The Wounds We Heal

The Fun Zone

Snowflake drove down the road, hoping everyone was okay at The Lookout. Suddenly, she saw something fall into her path on the road.

The husky pup gasped before hitting the breaks. Tires screeched to a halt before Snowflake looked to see if she had stopped in time.

"Ryder? Chase? What are you two doing on the road? It's dangerous!" Snowflake commented, shocked by who had caused her to stop.

At this time, Ryder and Chase's eyes met, and they had to awkwardly chuckle.

"Heh heh, um.. well.." Chase wavered.. then the three other pups noticed the crashed scaffold on the sidewalk behind their leader and friend.

"Ruff! Cones!" Chester barked, tossing out the pylons in precisely the right places to block off the road in front of and behind them.

"I leave you for one morning, and look what happens." Chester humorously scolded. "Almost get flattened by a window washer scaffold. And I'm the one playing traffic cop,.. you do know I didn't move here to bail out of trouble all the time, right?.."

"As if,.." Chase sighed, finally beginning to slide off Ryder with as little motion as possible.

But as the boy shifted onto his side and pushed himself up with his hands, he only started to stand when his chest stabbed him into hunching over again.

Hearing the boy lightly grimace, Chase froze where he was halfway to his truck and quickly doubled back so he could ease his head under Ryder's hand so he could lean on him for stability.

Oh man, what have I done now?! He couldn't help but think.

"You ok, Ryder?" Rubble asked, all pups perking up as soon as they'd heard Ryder react to the strain on his injuries.

"Ihn- I'll be ok.. just a little tender is all." Ryder replied, holding his chest with one hand with the other on Chase's head.

"Well lucky for you, we can help you out with that.. I mean getting somewhere you can rest, that is.." Chester reasoned.

"Hold on, ruff! Transfer sled!" Snowflake said. The back of her vehicle opened to show a cushioned set of seats and medical supplies.

"Get in the back of my vehicle. I can get you home safely," Snowflake suggested.

"Thanks pup," Ryder smiled, beginning an approach.

Chase did his best to keep his head up, nearly tripping once but maintained his path toward the sled; and held his position for Ryder to get into it. Then heading around to nose up the cones, Chase hopped into his truck, as Chester shifted to the backseat. And gave him a humorously judgemental look, which his brother returned with a cheesy smile.

Then rolling his eyes loosely.. he started the engine and led the group back toward the Lookout.

xxxx

Skye, Rocky, Zuma, Marshall and Ned were surprised to look up and see Chase leading the group home from the driver seat of his own vehicle.

"Chase? Guys? Where did you come from?" Skye asked, wandering toward them as the pups began to climb down from their vehicles.

"We were heading down from Jake's Mountain to come back for lunch. And on our way back, we found Ryder and Chase," Snowflake explained, as Marshall and the others arrived to meet them with Skye.

"And we definitely did not run into them in the middle of the road." Chester clarified, making some of them laugh. "Definitely did not.." And they could tell he was subtly sarcastic in saying this.