Paw Patrol: Lost Hazel

One

I got lucky. Heck, extremely lucky.

Why?

This is the first time Rocky actually willingly got in the water tub so I could give him a flea wash.

I was shocked when he came up to me this morning with a towel, a brush, and a bottle of flea-killing pet shampoo from Katie's.

I asked him if he was feeling alright; he says he's fine.

So right now I'm scrubbing Rocky's back with the shampoo. According to the bottle, it has to stay on to ten minutes before I can rinse it off of him. Oh man. He's not gonna like me for this.

I moved up to his neck and started to scrub, he just sat there and panted happily.

"Okay Rocky, you're covered head to tail to paw in shampoo." I said, rinsing off my hands with the hose.

He squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm ready, Rylee."

"Uh, actually, bud, you kinda can't be rinsed off yet." I said nervously, drying my hands with a hand towel.

"What? Why?" Rocky asked.

"The instructions say you have to leave the shampoo in for 10 minutes before rinsing."

"So I have to sit in the tub of water for 10 minutes?"

I nod, frowning.

Rocky groaned.

"It's not that bad, Rocky. Chase'll keep you company. I have to wash him next." I grabbed an empty tub and started to fill it with warm water. I squirted a spiral of shampoo on the bottom of the bucket and closed the lid. I'm running out of shampoo.

"Rubble!" I called.

Rubble came rolling up on his skateboard. "Yeah, Rylee?"

"Can you go to Katie's and get two more bottles of flea shampoo, please?"

"I'm on it!" And with that he rolled down the drive to Katie's.

"Chase! Bath's ready!"

ACHOO! ACHOO! "Rylee! The birds are back!"

I rolled my eyes and ran to Chase's pup house, shooing away the seagulls. I brushed away all the stray feathers, and Chased came out of his pup house and followed me to the tub.

Rocky looked at me hopefully.

"Seven more minutes, bud." I say, picking up Chase and slowly lowering him into the tub. I pulled his collar over his head, squirted some shampoo on his head, and started to scrub behind his ears and on top of his head.

Rubble came rolling up the drive on his skateboard with two bottles of flea shampoo. "Where do you want these bottles, Rylee?"

"I'll take them, Rubble." He came up to me and I took the bottles, careful not to touch his actual body with my soapy hands. "You came just in time, too. I was starting to need more soap." I squirted some in my hand and scrubbed around Chase's neck.

"That's the spot!" Chase said, panting happily.

I just chuckle and keep scrubbing. Eventually my watch beeped and I had to wash Rocky off. I rinse off my hands, dry them, carefully lift Rocky out of the tub and on the pavement. I gently grab some of the fur on the back his neck, and start to spray the top of his head and down his neck and below his chin.

I spray him completely clean of shampoo, dry him off the best I can with a towel, and put an orange flea collar on him with his tag on it as a replacement until I can clean his real collar.