Toby laughed at something Brett said, and I snapped out of my thoughts to stare at the two who seemed to get along just swimmingly.
“Do you two know each other?” I asked.
Toby glanced up. “What?”
“He moved here after you left, but you two are talking like you were in the Cub Scouts together.”
“That was us,” Toby said under his breath, but I was close enough to hear. “We’ve spoken on the phone.”
“And FaceTimed.” Brett put in.
“FaceTimed?” I questioned, something hot twisting in my stomach.
“Our dads put us in contact in case Brett had any questions about school since I’d gone through it,” Toby clarified.
“Toby was really helpful those first two years,” Brett told me, but his eyes never left Toby. The guy had a serious case of hero worship.
Marlowe made a sound and squirmed.
“Could you talk to him a little more?” Toby asked. “I’m almost done.”
I went back to soothing Marlowe while he worked.
“Did you know that koalas’ fingerprints are so similar to a human’s that they could potentially taint a crime scene?” Toby quizzed, his attention focused downward.
I made a sound, and Brett glanced at me. “He always cites useless facts as a way to help him focus.”
“It’s a grounding exercise,” Toby murmured. “It keeps those memory pathways awake.” His eyes flicked up to mine before falling back down. “It helps me pay attention.”
Suddenly, I felt about two inches tall. A complete ass for snapping at him earlier to pay attention when he was talking about dinosaurs. Hewaspaying attention.
“And here it is,” Toby announced, drawing back to show a decent-sized wood splinter that was stained with red.
“That was in his paw?”
“Actually, it was embedded between the pads of his paw. I thought it was in the pad before, but after washing away all the mud and sap, I found it was a little deeper. Because of the position, I think it’s best to put a couple stitches in, which will hold better than adhesive.”
Toby gestured to Brett who started laying out supplies.
“I’m going to use a monofilament absorbable suture so it will dissolve with time and you won’t have to bring him back to have it removed.”
I bristled instantly. “If you’re doing that because you don’t want to see me again?—”
Toby held up his hand. “I’m not. It’s so we don’t have to dig back into the sensitive spot between his paws to remove them. It’s easier on Marlowe, which is what we all want.”
I folded my lips in.
“And for the record, Mr. Hodge…” Toby went on. “I would never base my recommendation of care for an animal around any personal feelings I may or may not have for the owner. That is completely unprofessional and, quite frankly, malpractice.”
“Of course,” I murmured.
“I am also recommending a bootie to help keep the paw dry and protect the area from reinjury. I know he’s used to having the run of the farm, but you will need to try and keep him contained for at least two weeks.”
I nodded. “You hear that, Marlowe? Bed rest.”
Marlowe huffed.
“Maybe a few light leash walks after the first few days,” Toby amended.
