okay, readers. This one is the heavy hitter of the final two chapters. This chapter is definitely not an easy one to read. I even had a a tough time writing the last few parts of it. Anyways, I'll see you guys later for the final chapter in a couple days- mitch
chapter 6: passing on
THE NEXT DAY
10 AM
The day that Adventure Bay had dreaded was finally here. The day that the first PAW Patrol lineup, who were absolute heroes in this town, were set to die from the euthanasia process. The mood in the town was very different from just 24 hours earlier, when they held a grand parade in their honor. The townspeople were generally in a sad, reflective mood. And it showed throughout Adventure Bay. All the businesses were closed. The town was deserted for one exception: Katie's Pet Parlor. All the humans gathered there and around the surrounding area to see the old canines one last time.
Everyone-including Alex, Julia and Julius-the kids who had grown up-had a sad tinge of nostalgia over seeing their heroes one last time. The weather was perfect for this melancholy mood-gray skies, cloudy, 60 degrees. The whole town waited for the dogs to come across the bridge silently.
Meanwhile, the eight dogs were at the top of the lookout tower, all had woken up from their slumber by now. The elderly canines had a good night's sleep, and were all greeted with Ryder on the big screen in front of them.
"Good morning, everyone. Did you guys get a good night's rest?" Ryder asked them, catching their attention.
"We sure did!" The eight dogs replied in unison.
"Well, that's wonderful. Katie and I have everything set up for you. The procedure is ready to go. We'll do it when you say you're good to go." Ryder said. The procedure was all set. The IVs and the chairs that they would all die in were ready to be used.
"We are ready to go, Ryder. No sense in delaying the inevitable." Chase answered on behalf of the gang: like he usually did.
"Great. Just walk over to the bridge and keep walking. Katie and I, plus the whole town of Adventure Bay, have a surprise for you. We'll leave you to it. Take your time." Ryder said, signing off from communication seconds later. Sensing the time had come, the eight dogs huddled in a circle close together.
"It's all come down to this. A month of waiting. And it all ends here…today. We're gonna walk across the bridge, go to Katie's Parlor, get euthanized and die together. We will meet each other once again in heaven, where we will be young again, this time forever. Everything will be alright. Skye, Marshall, Everest, Rubble, Rocky, Zuma, Hailey…thanks for supporting me with making this plan possible. And for joining me. I love you all. I really mean it when I say that." The german shepherd spoke with genuine kindness in his words.
"Nah, thank you for inviting us on this journey with you. It's almost destiny that our lives end this way." Skye added.
"We love you too, Chase!" Marshall proclaimed. The group laughed as they all embraced in a group hug. It was a surreal moment for all of them. All this talk of dying together over the last month and they were all finally putting their words to action.
"Alright, gang. We have one more mission ahead of us. And that is to go out on our own terms. Let's not keep them waiting." The old police dog spoke slowly. The gang all walked to the elevator, and rode it down one last time to the ground floor. All of them had vivid memories hitting all at once- the times Marshall wiped out, the laughs and corny jokes, every big mission they went on-it was sublime. The eight canines slowly trudged out the lookout and onto the driveway to allow Marshall and Rubble, two of the most physically deteriorated canines, to walk in pace with them. They walked down the hill and onto the bridge- to reveal a surprise that caught them completely off guard.
"Wait…what the…" Zuma muttered as what they saw came to view. They all gasped and shocked and their eyes widened to the limits of their canine anatomies.
"That's our pups! And our grandpups, too!" Skye gasped loudly, covering her mouth with her paws in surprise. It was indeed reality and not a heavenly vision- the eight canines' pups and grandpups lined up the bridge from the start to the end to see them. Almost 1 thousand dogs lined up the bridge, all different breeds and sizes, getting a chance to see their fathers, mothers, grandmas and grandpas meet their fate.
"They all came to see us?" Everest stuttered. The canines got emotional for a moment, seeing what they all made-their combined offspring- all coming together to bid them one last farewell.
