Chapter fifty-six: Shenanigan Stories!
Chase groaned aloud and everyone turned to him. He had rolled himself over on his back and, almost like a cat, he stretched his forepaws up over his head and brought them down his face; firmly pressing them together over his eyes. Ryder took a knee to slide a hand under the sleeping bag carefully so not to disturb him.
"'Heat and vibration's still going." He said, pulling his hand out again.
"Is he coming out of it already?" Rocky asked.
"Highly doubt it.." Marshall shook his head. "He probably won't fully 'come out of it' till tomorrow. Or maybe this evening at the very least. If anything he'll be stumbling around here like a drunken sailor pup later, if we can't stop him from trying."
"So.. he'll be sick tomorrow? Ah man! Chase can't catch a break!" Ned commented feeling sorry for the pup.
"If there was a break to catch! He's been elusive and running around so much, he's like a fish you can't catch in your paws!" Snowflake remarked.
"He won't exactly be sick." Marshall corrected Ned. "But we know from the last time that he was a little groggy after coming off the medicine's effects."
"So he might just be a little out of it till the medicine fully processes through and sets him straight again." Chester reiterated.
"Probably." Marshall shrugged.
"So then what's our plan? I tried bonding with him, and it helped a bit. But Chase still feels sad," Snowflake commented.
"Right, but I think it might have done something." Marshall reasoned. "I mean.. doesn't he seem even a little bit.. lighter to you guys?"
"Not sure, couldn't tell under that rough untruthful exterior he's got going." Chester returned bluntly, but everyone could sense his seriousness in it.
"There's got to be something we can do," Snowflake said seriously, thinking of what the team hadn't tried yet.
"Hm.. well we have about a week till Thanksgiving.. Maybe we can use the holidays to cheer him up." Rocky suggested.
"How, dude?" Zuma wondered.
"Hm.." the mixed breed thought. "I got it! What if we take each day to provide an activity we know he'll enjoy and make this his most relaxing week ever!"
"But how would that help?" Chester wondered.
"We do stuff Chase will enjoy for a week. Then when Thanksgiving comes, hopefully he'll be in a better mood," Snowflake suggested.
"Exactly.. maybe then once we back off completely we'll show him we care enough to leave him be like he wants." Rocky suggested.
"Yeah, sorry, not following,.. What?" Chester deadpanned, showing his confusion by the wandering of his gaze for the first part and then leaning in toward the pup far to his right for the second part.
"I'm saying.. If we all completely leave him alone about what's going on with him,.. and instead help him relax in any way we can.. just until Thanksgiving. Then if he still doesn't wanna talk we can use our distance against him and then he'll have to tell us."
The pups all perked up in confusion, exchanging glances among them.
"So like,.. make it an ultimatum?" Marshall asked.
"Sure, you could call it that." Rocky shrugged.
"Woah,.. that actually might be a good idea." Chester remarked after a brief silence.
"That sounds like a good idea," Snowflake agreed. Ned nodded his head.
"Ok then it's settled." Rocky nodded his satisfaction. "But what kinds of activities can we do to help him relax in the meantime?"
"Massage, go on pretend missions, clean up snow?" Ned suggested.
"Snow?" Rocky quoted sending a glance to Zuma right beside him.
"Ummm. I agree with everything, except massage. That didn't work." Snowflake pointed out.
"Hmmmm. What else could we do?" Ned wondered.
"Well we don't have a lot to work with.." Rocky sighed.
"What do you mean?" Skye countered. "We know Chase better than anyone,.. We'll think of something."
"How bout we take a break from all this thinking and get some lunch." Ryder suggested. "Maybe that'll help you get inspired."
"Sounds good.. Oh wow, I'm starving. Didn't even eat breakfast. Hehe.." Snowflake agreed until her stomach growled, interrupting her.
"I'm good for lunch," Ned said, as they followed everyone to another part of the Lookout.
xxxx
Munching and crunching was again interrupted by the curiosity of one's mind which he felt compelled to speak aloud.
"So,.. what sorts of things can we do for Chase to help him relax?" Marshall asked.
"Not sure. He liked the sniffing scavenger hunt, cleaning, playing in the foam pit, and Katie petting him," Snowflake responded thoughtfully.
