Chase wakes up in a hospital without know how he ended up there. Ryder reaches out to help him, but everything is not what it seemed to be.

Trigger warning: mentions of death and suicide

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

White.

That was the first thing that Chase saw when he opened his eyes. He did not know why or where he was as the memory of the past few days had seemingly disappeared from his brain.

Stretching out his legs, he got up from where he lay on the bed. His nose immediately registered the smell of alcohol and medicine and knew that he was in a hospital.

But why was he in a hospital? Did something happen? If that's the case, then why doesn't he feel any pain?

His questions went unanswered as the door from his room opened to admit a familiar-looking boy, the very person that Chase had wanted to see so badly.

"Ryder!" the shepherd barked happily as he leaped on his owner's arms.

"Hey, Chase," Ryder greeted back with equal enthusiasm as he scratched the back of his pup's left ear. "Am I glad to see you."

Chase didn't answer, instead, he just continued licking his owner's face.

"Down, boy," Ryder chuckled as he felt his face dripping with dog saliva. "We have an eternity for that."

"Sorry, Ryder," Chase said, backing away.  "It's just... I'm so happy to see you."

Ryder chuckled once again and pointed towards the door. "Come on, Chase. Let's go."

The shepherd happily followed his owner out, howling the whole way. Strangely enough, no one seemed to be botherd by the loud noise.

"So, what do you want to do now that you're out of the hospital?" Ryder asked him while leading the way through the hallways.

"Well, I want to get back home, for one," Chase replied.

There was a flash of something from the boy's eyes, but it disappeared before Chase could decipher what it is. "How about we go to the pup park to play for a while?"

The shepherd wondered about his owner's unusual behavior but shrugged it off. He knew that Ryder would tell him if it really bothers him so much. Instead, he just nodded happily at the suggestion.

"I don't know why, but it feels quite some time since I played in the pup park!" Chase barked happily, oblivious to Ryder's conflicting emotions.

You have no idea, Chase, he thought. You have no idea.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The two spent quite some time in the empty pup park, playing with each other. Chase couldn't help but remember the time when there's only the two of them, before the Paw Patrol even started.

Speaking of the Paw Patrol...

"Ryder?" Chase asked as they sat down on the grass, watching the sunset overlooking the bay.

"What is it, Chase?"

"Where are the other pups?"

The shepherd noticed his owner tense at his question and wondered what was bothering him.

Maybe the strangeness of the town bothered him? It has been unusually quiet around them. The streets that was once full of life were deserted. Not to mention that both the pup park and the beach are empty too.

"They're at the Lookout," Ryder simply replied.

His answer only prompted more questions in Chase's mind. "Is there something wrong? Did they not want to visit me?"

"None of that, Chase. It's just..." Ryder sighed. "I think it's better if we go home instead."

Now Chase is getting worried. His owner is definitely acting strange. Ryder wasn't usually this evasive with him.

"Ryder?" the shepherd asked him. "What's wrong?"

The spiky-haired boy didn't speak. He just gestured for Chase to follow him.

The walk towards the Lookout was silent. During the journey, Chase couldn't help but notice the little things around him. Like the fact that Mr. Porter's shop was closed. Or that the City Hall was decorated with black banners.

They walked past the Lookout driveway where they can see Skye and Marshall cuddled up under a tree.

Chase was tempted to come closer to them but he couldn't risk getting noticed. Instead, he hid by the nearby bushes a d listened to their conversation.

"I miss him, Marshall," Skye sniffed as she buried her face in the dalmatian's fur.

"I know, Skye," Marshall whispered as he hugged the sobbing cockapoo. "I miss him too."

"How am I going to raise the p-pups?" the cockapoo wailed. "H-how are they going to t-take the fact that their f-father is g-g-gone?"

Chase's heart stopped at Skye's declaration. His mate is pregnant?! And why did he only knew of that fact just now?!

The shepherd was so lost in his thoughts that he almost failed to listen to what Marshall had to say.