"Well, I'll be darned. Every one of them is here." Rubble pointed out.
"This is so…surreal." Rocky added.
"This…this is the last time they will see us alive." Hailey figured. They then looked at one another and silently nodded in agreement. Ryder and Katie are waiting. We might as well walk.
Together, they all trudged slowly across the long and winding bridge, the elderly canines waving to their families valiantly. The procedure itself was a long, pronounced quiet. It was the loudest silence you could possibly imagine. The hundreds of younger dogs witnessing this became emotional, not a single dry face among them. After 10 minutes, the old gang finally crossed the bridge.
Waiting for them were the humans that the old gang helped out so many times over the years- Mayor Goodway, the Turbots, Mr. Porter, Farmer Yumi and Al, and several others. Even Mayor Humdinger, who had not been seen in the town for many years, showed up. He looked solemn like the rest of the crowd. In front of the Pet Parlor were Ryder and Katie. The elderly dogs waved to the humans one last time, and one by one, entered the building. Katie escorted the gang into a white room, with eight chairs in a circle and IV tubes and wires all over the floor. The room itself was void of life and personality.
"Thank you all for coming, everyone. Just sit on those chairs over there." Katie said. There were tiny stools next to the chairs so the elderly dogs could get to them easier. But Rubble, having no function in his own legs, had to be lifted by Ryder into the chair himself. The chairs themselves were right next to each other, going in a circular formation so the canines could see each other.
"Wow, we're gonna die in these chairs! Time to get acquainted." Rocky exclaimed as he got himself used to the piece of furniture.
"These chairs are so comfortable…Can't ask for a more comfy way to go." Everest remarked casually.
"So, everybody, this is how the euthanasia process will work for you today. I will insert the IV's into each of your arms…like so." Katie began. She then carefully inserted an IV tube into every dog's left front arm. The canines held their breath as each felt a slight stinging sensation came and left within seconds.
"Katie…is this going to hurt?" Hailey asked innocently as she finished up the process.
"Not at all. You'll feel very tired and go to sleep. It'll be painless." The veterinarian answered calmly.
"Katie's done this before with other dogs. She's good at it." Zuma spoke to the golden retriever, easing up her nerves a bit.
"Well, I hate to brag." Katie shrugged.
"How are we going to get the shot, Katie?" Rocky inquired, as all eyes laid on her curiously.
"You guys are going to get two shots. The first shot is going to make you all fall unconscious. You will not feel anything after that. The second shot…kills you." Katie stammered, almost barely finishing her sentence before Ryder intervened.
"Everything going well here?" Ryder asked innocently.
"Yep. Got them all hooked up." Katie replied quickly with a fake grin.
"That's nice. We'll leave you guys in here." Ryder concluded. The two were about to leave the room before they heard a voice. It was Skye.
"Wait…Ryder, Katie…we want to say thank you. For all that you've done for us. You gave us a home when we were little. You gave us all a shot to make a difference. You gave all of us a chance to be heroes to the kids…that are now grown up. Thank you for supporting all of us, all of our lives. We owe you nothing but gratitude. For more than 10 years, you've blessed us with unconditional love and kindness. And we want you to take care of your children. Katie, take care of yourself. You're an amazing mother. And Ryder, keep being there for Riley and your wife. The second kid of yours will be wonderful, I can already tell." The cockapoo smiled warmly.
"Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure getting to know you all. Love you." The veterinarian responded.
"Love you, Katie!" The eight canines responded cheerfully. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, came a familiar face. It wasn't a human. Rather, a feline. Cali walked into the room, knowing that it would be the last time she would see the old dogs herself. Cali herself was an old cat, but still had a few years ahead of her.
"Woah, look who it is!" Marshall pointed out. There, they saw the cat in front of all of them. The canines all loved Cali. She snuggled with each of the dogs for a moment, but when she got to Rubble, things changed a bit. The old bulldog had a huge soft spot for Cali throughout his life, and it showed. He embraced the cat with all the limited strength in his arms.
