Disclaimer: Garfield and all related characters are the intellectual property of Paws Inc. and Paramount Global/Nickelodeon at the time this story was written.

Chapter 3: Dognapped

Doctor Liz Wilson rubs off the immense amount of sweat from her forehead, having just wrapped up an emergency appointment involving a cat that's suffering from a severe epilepsy disorder. She sighed in relief as she wiped the sweat off her, for hadn't the cat reached the office in time…

…a little girl would've just lost her best friend right there and then…

…just as she had lost hers long ago*.

*Garfield Helps Jon Get a Life - Chapter 6*

Glad that she prevented the same traumatic experience from occurring with her young patient, the veterinarian gives herself a break as she reaches for both a water bottle and her phone. The various videos of people showing off their adorable little animal buddies on Chatter always putting a smile on her face, or providing a good laugh or two whenever said animals were filmed in a rather embarrassing manner. But, upon checking the site this time, however, her eyes take notice of a particular hashtag that appears to be trending all around the web…

…that hashtag being "#Dogman".

Curious, the veterinarian pulls up the video, which replays all the events that have unfolded just a few moments prior. The thing that surprised her the most regarding the video was not the crazed lunatic who thinks he's a dog, as she's dealt with such psychos trying to hit on her all the time…

…but rather the presence of two very familiar pets being showcased in said video, causing her to nearly spit out her water in shock.

"Garfield!? Odie!?" Liz exclaims, wondering where the hell Jon was while all this was happening. "Oh God, did they run away again?" She ponders, now very concerned for their safety.

Switching off Chatter, the veterinarian immediately heads to her contacts and selects Jon's name, instantly starting the call.

*BEEEEEEEEEEEEP*

No response.

*BEEEEEEEEEEEEP*

*BEEEEEEEEEEEEP*

Still no response.

*BEEEEEEEEEEEEP*

After what seemed like an eternity, a voice was finally heard from the other end…

"Hello, this is Jon Arbuckle…Garfield, stop doing that…

…but not exactly what she was hoping to hear.

"*AHEM* Anyway, I can't answer the…*MMMM MMMM MMMM*...Odie, not now…uhhhh…I can't answer the phone right now, please leave your message at the…Garfield, will you please cut that- *BEEEEEEEEEEEEP*"

"Jon, It's Liz." The veterinarian immediately starts recording her message. "Garfield and Odie are loose again, and they were being chased by some loser who's pretending to be a dog! Please pick up as soon as possible, and…

*SIGH*

…please be okay."

After finishing her message, she hangs up the phone, now having even more questions in her head instead of answers. As the minutes quickly pass by, the only thoughts that remain in her head are of her best friend and his pets. Why wasn't Jon seen anywhere in the video?

Is he hurt?

Dialing his number again, she was, once again, greeted with his, admittedly humorous, voicemail. Groaning, she hangs up right before dialing the number again…

…to which she only receives his voicemail for the third time in a row.

Defeated, she hangs up and places her phone down on the table. No matter what she did to distract herself, she just couldn't stop thinking about him, or his pets. What if Garfield and Odie need help?

Have they been kidnapped!?

Is Jon even still alive!?

The more these chilling thoughts intrude inside her head, the more desperate she feels to just rush out of the building and head over to Jon's place herself and figure out exactly what the hell is going on…

…to which she does just that the moment she couldn't handle these thoughts anymore.

*RIIIIIIIIIING*

…

*RIIIIIIIIIING*

…

*RIIIIIIIIIING*

…

*RIIIIIIIIIING*

"Hello, this is Jon Arbuckle…Garfield, stop doing that…*AHEM* Anyway, I can't answer the…*MMMM MMMM MMMM*...Odie, not now…uhhhh…I can't answer the phone right now, please leave your message at the…Garfield, will you please cut that- *BEEEEEEEEEEEEP*"

"Jon, It's Liz. Garfield and Odie are loose again, and they were being chased by some loser who's pretending to be a dog! Please pick up as soon as possible, and…

*SIGH*

…please be okay."

The veterinarian's recorded message plays through the phone's speaker without any issue…

…however, the message falls on deaf ears, for the cartoonist remains fast asleep in his bedroom as she tries to get a hold of him. Snoring away, Jon has already resigned his consciousness into the land of dreams, hoping that it'll fully clear his mind of Garfield and everything that's currently going on in the real world. As his phone rings twice more, his ears still refuse to pick up the sound, contempt with not having any kind of sound disturb him in the fantasy world he'd much rather be in at the moment…

…for the pain of losing Garfield is too much for him to handle.

Randy drives through a neighborhood, music blasting through his truck's speakers as he finds the fastest route to the vet with his GPS as Garfield and Odie slowly recover inside his truck…

*BUMP* *BUMP*

…all the while hitting a few speed bumps along the way.

"Hey, Macho Man!" Garfield angrily shouts, feeling some of the donuts in his stomach flying right back into his mouth from the excessive road bumps. "Are you tryin' to make me carsick or something!?"

*MMMMMMMM* Odie covers his mouth, desperately restraining himself from vomiting all over the vehicle.

