A blank white room was in the vison of Lyon's mind. In a first-person perspective, all he could see was pure white room. He groaned by the brightness as he could not see anything at all, and yet somehow he could hear a faint voice from the distance calling his name. The wolf dog was bewitched by the sound of the familiar voice. He jogged his way towards the infinite abyss of white until he saw two familiar figures. Marc and Audrey appear to be sitting on the same garden swing chair back in his old home. "Mum….Dad…"
"Have a seat, pumpkin," said Audrey. Lyon, despite his timidness by the appearance of his parents, decided to do as he was told. He sat in between father and mother. "Is something troubling you, sweet one," inquired Audrey. Lyon looks away from his mother, not wanting to reveal what transpired on his escape from home. "I have no idea what you mean, mum," denied Lyon. "Pourquoi est-ce si timide, fiston," inquired Marc in French. "You know if you have something to say, tell us."
"Dad, really I am alright. There is nothing to worry about." But both mother and father know that isn't the case. "Might there have been a disagreement you had with someone," asked Audrey with calmness. Lyon felt a somewhat guilty look on his face. "Well, I don't know if disagreement is the right word, mum."
"Oh, Lyon. You know we taught you better than that. Lying is no good," she said disappointingly. Lyon felt uncomfortable by the sound of his mother's interrogation. "I'm not lying! Whatever happened is over! Please, let's just forget about it, and talk about something else…"
The three family members swung the garden chair. Marc wanted to know what has occurred. "Son, how has your stay been with my friend, Radley," asked the wolf.
"Dad, can we please talk about something else. Oh, I know. Have you guys missed me lately? Because I sure miss you a lot," insisted Lyon. "Was the quarrel between you and him," asked Marc again. Lyon knew he could not lie anymore, and huffed a sigh. "Yes," he said bluntly.
"Tell us what happened. Why did you two fought," asked Audrey. "I was just so mad. So mad that I knew he lied to me. About my real grandparents – he said you were their daughter…"
"Ah, I see," said Audrey.
"Mum, why didn't you talk about them so much? Why didn't you want me to know about them before you both left me behind," asked Lyon with worry. "Sweetie, these are things we had to hide from you. I too had a lot of disagreements with them when I wasn't much older than you. It's a little hard to put into words, but let's just say we disagreed, argued, and had trouble making up afterwards. I did loved them so much, but as time went on, your grandad and I couldn't see much eye to eye. It was difficult to say the least…"
"And you dad? Didn't you have any family as well," asked Lyon to Marc. Marc held a silent moment by that question. "Lyon, son. I wish I could explain these things to you as well. But my situation is similar to what your mum has dealt with. Me and my parents did love each other, but a long time ago, when I refused to go back to our homeland, my parents did not accepted my life choices to stay in Australia. I wish there was a lot I can tell you about it, but you'll have to seek the answers for yourself," said Marc cryptically.
"I don't understand," said Lyon lowly.
Back in the real world, the wolf dog pup was in a hospital bed with a nebulizer mask over his muzzle. He appeared to be breathing slowly with his eyes closed, and the heart monitor beeping at a constant rate. The doctor was a grey and white Schnauzer who was monitoring the child's breathing rate. "Heart rate seems normal, but he has been like this for a few days. I wonder if he'll ever wake up," said the doctor to himself. He called on the nurse to come in to ensure the machine has medicine to supply for Lyon to inhale in his unconscious state. The doctor went into the waiting room, and walked toward a familiar looking terrier dog. "And you say you know the boy, yes?"
"That is correct. I was astonished to recognize him lying in the street, fighting for dear life," said the white terrier. "I knew him when he first arrived at the foster home."
"Right. Well, I can't let him go until we seek his guardian. And you know the person who took him in Ms. Ryan."
"I know. Which is why I intend to speak with him as soon as he wakes up before returning him home," said Dana. The doctor went back to the hospital doors to resume his work on other patients. Dana sat down patiently, hoping that the orphan she looked after while he spent his time at the foster home will wake up. She also took out a piece of paper that appear to have the word Lost, and the photo of Lyon. "I have so many questions for you, sweet Lyon. But not until you fully recover your strength," she muttered to herself. She went to the mini coffee area where patients are free to pour hot coffee from the machine, and pours herself warm, black coffee with two cups of milk and sugar.
"I wonder if I should call him about finding him, but I don't know the relationship between those two right now considering his…escapism." She sat back down, sipping through the beverage in a foam cup.
Meanwhile, back at the Glasshouse school, Bluey waited at the front entrance of the school's doors to be picked up. She then saw her dad, and Bingo. "Dad," called out Bluey.
"Hey, blue cheese," greeted the heeler father. "How was school?"
