Let's Suppose Chip, Dale and Gadget Where
A Bit Different At Birth - Many Years Before 'To The Rescue'
By: CD
Chapter Four
When Chip was done calling Dale was already downstairs and in the pool. Chip ran outside and jumped in as well. A lot of water splashed into Dale’s face, and some more when Chip surfaced. Deciding to get even she started throwing water at Chip.
“Hihi, cut it out Dale!” She giggled and placed her arms in front of her to protect herself, turning her head away.
The Oakmont’s garden was large as well. It was on the south of the house so there was an abundance of sun. A couple of trees and several beds of flowers where scattered throughout the garden. Besides a swimming pool there was also a patio, barbeque, a shed at the back and a playground set consisting of a swing, gondola and swing seesaw.
“Daddy!” Dale suddenly shouted, and stopped throwing water towards Chip.
Chip carefully looked around to see Dale making her way to the side of the pool. A man in a doctors coat approached and bend down toward Dale, who was resting her arms on the edge, her chipmunk tail wagging quickly.
“How my little girl doing?” He inquired while he lifted Dale out of the water, nuzzling her.
“Great dad!” She replied while she clamped her legs around her father and placed her hands on his shoulders “I brought a friend along, her name’s Chip.”
Chip waved timidly and Mr. Oakmont.
“Nice to see my precious daughter found a friend. I’m Terry, Dale’s dad.” The father then turned his attention back to Dale who was still in his arms “I know you won’t live long outside the water so back you go.” With that he threw Dale into the water.
He then left the girls to play in the water. This continued on until Dale felt it was time for a snack.
“I’m going to get some chips, stay here.” She ordered and ran up the stairs at the back of the pool.
She only was out of the swimming pool for a moment when tragedy struck. Dale slipped and fell face first on the marble stone. Chip was alarmed when she saw that, but Dale’s parents came rushing to their daughter’s help quickly. They knelt down beside her and started treating her. Chip was still stunned when Janice turned to her.
“I think it would be best if you would leave now.” She said sounding reasonably calm, but something in her voice puzzled Chip, maybe it was despise?
“I didn’t do anything to her!” Chip defended looking completely confused, holding up her arms.
“Still you should be going now.” Janice pressed, looking back sternly.
Chip sighed and gave in, hanging her head and letting her arms hang. There was no point to arguing with her mother when Dale was hurt. She stepped out of the water and left the three Oakmonts to solve this problem by themselves. As she walked back in the house she could hear Dale crying, her mother weeping understandingly, Dale complaining about her ‘condition’ whatever it was, her father making a comment that said he felt the same way. The three kept complaining, crying, cursing while Chip moved away from them. She left the mansion and went back to the school, where her bike was still parked. With her hands on her back she walked across the streets. Only when she arrived back at school she realized she was still wearing Dale’s swimsuit. Her own clothes and school equipment where still at Dale’s house. Fortunately for her, she had forgotten to lock her bike earlier that day, something she could have kicked herself for if she wasn’t so depressed. She sat down on the seat and cycled back home, paying little attention to the traffic, her borrowed swimsuit sticking to the bicycle seat. She got home in one piece, and parked her bike in the shed. Immediately when she entered the house, she met her older brother Carl in the hall.
“I didn’t know you where off to a swimsuit competition. You could have invited me you know.” He sauntered over to stand beside her and pinched her behind.
“Yikes!” Chip exclaimed and looked shocked, but regained her composure “Don’t do that, you know I hate it when you pinch me.” She reminded him and left for her room upstairs.
“Sure baby.” He promised while at the same time slapping her on her posterior “If that’s what you want.”
Chip was annoyed, but Carl’s bad behaviour wasn’t her main concern. When she got to her room she looked through her bookcase, and was annoyed to learn that when you looked for something specific, you wouldn’t find it. She finally did find what she was looking for, a medical dictionary. She started looking for a certain word she remembered being said after Dale fell at the pool.
“Ah, here it is!” She declared triumphantly, reading out loud “Hemophilia:”
A disease that causes bleeding disorders. The victim lacks blood proteins that cause clotting around wounds and so it takes longer for the bleeding to stop if not taken care of. The disease can be very nasty and even deadly during tooth extractions, surgery, menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and abortion. It is usually a male who suffers hemophilia, but also women carry and suffer from the gene that causes hemophilia. In fact, hemophilia is a much more dangerous when encountered on women. There is no cure, only treatment to stop the bleeding and help the blood create the factors necessary for clotting. But legends say that the mad monk, Grigory Rasputin, has healed the Tsarevitch Alexander, even when they where far apart. If this is another human fairy tale copied by rodents is unknown.
She kept reading. Even as a six-years old, Chip understood what the book was trying to say and successfully identified the same condition on Dale. It must have been the reason she was so very fragile. But she also was in doubt if she was supposed to posses such knowledge. She knew a very intimate weakness of her new friend now and could not fathom what she’d do with it. She was interrupted by a call from downstairs, it was dinner time. But Chip was neither hungry, nor could she keep Dale out of her mind.
(*Note: I do not link Karl the rangerphile to Carl Maplewood in any way)