"Skye, look at me," Marshall said firmly. "I won't let anything happen to you or your pups. Chase is my brother, and I know he won't let anything happen to my pups too if I were in his position."

"Chase may be gone, but I'll be here for you," the dalmatian finished softly. "The rest of the Paw Patrol will be here for you in every step of the way."

Chase felt his breath hitch. Did they really thought that he's dead? But he's standing right there, living and breathing.

The shepherd tried to make his way towards the sobbing pair but a pair of arms held him back. He tried to struggle, but Ryder was too strong for him.

"Ryder, please let me go. Can't you see? My mate needs me," Chase pleaded but Ryder wouldn't budge.

"You can't, Chase," the brunette said softly.

"And why not?"

Chase couldn't understand. Why couldn't he go comfort his mate? Ryder of all people should know how important Skye is to him.

"Because they won't be able to see you or hear you, Chase."

Ryder probably sensed his confusion because he gestured for his pup to follow him to the back of the building, just as Marshall told Skye that he would go check on Ryder in the Lookout.

"Ryder, I've seen the back of the Lookout before. Why did you- wait, what's that?"

Chase saw something on the ground that he swore was never there before. There was a patch of freshly-dug soil with what seemed like a piece of large stone on it. It looked like...

"A grave?" Chase asked in confusion, and despite the growing dread in him, he went closer to investigate.

It was indeed a grave, and judging by the looks of it, it was recently dug. The shepherd briefly wondered whose it is, until he saw the name engraved on the stone.

Here lies Chase

Beloved police and spy pup

Chase is on the case

"Ryder?" Chase asked as his owner went closer. "Why is my name on this grave?"

But as he asked that, the memories of the past few days went back to him. He and Ryder receiving the news of a criminal who escaped. The police department calling the Paw Patrol to help them. Finding the criminal hiding in an abandoned warehouse. Them exchanging gunshots, then darkness.

"I..." Chase whispered, falling to his rear. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

Ryder didn't speak. Instead, he sat down behind the police pup and stroked his head.

A more pressing question popped in the pup's head. "Ryder, if I'm dead, then why are you able to see me? Why can you hear me? Why can you touch me?"

As if on cue, a horrifid and grief-filled scream echoed in the Lookout. Chase immediately recognized the voice as Marshall's, and the dread inside of him grew.

"Ryder... what did you do?"

"I..." Ryder swallowed before answering. "I killed myself, Chase."

The shepherd was speechless. Did his death affect Ryder so much that he took his own life?

"I saw you die in front of me, Chase," Ryder sobbed. "And I couldn't do anything about it. I only watched that bullet hit you on the head. I called on Marshall to help but it was too late. You were dead."

Chase couldn't help but also she'd some tears with him and went to hug the distraught boy.

"Today was your funeral," Ryder continued, desparately hugging back his pup. "I tried to keep it together in the past few days but seeing your face in that coffin... it broke me. I realized I couldn't live without you, Chase. The other pups tried their best, especially Marshall, but they weren't you. You were my first pup, Chase. You were the one who helped me move on with my parents' death."

"I'm sorry," Ryder whispered hoarsely as he continued to cry on Chase's fur. "I'm sorry."

Part of Chase wanted to reprimand Ryder for his actions. What would the other pups do now that Ryder's gone? Will the Paw Patrol still continue? Who will take care of the others?

But... a bigger and selfish part of him was glad that Ryder's here with him. After years of secretly wishing it, he was finally alone with his owner again. Just like the old times.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Oh wow. This felt like it will never end. But I like how this turned out.

Anyway, do you guys have any fanfic recommendations? I'm running out of books to read, and I would very much like to know your opinion on what books would be good to read.

I've got a recommendation myself. The book is entitled "Burning Responsibility" by PupPupGo on FanFiction.Net. It's about Marshall having to step up as a leader. It's full of suspense and angst, and I absolutely loved it. (Mostly because it's about Marshall and there's angst hahaha. But seriously though, the book is great.)