Chapter Text
Chase had just heard the team, HIS team, had been captured by Mayor Humdinger, and here he was, injured and unable to help.
Ryder always says a good pup knows his limits... Chase thought, gritting his teeth in another attempt to move. But a good leader never gives up. Katie had momentarily left to use the restroom, leaving the police pup with a small time slot to get out of the Lookout and help his team. Bunching up his muscles, Chase jumped down from the bed, wincing as he landed clumsily.
His ribs hurt bad.
Never mind that! I need to get a hold of a vehicle to get out to Foggy Bottom! Chase paced himself, taking small, painful steps forward. Despite every step hurting, he couldn't back down. Not now, when his team needed him.
Katie will have a fit when she finds im gone... Chase sighed, looking back at the empty bed he was supposed to be in. Shaking his head, the police pup slowly moved forward, finally reaching the elevator going down to the hangars where the vehicles were stored. Scanning the hangars, his eyes landed on his totaled police car, and his breath hitched.
It was like he could still feel himself tumbling and slamming into that tree...
Taking a breath, as deep as he could with his ribs, Chase scanned the rest of the hangars and saw that Skye had left her ground vehicle behind, since she took her helicopter this time. Good, I could use that! Chase trekked forward, using all his strength just to get up into the driver's seat of the car. Ow...
He regretted not telling Ryder about his condition that morning. All this could have been avoided if he had just done that. Okay...Let's do this. Turning the engine on, he carefully adjusted himself so driving wouldn't hurt too much, then he set off toward Foggy Bottom.
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As Chase got closer, the atmosphere got foggier and foggier, and he had trouble seeing where he was going, hence the name Foggy Bottom. Due to this, the police pup was forced to slow down and take it easy going the rest of the way to not smash into another tree. Been there, done that! Chase snorted, squinting his eyes to try and see through the thick fog.
Like it couldn't get any worse, rain started pouring the closer he got. A few minutes later, Chase could see Mayor Humdingers' cave lair further out, and the police pup was forced to stop the car so as not to attract noise and announce his arrival too soon.
Getting out was a hassle, but he had no choice.
Chase crouched behind a pile of barrels near the clock tower. Rain dripped from his ears, and his injured ribcage throbbed worse than ever. But when he looked up at the tower's windows, glowing faintly in the storm, he could see the silhouettes of his friends, the rest of the PAW Patrol, locked inside the top floor.
He didn't have his own cruiser, and no backup.
Hell, he was the backup.
It was just him.
He took a shaky breath. Okay, think, Chase. What would Ryder do?
He glanced around. Humdinger's kittens were patrolling near the front entrance, leaving the side door unwatched. Perfect. Using his last bit of strength, he crawled along the side wall and reached the side of the cave.
He tried the door — locked.
Chase smiled faintly. "Good thing I'm the police pup." He whispered to himself. Pulling out his pup-pack tool, he took out a small extendable claw meant for grabbing evidence.
With a twist and a click, he used it to hook the door latch through the keyhole.
A quiet snap, and the lock gave way.
Inside, the air was cold and damp. The cave cechoed as thunder rolled overhead.
Chase moved carefully, his paws silent against the floor. He could hear Humdinger's muffled laughter further inside.
"Those silly pups will never get out now!" Humdinger bragged.
Chase's fur bristled. He spotted a maintenance ladder that led up to the old clock gears.
His injured side tensed as he climbed, but he pushed through it. When he reached the top, he saw a large iron cage, and his friends were trapped inside. Skye's eyes widened when she saw him."Chase!" she whispered. "How did you get here?!"
"Doesn't matter," he whispered back. "I'm getting you out." He scanned the room. The cage was secured by a heavy lock and wired to an alarm system, typical Humdinger mischief. Chase crawled over to the control box, his mind racing. "I can't force it open... but maybe I can overload it." He found a loose wire near the fuse box and carefully attached his pup-tag's flashlight circuit to it.
The small surge caused a spark, and the alarm light flickered out."Now!" Chase whispered. He bit down on the lock, twisting until it popped free. The door swung open, and the team poured out.
"Chase, you did it!" Marshall barked, wagging his tail. Before they could celebrate, Humdinger burst through the door, scowling.
"What?! How did you—""PAW Patrol, let's roll!" Chase barked, pushing through the pain. He limped forward and tackled a lever on the wall, the one controlling the caves' electricity.
Sparks flew as the lights on everything went crazy.
The cave doors opened, and the Paw Patrol team hurried out to their vehicles. "Wait, the statue! The reason we came here!" Zuma yelped, running back in to grab the statue.
"NOOOO!" Humdinger shouted as he ran to try and stop the Labrador pup. Chase turned to his team, panting.
"Everyone okay?"Ryder knelt beside him, helping him stand.
"Thanks to you, Chase. You saved us, but we need to get you back to the medbay...You look worse."Chase managed a tired smile.
