Fight for Life

Author Laurie Halse Anderson
Originally Published © 2000 Laurie Halse Anderson
ISBN 014240862X
 

Chapter One

Mitzy is a full-grown Airedale terrier. She has a mostly tan, short, wiry coat with a black patch over her back. She has a long nose, a stubby tail, small ears, and a confused look in her eyes. Maggie has been trying to teach her how to sit for longer than it should take, and Maggie is getting frustrated. When Mitzy’s owners brought her in, she was warned that Mitzy was a bit “slow.” Maggie promised them that she could teach her basic commands.

Maggie’s Gran raises her, ever since her parents died when Maggie was a baby. Gran owns an animal clinic called Dr. Mac’s Place. She says that all animals are wild at heart. Kids, too. Gran always said that Maggie has her father’s freckles and her mom’s temper.

Mitzy stops chasing her tail and barks at Maggie. She must be dizzy. Maggie pulls gently on her leash and pushes down her rear end. She rolls onto her back, begging for a stomach rub. Maggie knows that if she gives a tummy rub, Mitzy will think she can do whatever she wants in a training session. So she pulls Mitzy to her feet, and forces her to sit again, this time staying for half a second.

Maggie leans down to scratch between her ears for praise. Then, she unclips Mitzy’s leash from her collar and she takes off. Mitzy is nothing like Sherlock Holmes, Maggie’s old, slightly overweight basset hound. He’s her only pet, but because their house is attached to Gran’s clinic, Maggie gets to spend as much time as she wants with the animals.

Gran calls out the backdoor that it’s time for Maggie to do homework. What a horrible word. Maggie can do a lot of things, but homework and school? No thank you. Maggie does try at homework. But she always messes up. Gran has been getting serious about Maggie’s grades. Gran keeps telling her that she needs good grades to get into veterinary school. She’s about to be in middle school, after all.

As Gran closes the door, her cat, Socrates, squeezes out. He’s a feline football fullback, all rust-colored fur and muscle. He likes to lie around and think a lot, as his name implies. Maggie calls Sherlock to her. She intends to show Mitzy how it’s done. At one word, Sherlock obediently sits, lays down, stays, and comes. Mitzy watches them, and Maggie hopes she’s learning something.

Suddenly, both dogs prick their ears toward the house. A new patient has arrived.

 

Chapter Two

The dogs dash to the front edge of the fence, with Maggie following behind. A frantic woman steps out of her car holding a limp puppy. She runs into the clinic. Maggie calls the dogs back. Sherlock comes straight away, but Mitzy just plops her tail to the ground. Maggie tells her to lie down, and she runs to the door. Maybe she’s not stupid at all, just confused.

Maggie herds the dogs inside and they’re greeted by friendly barks from boarding kennels. Mitzy is placed in her cage while Sherlock ambles to the door. Maggie can hear Gran inside the Dolittle Room, one of two exam rooms named by veterinarians in her favorite books. Maggie sticks her head inside the exam room.

Gran is a big woman. She’s taller than Maggie, has strong hands and arms, and wears bright colors. Her hair is short enough to dry with a towel, and she doesn’t wear makeup. Their patient is a black Labrador retriever, about maybe two months old. This little guy is way too thin for a puppy of his age. He’s lying on the table, his dark eyes sunk into his head. His coat is a dull black, dusted with white flakes.

Gran uses a stethoscope to listen to his heart and lungs, then feels his abdomen with her hands. When she tries to stand him up, he collapses on the table. The owner says she bought him at the farmer’s market on Penn Street two days ago. His name is Shelby. He was skinny and acted sleepy, but she thought he just needed some love. An hour ago, she came home to him lying on the floor.

Gran says he’s malnourished and probably has worms in his intestines. She’s going to take some tests on him. He’ll have to spend the night at the clinic. The owner worriedly runs her hands over Shelby’s back, writes down her phone number, and leaves.

As she does, the door bursts open again, this time with a man clutching a cardboard box, with twin toddler boys clutching his pants. Two identical black Lab puppies, looking exactly like Shelby, are sitting on a blanket in the box. He says something is terribly wrong.

 

Chapter Three

Gran doesn’t mind loud animals, but she hates it when kids cry. But she allows the father and his wailing twins into the exam room. Gran tells Maggie to take Shelby to the far end of the room. Maggie lays out a soft bed of clean towels. Gran tells the twins they can stay in the room as long as they remain quiet.

Gran cleans the exam table with disinfectant and dries it off. She takes the two little Labs out of the box. It’s like Shelby all over again. They’re scrawny, their fur is matted and dull, and their eyes are crusty. The man says he bought them at the farmer’s market last weekend. The seller didn’t say if they were vaccinated. Maggie clarifies if they were purchased at the Penn Street market.

After the father and the boys leave, Maggie is instructed to get two bags of lactated Ringer’s solution for the puppies, Inky and Dinky. Gran inserts a needle into a vein in each puppy’s right foreleg. The Ringer’s solution looks like a bag of water, but it containers electrolytes to help the puppies get their energy back.

Maggie goes to get some charts for the puppies. Lois, their last receptionist, quit last week. She’s been the third receptionist in three months. It’s hard to find a receptionist who isn’t allergic to fur or afraid of birds. As Maggie is rummaging through the messy desk, Maggie hears someone calling from the waiting room.