"Really?" The Dalmatian wondered, genuinely surprised and even interested to hear this.
"Yes. At least those are the activities he seemed to like the most. 'Scarfed down the marshmallows too, and seemed mesmerized by the fire. He fell asleep and we had to wake him up," Snowflake explained in a chill voice.
"Well that doesn't surprise me." Chester sighed, rolling his eyes, before continuing to eat.
"At least he got a moment to relax." Rocky reasoned. "I'm sure you guys had a busy day.. And with Chase not sleeping well, I'm sure getting up early and running around town all day had to have taken a lot out of him. If he was fully rested and feeling better.. He probably would have been fine."
"Fair point.." Chester determined, pausing to let his gaze waver a bit as it wandered down. Then he resumed eating once again.
"Oh gosh. You think I should have planned our bonding time for a different day? I even offered if he'd rather rest then that was fine. Though he treated it more as if resting was a demand instead of a polite request. Though he has been getting lots of rest recently, but what if he didn't get a good night's rest? Me waking him up early would have delayed the sleep he needed, which would mean he might not have been enjoying the activities and just powering though to please me.. Oh! Did I mess things up by accident? Did I hurt Chase's health more? Oh gosh..." Snowflake contemplated before laying down and pawing the side of her face in despair.
"Thanks a lot, Rocky. You made my sister feel guilty," Ned said.
"Heh heh.. uh.. Don't worry, Snowflake.. I'm sure he still enjoyed himself.. After all, he can't fake everything.. And if he really was enjoying himself,.. you'd know it."
"Yeah,.. Chase may be able to fool us on some things, but he can't fake good feelings for long." Skye agreed, confirming the mixed breed's statement.
"Good point..." Snowflake said thinking about what her friends said. She removed her paws from her face, sat up, and kept eating.
"I'd like to think Chase would have bailed out on you sooner if it really bothered him." Chester added after a pause.
"Which he wouldn't normally do." Marshall put in. "He's always been pretty tolerant of things.. even situations that bother or annoy him."
"Which doesn't mean he was at all, of course." Marshall added after another brief pause, hoping it'd eliminate any negative implications his previous statement may have had.
"Right..." Snowflake said cautiously. "So with the things he did enjoy, how can those activities help us?"
"Well the more activities we do just for the fun of it.. The more he'll really let loose and let his guard down." Rocky mentioned. "And once he does that, we might get to see the real Chase come back out again and see if it doesn't help us figure out what's bothering him. But we're not to pry and or even ask him about it. He has to know we're completely backing off, so that we have a reason to bargain the explanation with him if it comes to that."
"Rocky, sometimes you can be pretty diabolical.. Are you sure you're not secretly a supervillain somewhere?" Chester deadpanned, staring at the mixed breed with stoic focus that seemed quite intentional and not judgemental.
"Wait, ARE you a supervillain Rocky? No wait, of course you wouldn't tell us. You'd lie then secretly plot to take out everyone or turn us into your personal slaves or threaten to turn those who betray you with torture, turn us into metal blocks, or worse. I'M ONTO YOU ROCKY! I KNOW YOU'RE PLANNING SOMETHING!" Ned exclaimed in a suspicious way, getting a bit close to Rocky.
"Easy Ned, it was a joke!" Snowflake reassured her husky brother.
"Haha! No, not even close!" The recycling pup chuckled, easing away from the husky pup slightly. "I just happened to have a plan for once. Usually Ryder and Chase are the ones coming up with the plans for stuff. Sometimes Marshall and Skye too.. guess it was finally my turn."
"Oh, okay." Ned replied, before backing off.
"Too bad we can't just put Chase in a bubble and let him go wild! He'd like that, and he'd have time to himself," Snowflake commented casually.
"What? Are you nuts?!" Chester queried with the cock of his eyebrow. "What are we trying to do? Make him into the world's biggest hamster? I mean, what the heck!"
"Maybe. Unless you want me to relax him with my soothing voice and massage skills," Ned offered. "Properly, not playful."
"Would that even help?" Zuma wondered randomly.
"'Don't know?" Skye shrugged.
"Probably not." Marshall shook his head.
"Definitely not." Chester emphasized, pointing a paw at the Dalmatian.
"I don't really think we can say that it can't happen." Rocky shrugged, thoughtfully.