"Good," exclaimed Bluey. "But I wonder what happened to Lyon? He's been gone for a few days," wondered Bluey. Bandit tried to come up with an excuse behind the real reason of the wolf dog's absence. "Uh, well. It's just he's not been feeling so well. Your uncle said he was under the weather."
"Oh. Does it have to do with his asthma," asked Bluey worryingly.
"Well, in a way," added Bandit.
"Can we go see him? I drew him something during school, and I could give it to him as a get well present?"
"Well, Bluey, I don't think that's not possible at the moment."
"Aw, why not," asked Bluey disappointingly.
"It's just the doctor says he's not allowed to have visitors, As soon as he gets better, I'm sure he will want to see you."
"Oh, alright," sighed Bluey. "Piggy back ride?"
Bandit leaned down to carry her seven year old daughter on his back. "Oof, you've gotten a bit heavy, squirt," he said while carrying her on her back to their way to the car.
"Are we heading straight home," asked Bingo.
"Yeah, nah, we got to stop at the chemist," said Bandit.
"The chemist," asked both daughters. Both of them were seated in their booster seats. "Is the chemist the place that sells sausages," asked Bingo. "No, that's the bakery," corrected Bluey. "Really? I thought the bakery sells fruit and carrots."
"Oh, yeah. That's right." Bingo then tilts her head towards her dad through the driver's top mirror. "What sort of sausages are we getting from the chemist, Dad?" Bandit was bewildered by that type of question. "What?"
As they passed through the suburbs, Bandit tried to explain to them the true purpose of the chemist. "Okay. So, what does the bakery sell?"
"Bread," said both girls.
"And what does the chemist sell?"
"Medicine."
"That's right."
"Why do we need medicine? Are we sick," questioned Bluey.
"Do we have bum worms," asked Bingo eagerly. Bandit chuckled by the joke. "No, you don't have bum worms."
"Aw, I want chocholate bum worms."
"Nobody's sick. I just need to get some vitamins," explained Bandit.
On their way to the chemist place, the three got out of the family car, and made their way inside the store. The two girls then spotted a TV monitor on top recording them. "TV Shop," exclaimed both girls. "Dad! Look, we're on TV," exclaimed Bluey while tugging her father's attention. "Oh, good one," said Bandit waving at the screen. "I won't be long, kids. Stay where I can see you," said the father. The two heeler sisters danced and hopped at the screen monitor as they viewed their face. Then they saw their father on screen who was browsing through the vitamin aisle.
"I'm going to go see dad. Tell me if you can see me on the screen," said Bingo to her sister. "Okay," added Bluey. The blue heeler child kept dancing and hopping on the screen. She was able to see both her sister and father in the same aisle who was playfully dancing while the dad was staring at each vitamin product. Bluey couldn't help but chuckle at her sister's cheekiness. She then decided to explore the store for a bit while Bandit was occupied on his quest for vitamins. When she passed by the bulletin board, something caught her attention, and raced back to the board. She saw a paper with the bold red words 'Lost', and a familiar looking boy. "Lyon," asked Bluey all confused. She was not sure how a flyer of her cousin appears on the bulletin board with the word lost.
At that moment, she forgotten her vigor and zeal in the mysterious TV shop. But why is the word Lost there? What does this got to do with him?
Bluey then walked normally towards her father, unsure of what to ask him. She noticed he was too busy talking to a store associate who was assisting Bandit in locating his vitamins. "I'm looking for the one that gives me a boost of energy. Might you have any of those," asked Bandit.
"Hmmm, well we don't have the ones you mentioned in stock at the moment, but we might have other brands," explained the associate. Bluey was tempted to ask her father about the poster. "Dad," asked Bluey. "In a minute, mate," said Bandit. He was still occupied talking to the store associate. Bluey showed a worried look.
"Look, it's Coco," said Bingo as she saw her through the TV screen. "Didn't you say she left during lunch, Bluey," asked the young sister. "Um, yeah that's right," said Bluey distracted. "Want to go talk to her? Maybe she is sick."
"Um, no. That's fine. You go on ahead." Bluey didn't felt like playing the game anymore. Bingo, while confused, decided to go ahead and look for the pink poodle. Bluey simply stood next to her father, unsure of herself while listening to the adults converse with each other.
During their time at the chemist, Bandit finally found what he was looking for, and went to the register to pay for his vitamin. "Alright, mate, let's head out. Where's your sister," asked Bandit. He noticed Bluey's silence. "Bluey?"
"Oh, sorry. She's over there," pointed through the camera. Bingo appears to be in the aisle where there were toilet paper packets. "Oh no, we better go get her until she gets lost," said Bandit worryingly. Both blue dogs caught up to the young red heeler. "Gotcha," said Bandit while grabbing his younger daughter. "Wait, dad can we go see Coco first," asked Bingo.
