Con-fi ch 3

Chapter Three




It was just past four when David finally won his battle against traffic and made it home.  He opened the front door very quietly, hoping to sneak up on his wife and surprise her.  When he stepped into the living room he could hear her bustling around in the kitchen.  

David stepped into the doorway and leaned casually against the frame, waiting for her to look up an notice him.  Jenny was preoccupied with a wiping down the countertop while she danced to a song that only played in her head.  David softly cleared his throat and she jumped back as if a snake on the counter had bitten her.  

“David!”  She admonished as she threw her cleaning rag at him.

“No wonder I don’t come home early, look at the reception I get.”  David chuckled.

“You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Don’t worry, I would have know what to do.”

“Wait a minute, you can’t be my husband, it’s barely four o’clock.”  

“Well at least the pool boy has already come and gone.”  David teased.

“Yeah, but he had to jump over the back gate naked when he heard the car pull up.”

“Ouch.”  David cringed.  “I hope he took track in High School.”

Jenny laughed and came over to throw her arms around David.  She pulled his lean muscular frame closer and he gratefully returned the affection.  Jenny tried to pull away, but he caught her and drew her into a deep kiss.  He had ever intention of continuing the ardor to its logical conclusion when he was stopped by a pitiful whining sound.

“Cainus interuptus.”  David muttered.

“I’ll go let him in.”

“Perhaps I’ll go up stairs.”

“Dessert before dinner?”  Jenny asked with a raised eyebrow of mock disapproval.

“It’s the only way to live.”

“I’ll be up in a second.”

David gave her one last kiss before she turned towards the back door.  David walked back into the living room, pulling his tie loose in the process.  He kicked off his shoes and tossed them in the general direction of the hall closet.  He was halfway up the stairs when Jenny’s strained voiced rang through the house.

“David!”  Jenny screamed in obvious distress.

“What?!”  David cried back as he flew back down the stairs.  “What’s wrong?!”

“It’s Sam!”

David rushed to the back porch where his wife was in hysterics.  When he got there he found their Golden Retriever, Sam, was having some sort of attack.  The dog was laying on his side kicking and drooling heavily.  David hurried out to him and lifted the ill dog off the lawn.

“Call the vet, let them know I’m on my way.”  He ordered.

“Of course...poor Sam...”

“He’ll be alright.”  David said unconvincingly.

David carried Sam out to the car and laid him down along the back seat.  The Retriever was trembling violently and whimpering.  David stroked his yellow fur reassuringly and then got into the car.  

He’d never noticed how long a drive it was to the vet until now.  He had cautiously run three red lights, but no cop had seen him to slow him down.  Barely arriving at the vet with his own life David threw open the back door and gathered the large dog up in his arms.  The vet clinic was ready for his arrival and had someone holding the door open for him.  

“Right this way, Dr. Tamaki, we’re going right through into the surgery room.”

David followed the veterinary technician through the waiting room, past startled clients, and into surgery.  He placed Sam down on the metal table and once again stroked at his silky fur.  The vet had a series of injections ready and pushed the fluids into the shaking canine.  

“What happened?”  The vet asked.

“I...I don’t know.  I had just come home from work.  Sam had been playing in the yard, like always.  Then he was like this.”

“Do you use any chemicals on your lawn?”

“Chemicals?  No, and the garage isn’t accessible from the backyard so he didn’t get into any anti-freeze.”

“He looks like he’s been poisoned to you too?”  

David nodded.  

“It could have been a Bufo frog, they’re very dangerous.”  The vet stated and then turned to the young tech.  “Tammi, get me some carbon and get some fluids in him.”

“Right away.”

David turned away as they forced some crushed carbon in water down Sam’s throat to try and soak up any of the poison that might still be in the animals stomach.  He looked down at the floor and noticed for the first time that he wasn’t even wearing any shoes.  Hot tears traced down his cheeks at the thought of losing the dog.  Sam was only four years old and he was a wonderful animal.  His daughter wasn’t going to understand if he came home without Sam.  

“David?”  The vet called softly.

“I know what that tone means.”  David sighed as he turned to face the vet.

“I’m sorry.  Even if we manage to stop the poison, it’s already done a great deal of neurological damage...”

“Euthanize him...I...I can’t stand the thought of him suffering.”

“It really is what’s best for Sam.”

“Yeah.”  David replied vacantly.  He pet Sam’s side as the vet drew the bright pink euthanasia fluid.  “I’m so sorry, Sam.”

The vet was efficient and the euthanasia fluid worked much faster than whatever poison was coursing through the animal’s veins.  David took his hand off his dead friend and rubbed his temples.  The vet tech came up quietly and gave him a tissue to dry his tears on.  He accepted it gratefully and she whispered a few practiced words of condolence.  

“Do you want us to do a necropsy?”  The vet asked cautiously.

“No...it’s too late to change anything.”


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