 

Chapter Four

A girl wearing a faded green “Save the Whales” sweatshirt leans at the counter. She has a long black ponytail. Maggie recognizes her from school. She also has a pet crow named Edgar Allan Poe Crow. She’s Brenna Lake, and Maggie is surprised when she says she’s the newest volunteer. Gran pokes her head into the waiting room. She says she’s glad Brenna made it. Maggie and Brenna look at each other awkwardly, not sure what to say to each other. Gran says that with Brenna around, Maggie will have more time for her homework. Uh-oh, the dreaded H-word. Brenna will help with the clinic chores after school. To start off with, the cages need cleaning, and the newest patients need eyes in the recovery room.

But this is all Maggie’s job. She can tell this just isn’t going to work. Maggie makes excuses to try to get out of studying. She says that it’s not fair to give Brenna so much work on her first day. Perhaps Maggie can study in the recovery room so she can be there to help Brenna with questions. Brenna says it would be nice to have Maggie there to show her around.

Shelby, Inky, and Dinky are sleeping in a puppy pen on the floor of the recovery room. A heat lamp shines over them. Maggie explains any patients recovering from surgery or from being sick lives in the recovery room. Gran is strict about everything staying spotless. Maggie shows Brenna to a double-decker row of cages against the back wall. She shows her how to take out the dirty newspaper, disinfecting and wiping the inside, and laying down clean newspaper. Brenna catches on quickly and cleans the second cage almost as fast as Maggie cleaned the first. Maggie will have to talk with Gran so that Brenna doesn’t take more of Maggie’s jobs.

Maggie drags out her backpack and flops on the floor with her social studies book. She has a government exam tomorrow. Brenna warns on her exam, she had to write an essay on the steps required to make a new law. Maggie knows laws start with ideas. State representatives vote on the law. Blah, blah, blah. Maggie finds her eyelids drooping. She needs a break.

Maggie says that Brenna isn’t using enough disinfectant. Without that, the cages will get moldy and gross. She reaches out for the bottle to show Brenna how to do it again. Brenna holds it out of reach and says she doesn’t want Gran to come in and see Maggie doing everything. The two glare at each other like stubborn mules until Brenna spritzes the tray again and wipes it with a paper towel. Maggie may have met her match.

Brenna tells Maggie that she cleaned Poe’s cage once when he was injured and living inside. He was shot with a pellet gun by kids not much older than herself. The intent was to set Poe free eventually, but now, he’s one of the family.

The two girls sit across from each other with the puppies in the warm pen between them. Dinky is still breathing quickly, the same rate as before. His fluid is dripping slowly, which means he needs less fluid than before. Maggie explains she learned everything from Gran, and from living at the clinic. Since her parents died in a car crash when she was a baby. The clinic is the only home Maggie remembers.

Maggie tucks a blanket around the shivering Dinky. He opens his mouth and yawns, then snuggles against Maggie’s palm.

Then Gran comes in. She looks serious. She says a litter of sick puppies is coming in. Gran will need extra help while she tries to find another vet or vet technician to come in. Their associate, Dr. Gabe, is doing goat vaccinations at a local farm. It sounds like the puppies are malnourished and wormy. She tells the girls to wash up.

 

Chapter Five

Gran hangs up the phone. She says everyone is busy. Brenna suggests they just get a couple more volunteers to help. Gran nods, and takes out the phone book from the back of the drawer. She says she’s calling David Hutchinson from across the street. Maggie knows he’s a goofball and a klutz, but Gran insists he’s close. Two minutes later, David gallops into the clinic. His bangs flop in front of his eyes, and he’s wearing a hockey jersey, old jeans, and untied sneakers.

Brenna says she knows David. They did a science project at school together, and he almost set the table on fire. He insists it was only a small explosion. Gran gives the three scrub tops and tells David to wash his hands, with soap and scrubbing his nails.

The bells on the front door jingle and Sunita Patel comes in, loaded down with books she borrowed. She’s one of the quietest kids from Ambler, Pennsylvania. She has chocolate brown eyes and long black hair. Her parents are both human doctors. She’s wearing loafers, khakis, and a purple turtleneck.

Gran says it’s perfect timing. They could use Sunita’s help. Sunit smiles and nods, but she’ll have to be home for dinner. Gran says she’ll need everyone’s eyes. She explains that seven puppies are coming in. She’ll decide who is sickest and who needs to be treated first. It’ll be the volunteers’ jobs to watch all the other pups. If their conditions change at all, they must tell Gran immediately.

 

Chapter Six

Just then, a woman carrying two large picnic baskets comes into the clinic. Gran brings her straight into the Dolittle Room. Gran opens the baskets to see six tiny collies plus a mutt. They’re all only a few weeks old. Gran says they’re dehydrated. Maggie is instructed to full surgical gloves with water to make warm beds for the pups. Brenna is instructed to roll the O2 canister over. Maggie shows her how to do it. Maggie shows the others how to fill the surgical gloves with warm water and tie them off, and lines them on the counter covered with towels.

Gran takes a larger pup out of the basket and hands it to Maggie, who takes him to a warm bed next to Brenna. She returns to Gran for another pup. As Gran hands over the pups, the owner explains she found the puppies in a dirty cage at the farmer’s market. They didn’t have food or water, and they were filthy. The owner yelled at them and rattled the cage when they whined.

Maggie knows it’s the same guy who sold Shelby, Inky, and Dinky. The owner explains she argued with him and threatened to report him to the Human Society for abusing the dogs. She followed him to his truck, where she offered all of her cash to take the puppies from him. Gran strides over to Sunita and says the collie she’s watching needs attention first. She says his breathing is fast and his lungs are congested. When Maggie takes his temperature under the collie’s tail, he doesn’t even notice. His temperature registers at 105°. A normal dog temperature is between 100 and 102.5.