"Hey, Cali? Thanks for all the memories. We love you. Go over there and watch over the family. They need you for a little while longer than the rest of us." Rubble spoke to the cat. The bulldog kissed the cat's forehead, while the feline returned the favor by licking his paw a few times. The cat then got off the chair, looked at all the canines one more time with a weary smile and meow, and left the room. Katie and Ryder watched the whole thing, and the veterinarian could barely keep her face clean of tears.
"We'll close the door behind us. We'll observe you through the window here. If you guys want to talk to each other one more time…your last words…go right ahead." Ryder said, closing the door behind them. They walked over to a window where they could see all 8 of the dogs clearly. The humans also set up a few microphones…to hear what they had to say.
"How about that?" The german shepherd muttered.
"This is how it's gonna end…ya know, Chase? When we signed up together all those years ago to be in the PAW Patrol, I couldn't have imagined all this. But I love it." Marshall admitted with a smile.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually wanna die!" Rubble added, almost giddy about his life coming to an end.
"Well said, my boy." Zuma complimented his old bulldog comrade.
"Nah, but seriously, imagine for a second. We'll all be younger. We'll be able to run again! Just imagine the amazement we'll have!" Rubble continued with excitement.
"How are we going to settle this 'last words' kind of business?" Hailey asked her friends.
"How about everybody goes one at a time?" Everest suggested.
"I think that sounds splendid." Skye agreed, turning her attention to her husband.
"Chase, since you were the one who started this whole mess, why don't you start us off?" Rocky pointed out. The german shepherd thought for a moment on what he could possibly convey. These are my last words, after all. Chase thought momentarily. He cleared his throat and began to speak.
"I'm not very good when it comes to speeches and all that. But I'd love to speak on my own behalf before we all depart from this earth. I want to thank everyone in this room for helping make this plan possible. You guys are the greatest. And…well…all of us have been on so many missions with each other. We used to live with each other, for pete's sake! But I'm thankful that we all got along, and I'm very fortunate for the memories that we all have. Marshall, thanks for being my guy until the end. We fought damn hard to make the world a better place, and we did that. Thanks for being there for me when I needed it most. And for being the best uncle ever. Those dad jokes were top notch." Chase remarked with a laugh to his best friend.
"No prob, buddy." Marshall answered, a fistbump to follow. He looked at his other friends in turn.
"Everest, thanks for being such a great friend…and taking care of Marsh. You're strong for that. Rubble, Zuma, thank you for being so dope and being yourselves. You both mean a lot to me. Rocky, when you came out to us back then, I thought you were the most brave dude I've ever come across. You've been through hell and back, and you're still…mentally speaking…the toughest dude out there." Chase told his old recycling dog friend.
"You're way tougher than me, man. But keep going." Rocky shrugged it off.
"Hailey, thanks for teaching me about forgiveness. I'm so happy that you and Zuma are together again. I can't wait to see you guys in heaven together." Chase spoke to the lab and retriever.
"Thanks, Chase." Zuma and Hailey replied at the same time. Finally, he turned his attention to the one he loved the most. The love that she still had in her eyes kept plucking his heartstrings. He held her paw gently.
"And last, but not least, I want to thank my beautiful wife, Skye, for all the love that we've shared over the last 70 years. I can't really imagine life without you. We've been through it all, and whatever challenges we face, we've absolutely obliterated them. I love you to the moon and back." The german shepherd spoke with honesty in his words. He then turned to Marshall, who figured out the drill pretty fast.
"I guess it's my turn! Well, it's been a pretty amazing life I've had. I want to thank all of you for being wonderful dogs that I could be friends with. The best memories I've had in life were with you. Rubble, thanks for the laughs, dude! Your DJ sets were crazy. Zuma, Hailey, you guys are amazing together. Rocky, thanks for fixing Eve and I's house…every time one of our pups would break something." The dalmatian reminded the gray mix, much to his amusement.
