a few dogs made it back with us to the U.S. One of my buddies was able to adopt one and bring him home.” Trevor looked down at Buddy and ruffled his fur then looked up at Theo. “I’m glad we can be here for you.”
Theo squeezed his eyes tight to hold back the tears and made himself take slow, deep breaths. The minutes ticked by as they waited silently for the results. It hadn’t been that long ago he’d sat in an ambulance holding Jean’s hand. She’d been on dialysis for stage 4 kidney failure, and in and out of pain. But then she would seem to bounce back and seem fine again. Regret circled him. After she was stabilized, he’d taken a cab home and promised to be right back with her things. As he’d walked in his front door, his phone rang, and his heart stopped. He wasn’t sure it had ever really restarted after that. Jean was gone. That fast.
The door to the treatment room opened and jolted Theo back to the present. All eyes were on Dr. Harris as she gave them an encouraging smile. “He’s resting more comfortably now. Wally was very dehydrated, but the fluids are helping. Has he always had a heart murmur?”
Theo nodded. “He has, but it never seemed to bother him before.”
The vet continued. “It is common for beagles, especially at his age, to have some heart issues. That is what we suspected. It’s a good thing you brought him right in.”
“Can I take him home tonight?” Theo asked.
“We would like him to stay with us for a while so we can keep a close watch and possibly do more testing. We have him on some medication and we’re hoping he will respond well to it.”
Theo felt frozen to the spot. He did not want to leave. What if this was a repeat of the drive home after leaving Jean at the hospital?
“Can I stay and wait?” he asked.
“It’s 5:00 a.m. now,” Dr. Harris said. “I’ll call you later this afternoon, and we can go over everything. There’s a very good chance that Wally will be ready to go home with you then.”
“I don’t mind waiting,” Theo said.
Dr. Harris offered him a sympathetic smile. “I know how you feel. But I’m afraid our accommodations are not that comfortable here. And besides, you look like you could use some rest yourself. You want to be refreshed for when Wally comes home so you can take the best care of him.”
Theo knew she was right and felt that Wally was in good hands. Reluctantly, he followed Trevor and Buddy back to the car.
“They’ll take good care of him,” Trevor said. “They seem like pros. Right on top of things.”
Theo could barely register Trevor’s words. Everything seemed in a fog as they drove home. For quite a while Theo just stared out the window. Then he felt a furry nudge coming from the back seat. Buddy had pressed his head through the two front seats and was resting it on Theo’s arm. Comfort spread through his body and he was finally able to breathe again as they made their way home.
When the sun tipped its head over the distant hills, his house came back in sight. Theo was desperate not to go back inside without Wally. Yet, if he didn’t enter, the call would never come.
Trevor walked around to the passenger door and lent Theo a hand as he exited the car. “I’ll walk you in,” he said.
Theo shook his head. “No need. Go get some sleep and take care of Buddy.”
Trevor hesitated. “Please call me the minute you hear or if I can do anything.”
“There is one thing you could do,” Theo said. “Please call Shelby and let her know what happened and that the dog park is closed for…now.”
“Will do,” Trevor said. “I’ll just wait until you get inside.”
Theo unlocked his front door and waved Trevor off. He walked slowly into the living room. It was so empty. No wife. No dog. He sat at the edge of his couch and rocked his trembling body back and forth. Wally’s bed was empty. No sweet face and warm furry body greeting Theo this morning. How did anyone survive losing a dog? He would never, never get another one. He stood up and shakily walked to his bedroom and lay fully dressed on top of the covers. There was no way he could sleep. His eyes faced the phone on the nightstand as