Vigilante PAW

Chapter Fifteen: Moving Forward

The next morning, Katie and Liz were busy in the kitchen, getting breakfast for the three pups they suddenly found themselves looking after. While the blonde was putting together some food for Rocky and Everest, her aunt was working on a more nutritious breakfast for Marshall so his body could recover faster. The two were up pretty early, as Katie still needed to open up the pet parlor.

"...So that Rocky pup hates water, huh?" Liz raised an eyebrow, filling up a bowl of water for Marshall, "Isn't that more of a cat thing?"

"Pups can hate water too, you know..." Katie looked at her aunt, "I wouldn't underestimate Rocky's hatred toward water."

"Why do you say that?"

The young blonde's face went blank at the question. She gently put down Rocky and Everest's food bowls as she turned herself around completely to look at the redhead. Once she did, though, Liz couldn't help but to take a step back in response to seeing the look her niece's face.

Katie had developed a crooked smile, her lips curling in cartoonishly impossible directions. While she was smiling, her eyebrows threaded together, tensing up once they met in the center of her forehead.

"Please don't ask..."

Before Liz could even begin to decipher what that meant, a sudden scream from the living room made them shoot up in surprise and look in that direction. The two exchanged a quick look of concern before rushing off to see what was wrong.

Hurrying into the living room, the two immediately noticed that both Marshall and Everest were now awake, and the latter was frantically looking over the former's bandages.

"Marshall, how'd you get these!?" The Husky asked, looking up at the slightly embarrassed Dalmatian, "How'd you get injured like this?"

"She's just now seeing those bandages?" Liz raised an eyebrow, confused.

Katie sighed faintly, "Yesterday was very emotional for them. I could see why neither she or Rocky were focused on—"

"You're noticing them now?" An annoyed groan from a sleepy Rocky made the young blonde stop what she was saying.

"...I can see why Everest wasn't focused on his bandages..." The little vet finished, smiling nervously.

"You did?" Everest turned her attention to the mixed breed, who was trying desperately to go back to sleep.

"Yeah I did... I just needed to get what I needed to say to Marshall out of the way first..." He spoke, putting a pillow over his own head, "Now could you quiet down so I can get back to sleep, please?"

Katie interjected, letting her and Liz's presence be known, "Really? Because we just finished getting your breakfast together, Rocky."

The mixed breed's stomach suddenly growled, making his cheeks flush under his fur, "Maybe I can stay up for some food..." He stood up, the pillow he was using to cover his ears falling to the ground.

The blonde giggled as the five began making their way toward the kitchen.

"But to be honest... The Husky's right to ask that, Oreo," Liz spoke up, "I've been wondering how you got all of those injuries too."

Marshall began to sweat, wondering how his four friends would take the news. He wondered how they would react to hearing what happened to him that night. They seemed to care about him a lot. More than he had been expecting anyone to care for him after seeing how Adventure Bay acted toward him.

"Well... You see..." Marshall lightly tugged on his collar, "...I kind of got in a fight."

"You what!?" The four stopped in their tracks, looking back at the Dalmatian.