Wiggle pulled into the inspection station on the last day her safety sticker was valid.

"Thank goodness we got here on time," she said.

The mechanic tested her steering, checked her lights, her brakes, and wrote some things on a clipboard.
'
It was the same routine she went through every year.  Wiggle was especially proud of her beautiful tires.

Then the mechanic checked her windshield wipers, her horn and her blinker. 

"Here it comes," smiled Wiggle, "my new sticker!"

The mechanic opened the pawsenger side door and scraped off the old sticker and put on a new one. 

 
"What?" asked Henry.  "Why is it red?  What does R mean?"

"It's a Rejection Sticker," said the mechanic.
"Wigglebus is unfit for duty.  She cannot ride until she is repaired."

"What needs to be repaired?" asked Patrick. "She looks pretty good to me!"

Wiggle appreciated Patrick's sweet words, but an overwhelming feeling of rejection came over her. 

In the world of busses, driving around with a big red R was a thing to be ashamed of.

 
"She has too much rust, her muffler has holes, and her steering does not work properly.  She cannot even drive you home. She's off the road until she's fixed.  She is not road legal anymore.  Maybe it's time you junk her.  Nothing lasts forever you know."

That of course, was the worst thing Wiggle could hear.  She felt like a burden to her sheepies, and she was devastated to think how much all those repairs would cost.

Perhaps the mechanic was right.  Maybe it was time to be junked. 

"No Wiggle!" said Henry, "don't even think about it. Right now, you need a break.  How about if I get you a ride home?"
Henry arranged for a tow truck to carry his friend home.  "This way we can all go home together," he said, "cause we are all in this together." 

"I never rode in a bus riding on a tow truck before," giggled Molly.

Wigglebus looked like a tiny toy riding home on the big tow truck which was fitting because inside, she felt very small. 

"After everything they've done for me," she thought, "I am a failure."
Wiggle wasn't the only one worried about the repairs she needed.  Patrick and Cricket had been counting on her to help them get their puppy.  They talked to each other with their heads out the window so Wiggle wouldn't hear.

"Patrick, I know our baby is out there somewhere and he needs us.  How will we find him?  How will we get to him?"

Patrick looked worried too.  He wanted to help Cricket to feel better, but he was feeling bad himself. 

"Wiggle is family," said Patrick.  "I can work overtime.  We'll come up with the money.  We have to stick together and believe in the rescue dust."
While Patrick and Cricket worried about their new puppy, Henry was worrying about his old friend. 

"You're not going to any garage Wiggle.  You're coming home with us.  You need to be with your family right now.  We'll figure this out together.  R doesn't stand for reject.  R stands for repair, and that is exactly what we are going to do with you!"