is hurt. Do you think you can drive me to the vet? I don’t trust leaving him in the car with me since he might get even more hurt.”
“Uh, sure. Let me just get cleaned up a bit and I’ll be on my way. Are his eyes cloudy or something? I’ve heard that means they have a fever. Or something.”
She could hear him moving around his room getting ready and it made her chuckle. It made sense that someone as wonderful and sensitive as Grayson knew something about taking care of defenseless animals. “No, his eyes are pretty bright. His foot looks mostly normal but he was limping when he walked.”
“Huh, weird. You’re waiting at that place near 104th, right? I’ll be there soon.”
“Thanks, Grayson.” Skylar hung up and sighed happily as she lightly pet the duckling’s head. He didn’t seem highly appreciative of this treatment but allowed it since he was not able to fight very hard to get free, anyway. Grayson was so sweet, coming to help her like this. She would have to tell Tara all about it as soon as she was home and didn’t have a handful of panting duckling.
The little waterfowl had calmed down enough that she was sitting with him in her lap by the time Grayson pulled up to the front of the building. He waited patiently for her to wave to the other instructor and thank him for staying with her. Grayson smiled at her companion and she pet his head again to prove that she could.
“Thanks for coming to get me,” she said. The car smelled odd to her but she quickly dismissed it as not being all that important. Everyone’s car smelled different, after all. Hers probably would smell odd to him.
“It’s not a problem. Do you know where the vet is from here?”
“No, actually, unless the vet we take Nellie to helps ducks, too. Do dog vets help ducks?”
“Hmm, let me see,” he said as he pulled out his phone to look up the information. “Seems like we don’t have many options. Most animal hospitals around here closed an hour ago. We could go to one of the urgent care places but it’s a good half hour drive.”
“I don’t have any plans tonight if you don’t,” Skylar said shyly. “I can pay you for the gas.”
“No, that’s fine. Do we have some water or something for him?”
“I brought a cup from inside. I think he should be fine on the trip, he seems like he’s been breathing better when he’s been out of the heat.”
“Where did you find him?” Grayson asked as he started the voice guidance and started to drive across town.
“Right there,” she said as she pointed to the spot she had seen the duckling limping along. “At first I thought that he was just lost but then he was moving oddly so I used my hoodie to pick him up and bring him inside.”
“Did you see any other ducks around?” he asked.
“Um, no, I forgot to look. I was a little distracted by him,” she admitted a bit sheepishly. “Do you think maybe his mother’s looking for him?”
“Probably not,” he shrugged. “He doesn’t look that little, and if he was by himself then he has probably outgrown being around his mom.”
“I just can’t tell if something is up with his foot because I haven’t been this close to them before. I am not sure how to see if there’s something wrong. I have seen them in cages at petting zoos and such but haven’t ever held them before.”
“Well, the vet will know what’s up. It’s sweet that you want to help him so badly,” Grayson said as he flashed her a smile.
She smiled shyly back at him. “I just hate to
“Uh, sure. Let me just get cleaned up a bit and I’ll be on my way. Are his eyes cloudy or something? I’ve heard that means they have a fever. Or something.”
She could hear him moving around his room getting ready and it made her chuckle. It made sense that someone as wonderful and sensitive as Grayson knew something about taking care of defenseless animals. “No, his eyes are pretty bright. His foot looks mostly normal but he was limping when he walked.”
“Huh, weird. You’re waiting at that place near 104th, right? I’ll be there soon.”
“Thanks, Grayson.” Skylar hung up and sighed happily as she lightly pet the duckling’s head. He didn’t seem highly appreciative of this treatment but allowed it since he was not able to fight very hard to get free, anyway. Grayson was so sweet, coming to help her like this. She would have to tell Tara all about it as soon as she was home and didn’t have a handful of panting duckling.
The little waterfowl had calmed down enough that she was sitting with him in her lap by the time Grayson pulled up to the front of the building. He waited patiently for her to wave to the other instructor and thank him for staying with her. Grayson smiled at her companion and she pet his head again to prove that she could.
“Thanks for coming to get me,” she said. The car smelled odd to her but she quickly dismissed it as not being all that important. Everyone’s car smelled different, after all. Hers probably would smell odd to him.
“It’s not a problem. Do you know where the vet is from here?”
“No, actually, unless the vet we take Nellie to helps ducks, too. Do dog vets help ducks?”
“Hmm, let me see,” he said as he pulled out his phone to look up the information. “Seems like we don’t have many options. Most animal hospitals around here closed an hour ago. We could go to one of the urgent care places but it’s a good half hour drive.”
“I don’t have any plans tonight if you don’t,” Skylar said shyly. “I can pay you for the gas.”
“No, that’s fine. Do we have some water or something for him?”
“I brought a cup from inside. I think he should be fine on the trip, he seems like he’s been breathing better when he’s been out of the heat.”
“Where did you find him?” Grayson asked as he started the voice guidance and started to drive across town.
“Right there,” she said as she pointed to the spot she had seen the duckling limping along. “At first I thought that he was just lost but then he was moving oddly so I used my hoodie to pick him up and bring him inside.”
“Did you see any other ducks around?” he asked.
“Um, no, I forgot to look. I was a little distracted by him,” she admitted a bit sheepishly. “Do you think maybe his mother’s looking for him?”
“Probably not,” he shrugged. “He doesn’t look that little, and if he was by himself then he has probably outgrown being around his mom.”
“I just can’t tell if something is up with his foot because I haven’t been this close to them before. I am not sure how to see if there’s something wrong. I have seen them in cages at petting zoos and such but haven’t ever held them before.”
“Well, the vet will know what’s up. It’s sweet that you want to help him so badly,” Grayson said as he flashed her a smile.
She smiled shyly back at him. “I just hate to
Similar Books
