by Kathryn Shay
“You were both late.” Lea liked order. “How come?”
“I overslept,” Noah said.
Maggie put in, “I got held up. We’re here now.”
“What are we doing?” Noah asked.
“Reading.” Suzy was a bit agitated.
The kids hated a break in their routine. Before she could start again, Brett shouted, “I want Rosie.”
“Brett, we talked about this. Others need her as much as you do.”
The boy bolted to his feet. Noah rose, too. “Come back to the alcove with me.”
“No. Fuck this.”
“Language like—”
He started toward the door, and Rosie, sensing his upset, started toward him. She was a few feet away, in front of one of the desks, when Brett whirled around and kicked it.
Right into the dog.
Rosie howled as she fell to the floor.
Maggie bolted up. Raced to her dog. She was aware of Noah talking to the kids but she dropped down next to her baby and cleared her mind.
Feeling Rosie’s pulse, first on her chest, then between the leg joint, she found it racing. While she took off her scarf, she said, “Guys, you’re going to have to help save Rosie. Noah, take Brett out. Truman, be brave now grab my phone out of my bag. Veronica, go to the nearest classroom and tell the teacher to come down here. Lea and Jordan, wait for instructions.”
Rosie whimpered, made a low keening sound. Maggie checked her gums, which were white, and examined her abdomen. It was hard, which meant she was bleeding inside. She held Rosie’s nose and mouth together, then wrapped the scarf around her snout.
She placed her mouth over Rosie’s nose. She breathed in, then exhaled. Again, and again. Soon, Rosie stirred. Removing the scarf, she lifted Rosie’s hind legs to send more oxygen to her brain. To Noah, she said so the kids wouldn’t hear, “Call the vet in my phone. Mark Langdon. Tell him we’re coming in. Rosie’s breathing is labored and she has pale gums and hard belly which means internal bleeding. He knows me, I’m a regular.”
Still holding the dog’s legs up, she leaned over her. Carefully, she checked Rosie’s gums. They were pinkish again.
People entered the room, and the kids left. Tim Kane knelt down across from her. “What can I do?”
“Go get your SUV and fold down the backseats. We need to take her to the hospital quickly. We can’t jostle her because she has internal bleeding, so she needs to be flat out with her legs raised.”
All the while she petted the dog. The whimpering turned to a low owoooooooo and Maggie almost lost it. But she forced herself to stay cool.
Someone else came in and she glanced up. The IA teacher. “I have a dog so I know how to get them to the hospital. You’ll need this.” It was a big piece of plywood which would hold her. “I clamped some straps on each end to secure her.”
“Thank you, Larry. Lay it out. Right next to her.”
Noah returned.
Maggie said, “Lea and Jordan, go get those pillows off the chairs in back. We have to prop up her lower body in the car so her bottom body stays raised.”
To Larry and Noah, Maggie said, “She’s too heavy for me to move. Follow my instructions exactly.
“Slide her onto the board, jostling her as little as possible.” Accomplishing that feat was excruciatingly slow especially since Maggie held up her legs. Rosie’s head lolled on the board and she whimpered. When they finished, Maggie carefully wrapped the straps around her.
“Pick her up gently and move slowly.”
When Noah and Larry got to the SUV, Larry jumped into the back and helped pull the dog into the bed. Tim gave her the pillows. Then Larry climbed out the front. As Rosie moaned soulfully from the movement, Maggie jumped into the bed of the SUV and somebody closed the door.
Tim and Noah got in the front. Maggie laid out next to Rosie, and soothed her fur. “Shh, baby, you’re going to be okay. Shh…I’ll take care of you. I’m right here, little puppy.”
* * *
“She’s in good hands,” Noah told her, as they waited in a spacious area at the vet’s. Rosie had gone into surgery an hour ago.
Maggie sat in the chair clasping her hands tightly in her lap.
“I can say a prayer,” Tim suggested. Noah knew he had a strong belief in God.
“I’d like that, Tim.” This from Maggie.