"But it's not very likely either.." Chester reinforced. "Remember Ned's therapy massage attempts before?" Then every eye turned to Ned thoughtfully to acknowledge the efforts of the husky for their previously distressed German Shepherd.
"Yes, but I wasn't exactly acting professional every time. So I could try again," Ned admitted.
"Later Ned. For now we need to think of other ideas to help Chase," Snowflake suggested, as they continued to brainstorm in the growing silence among them.
XXXX
What time is it?
Chase groaned, his eyes squeezed shut and then slowly peeled open.
Where am I?
A clouded field of vision became a slightly detailed haze, but as he rolled over to his back he rubbed his eyes.
Ugh, what happened?! And then it started to slowly come back to him.
xxxx
How groggy he was when waking up..
..How Ned was trying to sing him a song to wake him up more..
..and how he scarfed down his meal because of how hungry he realized he was..
..and how the paw print turkeys went wrong when they ended up painting each other instead!..
..And even how they set up a slumber party and watched movies for the last few hours of the day with their dinner of pup food, popcorn, and liver sausage..
xxxx
"Ugh.. now I remember.." Chase mumbled to himself.
A tongue licked his face and nuzzled him gently, before revealing the husky he had hung out with a couple days before.
"Good morning, Chase. How are you feeling? You slept for a long while," Snowflake greeted, giving the German Shepherd time to breath.
"*yawn* What?" Chase yawned deeply, stretching his paws as far as his stiff body would allow.
"You slept like, half of the day yesterday, and all night like a rock." Chester told him. "Are you with it yet?"
"You tell me.." Chase sighed, rolling back over to stand up and stretch his back legs before straightening up.
"Are you okay? You slept for a long time," Snowflake repeated calmly.
"I don't know.." Chase shrugged. "Fine, I guess."
"Well, would you like water or breakfast?" Snowflake asked kindly. Ned ran off to get Ryder.
"I guess,.." Chase shrugged. "What time is it?"
"Just after eight-thirty. You slept in a little today, but not as much as you have been." Rocky told him.
"Well since he's slept more than he's been awake for the last day or so.." Chester trailed, making his point without having to say anything more.
"We were actually just wondering when you were gonna wake up.." Marshall informed him, as they all turned to walk instep with Chase as he headed over for a drink from his bowl. "But at least now we can all eat together."
Chase came up slowly and licked his lips from the escaping bead of water down his chin.
"Ok,.. and then what?" he asked.
"Well, Ryder's arm is doing a lot better. You kinda helped actually," Snowflake said smiling and wagging her tail.
"I did?" Chase queried, totally taken aback by this.
"Yes. Ryder was holding you so Marshall could wrap your shoulder, and while Ryder was holding you, his arm brace came loose. We checked and he's healing. Still got to rest though for his ribs to heal," Snowflake explained.
Ned came running back with Ryder behind him.
"Ribs? We're having ribs for Breakfast?!" Ned exclaimed semi-confused. Snowflake rolled her eyes.
"Oh that.." Chase sighed, his demeanor flattening, if that were possible to describe. "Man, why'd we have to do that?!.. Wait.. what did happen after that?"
The pups exchanged looks with one another.
"What do you mean?" Rocky wondered.
"When you guys were gonna wrap me up." Chase clarified. "'Ryder had me held up for you and then the rest of what I remember is virtually blank."
"Does the name 'Captain Brownpaw' ring a bell? Or me helping to keep your booty safe? Arrrggg!" Ned asked, happily.
"NO! ANYTHING BUT THAT!" Snowflake pleaded to her husky brother.
And the face that fell over Chase's expression looked to be that of something between creeped out or dreadfully confused.
"It's true! I was your partner helping you get to the island so your booty would be safe. But our friends interrupted our voyage so I trapped them in a sheet and cast them overboard! Then you feel sleep again," Ned explained further. "Awww man! We should have recorded that!"
"Oh no, I did it again!" Chase groaned, lowering his head to cover his face. "Uggghhhhhh!"
"Yes. You're an awesome play partner!" Ned complimented.
"You actually fell asleep in a relaxing sleeping bag that vibrates, so it's like a massage that relaxes you to sleep." Snowflake continued.
