by TK Lawyer
The passenger side of the police car burst open, and a cop ran after the fleeing vagrant. The driver’s side opened to reveal a second cop. He walked swiftly toward Tamara.
The officer held his hand out in a stopping motion. He pointed at Nightfall, saying, “Ma’am, I need you to control your dog.”
Tamara held onto Nightfall’s collar.
“There was a report of a disturbance. I need to ask you some questions.”
Nightfall whimpered and fell onto the cement. Tamara bent down to pet him. She stroked her hand across his body and down his left hind leg when he suddenly yelped. Her hand flew up into the air, and she cried out. “Nightfall!! Oh no...” She turned to the cop. “Officer, my dogs in pain. I have to get him to the emergency vet right now.”
“I need a statement from you. Are you going to press charges?”
His partner returned with the beggar in handcuffs next to him.
“Yes, I don’t want him doing this to anyone else. However, I have to get my dog to the vet. Please.”
She looked down at Nightfall with concern. He panted heavily, and his beautiful eyes closed.
The cop pointed out a large, bloody gash on Nightfall’s left hind leg. Blood tinted his once grey and white fur to an ugly, dark crimson. He asked a few more questions before he concluded, “Go to the vet’s office. We can finish up the paperwork later, back at the station.”
“Okay, let’s go,” the cop said.
While his partner secured the vagrant in the back seat of the police car, he helped Tamara place Nightfall onto the back seat of her car. Nightfall yelped and instinctively wrapped his teeth around Tamara’s arm several times, before unclamping his mouth and falling back into her arms.
Nightfall’s words floated across her mind. I’m sorry, Tamara. I don’t want to hurt you, and I won’t, but I’m in a lot of pain. I promise I won’t let my instincts take hold of me. Please, forgive me in the meantime.
Tears rolled down Tamara’s cheeks. The action of bringing him up from the ground over to the back seat of her car proved tremendous for him. He cried out in pain at several times, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head with each of their continued maneuvers. Her overwhelming love and concern for him flooded through her. Did he feel it too? Animals were sensitive creatures, she read somewhere, and strangely, they always seemed to sense human emotions. His eyelids burst open. He turned his head to stare directly at her seconds before he winced and fell back onto the seat of the car.
She cried into the palm of her hand and covered Nightfall with one of her jackets, to help keep him warm, while tears streamed down her cheeks. “There you go. Don’t worry, Nightfall. I’m going to take care of you.”
He was weak and vulnerable. He looked delicate and frail. She lay over him and cried softly into his thick fur. Nightfall licked her hand. Yet, his usual show of affection was not as strong and made with great effort. She blinked back her tears and struggled to breathe. She couldn’t lose another dog, and she wasn’t going to, not if she could help it. She slammed his door shut, slid into the driver’s seat, and turned on the ignition.
Tamara adjusted her rearview mirror to check on Nightfall throughout the trip. She found him lying down with his eyes closed. Her eyes lingered upon his chest until she caught the normal rising and falling.
Her breathing escalated with her increasing concern for her dog. She hit her hand across the steering wheel. This is taking too long. Why is it taking so long? Come on!
Tamara yelled at the traffic in front of her. “Hurry, hurry, hurry,”
Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she pulled under the awning of the emergency clinic. She looked in the rearview mirror to find Nightfall’s eyes closed, and his breathing slow but steady.
She shoved her door open. “Sweetie, we’re here. I’ll be right back.”
Several seconds later, two male techs rushed out the front door, moving a stretcher in between them. Tamara stepped aside and allowed the techs to assist Nightfall onto the stretcher. His head lolled to one side while his eyes slowly closed. Amidst conversational chatter and the opening and closing of doors, Nightfall lay strangely still.
Tamara sobbed openly, watching his lifeless form across the back seat of her car. He looked weak and vulnerable, and she imagined life without him, briefly, before she choked up several more sobs and cried out.
Tamara crumbled. “I’m so sorry, my sweet boy. My sweet, darling boy. I’m so, so sorry.” She swiped at the downpour of her tears, straining to see the face of her lovely dog.