They held hands.
“Dear Lord, be with the doctor and nurses in the treatment room. Guide them to a diagnosis and let your loving grace flow into Rosie, our beloved Rosie. Amen.”
They reverted to silence for a while, sipping coffee the nurse had provided. After an excruciatingly long time, Mark Langdon came out. He knelt in front of Maggie, took her hands. “She’s alive but in and out of consciousness. We did X-rays, and she’d gotten a ruptured spleen, so she’s bleeding internally. We usually have to wait until the swelling goes down to do surgery, but not in this case. We’re setting up now.”
“Can I see her?”
“I’m afraid not. She’s being prepared. I’ll send the nurse out with updates. Stay strong, Maggie.” He stood and nodded to Tim and Noah, then left.
Maggie stayed where she was but looked over at them. “It’s serious if they can’t wait.”
“Serious injuries can be overcome.” Noah made himself believe that.
Tim put in, “If any dog can get through this, Rosie can.”
“Would you call Jack Cramer and tell him the situation, Tim? If Brett’s still at school, I want to talk to him personally.”
Noah squeezed her arm. “You don’t have to do that, Maggie.”
“It’s the right thing.”
While Tim went to the other side of the room, Noah moved next to her. “What can I do?”
“Just be with me.”
Brett had gone home with his parents, but Tim told Jack the situation. Looking resigned, Maggie stared ahead mostly, drinking a bottle of water now. When Noah took her hand, she let him, but she didn’t initiate anything.
Hours passed. Updates came and went but were much the same: Rosie was holding her own. Finally, Mark returned to the waiting room and dropped down in the chair next to Maggie.
She turned to him. “Tell it to me straight, Mark.”
“We didn’t remove the spleen, which is good because there are issues with a splenectomy.”
“The spleen filters and stores blood cells, right?”
“Yeah, but we fixed the rupture. Hopefully, and I think this will happen, the organ will heal completely.”
“I hope so, too.”
“Her belly is softer already and her pulse is normal, so that’s all good news.” The doctor’s gaze was somehow intimate. “Maggie, you did exactly the right things to save her life.”
“I learned it all in your trauma course.”
“Trauma course?” Noah asked.
The doctor looked at them. “Before I accept a patient, I have to be sure the owner knows what to do in an emergency. I also train owners of therapy dogs because of the unusual situations their animals go into.”
“I’ve never seen mouth to mouth, well to nose, resuscitation on a dog and wouldn’t have known enough to raise her legs.” Tim glanced at Maggie. “She didn’t forget anything you taught her, doc.”
“And she stayed calm,” Noah put in. “And strong.”
“There are so many things necessary right after the trauma, most people don’t know about. They panic, or cuddle the dog, which is harmful. They move the dog, which shouldn’t be done until she’s assessed. Only someone trained would know how to do mouth-to-nose on a dog and how to take a dog’s pulse.”
“I wish I knew all that.” Noah meant it.
“Me too,” Tim said. “I have dog.”
“You both can come to one of our seminars. Actually, we should have thought of that when we knew Maggie got the job at Stepping Stones.” Mark stood. “I’ll be back in an hour to bring you in to see her.”
“Can I come in too?” Noah asked. “For Maggie?”<
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“I’ll be with Maggie. We’re good friends.”
Despite the grave situation, Noah felt a spark of jealousy. What an idiot he was!
“I wonder if Stepping Stones could implement a project to make the community aware of what to do and not to do with an injured dog.”
“That would be a great idea.” He didn’t want to add, but did, “Maybe Mark could give us some pointers on how to set it up.”
Tim joined them, holding his cell. “Maggie, Brett’s on the phone.”
“Put it on speaker, Tim.”
Maggie took in a deep breath and let it out. “Hi, Brett. I wanted to talk to you because I’m sure you’re feeling bad about Rosie.”
“I-I’m so sorry, Ms. Marino. I didn’t mean to hurt Rosie.”
