"I've got you, boy," AJ soothed. "I'll leave it alone. Looks like you got rolled by a car."
"There are no groceries, Mr. AJ," Diego said. "There are women in pink with vacuum cleaners."
"Okay, we're expecting them, too. Could you get my first aid kit from the closet in the hallway? It's in the green bag on the floor."
By the time Diego returned with the bag, a heavyset woman carrying a bucket filled with cleaning supplies knocked on the screen door. "Sparkles Cleaning," she announced.
"Come on in," AJ said. "Dealing with a little emergency, but you can go ahead and get started."
"Oh, my," the woman said as she entered. AJ chose to believe she referenced the dog and not the general shape of his home. "There is much to do. We will need to prioritize. What would you have us work on first?"
"Bathroom," AJ pointed across the room. "And kitchen. A delivery is coming from Super-V. Maybe work on the refrigerator first?"
A younger woman appeared behind the first, dragging a vacuum cleaner. The two exchanged a look and together they walked through the house.
"Do you have trash bags? I noticed you have a dumpster near the entrance. Is that for general garbage?" the first woman asked. AJ thought it was a good sign that she hadn't just run off screaming.
"Yes, to the dumpster. Bags are under the kitchen sink."
The woman nodded and pursed her lips as she extracted rubber gloves from her pink apron. "Very well. We'll do what we can with the time we have available."
Another buzz interrupted them. AJ shook his head. He hadn't had so much activity in his house in at least a decade. "Diego, one more time?"
"Twenty bucks?" Diego asked.
"Don't push your luck, kid."
Diego shrugged and ran back out while AJ dug through his medical bag, looking for a wide bandage. This time, the kid returned with a delivery man hauling a load of bags. AJ had successfully applied antibiotic ointment to the wound and wrapped gauze around the wounded dog's chest. It wasn't a perfect patch, but it would get them to the vet.
An argument broke out between Super-V delivery and the Sparkles cleaning crew. Apparently, the cleaner refused to allow items to be placed into the soiled refrigerator. Fortunately, once the delivery service understood they weren't getting past the stolid woman, they quietly set bags wherever they found space. On the negative, the pathways through AJ's home had become so heavily congested that he could no longer navigate.
"Please sign this," the Super-V delivery driver requested, handing AJ his clipboard.
AJ quickly scanned the receipt. It was more food than he could eat in a month and not a bit of it looked appetizing. But it was out of his hands, so AJ signed and waved the man off.
"Hey, Sparkles," he called out, catching the lead cleaner's eye.
"My name is Julie." She tapped the name badge on her apron.
"Can you handle things if I take off? I need to get this dog to a vet."
"That's fine," she said. "Before you go, though, do you have boxes we could use for loose items? Reduced clutter would make for better maneuverability."
AJ scanned the room. It had never occurred to him that he had junk lying around. Through the lens of the cleaning lady, he saw that he hadn't done a very good job of picking up. It wasn't specifically that he was a slob. As he thought more about it, AJ realized he was exactly that – at least in his home. It was ironic that he kept his machine shed meticulously ordered.
"Stack dirty clothes by the washer and dryer," he said. "You can put items you don't think should be thrown out into the grocery bags once you've emptied them. I'm not sentimental."
The woman placed a hand on her hip and looked at the bags, pursing her lips. She was about to say something but bit off her first response. "Okay."
"Diego, grab that cigar box next to my chair and bring it to me, would you?" AJ asked.
The boy nodded his head and brought back the box. "Here you are, Mr. AJ."
AJ opened the box, revealing a stack of cash and a few other valuables. He pulled a ten from the box and handed it to the boy. "You've been a big help. Appreciate you letting me know about the dog. He'd probably have died if you hadn't."
Diego smiled as he pushed the bill into his pocket. "Thank you, Mr. AJ."
"Feel like making some more dough?" AJ asked. The boy nodded enthusiastically. "I need you to run home and ask your mom if you can help me take this dog to the doctor. I can't lift things very well and I need someone to carry him."
"She does not care," Diego said. "I can help."
