Chapter nineteen: Realignments
Chase lay against Billy quietly, almost soaking in the moment when his ear twitched toward sound in the distant vicinity.
"Hey Billy?" The man looked up at his addressment.
"Ryder called to ask us to go remove the barriers." Katie said. "Brian and I are gonna go do that quick and then we'll be back."
"Ok, thanks guys." Billy nodded, as Chase moved only enough to slide the ice pack into his paws, which by now was no longer cold enough to be considered ice.
Nevertheless Katie nodded, and she led the way out of the shop with Brian close behind.
A moment of silence and Chase stared down at the lukewarm gel pack for a few long moments before pushing it away till it fell to the floor with a flop.
"Am I crazy?" He asked blankly.
"How so?" Billy wondered.
"Going for the save today.." The German Shepherd replied. "You must have heard what I did.. Ryder had to have told you.."
"Actually he sent me the video feeds from your pup tags.." Billy informed him, as Chase laid his head on the man's chest once again. "And from what I saw you did everything right.."
"That's what I said.." Chase mentioned.
"Let me finish.." Billy cautioned.. "You did everything you were supposed to.. but you weren't quite as prepared to handle it as you could have been. Remember, you haven't gotten your strength back yet.. You'll need a lot of muscle toning to regain the strength in that shoulder.. If you would have slipped or Skye hadn't caught you, you very well could have ended it in much worse shape than going in.."
"I know, I know.. but what was I supposed to do? Sit there and watch, while hoping Rubble didn't get fried like I almost did?" Chase reasoned.
"You care so much about helping those around you.." Billy mentioned admirably, and Chase could tell this just from his tone and how his grasp on him changed slightly. "But don't you think putting that same passion to work for your own recovery would help you accomplish that very same thing?"
Chase lifted his head to look at him curiously.
"What kind of reverse psychology is that?" he asked, holding himself up by bracing both paws to either side of the man's chest.
"Well if you work as hard on yourself, as you do to help others.. Don't you think you wouldn't still be chasing your own tail trying to figure out how to fix it?"
Then Chase's eyes blinked thoughtfully, then began to wander as he pondered this further.
XXXX
Rocky honked his thanks as he plowed the snow past where the cones had once been and shoved the snow off to the side of the road. Katie waved while Brian stood wagging his tail excitedly as he went past. Then soon after, Ryder and the PAW Patroller rolled up. As Chester conveniently arrived form the side street they'd been using as the detour, hopping out to grab the last of the detour signs.
"Sup." He greeted, before heading off to finish his task.
"Thanks for fixing the roads, PAW Patrol," Katie told Ryder, as the boy and some of the pups approached.
"Of course, and thank you for keeping an eye on Chase for us." Ryder replied.
"How's he doing, by the way?" Marshall asked.
"He'll be fine. He's with Billy now. Wanna go see them?" Katie asked, pointing over her shoulder.
"Yes please- wait, Billy?! He's here?!" Snowflake replied before wagging her tail with excitement.
"It's been a while since we saw him," Ned added happily.
"Pardon me, but who's Billy?" Melody asked.
"Seems like a nice guy," Brian commented.
"You'll see,.." Marshall smiled. "Come on!" Then everyone hurried into the quiet shop. And looking left, then right, they caught sight of them and taking only a couple steps toward them, they froze in obvious confusion.
Chase hung limply forward with Billy's big hands supporting his chest from under his forelegs. Billy had the pup facing away from him, as his thick thumbs massaged into his back at the shoulders. He then set the German Shepherd down on the ground, between his upright knees, so he could curve his hands over Chase's shoulders and press his thumbs into the groove of his shoulder blades a different way.
"Billy.. Are you..?"
"Ah!" Chase understandably grimaced when Billy suddenly jerked his shoulders forward, then gently massaged them on both front and back with tender hands as Chase twisted and turned his neck to pop the kinks out of it.
Snowflake grimaced at the pop sound. Ned was confused and jealous, Melody jumped a bit from the popping sound, and Brian smirked with a relaxed face expression.
"Is Chase okay? That.. sounded unpleasant," Snowflake questioned, not sure if Billy helped or hurt the German Shepherd pup.
"Better?" The man asked the pup.
And all Chase did was lean back on him, to which Billy brought his hands up under his forelegs and opened them wide. Holding his forelegs out like this he gave them a gentle shake, side to side, then abruptly pulled back to pop something else. And after the second grimace, Billy set him down again so he could flex his shoulder and shake it off.
"Got it that time?" Billy implied.
