Chapter 10: New Threat

DogDay and Poppy gave a worried look as they inspected Koa's wounds on her shoulder. Her entire shoulder was very red, and the four scratches were starting to show signs of severe infections as they were starting to leak pus.

"This is bad!" Poppy exclaimed. "She's in danger of blood poisoning! She needs medicine!"

"But where can we find medicine down here?" DogDay asked worriedly. "There were several med centers in Playcare, but we can't go back that way!"

Poppy thought for a moment. Then she realized something, "there's more med centers around here! We're near Playtime Park! There's one or two med centers nearby."

DogDay felt relieved to hear there was another place to find medicine. "Then what are we waiting for?" DogDay moved to scoop up Koa to put her on his back, but Poppy stopped him.

"DogDay, wait! We shouldn't move her. If we move her, we could make the infection worse, and it'll spread faster. Plus, this is the Prototype's domain," she reminded DogDay. "If he catches us he'll kill us all."

DogDay froze at the mention of the Prototype. His anxiety and worry for Angel was through the roof. He started to hyperventilate.

"DogDay! Calm down! You need to calm down! We'll help her! We'll think of something else! We will save her!" Poppy quietly yelled to DogDay.

DogDay couldn't quite hear her. Everything around him sounded muffled. After a few seconds, which felt like hours, Angel's voice ran through DogDay's head.

"DogDay, calm down! Hey! Hey, hey. DogDay, look at me. You have to slow your breathing down. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out."

DogDay did the calming technique Angel had taught him mere hours ago. At first, he struggled, but then he managed to get his breathing and anxiety under control and calmed himself. Once he was calm enough, he turned to Poppy, desperation and fear in his features.

"What are we going to do, Poppy? She has done so much for us and has been through too much. We can't let her die like this." DogDay looked at Angel, and his eyes began to fill with tears, afraid that she was slowly dying and there was nothing they could do.

Poppy looked away for a moment. She closed her eyes and sighed. She looked back to DogDay and said, "I'll go."

DogDay looked back at Poppy, "what?"

"I'll go," Poppy repeated. "I know this area pretty well, and I can sneak in and out through the vents. I can get past the Prototype and back here quicker than us carrying her the whole way."

"Are you sure, Poppy? What if he catches you?" DogDay asked.

"I honestly doubt he's around at this point. He's probably grafting CatNap to himself right now as we speak."

DogDay shuttered. He may have disowned CatNap as his friend and fellow Smiling Critter, but he didn't think that was a fate he deserved.

"You stay here and watch over her, DogDay. She still has that phone Ollie used. I have one too," Poppy said, revealing her own Poppy Phone. "We'll use this to communicate. You let me know if she starts getting worse. And Ollie will be able to help, too. He can help distract the Prototype somehow if need be."

DogDay looked to where Angel was keeping her phone and grabbed it. He placed it next to him and looked at Poppy.

"Okay," he nodded. "Okay, let's do it! It's the best option we have, and Angel needs medicine now. We can't let her die now. Not when she's come this far, and helped so much already."

Poppy nodded in agreement. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I'll keep you posted, and so will Ollie."

She turned and walked towards a vent in the walls of the lift's shaft. DogDay crawled over to help her reach it. Once she was inside the vent, DogDay spoke, "good luck, Poppy."

"Thank you, DogDay. You too."

DogDay turned and started to crawl back to Angel's side when Poppy spoke again.

"DogDay," Poppy suddenly called. DogDay turned to face her. "I'm sorry for what you went through. And, if she wakes up while I'm gone… tell her I'm sorry."

DogDay looked at Poppy with appreciation. "Thank you, Poppy. And I will."

Poppy smiled and turned to walk deeper into the vents. DogDay returned to Angel's side. She was still panting, and DogDay could tell she was very uncomfortable. He breathed his Vanilla Smoke at Angel, and after a few moments, her breathing became more stable. DogDay realized he could use his vanilla scent to help ease her pain and help keep her blood pressure down to slow the infection, as he knew his scent was a calming agent.

He sat up and held her small hand in his larger ones, slightly squeezing her hand. He brought her hand to his cheek and nuzzled it. He looked at Angel and started to cry slightly. Just then, Angel's words sounded in his head again: "have faith."

He also remembered the necklace she had given him before she ventured into the Counselor's Office. Making a decision, he placed Angel's hand down, and unhooked the necklace from his neck and replaced it onto Angel's neck as gently as he could without accidentally causing Angel any pain or discomfort. Once the necklace was secured around Angel's neck, DogDay picked up her hand again and brought it to his face.

Please let her be okay. Let Poppy get back in time with the medicine. Let her survive this, he mentally prayed.

He looked back to the vent Poppy went through, and said quietly, "please come back soon."

He looked back at Angel, still holding her hand in his, watching over her protectively.

Koa's wounds have become infected! Now, it's up to Poppy and DogDay to save her! Poppy has come up with a plan for her to retrieve the much needed supplies to heal Koa, while DogDay watches over Koa.

Will Poppy make it back in time with the medicine? Or will Koa succumb to her wounds?

Now DogDay has to put his trust in the one who has done nothing but lie and use his angel for her own interests.

Are Poppy's actions genuine? Or is she, once again, acting out of her own interests?