Exploring Horizons - Chapter 8
Chase's pup tag alerted.
"Chase, Chase are you there?" asked Marshall.
"Yeah Marsh," said Chase, "what's wrong?"
"We can't find Christina," said Marshall. "Has Val seen her?"
"Let me check," said Chase, getting up and walking into her room. "Uh, Marshall, she's not here either. I'll find them."
"You don't think Humdinger, now that he's out and is up to something do you?" asked Marshall.
"I talked to his probation officer a week ago," said Chase, "He swears that Humdinger has changed and is afraid of his own shadow now. I doubt we'll ever see him again let alone deal with him. But let me go see what I can find."
"Ok, Lizzy and I are coming to town," said Marshall, "Let me know if you find them."
Chase walked outside and began looking around. He noticed Zuma and Rocky sitting and talking.
"Hey guys," said Chase.
"Morning Chase," said Rocky. "What's up?"
"Val and Christina have wandered off," said Chase, "Zuma, has Mira seen either of them?"
"Let me go check," said Zuma standing and walking into the dorms. He returned shortly, "Mira's not in her room. Do you think something's happened?"
"Guys relax," said Rocky, "They are probably doing something together. They are always together doing something. Don't automatically jump to the worst case. Let me grab my Pup Pad."
Rocky ran into the dorm and came back with his pup pad. He opened a program and typed in a few commands.
"Ha, See, they're in the conference room," said Rocky proudly.
"Did you chip the pups?" asked Chase.
"Not the pups, plural," said Rocky, "But I did Christina. I want to be able to find her in an emergency. Pup Tags have been taken off before. You can't take this off and most will never know it's there. I would never chip anyone else's pup without asking."
Chase called Marshall and they all drove to the Study / Conference building. They all walked in to find Val standing at the board going over something with Christina. Mira was half listening and playing something on a pup pad.
"Christina!" yipped Lizzy running over to her daughter. "I was so worried. Where have you been? You didn't tell me you were going out."
"I'm sorry Mom," said Christina. "I called Val asking a question about legal code and she told me to meet her here."
"I'm sorry Dad," said Val, "I didn't think about it since we weren't leaving the grounds. I was just teaching Christina about the laws and regulations."
"And you sweetheart," asked Zuma, Mira looking up from the screen.
"I'm here, cause they're here," said Mira. "They agreed after they get done we could go swimming so I'm playing Mario Kart until they get done."
"So what are you doing exactly," asked Chase.
"I'm just explaining the code," said Val, "Uncle Rocky said the best way to learn something is to teach it. Christina wanted to know so I made a class."
Chase and Rocky walked over to the lectern and saw her notes and the power point presentation she was using.
"You wrote a lesson plan and created a PowerPoint?" asked Chase.
"Well you can't teach something without a lesson plan," said Val. "Now if you'd like to take a seat and watch that's fine, but you're throwing off my groove."
"Yes ma'am," laughed Chase, taking a seat.
The others followed suit and Val continued. She was covering the criminal code, the penal code, and local ordinances. She provided detailed examples of crimes that would apply and times when an officer was allowed to utilize a certain skill or not. When she was done and had allowed Christina to ask questions she stepped down from the podium.
"Ok, Mira," said Val, "I'm done we can go swimming now."
"Uh, finally," said Mira, "No wonder officers are cranky. If I had to remember all of that I'd go crazy."
"I love it," said Christina, "Thank you Val, that was an excellent lesson. I'll have my paper to you tomorrow."
"Ok, next class we will discuss the traffic code and health code," said Val. Val noticed the adults standing nearby.
"Did you have questions?" Val asked the adults.
"Let me just say," Chase started, "that that was one of the best presentations on code I've attended. So when did you come up with this class?"
"Last night after Christina called," said Val. "I took her questions and expounded into a class covering the materials you gave me to study. I had to look up some additional information but the book you gave me helped a lot."
"Val, I gave that to you three days ago," said Chase.
"Well yes," said Val, "I admit it took me longer to read it because we had to go to swim lessons with Christina. Commitments first, then study."