Maggie gets a bag of Ringer’s solution and sets it out for Gran. She explains the fluids will replace what he lost from diarrhea. Gran fills a syringe with medicine, and inserts it into his foreleg.

As Gran moves onto the next puppy, Maggie says she thinks the mother is sick, too. The guy is running a puppy mill, or a place where dogs are bred in unhealthy conditions. They’re illegal and unethical. As David cranes his neck to see what Gran is doing, he loses his balance and bumps into the instrument cart. Everything crashes to the ground and the noise startles the puppies. Everyone turns to stare at David.

Maggie begins to pick up the mess and get Gran a clean instrument pack. Then, Sunita says one of her puppies had diarrhea, and there’s blood in it. Maggie grabs the towels to save fecal samples.

Gran moves meticulously between the puppies, trying to stabilize them. When Brenna calls out, Gran listens to a collie, who is shaking violently. She calls for an oxygen mask. Before Maggie can get it to Gran, the puppy goes still. Gran feels for a pulse, and then closes the dog’s eyes. She couldn’t find a pulse.

Tears cloud Maggie’s eyes and her stomach drops to the floor. Sunita and David look at the floor and Brenna holds her breath. The owner takes the wrapped puppy out so he can be buried.

Once they stabilize all the puppies, they’re moved to a special oxygen cage in the recovery room. Everyone’s eyes are glued to the puppies. Then, the front door slams shut. Dr. Gabe is back. Gran says they’ll relieve all the volunteers now. Gabe and her will take good care of them. Maggie should take them all to the kitchen for a snack.

 

Chapter Seven

Maggie loves the kitchen. It’s in the oldest part of the house. Gran has combined the original dining room and kitchen into one giant room with a fireplace and a couch, along with normal kitchen things. A sliding glass door looks out onto the patio and backyard.

David stretches on the couch and says he’s ready to be waited on. Brenna throws a pillow at his head. Maggie scans the pantry, and says there’s plenty of dog biscuits, but not much else to eat. Maggie pushes aside pasta, canned peas, and oatmeal to see the last of the Girl Scout cookies. There’s not many, so she pulls out some pickles as well.

Sherlock trots into the kitchen, looking healthy. Sunita asks what the best part of living there is. Maggie takes a bite of a pickle. She says it’s getting to know the patients. Animals are like people to her. The worst part is when an owner doesn’t treat an animal properly. And it’s hard not to get upset and cry when they die. But it’s such a rush to help animals and their owners that it makes up for the sad times. That’s why Maggie wants to be a veterinarian.

Brenna points out that’s why she should do her homework. Maggie flashes her a look, but she continues to say that Maggie hates homework. That’s why she was asked to volunteer—so that Maggie can get help with her clinic chores.

Sunita comments that she wishes she could come every day. David says that’s a great idea! They could all volunteer and come after school and on the weekends. They all stare at Maggie, and she’s speechless. Maggie finally says they’re used to doing things alone.

Brenna says they just need a plan to show Gran that they’re all needed. David admits that he always thinks positively. There’s no way she’ll say no to volunteers like them.

But all Maggie sees is trouble. Maggie may not be a real vet, but she knows how to do all the little stuff. She doesn’t want anyone else around. Just then, the phone rings. It’s Aunt Rose, Maggie’s father’s sister. She and Gran don’t talk much. Aunt Rose has a daughter named Zoe. Aunt Rose explains that she got offered a role in a new TV sitcom and is leaving for LA the next day. She’d like to talk to Gran.

Maggie has a funny feeling about this.

 

Chapter Eight

After Maggie hands over the phone, she asks Sherlock what she’s going to do. How does she express to Gran that she doesn’t want them to help out? Just then, she hears a thump from the waiting room. She pushes open the door to Brenna and David standing around a large plan that tipped over. Roots, dirt and all are lying on the floor. David and Brenna are yelling at each other that the other should clean it up because it’s their fault. Sunita looks at Maggie, and Maggie can tell she’s confused, too. Sunita explains that David tried to show off that he could dance, and he spun right into the plant. David insists he only ran into it because Brenna was in the way.

Sunita warns a patient is arriving in just a few seconds. David grabs the plant, Brenna pushes the pot under a chair, and Maggie scops up the dirt with her hands just as Mrs. Cooper walks through the door with a yowling cat carrier.

Maggie tells Sunita to take Mrs. Cooper and her cat into the Herriot Room. David plops the plant back in the pot, and Maggie empties the dirt in her hands on top. She buzzes Gran on the intercom to tell her that Mrs. Cooper is here.

David asks if he can get a tour of the clinic. Reluctantly, Maggie agrees. She shows David and Brenna the receptionists’ desk with the computer, and the operating room with the shiny equipment. Maggie takes extra care to tell David he can’t touch anything in there. On the way out, they run into Dr. Gabe.

Dr. Gabe explains that the puppies are doing just fine, sleeping soundly. Nodding, Maggie explains she’s giving a tour. Maggie points out the recovery room where they watch animals recovering from surgery or sickness. They usually have an assortment of critters in the cages, such as rabbits, ferrets, and dogs. And next, they have an unusual creature: Dr. Gabriel Donovan. He’s a real live veterinarian. He’s scruffy, but he doesn’t bite.

Dr. Gabe snaps his teeth and barks. Brenna giggles and blushes. Maggie admits that he is cute, but she can’t have a crush on him because he’s old, like twenty-eight or something. Dr. Gabe started volunteering there in high school and came back to be Gran’s associate when he graduated from veterinary school.

