Chapter forty-two: Puppy Pandemonium!
The pups came romping inside laughing, covered in snow and likely soaking wet from sweating with some snow likely melting on their coats. Chase and Chester tumbled one over the other intentionally, simply reveling in the thrill of the rush that digging and playing had become for them and their army of friends.
"Ready to go, you two?" Frank asked, the old man standing at the forefront of the human group with his two children on each side and Ryder in the background.
"Oh, yeah I guess we killed enough time.." Chester figured, standing up to crawl out from under his brother who stood up as soon as he began to move.
"Need anything before we go, Chase?" Frank asked, turning his gentle eyes on him tentatively.
"Um..-"
"Don't answer that.." Chester spoke up for him. "I know exactly what we need, come on."
Turning to stare after his departing brother with a cocked brow, he finally slid his eyes down to the right and followed reluctantly.
xxxx
"Ok blanket.. pillow.. Officer Bear cause.. old time sake.." Chester spouted off when he pulled out the bear from the police-themed pup house, then tossed it at Chase without any warning. "And one more.. Aha! This.."
"What now, Chess?" Chase groaned dryly, removing Officer Bear from his face gently.
"Don't you remember?" He said, picking something up in his mouth and throwing it at his brother's feet with stunning accuracy, like something out of a movie. "Our travel log.. We vowed to keep updating it with our most daringest scrapes with death together forever!" The formality of his hero-adventurer stance was amusing, but then he dropped it a moment later to add.. "I think today qualifies, I don't know about you."
"Ok, ok, point taken.. We can update the log if you want.." Chase shrugged lightly. "But only once Mom and the Prescotts go to bed. She'll kill us if she hears about our little escapade and the Prescotts will rat us out if she catches wind of it before bed."
"Done and done, sir!" Chester saluted stiffly, but Chase just pushed him at the shoulder humorously to get him to walk forward so they could carry Chase's things toward the Lookout doors.
"All set now?" Billy asked as they just happened to come out as they were reaching the doors.
"Yes.." the two shepherds replied together.
"Then are you ready to pack up and head out?" Maggie figured, stroking Boomerang as he walked up the ramp they'd set up for him at the back of the truck, so he could comfortably get up and find a secure place to lie down on the open bed.
"Yes.." The brothers responded again. Then after a silence their eyes cocked over to each other and they both rushed forward to then fight for their turn to climb up onto the bed of the truck and find a spot next to Boomerang.
"Well we'll take it from here, Ryder." Frank smiled, positioning his cane in front of him and cupped his free hand over the one that held it. "We'll make sure he stays outta trouble, and we'll get him back to you safe and sound."
"No guarantees!" Chester called, earning their attention for a moment.
"You'll probably get him back with a few new stories to tell." Maggie figured with a knowing grin.
"I don't doubt." Marshall shook his head, knowingly.
"Of course they'll have adventures when they're at the Prescotts," Snowflake insisted happily.
"You know it! We be getting busy down at the farm, yo!" Chester swagged, the two brother's' eyes meeting as he finished this, leaving them with a rather humorous end to his statement that they clearly weren't surprised by.
"Never a dull moment at a breeding farm." Chase shrugged lightly.
"And your herding skills combined should be all we need to be able to take some of the younger puppies outside to play in the snow." Frank said.
"Awh!" The two shepherds groaned.
"Come on.. babysitting?!" Chester complained.
"We will have time for some therapy.. won't we, Billy?" Chase asked, apprehensively.
"You know it." The man winked. "Don't worry, we'll be putting you to work tomorrow, you can count on that."
"Just don't do anything crazy!" Snowflake added with a serious look. "Remember, we want you both safe and sound for Christmas."
"Who, us?" The brothers replied, sharing another confused look between them.
"Yes, you." Rayla asserted. "Case in point.. a little run in with ice and snow, and a broken vehicle tread, give or take a cliff or two?" The objective tone she took hinted directly at their earlier escapade, and it made them both go sheepish.. but when they dropped that they began to bid their friends adieu as the Prescotts tossed a blanket over the three of them and climbed into the truck's cab so they could drive away.
"Drive safely!" Melody proclaimed.
They watched until the truck disappeared and afterwards they all filed into the Lookout to watch a movie or two.
XXXX
"When I get home I'm gonna kick back, relax and enjoy the peace and quiet." Chester sighed, stretching out and rolling onto his back beneath the blanket. But moments later the irony of a bump in the road bonked his head so he rolled back over to rub it gingerly.
"Don't get too comfortable there, Chess." Frank suggested, through the open back window. "When we get back you're gonna help supervise."
"Awwww!" Chester groaned. "I thought we were doing that tomorrow."