Randy doesn't pay attention to either of his passengers, his eyes focusing solely on the road, only occasionally taking some peaks at his GPS.

"Hey! You listening to me!?" The cat angrily asks. "I need you to stop and get me some food! Vito's would be nice!"

However, all the driver can hear is the loud music blaring through his speakers, drowning out the feline's demands to get some grub.

"Hmph, lousy driver." Garfield grumbles under his breath, crossing his arms.

*HUH!?* Odie tries to understand what his friend is saying amidst the loud wind blowing on his ears.

"Never mind!" The cat shouts, just enough for the dog to get the hint.

"Ooooooh, yeeeeeah!" Randy said, banging his head to the tune. "Now that's what I'm talking abou-WHOOOOA!"

*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH*

The truck driver slams on the breaks, only barely avoiding a direct collision with an oncoming vehicle.

"Holy shit, that was close!" Randy wipes the sweat from his forehead, keeping his eyes solely on the road from then on.

In the back, Garfield and Odie cling onto each other as they shiver in utter fear, having just brought themselves back to reality after seeing their lives flash before their eyes. After letting each other go, Odie frantically checks his coat to make sure there's not even a single ketchup stain or scratch on it. For the remainder of the trip, the two remain speechless.

"Okay, the vet should be right abou-OOOF!"

Randy suddenly feels nauseous, causing his truck to swerve all around the road as he loses consciousness…

*SLAM*

…and crash directly into a building, killing him right there and then!

Inside a hidden car, a mysterious driver grins at the sight of his plan coming to fruition without a single hitch.

"Perfect shot." He compliments himself, relieved that he was able to land a precise shot with his tranquilizer gun, lest he risks accidentally killing the one he's truly after. "Now, to claim my prize."

Stepping out of the shadows, the man reveals himself to be the mad scientist. Heading towards the fiery wreckage, his eyes scan back and forth, making sure there are no witnesses. Opening the truck, he finds an unconscious pair of animals lying there in the passenger's seat.

"You're coming with me." The scientist quickly grabs Odie and vacates the area as more and more people gather towards the wreckage, the fire department making sure everyone trapped inside the building is out safely.

"*COUGH COUGH* W-What happened!?" Garfield wakes up as his lungs desperately cough out all the smoke inhaled into his body. "Odie!? *COUGH COUGH* Odie!?"

Realizing the dog is no longer in the seat right next to him, the cat frantically rotates his head back and forth for any sign of him…

…but the only thing visible to his eyes are the bright, orange light illuminating from the flames engulfing within the vehicle.

Realizing that he only has seconds to escape with his life, he quickly takes off his seat belt and reaches for the door, his paw burning like hell from its metallic handle as he pushes it open and leaps out of the truck right as the ever-growing blaze reaches the passenger seat.

*COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH*

Coughing like there's no tomorrow, the cat crawls away from the burning vehicle as the crowd rushes over to help him up.

"Hey, it's that cat from the video." A man recognizes him.

"Oh my God, is he okay!?" A woman asks.

"Wait, is the driver dead!?"

"Where's the dog!?"

The exhausted feline blocks out all the frantic questions being hurled towards the authorities from all the mouths in the crowd…

…for all he cares about is if his best friend is even still alive.

"Odie!?" Garfield calls out with what little strength he has left in his body. "Odie! Where are you!?"

As Garfield and all the other witnesses scatter throughout the entire surrounding area looking for any sign regarding the dog's current whereabouts…

"There you are, Fluffy!"

…an elderly woman approaches the unsuspecting feline, grabbing and embracing him with all of her might.

"Hey, granny, *COUGH COUGH* I'm not your Fluffy!" Garfield said, his bones being crushed by the sheer strength of the woman's arms. "I'm nobody's Fluffy!"

"Oh, I'm so glad I found you, my sweet little Fluffy." The old woman said as the cat struggles to desperately escape her grip with what very little energy he has left. "I've missed you so much ever since you ran away, Fluffy."

"I'm not Fluffy!" The cat angrily shouts. "*COUGH COUGH Let me go!"

"Come on, Fluffy. Let's get you home." The lady proceeds to walk away with the feline tucked in her arms.

"How many times do I have to tell you, you old coot!?" Garfield furiously asks the ignorant lady. "I AM NOT FLUFFY! *COUGH COUGH*"

"Awww, Fluffy, look at you. you're as thin as a skeleton." The old woman said, concerned. "Don't worry, I'll make you a nice, big dinner when we get home."

"*SIGH* Alright, I'll come over for dinner." Garfield shrugs in defeat, the sheer thought of food causing him to no longer resist the elderly woman's insistence on bringing him to her home. "But I refuse to be called Fluffy!"

"Now that's a good kitty." The woman said, stroking his back. "Now, let's go home and get you fed with the rest of the family."

"Hey, *COUGH* as long as I don't have to share, I'm good with it." The cat said as the elderly woman gently places the cat in the backseat of her car.

As the lady drives her car away from the city, Garfield can't seem to get his mind off of Odie, hoping that he's alright, wherever he is.