They move onto the lab, and Maggie says that’s where they analyze blood, urine, and fecal specimens. Brenna says David shouldn’t touch the microscope. Then, Maggie points out the X-ray room, followed by the Beauty Shop. Gran’s been talking about hiring a groomer to work there, but she hasn’t gotten around to it yet. Sometimes Maggie uses it to groom a boarder.

A vet clinic is like a small version of a hospital. They also need laundry machines, and a “cafeteria” so they can provide special diets to animals with different illnesses.

Lastly, they move to go to the boarding kennels. Maggie explains they’re kept separate from the animals in the recovery room. They have room for ten dogs, and each one has an inside cage, along with their own runs—long, fenced in areas where they can romp around. The last two doors are the supply closet and Gran’s office.

When they get back to the waiting room, Mrs. Cooper’s cat is yowling on her way to the car. Gran tells Sunita she has a real gift with cats. On their way out the door, David asks if they can come back tomorrow to help. Gran thinks it over for a second, before saying that won’t be necessary. They’re over the crisis, and they still have Brenna. But she couldn’t have done it without them today.

After the volunteers leave, Maggie turns to Gran. She looks like she’s a thousand miles away. Gran explains that in Aunt Rose’s call, they arranged for Zoe to be coming to stay with them a while. Maggie’s stomach twists. The last time Zoe and Maggie saw each other was a year ago. They didn’t get along so well. Gran says it’ll only be a couple of weeks until her mom gets settled in LA. It’ll be Maggie’s job to show her around and make her feel comfortable.

 

Chapter Nine

The next day, Maggie gets a 57% on her social studies test… a D-. She did study… honest! Now, Maggie has to go home and tell Gran. She’ll explode when she sees it.

David sits next to Maggie on the bus after school. He asks all kinds of questions about the puppies. As they exit the bus, everyone holds their bags over their heads to keep their heads dry from the rain. When Maggie opens the back door of the clinic, the dogs are yipping. Maggie hangs her dripping jacket and goes straight to the recovery room. The collies and mutt are out of their oxygen cage, which means they’re breathing better on their own. Shelby and Inky look stronger, but the smallest Lab, Dinky, has lost weight. On her way out, Maggie carefully puts all the dogs back in the pens and closes the door behind her.

Gran is in the Dolittle Room with a messy dog named Brigitte. She looks like a Yorkshire terrier. The hair inside her ears is caked with dried earwax and dirt. She asks how Maggie’s test went. Maggie pulls it out and hands it over. Her teacher, Mrs. Griffith, wrote her phone number on the top for Gran to call her. She tells Maggie to dial the phone and put it on speakerphone.

Mrs. Griffith ansswers on the first ring. Gran introduces herself and starts to trim the matted hair in Brigitte’s ears. Mrs. Grffith says that Maggie pays attention in class, but when it comes to written work or tests, it’s like she’s never heard of the material. Perhaps Maggie needs a tutor, as well as more time spent on her studies. If Maggie fails the class, she’ll have to repeat it in summer school.

After the phone call, Gran finishes tending to Brigitte’s ears. Maggie takes out a comb and begins to work through the tangles on Brigitte’s back. But then Gran demands she stops. Maggie is double-dog grounded. She can’t help out at the clinic at all until she writes the agreed-upon extra-credit report and gets a good grade on it. And she’s getting a tutor.

Maggie insists she can get the grades up without getting a tutor. she just needs to work harder. Gran looks carefully at Maggie over her reading glasses, and agrees to put a hold on the tutor. But Maggie needs to get a B or better. And she can’t come into the clinic at all until she proves herself.

Maggie argues that she’s needed around the clinic. Gran explains that she already decided that she changed her mind about the volunteers. David, Sunita, and Brenna can help with Maggie’s jobs in the clinic. And it’ll be good for Zoe to have more kids around so she can make friends.

Brenna follows a sullen Maggie to the boarding kennels where she’s shown the food bowls and giant bags of dry food. Maggie explains that each dog gets fresh water, and older dogs get special feed. Regular-size dogs like Mitzy get less food than a big dog. Brenna stops Maggie—she’s going too fast. Brenna can tell Maggie is irritable, so she asks what’s wrong.

Maggie explodes, saying that Gran banned her from the clinic until her grades come up. And she has to write a stupid report for social studies. There’s a guy running a puppy mill somewhere, and her starstruck cousin from New York is coming to stay with them. With a sigh, she admits that even when she works hard, she still gets Ds and Fs. School is what she sits through just so she can come back home. Maggie’s just not a good student.

Both Maggie and Brenna stare at the floor for a minute. Then, Maggie apologizes, and grabs a piece of paper to write down some notes. Before Brenna can say anything, David and Sunita come through the door. They each are carrying a “to do” list. It’s time for everyone to get to work. From the look in Gran’s eye, Maggie knows better than to argue. She turns to leave without saying a word.

Maggie sets up her homework at the kitchen table, but takes the next two hours doing anything but homework. She turns on ESPN, tries to play ball with Sherlock, and thinks about the sick pups in the clinic. The puppy mill is keeping her eyes wide open. And finally, just as Maggie is ready to settle down to study, the front doorbell rings. Behind it is a girl with long blond hair standing on the doorstep. It’s Zoe.

 

Chapter Ten

Gran heats up some lasagna and a can of corn for dinner. Zoe begins to make a face when she sees what’s on her plate, but she claims lasagna is her favorite food. Maggie can tell she hates it. She eats the corn one kernel at a time and mashes the lasagna into paste. Zoe says her private school in New York has the worst uniform, but they went on a field trip to Switzerland once to go skiing.