"Just... doing my duty. And yeah, Im not gonna argue with you on that...."As the rain eased and the sun began to rise over Adventure Bay, the PAW Patrol took off back to the Lookout to regroup and get Chase back to rest.
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The team drove through the morning sky, the engines humming softly as golden sunlight broke through the clouds. The storm that had raged all night was finally gone, and since the rain had stopped, the wind had quieted, and the air smelled fresh and clean. Inside the Lookout, the PAW Patrol sat together in weary silence.
Mud streaked their fur, their gear was dented and torn, but they were together, safe again. And in the middle of it all lay Chase, curled up on a stretcher. His body was rebandaged tightly, and his chest rose and fell in steady but shallow breaths.
He had finally let himself rest after the rescue. Ryder sat beside him, one hand resting gently on Chase's shoulder. "Easy, Chase," Ryder said softly. "We're home."Chase's eyes fluttered open.
He blinked, the light hurting his eyes for a moment, then smiled weakly. "Home... good to be back." Ryder helped him readjust himself in his bed, but the pup was in pain, and the teen could see that. Chase tried to stand tall. He was the team's police pup, their leader, but every movement sent a dull ache up his injured side.
Marshall rushed to his side instantly. "Hey, maybe you should go back to the medbay?"
"Do I have to?" The other pups surrounded him, their tails wagging, but their expressions were concerned. Ryder nodded toward Rubble and Rocky to support the police pup on either side as they herded him back to the medbay.
Zuma grinned. "Bro, you're like, the toughest pup ever. You took on Humdinger alone! That's totally epic!" Chase's ears twitched bashfully.
"I didn't have a choice. You guys needed me."
Ryder smiled at that, proud, but also deeply moved. "And you didn't let us down, Chase. You never do."
The two pups guided Chase to the med bay and gently helped him lie down on the padded table.
"Let's take a look at your ribs," Marshall said, his usual goofy energy replaced by careful focus. He unwrapped the muddy bandage, cleaned the wound with warm water, and replaced it with a fresh roll of soft gauze. "Does it hurt?"
Chase winced slightly but shook his head. "Not as much now. Thanks, Marshall."Good,"
Marshall said, smiling. "Because next time, you're getting restrained."
That earned a small laugh from everyone, even Chase. Skye gently placed his pup-tag, cleaned and polished, beside him on the table. "You dropped this back at the cave," she said softly. "I thought you might want it back."
Chase looked down at the tag, scratched, a little bent, but still shining. He touched it gently with his paw. "Thanks, Skye. Guess it's been through as much as I have."
Ryder stepped forward and crouched beside him. "You know, Chase... what you did out there was incredible. You were injured, outnumbered, and alone, but you didn't quit. You found a way. That's real courage."
Chase's tail wagged faintly against the blanket. "I just did what any of us would've done."
Ryder smiled. "Maybe. But tonight, you reminded us all why you're the heart of this team."
Skye leaned closer, resting her paw on his. "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."
The Lookout was quiet for a moment, filled only with the sound of the ocean below and the soft hum of the computers. The team had been through so much, but now, standing together, they felt whole again.
Finally, Rubble broke the silence with a grin. "Hey, when Chase's ribs heal, we should totally throw him a 'Hero of the Day' party!"
Zuma barked in agreement. "Yeah! With pup treats, balloons, and maybe a rest day for all of us, dude!"
Chase's ears perked up, his smile widening. "You don't have to do that..."
Ryder chuckled. "Oh, we're doing it. You've earned it, buddy."Chase settled back into the blanket, warmth and exhaustion finally washing over him.
The tension in his muscles faded.
The pain dulled.
His eyelids grew heavy. As he drifted toward sleep, he could hear his friends' laughter echoing softly through the Lookout, the sound of family, of safety, of home.
And for Chase, that was everything he'd fought for.
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The next morning, sunlight poured softly through the Lookout's window blinds, casting long, golden stripes across the med bay floor. The rhythmic beep... beep... of a monitor filled the otherwise still room.
Chase blinked awake slowly, his vision fuzzy at first. He realized something was covering his snout.
Cool, smooth plastic.
An oxygen mask.
It hissed softly with every breath.
He frowned a little. Marshall must've wanted to be on the safe side, he thought. He always worries too much.
But something else felt... strange.
His chest didn't hurt. Even breathing was easy. For the first time in days, he wasn't in pain.
Wait... why wasn't he in pain?
He glanced down, noticing the clear tube taped gently to his front paw. An IV line led up to a bag of clear liquid hanging from a metal stand beside the bed. His eyes tracked the slow drip of medicine flowing into his veins, and understanding dawned on him.
"Oh..." he murmured, his voice slightly muffled through the mask. "It's just temporary."
Morphine.
Ryder must have authorized it to keep him comfortable until his body could heal on its own. Chase let out a tired sigh, sinking deeper into the blankets. The pain-free calm was strange, almost too quiet. But after everything that had happened, he was grateful for even a few moments of peace.
