Chapter seven: Fruity Escapades!
"Slow down there brownie with legs. You're still hurt and are in no condition to run after them. We are going to stay and wait for the others. In the meantime, this should keep you relaxed," Ned said, standing on top of Chase. The husky then turned around and grabbed a big blue sheet before draping Chase completely under the fabric.
"Ack! Hey! Ned!" Chase cried. "-When did you guys make a pact against me?! No fair!"
"Come on, Chase. Did you really think we would let you drive or do something when it's clear you're hurt? No. Besides, at least you got me to look after you. We don't want our furry, little brownie with legs to get hurt, now do we?" Ned replied, saying the last sentence in a cute voice. Ned got off of Chase, but the German Shepherd was still trapped under the blue sheet.
Chase futzed with the material for only a moment, before sitting upright again.
"Ok but,.. can you not call me a brownie anymore?.." Chase asked, while slowly shifting the sheet off him in straightening up. "It's.. kinda weird."
"Also.." he added after a moment of silence. "Ouch."
"Ouch? What's wrong?" Ned asked kindly.
"Um.. you crawling on me?" Chase answered, uncertain as to why he asked.
"More like looking for injuries. Are you hurt anywhere?" Ned replied.
"Other than my jacked shoulder from earlier?.." Chase answered thoughtfully. "Nope." He shook his head.
"Okay. Good," Ned replied before throwing the blue sheet back on top of Chase. Ned ran around Chase too, so that Chase was twisted in the blue sheet.
"Awww. The bed sheet likes you. Thank Rocky, I was able to find it in his truck," Ned said.
"Oof!.. great.." Chase sighed, his voice muffled a little by the sheet.
Just then, Ned's pup tag flashed.
"Pst!"
"Huh?" Ned said upon seeing his pup tag flash.
"Ned, try to talk to Chase. Find out what's going on," Snowflake whispered through the pup tag.
"Okay," Ned replied. The pup tag went back to normal as Ned turned to the sheet covered pup.
"Chase, I was wondering, do you still sleep with Officer Bear?" Ned asked curiously.
"What?" Chase asked, when he'd finally pulled himself from the sheets once again.
"Ohhh no," Ned said, shaking his head. He then covered Chase in the blue sheet again just as he was starting to get out.
"I asked if you still sleep with Officer Bear?" Ned repeated.
"Urgh..! Ok, can we be done with this sheet first?" Chase wondered. "I mean this isn't a naptime intervention, is it?" And he deeply hoped it wasn't.
"Naptime? No. But you're not coming out of there until you answer my questions. So, do you sleep with Officer Bear?" Ned responded before carefully tying up the ends of the blue sheet so Chase couldn't get out.
Finding a hole, he put his paw through and poked his head out before Ned could tie it up.
"No." He answered abruptly.. but Ned's innocent look bore into him.
"-I mean not really.." Chase deflected,.. following his response. "Why?"
"I was just wondering. My sister sleeps with a stuffed husky sometimes, and I heard about Officer Bear being a favorite of yours, so I was wondering. Any good memories with Officer Bear? Do you still like him?" Ned asked curiously.
"Um,.. well?.. Officer Bear has been with me since I was a little pup." Chase answered lightly. "He seemed to survive storage until Ryder found him again. And he's kinda just floated around the Lookout ever since."
"Okay. Glad you said that because I thought you might like a reunion," Ned said before pulling out the stuffed bear from behind his back. He then carefully threw Officer Bear into the blue sheet past Chase.
"Wait what?!- ahf!.." diving after the toy he soon came back to the hole with the bear in his mouth by his little stuffed arm.
"Where did you get him?!" Chase asked, his voice muffled by the toy in his mouth; and his tone more curious than anything.
"Rocky's truck. He thought you might want him on our trip. And now, I'll leave you two alone," Ned said as he started to close up the hole. He wanted to trap Chase in the sheet completely.
"*sigh* but can it not be inside this thing?" Chase sighed.
"Why not?" Ned said, as he walked towards Chase, so the pup would walk backwards.
"Um,.. cause it's kinda hot in here?" Chase answered, backing up a couple paces. "Plus it's.. kinda getting annoying." He finished, glancing back at the material that surrounded him.
"Soon. I promise," Ned replied, before carefully giving Chase a hug.
And all Chase could do was sigh.
xxxx
Sirens faded in as they entered the campsite. Ryder hopped off his ATV and removed his helmet.
"Ok pups,.. let's change that tire." He said, strolling forward towards them. "Rubble, set it down right here."
"Wait, Ryder!" Rocky spoke up. "Why not leave it like that?.. I mean, it would make it easier to change the tire, right."
"Great idea, Rocky!" Ryder beamed.
"Ryder!" The boy in question froze, then looked toward the voice and the approaching footsteps accompanying it.