AJ shook his head. "You go ask. I don't need trouble with your parents. Now, be quick about it."
"We are running short of time," Beverly said, floating in front of him. "Padept Electronic Supply closes at five o’clock. Including transportation time, we can spend no more than forty-five minutes at Morgan Veterinary Care."
"This dog needs medical attention," AJ said, earning a strange glance from one of the cleaning personnel. "Padept will hold the equipment until tomorrow. Hell, for what you're spending, I bet they'd leave someone around for an after-hours pickup. Why don't you email 'em?"
"You are most unpredictable, Albert Jenkins," she said and disappeared.
"Best you learn that now," AJ muttered under his breath as he worked to slide the wounded dog onto his lap. "It's okay, boy. We're gonna get you all fixed up."
It wasn't without difficulty that AJ rolled to the bottom of the ramp. With the dog's body in danger of falling off his lap, he opted to use his hands to steady the animal. Unfortunately, this strategy allowed for more speed than he was used to. The chair ended up flying off the bottom of the ramp and bumping hard when it got to the rocks. The terrified animal scrabbled to get away, but AJ managed to hold him in place.
Rolling to the Subaru, AJ opened the narrow back door of the sedan. Hot air boiled out at him and he considered his position. He had zero leverage for sliding the dog from his lap and onto the hard-plastic seat. Trying various positions, he was about to give up when he saw a shock of Diego's shiny black hair through the windshield.
"Over here," AJ called.
"Momma said I can help, but I am to call her to let her know I am okay," he said, holding up a phone.
AJ nodded, unconcerned with the details. "Help me get the dog into the back."
"Can you drive?" Diego asked skeptically, coming around the car but unable to get between AJ and the vehicle.
"Climb through the other door," AJ directed. "I haven't worked out the brake and gas yet. Don't suppose you want to give it a try?"
Diego smiled as he climbed through the back of the car and helped AJ move the bulldog onto the seat. "You would let me drive? I do not know how."
"It's not that hard," AJ said. "Push the gas to go faster, brake to stop and turn the wheel to move. I could probably handle the steering if things get out of control. Want to try? We only have to go a couple of miles."
"Yes."
"AJ, do you think this wise? Could you not use a piece of lumber to operate the brake and accelerator?" Bev asked.
"There's a lever under the seat," AJ said, ignoring Beverly and closing the back door of the vehicle. "Lift and pull the seat all the way forward."
Diego sat in the driver’s seat and worked until he brought it forward. Wheeling himself to the passenger side, AJ opened the door and slid onto the seat.
"What now?" Diego asked.
"First, there's a trunk release on the floor there, next to the door. Pull it, then grab my wheelchair and put it in the trunk," he said. "I'll show you how to fold it up."
With a bit of finagling, Diego collapsed the wheelchair and loaded it into the trunk. Pulling down the driver's side sun visor, AJ retrieved the key, pushed it into the ignition and waited for Diego's return.
"Now we go?" Diego asked excitedly, barely able to see over the steering wheel. At least he was able to reach the pedals.
"Right side is gas, left side is brake. Show me the brake," AJ directed.
Diego grinned
as he pushed on the brake pedal. "That is easy. We play Super Demon Racing on our game machine. It works the same way."
"If you wreck this car we could get hurt. There's no starting over," AJ said.
"Don't worry." Diego patted AJ's arm. "I'm very good."
"Pump the gas pedal and turn the key," AJ said, chuckling at the kid’s familiarity. "We'll find out how good you are soon enough." The motor started with a cloud of smoke rolling out the back. "Foot on the brake, then your thumb keeps the button in while you pull the handle down. Pull it until you see the letter D."
The Subaru bucked but Diego stopped it before it traveled more than a foot. "I got it!" he yelled.
"Slow through the gate and stop before the road," AJ said, pointing out the windshield. Diego released the brake and stepped on the accelerator causing the car to rocket forward. "Slow!" AJ urged. "Foot off the accelerator. Brake!"
Diego's foot slipped off the accelerator, but when he attempted to stomp on the brake, he missed and hit the accelerator. The Subaru crashed into the heavy gatepost at the same time AJ slipped the transmission into neutral. A mournful complaint from the back seat was all their passenger had to say about being tossed onto the floorboards.