“I know you didn’t. You made a mistake. We all make them. Know that Rosie came through the surgery and is doing great. She’s sleeping now.”
“C-can I ever see her again?”
“Of course.”
But Noah didn’t know if he’d be allowed to work with Rosie from here on out. Or, man, even if Rosie could still be a therapy dog. How would Maggie handle that?
Just as she’s handling this, Noah. He’d never seen such strength and compassion as she’d exhibited during this crisis.
* * *
In the recovery room, Maggie sat next to Rosie, murmuring prayers of thanks to the universe for her dog. She gingerly held Rosie’s left paw, as the right foreleg was used for the IV which administered antibiotics. Her head bent, she said, aloud, “Please Rosie. Try real hard to wake up. We’re going to go home, have some of the turkey you like, and water. I won’t leave your side.”
Bending her head, she shed a few tears but swiped them away immediately. What if Rosie died?
She choked up again, then felt movement. Maggie sat up. Rosie’s beautiful chocolate brown eyes opened. Her tongue came out. “Oh, Rosie, you’re awake.” She gestured to Mark in the corner. “Come over, please.”
He moved to the table. “Hey, Rosie, hi girl.” Rosie blinked. “Maggie, want to move back for a second?” He looked at Rosie’s eyes, mouth and ears and listened to her heartbeat. He checked that the bandage was only stained with blood, not puss. And inspected her IV. “My expert opinion, Maggie, is that she’s going to be fine.”
Only then did Maggie burst into tears. Mark pulled her close and held her.
When she was composed, he said, “She has to stay overnight, at least one night. We’ll know tomorrow if she needs more time here.”
“I figured that. I’m just glad she’s going to get better.”
“You’re going to have a hell of a time keeping her still.”
“I’ll lie down with her all day long.”
He laughed. “I don’t think that will be necessary.
The nurse entered the room. “Mr. Carson would like to come in.”
Maggie said, “Let him, please.”
In minutes, Noah walked inside. “She’s awake!” He walked to Rosie. “Hey, girl. You’re okay.” He sucked in a deep breath and his voice practically croaked. “Thank God, you’re okay.”
He put his arm around Maggie and she turned into his shoulder. Mark coughed and stepped back.
When Maggie drew away, Noah asked him, “What now?”
“She has to stay here overnight. Maggie, you need to go home by five. That’s as long as owners can come back to this area.”
“Can’t I wait out there all night?”
Noah frowned.
Mark shook his head firmly. “No, you can’t. You need some sleep. At least some rest. You have to be able to take care of her. I insist.”
“All right.” She checked her watch. “It’s almost that.”
Reluctantly, Maggie bade him goodbye and she and Noah went out to an empty waiting room. “Do we have a car?”
“I asked Jack to send somebody over with mine. My keys are in my desk. Yours are still in your bag, which somebody grabbed for us to take.”
They thanked the staff then went out to the car and slid into the front. The heat felt wonderful. “It’s warmed up for us.” He sighed. “Maggie you did so good with this. You stayed focused and did what you had to do with grace and dignity.”
“Noah, what about the kids? I’m worried about this being a trauma they didn’t need.”
“The way you handled them, Maggie, was perfect. Asking for help from them made them feel useful.”
“How do you know?”
“Jill Danner was with them, without Brett, the rest of the day, with a sub as an aide. She got them to talk about the incident, and she said they were sad about Rosie but felt good that they helped. She had them make a card for her.”
“Poor Brett. He didn’t get reinforcement.”
“I know.” They’d have to talk about that later.
They drove to school, picked up their things and talked to the vice-principal. Maggie drove her car home, despite Noah’s protest, but he followed her.
When they arrived at the guest house, she saw a familiar SUV in the driveway. “I called Mom. She must have come up.”
They reached the door just as it flew open. Morgan and Meli, her teenage sisters, wrapped her in a hug. Maggie closed her eyes and relished it. They went inside and her mother took her into a warm embrace.
“Mags?”
She turned. Each of the girls linked arms with Noah. “You forgot him.”
