The Wounds We Heal

Chapter sixty-eight: Holiday Breakdown

"Hey how bout we sing that song while we're working!" Rocky suggested. "How well does everybody know it?"

"Only a bit," Snowflake answered.

"Same," Ned replied.

"Ok,.. how about a different song? Anyone up for a little.. Jingle Bells?" And with this slow gleeful tone to the song title, the mixed breed lifted up a strap mounted with jingle bells, which made most of the pups among them smile.

Snowflake and Ned smiled.

"Ooooohhhh! Jingle bells. Jingle bells, jingle all the way..." the two huskies started to sing together.

Chase cringed, raising his shoulders midstep. Even though the singing was behind him, he couldn't shake the feeling that leached itself onto him from the joyous caroling. And he found himself appalled at hearing it. But biting his tongue didn't seem like a good way to distract himself so he just kept decorating, even though he felt no sense of joy in it at all.

How have I become so numb to the best time of the year?!

His heart screamed within him with every hollow action, and his inner self cried empty tears in every new step towards completing the task, even while the growing volume(or so it seemed) of the singing behind him.

"...One horse open sleigh. Hey!" Snowflake and Ned sang as the pups finished the song.

"Is Ryder back with the tree? Does he need help?" Ned asked, before looking towards the elevator.

And as if on cue the elevator returned and a big bristly tree appeared with hands barely visible around it. Then Ryder swiveled around it, still making sure it stood up straight.

"Oh.. well I guess there's our answer." Chester figured with a shrug.

"Now all we need is the base to secure it into," Ryder said. "Has anyone found it yet?"

"Rocky? Do you have it?" Snowflake asked curiously.

"What?" the mixed breed asked, popping up from inside a nearby box.

"Do you have the tree stand?" Snowflake repeated.

"Oh! Right, um.." then he turned back down into the box again. "Ah! Oo..ow, caught my foot on it.. rrrah!" Finally pushing it up out of the box it clattered to the ground, leaving Rocky hanging over the side of the box.

"Oof.. got it.." he sighed with relief.

Then noticing his weight shift he leaned backwards hoping it'd stop him from sliding, but to no avail and he sprawled forward. And the box tipped over with him, scattering a few spherical ornaments and flopped some stockings on top of the spilled recycling pup.

"Rocky! You okay?!" Snowflake exclaimed, before running over to help the mixed breed from the spilled decorations.

"Pff! Heh, yeah I'm ok.." Rocky replied, blowing a stocking off his face.

"Usually I fall out of things.." Marshall mentioned with a grin. "Or off things or on things or over things!" Then starting to laugh made most everyone else get involved and Chase's senses heightened with the contrasting feeling that was beginning to grow the pressure to insanity.

"True, but safety is important," Snowflake mentioned.

"Well,... yeah.." Rocky chuckled, finally standing up with Snowflake's help. "But at least there wasn't anything too hard in here."

"Good thing.. or we'd be finding out just what kind of Rock we have.." Chester joked.

Chase just groaned and rolled his eyes, wandering away to look out the window again.