there alone, with a bag of Cheetos in front of him, my hopes are dashed
against the rocks. He smiles at me when he sees me, standing like an idiot at
the end of the hallway. I walk the rest of the way down and pull out some cash
from my pocket, getting myself a bag of Doritos and a bottle of orange soda.
“So you do eat lunch,” he muses, making a point of looking
at the clock. It’s about ten minutes past noon. It wasn’t by design that I was
late, mostly just because I was too busy cleaning up Bandit’s mess when he
toppled his water dish after I put it in a second time.
“On occasion I eat, I guess.” I try for a smile; he said he
wanted to be friends. Friends smile at each other, right? I’ve forgotten what
it was like to interact with people on more than professional level. All this
time I think Jesse’s been trying to be my friend, but I had been too stubborn
to allow it.
“On occasion, I’d believe it. I think you should be eating
more than a bag of Doritos for lunch. Do you eat a celery stick for dinner?” I
narrow my eyes at his teasing and pop a chip into my mouth. With his prodding, I’m
beginning to forget about the fact that he asked me on a date yesterday.
“I eat plenty for dinner, even pizza sometimes. Besides, I
had a large breakfast this morning,” I lie to him smoothly; at least, I think
it’s smoothly. He gives me a knowing look and takes a sip of water.
“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Neither one of us says
anymore as we munch on our separate bags of chips. I’m wondering if Baby will
be able to handle the people who are going to come in this afternoon or not
when Gail comes in through the door that leads to the outdoors. She looks
relieved when she finds Mason sitting at the table, and pushes her hair out of
her face.
“I’ve left the mother and her pups at home for now in an
extra-large dog crate. But one of them has stopped eating, so I’m going to have
to run some tests. But finish your lunch first; I’ll be in the exam room when
you’re finished.” Mason rolls up his bag of Cheetos and looks at me
apologetically before he answers Gail.
“I’ll be there in a minute, let me just wash my hands.” Gail
nods before she heads back out the door to retrieve the puppy. Mason turns his
attention on me and sits back down in his chair, one leg outstretched towards
mine. “So you’ll be here tomorrow?” He asks, a cocky grin on his face. I can’t
help it; I grin back at him and nod. He takes off after that, throwing the
empty chip bag away and washing his hands.
I watch him leave and sit back in my chair, wondering if I
should even be friends with him. Gail comes back in through the lunchroom door
with a small puppy wrapped in a towel cradled to her chest. It’s so much tinier
than I would have imagined!
“Wow, is it the runt?” I ask her as I stand to get a look at
it. Gail looks down at it, worried, and nods. “Do you think maybe I could
help?”
“Sure, you can help me hold it still while I get a blood
sample.” She leads me down the hall to the exam room with the still puppy in
her arms. I’m no expert, but I think it ought to be making some type of
movement by now. There’s a bag hanging off Gail’s arm, and she slides it off as
she sets the puppy down on the exam table. I immediately scoop it up to keep it
from falling off, but I see now that there’s no reason to be afraid of that.
The poor thing is barely breathing.
“It feels cool to the touch,” I tell Gail, and she nods.
“Here, put it down your shirt and hold it close to your chest,
that will warm it up slowly. It’s dehydrated, and I’m going to need to put
fluids under the skin.” Mason chooses the moment I’m putting the puppy down my
shirt to come into the room, holding a can of puppy formula and a syringe. Gail
preps the needle full of fluids and as soon as she turns around I pull the
puppy back out.
Mason takes it from me gingerly and holds is so that Gail
and put fluids
against the rocks. He smiles at me when he sees me, standing like an idiot at
the end of the hallway. I walk the rest of the way down and pull out some cash
from my pocket, getting myself a bag of Doritos and a bottle of orange soda.
“So you do eat lunch,” he muses, making a point of looking
at the clock. It’s about ten minutes past noon. It wasn’t by design that I was
late, mostly just because I was too busy cleaning up Bandit’s mess when he
toppled his water dish after I put it in a second time.
“On occasion I eat, I guess.” I try for a smile; he said he
wanted to be friends. Friends smile at each other, right? I’ve forgotten what
it was like to interact with people on more than professional level. All this
time I think Jesse’s been trying to be my friend, but I had been too stubborn
to allow it.
“On occasion, I’d believe it. I think you should be eating
more than a bag of Doritos for lunch. Do you eat a celery stick for dinner?” I
narrow my eyes at his teasing and pop a chip into my mouth. With his prodding, I’m
beginning to forget about the fact that he asked me on a date yesterday.
“I eat plenty for dinner, even pizza sometimes. Besides, I
had a large breakfast this morning,” I lie to him smoothly; at least, I think
it’s smoothly. He gives me a knowing look and takes a sip of water.
“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Neither one of us says
anymore as we munch on our separate bags of chips. I’m wondering if Baby will
be able to handle the people who are going to come in this afternoon or not
when Gail comes in through the door that leads to the outdoors. She looks
relieved when she finds Mason sitting at the table, and pushes her hair out of
her face.
“I’ve left the mother and her pups at home for now in an
extra-large dog crate. But one of them has stopped eating, so I’m going to have
to run some tests. But finish your lunch first; I’ll be in the exam room when
you’re finished.” Mason rolls up his bag of Cheetos and looks at me
apologetically before he answers Gail.
“I’ll be there in a minute, let me just wash my hands.” Gail
nods before she heads back out the door to retrieve the puppy. Mason turns his
attention on me and sits back down in his chair, one leg outstretched towards
mine. “So you’ll be here tomorrow?” He asks, a cocky grin on his face. I can’t
help it; I grin back at him and nod. He takes off after that, throwing the
empty chip bag away and washing his hands.
I watch him leave and sit back in my chair, wondering if I
should even be friends with him. Gail comes back in through the lunchroom door
with a small puppy wrapped in a towel cradled to her chest. It’s so much tinier
than I would have imagined!
“Wow, is it the runt?” I ask her as I stand to get a look at
it. Gail looks down at it, worried, and nods. “Do you think maybe I could
help?”
“Sure, you can help me hold it still while I get a blood
sample.” She leads me down the hall to the exam room with the still puppy in
her arms. I’m no expert, but I think it ought to be making some type of
movement by now. There’s a bag hanging off Gail’s arm, and she slides it off as
she sets the puppy down on the exam table. I immediately scoop it up to keep it
from falling off, but I see now that there’s no reason to be afraid of that.
The poor thing is barely breathing.
“It feels cool to the touch,” I tell Gail, and she nods.
“Here, put it down your shirt and hold it close to your chest,
that will warm it up slowly. It’s dehydrated, and I’m going to need to put
fluids under the skin.” Mason chooses the moment I’m putting the puppy down my
shirt to come into the room, holding a can of puppy formula and a syringe. Gail
preps the needle full of fluids and as soon as she turns around I pull the
puppy back out.
Mason takes it from me gingerly and holds is so that Gail
and put fluids
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