"Don't mention it, brother." Rocky responded with a chuckle.
"Chase, Skye, you two are the best friends that Eve and I could ever have. Thanks for being there for us when times were rough over the last few years. We couldn't have made it this far in life without you both." The retired fire dog smirked.
"Hey, helping my best friend out doesn't tire me out." The german shepherd replied warmly. It was merely a formality over who he was going to speak to last. When he and his wife locked eyes, it truly was the closest thing to heaven for both of them. They held paws tightly as the elderly dalmatian took a deep breath.
"Everest, thank you so much for being the love of my life. We have made so much together. We've raised 8 pups, dozens of grandpups and made a legacy together that will last forever. Words can't describe how much I love you, and…lastly…thanks for being there for me over the last 20 years, especially with my health. Without you or the kids, I would have been so miserable. But your presence has done wonders. I can't wait to shred some mountains in the afterlife, if there's any. Eve, I love you." Marshall said, with a deep love burning in his soul. The cockapoo felt a slight bit awkward being looked at by everyone-but didn't mind too much.
"Everyone's looking at me. Fair enough. Rocky, Rubble, Zuma, thank you for all the wonderful memories you have given to me. My life story wouldn't be complete without you. Marshall, thanks for taking care of my best friend for me…even though you couldn't do much yourself sometimes with your age." Skye said thoughtfully.
"I tried my best." The retired fire dog sheepishly replied.
"Hailey, I'm so happy that you're back here, with all of us. Having you here is so wonderful. I'm grateful for the limited time that we've had to catch up. You and Zuma are way too cute, even after all these years." The elderly cockapoo gushed.
"Awww, thank you, Skye!" Hailey grinned widely.
"Everest, thank you for being my best friend all our lives. I can't tell you how many times you've inspired me to get back up on my feet. When I was the only girl on the PAW Patrol…believe me, it was lonely, you showed up! And when you moved down to the lookout full time…oh my god, you made me so happy! You were there during those times where I struggled to be a mother…when my marriage was getting bad, you and Marshall helped save it. I owe you for that! And lastly, thank you for all the kindness and compassion that you've shown me." Skye spoke to the husky in turn.
"Love you, bestie!" Everest answered candidly.
"Lastly, I want to thank my beloved husband, Chase. You've supported me in everything I've done over the last…oh I don't know, my whole life. You were always committed to making our relationship work, and I'm grateful that you chose me to share your life with. Can't wait to share a life of eternity with you. I love you, Chase, in ways that you can't imagine." Skye whispered to her husband. They leaned toward each other-and kissed for what was the final time. It lasted for just a few moments, but for them-it was enough. Both were blushed aplenty when Everest figured it was her time to speak.
"Everyone, I remember saying this on my wedding day. That I consider myself…the luckiest dog on the face of the earth. I came from Antarctica to find Jake…and a spot on the PAW Patrol. I'm happy that all of you accepted me…a husky with wolf DNA…as myself. Chase, thanks for being such a wonderful uncle for my pups. And taking care of Marshall during the rare occasions that I didn't feel like it recently. Rocky, Rubble, Zuma, you three are some of the most interesting dogs…and fellow uncles I've ever known in my life. You all are amazing in your own way. Rocky, I really can't wait to see you and Jasen jamming on one of those heavenly harps and whatnot." The retired mountain rescue dog beamed.
"Those strings are 24 carat gold." Rocky wisecracked, everyone laughing briefly as a result.
"Hailey, I'm so glad you came back! I was wondering about you for… about ten years, I believe. Seeing you just…randomly show up that day was just the best thing ever. You're a wonderful dog, and I don't believe what you did all those years ago makes you who you are. You've changed and grown mentally and spiritually…and I love that. You're an absolute real one, and I can't wait to see you and Zuma doing some smoochy-smoochy up in paradise." The husky joked. More laughs and chuckles followed, with the golden retriever and chocolate lab in question blushing like two red delicious apples.
