by Wilder, L.
“We’re fine,” he huffed. “But even if we weren’t, it’s not like you’d do anything about it.”
“I don’t know the other social workers who’ve come to see you and your family, so I can’t speak for them.” I looked him right in the eye as I assured him, “But, as for me, I’m going to make sure things are okay here, and if they aren’t, I most certainly will do something about it.”
I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to believe me, but he was skeptical at best as he muttered, “Okay.”
“Can you tell me when your parents will be home from work?”
“They aren’t working. Fiona just told you that because Mom told her to,” he admitted.
“Do you have any idea where they are?”
“No.” He shook his head and shrugged. “They didn’t tell me where they were going.”
“Did they tell you when they might be back?”
“Nope. They never do.” He turned and looked down the street as he continued, “But it’s getting dark, so they should be home soon.”
I wanted to believe him, but I knew he was lying. The truth was written all over his face. There was no doubt that something was going on, but sadly, there wasn’t much I could do about it. I didn’t have a warrant, and since the kids weren’t in immediate danger, I’d need the parents’ consent to enter the premises. Having no other choice, I reached into my purse and pulled out one of my business cards. As I offered it to Joseph, I told him, “Please have your parents call me as soon as they get home. My cell phone number is at the bottom of the card.”
“I’ll give it to them, but I don’t think they’ll call.”
“That’s okay. I’ll come back later, and I can speak with them then.”
“Oh,” he mumbled with disappointment. “Okay.”
As he stood there staring back at me, he looked so defeated, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and it broke my heart. Before I even realized what I was saying, I asked, “Have you guys had dinner yet?”
“No, ma’am.” In almost a pout, he explained, “Mom was supposed to bring us something, but she never did.”
“Do you like fried chicken?”
His eyes lit up as he nodded and answered, “Mm-hmm.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back.”
While I knew I was crossing a line, I couldn’t in good conscious leave those kids without making sure they had something to eat. As I turned and headed towards my car, I scolded myself for not having a better grip on my emotions. I knew going in that that kind of situation was part of the job. I had rules to follow, protocols for every circumstance, and yet there I was, driving towards the local fast-food chain to buy a bucket of chicken. I got the order and drove back over to the house. When Joseph opened the door and saw all the food I’d brought, he looked like he’d just won the lottery. “Is that for us?”
“It sure is.”
I handed him the two large sacks of food, and as he took it in his hands, he looked up at me and said, “None of the others brought us any food.”
“Well, we don’t normally do things like this, but let’s just say ... these are special circumstances.”
“Special? Why’s that?” he asked with curiosity.
“It’s not important.” Hoping he’d accept my answer, I suggested, “You better get that inside and start eating before it gets cold.”
“Okay.” He turned and was just about to close the door when he glanced back over at me. “Thanks for this.”
“You’re very welcome, Joseph.”
Once he closed the door, I went back to my car and drove over to the office to file my report. By the time I got there, it was well after dark, so I wasn’t surprised to find that everyone had already gone for the day. After I got settled in at my cubicle, I pulled out the Strayhorn file and started reading back over it. I was hoping that I’d find something that might give me some insight on how to best help the children. As I flipped through the pages, it became clear that the family had struggled to keep their power and water on. They’d even gone so far as to try to hook up to their neighbor’s line, which didn’t end well. While there were only four home visits on record, there had been numerous calls from neighbors and teachers, reporting that the children had been left home alone for days at a time with little food and no clean clothes. One particularly disturbing call was made after a neighbor became concerned when she heard an infant—who I could only assume was Fiona—crying through the night and into the next morning. She went to the house to check on her, but couldn’t get anyone to answer the door. Believing that the child had been left in the home alone, she called the police, but the parents had returned home before they’d arrived and the baby was no longer in distress.
I continued reading through each of the reports, only stopping when I came across several pictures of the kids. My chest tightened when I found an old picture of Joseph and Fiona. They were both so young and innocent, and it pained me to think of all the hardships they’d been through in their short lives. The longer I sat there studying the photos of the two as well as their three other siblings, I became more and more determined to help them. I just had to figure out how.
I peeked up at the clock and was surprised to see that it was after ten. Since there wasn’t anything I could do at such a late hour, I reluctantly closed the file and put it back in my desk. As I headed out to my car, I remembered that I hadn’t stopped to have anything for dinner. I didn’t have anything at my apartment, so I decided to grab some takeout on my way home. I was only a few minutes from home when I came up on a burger joint that was still open. I whipped around the drive-through, grabbed my order, and continued towards my apartment. I was about a block away when a dog darted out of the alley and into the road. Trying my best not to hit him, I swerved, but knew when I heard a loud thump that I hadn’t moved fast enough. Damn.
Prospect
“I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking. It’s been months since I’ve ridden her,” Riggs complained. “I knew better than to take her out so late.”
“Things happen.” I shrugged. “No way you could’ve known she was gonna give out on you like this.”
“No, this is on me. I should’ve checked her out before getting her on the road,” he confessed. “Just figured I’d take advantage of this warm snap and give her a quick run.”
