by Kelly Moran
People really sucked.
As the youngest of the three O'Grady men, Cade was the affable one. He was generally good with pet owners and could laugh himself out of a bad mood. Today, not so much. He'd had to euthanize old man Kiser's hound dog, the first client he ever had as a vet, lost a two-year-old retriever to a bowel obstruction, and found a box of dead kittens by the back door. Well, all dead but one.
So today? Today blew. He had no patience left in reserve, especially not for a woman who probably just broke her daughter's heart by putting their pet at risk.
Removing the thermometer, he noted the temp was low, but not nearly as down as he'd figured. He shoved the buds of his stethoscope in his ears and listened to his heart, lungs and abdomen. Nothing worrisome. BP was good, too. The little guy lifted his head and whimpered when he tried to better examine the leg.
“I know, little guy. It hurts, huh? I'll getcha something for that in a moment.”
The wound had clotted, and though it didn't look infected, the puppy would need surgery to amputate the rest of the leg at the hip joint. First, he had to make sure the animal stayed stable to get an IV into him for fluids and antibiotics.
Straightening, Cade crossed his arms and faced the woman. “He's in decent condition for now, which is shocking. Vitals are a little low, but good. If he's doing this well in a couple hours, we'll do surgery to remove the rest of the leg. He'll need to stay a few nights for monitoring.”
Cade paused, waiting for her to say something. When she just stared at him with a cross between worry and confusion, he shook his head. “This is going to be expensive, ma'am.”
Not that he cared. If she walked out and left the dog, he'd still do what he could to save him. He'd eat the cost. Once the puppy was well again, Cade would try to adopt him out or they'd keep him for a clinic pet. Either way, he wasn't euthanizing an animal just because the leg was shot. Not unless there was no other choice.
She rubbed her forehead. “Can he live with three legs? Get around, I mean? I don't know much about—”
He ground his teeth. “People manage just fine with one or both legs amputated, don't they? He's young. He'll adjust. Yes or no, ma'am?”
Startled, her gaze whipped to his. She'd be a stunner with her huge eyes, pouty mouth, and button nose if he hadn't disliked her on the spot. “I… I'm not sure I know what you're asking.”
He briefly closed his eyes and prayed for patience. “There's a healing period involved. Money to pay for his care. Are you going to be up for that? Because if not, just leave. Either he's your dog or he's not.”
“He's…” Her brown gaze drifted to the exam table. Surprise flitted in her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand as tears welled.
Narrowing his eyes, he turned.
The little girl stroked the puppy's head, her face pressed to the fur on his neck. She didn't say anything, nor did she appear upset, but the puppy sure liked what she was doing. His tail limply thumped the table and his trusting eyes were watching her. They seemed to have a bond already in place, which would make it even crappier if the woman walked out and never came back.
Turning to face her, he raised his brows in question, but she paid him no mind. She watched the girl and the puppy with a tentative smile and shock clearly evident. Why the shock? Kids loved animals. This was their dog, after all. It stood to reason the girl would be upset the little guy got hurt.
Even though she seemed to be having some kind of moment, it was getting late. He needed to get going on an IV. “Ma'am?”
She flinched and looked between him and the table. After a second, she collected herself and wiped her eyes. “Yes. He's our dog. Do whatever you need to do to help him.” Her gaze softened once more as she stepped closer to the table and tapped the girl on the shoulder. “Time to go, sweetie. The doctor here is going to help…him. We'll come check on him tomorrow, okay?”
How odd she didn't try to comfort the child. Put her arm around her or offer a hug. Something. The girl had blood down the front of her and had been, no doubt, traumatized by seeing her pet injured. Yet the woman stood there as if she didn't have a heart beating or a compassionate bone in her body.
This was why he preferred animals to people. “What's the dog's name?”
“Oh. Um…”
He sighed. “Let me guess. You don't know.”
A sliver of irritation flicked in her eyes before it was masked and she looked to her daughter once more. “His name is…” She tilted her head, chocolate eyes glazing over. “Seraph. His name is Seraph.”
“Seraph?” It was rare someone surprised him anymore. He would've guessed Lucky or Champ or some other cliché.
“It's another name for angel—”
“I know.” Still, she just got bonus points. “Head home. I'll get your info from Justine in the morning. You can come visit during clinic hours.”
She nodded and kneeled next to her daughter. “Come on, sweetie. We'll come see him tomorrow.”
After they'd gone, Cade inserted an IV filled with warm saline to bring the dog's temperature up a little and started antibiotics. He drew some blood and ran a CBC to check platelets, then did vitals again. The little guy took it in stride. Pleased the puppy was doing well, he yanked a chair up to the exam table and pulled out his cell.
Drake was going to be pissed, but this couldn't wait until morning. The dog needed surgery, and his oldest brother was their clinic surgeon. Cade could do it himself, but he didn't want to call in a tech and Drake was better.
“I'm not on call.”
Cade grinned. “Maybe I just missed you.”
There was a lengthy pause. “What do you want? And by that, I mean you better be up to your ass in greyhounds needing my cutting expertise. It's almost midnight.”
“Got a yellow lab puppy requiring an amputation. Does that qualify?”
Drake groaned. “Is it stable?”
Cade bit back the string of insults he wanted to let loose. It wasn't as if he wasn't used to being underestimated. “I'm not an idiot, you know. I have a degree and everything. I'm even sure I can spell veterinarian if I try real hard—”
“I'll be there in ten. Prep the room.”
Cade pocketed his phone and rubbed the puppy behind his ears, earning two thumps of a tail.
“Seraph.” He shook his head. “Your owner is really something. Kinda pretty, too. She gave you a great name, even if she did leave you out in the snow, the big meanie.”
Two more tail thumps.
“I have to go prepare the surgery room for my ornery brother, but I'll be right back. You just hang out here for a minute.” He stroked the puppy's back. “I promise we'll get you fixed up. You'll be good as new soon.”
Thump, thump.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kelly Moran is a best-selling & award-winning romance author of enchanting ever-afters. She is a Catherine Award-Winner, RITA Finalist, RONE Award-Winner, Readers’ Choice Finalist, Holt Medallion Finalist, and a 2014 Award of Excellence Finalist through RWA. She’s also landed on the “10 Best Reads” and “Must Read” lists from USA TODAY’s blog. Kelly’s been known to say she gets her ideas from everyone and everything around her and there’s always a book playing out in her head. No one who knows her bats an eyelash when she talks to herself. Her interests include: sappy movies, MLB, NFL, driving others insane, and sleeping when she can. She is a closet coffee junkie and chocoholic, but don’t tell anyone. She’s originally from Wisconsin, but she resides in South Carolina with her three sons, a cat, and her two dogs. She loves connecting with her readers.
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