"Oh, Eve, you're off the rocker!" Hailey called out with a laugh. After the mood died down, Everest cleared her throat. The only noise in the room was the buzzing of the lights above them, but they didn't notice. Or care.
"Oh…and Skye. Let me get this off my chest and say that I love you. With all my heart. You are such an amazing woman and I couldn't imagine any time you didn't go above and beyond to make sure that I was ok. I've had hard times, and you, along with Marshall, are always there for me. You were the one when I was first made a member of the PAW Patrol that helped me get adjusted. The times when we were just young girls…to developing feelings for certain men in this room…to becoming mothers…to becoming grandmas…to our elderly age today, you were the greatest friend I could ever have. And I trust you with every ounce I have in my frail body." The husky said to her pilot best friend.
"Awww, I love you too." Skye gushed in return. Everest then turned to someone she loved most of all-a certain black-spotted dog.
"And lastly, I wanna mention a certain someone that I've spent my life with for the last 65 years. A dog by the name of Marshall. But I like to call you Marshy." Everest told his husband flirtatiously.
"You still give my heart butterflies, even in our old age." Marshall remarked with a giggle, feeling his heart and insides melt to mush-like they always did when his wife was around.
"Marshy, thank you so much for everything that we've ever done. I still remember the night that you confessed your feelings to me. I felt like I was the luckiest girl alive. And I still feel the same. You were the one who wanted to build a log cabin in the mountains together when we were only teenagers! I knew from that moment that we were going to get married one day. And we did, in the coldest area on the planet. We had eight pups, countless grandpups and thousands of memories. Especially with you and chasing our kids around the house." The husky remarked, nostalgia overtaking the couple for a split second.
"That was the best part of being a dad." The dalmatian sighed with awe. It felt like just yesterday when their pups were little. He would pretend to be a giant monster, chasing their eight puppies around the cabin, squeals of laughter being heard outside the joint.
"When I had a rough day…when I bawled my eyes out…you were always running right to me, to let me cry on your shoulder. I always feel safe when I'm with you. And when you had your health issues, I remembered how you took care of me, mentally. So, in return, I wanted to do the same. And I always felt I did a good job. I took care of your worsening physical body over the last 20 years because I love you more than life itself." Everest told her husband, feeling more vulnerable with every sentence that came out of her mouth.
"Yeah…" Marshall shrugged.
"I figured we can't kiss each other goodnight anymore…so…you wanna make out? One more time?" The husky asked him slowly, her eyes pleading for one more kiss before they died. And Marshall wouldn't have it any other way.
"I'll make this one count." The dalmatian replied with confidence. Within seconds, the two leaned close and began making out. The other dogs laughed and cheered, as they had a feeling this was coming.
"It's only poetic." Rocky pointed out.
"Gee…the ritual persists." Rubble muttered.
"Damn, you're going for a record?!" Chase chuckled. Just after a minute, the two finally separated. Both were breathing very heavily-as with their age, making out more than 30 seconds was extremely difficult.
"Wow…you really did make that one count. Felt like we were 16 for a moment." Everest stuttered with a smile on her face to her husband.
"I thought so." Marshall answered confidently.
"Oh my lord, get a room, you freaks!" Rubble mockingly shouted, another laughing fit erupting among the canines.
"Nah, you're jealous." Everest said in defiance to the bulldog. Knowing it was sarcasm, the bulldog shrugged it off.
"I guess it's your turn, my guy." Rocky told his retired construction dog friend.
"Oh, well, I don't really have much to say. I'll make this short. Everyone, you all know who you are, thank you for all the memories. It's been an amazing ride, and I love y'all. You've helped me so much in becoming the dog I am right now. Thanks for supporting me in being a single dad, ya know? And Rocky, I owe you everything I have for staying in the same nursing home as me during the last couple of years, even though you didn't need to. And then, you moved into the same room as me! Just to make sure my last few months would be as painless as possible. Just wanted to let you know, you did a great job." The bulldog smiled. He and the old recycling dog fist-bumped one another.