The techs heaved him onto a stretcher and wheeled him inside. One informed her Nightfall would be taken to an examination room, and the vet would meet with Tamara shortly afterward with a diagnosis. They dropped her off at the front desk to complete paperwork before wheeling Nightfall away when she held an arm out to stop them.
“Wait, please. Let me say good-bye.”
“He’ll be okay, Ma’am. You’ll see him in no time,” one of the workers told her with a nod. “The vet is very good.”
“I’m sure he is. I just want Nightfall to know I’ll be here waiting for him.” She scampered to his side. “Baby,” she murmured near his cheek. Nightfall’s eyes struggled to open. Her hand flew at her mouth, and she cried out in agony as her tears fell against his bloodied fur. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I love you, my sweet boy. You’ll be okay. I’ll be waiting for you, here, I promise.”
Nightfall closed his eyes.
***
Hours later, Tamara paced the floor, anxiously, waiting for the vet to appear. After what seemed another mini-eternity, the doctor finally approached. He looked grim. She held her breath for several long seconds while her eyes swept across the tile floor. Summoning up her courage, she asked how Nightfall was.
“He has a deep wound on his left hind leg. He had shards of glass in it, and some were tiny slivers. I cleaned it up and x-rayed it, but he needs stitches for the leg to heal properly. His persistence in getting through the car window was admirable, but it caused significant tears in the tissue surrounding his left hip. His hip is bruised and swollen, and he will, most likely, have pain.”
Tamara held back tears and nodded while the veterinarian continued.
“He almost injured the hip to the point of requiring surgery, but fortunately he won’t need it. He will, however, have to move as little as possible.”
The vet covered Tamara’s hand with his. “I recommend he stay a minimum of two nights for observation. This will help keep the injury immobilized. The staff will be able to monitor the progress with his leg.”
Tamara’s heart plummeted. She had to endure two long, lonely nights without Nightfall? What would she do without him besides miss him terribly?
The vet continued to reassure her that Nightfall would be asleep most of the time anyway and would most likely not be aware of his surroundings. He instructed it was best not to disturb him or move him and, instead, let him rest. He added that the painkillers he prescribed for Nightfall would help ease his discomfort.
Tamara mulled over his advice.
“All right, thank you,” she agreed, somewhat reluctantly. She shook the vet’s hand and sat back down, waiting for the opportunity to see Nightfall.
Half an hour later, she got her chance. Located toward the back of the emergency clinic was a boarding area where animals were stacked in metal crates. Something happened to every one of the pets to bring them here, and now Nightfall was one of the tragic additions.
She held back the tears that threatened to burst forth when she found Nightfall in his temporary residence. He was lying on his side on a blanket provided by the clinic. His eyes were closed, and his head faced the front of the crate. His side lifted slightly and collapsed with the small movement of his breathing.
“He’s been given a sedative,” the tech explained. “You can talk to him, though. He might be able to hear you. I’ll leave you alone for a few minutes.”
Tamara sat on the floor next to his crate.
“Nightfall, honey, can you hear me?”
She tried again, this time using the telepathic communication he taught her. She concentrated and focused on him.
Sweetheart, can you hear me? It’s Tamara. She waited, but received no response. Honey, it’s me. I hope you can hear me. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. It’s not fair. You were just trying to protect me. I love you, Baby. I really do.
Tamara pushed a few fingers through the bars of his cage, but she was only able to stroke the tip of his nose. Tears rimmed her eyes, and one escaped down her right cheek.
An eyelid struggled to open. Golden brown peered out from under one heavy lid.
Don’t cry, Tamara. I love you.
His affectionate words floated through her mind and opened the floodgate of her tears. He closed his eyes while she continued to sob.
- CHAPTER EIGHT -
Josh awoke, alarmed to find cold, harsh metal in front of him.
He searched his immediate space and found more of the metal substance with soft, furry faces behind them. He scanned his surroundings further to discover he was in a large, tiled, white room, not the comfortable carpeted home of his mistress. Where was he? Where was his beloved, Tamara?