“I can’t blame you there.” Since it was on the way, I’d decided to run by the clubhouse to pick up the long-bed truck and a couple of ramps. I figured it would save me some time if we weren’t able to get his bike started. Turns out, it was a smart move. We’d both tried everything, but we couldn’t get the engine to turn over. As I dropped one of the ramps, I looked over to Riggs and said, “If she’s been sitting up for a while, it’s a good chance it’s just the battery.”
“That’s what I’m hoping, but I got a feeling it’s the drive chain.” He started guiding the bike up the ramp. “I haven’t had time to work on her like I should, and now it’s gonna bite me in the ass.”
“Maybe not.” I waited as he got the front tire secured in the wheel chock, then grabbed the ratchet straps and started securing the bike to the rear mounts. “I’ll take it down to the garage tonight so we can check it out for you in the morning.”
“That’d be great.” Once we had her completely secure, we both got in the truck, and I started driving towards his place. We were almost there when Riggs turned to me and said, “Thanks for coming to give me a hand.”
Even though I didn’t really have a choice in the matter, I nodded and said, “No problem, brother. Glad I could help.”
When I pulled up to his house, he got out and gave me a small wave as he headed up to the front door. Once he was inside, I backed out of his driveway and started towards the garage. I took a quick glimpse at the digital clock on the truck’s dash and groaned when I saw that it was almost eleven. I’d been going since five that morning, and I was beyond exhausted. Unfortunately, it would be at least another hour before
I made it back to the clubhouse for some shuteye. Relief washed over me when I finally passed Third Street, knowing the garage was right around the corner. I flipped on my blinker and was just about to make the turn onto Second, when I noticed someone crouched down in the road.
I had no idea what the hell they were doing, and honestly, I didn’t care. I just wanted to get to the fucking garage, but as I started to drive around them, I noticed it was a woman who was in the middle of the street and she was kneeling down next to some animal. My conscious got the best of me, and before I could talk myself out of it, I pulled over. As soon as I got out of the truck, I took a quick look in both directions of what was typically a very busy street, relieved to see barely any traffic around. In fact, it reminded me of a ghost town as I started walking towards the woman. I could hear her talking, but her back was to me and I couldn’t make out what she was saying. Once I got closer, I could see she was speaking to a large, whimpering black dog that was sprawled across the asphalt. From where I stood, it looked like it had been hit by a car and wasn’t doing all that well. Since it was dark and we were in a sketchy neighborhood, I tried my best not to startle the woman as I asked, “Hey ... Uh, ma’am. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine, but this poor dog isn’t.” She peered over her shoulder, and the sight of her nearly knocked me on my ass. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a loose bun, revealing the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. She was wearing a pair of black pants with a white button-down blouse that hugged her curves and a pair of black heels. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she continued, “I tried to swerve out of the way, but it was too late.”
Hearing the heartbreak in her voice tugged at me, making me want to do whatever I could to help. In hopes of getting a better idea of what we were dealing with, I knelt down beside them, and starting at the base of her neck, I ran my hand along the dog’s spine. She was a big dog with an enormous head and the markings similar to a Rottweiler, but her size was more like that of a Great Dane. Apparently having a good temperament, the pup never growled or nipped at me as she let me continue to check her for any broken bones. I thought she was most likely really bruised from the hit until I reached her hip. As soon as I touched it, she started to whine in pain. “It’s hard to tell for sure if it’s broken, but her backend is definitely bruised.”
“What do I need to do?”
“I honestly don’t know.” I glanced back down at the dog and sighed. From the looks of her, she had the potential of being a beautiful animal, but from her frail state and her exposed ribs, it was pretty obvious that she hadn’t been taken care of. “She’s pretty thin. Probably hasn’t eaten anything in days, and she’s got no collar. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s just a stray.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right, but I’ve still gotta do something. I can’t just leave her like this.”
“I guess we could take her to a vet or something.”
“Do you know of one close by?” she asked, sounding hopeful.
“No, but give me a minute.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and started searching for a nearby animal clinic. Most of them were closed, but I managed to find a couple that were open twenty-four hours. I checked the addresses and found one nearby. “There’s one on the corner of Third and Foster. It’s about five minutes from here.”
“Great. I’ll take her there.” She attempted to pick her up but quickly stopped when the dog wailed out in pain. “Can you help me get her to the car?”
“Why don’t we put her in the back seat of my truck?” I could tell from the expression on her face that she was feeling a little hesitant about the idea. In hopes of easing her mind, I told her, “There’s more room in my back seat. She’ll be more comfortable there, and once we get her settled, you can follow me over to the clinic.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I did.”
“Okay.” She looked up at me with a soft smile and said, “I’m Landry, by the way.”
“I’m Clay. Nice to meet ya.”
“Likewise.” Her eyes drifted back down to the dog. “I wish it was under better circumstances.”