Maggie looks across the table. Who ever went to Switzerland on a field trip?! Zoe continues that when she goes to the studio, she can get so many autographs. Everyone on the set knows her. When Maggie asks her if she ever had a pet, Zoe shakes her head and said their penthouse didn’t allow pets. They’re kind of messy.

It seems Zoe hasn’t changed much since Maggie last saw her. She’s bubbly, perky, and too dramatic. Her clothes look like they came from a magazine cover. That evening, Maggie overhears Gran laughing with Zoe in the room next to Maggie’s. This is the perfect opportunity to sneak down to the clinic to check on the puppies.

Shelby and Inky are fast asleep in their pen. The puppies’ tummies are rounder. But Dinky is back on an I.V. drip. According to his chart, he still isn’t eating or drinking. Maggie can hear Mitzy barking, and a collie wakes up and licks Maggie’s hand. He gives a big yawn and blinks his eyes. He’s the puppy who had diarrhea. Maggie decides he should be called Beans. Maggie falls in love with him immediately, which makes her angry to think about the guy out there harming the helpless pups. Maggie has got to track him down.

Just then, Gran and Zoe walk in. Zoe squeals in a high-pitched voice and runs over to Beans, picking him up without supporting his bottom. Before anyone can say anything, Beans has another accident all over her fashionable skirt. Maggie bursts into laughter. Zoe drops the dog and runs out of the room, with Gran running after her.

A few minutes later, Gran comes back into the room to see Maggie cleaning up the mess. Gran snaps that she needs to finish her homework. And it’s not nice to laugh at Zoe. Zoe has a lot to get used to. Gran is very disappointed in Maggie.

Maggie doesn’t get it. Gran usually doesn’t have any patience with people who turn their noses up at puppy poop. But now, she has no patience with Maggie.

Later that night, Maggie is sitting trying to find a way to add basketball into her report on legislature and laws, but she can’t figure it out. When she looks at the clock, she realizes Gran has been in the clinic a long time. Maybe something is wrong. Maggie goes downstairs to see if her help is needed.

 

Chapter Eleven

Gran has Mitzy stretched out on the operating table. Gran gently prods her stomach, and says she won’t stop barking. She’s got some air in her stomach, along with lots of food. Maggie says she wrote down for Brenna how much to feed her. Maggie asks if it’s possible she got an infection from the puppies. Just then, they turn around to see Zoe, who asks if it’s dangerous.

Gran says sometimes a dog’s stomach can twist, and that can be dangerous. She wants to keep an eye on Mitzy. Gran wants to take an X-ray to see if it gets any worse. Zoe follows as Maggie and Gran take Mitzy to the recovery room.

Maggie gently pets Mitzy as she sits in her cage, as Zoe gently pets the puppies. She no longer wants to hold them. And then, Maggie hears a gasp from Zoe. Maggie rolls her eyes and doesn’t pay Zoe any attention. Zoe gasps again. Gran looks up from her notes and asks what’s wrong. Zoe points down to the puppies, and says one of them isn’t breathing. Sure enough, Dinky is lying very, very still.

Gran runs over and checks Dinky for signs of breathing, before shaking her head. Dinky is gone.

Even though it’s late at night, shooting baskets always helps Maggie feel better. The ball clangs off the rim and rolls into the shadows. Great, now Maggie won’t find the ball until morning. Then Gran comes out. She says that Maggie needs to bend her knees more. Gran tries to demonstrate it, but it bounces off the backboard. Gran tries again, and the ball arcs perfectly into the net.

Gran says they need to talk. It’s been a rough couple of days. Gran says she’s sorry that Dinky died. He was the sickest of all the pups. Gran knows Maggie is angry that she can’t volunteer, she’s grounded, and about Zoe.

Maggie slowly responds that she feels like she doesn’t live here anymore. There’s all these people everywhere, Gran is mad at her about school, and Maggie’s teacher thinks she’s not trying when she truly is. They haven’t even been able to talk at all. Maggie is really upset about the puppies.

Gran says that she is right that they’re all so busy. It’s been like a zoo around the clinic. How about after the puppies are healthy and the extra report is done, then the other volunteers can go home. The faster Maggie gets her work done, the faster she’s back in the clinic. Maybe the kids can help her.

Gran adds that Zoe will be staying a while. Maybe even like three months. Everyone thought Zoe would be going to LA sooner, but it looks like not this time. And this is very hard on Zoe, and she’s trying to put on a good face. Lastly, Gran will call the sheriff with information on the puppy mill.

Nodding, Maggie says she just knows they’ll find the creep.

 

Chapter Twelve

The next morning, Maggie wakes up feeling a little bit better. By the time she’s dressed, she has a plan to find the puppy mill. When Maggie goes downstairs, Zoe is in the kitchen trying to find the flour. Maybe they could make pancakes. Maggie says Gran isn’t much of a cook. They eat a lot of takeout usually. They can probably go to the store today.

When Gran comes in, Maggie asks her how the puppies are doing. Gran says that everyone came through the night safely. Mitzy’s stomachache is gone, but she should only have small meals today. She also finished Dinky’s autopsy. She wants to try to see how he died. He was dehydrated and had a respiratory infection, but what actually killed him was a congenital heart defect. That combined with his malnourishment and dehydration meant he didn’t stand a chance. Maggie knows she just has to find a way to the farmer’s market.

