Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 74227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
“I like you, Lark,” Dr. Castleberry said. “Can you go full-time?”
Before I could reply, a woman came in, frantically crying, with a dog in her arms.
“Dr. Castleberry!”
I frowned at seeing Krisney so frantic. Normally she was so fun…though I had a feeling that was an act.
Then I saw the dog in her arms, who was bleeding down the front of her shirt.
Dr. Castleberry abruptly turned into business mode, walking forward and bypassing everyone in the waiting room for Krisney.
Krisney held the dog out, and I saw that the dog was a schnauzer of some sort. Maybe a mix. He was also pretty mangled and looked like he’d gone a round or two with a big dog.
“What happened?” the old doc asked.
Krisney went to wipe her eyes but stopped when she saw the blood on her hands.
“The property I just bought has a bunch of old game traps on it. On our walk today, Pepé stepped on one.” She sniffled. “I had to use a stick to get him out, but he struggled.”
My stomach dropped.
“Got it,” the old doc barked. “Marissa. OR one. Now.”
With that, the two left, taking the still bleeding dog with them.
I walked over to the counter and grabbed a bunch of paper towels that were normally stored there for the unfortunate accidents that puppies normally had. This was the first time cleaning up blood, though.
Once I had it all cleaned up, I gestured to Krisney.
“Come back here and let’s get your hands washed up.” I snapped my fingers at her.
Krisney swallowed and nodded, her eyes going to the bloody paper towels in my hand.
“Okay.”
“Tell me about Pepé,” I said, trying to get her mind out of whatever hell she’d put it in.
“Pepé. Pepé Le Pew.” She sniffled and walked to the large basin that we normally used to bathe dogs in and started washing her hands. “I got him when I was with Reed. Actually, Reed and I…err…I adopted him from the animal shelter. He was the cutest little thing. He’s gone everywhere with me. Seen the world with me. He’s my constant companion.” She wiped her eyes, then turned an imploring look toward me. “I can’t do it without him.”
I studied my friend—it was new, and I wasn’t a good friend all the time—but I felt for her.
“Do you want me to call Hennessy?”
Krisney acted like I hadn’t said a word.
“I’m all alone,” Krisney whispered painfully.
I ran my hand down her arm. “I’ll go check on him. Bring you an update, okay?”
She didn’t acknowledge that I’d said a word. She was locked in her own head and staring blankly at the water as it swirled down the sink.
My gut clenched even tighter.
I knew that feeling—being alone.
I’d felt it every day after I’d married Sal. Baylor was slowly eliminating that feeling from my life.
I knew what it felt like, how bad it hurt.
And I saw that same hurt in my friend’s eyes.
Vowing then and there to be a better friend, I hurried toward the doors of OR one and pushed through.
The first thing I heard made me wince.
“Marissa, dear. I need you to hold the pup down, or I can’t get the IV started.” Dr. Castleberry was scolding the woman that’d just been telling me I was so good with the animals.
Marissa tried, but every time the dog cried out, she cried, too.
“I can’t,” Marissa apologized, letting go.
I stepped in, placed my hands down on the dog, and held him in place.
The blood on my hands was hot and thick, and I closed my eyes as I pressed down even harder.
The dog yelped, making me feel like a complete asshole.
But less than a minute after I first put my hands on him, the dog’s struggles weakened before there was nothing left but his ragged breaths.
“There,” Dr. Castleberry said. “Marissa, go inform Pepé’s owner that we’re starting.”
Marissa, dismissed, walked away and didn’t look back.
“Go put gloves on, dear,” Dr. Castleberry ordered.
I did after washing my hands, and walked back up to the table, waiting for his next request.
We worked in silence for a while. Long enough that I wasn’t expecting the question that came out of his mouth.
“And you got married?”
I smiled at that. “I did. Three days ago.”
“That’s amazing. I’m so happy for you,” Dr. Castleberry said. “Would you like me to give you a few days off for a honeymoon?”
I shook my head. “We’re going on one, but it’s going to be next year sometime.”
“Kind of quick, wasn’t it?”
I frowned. “I guess you could say that. But Baylor and me? We’re like two kindred souls. It’s easy when you find someone that is the second half of your soul—the person who gets you like no one else gets you. I may not have known the man long, Dr. Castleberry, but I’ve known him long enough to know that I love him. That I can’t see myself without him. That I don’t want to wake up in the morning without him at my side.”