“It’ll make for a great story one day.” I gave her a reassuring smile, then leaned forward and carefully lifted the dog into my arms. The poor thing whimpered a bit as I started towards the truck, but she didn’t try to resist or bite, which I thought was a good sign. Once I got her settled in the seat, I turned my attention back to Landry. “We’re all set.”
“So, I just follow you over to the clinic?”
“Yeah. It’s just a few blocks away.”
“Okay.” As she rushed over to her car, she shouted, “Lead the way.”
I gave Landry some time to get in her car. As soon as I saw that she was situated, I started my engine and headed towards the clinic. Minutes later, we both pulled up to the clinic. I got out, and by the time I’d gotten the dog out of the back seat, Landry was already holding the front door open. I was just about to step inside when one of the nurses came rushing over. She was a petite blonde with tired eyes and very little makeup, making me wonder how many hours she’d already put in for the night. Looking down at the wounded pup in my arms, she asked, “Is the animal yours?”
“No, ma’am,” I answered. “I’m pretty sure it’s just a stray.”
“Mm-hmm,” she mumbled under her breath. “And what happened to her?”
“I accidentally hit her when she ran out into the road,” Landry answered. “I tried to miss her, but I just wasn’t fast enough.”
“It’s okay. Things happen. At least, you had the decency not to leave the poor thing stranded on the road,” the nurse replied. “Bring her on to the back. Once we get her into a room, I’ll grab the paperwork.”
We followed her through the main doors and down a short hallway. When we came up to an open room, she led us inside and motioned for me to lay the dog down on the table. As I carefully lowered her, the pup looked up at me with those big brown eyes, and I could tell that she was terrified by what was going on. I ran my hand over her head and smiled. “It’s all right, girl. They’re going to take good care of you.”
“We sure are. We’ll have you good as new before you know it.” As the nurse headed towards the door, she announced, “I’ll be right back with that paperwork.”
As we both stood there waiting, I took a quick glance over at Landry, and it wasn’t until that moment when I realized just how tall she really was. She had to be close to five-nine, and while that was still about a foot shorter than me, I didn’t feel like I was towering over her like I did around most women. I liked that. I also liked the fact that she wasn’t pencil thin. Landry had curves, the kind that a man could enjoy holding on to, and as I stood there studying her, I found myself wondering what it would be like to have her in my arms. The thought had my eyes drifting down to her mouth. I was staring at her full, kissable red lips when she brought me back to reality by asking, “Do you think she’ll be okay?”
“Yeah, I think she’ll be fine.” I tried to reassure her and added, “This seems like a good place. I’m sure they’ll have her fixed up in no time.”
“You know, she needs a name.” Landry leaned down to the dog and asked, “What do you think about Daisy ... or maybe Duchess?”
“Duchess would be cool, but you might want to hold off on that for a while?”
“Why?”
“Naming an animal has a psychological effect on people.” I shrugged. “It’s like subconsciously claiming it or something. That’s fine if you’re planning on keeping her.”
Before Landry could respond, the nurse returned with a clipboard of paperwork in her hand. As she offered it to Landry, she told her, “I’ll need you to fill these out before the vet comes in.”
“Okay.” Landry was studying the papers as she asked, “Do you have any idea how much this will cost?”
“It really depends on the patient’s wounds.” I could tell it wasn’t the first t
ime she’d been asked that question when she spouted off, “The office visit alone is two hundred, and if they have to operate, that’ll be an additional five hundred or so. Plus, any medication she might need, so I’d say you’re looking at around eight hundred dollars. Maybe more.”
“Eight hundred dollars! Seriously?”
“If you aren’t able to pay—”
“We can pay,” I interrupted. “Just see that she gets what she needs.”
“You got it.” As she walked out of the room, the nurse told us, “The vet will be in shortly.”
Once she was gone, Landry lowered the clipboard and sighed. “I just started my job a few months ago, and between my student loans and rent, I’m barely getting by. There’s no way I can afford this.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I took the clipboard out of her hand and started filling them out. “I’ll take care of it.”
“But—”
“It’s fine, Landry. I’ve got it.” I wasn’t exactly rolling in it, but I was doing all right. I made a decent salary at the garage, and I still had all the money my dad had left me when he died. I had no idea what Landry did for a living, but it was clear she didn’t need another bill added to her plate. “It’s really not a big deal.”
“No, it is a big deal, and I promise I’ll find a way to pay you back.”
I could tell from the determined look in her eye that there was no point in arguing, so I just kept my mouth shut and let her think that I’d allow her to pay me back. I started filling out the paperwork, and when it requested the dog’s name, I asked, “So, are you going with Daisy or Duchess?”
“I don’t know.” She studied our new friend for a moment, then sighed. “I think I kind of like the name Duchess for her.”
“Duchess it is.”
I continued filling out the paperwork, and just as I was about to finish, the vet walked in. He was an older guy, maybe in his late sixties, and he was wearing a white lab coat and glasses. He shook both of our hands and introduced himself as Dr. Davenport, then turned his attention to Duchess. After looking her over, he turned to Landry and asked, “Is Duchess your dog?”