Chapter Four

Lachlan

Lunchtime was usually a quick sandwich between appointments in the morning and surgeries while we shut down midday. So, unless we had no planned spays/neuters or other operations—which basically never happened—we had no real break. Only our receptionist did because we insisted. As the face of the clinic, she had to deal with each and every client who came in and went above and beyond to make sure that by the time we saw them, they were in a good frame of mind.

I didn't even know how she did it. Edie in theory was human just like us, but we'd privately wondered if she wasn't something a little more. Fae? Witch? Something. But it wasn't a question we could ask without violating her privacy. And we for sure didn't want to do anything that might drive her away!

What would we do without her?

On this day, we had no surgeries scheduled, and so I took the opportunity to go out and have a leisurely lunch with a university friend at a nearby café. Catching up with Roger, who was only in town for a day, was an unexpected pleasure. Even if I couldn't have a beer because I had to get back to work afterward. Roger had three.

As we talked, I realized how much my life had changed, while apparently my old friend's had not. Oh, he had a good job working for a company that developed flea treatments for animals, and probably made twice what I did, but when I asked about his work, he talked about it in such a clinical way. Distant from the realities of the beasts he claimed to help.

My partners in the practice, my closest friends, were empathy personified. So while lunch was fun, and I was glad to hear about Roger and his wife and their baby on the way, I was more than ready to be pulling back into my parking place behind the office.

Back to normal.

But when I opened the back door, I heard far more noise than should be emanating from the front area fifteen minutes before we opened for the afternoon. That was never good. I hurried inside in time to hear a high-pitched voice say, "I don't know what he ate, but he's in so much pain."

Dogs, especially half-grown versions like the one weighing down his owner's arms, were notorious for eating things they shouldn't. We offered all sorts of warnings to new pet parents about toxic substances and other dangers, but it could be a full-time job to watch them. A lot like toddler children.

And this one… "Let me take him from you." I reached out and lifted him. He was at least sixty pounds and his owner wasn't even twice that. I'd question how she managed to carry him, but I'd seen more extreme situations. "Come here, buddy. What's his name?"

"Tige." She swallowed a sob. "Can you help him?"

"We'll sure do our best." I turned to the receptionist. "Edie, can you get all the information while I go do a quick exam?" We did allow people to come into the exam rooms with their pets, but this lady was brand new, and I was fairly sure we'd be doing surgery in the next very little while. Without even an X-ray, I could see something pushing the skin out in his abdominal area. Whatever it was, it was going to need to be removed, and not the easy way. If it was a sharp bone as I suspected, time was of the essence. It could pierce something and spill the contents of his gut throughout his insides. Peritonitis was no laughing matter.

I didn't even stop at the exam room, going right back to the private areas. I wanted that X-ray ASAP. My partners' parking places were empty, so I was on my own until someone got back, and there would already be other patients' lining up outside for the afternoon appointments as well as walk-ins.

I gave the pup a little something to calm him down and laid him on the table. Without the X-ray, I couldn't tell the owner what was wrong, what we needed to do, and what it might cost. Her clothing was worn, and I suspected she wouldn't have the money for surgery.

Not that that would stop us.

As I'd suspected, the X-ray revealed a bone, maybe from a steak, that had been chewed or broken sharp, and since it was at the high end of the digestive tract, there would be no getting it out by greasing his bottom.

Tige, who looked like a German Shepherd mix, was drowsing on the table, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, so I put a strap around him and opened the door. "Edie, can I get you in here for a minute?"

I explained everything to her so she could tell the client what was wrong and what would be done and the cost. "And if she doesn't have all the money, we'll take payments."

"Nobody ever pays those payments, Doc," she commented but not in argument. "I'll take care of it."

She'd do the one important thing, making sure the client signed approval for the surgery. The rest we could figure out.

Fortunately, Hale arrived back moments later and joined me in the back. Idris was going to have to take care of appointments for the next hour or so, when he got here, because we'd be tied up at least that long.

Twice as long, it took, but we successfully removed the bone before it did any major damage and, to my amazement, the owner had the funds to pay. She was dressed down for an afternoon of gardening but was in fact a retired attorney. Her unlined face and ash-blonde hair had made me think she was younger than someone who had practiced law for over thirty years.

And, with lots of instructions for care, we loaded her drowsy dog in the back of her SUV shortly before closing time.

Just another day at the office in the best job ever.