"What did I do wrong?" Diego was holding his forehead, a red welt forming where it had contacted the steering wheel.
AJ reached over and turned the vehicle off. "I think we'll save your driving lesson for another day. Hop out, I'll switch sides with you."
"What about your gate?" Diego asked. Indeed, the heavy post had been bent, but at least it wasn’t broken. "Are you going to charge me for the damage to your car?"
AJ shook his head. "Nope. My fault. See if you can find a stick about this long," he said, holding his hands eighteen inches apart. "I think there are some about that size over in that pile over there."
"Okay," Diego said, despondent.
"Maybe we'll get ice cream while we're out," AJ called after him.
Diego flashed him a bright smile and continued to the wood pile.
Seven
Stupid Question
AJ swore as he guided the Subaru into Morgan Veterinary Care’s tight parking lot. Even taking it slow, moving the short board from accelerator to brake while turning the steering wheel was nearly overwhelming. The front wheels contacted the cement wheel stop, jarring everyone, but arresting the vehicle's momentum.
"You aren’t a very good driver," Diego observed.
"No shit," AJ growled. "At least I didn't run into the building. Now, get my wheelchair. We're on a schedule here."
Diego's face clouded at AJ's general bad mood. He did as asked, and held the chair in place next to AJ’s open door. "We are ready, Mr. AJ.” "Lock the brakes," AJ snapped. "Don't need me dumping out on the ground, already."
Diego stared at the chair.
"There on top of the wheels." AJ leaned out and managed to snag one of the brakes. "Do the other side, already."
AJ struggled to wedge his body from the vehicle and into the chair. The vehicle in the next spot had invaded the edge of the handicap spot. As a result, he had difficulty opening his door enough to easily slide out. Finally, with great effort, he spun and slid into the seat, losing a slipper in the process.
"I will carry the dog," Diego said, jumping out of the way as AJ backed into him without warning.
"Fine." AJ said, still irritated.
AJ wheeled to the front entrance to the vet’s office, frowning as he realized the door was impossible for him to open.
"Coming in?" A woman holding a leashed terrier opened the door from the inside.
AJ wanted nothing more than to snap at the do-gooder but he nodded as she held the door. "Thanks," he grunted.
"Oh, what's happened?" the woman continued, forgetting about AJ as she spotted Diego, carrying the emaciated bulldog. "Is he hurt?"
That was more than AJ could take. "No. He's pregnant, you moron! Of course he's hurt."
The receptionist eyed Diego admonishingly then spoke to someone who wasn’t visible through the glass window in front of her small alcove. A moment later, a young man in light green scrubs appeared from behind one of several doors that opened into the lobby.
"Albert Jenkins?" he asked.
"That's right," AJ said, his ire settling. "I called earlier."
"Yes. Let me see what we have." The man didn't look old enough to be out of high school, let alone vet training.
"Who are you?" AJ asked.
"Doctor Stern." Instead of taking the dog from Diego, Stern lifted the dog's eyelids and felt around its neck. "Follow me. Tiff, we'll be in Exam-Three. Tell Carter I need a trauma tray with Dex, Torb and a saline drip."
"Yes, Doctor," the receptionist answered.
Diego and AJ followed Stern into an austere room which, like the rest of the office, had tile floors and painted cinderblock walls.
"On the table," Stern directed as he helped transfer the bulldog onto a stainless-steel table in the middle of the room. "Is this your dog, Mr. Jenkins?"
"No, but I'll take responsibility," AJ said, earning him a questioning look from Diego. "That is, until you find his owner."
The conversation was interrupted by a man in scrubs pushing a wheeled tray holding a variety of medical instruments into the room.
"I understand. Thank you, Carter," Stern answered, plucking a syringe from the tray. He loaded it with liquid from a vial and deftly inserted the needle. "This won't put him completely out, but it'll ease his suffering considerably and we'll be able to do an examination. Do you know what happened?"
"Diego found him," AJ said, looking at Diego.
