all hate me now, I'm worthless, useless! I can't even help Ryder and Katie like this, what type of friend am I? I almost got my friends killed, and my mate... I don't deserve to live!" Marshall took a deep breath tears rolled down his eyes like a waterfall, he looked over the edge of the cliff "What good is a pup, who got his team hurt? or killed?" he closed his eyes feeling the wind blowing against his fur "I'm sorry, Ryder, pups... please forgive me.." he went to jump

Someone grabbed him before he could jump

"Leave me alone! Let me jump!" Marshall said with his eyes closed, tears escaping his lids "Ryder if that's you, I don't deserve to live"

"I'm not Ryder." A voice spoke. His hands were furry, and so were his arms, and chest. He was wearing pants, but no shirt or shoes

Marshall's eyes shot open "W-who are you? Why did you stop me?"

The man looked like a half Husky dog, half human. He had the legs of a dog, but the hands of a human. Fur covered all of his skin, which was colored silver and Dark blue. "Let's say I'm your guardian angel," the anthro Husky said, his face of a dog, with the muzzle and ears, his eyes shone sky blue

Marshall turned his head away, tears falling down his cheeks "I guess I'm dead" he said looking down at his paws and belly which were still bandaged

The man put a hand on Marshall's chest. "Your heart is still beating."

"I'm not dead?...W-why couldn't you let me jump?" Marshall sighed laying down with his broken leg out "I'm useless!"

"Marshall. You are not useless. Think about it, would everyone really want you dead? Would that make Chase happy? Would that make Ryder happy? Would that make Everest happy? Marshall, your a very important pup, to all of adventure bay. You make all of the PAW Patrol feel so much better, with your sweet smile, and your wonderful laugh, and your funny jokes and mishaps. They need you. The PAW Patrol would never be the same without you." The man said

"It doesn't matter, the pups are hurt and probably dead, it's my fault... Wait how do you know so much?" Marshall looked directly at him, with his teary eyes

"Angel, remember?" He spread out his wings. "And plus, they're all fine. Even Chase and Skye. They're all fine, and they're worried for you. You shouldn't give up on them." The man said

Marshall sighed "I'm not strong like they all think.. but you wouldn't understand"

"I would understand Marshall. I am your guardian angel after all. Look, you are stronger than you think. You need to snap out of this, stop being so negative Marshall. Be optimistic. Look on the brighter side. Your going to be a father soon, with Everest, the one you love so much. Your going to throw all that away because you think your weak? Marshall, I know things aren't going well, but you need to have faith that everything will get better soon. Trust me, they will. I know it." The man said, hugging the dalmatian.

Marshall hugged back, breaking down in tears "I guess you're right" he replied hugging tightly

"It's alright Marshall. Everything will be fine. Now then, I can heal your wounds for you, if you want?" The main asked

Marshall shook his head "Thank you but no, they remind me of the pup I once was, the one Everest fell in-love with, she told me I have to find that pup again, and these wounds will help me do it"

"Alright then, you'd best get back to the clinic. They're worried greatly for you." The man said, putting Marshall back on the ground

"I would, but I don't think I can walk" Marshall replied looking at his hind leg, which had been bleeding

"I'll carry you there then." The man offered

Marshall nodded sleepy "Sounds good" he yawned "Do I get to know the name of my guardian angel?"

The man chuckled. "Maybe when the time is right." He said as he picked up Marshall and began to walk to the clinic

"That's not fair... What do I say to the other pups?" Marshall questioned slowly drifting off to sleep "I was saved by my guardi..." he didn't finish and started snoring

The man chuckled as he arrived at the front of the clinic and knocked on the door. He placed Marshall on the ground and quickly hopped onto the roof and listened closely.

Katie opened her doors "Yes? Can I..." she heard snoring and looked on the ground, there laid Marshall "Ryder!" she called picking the sleeping Dalmatian up, and looked around "How did you get back here? No-way you could have walked"

"Katie?" Ryder said approaching her

"Look who's back" Katie smiled turning around

"Marshall!" Ryder sighed relieved "Did someone bring him here?" he kissed his pups head

Katie shrugged "Maybe, but I have to dress his injuries and put another cast on his hind leg" she said carrying him in

Ryder stood at Katie's doors "Whoever brought my pup back, if you can hear me, I'm grateful, thank you, Marshall means everything to my team, thank you for bringing him home safely" With that Ryder walked back in, with a smile on his face, looking at his pups who were all fine

The man grinned. "Anything for you, Ryder sir." And with that, he flew off, fading away

To be continued

A Special thank you goes out to SilverWolf for doing Marshall's Guardian Angel (Silvex) Lines