by MJ Duncan
“Thank God,” Maeve breathed, sinking into Joss’ side.
Joss steadied herself with a hand on George’s cot and wrapped her free arm around Maeve’s waist. “When will she wake up?” she asked the doctor.
“Well, we’ve been slowly backing down her meds since, oh, about eleven this morning, and as you can see—or hear, rather—she is becoming more aware. I’m going to keep her on some pretty strong meds that will keep her feeling sleepy so she won’t be tempted to move around too much just yet, but her numbers are looking really strong. We need to keep an eye out for any sign of infection, but at this point I’m cautiously optimistic that she should pull through just fine.”
Maeve’s breath was warm and ragged against Joss’ neck and she could feel Maeve shaking with the fresh tears that were damp against her skin, and she sighed as she pressed her lips to Maeve’s forehead. “She’ll be okay,” she whispered.
Maeve buried her face in the crook of Joss’ neck and nodded as her tears fell faster, wetting the collar of Joss’ shirt. “Yeah…”
Joss looked back up at Dr. Dyson, who had turned to talk to Ruby to give them a moment of privacy, and took a deep breath. She knew Maeve was going to want to be by George’s side as much as possible, but Maeve was still recovering herself, and it would be up to her to make sure that both her girls were taken care of. Which meant she needed to find them a place to stay until they could take George home. “Is there a hotel nearby that you’d recommend?”
Ruby grinned. “My grandmother runs a bed-and-breakfast not five minutes from here. You’d have your own room and bathroom, and she’ll take care of your meals for you so you’re not eating out all the time. How’s that sound?”
“That sounds perfect,” Joss said, flashing the brunette a grateful smile.
“Thought it might.” Ruby tipped her head at the door and added, “I’ll go get you her information.”
Joss nodded. “Thanks.”
“We’ll let you guys visit with George,” Dr. Dyson spoke up. “Please let us know if you or she need anything.”
“We will,” Joss promised, stroking her fingers up and down Maeve’s back comfortingly. “Thank you,” she added as Dr. Dyson and Ruby both disappeared through the large open doorway, leaving their little family to begin to heal together. Maeve shivered against her side, and Joss licked her lips as she gave her waist a light squeeze. “How you doing, sweetie?”
“Fine.” Maeve’s voice was flat.
Joss shook her head. “How’s your arm?”
“Fine.”
“Maeve,” Joss cajoled. “Look at me.” The sight of Maeve’s black eye was still shocking, but it was the tears that were still spilling down her cheeks—because even though her one eye was swollen shut, its tear ducts still worked perfectly—that really rocked Joss to her core, and she blinked back her own tears as she tenderly kissed Maeve’s away. “It will be okay.”
“I know.”
Joss tucked Maeve’s hair behind her ears and sighed. George whimpered beside them, the pained sound drawing their immediate attention, and Joss grit her teeth as she looked down at the fitfully slumbering Dane. George’s cheek quivered as her front legs twitched, the canine version of sleepwalking.
“What do you think she’s dreaming about?” Maeve murmured.
George growled low and soft in the back of her throat, a muted bark scraping its way free, her feet twitching faster.
Joss wanted to lie, to say she was sure George was dreaming of their runs around the lake where she would chase bunnies through the underbrush before returning triumphantly at her side, but she knew that there was no point. There was no mistaking the anguish in the sounds George was making. “Probably that fucking bear.”
George cried out louder in her sleep, all four of her legs moving at a gallop as if confirming Joss’ statement.
“Oh, sweetie,” Maeve cried, wincing in pain as her injured elbow was trapped between her legs and stomach as she leaned down to press her lips to George’s ear. “I’m okay, George. I’m okay.”
The choked promises seemed to do the trick, because George let out a trembling, breathy-bark and then started snoring again as her body relaxed and her limbs became still.
“Joss,” Maeve cried, shaking her head as she watched George.
“I know, baby,” Joss closed her eyes and pressed a reassuring kiss to Maeve’s hair. “I know.”