“Noah. You remember my family?” she asked politely.
“Yes, I do. Hello, Mrs. Marino.”
“Hi, Noah.” Her mother focused on Maggie. “I was thinking we’d stay with you a bit. Kind of like a girls’ weekend.”
“Don’t you have work?”
“I could do it from here. But I won’t. I’m all yours.”
“What about you two? You playin’ hooky?”
“Yep. Tomorrow and Monday.” Meli shrugged.
Lila grasped her arms. “We need a full update, honey. Dad said she came through the surgery fine. And woke up. How is she?”
Maggie gave them details.
Noah added a few. “Your daughter was so strong and brave, Lila.”
“I’m sure she was.”
“We’ll help with the dog,” Meli told her. “Dylan and Durango have both worn cones. They get used to it.”
Morgan added, “We know how to be careful.”
“I’m sure you do and I’m so glad to have you here.”
She turned to Noah. “I guess they got me covered. Thanks for everything. I’ll call you.”
His brows rose. “I should go?”
“You must be tired.”
“All right.” He leaned over and kissed her quickly on her mouth. Then he turned and left.
For a minute, Maggie felt bad. But she knew she couldn’t afford to think about him. She had to concentrate on Rosie.
* * *
Noah kicked the snow near his car. What the hell? He’d been dismissed. And he had no idea why. She couldn’t be upset about their original split, because they’d made love and decided to go forward. He should go back in there and demand an explanation. But he wouldn’t because today had been horrific for her. She’d been brave and strong and rose to the occasion. And he’d been shocked. She’d hate that if she knew.
He drove out of the estate and up to the town near Stepping Stones. And sat in the car in front of HomeWork’s. If he went inside, people from school would probably still be there because it was Friday. And they’d ask questions. He wasn’t up to it.
So, he texted her.
Hey, Mags, I just want you to know I’m available to help bring Rosie home when she’s ready.
It was a long time before she answered. Dad and Uncle Gabe are coming up to bring her back.
I’m glad you’ve got help. I also need to know if you’ll be in school on Monday.
No, I’m taking a personal day.
Fine. See you soon. Call me if you can.
Nothing in return!
Even more depressed th
an before at her exclusion, he punched in his brother’s number. “Hey Kurt, how’s it going?”
“We’re good. You? You sound funny.”
“Would you like company this weekend? I don’t want to cramp your style.”
“No style to cramp. We were hoping to go out to dinner tomorrow night but we couldn’t get a babysitter.”
“Tell you what. I’d like to come see you. I’ll drive down tonight and you guys can go out Saturday. I’ll stay with the boys.”
“Come down. But you don’t have to take care of the kids.”
“I want to spend time with them too. I’m leaving tonight.”
“It takes two hours to get here.”
“If it gets late, leave your door open. Will I stay in the basement again?”
“Yeah. Are you all right, Noah?”
“Actually, I’m at loose ends.”
“Come down, then. Bring Hux.”
“I will. See you in the morning.”
Feeling better, he headed home to pack and get his own dog. The emotion of the day still had him revved so he could make the drive easy.
* * *
During the evening, Maggie called the vet twice and the nurses on duty said that Rosie had slept a few hours but now she was awake. She ate a few kibbles and drank water.
That night, Lila flopped down on the bed she would share with Maggie.
“Where are the girls?” Maggie asked. She’d been sitting against the headboard, checking her email on her phone.
“Finally settled in the guest room. They’re binging on reruns of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.”
“They like old shows.”
“Hmm.” Her mother’s hmm always meant she was thinking about something else. She turned on her side to face Maggie. “So, why were you so rude to Noah today?”
“Was I?”
“Didn’t you realize it, sweetheart? I know how upset you must have been before you knew Rosie was okay.”
“No, I know what I did. I wanted him to go.”
“Mags, why?”
“I think I’m mad at him.”
Lila waited like she always did for a complete answer.
“He kept saying how good I was dealing with everything. He even told our principal that.”