"What? Why," asked Bandit.
"Tell him Bluey," asked Bingo.
"Um, I'm not sure. Maybe she has bum worms. Either way, can we go home now," insisted Bluey. Bandit was somewhat shocked by his daughter's hasty response, and worried as well. It usually takes longer for them to leave the store when they're up to their little games. "Well, alright," he said. Bingo was disappointed by Bluey's apathy to find Coco. The three made their way to the pay register and left the chemist shop. Bluey simply looked through her window without saying a word. Bandit noticed her silence. "You've been quiet, mate. You feeling alright," he asked as he glimpsed through the top mirror.
"Yeah, I'm good. Dad, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Is Lyon going to be okay?" The dad felt tense by that response while gritting his teeth. "What made you ask that?"
"Oh, just wondering that's all. Are you sure he's alright?"
"Yeah, I believe so," said Bandit, assuring her daughter there is nothing to worry about. Bingo seemed unfazed by the awkward silence but doesn't seem to know the reason behind her older sister's disinterest in the TV shop. When they arrived, Bluey raced her way back to her room all upset. Bandit and Bingo looked at each other with confusion. "Did something happened at the chemist," asked Bandit to Bingo. Bingo simply shrugged; she too was at a loss.
Once they went inside, Chilli went to greet her husband and littlest daughter. "Hey, is something wrong with Bluey? She didn't seem to want to say hello on her way inside," asked Chilli worryingly. "Not sure. Everything seemed fine until the chemist shop."
"Chemist?"
"I had to pick up some vitamins, but we had a good time," said Bandit. Chilli didn't seem to buy the whole 'okay' thing. "Bingo, do you want to go check up on your sister," said Chilli wanting to discuss something to Bandit in private.
"Okay, mama," added Bingo. She went upstairs to check up on her sister. Chilli wanted to be straight with Bandit. "Have you heard any word on Rad or Lyon," asked Chilli. "Nah. It's still a work in progress. I'm worried, Chilli. Worried for the both of them. Have you received anything at your job over this?"
"Nope. I wish I could, but I'm only airport security, not the police. Besides, I doubt Lyon would ever go there unless he had this wacky idea of stowaway on plane," said Chilli. "That's true. I've checked the museum where I work with over my research, but no luck. You'd think he would be there since he enjoyed his trip there watching the dinosaur bones," said Bandit in defeat.
"Well, we have to find him soon. I can't imagine the poor boy lost for another day," sighed Chilli. "How's your brother holding up?" Bandit sighed and won't deny the truth. "He's a bit calmer now, but ever since me and Stripe came to check on him the past few days, he was a mess. We've managed to knock some sense to him, and he's working hard too on the search," said Bandit. "I'm going to his house so me and Stripe can rendezvous to search for the boy."
"Wait, how about I come along? Maybe I can help you three out this time. Let me call Frisky so she can babysit the girls tonight," said Chilli.
"Well, alright," agreed Bandit. Chilli called her friend to see if she could watch the girls for tonight. "Frisky, how's the search," asked Chilli.
"No good, Chilli. I've searched during my lunch breaks all week at work," explained Frisky though the phone.
"Do you mind if you look after the girls tonight? I'm going with my husband to help him and his brothers for the search," requested Chilli.
"Of course. I'll be on my way."
Sooner or later, Frisky arrived in her blue car, and went to the house with her bag on her shoulder. "Thanks, Frisky. I do appreciate your help," thanked Chilli. "It's the least I can do. Please let me know how it all turns out, and let me know how Rad is doing too," asked Frisky. The three said their farewells; with both parents on their way to Rad's house, Frisky saw the girls come downstairs. "Frisky? What are you doing here," asked Bluey.
"Hey girls! Your mum and dad had something important to take care of and asked me to babysit you for tonight."
"Hooray," said Bingo. Bluey didn't seem to shout the same sentiment as Bingo, but she was happy nonetheless to see her godmother babysit them again. "Where's Uncle Rad? He's not coming tonight? Or Lyon," asked Bingo. Frisky was caught by that response. "Your uncle is busy taking care of your cousin right now so they won't be able to show up. But don't worry, we can play some games before dinner. How about torch mouse," asked Frisky, diverting the girls' attention from the serious matter. They all decided to play torch mouse in the meantime, but with Bluey simply spectating the game between Bingo and Frisky playing torch mouse.