"Okay now, I guess it's my turn now. Thank you, everyone, for making me feel accepted and loved every day. You all have helped me come out of the closet and make me feel welcome in all social aspects. I'm not really…a social butterfly in those areas…with my autism, especially. Thank you for having the patience to deal with that, too. Thank you to the ones who were there during my darkest hours after Jasen died. You've helped me get out of a horrible place, and Zuma, you drove me to therapy once a week. You guys are the reason I'm still here, because you showed me love in the face of darkness that I went through. Zuma, thanks for being my best pal in life, even though we were different in almost every conceivable way." Rocky spoke, the feels emanating throughout his entire body.
"I got you, man." Zuma remarked to his best friend as they shook paws. There were only two dogs who had yet to make their final testimony: Hailey and Zuma themselves.
"Why don't you go first?" The golden retriever asked him. After a few moments, the retired water rescue dog took a deep breath and sighed.
"Here's my Gettysburg Address, everyone. Rocky, you already know how much I love and respect you. I mean, you're my brother until the very end. When I first got into the PAW Patrol, you were the one that took me under your wing and, well, became my first real friend. I owe you everything for that. Rubble, thanks for the laughs and all the times we watched Apollo…even as recent as last week." Zuma chuckled.
"I'm telling you, it never gets old!" Rubble replied with vigor.
"And I can't wait to see you up in heaven, chewing the biggest bone in the universe." The chocolate lab spoke to his bulldog pal.
"You bet I'm gonna be first in line." The bulldog proclaimed proudly.
"Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, I want to thank you all for being great uncles for my pups. I couldn't have asked for better. Skye, Everest, I owe you all the respect I can give. You both set my head straight in my worst days, and made me realize that being a single dad wasn't impossible. You both helped out as much as you could…even with your own kids to deal with. Both of you were the best aunts ever and I could very much tell that they looked up to you." Zuma spoke to the cockapoo and husky, giving them the respect that he thought they well deserved.
"We were always happy to help…even though some days, there would be a dozen or more rambunctious pups to take care of at a time." Everest admitted.
"Lastly, I want to save something for a certain someone. Hailey, when we were just young adults, those years together…were the best years of my life. I'm happy with what we made then and what came out of it. You gave me my children…that I raised alone. But they're also yours. And I'm grateful that you talked to them when you had the chance." Zuma told the golden retriever, holding her paw gently.
"Thanks, love." Hailey whispered, feeling tears build up in her eyes as the chocolate lab continued to speak.
"I'm grateful that I also found you again, after 55 years, during the twilight stages of our lives. I really thought you just died. But when we started talking again that day, it just felt like saying hey to an old friend. Just being able to catch up with you was great. But the greatest thing, during those 55 years, was that you had a lot of growth spiritually. Even though you violated me in the worst way, you came back and admitted what you did. The whole reason I wanted to find you again was to bury the hatchet. Little did I know that we found a spark like that old flame we had. I couldn't have ever expected to fall in love again with you. But here we are. Hailey, I don't want to sound like a scratched up record, but I love you with all my soul. When we get up to heaven, the first thing we're gonna do is jump into one of those lakes, turn into merpups and get married again. It just seems perfect." Zuma said, his heartbeat increasing ever so slightly. It was at that point that Hailey couldn't take it anymore.
"Wow…Zuma…I promised myself that I wouldn't cry, but here I am." Hailey stuttered, wiping her eyes.
"Let it all out, girl! We're right here." The husky encouraged her friend. Well, we're all gonna die anyway. We have nothing to lose. Might as well. The golden retriever thought. Inspired by Everest, Hailey let her emotions overflow. She cried tears of joy at the prospect of this whole situation-dying and going to heaven with all her pals and getting to see old friends like Jasen once again-was just too good to be true. After two minutes, she finally regained her composure. She took hold of Zuma's paw and looked at all of her friends in turn.