"Just for a little while so we can do the nightly check." Maggie clarified, turning to look back at them briefly. "We'll be done soon enough and then we can all settle down for bed."
Chase shivered from the frigid gust that blustered through the rippling blanket, hunkering down further against Boomerang, which inclined Chester to crawl in closer to insulate him. The younger German Shepherd looked up for only a moment before leaning into him. But as Chester stepped on the edge of the blanket, along the length of his body to protect himself, he also pushed Chase back over against Boomer, which provided exactly the kind of protection from the cold that he needed.
Billy decided after a while that it was too quiet so he looked back but seeing Chester's body barricade made him smile, going back to the early days of him doing the very same thing.
Some things never change. He thought proudly. We taught him well. And with this thought he knew he could turn front knowing that everything was handled behind him.
XXXX
Keys jingled when they were pulled from the ignition and then a door creaked open.
"Everybody good?" Frank asked, clambering down off the driver seat.
All three dogs slowly lifted their heads, like they realized that the trip was finally over.
"We're good." Chester replied, hopping up with a shake then proceeded to jump down off the end of the tailgate, which Billy had lowered so Maggie could put the ramp up for their older friend..
Chase and Boomerang watched this, then both began to stand up and the irony of it was that despite their significant age difference.. They looked almost identical in transition.
"Ihn.." Chase groaned. "Why do I feel like I've been in a deep freeze?"
"Because the healing process is long, even if you function like normal a majority of the time." Billy replied knowingly, almost amused by his mentioning this. "Don't worry, it's totally-"
"Normal.." Chase interjected dryly.
"I know.." he sighed lightly, rolling his eyes up.
"Well then let's get you thawed out.." Maggie smiled, pulling him out from under the blanket and seamlessly wrapping him with his police star blanket in one smooth motion as she scooped him up. "Sorry we can't do the same for you, Boomer."
"It's ok,.. I'll survive." Boomerang replied, slowly hobbling down the ramp. "Enjoy it while you're young, son. It won't last forever."
"I will.." Chase replied simply, his blank look remaining tender and in some ways mystified.
"Now, I'll go let our old boy inside.." Maggie continued, handing the burrito pup to Billy. "You boys go handle the night check and I'll get some warm beverages ready for your return."
Ruffling Boomerang's neck as she strode after him, she gently overtook him as if to make sure the old dog's path was clear as she was nearing the front door of the house.
"Let's go, boys." Frank remarked, turning toward the warmly lit barn across the gravel driveway; Chester's gaze turning to Billy, while Billy and Chase's gaze fell on him.
xxxx
As soon as they came inside, the warmth instantly hit the spot and Billy bent down to free Chase from the blanket straight jacket. As soon as he hopped onto his own four feet, his focus quickly shifted as his eyes took in the sight,.. his ears captured a sound.. and his nose picked up a scent.
He approached a nearby box and what saw when he peered in was the strangest flashback he'd ever seen, based solely by what he imagined from the stories he'd been told. Only in this picture it lacked the box that he knew he'd spent his first couple of months in..
A mother licked the furry heads of her seven little furballs nestled and eating at her side. Her tender love reminded him of his own mother and a part of him wondered if she might show up at that very moment, but nothing of the sort happened. Small pointed ears rocked back and forth with the sucking motion of their lips, which he could hear, even slightly. And he was taken back to his own early days of running around the halls of the old facility, and even saw the day he inadvertently left it behind come back to him.
"A blast from the past, isn't it." Frank mentioned, yanking him from his thoughts. Chase's eyes found Frank's and he smiled, taking a rugged knee to be closer to him. "A long way from home, but also pretty close, eh?"
"You could say that.." Chase replied, a little distracted by the sight he went back to watching.
"Well then let's try and bring those a little closer together." Frank implied, turning his smile on the pup and when Chase's eyes looked up at him again he glanced down the corridor implying a certain area. Letting his gaze follow that of the old man, he wandered forward hesitantly; pausing only a second before committing to moving forward slowly.
Frank heavily stood up to watch with his son and Chester, as Chase walked the hall. Cautiously peering into each box to his right as he walked, he almost felt nervous about what he might find. And almost scared it'd be something bad, despite knowing who it was he was talking about. And it wasn't till he reached the third box from the end, that the lone dog he saw in it piqued his recognition instantly.
"Mom?" he vocalized in pure confusion. The box like all the others was well padded and the bed she was laying on looked very comfy, but looking at her more closely he could tell that she wasn't.
A shadow fell over him and he looked up and then back.