Back at the hospital, Dana waited impatiently, hoping that the wolf dog will wake up. She paced around the room, hoping the doctor will respond back. In Lyon's room, he slowly opened his eyelids, and saw an unfamiliar room. There appears to be a TV on top of the wall with two chairs next to it, and a sink area as well. He saw an unfamiliar dog next to him, who was monitoring him. "Hello there, young one," said the doctor. Lyon couldn't make full sentences, but moaned in words. "Where…am…..I," he groaned half awake. The doctor assured him. "Everything is alright. You're safe now," said the doctor. He briefly walked out of the room, but with Lyon slightly panicked to where he was. He noticed his bookbag was sitting next to the sink area.
The doctor went to the waiting room to fetch Dana. "Ms. Ryan, he finally woke up." Dana was relieved by the good news, and followed the doctor straight to Lyon's room. She saw the wolf dog who was barely awake. "Hey, sweetie," she said softly. "Muah…Da..na," said Lyon groggily. Dana shushed the wolf dog to calm him down. "You're going to be okay, Lyon. Trust me."
"He appears to be out of danger, which is great news. But I need to keep sure he stays connected to the nebulizer until his breathing level is safe. Other than that, I think he will be okay," explained the doctor. "You hear that? You'll be home soon," said Dana.
Home? But then Lyon recalled the reason on the wild goose chase. "Nuh..NO, not home..!" The wolf dog panicked. The doctor noticed the high beeping heart monitor. "Lad, you need to stay calm. You won't get better by panicking like this," said the doctor firmly. "Lyon, just relax. You can tell me what's going on. Did something happen back at home," asked Dana, concerning over the wolf dog's panic. Lyon shook his head no, not wanting to say the truth. The heart monitor slowed down, and he appeared to be calmer. "Can you give us a minute, doctor," asking the doctor for some moment of privacy between her, and the child. The doctor agreed and excused himself for the moment to check on his other patients. Dana sat next to Lyon to hold his hand for comfort. Lyon felt surprised, and sad at the same time. "Might there be something you want to talk about? You look awfully guilty about something? Did something happen between you and Mr. Heeler?" Silent as ever, the wolf dog refuse to explain. Dana had to bring the big guns out by pulling out the lost flyer. "Would this have to do with what happened at home," she asked while pulling the lost paper. Lyon couldn't believe she had the copy this whole time. He simply let out tears. Dana reached out to him to comfort him in his lowest moment.
After letting out a good cry, Lyon composed himself, and took a deep breath through the nebulizer's mask. "I did a dishonest thing," he said through the muffled response. "Oh," asked Dana. Lyon explained to Dana the entire story of how it all began from meeting his biological grandmother to hitting his adoptive father that night, and then running away with his money from the wallet. "That's not the done thing, sweetheart," said Dana.
"I know. I don't know what I was thinking, but at the same time I can't help but be upset over this. I knew my adoptive dad was lying over something and did not tell me mum's parents were alive. And yet, she didn't want me to know about them. This is so frustrating," complained Lyon. Dana couldn't help but believe everything that has happened was her own fault. She knew Lyon was speaking the truth, and knew it was time she played her role in explaining the whole story behind Lyon's dismissive grandparents. "Lyon, please let me explain. Everything that has been covered up was for a good reason."
"Oh, not you too," moaned the wolf dog. "Why is everyone so secretive about this?"
"Look, first of all, I do apologise for all of this. I know I played a huge role, and I know I was the one that told this to your adoptive father, but if you want me to explain this to you, I won't mind. After all, I know I am at fault in all of this," admitted Dana. Lyon frowned, and looked sideways away from the white terrier. "It's not nice to keep secrets." Dana looked down in shame by that comment, but she cannot deny the truth behind that fact.
"You're right. I know you must have been left in the dark for too long, and I won't make excuses." The white terrier adult took a seat and sat nearby the hospital bed.
"How can I be sure to trust you as well? You're like the other adults who shunned me away and pitied me."
"Trust me. I know I am at fault in all of this, and maybe it is time to owe you an explanation. Please," said Dana softly. "You see, your mother and her parents had some sort of bad disagreement. They've been like this for many years prior to your birth. And let's just say they have been at it ever since."
"Since when," complained Lyon.
"Well, since before your birth. You see, your grandparents have always been, how should I put it, bossy over your mum's choices. In a way, your mum tried to be strong by defying their orders. Plus, they wanted her to marry to someone she did not reciprocate her feelings towards, and it's not your father."
"Really," asked Lyon, showing some form of interest. "Who was the guy?"
"Um, suffice it to say I rather not say. The idea is your parents wanted her to marry the one they hoped in efforts for their jobs, but it was never meant to be. She has fallen towards your father instead, and by doing so, they decided to not speak to each other for years."
"But that's sad," added the wolf dog. "Why would they want to make her do things she refused to do?"
"Well, adults are very complicated, mate. You'll understand when you're older. Anyhow, after she decided not to talk to them anymore, that's when she decided to begin a new life. A life away from her old life. It was not an easy leap, but trust me, I think she had good intentions. She would never had brought you into this world. This sweet, loving kid who brought joy to their lives," explained Dana.