"I leave you alone for a few minutes and you go off on a mission.." Katie scolded lightly. "What were you thinking? You know you need to rest and heal."
"It's ok Katie.. I'll be ok.." Ryder assured her. "We didn't actually need to do anything.. Chase handled it himself."
"What are you talking about?" The girl wondered in confusion. "I thought the pups were out exploring?"
"We were." Chester confirmed. "But then-.."
"Chase got into a little trouble.." Rubble finished.
"Well.. where is he?" Katie wondered, scanning the group.
"-Safe.." Marshall broke in. "He's fine,.. we found some berries on the way back and left Chase and Ned there to start looking for the best berries. We'll be hiking back there to help here in a little bit."
"Right after Ryder and I change this flat." Rocky said, tapping Rubble's shoulder from the construction pup's backseat, so he could switch gears and continue his set course towards the PAW Patroller.
"Ohh no!" Katie declined, taking Ryder's other arm as soon as he dismounted his ATV to begin heading for the big semi. "You are not changing a tire with only one arm.. Jake can handle that." The two kids glanced to Jake,.. who held a small pile of wood in his hands, and stared at them for only a second.
"You got it, dudes." Jake decided, practically reading their minds through their expressions.
"Hey Rocky,.. hold up!" He called after setting the wood aside.
"We'll be on our way in no time." Marshall figured, turning to Snowflake and the remaining pups.
XXXX
Chase popped his head out with a gasp. The sun beating down, while the cool fall air remained crisp; creating a decently warm atmosphere.
"Ok,.. I don't mind being wrapped up if that's what makes you feel better?.." Chase huffed, between breaths. "But I can't stay all the way under,.. hard to breathe under there.."
"Okay. Wait, do we even have a basket for collecting berries, or no?" Ned replied, remembering why they were by the berries.
"Um.." Chase breathed, finally lifting his head so he could step his forepaw up to more of a sitting posture. "I'm sure Rocky,.. has something in his truck,.. that'll work.." he thought aloud. "I mean.. we all know Rocky."
"Right. Hmmm, should they bring it here or should they just drop it off to us?" Ned replied.
"Well you can always call and check in.." Chase suggested. "But I'm sure they got it."
Ned pressed Chase's pup tag to call the other pups.
"Hi pups, it's Ned. Chase and I were wondering if you guys have a basket to pick berries in. Or if you could drop one off to us," Ned said into Chase's pup tag.
"Already on it, pups." Rocky's voice came back.
"Told ya." Chase smiled, shrugging lightly.
"In fact.." Marshall's voice began, and it sounded like a double. "Look behind you.." Ned looked back over his shoulder and Chase leaned over to peer around him; only to find the other pups all standing there with a basket in their mouths.
"You made it!" Chase gasped, emerging from the sheet. "That was quick."
"Hey,.. they don't call me Ratchet Rocky for nothing!" The mixed breed pup of the group smirked, making everyone laugh.
"So.. what'do you wanna do now?" Marshall asked.
"Pff! What else!" Chester scoffed. "Let's pick some berries!"
Approaching the bushes they began picking berries.
"Careful everybody,.." Rocky cautioned. "These bushes have thorns on them,.. and wild raspberries can be very delicate.. We need to be careful when picking them so they don't get squished."
"Good idea, Rocky." Skye agreed.
"So small. I wish they were bigger so we could pick them easier. Mmmm," Snowflake said as she carefully picked the berries.
Ned then put the blue sheet on his back, while he carefully picked the berries. It was tricky, but possible.
As the group picked the berries though, Snowflake sniffed something.
"Hey wait a minute, I smell something! Some kind of tree smell? Huh?" Snowflake said as she carefully dug her head into the bush.
"Black and white fur? Is there a cat in here? Or some other animal?" Snowflake said as she pulled her head out and pushed the bush part aside, revealing the odd colors in the bush.
"Wait.. black and white fur?.." Chester recited quizzically, meeting Chase's glance.
"Cat?" Chase echoed. Then the scent hit them with an appalling passion that almost could give one a headache.
"*cough* -oh no!" Chase cried.
"Ugh!.." Chester groaned, covering his nose. "That's no cat.. it's.." Just then, the rustling of leaves brought forth a striped face, which snarled at them.
"Skunk!" They all cried.
The creature made a sound, which could suffice as a growl, at them and stalked forward.
"Ahhhhh!" The pups cried, scattering away from the animal, who broke off its pursuit once they were all far away again.
Some pups still carried their baskets in their mouths while others ran screaming. Marshall hollered as he ran, without watching where he was going. And because of that, the soft, thin material he found underfoot yanked off Ned's body, and zipped under him; shooting into the air for another soul to catch with their head.
