Fight for Life
Chapter Eleven
Gran has Mitzy stretched out on the operating table, the metal cold and gleaming under the bright exam light. Gran gently prods her stomach, and remarks that she won’t stop barking. She’s got some air in her stomach, along with lots of food. Maggie mentions she wrote down for Brenna how much to feed her. Maggie asks if it’s possible she got an infection from the puppies, her stomach tightening with worry. 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 carry Mitzy down the hall to the recovery room, where rows of quiet cages line the walls.
Maggie gently pets Mitzy as she sits in her cage, trying to keep her calm, while Zoe gently pets the puppies nearby. 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, assuming it’s nothing serious. 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, not moving at all.
Gran runs over and checks Dinky for signs of breathing, before shaking her head. Dinky is gone. Maggie’s throat tightens, and she blinks back tears as the room goes quiet.
Even though it’s late at night, shooting baskets always helps Maggie feel better, the ball’s rhythmic thump the only sound breaking the quiet. 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, swishing through cleanly.
Gran says they need to talk, her voice gentle. It’s been a rough couple of days. Gran adds that she’s sorry 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, her voice cracking a little, 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, even though she’s worked so hard. They haven’t even been able to talk at all. Maggie is really upset about the puppies, more than she even realized until now.
Gran says that she is right that they’re all so busy. It’s been like a zoo around the clinic lately. 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 with it.
Gran adds that Zoe will be staying a while longer. 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 hard to put on a good face despite it. Lastly, Gran will call the sheriff with information on the puppy mill.
Nodding slowly, Maggie says she just knows they’ll find the creep responsible.