Zoe says they should hire a housekeeper or a cook to help them make dinner at the least. Everybody has one. Maggie takes the opportunity to suggest that they go to the farmer’s market. Zoe’s probably never seen one. Gran thinks that’s a great idea.

While Gran shows Zoe how to load the dishwasher, Maggie sneaks off to the clinic. All the pups are sleeping, but they’re doing just fine. Maggie assures them that she’s going to find out who treated them so badly.

The market is crowded. There are hundreds of stalls selling a little bit of everything. Gran, Zoe, and Maggie start down a long aisle and pass muffins, pickled beets, relish, and apple butter. Gran suggests they get some hot chocolate to start out with. Zoe agrees, but Maggie says they can start along without her. As they walk away, Maggie gets the inkling that Gran actually likes Zoe.

Maggie shakes her head and forces herself to get a grip. She has more important things to do. She moves through the aisles, asking farmers if they know of a man who sold puppies at the market last week. After a few tries, Mrs. Nestor says she remembers him. She says he lives on Lafayette Road. Maggie knows she’s going to get this guy. The puppy mill is history.

Maggie finds Gran and Zoe standing by the popcorn stand. She sees them joking around with each other. It sickens Maggie to see them laughing like that. When Gran asks if Maggie found what she was looking for, she just smiles. Maggie doesn’t want to trouble Gran with the puppy mill owner. She’s having too much fun with Zoe. Everything is fine.

 

Chapter Thirteen

Gran planned out the rest of the weekend for Maggie. She has to do everything in her power to help Zoe settle in. She has to clear some stuff out of the guest room. Old soccer uniforms, sneakers that don’t fit anymore, tests that Maggie never showed Gran, etc. Then, Maggie has to sit down to finish correcting her social studies test. She even has to fix her spelling mistakes.

The next day, on the way to school, Maggie stops in to say goodbye to Mitzy. Her owners are picking her up today. When they get on the bus, Maggie finds a place where she and Zoe can sit next to each other, but instead Zoe sits in another seat next to another student. By the time they get to school, Zoe and the other girl are acting as if they’re best friends. Go figure.

That day, Maggie takes the time in library to make a list of everything she knows about the puppy mill so far: litter of sick collies sold at the farmer’s market, along with black labs and the mutt, and the guy lives on Lafayet Road. She doesn’t seem to know much. She looks around. Everyone is actually doing homework. Sunita is sitting on the floor. Maggie knows Sunita’s the smartest of the other volunteers, and she’s the sweetest. So Maggie takes a deep breath, and crosses the room.

Sunita is confused. What is Maggie going to do when they find him? Maggie admits she doesn’t know. Sunita says there’s been some laws about animal abuse passed recently. She heads for the reference desk. It’ll be fastest if Mr. Margate helps them. He does indeed know exactly what they’re looking for. He passes over a book about the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which contains information about the puppy mill law.

Maggie opens the book, but the words look like millions of ants marching down the page. Maggie stares at the page. Sunita asks what’s wrong, and Maggie knows she has to ask Sunita for help reading. Otherwise she’ll never get the puppy mill shut down. Sunita is happy to help. She scans the table of contents, flips to the index, and dives in. It’s like watching a great author… the way she reads so fast and scribbles notes.

And then, just as soon as Sunita started, she says she found it. The Dog Purchaser Protection Act, Section 9.3. People who raise puppies for sale are required to provide them with a healthy environment. And they must be honest about any diseases the puppies may have. They have to make sure pups are given proper vaccinations, and they’re not allowed to mistreat them. Anyone who breaks the new laws have to pay big fines and may even be sent to jail.

This is all great. They can totally shut the puppy mill owner down.

Mr. Margate shows the girls where they can find a special phone directory which lists people by address. After Sunita corrects Maggie’s misspellings of the street name, they look for all listings for Lafayette Road. The list is over three pages. Maggie will need help narrowing the list down.

The bus ride home is loud and bumpy. Sunita sits next to Maggie, and they need to shout to be heard over the noise. Sunita says it could take days. Fifty names per column, three columns per page, three pages of columns. This is 450 names. Even if each call takes three minutes, it’ll take them more than eleven hours. But, if they ask Brenna, David, and Zoe for help, then it’d only take four and a half hours.

When the bus stops, Maggie scoots down the aisle a little bit to the others. One by one, she asks the others for their help. Brenna agrees instantly. Zoe smiles and says Mom says she’s good at talking on the phone. David’s friends are loud and obnoxious, but as Maggie turns away, he says he’ll be there. After the bus lets them off, they troop into the clinic.

Sunita hands out photocopied phone lists and Maggie assigns names to everyone. David uses the house line in the kitchen. Zoe takes the phone in Gran’s bedroom, and Sunita calls from the phone in the lab. Sunita helps them disconnect the modem so they can hook up an additional phone at the receptionist’s desk. And they still have another phone available for incoming calls.

Maggie says all they need to do is say they heard that there were puppies for sale. And with that, it’s time to start dialing. Dial, ask, hang up. Dial, ask, hang up. Brenna is great at this. But Maggie keeps messing up the numbers.

Brenna points out that Maggie mixed up the numbers. She dialed 463-9257 instead of 436-2597. She switched them. And then Maggie realizes. She runs to the sheet of paper with Mitzy’s feeding instructions. And sure enough, Maggie had written down 5.2 scoops of dry food instead of 2.5. Brenna did it exactly as written, but Maggie wrote the wrong thing!

Mitzy got hurt because of Maggie’s mistake. She put a patient in danger. Just then, surprising Maggie out of her thoughts, Sunita shouts that David found the puppy seller.