A soft voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Morning, Chase." He turned his head slightly to see Marshall standing at the door, carrying a small tray with water and a few biscuits. His normally goofy grin was replaced by something gentler, more careful. "You were thrashing painfully in your sleep, so Ryder said it was okay to give you some morphine," Marshall said as he padded closer. "How're you feeling?"
Chase managed a faint smile under the mask. "Like I got hit by a train... but at least it doesn't hurt anymore."
Marshall chuckled softly. "Yeah, that'd be the medicine doing its job. Don't worry, we're keeping a close eye on your dosage. Ryder made me promise not to let you move around until he says so."
Chase gave a small, resigned huff. "Figures. I hate sitting still."
"I know you do," Marshall said, placing the tray on the bedside table. "But you earned a little rest, Chase. You saved all of us. You can afford to take a day off."
Chase looked up at him, his expression softening. "I just did what any of you would've done."
"Maybe," Marshall said, smiling. "But you did it when you were hurt. That's different."For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The morning light danced across the walls, and the sound of gulls outside reminded Chase that Adventure Bay was peaceful again.
Finally, Chase reached up with his uninjured paw and nudged the oxygen mask aside so he could talk more clearly. "Hey, Marshall?"
"Yeah, buddy?"
"Thanks..."
Marshall's eyes softened. "Always, Chase. That's what teammates are for."
Chase smiled faintly and leaned back against the pillows. His eyelids were already growing heavy again, the medicine making him drowsy.
Later that afternoon, while Chase was still resting in the med bay, the rest of the team gathered in the Lookout's main hall. The bright golden statue they'd recovered from Humdinger's tower sat proudly on the central table, gleaming in the sunlight streaming through the glass dome above.
It was Adventure Bay's Golden Chickletta statue. Mayor Goodway had been devastated when Humdinger's kittens stole it two nights ago, using it as bait to lure the PAW Patrol into a trap.
Now, it was finally home.
Ryder stood with the pups, admiring the statue. "Well, team, we did it. The statue is safe, thanks to all of you, and especially Chase."
Skye smiled. "He really was the hero this time, Ryder. He didn't just save us, he saved the whole mission."
Marshall nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! If Chase hadn't figured out that security system, we'd still be stuck in that cave!"
Ryder grinned. "Exactly. Now, who wants to come with me and return this to Mayor Goodway?"
"Me!" Rocky barked, already on his paws.
"And me!" Zuma added, following.
"Great, then let's go. The rest of you keep Chase company. We'll be back soon." Ryder said, grabbing the statue and following the two pups out to the vehicles.
The door to the Lookout slid shut behind Ryder, Rocky, and Zuma as they set off toward Adventure Bay, the golden statue safely secured in Ryder's pack. The hum of their vehicles faded into the distance, leaving behind a comfortable quiet in the Lookout.
Upstairs in the med bay, Chase lay curled on the padded cot, dozing lightly. The steady drip of the IV and the rhythmic hum of the monitors filled the room.
Skye sat nearby on a stool, gently licking her fur while keeping a watchful eye on her best friend.
Marshall came padding in, balancing a bowl of warm broth on his head. "Soup delivery for one heroic police pup!" he announced with a grin. Chase stirred, his ears twitching.
Skye giggled softly, taking the bowl from him before it could end up on the floor. "Thanks, Marshall. He's been asleep for a while, this'll help."
Chase blinked groggily, lifting his head slightly. "Is Ryder back?"
"Not yet," Skye said. "He and the others went to return the statue to Mayor Goodway."
Chase nodded slowly, relaxing again. "Good... it deserves to go home." He tried to sit up, but a sharp twinge in his ribs made him stop. "Okay, maybe I'll stay lying down a little longer."
Marshall moved closer, placing a comforting paw on the side of the cot. "You're still healing, Chase. No shame in taking it easy. We've got everything covered."
For a few minutes, the room was calm, the quiet kind of peace that only comes after chaos.
Skye watched the sunlight shift across the floor, then looked back at Chase with a soft smile."You know," she said, "You really scared us out there. When you crashed... we thought you were..."
Her voice faltered.
Chase turned his head, meeting her eyes. "Hey. I'm here, aren't I? Alive and only half dead."
Skye smiled again, blinking away the emotion in her eyes. "I know. That's why you're the best police pup in the world."
Chase's ears flattened, his cheeks warming under his fur. "I'm just... doing my job."
"Maybe," Marshall said with a grin, "but you do it better than anyone else."Chase chuckled softly, then sighed as his eyes grew heavy again. The medicine was still making him drowsy.
"Wake me up when Ryder gets back," he murmured.
"Of course," Skye said, pulling a light blanket over him.
As Chase drifted off, Marshall dimmed the lights, and the pups sat quietly by his bedside, the steady rhythm of his breathing the only sound in the room.
Outside, the afternoon sun hung low over Adventure Bay, painting the Lookout in gold, the same color as the statue their team had just returned.
For the first time in what felt like forever, everything was calm.
For the PAW Patrol, that was the best kind of day.
THE END