"It's ok.." Frank told him. "You can bother her for just a moment.. She won't be mad.." Looking back at his mother, his ears swiveled back, but remained up and alert as he softly stepped over the short wall of the box. He felt the need to creep toward her like he was sneaking up to a hibernating bear. Though he knew she wouldn't be mad at him for disturbing her, he simply desired not to, especially since she didn't look like she wanted to be awake just yet.
And try as he might, even his silence wasn't quiet enough as her ear perked up and then her eyes opened as she stirred and lifted her head. Chase just froze like he'd been exposed awaiting her reaction. Mariana yawned deeply, but it didn't seem as refreshed as it could have been. Then her nose seemed to pick something up and moving it closer it found him instantly, even though he ducked away quickly; just out of instinct.
"Chase?" She realized becoming more awake now. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm.. starting to ask myself the same thing.." Chase replied, his gaze cocking back over to the two Prescotts, who both gave him a validating smile. Mariana laying her head back down earned Chase's attention back and he even lowered it to try and be on her current level so to speak.
"Mom?" Her eyes opened with a realization coming to mind.
"It's ok, Chase," she assured him. "I'm ok.."
"I don't know if I believe you." Chase replied, unnerved by her calmer demeanor.
"Come and lay with me, son.." she said, nodding her head toward herself. Doing what he was told, he creeped over and took a spot lengthwise against her side and she bent her head toward him as he lay there with her. But the contact between them soon grabbed his attention, and he looked up at her exposed side quizzically.
"Something feels different." He said.
"That's because something is.." Mariana replied. "And things are gonna change a little for us again."
His blank stare became a confused frown, then it lightened with an epiphany; which all the little snippets of evidence he'd collected up to this moment pointed to. Hesitating a second longer, he pressed an ear to her side, but he couldn't decide if he heard one heartbeat or many. However, a slight hardening of the muscles defined a shape or two, which confirmed his growing suspicions.
Her tail came around and touched his, which startled him, but laying her head down distracted him once again.
"Billy, take him to see his brothers and sisters.." Mariana breathed, hardly even opening her eyes.. "I wanna sleep.."
"Sure thing, Ana.." the man replied, somehow appearing next to them to slowly peel the pup away from her. "Hang in there, mama. It'll be over soon."
"What's going on?" Chase asked, neglecting the obvious, but straddled himself against Billy's chest with his forepaws to look again as they were walking away from the whelping box she was in.
"Don't worry, you'll be a big brother soon enough." Billy told him tenderly. "Your mom just needs some time to relax.. she'll be busy all night."
"Doing what?.." Chase asked, trying to see her from the distance they'd grown from Billy crossing the room to the other corridor of the building. Then the answer to his question somewhat came to light for him. "Oh.."
"Don't worry, son, she's in good hands." Frank assured him. "And she's done this many times before.. she'll be just fine."
"In the meantime, why don't you entertain our other little friends." Billy suggested setting him down inside another enclosed space with higher walls. Then he proceeded to lift Chester in after him. "They could use some other attention, someone new they can learn from."
Little ears, then little heads perked up, then a second of stillness turned into an exploding mountain of furballs as smaller pups beelined it toward them, and others tumbled and stumbled a bit to get to them.
Seeing the approaching mob of little copies of them, the two brothers recoiled until they were hit with a wall of paws and tongues. The multitude of excited tails wagged as they hopped on their back paws to get as many friendly licks to their faces as they could get. Chase craned his neck up to the left and then to the right to keep him from reaching his face. Then one pup managed an ambitious jump on top of his siblings that aided in his success at the rim of Chase's ear with his little teeth.
"Ow!" Chase yelped, yielding to the tiny needle point chompers that now had him at its level.
"Were we ever like this?" He asked, shifting just enough to view his brother.
"Bro, you don't know the half of it. -ow!" Chester replied, but was interrupted by a headbutt to the left side of his face, which ended up being right in the eye. Then more little puppies piled on top of them, pinning them both down.
"Ah!-.. -rgh-.. -aw! There's too many of them!" Chase gasped. "Call in for backup!"
"Ack!" Chester strained, putting a paw over his mouth to make a static sound. "Ck..Adventure Bay, we have a problem!"
Suddenly they heard a snort and a chuckle.
"Uh guys? There's only seven of them," Billy said, then both pups sat up abruptly to realize how much less of them there actually were.
"Have fun, boys." Billy voiced while walking away. Then a ball rolled by them and the puppies watched it as pure statues for mere seconds before scrambling after it.
Hey guys, what up?! So this was a very impromptu thing that I kind of threw out to my partner and he was totally cool with it!.. So some of this was just me having fun with something.. And it'll likely come back around with the rest of the team eventually, but LOL this was SO much fun!
But don't just take my word for it.. Lemme know what you think. ;) And with that, glad to be back and we'll see you next time! Thx!