 

Chapter Fourteen

It only takes a few minutes to explain to Gran, but it takes Gran days to pull together “the necessary arrangements.” Gran wants to do things properly to ensure the animals are taken care of. Brenna grumbles about it all week. She thinks they should just swoop in and rescue the pups. But Maggie can see that’s a bad idea. David and Zoe cooked up a scheme to notify television stations, but Gran put an end to that one.

Finally, the big day is here. They drive through the pouring rain to Lafayette Road. Gran explains that good breeders provide pets with clean cages and food and water. They vaccinate them and are careful to only breed strong and healthy animals, with good personalities. But they won’t see any of that where they’re going. It’ll be filthy, and the dogs will be underfed and sick. Gran says any of them can stay in the car if they wish.

Maggie looks at her friends. David is anxious, Brenna outraged, Sunita worried, and Zoe concerned. But nobody backs out. They pull into a gravel driveway and see a hand-painted sign that says PUPPIES 4 SALE. The animal shelter van, driven by Captain Thompson, a retired army veteran, and a sheriff’s car pull in behind them. The animal shelter will take any healthy animals they can find. The sheriff will ensure everything is done legally.

In front of them is a two-story farmhouse and a small barn missing some windows that needs a fresh coat of paint. Maggie can hear the dogs barking painfully and sad. A man runs out of the house without a coat on. He is skinny and seems mean-tempered. He yells at them to get off his property.

Gran turns off the engine and tells the kids to wait in the car until she tells them it’s safe. Gran talks with the sheriff’s briefly, and then Gran knocks on Maggie’s window and tells the kids they can come out. The sheriff explains he has a warrant to look at the dogs, due to people complaining about the treatment of the dogs. Apparently, the two know each other because the sheriff calls him Larry. The puppy mill owner looks behind him. He says he hasn’t had a chance to clean them up today due to the rain. They should come back tomorrow.

Gran says she needs to inspect them now. Larry yells that he’ll call his lawyer and stomps into the house. Captain Thompson’s team from the animal shelter head to the front of the barn, and Gran, followed by the kids, go to the back. Maggie thinks maybe there’ll be four or five dogs, based on the barks.

But what they see was completely unexpected. It’s like a horrible jail for dogs. Dogs are crammed into small wire kennels, with ten kennels per row. Chocolate and yellow Labs, collies, and terriers. They’re all hungry and dirty. The kennels aren’t protected from the rain, and the dogs don’t have anywhere to go to the bathroom. A few dogs bark wildly at them, but the rest look too malnourished and tired to make any noise. Some have open sores where their fur has been rubbed away.

Maggie blinks to get rid of the tears in her eyes. How can anyone treat animals this way?

It takes more than an hour for Captain Thompson’s team to remove the dogs from the kennels. Gran examines each one quickly to decide who gets to go to the shelter and who needs to go to the clinic. Gran tells Captain Thompson’s team how to feed all the dogs properly. The van ends up needing to make two trips.

When they’re finally ready to take the rest of the animals back to Gran’s clinic, Gran instructs the kids to be puppy incubators, and to hold the freezing puppies in a towel close to their body skin. They look out the window to see the sheriff shaking hands with Larry, smiling at each other. Maggie hands her puppy over to the others and dashes out the door. She counts the strikes of lightning and the thunder. It’s close, and Maggie is petrified, but she keeps going.

Maggie asks if Larry is going to be arrested. The sheriff says that Larry tried to take care of the animals. But he lost his job and hurt his back. Larry shakes his head side to side, as if he really cared about the dogs. What a fake! The sheriff says Larry got a warning and he’ll have to help out with Dr. Mac’s vet fees.

Maggie is furious. She fumbles in her pocket and pulls out her notes from the library. She says that Larry has to be charged. According to the Dog Purchaser Protection Act, Section 9.3. Half the dogs look ready to die. Larry should be charged with neglect, abuse, and cruelty. The sheriff uses his radio to contact the office. The sheriff taps his boot impatiently.

The sheriff listens to his dispatcher, and then looks up. He says Maggie is right. Larry will have to be charged. Maggie turns around to see Gran standing behind. Her hair is plastered to her head, the rain soaked her sweatshirt, but her eyes are warm and proud. She gives Maggie a big hug.

 

Chapter Fifteen

The clinic looks like a veterinarian’s version of 101 Dalmations. So many dogs, and they all need a doctor. Dr. Gabe called for help when Gran and the others were still at the puppy mill. So a couple of his friends from vet school came to help.

Gran says each dog needs a number, ID tag, and a chart. The vets run around the clinic back and forth. Maggie knows the kids are in the way. David sits in a chair in the waiting room. Zoe heads for the kitchen with Sunita to use the phone. Just then, Maggie hears Gran calling for her help. Gran says she needs everyone to scrub up and go to the recovery room.

David is in charge of transporting stabilized patients to recovery. He works quiet and fast, not joking around this time. Sunita and Brenna move Shelby and Inky in with the collie pups and the mutt. Sunita turns on the heat lamp so her patients won’t catch a chill. Gran instructs Zoe to stand by the oxygen cage. If anyone starts breathing fast, count their breaths and let Gran know if the dog is breathing more than fifty breaths a minute. Maggie is in charge of supplies. She drops off packages of clean instruments to each team.

The storm rolls around them, with lightning and thunder. The dogs in the boarding kennels are terrified. They howl and scratch. Brenna offers to calm them down. Maggie checks on all the puppies in the pen. There are more fleas here than she’s ever seen at once, but everything looks under control.

