PAW Patrol: Road to Recovery || Book Two

(C22) Rough Patch

The eldest two stepped backward in shock, seeing their beloved Audrey collapse to the ground so unexpectedly. This was no slip from the floor either, it was a case of her legs fully giving out and losing their strength. Marshall leaned closer to her, taking in the situation before he took another step. And unfortunately, that next step was far from in their favor.

Before he was able to get closer to her and examine her condition, her legs suddenly started to spasm, kicking and thrashing about as her body shook violently. Thankfully she wasn't within the reach of any hard furniture, the only thing touching her being the carpet. The Dally's eyes widened, and he took a slow step back as he realized the horrific experience she was going through.

"A-Audrey!" Everest cried out in fear, running forward in an attempt to get to the Border Collie's aid. But to her surprise, as well as the others, Marshall stuck his leg out and blocked her path, keeping her by his side instead of getting closer to the pup.

"Eve, n-no, we just have to wait. The best thing we can do for her is not get in the way." The husky whipped her head back at him with an unseen look of anger on her face. They were never the type of couple to disagree often—one of the few things that preserved Everest's sanity—but she appeared genuinely bewildered and frustrated with him now.

"Are you insane?! M-Marshy, honey, we can't just stand here. We have to help her!" she exasperated, gripping onto his shoulders instead of trying to force herself past him. The Dalmatian only shook his head at her and turned his originally sudden hold into a gentle, one-legged hug.

As much as Everest wanted to do differently, she also tried to remind herself that he was a doctor, and an overly anxious one at that. He would only do what was best. She hated herself for doing so, but she obliged and simply sat next to him, head on his shoulder. Thankfully, he was able to sense her distress, providing small back rubs for comfort.

She could already feel herself on the brink of bursting into tears, unable to do anything but watch as the pup they cared so much for unconsciously shook on the floor. She despised this more than she could express, and clearly, it wasn't just her, seeing how tightly her mate was holding onto her. Whether it was for her comfort or for his, she wasn't too sure about.

Finally, after about a minute—although it felt like hours—Audrey's spams finally began to come to a halt. Now, she was only heavily panting with the occasional kick of her leg as she remained on the tiled floor. Marshall slowly let go of the husky, stepping next to the pup and laying down while placing his paw on hers.

"D-daddy?" she whispered as her eyes slowly fluttered open, squinting as her head slowly bobbed around from exhaustion. The Dalmatian nodded, only for her to lean over and dig her muzzle into his side. He could hear quiet yet audible sobs leaking out of her mouth as she clung onto him for dear life. Trying to be as positive as he could, he caressed her fur in whatever attempt he could fathom to make her feel better without crying himself.

"Shhh, you're okay, princess, let it out. I know that was scary, but it's over now," he cooed, continuing to pet her as he watched her begin to relax over time. Although she was still whimpering, cowering as far inside of his fur as she could. "You don't have to be scared, it's done. You were really brave, thank you for trying to tell me when you felt it."

Audrey looked up, wiping her eyes as she tilted her head in confusion. Out of all the times this had happened, she was always alone when they did, and she had never once been comforted in such a manner, let alone praised. She could only let him continue to stroke her back as she laid her head down on his paw, her chest heaving up and down while she panted from exhaustion and fear.

"Audrey, look at me," the Dally instructed calmly, gently placing his paw below her chin and lifting her up. She made eye contact with him as the speed of her breaths increased, and if he was right about what had just happened, the last thing she needed was too much stress to trigger it again. "Just do what I do, okay? Take deep breaths, go in and out."