"Yeah I think so.. for now anyway.." Chase decided. "The knot may have moved, but at least it doesn't seem as stiff."
"Good, then that's a start." Billy figured, taking the pup up by the shoulders again to continue the firm massaging motion.
"Ah! But still soft right there.." the pup cautioned, recoiling in the man's strong grasp.
"Ok.." Billy replied, loosening his grip slightly and minding his touch as he massaged for a second longer.
"I can't believe this.. Chase is letting Billy give him massages, but when I want to massage him he says no? My massages aren't that bad, right?-Ow!" Ned said in disbelief before getting three hard jabs on the side of his body and stern looks from his siblings.
"Ned, manners!" Snowflake whispered. Ned nodded.
"I'm sorry," Ned apologized.
"I think that's 'cause Billy knows what he's doing.." Kylie told him.
"And Billy's known him so long.. He's kinda of earned that honor." Rayla mentioned. "Billy's allowed to do lot of things he wouldn't otherwise let even us do to him."
"Which is code for.. don't take it too personally." Chester's voice said getting their attention as he entered and came over to them.
"So, what did I miss?" He asked when he finally joined them.
"Just fixing your brother for you." Billy deadpanned, running a hand down the pup's back allowing him to stroll forward. "You're welcome."
"Oh hey, Billy." Chester greeted as Chase approached him.
"How badly did you mess up my ride?" Chase asked him.
"Wha-pff-ck! Who do you think I am?" Chester responded, half dramatizing his offensive reaction.. "Don't answer that by the way.. Your ride is fine."
Chase just raised an eyebrow at him, unsure he really believed it but dropped it nonetheless.
"Ok, well. Rocky. You and I need to head out to Farmer Yumi's to plow out the country roads so they can get around." Ryder said. "Do you guys wanna stay here or head back to the Lookout?"
"Why go back to The Lookout? Wait, is it locked?!" Ned asked before realizing a possible safety issue.
"Stay here, please. Unless we need to go back home," Snowflake replied.
"Ok, if you want.. But you can head to the Lookout whenever you feel like it.. The pups can get you in." Ryder shrugged.
"Our pup tags allow us to gain access to the Lookout." Marshall added. "Ryder installed a perimeter beacon in them, so that when we get close to the Lookout it will let us in and not trip the alarms system he put in last year. Since our run in with a certain pupnapper we know."
"Thanks. Good at least- wait, what pupnapper?" Snowflake replied before she and her husky siblings blinked and cocked their heads to the side.
"Mrs. CorDan.." Kylie whispered to them, hoping Chase wouldn't hear.
"Would you stop that!" Chase finally voiced aloud, turning toward them kind of abruptly, which made Kylie freeze where she was still standing leaned slightly toward the huskies. Everyone stared at him with wide and confused eyes.
"You don't have to censor yourselves about it around me.." he continued but with a tempered frustration, which didn't seem angry or directed at anyone specifically. "It happened and it's over now.. Mrs CorDan is in prison where she belongs and her family doesn't intend to bother us anymore. Rex had been reprimanded and won't be making it over here any time soon. So can we just drop it and leave it in the past?.. Please?"
Billy, in the background, smiled and nodded as if satisfied by this reaction.
"Um.. sure I guess." Kylie mentioned. "Sorry?"
Then Chase dropped his purposeful stare and distractedly turned to watch Billy rise to his feet, but not before kneeling to ruffle the fur of his head gently.
Suddenly, Brian growled a low, slightly angry tone.
"So you want to just forget about it?! Act like it didn't happen?! Some of us can do it better than others, Chase!" Brian snapped at Chase defensively.
"Brian! Cool it!" Snowflake retorted assertively. Brian stood still, holding a tense pose as he sat.
"Sorry about that. Could you elaborate, Chase?" Snowflake asked, trying to get back on topic.
Brian's outburst froze Chase where he was staring at the husky like a deer in headlights.
Did I just strike a nerve? He wondered. Then he realized by Snowflake's question that they were looking for a response from him, and he stood there blankly for another minute to gather his thoughts to put into words.
"Uh- I just mean if you're gonna talk about it.." Chase began hesitating before continuing slowly. "Either say it out loud or better yet talk about it when I'm not around to hear it.. Or better yet just ask and what I know I can tell you.. But.. can we just not dwell on it forever? I'd like to move on and I really just can't if we keep drudging it all back up again."
At this time, the pups noticed Marshall stepping forward, but he appeared to be trembling slightly which was unusual. And even Chase noticed, cocking his glance away briefly, and seemed uneasy about his odd stare.