"Ilck! Really? Was it that easy?" Chase cringed.
"Yes. Don't feel bad, Chase, relaxing is nice," Snowflake replied.
"Ugh! Of course.." Chase sighed, then he looked up to realize something.
"At least you didn't think we were cheese, Chase." Snowflake remarked.
"Hey.. the storm.." Chase called racing toward the door. "It's gone!"
"No, Chase, wait!" Marshall called, but Chase had already made it out the door and as soon as he did he slipped and slid into a pile of..
"Pff! Snow?" Chase huffed, shaking off the dusting he'd gotten from his coat.
"Yeah,.. the storm dropped a couple inches on its way out,.." Marshall told him. "So with the ice underneath, we gotta be extra careful walking around out here. Especially you, Chase. You could easily dislocate your shoulder completely if you fell just right out here."
"Well that's an easy fix.." Chase said simply, then strode carefully past them and into the Lookout. And the others took a moment to look around at one another before following.
"So uh.. Where's Ryder?" Chase wondered aloud, looking around the Lookout's interior lower level.
"Right here, Chase." the boy said, wandering in from behind the elevator. "And here's some breakfast." He set a couple bowls down and disappeared once again to retrieve the rest.
"Oh,.. ok, thanks.." Chase replied, slowly beginning to eat.
"You were quite the snuggle buddy after your nap," Snowflake mused with a smirk.
"*ck* What?" Chase coughed, almost choking himself a moment. Then leaned over to drink some water to clear his throat again.
"I said you were quite the snuggle buddy after your nap," Snowflake repeated.
"And a great goofball too!" Ned added.
Chase just stared at them.. even cocking his head slightly.
"Um,.."
"You remember, don't you?" Marshall asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Chase shook his head. "Any of you."
"Oh boy.." Rocky sighed.
"Nothing to worry about.." Marshall also sighed, looking casually over to the mixed breed. "It's an easy fix anyway if he wants it."
"Wants what? Another shot in the paw? No thanks.. one is enough.." Chase declined, holding a paw up to him briefly, which turned out to be on point with his response.
"Not that.." Marshall shook his head.
"Then what?" Chase wondered suspiciously, but then started to wonder if he wanted to know.
"Wonder what you were up to after getting the shot in the paw. The playful, goofy, fun, serious fun you don't remember," Snowflake replied before giggling.
"Do I really wanna know?" Chase wondered.
"Depends." Chester shrugged.
"It's up to you." Marshall said.
"It's nothing too bad.." Rubble mentioned.
"Yeah, and I promise no recording," Ned said before crossing a paw over his chest.
"Indeed. It wasn't too bad," Snowflake added.
"Ok so after you were lulled back to sleep with Ryder's vibration gizmo.." Chester ventured in somewhat of a secretive fashion.. even though everyone leaned in to listen. "We played and goofed around till lunch and then some more before you decided to stir."
"Oh..kay" Chase returned slowly, the curious frown remaining on his face.
"Yeah, and not only were you goofy with Ned but all of us!" Snowflake remarked with a smile.
"We did the chicken dance while wearing turkey stickers. Then later we tried to cook a turducken! It didn't work," Ned said, remembering the activities.
"I-.. didn't.. do that.. did I?" Chase asked, clearly almost trying to restrain himself from saying it.. or perhaps from freaking out by asking.
"You did. Does this ring a bell?" Ned asked before he started to sing "It's so great, making turkeys with paws! We'll paint our paws orange, with yellows galore, and red ears for you! It's so fun, painting turkeys with paaaawwwwsss!"
"Oh man..-wait.. What?!" Chase gasped, expressing a double take from what Ned just said.
"I woke you up by singing if you wanted to paint paw turkeys." Ned replied.
"Why?" Chase slowly asked.
"Uh,.. because it was fun?" Chester replied. "You seriously don't remember a thing?" And Chase just stared at them, a slight motion that could've been a shrug giving them some kind of indicator.
"Wonderful." Chester deadpanned flatly.
"Well that doesn't surprise me.." Marshall sighed. "I mean he was pretty out of it when we did.." then he began to wander back to that moment just the afternoon before...
Here's the next chapter! And what fun it was! Though obviously as this cliffy implies.. the fun is just beginning.. ;D See you next time! Thx!