PAW Patrol: Road to Recovery || Book Two

(C24) More Than Meets The Eye

It was no surprise that the following few weeks were pretty stressful for Marshall and Everest, more so than usual. Audrey had gotten her diagnosis, and now, as any protective guardians would be, they were constantly stressing over her and her seizures. She had only experienced a few since then, but there wasn't a number low enough that would keep them from worrying.

On the bright side, she was doing great on the days without seizures or sore muscles. Just as cheery and hyperactive as she usually would be, running around and playing with whatever could keep her entertained. They hadn't left the house a whole lot, admittedly due to her elders wanting to keep her away from any possible triggers, but she didn't mind much. They would still visit Katie, and occasionally Jake, those were the only items on her list of demands.

Maybe it was a good thing for her to have such overly anxious ones watching over her, it certainly seemed to keep her safe. Especially with her growing so quickly, even as a doctor Marshall didn't realize how she would develop in three weeks' time. She was getting smarter and learning more words each day, for better or for worse, considering issues like this one were upon them.

"Audrey, come on, you have to take your medicine. Don't you wanna keep the scary things from happening?" he insisted, gently pushing his paw closer with her seizure-reducing pills. As usual, she pushed him away, huffing in irritation while shaking her head. She sat down and planted her paws against the living room floor, further proving her point.

"Nuh-uh, they're yucky," she argued, sticking her nose up in refusal. The Dalmatian sighed, this was a war he had been fighting for weeks now, her own well-being versus her ongoing stubbornness. He had tried everything, even sneaking them into her food until she ended up noticing the taste.

"Well, do you wanna try swallowing them with water? You wouldn't be able to taste it that way." Audrey shook her head rapidly, her tongue sticking out in disgust at the idea, much to his assumption. "Then if you take them now, I'll take you to the park when Mommy is back? How's that sound?"

"But it's still watewing outside." Marshall curiously looked out the window, remembering that she wasn't exactly wrong. Heavy droplets fell from the sky, continuing the ongoing rain from last night and day. All of them were far from excited about the weather, not that they disliked the rain, but that it was the middle of winter and yet not snowing.

Even if he didn't mind the rain much, and neither did she, chances were she didn't want a repeat of yesterday's incident. That being when they did agree to go to the park in the rain, only for her to slide into a freezing cold puddle that got her a one-way trip back home, under blankets by the fireplace, and a warm mug of dog-friendly hot chocolate with plenty of hugs.

"Hmm, fine, I'll make you a deal. How about tonight we'll order burgers for dinner, and you can have a whole cheeseburger all to yourself?" As he had expected, the Border Collie's face lit up, the fire in her eyes burning away at her unwillingness to cooperate. She had been begging for one ever since she had first tried it, this was her golden opportunity.

"Weally?!" she asked in excitement, jumping up on all fours. The Dally smiled to himself, hoping that Ryder wouldn't be mad at him for basically forcing him to order dinner. But he figured his owner could manage, they usually got discounts anyway, sometimes free meals if they were lucky. And if not, well, Marshall wouldn't allow him to disappoint her.

"Yes, really. But, if you want a cheeseburger for dinner, I want you to try and swallow the medicine with water, okay? Just once, and if you hate it, I won't make you do it again." Audrey groaned, reluctantly holding her paw out as she was handed her medication. Marshall carefully pushed her water bowl next to her, giving her the time she needed to commit.