Hope tried to sleep but right now sleep was like a bunny down in a burrow while she was a cat trying to get to it. She sat up and went over to the dog door that the police station had. Hope made sure it was locked tightly and then she went into the police lounge. She jumped onto the couch and laid down. "This is hard....... I don't know how much longer I can run around with the crew......" Hope said to herself. Then she looked out the window and smiled. The crew needed her more than ever or that's what she hoped.

Duke had seen Hope sneek out to the lounge. Waiting a few moments before slinking out himself, he stopped by the door as she spoke.

Unlocking and locking it just as she did, he stepped in and said, "Hope, this isn't like you at all. You're usually a lot more optimistic than this. Did Sam's words get to you?"

"I honestly don't know." Hope sighed. "It's been harder to sleep lately." Hope looked at Duke. How could she tell him that it was getting harder to do certain things? She couldn't run. Hope couldn't play around like she used to.

Duke hummed, jumping up onto the couch to sit beside her, "Are you feeling sick, or are you in any pain?"

"I..... can't do the things I use to." Hope sighed. "I can't run, I can't play with the young ones nor is my noise working like it used to." Hope gave a weak smile.

As Ben finished patrolling the camp's interior, he stepped out into the alleyway through the hole in the brick wall that made up the doorway. No one was guarding the entrance, however he did find the ones stationed to guard the entrance knocked out on the edges of the alley.

Before he could give a shout to Chat, Brown and John, he heard a small whimper. Looking around, Ben spotted a small pup cowering between a couple trash bags.

He approached calmly, his voice a steady rumble, "Hey there, are you going to be alright? Are you hurt in any way?"

"That... is troubling," Duke frowned, "You think you need to see a vet?"

"I'm mean an actual animal doctor, by the way, not the scientists," he clarified.

"I don't know." Hope said. "I just want it to be like it used to be where there wasn't a lot of criminal activity and the days where as a pup me and you would play in the back of the police dog training facility."

Duke was quiet for a while, thinking a bit before he answered, "I think it might be a good idea, Hope. I want those days back too, but I want you to be able to enjoy yourself, not have every step keep you from what you want to do. Try to get your partner to understand, I think she already noticed something, but could need an extra push to take you in and have you screened. The last time something like this happened, we lost a perfectly good K-9 officer."

Sam, Jackie, and Katana walked together away from the station, Thomas riding on Jackie's back while Tikki slept in Katana's satchel. They had one destination in mind: the office building in Chinatown.

"Alright, we aren't too far away now, we should get there in the next few minutes," Sam commented, looking back at them and smiling.