"He was just hurt, lying against the fence," Diego said. "I brought him in for Mr. AJ to look at."
Stern raised his eyebrows, only partially paying attention as he manipulated the dog's skeletal structure, initially avoiding the bandaged area.
"He's bleeding, Doc. Don't you want to stop that?" AJ asked.
"Need a moment for the drugs to take effect. You treated the wound?” Stern continued without waiting for an answer. “That is a neat dressing. You must have some medical training." Without being asked, Carter handed him an empty syringe, which he uncapped and used to draw a small amount of blood, stroking the old dog's gray and white fur as the plastic tube filled. "He's been on the street for a while. Bulldogs can be deceiving. The extra skin often hides malnutrition."
Carter handed the doctor a pair of scissors, exchanging them for the extracted blood. He then turned and hung a bag of saline on a hook attached to the nearby wall. Quietly, the two worked together as they removed AJ's bandages and cleaned the wound. The dog whined pitifully as Stern moved the damaged leg to check for range of motion.
"You might want to step out for this," Stern warned. AJ bit back a response about not being able to step anywhere. "His leg is dislocated, and the fix is not going to be fun to watch. Are you sure you want to continue with treatment?"
"Diego, go to the lobby," AJ said and waited for the boy to excuse himself. "Are you saying you want to put him down?"
"That's entirely up to you, Mr. Jenkins," Stern said. "The dog is in bad shape and recovery will be long in coming. Honestly, we see this all the time. An older pet gets dumped because the owners don't want to deal with medical issues and are reluctant to euthanize."
"What kind of issues?" AJ asked.
"Beyond the immediacy of dislocation and potential broken bones, he suffers from a long list of ailments. There is evidence of poor liver function, arthritis, numerous parasites, and I felt lumps that I would need to biopsy to diagnose."
"You want to kill him?" AJ asked.
Stern shook his head. "No. I want you to be aware of what you are stepping into. This could get expensive."
"That's what they said about me," AJ chuckled darkly. "Let's get him fixed up."
"We'll need to at least keep him overnight. Call in the morning. We'll have much better information after we get him cleaned up and do a more thorough exam," Stern said. "If he has a c
hip, we'll call his owners of record, otherwise we'll need your information."
"You already have my information," AJ said. "I've been bringing Max here for years. You're the new guy. Not me."
Stern smiled and nodded. "If you could talk with Tiffany and make sure your contact information is up to date, we'll get to work."
"Understood," AJ said and wheeled out of the room. When he hit the lobby, he found Diego kneeling on the floor, poking his fingers through the door of a cat carrier. A furry paw batted him back. "We're going. Get the door."
Diego gave the chubby woman who owned the cat a friendly smile and jumped up. "Thank you," he said and ran over to open the lobby door.
"Mr. Jenkins!" Tiffany called from behind the reception desk. "You can't go yet. I need to get your information."
"Hasn't changed," AJ called gruffly over his shoulder as he rolled out into the late afternoon sun.
Diego looked torn as the woman called again. He finally let the door close when AJ stopped next to the Subaru and fumbled with the car door.
"Where now?" Diego asked cheerfully, after putting the chair away and sliding into the passenger seat.
"You should apologize to Diego." Beverly appeared on the dashboard wearing a lab coat, complete with stethoscope.
AJ started the motor and looked around. Irritation immediately flared as he realized he was nearly pinned in by badly parked vehicles.
"Padept Electric Supply," he grunted as he pulled the transmission into reverse and allowed the motor's idle to push him backward.
"You're going to hit…" Diego exclaimed as the Subaru's nose swung around and crunched into the bumper of the SUV parked next to him. Instead of stopping, AJ pushed on the gas pedal and powered through, jabbing at the brake once he was clear.
"Relax. Bumpers are designed to absorb five-mile-per-hour impacts." He pushed the transmission into drive, but not before tagging the bumper of the vehicle behind him. Diego spun in his seat and looked out the back window, his eyes wide as he looked for damage.
"Your blood sugar is low. It's making you grumpy," Beverly warned, jostling as the car came to a stop.
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