"Agh! Oh come on!" Chase cried, running blind by now with that blue sheet covering him completely.
"Are we losing it?" Snowflake asked, panicked.
"Ahh is it still coming?!" Rocky wondered.
"I don't know, I-.."
"Look out!" Rubble cut Marshall off, turning everyone's gaze front in an instant.
"Look out for what?!" Chase cried, still stumbling about under the parachute,.. but it was still too late.
All pups tried to stop, but before they could they hit the flowing blue material in their collision course path. And it all came tumbling down with a crash, as those nearby heard a thump and a collective grunt from impact.
"Pups?" Ryder vocalized, having just stood up from where he sat on a log near the waiting fire pit. Katie peered out from around one of the tents and Jake stood up straight to peer over one from another direction. And all they could see was a pile of blue rippling like the tides and shaking like a quake.
"Oof! Where did this come from?" Marshall grunted.
"Ih-.. By this you mean what?" Rocky wondered.
"Dudes! We've been snagged! By ourselves!" Zuma cried.
"Well that's the last time I go pup fishing." Rubble said, encouraging some laughter. And after a moment's pause they all began to strain for escape once again.
"Ouch! That's my tail!" Skye yelped.
"Ugh! Who's stepping on my back!" Rubble groaned.
"Ack! Probably me." Chester sighed.
"Ouch! Guys.. my shoulder!" Chase whined.
"Easy dude,.." Zuma decided to say. "We'll get this figured out.
"What happened?" Ned asked, looking for a way out.
"Why is everything blue? I can't see!" Snowflake cried out, as she too tried to get out.
"Ack! I don't know but.. any idea which way is up?.. or down?.. or any direction that'll get us outta here?!" Chester's increased frustration carried over to the strain of his shape under the twisted mess of blue sheets. Another shape similar to Chester's pulled the opposite direction.. which finally succeeded;.. to an extent.
An extent, which released his head from the material, but didn't allow any limbs to catch his fall and he hit the ground separately from the pile landing on his right side. As a result, he forcefully restrained himself from a grimace, as he tried to wriggle free from the tightly wrapped sheet swaddling him in a restraint that was beyond annoying at this point.
Soon, though, a presence drew near and as soon as the restraint released, a hand reached in to pull him out. And when he was set down the warmth beneath him tensed as his rescuer grunted, making him look up.
"Ryder what are you doing!" Chase gasped. "You should be resting! That's what you came out here to do." He was suddenly startled, however, when another set of hands picked him up and set on his paws again.
"Yes, he is.." Katie affirmed, her stern glance remaining fixed on the boy laying at her feet. "Which means no more rescues, until all this stops being a big problem." Her gesture to the boy covered all of what they knew was the problem, and even Chase felt it on his own body, according to his own endeavors.
"Well,.." Ryder began shifting his glance left and right. "We still gotta help them."
"Don't worry. We will, dude." Jake assured his friend, while he knelt down to help him up from behind. "We just need you to leave it to us. Right, Chase?"
"Sure I-.."
"Nope, you're resting too." Katie spoke up quickly.
"I-.. what?!" Chase gasped, taken aback.
"You heard me," Katie asserted. "Over to the fire pit with you two."
"Ugh! Oh come on!" The two groaned, which was very much unlike one of them.
"I'm not taking any more chances." The girl continued, completely unphased. "We'll help the pups, while you two.."
"Clean up?" Chase asked, lifting a paw as a sticky residue clung to him and the ground; which then put their gaze on Ryder's sticky and red-stained jacket. And then on the blue pile of pups, with poking limbs and heads visible, all covered with stains of the same pinkish red.
"Eww… this is worse than the feel of water!" Rocky moaned, lifting his exposed head away from the squashed berry gunking up the sheet underneath him.
"That's saying something.." Chester remarked, shrugging to Marshall, who had finally managed to push his muzzle out from underneath the folds of the sheet/tent, enough to peek one eye out and barely nod his head in agreement.
"Aww man. Now we need to clean up our tent," Ned commented.
"Yeah. Tents are supposed to be comfortable; not soft and sticky," Snowflake added.
"Don't worry, guys.. you can use the extra one we brought with us for now.." Marshall said. We can take your old tent to the river,.. we can wash it off there.."
"Ugh.. and us too." Rocky groaned, somewhere between hopeful and dreadful.
Guys, I can't believe how fast this one came out.. Though I apologize for the wait! Things are continuing to change so much,.. My moving date just got push back so I won't be moving for another month.. But ok.. Anyway..
No joke, the moment we got back on this thing we just took off! And here we are.. a few days(more like a few weeks by now ;D) after the previous chapter released and we're already rolling out a new one! Hope you enjoy, and keep sharing your thoughts with us on what you're reading. It is GREATLY appreciated,.. so keep it up! Thx!