Finding the familiar metal substance everywhere, he then realized what housed him. He was in a cage. Did she leave him here?
No!
He panicked. Tamara didn’t leave him, did she? She couldn’t have.
Josh stood up and almost hit the ceiling of his confined cell. Throbbing pain originated from his left leg. He glanced down at it briefly before searching through the front area of his dwelling, trying to picture where he was. Was he in the vet’s office, or was he in an animal receiving facility? Oh, God no. She didn’t leave him at Animal Control, did she?
He couldn’t remain caged. He wouldn’t.
Josh’s heartbeat quickened, and he gasped for air. He yearned to break free of the metal bars surrounding him. He paced in the small, confined area. Josh’s breathing staggered, and he tried steadying it.
Tamara told him she loved him. She wouldn’t leave him after that, would she? Was he mistaken about her? Besides, he saved her life from that vagrant. How could she be that cold?
By the time a tech walked into the boarding area, his breathing had withered into a labored wheeze. The technician opened the door and fastened a slip lead over him before he had time to react. She called to him, encouraging him to come out of the crate. If he could’ve, he would’ve run out and dragged the tech behind him; instead, he staggered out of the cage, careful to avoid placing pressure on his back foot. Although his wolf had superior healing powers, the staff figured him to be a dog. He’d have to play the part, for now.
The tech cheerily grinned at him. “There you go. Good Boy. Let’s go outside so you can go potty, okay?”
He limped out the door and onto the grassy area in the back of the facility. A few dogs barked at him, encouraging him to talk. Yet, he ignored each one and sniffed the grass instead. He stretched his muscles, yelping once with the stabbing pain in his back leg. Pain or no pain, he was free. The sun warmed his back, the dry grass crunched under his paws, and raw, natural smells teased his nostrils. Some smells, of course, were more desirable than others. Like Tamara’s scent, for example. Nevertheless, she wasn’t here, and he wanted to know why.
Anger rose from deep within, tensing his nerves and placing them on edge. He tried to reason out why Tamara wasn’t by his side. There had to be a good explanation. Mates didn’t abandon each other—it just didn’t happen. Whatever the excuse, she had to return quickly. He wouldn’t take much more of the metal bars fencing him in. Being caged and trapped was a wolf’s personal form of hell.
“Your mistress should be by later today,” the tech told him. “It’ll be good for her to see how well you’re improving. I must say you’re doing well for the type of injury you have. Frankly, we’re all astounded at how fast you’re healing.”
The tech walked him back into the building and opened the door to his crate. Josh, however, planted his front paws on the floor in a stubborn refusal to go back in. She pulled on the slip lead and put a hand on his rump to push him slightly forward. He turned and snarled at her efforts.
She backed up and called for help. “Oh my, someone needs a sedative.”
Her assistant approached and nodded. Josh stood his ground, snarling at the second female in the room.
The new tech held out her hand, holding a piece of cheese, and said, “Look, Honey, I have a treat for you.”
Greedily, he grabbed it from her palm and while he was enjoying it, he suddenly jerked from a jolting pain in his hindquarters. Josh looked up at the assistant and spotted the empty needle in her hand.
She waved at him. “Night-night, Sweetie.”
Josh’s footing faltered, and he fell. His world switched to a swirling vortex of vivid colors spiraling into an all-consuming blackness.
He assumed it was several hours later when a familiar voice beckoned him. Yet Josh remained reluctant to open his eyes. Tamara was getting used to their secret form of communication and was becoming good at it. Even so, Josh was angry at her for leaving him. Sedative or no sedative, he refused to acknowledge her presence. She slipped her fingers through the bars of his cage and stroked part of a paw, but he quickly moved it out of her reach.
After several minutes and many attempts to contact him, she left with a sad sigh.