They remained in silent vigil at George’s side until the last of the anesthesia keeping her under faded, and the pained whine that greeted them when George’s big brown eyes blinked open was softened by the small wag of her tail.
“Hey, kiddo,” Joss greeted the dog with a watery smile.
“George,” Maeve whispered as she stroked the dog’s head.
George’s tail thumped softly against the cot.
“Ah, I see somebody woke up,” Ruby announced as she sauntered into the kennel. She knelt at the head of the cot and peered into George’s eyes. “How you doing, beautiful?”
George whined softly and licked her hand.
Ruby smiled. “Yeah, I know.” She held out a folded piece of paper. “This is the address for my Gran’s bed-and-breakfast. I called and filled her in on everything, and she said she will have dinner waiting for you whenever you arrive.”
“That’s too kind, thank you,” Joss told her.
Maeve shook her head. “We can’t leave her,” she protested weakly, her voice strained.
Joss checked her watch and did some quick mental math. It was pushing five o’clock, which meant that Maeve’s pain meds had worn off about half an hour ago. “We can’t sleep here,” she pointed out as gently as she could. “And you need food so you can take your meds again.”
“I’ll stay with her tonight,” Ruby spoke up. “It’s my night to work overnight anyway, and since she’s our only 24-hour guest at the moment, I’ll set up one of the spare cots in here and we’ll have a sleepover.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Joss murmured, risking Maeve’s wrath.
“I do it all the time,” Ruby said, brushing her off with a grin. “Like I said earlier, I have a soft spot for big dogs and I just know that George here is going to be my new best friend. Aren’t you, George?”
George chuffed softly and turned her head to lick Maeve’s hand as if promising that she would be okay for the night.
Joss smiled, grateful as ever that George seemed to be more human than canine. “You’ll call us if anything happens?” she asked Ruby, mostly for Maeve’s benefit. She had no doubt that the tech would keep them in the loop.
“Absolutely,” Ruby promised.
“Maeve, sweetie.” Joss leaned in to catch Maeve’s good eye. “You aren’t going to be any good to George if you’re in too much pain to do anything,” she reasoned. “Let’s go get some food so you can take your meds, and then we’ll see how you’re feeling,” she reasoned, knowing that as soon as the pain medication hit her system that Maeve would be too tired to come back to the veterinary hospital. She trusted Ruby to watch over George, and it was up to her to watch over Maeve. Come hell or high water, she was going to do whatever it took to get her little family back home together where they belonged.
“You’ll call us?” Maeve demanded.
Ruby held her hand up as if swearing an oath. “I will call you if anything happens.”
Maeve yawned and nodded, the events of the last twenty-four hours that she had been fighting to ignore finally catching up to her. “Okay.” She kissed George’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
Joss petted George’s head and added, “Be good for Ruby.”
She could have sworn George grinned in response.
“Okay,” Joss said as she got to her feet so she could help Maeve up. “Thanks again for everything,” she said to Ruby.
“My pleasure.” Ruby smiled. “I wrote down some directions on how to get to Gran’s from here—shouldn’t take you more than five minutes.”
Joss flipped the paper over an
d scanned what Ruby had written. It seemed straightforward enough, and she nodded as she looked back up at her. “Thanks.” She took Maeve’s hand into her own and gave it a light squeeze. “You ready?”
Maeve shook her head. “Yeah.”
Knowing that was as good as she was going to get, Joss gave George one last lingering look before she led Maeve out the door. “All right. Let’s get going, then.”
Forty
Joss took a slow, deep breath as she watched Maeve and George make their way back through the clinic to where she waited by George’s kennel, the Dane’s cone bumping into Maeve’s knee every so often, her eyes tracking their progress. George’s first few trips to the yard at the back of the clinic where she took care of business had been pure agony to witness, the dog’s normally exuberant gait slow and pained, her steps halted, her breathing labored as she adjusted to her decreased lung capacity. By Monday evening, however, George began to look more like herself. She still walked slowly, but the happy swish of her tail and her refusal to come back inside after taking care of her business were both welcome signs that she was adjusting.
