Chapter 4

Ryder had stood up all night. He did attempt to go to sleep but his body just wouldn't let him sleep. There was too much going on inside him. It was early morning now, around 7:00am. Ryder had only gotten one hour of sleep towards when the sun had started rising. But that was all. He had gotten up an hour later, around 5:00am and then couldn't go back to sleep. Ryder knows the pups are getting up so he starts preparing their breakfast for when they come.

After he finishes pouring the kibble, the elevator dings and the pups emerge. "Good morning, Ryder" they all say with energy. From their voices, Ryder assumes they got a good nights sleep. "Morning pups" Ryder tiredly says. "Breakfast!" Rubble rushes over to his bowl and starts gobbling down his food. "Dude, did you sleep last night?" Zuma asks, standing infront of his bowl.

"Stop calling me 'dude'! I'm not a 'dude' I'm a young boy!" Ryder snaps. Zuma winces. The other pups are surprised at Ryder's attitude. "Ryder?" Marshall says in a low voice. "Are you okay?" "Do I look okay?" Ryder glares at Marshall. "No" Marshall says, keeping his eyes low. "Then why would you ask if you know I don't look okay!" Ryder almost shouts. Rubble freezes, food drops out of his mouth and into his bowl. Suddenly Ryder's pup-pad starts ringing. It was Mayor Goodway calling.

"What do you want?" Ryder asks in a rude tone. The pups glance at each other. Mayor Goodway isn't sure how to react to Ryder's attitude. But she decides not ask why he's acting like that. "Chickaletta got lost AGAIN!" Mayor Goodway says. "Why don't you build that chicken a hen-house? Huh? Chickens don't belong in PURSES!" Ryder raises his voice. "That's because I need Chickaletta everywhere I go. I can't carry a 'hen-house' around" Mayor Goodway explains. Ryder just hangs up on her. "Come on, Skye. Let's go look for this chicken" Ryder says.

"Let's take to the sky!" Skye barks and runs to the slide. Ryder changes into his rescue uniform and goes down his pole. Skye's pup-house transforms into its copter form and then she flies off.Ryder's garage doors open and he drives out on his ATV.

Ryder and Skye make it to Town Hall fast. Ryder gets off of his ATV and Skye leaps out of her copter. "How did she get lost again?" Ryder asks in an unhappy tone. "I was watering my tulips and she was pecking the ground. When I turned around, she was gone" Mayor Goodway explains. "When we find her, if she gets lost again, I won't waste my time looking for her" Ryder says and gets back on his ATV. "That chicken should be slaughtered and roasted."

Ryder drove off but Skye didn't take off right away. "Mayor Goodway, don't take his words offensively. Chase was pup-napped last night by someone and we don't know who. Ryder has been very stress since last night and he hasn't slept or ate. So please excuse him" Skye explains.

"That makes a lot sense to why he's acting like that. I hope you guys find Chase soon. That poor pup" Mayor Goodway says.

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Ryder and Skye had been looking for Chickaletta for at least thirty minutes. But they couldn't find the chicken anywhere. They both decided to go check Farmer Al's. Maybe Chickaletta was in the hen-house with Farmer Al's chickens. When they pulled over, Ryder and Skye rushed to the hen-house. By now, Ryder was feeling weak, dizzy, light headed, and tired. He hadn't slept since yesterday night and he hadn't eaten a good meal since yesterday when he and Chase went to Mr. Porter's Cafe.

"Skye...look for Chickaletta" Ryder says weakly. He leans on the fence, trying to keep his weak body up. Skye notices that something is wrong with Ryder. "Ryder? Are you okay?" Skye asks. Ryder's vision starts blurring, his hearing becomes muffled, and his body starts getting cold. "Ryder!" Skye says loudly when Ryder suddenly lets go of the fence and falls to the ground.

"What's wrong with him?" Farmer Yumi asks. "I don't know" Skye runs to Ryder. "I think he fainted. I'll get him some water" Farmer Al says, rushing back to his house. Farmer Yumi lifts Ryder up and Ryder starts returning from his faint. "What's...going...on?" Ryder dizzily asks. Farmer Yumi sits Ryder on his ATV.

"You fainted Ryder!" Skye says. "I did?" Ryder says weakly. Farmer Al returns with a glass of water for Ryder. Ryder takes it and starts drinking the much needed fluid. "Are you okay?" Farmer Yumi asks Ryder. "No" Ryder answers in a daze."Ryder, you need to go home. I'll find Chickaletta" says Skye. "Okay" Ryder says. Ryder puts on his helmet and starts the engine to his ATV. "Why did he faint?" Farmer Al asks.

"Ryder hasn't slept since yesterday and he hasn't eaten since yesterday. Chase was pup-napped last night and now Ryder is really going through it" Skye says. "You pups better be there for him and help him" Farmer Al says. "That poor thing" Farmer Yumi says.

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Ryder makes it back to the Lookout quickly. He enters the Lookout to find his pups playing Pup Pup Boogie. "What's wrong Ryder?" Rocky asks, noticing that Ryder doesn't look well. "My blood sugar" Ryder drops himself on a beanbag and goes into another faint. "We have to get him something that will bring up his sugar" Rubble says. "Fruit will do it" Rocky and Zuma run to the kitchen to get some fruit. They emerge from the kitchen with a plate of fruits and a glass of water.

"Ryder! Get up!" Marshall taps Ryder with his paw. But Ryder doesn't respond. After a minute, Ryder comes back from his faint. "Ryder, eat these pineapples" Rocky gives Ryder a slice of pineapple with his pincer arm from his pup-pack. But Ryder doesn't take it.

"Eat Ryder! Your blood sugar is very low which means you barely have any energy. That's dangerous!" Marshall says. "I'm nauseous" Ryder says. Rubble rushes over to a small garbage bin and pushes it to Ryder. "If you have to vomit now, do it in here" Rubble says. Ryder starts coughing and Marshall pushes the bin closer to him. He then starts vomiting. "This is not good. Ryder won't be able to lead any rescues for a while. He's going through way too much all at once" Marshall says.

After Ryder vomits, he starts breathing hard and fast. Rocky gives him the glass of water and Ryder drinks the fluid. "Now eat these pineapples. Your blood sugar needs to go up" Marshall says.

Then Skye comes running into the Lookout. "How's Ryder?" she asks. "Not good" Zuma answers. Ryder starts eating the pineapples slowly and weakly. "Eat Ryder, you'll feel a lot better" Skye says. Ryder eats a few slices of pineapple."I'm done with leading rescues. Marshall, you take over as leader. I'm done without Chase" Ryder says, laying back on his beanbag. "But Ryder, I can't lead. I'm so clumsy and I mess up everything" Marshall says.

"But you have no choice. I can't lead" Ryder closes his eyes. "Chase is gone. We looked everywhere. I don't know how I'm gonna get over this. I may never get over it." "Ryder, at some point, you're gonna have to lift yourself up and move on with life" Skye says. "You can't just say this is the end and now you're gonna die because you don't have Chase. I know you love Chase with more than your heart, but that's not a good thing if you can't live on without him."

"I know" was all Ryder could say. He took out his pup-pad and shut it off, so he won't get any calls. "Marshall, you will be leading the rescues until I can. And if you can't do it, then Skye can take over. I'm finished." Ryder gets up and walks into the elevator. The elevator doors close and it goes up to the mission room. Ryder gets out and walks over to his beanbag. He grabs Chase's pup-tag from the small yellow table and looks at it.

"Chase, I need you" he says, with tears starting to swell in his eyes. He continues staring at the pup-tag. He then closes his eyes and ends up falling to sleep with Chase's pup-tag in his hand.