"But they never got to enjoy it more after the accident," said Lyon. Dana felt that cold response. "I am the reason why my parents are gone. I'm the reason why my grandparents hate me." The wolf dog burst into tears; he was too hard on himself for his own misfortunes and, the rough relationship between Audrey, and her grandparents.
"No, listen Lyon. All of those things are not your fault. It was all just an accident. Whatever happened in the past, happened. We cannot change the past no matter how much we want to, but we can try to move forward. That's why you've got to keep your head high, move forward, and never look back. Each time someone fights for their misfortunes, they grow. Without it, what's the point of moving on?" Lyon wiped his eyes, and then took to heart on the strong advice the white terrier explained to him. "You think I'm strong enough to face life head on?"
"Yes, I believe in you. How could you ever give up when you've made it this far? I think you are lucky to be given a second chance. Which is why I thought Mr. Heeler was right to adopt you ever since last year." Dana places her hand to the wolf dog's hand for reassurance. Lyon felt somewhat moved by the response. "I…I don't know what to say," said Lyon meekly.
"Don't have to. You've suffered enough, and you're growing up so quickly. It almost scares me, but at the same time I'm proud of you," added Dana with a soft grin. Both dogs wagged their tails, with Lyon slowly smiling as well. "Do you think my adoptive father will forgive me, even after all the things I've done to him?" Lyon was hopeful yet scared at the same time. He knew he hurt Rad, and stole behind his back, but at the same time he felt remorseful. "You never know unless you try. I'm sure he's terribly worried about your disappearance. Do you think you want to give it another go?" Lyon stared blankly, not saying a word. He pondered hard and knew what must be done.
Back at Rad's house, Rad, Bandit, Stripe, and Chilli were at the counter, planning for their night search for the wolf dog. They were determined to find the wolf dog no matter the costs. "Okay, everyone knows where to go," asked Bandit. "Me and Chilli will go downtown. Stripe, you go search around the parks where Lyon and Rad visited. Rad, you'll search in the Supermarket. There's a chance he might still be buying from what he took from you the night after he ran off."
"Right-O. I think we can pull it off this time," said Stripe with confidence.
"Got it. Really hope we get a sign of him," said Rad, somewhat worried, but at the same time focused. "The search has been on for several days. Are you sure we should just let the police do their job," asked Chilli.
"No, I can't just rely on them alone. This has to come from us too," disagreed Rad. "It's been far too long, and I don't know if the boy can last another night."
"Well, if you're sure. You look exhausted. Are you certain you don't want to take a break from all this?" Chilli can see the faint dark circles under her brother-in-law's eyes.
"Chilli, I can't rest on my feet until we find Lyon. Even if it means another night of no sleep, I can manage. Besides, I've got some coffee with me to keep me awake."
"That's not a great idea. At that moment, you could crash," said Stripe worryingly. Rad didn't cared; as stated he will do whatever it takes to seek Lyon. But just then, he heard a phone call from his phone. He reached out for it, and saw an unfamiliar number. "Who could this be?" He answered the call, saying his name. He put it on speaker for the other three dogs to listen.
"Is this Mr. Heeler?"
The four were confused by the mysterious caller. "Yes, you're speaking to him," said Rad suspiciously.
"Oh, thank goodness. This is Ms. Ryan, the foster care worker. I know it's been a while, but I've come with news of your son's whereabouts." Everyone's eyes widened by the sudden news, but Rad was the most anxious to hear. "Where is he?! Is he safe?! Please, tell me!"
"Your son is alright. He is in the hospital right now under close care. I found him unconscious on my way home from work. He was definitely lucky to be found. I cannot imagine if he would have survived in the streets." Rad let out a huge sigh of relief, placing his hand over his chest. Bandit, Stripe, and Chilli were all relieved as well. The search for the young wolf dog was over, and it seem it was a huge success. "I…assume you know he knows," said Rad awkwardly.
"Yes," said Dana bluntly, aware of the whole Snow grandparents' conflict. "But I know I bear most of the blame behind this. For now, I must ask that you come to the hospital. I'll send you the address."
"How is he right now? Is he awake," inquired Rad.
"He is resting at the moment. He was out cold for several days, but it was a miracle he woke up. I was beginning to suspect the worst. He's still exhausted from his short coma."
"I know. It's his asthma. He was diagnosed with acute asthma the first time he had an attack from school. I was….I was so worried how long he would have gone without his inhaler. Thank you, Dana. Truly," said Rad, appearing to let out tears with a cracking voice.