That she was healing.
And with every day that passed with George showing more and more of her personality, Maeve’s condition improved as well. She still winced whenever she moved too quickly, and could not keep from crying out in pain whenever she accidentally bumped her elbow on something, but Joss knew that seeing George make such progress in the four days since they had arrived in Boulder sped along her own.
Joss smiled as she watched Ruby fall into step with Maeve and George, her wide, red smile as contagious as the happy swish of George’s tail. She said something that made Maeve grin, and Joss crossed her fingers that they might get to go home soon.
Though Maeve had avoided talking about it, Joss knew the fact that her parents were up at the house without them weighed heavily on her mind. Her brothers had decided to stay back in Chicago—mindful of the fact that their kids running around would not be good for George and that having all of them around would just be more stress for Maeve—but the guilt of staying with George and basically ignoring her parents who had flown in to spend the holiday with them was wearing on her.
They understood, of course, but it was still an unusual situation—one that Joss fervently hoped they would never have to live through ever again.
“What are you guys smiling about?” Joss asked when Maeve, Ruby, and George were within earshot. George barked happily, though not as boisterously as usual, as if she were sharing the secret, and Joss laughed. “Okay, how about somebody else fill me in?”
Maeve smiled down at George and shook her head affectionately as she scratched behind the dog’s ears. “How does spending Thanksgiving at home sound?”
“Like a dream come true.” Joss got to her feet and checked her watch. It was pushing four o’clock, which meant that Thanksgiving Day technically kicked-off in eight hours, and she arched a brow at Ruby. “Are we getting sprung from this joint?”
Ruby laughed and looked over her shoulder at Dr. Dyson, who was making his way over to them. “I’ll let him share the good news,” she said, winking at Joss.
Dr. Dyson, bless his soul, did not waste any time as he joined their small group. “Who wants to go home?”
“Me!” Ruby exclaimed.
“Too bad,” Dyson chuckled. “You’re on until eight tonight.”
“Ah, hell.” Ruby shrugged. “Oh well, it was worth a shot.”
“You really think George is okay to go home?” Joss asked.
Dyson nodded. “I do. She’ll need to be kept as calm as possible over the next week or so, but I see no reason to keep her here. Just make an appointment with your regular vet for her to be seen sometime next week, and they’ll be able to oversee her care from here on out. George is healing beautifully, so”—he rapped his knuckles on the side of his head—“knock on wood, she should be back to her old self before you know it.”
Joss looked at Maeve, who was positively beaming back at her. “I can’t wait.”
“Me neither,” Maeve echoed.
“I have our pharmacy preparing the medications George will need now,” Dyson continued with a smile. “So as soon as those are ready, you ladies are free to go.”
Joss nodded. They would need to stop by the bed-and-breakfast to check out and pick up their things, but with any luck they should be home before nine that night. “Thank you.”
“Our pleasure,” Dyson assured her with a grin. He patted Ruby on the shoulder and added, “I’ll leave it to Ruby to walk you through the discharge paperwork. If you need anything or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.”
“We will. Thanks,” Maeve said.
“What kind of car do you have?” Dr. Dyson asked.
“An Audi SUV,” Maeve answered.
“Okay.” He nodded. “So you’ll need a ramp to help George into it. I don’t want her jumping.”
“Right,” Joss spoke up. “Makes sense.” She looked at Maeve and frowned. They could use the veterinary hospital’s ramp to get George into the car, but that still left the issue of getting her out of it back at the house.
Maeve nodded, understanding what Joss was thinking. “I’ll call the vet in Sky and see if they have one we can borrow. I’m sure my dad’ll go pick it up for us.”
“Honestly, a length of three-quarter ply works just as well,” Dr. Dyson spoke up. “It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, and it’ll just have to support her weight for a few seconds.”
“Good to know.” Maeve ran her good hand through her hair and shrugged. “So, worst-case scenario, he goes to the hardware store and picks something up.”