***
The following day, Tamara entered the animal clinic again and found Nightfall under heavy sedation. The lead female technician called her earlier to explain why—Nightfall growled and snapped at several of them earlier in the day. The technicians circled Tamara and asked her if he’d bitten anyone. After denying their accusation, one of the techs piped up and mentioned Nightfall didn’t seem to like being confined to a crate. She nodded, confirming their deduction. Another tech advised neutering Nightfall, informing her it helped with male aggression. She explained that unless Tamara intended to breed him, it was best to have him neutered and soon.
A low growl ensued after the tech’s suggestion. Nightfall stood and snarled. The techs backed away from his crate in unison. One of the female techs pointed toward Nightfall. “See, this is what we mean.”
Tamara pursed her lips. “Thank you. I’ll take that under consideration.”
The female tech pointed to Nightfall. “Well, as you can see, he’s safe and sound. You can visit with him now, if you’d like.”
Tamara nodded in appreciation while the techs quickly scattered in different directions. She sat on the floor in front of him before she unbolted the door to his crate.
Eager and excited for what came next, she spoke in a gleeful tone of voice. “Honey, I’m here to take you home now. You’re free to go.”
Nightfall’s eyes remained closed.
“Come on, Sweetie,” Tamara urged. “Let me take you home.”
She reached into the crate and attempted to put his collar around his neck. He opened his eyes and rumbled a low warning growl. There was a sudden rapid scuffling of shoes behind her, and one of the techs piped up.
“Let me get a sedative.”
Tamara extended her hand behind her in a stopping motion. “No, that isn’t necessary. Could I have a few minutes alone with him, please?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea with him still aggressive under sedation.”
Tamara responded. “I’ll be okay.”
The technician’s faces indicated they didn’t agree.
“Please go. Everything will be fine.” When no one moved Tamara sighed with impatience. “Look, I promise I won’t sue if he bites me. Please, just go and give me a few minutes with him.”
Several of the techs nodded their heads. A male tech stepped forward, saying, “We’ll be outside, in case you need anything.”
“Okay, thank you, I appreciate it.”
She waited until they scurried away and knelt down beside him quietly. Nightfall watched her f
rom his blanket but didn’t move a muscle.
“Come on, Sweetie, let’s go,” Tamara told him.
She attempted to place his collar on again, but threw her hands up in the air when he growled and snarled, baring his teeth.
Tamara paused, looking him over carefully, and tilted her head to one side. “A-are you angry with me?”
Of course I am. Why did you leave me?
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Leave you? I didn’t leave you, I could never do that. The vet said you needed two nights to recuperate. I planned to come back to take you home. I’m here now. Can we go?”
The color of his irises darkened. This time it wasn’t out of passion, but from another emotion altogether different.
“Nightfall, why are you upset? Please, don’t be angry with me. I hated you being here. I wanted you home with me every night. Truly, I did. I missed you very, very much.”
She attempted to stroke his head, but he moved away.
Tears rimmed her eyes. “Please, don’t do this to me. I missed you so much. You know I’d never leave you unless I had to.”
You’re telling the truth.
“I am. Why would I lie to you? I love you. I really missed you. But, I’m curious, how can you tell I’m not lying?"
If you were, your pheromone and perspiration levels would’ve heightened. Plus, your heartbeat would’ve accelerated. Instead, your levels have all lowered. Besides, I sense your genuine sadness about what happened.
Tamara balked. “Wow. Okay, remind me to never lie to you, not that I’d want to anyway, or have any reason to.”
She reached out to stroke his fur again, and this time he let her. Nightfall moved closer to her and allowed her easier access. She stroked his head and his muzzle and bent down to kiss him tenderly on his snout. She kissed him on the head several times and he whimpered.
I’m happy you’re here. I missed you too, Tamara.
He sighed and closed his eyes until a sudden outburst of noise caused Tamara to curse aloud.
Tamara jerked back from his crate and rubbed the throbbing pain on top of her head. Nightfall rushed out of his cage and issued a warning growl to the small Chihuahua, shaking with fear on top of his crate. The stunned dog backed up into a corner and lowered himself onto his side, exposing his belly in submission. With his tail tucked underneath his legs, he lowered his eyes and whimpered.