"Anyways, before we all go into the afterlife, thank you so much, all of you, for inviting me back into your lives. 55 years after I made the dumbest decision in my life and walked away from what I built up. Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, thank you for being so kind when I met you guys again. Skye, Everest, I love you ladies so much! You taught me so much about being a woman and everything else in between. You two showed me more love than I ever deserved. Those times when we were just in our teens and early 20s were just the greatest. Reuniting with you both that fateful day a few weeks ago was a dream come true. It felt so surreal. It was like everything bad in the world just…vanished and disappeared. Thanks again for forgiving me for my transgressions, and I am amazed to even have you in my life again." The golden retriever told Skye and Everest. She really missed them during those 55 years apart. It was like a huge chunk of her was gone, a piece you almost couldn't live without.
"Honestly, truth. We were both ready to find you ourselves, but Zuma did it first. Eve and I wanted to help Zuma find you, but he took off one day. We didn't know where he was going but figured it had to do with you." Skye confessed.
"Lastly, Zuma, I want to thank you, more than anyone in the world, for showing patience and understanding with me since we met each other again. I was afraid that you were never going to forgive me, and I hated myself deeply for that. But you did. Talking to you was initially…a bit nerve-wracking, but I grew comfortable with you. When we had our first kiss in 55 years last night, it was the best thing that has happened to me since…well…our pups were born!" Hailey told him, feeling a glow in her eye as she spoke.
"You may be right with that one." The chocolate lab shrugged.
"Since we restarted our relationship, there was this connection that was new and exciting, despite our age and the fact that we did this before. Because when we die, we'll go back up there and get remarried, this time, for eternity. This really is a broken record, but Zuma, I love you more than I've ever had at this very moment." Hailey said. The two leaned over and kissed one another, much to the cheers and howls of their friends. Ryder and Katie, who were watching and listening to this whole event through the window from the other room, could barely keep their faces water-free. They held hands as they saw their best friends about to die-and acting like this was just another part of life. After the golden retriever and chocolate lab separated after 15 seconds, a loud silence followed. All the dogs had spoken. But Rocky felt a tinge of wistfulness. A longing to get something off his chest. He let tears flow down his face as he remembered his husband. Rocky could almost imagine him waving down to him from the clouds above.
" Jasen…I'm coming home." Rocky spoke with happy tears streaming his fur, looking up at the ceiling and beyond. The moment sobered everyone in the room up. Another 30 seconds of silence.
"Everyone…we've done it. We have helped many people. We've had wonderful memories, wonderful lives and wonderful families. Our descendants are as numerous as the stars in the sky. We became parents. Grandparents. Great grandparents. What I'm saying is that we've fulfilled our purpose. We've set out what we wanted to do and we got it done." Chase remarked with pride. Every dog in that room, sitting in those chairs with the IVs in their arms, had smiles that you could see from ten miles away. They all began to hold paws in the circle that the chairs had formed. Another minute of loud silence had eclipsed. The mood was complete tranquility. There was one more thing to do.
"Okay, Ryder, we're ready to go." Skye told him through the hidden microphones in the room. Ryder and Katie watched the eight canines talk for 20 minutes. But to them, it seemed like 3 hours. Ryder took a moment to breathe and shuddered. These are the final moments of their lives. They look so calm. I can't imagine how they feel. He thought before turning to his wife.
"Katie…press it." Ryder insisted. She did as she was told. Within milliseconds, the euthanasia went through the IV tubes and into the canine's bodies. For a moment, their bodies jolted upward and their eyes shot wide open, all the while still holding onto each other's paws. About 5 seconds later, they all felt very drowsy. One by one, they all fell into a deep unconsciousness. As this process happened, the dogs' paws let go, slumping to their sides. There was no going back now. No matter whatever they would do now, the eight canines would never wake up again.
"The first dose of the euthanasia was successful for everyone. They are all knocked unconscious. And their pulse is low. Just let me know when you…when you're ready to do it again." Katie reported to Ryder, looking at the flatline monitor for each one of the dogs. Ryder took a glance at them all and smiled with melancholy in his eyes.