"Think nothing of it. Perhaps you should come to the hospital now," added Dana calmly. She was relieved to see the red blue heeler calm now that Lyon is safe and sound in a warm hospital bed. She hung up, and Rad placed his hand over his eyes, wiping away his tears. Both his brothers placed their hand over his shoulders for comfort. "It's alright, big brother. Just let it out," said Bandit calmly. "Breathe in and out," said Stripe. Rad rarely cried and less likely in front of his brothers, but despite all of that, he had no choice but to let out a sob. He was sad, relieved, and happy at the same time. Lyon could have faced his end had things gone south, but it seems everything has worked out. After a moment of huge emotions, Rad composed himself, and dried out his eyes. "I think I'm okay now. Thanks guys, for all of this." Chilli, Bandit, and Stripe were pleased to see the elder Heeler brother in high spirits again; they've all agreed to go to the hospital to check up on the wolf dog.
Once they'd arrived, they saw Dana in the waiting room. The white terrier turned her back and saw the whole Heeler family. "Ah, you've made it," she exclaimed. "Yeah," said Rad calmly. "I assume this is the rest of your family."
"Yes, these are my brothers, and the red heeler is my middle brother's wife," said Rad introducing his family to Dana. "I'm Chilli Heeler, and this is my spouse, Bandit. And the one on the right is the littlest brother, Stripe," said Chilli, formerly introducing herself, Bandit, and Stripe.
"Pleasure," said Dana. "Now, I get you are all here to see him."
"Actually, we were all going to do a night pursuit to search for him," explained Bandit. "That is before your phone call."
"Ah, I see. It was good luck then," said Dana with a smile. The doctor arrived to check up on the group. "Heeler family," he called out. The four came up to speak with the doctor. "That's us," said Rad. "I can only allow two visitors. Maybe you lot should discuss this before entering the child's room," said the doctor.
"I think Rad should go. He needs to see his son," said Bandit. "Who else would like to come?"
"I can go with Rad if that's fine," volunteered Stripe. "Thanks, I appreciate it," said Rad. The elder brother and littlest brother followed the doctor while Bandit, Chilli, and Dana decided to stay in the waiting room and talk to each other. When both Stripe and Rad entered the room, they saw a peaceful, sleeping wolf dog. Lyon was fast asleep to realize who is in front of him. Rad's jaw dropped with intense emotions; he knelt towards his adoptive son, places his hand to his small hand, and sighs. "Mate, you gave me one heck of a scare," he silently whispered. Stripe patted his older brother's shoulder to provide comfort.
"His heart rate seems to be at a steady pace now, but I'd like to keep him in the hospital for a few more days in case he doesn't suffer another asthma attack," explained the doctor. "Yes, that's fine… after all the trouble he has suffered through, it's best not to place him in anymore unnecessary danger," agreed Rad. The doctor checked through the nebulizer's numbers to jot down any notes on Lyon's medical information. The doctor ensured he added more medicine within the nebulizer to keep Lyon's breathing stable. He agreed that the wolf dog is fine for now and took his leave. Both brothers sat across in the chairs in front of Lyon. Rad leaned backwards on the chair closing his eyes; he's been through rough nights in search of his son. "Stripe, thanks for knocking some sense into me. You and Bandit. You know, when you found me lying in the kitchen…" Stripe looked at his brother. "Yeah, anytime. When we came by to check up on you, you were totally inebriated. Just how many did you had," he asked.
"Uh, I don't recall. Maybe over seven, but my mind was a blur," said Rad sheepishly. "Yeah, you were definitely knocked out. We had to carry you to the bathroom and turn on the shower to bring you back to your senses," explained Stripe. "Not my best moment," moaned Rad. He know he had been wasted a few times before, especially his moment at Bandit's wedding by falling into the pool, but he knew his grief put him in an embarrassing spot of intoxication. "I was so lost. I thought I failed Lyon by hiding this secret for too long. I don't even know if I am worthy of being a father figure."
"Mate, don't be too hard on yourself. I've made parenting mistakes too. There was this one time when I told Muffy she's the most special kid in the world. I didn't think she took that literally by thinking she could do whatever she wanted. Like walking into Bandit's house with mud in her feet, being her loud self, and ruining her cousins' library game by checking out all the books and not returning them. It was that moment I realized I screwed up and made up for it by explaining she's not special to everyone," explained Stripe honestly. "Not surprising," said Rad with a smug face.
"Hey, I did say I'm learning too," argued Stripe. "But either way, my point is you could do the same too. Be glad that we found him, and this is your chance to make up for it."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just hope he's willing to accept my apology."