The lights flicker as lightning strikes nearby. Gran says she has an emergency generator in case lights go out. The recovery room cages are nearly full. The vets are cleaning up. It looks like they’re almost finished.

Then, Gran goes silent. The tiny yellow Lab in her hands is failing fast. Maggie says one oxygen canister is empty, and Dr. Gabe is using the other. The puppy stops breathing. Gran bends down and blows into the pup’s nose. After each puff, Gran listens to the heartbeat.

Maggie runs to the operating room and tells Dr. Gabe Gran is doing artificial respiration on a Lab. Dr. Gabe nods and picks up the puppy on his table, and steadies the oxygen lab on its face. He instructs Maggie to bring the canister.

The two of them carefully cross the clinic until Dr. Gabe can set his puppy down next to Gran’s. Gran takes the small oxygen mask off of Dr. Gabe’s puppy and puts it on the one she’s helping. All of a sudden, the little Lab wrinkles her nose and coughs. She’s going to make it.

It’s past eleven o’clock when Gran takes the other kids home. They’re all tired, but satisfied knowing they helped to save lots of animals. All twenty-five puppies are asleep, but Zoe and Maggie are too keyed up to go to bed. Zoe suggests they make real hot chocolate out of cocoa, sugar, and milk.

Zoe says it was so cool how they went in and saved all the dogs. She asks if it’s always that hectic around here. Maggie says it’s not usually that crazy, but they do have their moments. Zoe says it reminded her of an emergency-room scene in her mom’s old show. The two talk and laugh quietly as they prep and sip their hot chocolate.

When Gran comes in, Zoe yawns and heads upstairs to bed, happy she’ll get to sleep in the next day. Gran reassures Maggie that everyone is doing great. And Maggie was the one who got it all started. She found the puppy mill and ensured the owner was arrested. Maggie will be great vet someday.

Looking down at her cup of hot cocoa, Maggie admits that Gran was right. She’ll never be a vet if her grades don’t come up. She needs a tutor. Maggie confesses how she switched up the numbers for Mitzy’s feeding schedule.

Gran takes a deep breath, and says it’s important to remember that there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. They never could’ve managed it tonight without the other vets and volunteers. But still, Gran made a promise. As soon as Maggie’s grades are up, she’ll tell the kids they’re not needed anymore.

 

Chapter Sixteen

The following Saturday, Gran and Zoe chase Maggie out of the house right after breakfast. Maggie rides her bike down to her tutor’s place. Her tutor is a retired teacher named Mrs. Shea. So far, things are going well. Maggie tells her that she got an A for content on her report, especially on how she wove in the new puppy mill law and the explanation. But she got a C for mechanics and spelling.

When Maggie gets home, she finds Brenna, David, and Sunita out on the front lawn. They say that Dr. Mac won’t let them in. They all received handwritten notes from Dr. Mac telling them to come, but now she won’t let them in.

At exactly noon, the door swings open to Gran’s smile. Gran leads them into the kitchen, which smells like cake. Zoe is by the sink, piled high with dirty mixing bowls and cake pans. Zoe pulls out a giant cake with white frosting with the words “Thank You” written on top with chocolate icing. Gran takes a cake-cutting knife and cuts the cake into five fat pieces.

Gran mumbles that it was Zoe’s idea. Apparently Zoe wanted to bring in a caterer, but Gran wouldn’t let that happen. Then, Gran straightens up and announces that Captain Thompson found homes for nearly all the dogs he took back to the shelter. He came by in the morning to take pictures of the puppies left. He’s going to start a waiting list for when they’re ready to go to a good home.

Maggie hears a noise under the table. She looks down to see the mutt sitting there, playing with Sherlock’s tail. Zoe says she named him Sneakers, and Gran says they may even get to keep him. Gran says he’s been sneaking around as if he already owns the place. Maggie asks what’s going to happen to the other animals. Gran says that Shelby was given to the twins, since Dinky won’t be going home. Inky and Shelby became close friends.

Gran says she wanted to throw the party to say thanks to each of them. She even got them each a present. She pulls out an envelope from a cardboard box. She says it’s for Brenna to make a donation to an animal rescue of their choice. For Sunita, a book on feline anatomy, and for David a Three Stooges video. And for Zoe, a lab coat of her own, so she doesn’t need to ruin any more shirts. And for Maggie, a calculator that prints out past work on a strip of paper.

Gran pushes up her sleeves, and says that they all surprised her. They’re a good team. But now, things are back to normal, and they won’t need—

Dr. Gabe sticks his head in the door. He asks if there’s more cake. As Gran cuts him a piece, Maggie looks around at all of her friends. She realizes right then what she needs to do. She takes a deep breath, and stands up.

Maggie thanks them all for their help. She’s learning that asking for help is a good thing. Maggie admits she was hurt when Gran invited Brenna to help out. Then, David and Sunita were in, and she was out. And then to top it off, Zoe came to stay. Maggie felt like she was losing her place and wasn’t needed anymore. But, there’s plenty of work at a veterinary clinic. Plenty of work for Maggie to do, but also for Brenna, David, Sunita, and Zoe. They should let them all stay. And then Gran would have more time to spend doing her newspaper columns and research, and Maggie more time with Mrs. Shea.

Maggie wants them all to work together. Gran shoots Maggie a look… is she sure? Nodding her head, Maggie says she’s sure.

Gran stands up and rinses her plate in the sink. She turns around to look at everyone looking at her. What is everyone waiting for? It’s time to get started!

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