"Chase…Marshall…Skye…Rocky…Rubble…Zuma…Everest…Jasen…Hailey…thank you for everything." Ryder said with a grateful expression. He sure was going to miss them. He then turned to Katie and asked her to give the second dose: the one that was lethal. At this point, the dogs couldn't feel a thing. They were vegetables.
After a minute of self doubt, Katie finally pressed the button. The lethal dose went through the IV tubes and went through the canines like a lightning strike. The second dose was going to give them cardiac arrest, and it did the job. All their bodies convulsed and jerked for a moment. Then, they all stopped.
Chase.
Marshall.
Skye.
Everest.
Rocky.
Rubble.
Zuma.
Hailey.
They all flat lined within seconds of each other.
The original PAW Patrol, Hailey along with them, have died.
Ryder could barely see the monitors in front of him. He couldn't actually believe it. His friends-the ones he had for so long-were gone. He sat on the ground and began to weep. Katie did the little she could to comfort her husband, shedding tears as the two embraced one another. After a few minutes of mourning, the two looked outside the building and the bridge and gasped in horror.
Everyone was still there. How would we tell them that their heroes were dead? Both thought. Finally, they came up with a solution. Ryder called a funeral home from just outside of town about taking the bodies. The funeral home agreed, knowing about the whole event beforehand, and sent some motorcades.
After 30 minutes since the canines walked into the building, Ryder walked outside the doors and told everyone that the original PAW Patrol, including Hailey, had indeed passed away. The crowd in front of the building was in a state of pure shock and sadness almost immediately. The humans that deeply loved the canines for all these years openly wept in the streets. Mayor Goodway lowered the flag at City Hall to half mast. The clouds that were a dull gray just an hour prior were now much darker, threatening to rain.
The thousand canines on the bridge didn't need to hear what Ryder said. They just saw the humans in the streets and their reaction and knew. Their mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers had met their maker in a defiant act of bravery. The dogs began to whimper, cry and howl. The sounds they made drowned out the humans' own grief, and the two-legged creatures couldn't help but turn to the bridge.
Their howls could have been heard from miles away. It was gut wrenching. As the motorcades came in and the funeral home workers brought the body bags inside the Pet Parlor, the humans walked up to the bridge to comfort the PAW Patrol's family members. They faced down a much more brutal loss than they could have ever imagined.
Three days later, there was a mass funeral for all eight canines that died. All of the canines that were on the team had their PAW Patrol symbols on their coffins and arranged tombstones. It was less like a traditional "sad" funeral, and more like a "celebration" of who they were and what they meant. The funeral was held at the park in Adventure Bay, and afterwards, Ryder set about the process of finally laying all the dead to rest.
He, with the help of Jake, began burying them the very next day. Each time there was a burial, all their respective pups themselves showed up.
Four days after they died, Rubble and Rocky were laid to rest in the Orchard Park Pet Cemetery. Rocky was buried next to Jasen, with Rubble on the other side.
Five days after they died, Zuma and Hailey, with the help of Captain Turbot and Francois, were buried underneath the sandy seafloor at the bottom of the Adventure Bay.
Six days after they died, Marshall and Everest were laid to rest in Antarctica, where her parents died when she was only five dog years old. She was buried next to her parents with Marshall by her side. Jake buried them by himself. Their bodies were set to last the longest, possibly centuries, due to both being buried in Antarctic ice.
Finally, seven days after they died, the last dogs were buried. Chase and Skye, the favorites of Ryder and Katie respectively, were laid to rest in front of the garden in the sunflower valley. The garden that Skye maintained was the only remains of the old house that the couple that lived in, as it was already torn down. It was an especially emotional one for both humans. Now, there was nothing but memories. Lots and lots of memories. And they had nothing to do but look forward. Both Katie and Ryder figured the canines they knew in life were happy in paradise. Little did they know how happy.