At Bluey and Bingo's house, Frisky just finished getting the girls ready for bed by brushing their hairs, and making sure they brushed their teeth. Bingo rushes towards her bed excitedly. Bluey, however, held her godmother's hand on her way to her bed. "Want me to read a story," asked Frisky to the girls. "No, I'm tired. Is it okay if I skip," requested Bluey. Both Bingo and Frisky were surprised; Bluey was eager for bedtime stories, even if she was tired. "I want to hear one," said Bingo. "Well, okay Bluey. But you're more than welcome to join us on Bingo's side," said Frisky. She grabs one of the books from the girls' bookshelf. She read Hay Diddle Diddle to Bingo, trying to put the red heeler pup to sleep. She listened intently to the Cocker Spaniel's voice impressions of the characters in the book, but Bluey was only half asleep, listening to Frisky's voice each time she read the book's pages.
After both girls had fallen asleep, Frisky tip toed out of the bedroom. She went to the living room and checked up on her phone for any updates on the search; she was still concerned about the whereabouts of Radley's adoptive son. Suddenly, a phone call from Chilli comes through. "Hello," Frisky answered.
"Hi, Frisky. How are the girls," asked Chilli.
"They're asleep. How's the search going?"
"We found him. He's in the hospital right now," explained Chilli.
"Really?! How," asked Frisky both amazed and intrigued. Chilli explained to her friend that the foster care worker where Lyon came from was the one that found the unconscious wolf dog in the streets, and how she was able to contact Rad through the phone to let them know he was safe. "I see. And Radley? Tell me if he's alright," asked Frisky worryingly.
"He's alright. Exhausted, but just really relieved he managed to find Lyon," said Chilli. Frisky face was beaming with relief. For the rest of the week, she felt a discomforting distance from Rad, but she knows how much this affected him so much. She was also worried for both of them. "Right now we're taking turns to see him. Stripe and Radley are still in the room right now," said Chilli. "Do you mind staying over for the night at our house? I'm not sure if we'll be back by midnight or tomorrow morning."
"Yes, that is totally fine, Chilli. And thank you for letting me know about both of them. It means a lot," thanked Frisky. "Well, I should probably let you go now so you and Bandit can go see him. Be safe." Frisky hung up. She placed both hands in her mouth and sighed in huge relief.
"Frisky…." The cocker spaniel turned around, and saw Bluey, who was eavesdropping from the stairs above. "Oh, Bluey! Were you up this whole time," asked Frisky. The seven year old blue heeler walked her way while holding the stairs railing. She looked somewhat disturbed. "Did you have a bad dream," asked Frisky. "No," said Bluey. "What happened to my cousin? Is he alright?" Frisky's eyes widened; she knew Bluey overheard her conversation with her mother. "How much did you hear, all of that," asked Frisky.
"A lot. What is going on with Lyon? Why was he gone from school for a week?" Frisky could not escape from this one. It was apparent that Bluey heard everything. "Look, come here and sit down for a moment," she said calmly. The worried child looked away sadly from her godmother. "Nothing is wrong with Lyon. He is in the hospital getting all better," she said to comfort Bluey. "But how come I saw a lost poster with his picture on it. He isn't sick. He ran away didn't he?" Frisky took a silent gulp; Bluey did find one of the lost posters around town.
"How did you know he was lost?"
"Because on our way to the chemist, dad was picking up his vitamins. When we were inside, I saw the poster hanged up inside."
"Oh, so that's how you found out." Frisky struggled to find the right explanation for Bluey. "Look, your cousin and uncle had some sort of squabble, but I don't know if you should know why. This is something between the both of them, sweetheart."
"But why? Did I do something wrong? Did we all do something wrong that upset him?"
"No, not at all." Frisky looked down, conflicted. She knew it wasn't her place to tell the whole story behind the wolf dog's disappearance. "Right now, he is in the hospital getting better. I made a promise to your uncle and everyone else in your family not to talk about this. This is something only he can tell you," explained Frisky truthfully. "I don't understand," said Bluey, dismayed. "You will one day. Sometimes people squabble, say something that hurts each other, and they take a while to make up," explained Frisky. "Didn't Bosco did the same too? He hurt you, but never said sorry?" Frisky felt even more uncomfortable with the subject of her ex-boyfriend. She didn't want to bring up comparisons between them. "We've been over this, Bluey. Bosco and I aren't friends anymore. Whatever happened between us…is much harder to put into words than the squabble your uncle and cousin had. You're still young so someday you'll learn about these things." She places her hand to her godchild's hand for comfort. "But just because me and Bosco didn't make up, doesn't mean the same will happen to your Uncle Rad and Cousin Lyon."
"How do you know that won't happen?"
"Because I know so. He loves Lyon unconditionally so I'm sure they will find a way to say sorry to each other. It takes time," said Frisky, with a determined grin. Bluey had to take Frisky's word that people situations work differently; some work it out, and others choose not to. It is a part of life. What matters is to do what is best no matter how hard the circumstances are. "Okay," said Bluey, placing her trust in Frisky. Frisky grinned and patted her godchild's head that everything will work out.