"Uhhh, Marshall, are you ok, dude?" Zuma asked.
"I can't believe you said that." Marshall finally said, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "I mean.. that you were willing to say that."
"It's the truth.." Chase told him earnestly, while still failing to see the purpose in the Dalmatian's statements.
"Yeah but,.. you're talking about it.." Marshall replied.
"That's what I was gonna say!" Skyler blurted, bursting at the seams as a result of restraining herself. Then had to run at Chase and wrap him in a tight hug. "Hooray! He's talking! He's talking!"
"Ok, but-ah! You're squeezing me too tight.. -Can't breathe!" Chase choked, within her grasp.
"Oo! Sorry.." Skyler gasped, releasing him slightly and gently fluffing his fur down so it didn't seem so ruffled.
"Chase, maybe it would help. Remember what you said to me during our sleepover here at Katie's? Maybe you haven't been able to get over it because... You've been getting through it the wrong way," Snowflake suggested carefully. "Marshall's right, you are talking to us."
"It's a miracle," Melody said in awe.
"Not if it makes me see it everywhere I look." Chase returned, "I'm already seeing it in my scars. Why would I wanna see it in my world too?"
"I don't think the scar is the worst place you've been seeing things." Chester pointed out. "My bet's on what you see during the night."
Chase just frowned, either wondering what he meant or wondering how he knew that.
"I just don't think reliving it is helping me shake it off, any more than ignoring it has." The German Shepherd shrugged.
"Then why not face your fears? Seeing it everywhere doesn't help, but neither is ignoring it," Snowflake suggested.
"But... The people and places aren't here. We're in Adventure Bay with friends," Ned said confused.
Chase's face stared thoughtfully, but then suddenly hardened.
"Oh-.. what good would that do?" He asked, then wandered away from them to go look out the window. Leaving everyone to watch after him.
"Well at least we got something out of him." Billy shrugged. "He's been so uptight about things from what I've heard. I'm glad to see him try again.. That's what he really needs to do right now. He needs that motivation. Reassurance has definitely been his saving grace in situations like this."
"What do you mean Billy?" Melody asked.
"Chase has changed since we reunited with him.." Billy mentioned. "But there is one thing among a few that has never changed. He needs to know he's on the right track.. He's always performed better when he's got something to validate his goal. Training became a sinch when we figured this out. Whether it was an encouraging word, a cheer, and hand signal.. Anything to let him know he's heading in the right direction was all he needed to build his confidence. And getting him into his element was a close second."
"Chase is already going in the right direction by talking to us. He just has to push himself more," Brian said in an almost knowing tone.
"And in moderation.. I think I might have an idea on how we can do that." Billy mentioned, smiling with some level of knowledge and that most of them couldn't quite hone in on.
"How?" Ned asked.
"A little something we taught him when he was little.." Billy decided to say. "Come on, let's head back to the Lookout while Ryder and Rocky are busy."
"Oh yeah,.." Rocky chuckled lightly. "We should probably go plow out Farmer Yumi's and Farmer Al's.."
"Have fun, pups." Ryder waved. "And thanks for coming to help, Billy."
"No problem." Billy saluted as the boy and his gray pup left. Chase looked over when they exited, then turned to the remaining group. Billy made a fist and curled a finger at him then shaped his hands in a variation of motions ending with a two-fingered point to the door; which made Chase smile and came to him for a fist/paw bump. Then led the way outside.
"Can I drive my own vehicle?" Chase asked as they left the sliding doors behind.
"What do you think the answer to that question is?" Rayla returned correctively.
"*sigh* Worth a try." Chase sighed.
"Did you just sign language Chase?" Melody asked. "Chase can talk you know,"
"Not sign language, just training cues that only he would recognize." Billy clarified, opening the door to his car.
"You coming, Chase? The PAW Patroller's ready and waiting." Rayla asked, nodding toward the semi.
"Nah, that's ok.." Chase shook his head while shrugging. "I'm going with Billy.. for old time sake anyway."
"Okay," Snowflake said, before she and her siblings got into the PAW Patroller.
He better not run off with his buddy; Billy, so he can go live life like it was back in the good old days!.. Gosh do I sound old! I think Benjamin's conversations are getting to me sometimes. She thought.
Hey, here we go again! I love Billy! Am I the only one? Sometimes I wish my favorite OC characters were real people. They seem so amazing. Anyway, more fun to be had ahead! So stay tuned for the next chapter! Thx!