"I've never read an entire book in three days before," said Marshall, "Even my medical journals take me a few days to read."
"Me either," said Chase, "Val I'm not complaining, I'm complimenting you on your fast understanding and study. I agree with Rocky, the fastest way to learn something is to prepare and present a class about the topic. Very well, I'm assuming Christina is catching on and you're planning on bringing her into your training?"
"I-if that's ok Uncle Chase," said Christina. "I asked Val if she could explain some of the laws I needed to study. She gave me a syllabus for the classes she would be teaching as well as my reading and research paper assignments."
Chase stood there with his mouth hanging open.
"Val, I believe you've been hanging around Professor Rocky too much," laughed Marshall.
"I'm very proud of all of you," said Lizzy. "If you're coming to meet Val for classes Christina, simply leave me a note so I know where you're at."
"Well, I think they are all very well ready for a few hours of fun," said Rocky. "Very good class Val. You seemed to have understood my instructions on how to prepare and implement a lesson plan."
"Yes, thank you Uncle Rocky," said Val, "I was very easy to follow and with the software in the training lab computer it was easy to put the class together."
"Enough all ready," sighed Mira, "I want to be in the water already."
Everyone laughed and the girls left for the beach.
The adults stood around talking after they had left.
"I get the feeling they don't need us anymore," said Chase.
"I know I will always need my dad," said Lizzy. "There's just too much stress and information to learn."
Marshall leaned over and kissed his daughter.
The girls were splashing and laughing, when suddenly a wave pulled Christina out into the bay. She reached down and realized that she could no longer touch the bottom. She spun around and tried to find the shore and the others. Mira was already swimming with everything she had towards her.
"Mira!" cried Christina, "Mira! Save me!"
"I'm coming," yelled Mira, "tread water! Come on Christina you can do it, I'm coming!"
Val was already on shore calling Zuma. In the distance you could hear his Hovercraft firing up at his shop. He was then speeding across the water.
Mira reached Christina. Christina was treading water but would bob in the waves and occasionally she would sink briefly, she was crying.
"Christina," said Mira, "you're swimming, you're ok."
"I can't touch the bottom," cried Christina. The entire Paw Patrol was arriving on the beach. Zuma was almost to the girls.
"You don't need to touch the bottom," said Mira, "you can swim." Mira waved Zuma off, he recognized what was happening and pulled back.
"But it's so deep," cried Christina.
"Deep only matters if you're trying to reach the bottom," said Mira. "You're swimming Christina, you go forward or backward, not down. That's diving and a whole other lesson."
Christina took a deep breath and realized Mira was right. She was swimming.
"See, you're ok," said Mira, "You don't need me, you can save yourself. Now see if you can beat me back to shore."
Mira turned in the water and half heartedly swam toward shore. Christina swam after her and as they got closer she became more confident. She swam ahead and Mira dropped back watching her. Christina bobbed down in the water and Mira called out encouragement. She balanced again and felt her confidence return. As they were within earshot of the beach, Christina heard those on shore cheering her on. She swelled with pride and kept swimming.
"You got this Christina," called Mira, "You're the pup, You can swim, you're amazing."
As she reached the shore Lizzy and Karuna were running out to her.
"What happened honey?" asked Lizzy.
"She got caught in a rip current," said Mira. "But she can swim now and she saved herself."
"B-but you came for me," said Christina, breathing hard from the effort of swimming so far.
"I came for moral support," said Mira, "You didn't need me. You swam back by yourself."
"I'll always need you," said Christina standing now and walking over to Mira hugging her.
"I love you cuz," said Mira. "I knew you could do it. Now you know what to do if something like that happens again."
"I love you too, Cuz." said Christina.
"And I love you both," said Val, jumping into the hug. The girls giggled and fell into the surf.
Zuma came over and picked Mira up, "I am so proud of you. You sized up the situation and handled it perfectly. You helped save her, by letting her see she could save herself. You are an incredible teacher and water rescue pup."
"Thanks Dad," said Mira.
Ryder walked up and hugged the two, "My good pups, have good pups of their own. I'm so proud."