“I’m sure Brock or Scott would do it too, if we asked,” Joss pointed out as she wrapped a light arm around Maeve’s waist. “I mean, do you know what kind of car they rented?”
Maeve shook her head. “I’ll run it all by him and see what he says.”
“Well, since that’s settled”—Dyson lifted George’s file in the air and gave it a flick—“good luck on the drive home.” He nodded at Ruby, who grinned and flashed him two thumbs up, and then turned on his heel and left.
“You excited to go home, George?” Ruby asked as she checked the bandages wrapped around the Dane’s torso. George speared her with the edge of the cone tied to her neck, and Ruby laughed. “Sorry, girlie, but that needs to stay on for a bit longer.” Ruby adjusted the cone and glanced up at Maeve and Joss. “Your vet back in Sky will let you know when she can stop wearing it. I can tell you they’ll want her in it until the bandages come off and her stitches are out, though.”
George whined and stared unhappily at Maeve.
Maeve chuckled and shook her head. “Sorry, George. But we gotta do what she says.”
George growled in disagreement and looked at Joss.
Joss laughed and held up her hands. “You gotta listen to your mom on this one, bud.”
Ruby giggled. “George, my girl, you have the most personality of any dog I’ve ever met.” She scratched behind George’s ears and kissed the tip of her nose. “You need to get your moms to bring you back to visit one day when you’re all better so we can have some fun.”
George laid a long, fat lick up the middle of Ruby’s face and chuffed.
“Excellent,” Ruby declared.
“She has quite the way with the ladies,” Joss murmured playfully against Maeve’s ear.
Maeve grinned and arched a brow at Joss as she retorted, “Why do you think I let her out in the yard that morning when you were running by the house after you moved into the cottage?”
Joss gaped. “You’re lying.”
“I don’t think she is,” Ruby piped up with a laugh as she pushed herself back to her feet. “I’m going to go check on George’s discharge paperwork.”
Joss waved a distracted hand at Ruby as she continued to stare at Maeve. “You really set George on me?”
Maeve shrugged. “I’d been watching you run by the hous
e every morning from my office, and I figured that since George was the whole reason I got to meet you in the first place, that she could help me out again.” She grinned unapologetically. “It worked, didn’t it?”
“Yeah, it did.” Joss bit her lip as she looked at Maeve, and shook her head as she leaned in to kiss her. George speared them both with the edge of her cone, unhappy with being ignored, and Joss laughed as she looked down at George and scratched her head. “Thanks for doing me a solid, George.”
George barked and wagged her tail.
“You’re welcome,” Maeve translated. She sighed and leaned her head on Joss’ shoulder. “I love you.”
Warmth bloomed in Joss’ chest as she held Maeve close and pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head, her eyes drifting from Maeve to George, who was watching them with her typical goofy smile. “Love you too,” she whispered.
“So! Who’s ready to get out of here?” Ruby asked as she strode back into the kennels waving a stapled packet of papers.
“We are,” Maeve spoke for the group as she disentangled herself from Joss’ embrace.
George barked her agreement, and Joss shook her head as she asked, “What do we need to do?”
“Sign here,” Ruby said, holding out the papers to Maeve. “And here.” She smiled apologetically as she tapped the small credit card receipt stapled to the front of the papers.
“Gladly,” Maeve said as she scribbled her name on the receipt, not bothering to see what the final total for George’s care the last six days actually was. She took the discharge papers Ruby handed her when she gave her back the receipt, folded them in half length-wise, and slipped them into the back pocket of her jeans.
“Check her stitches every day. Keep the cone on. Change the bandages as necessary. Call your vet and get an appointment sometime early next week,” Ruby instructed as if reading down a mental bullet-point list.
“Will do,” Maeve promised.
“Then you are good to go,” Ruby declared. “Gran knows you’re coming by to check out, so she’ll have everything waiting for you there so that way you can get back up the mountain as quickly as possible. I’m sure you’re all more than ready to go home.”