At the hospital, Lyon slowly woke up again, seeing two adult figures in front of him. Rad appears to be dozing off by leaning against Stripe. Stripe noticed the seven year old waking up from his sleep. "Psst..Rad," said Stripe, waking up his eldest brother. The red, blue heeler mix slowly opened his eyes, and saw Lyon staring intently at him. His eyes widened. "Kid…."
Rad slowly knelt to the bed. Both he and Lyon were at a loss for words, but Rad smiled, relief that Lyon is alright; his tail wagged slowly. "Dad," said Lyon quietly. "No, it's okay. You don't have to talk," said Rad. Lyon simply nodded, and agreed since he couldn't think of a word to say to Rad. "You feeling better, mate," asked Stripe, checking up on his nephew. Lyon nodded yes, relieved that his uncle was here as well. "I'm sorry. For everything," said Rad. "It wasn't right for me to have kept this in secret for so long."
Lyon nodded a strong no. "I'm sorry. For hitting you, stealing money, and running off like that," explained Lyon. "I only ran off because I was both…angry, sad, confused, and scared at the same time. I…didn't know what to do…" Rad simply sighed; Lyon was justified to say all those feelings. "But I knew at the end, it was not the done thing to do. Hurting you like that. I was no better," said Lyon. "Well, I guess we both learned something from all this," said Rad. Lyon noticed the eyebags around Rad; he can tell for sure he hasn't gotten much sleep. "You look tired," said Lyon. Rad simply shrugged off that comment and chuckled a bit. "Aren't you tired too? You're still recovering," inquired Rad. Lyon nodded no again with no words. "How long was I…gone?"
"About a week, kid. Honestly, I'm surprised Dana found you in the streets. If she hadn't…I wouldn't know how-" Rad simply broke off and looked down, not wanting to imagine the worst case scenario. Lyon slowly reached out to his adoptive father's hand, letting him know everything would be alright. Rad smiled weakly and decided not to explain too much right now. This moment was too precious between father and son to be reunited only with words complicating the conversation.
After they took a while with their conversations, both Rad and Stripe decided to let Chilli and Bandit have a turn in talking with the wolf dog. They both went into the waiting room; hardly few dogs were left, but Dana and another family waiting in the room. Rad and Stripe walked up to Dana. "How is he," asked Dana.
"He's good. Still coming up strong," said Rad. However, he senses no pleasure in seeing Dana. "I think he's going to be alright. He's a strong fighter," said Stripe. "Mind if I step out for a moment and call Trix to let her know I'm going to stay with the both of you for the night. I imagine Bandit and Chilli would want to go back to their family for the night after this," said Stripe. "I appreciate it, little brother," said Rad. Stripe decided to walk through the hallways for a private phone call.
"You have such a good family," said Dana. "Yeah," muttered Rad apathetically. "They must really care a lot for the both of you."
"At least we don't hide dirty secrets from each other." Dana felt some sort of hostility from that comment. "Pardon?"
"You think this would justify your forgiveness in all this? I nearly lost my son all because you told me to not tell him the truth." Rad glared at the white terrier. Dana eyes widened and felt the coldness from the heeler. "Wait, hold on. What are you insinuating here," asked Dana somewhat angered.
"I mean if I had a deep conversation with him, and not pretend like this never happened, he would have not run away from home. From me." Rad could not seek forgiveness from the white terrier. He was angry at her for the fact behind the goose chase. "This was not my intention, Mr. Heeler. For the record, my boss told me it was better this way. I simply followed her instructions."
"Yeah, and it has done wonders. You just listened to her without knowing of the consequences," Rad scoffed. "I don't ever want to see you or hear you again." Dana frowned by the rude response. "You're making a mistake here. And did I not promised I would help you find his family from Marc's side," added Dana, reminding Rad from their last conversation. "I think I am capable of finding that information out on my own without your help. We don't need your help anymore. You may leave," said Rad coldly. Dana felt both dismayed and upset by Rad's dismissal. "You're making a mistake here," she said. "I don't care. Just go." Dana truly wanted to help out on the search for Lyon's other extended family, but she knew she overstayed her welcome. Without a doubt, she walked away silently. She knew Rad's hostility between him and her would complicate things even worse, and it was for the best if she took her leave for now. She may have to find another way to make up for her mistake.
Once Rad saw the white terrier dismiss herself, he held a strong scowl, hoping this was the last time he would ever see her presence again, and hopefully keep her distance from him and Lyon for now on. But did he do the right thing? Was he justified in telling her off, and keeping her away from his family? Only time will tell.