CHAPTER 1
Clamping her teeth together to stop them from chattering, Coco crossed her fingers in the folds of her skirt. She distracted herself by checking out the waiting room on the dog side of the veterinary clinic. Cute pictures of dogs in various poses decorated the room. Coco loved them all, but wished she’d met the puppies in person instead.
“Coco?” a woman in a white coat asked from the doorway.
“Yes. I’m Coco,” Coco answered, hating the slight tremor in her voice.
“I’m Sofia Rossi. Thank you for coming to interview today. Let’s head to my office where we can speak privately.”
“Of course, Dr. Rossi.”
Coco followed her through the doorway, passing the front desk area. Two woman juggled manning the phones and greeting clients. Coco smiled and returned their greetings, glad to see smiles on their faces. Even while busy, the employees appeared to enjoy their jobs. This must be a good place to work.
Dr. Rossi led Coco into a sunny office and waved her into a chair. “Coco, let me tell you about the position and the type of person we’re looking for.”
“Okay. I’d love to know more,” Coco said as she took a seat.
“I joined this practice with an older veterinarian. He retired a few years ago. Currently, I work here with two vet techs, two weekend vet assistants, an office manager, and a receptionist. Unfortunately, one of my techs is moving, leaving us with a vacancy. You’re interested in a vet tech position, correct?”
“Yes. I saw the advertisement in the placement office of the community college I attend,” Coco shared.
“You’ve finished your associate’s degree?”
“I have. I’m currently working on additional certification in anesthesiology and analgesia,” Coco said, carefully pronouncing the two words. She often stumbled over words when she got nervous. She sighed in relief as she said these without messing them up.
“So, you’d like to work in the operating room?” Dr. Rossi asked.
“Eventually. I know I need more experience and am eager to work my way up into a specified… Sorry, I mean… specialized position if that’s a possibility.” Mentally, Coco kicked herself. She’d managed to say anesthesiology, but screwed up specialized?
“Of course, it’s a possibility. Finding someone with additional certifications would be a bonus. Are you good with animals?”
Coco smiled. “I adore animals. I want them all to be healthy and happy.”
“How would you like to assist me with a couple of appointments?”
“That sounds fun.” Coco would love to work with animals instead of trying to showcase herself for a job.
“I hoped you’d say that. Let’s go see my next two patients and then we’ll talk some more,” Dr. Rossi suggested as she stood.
Coco followed her through the connecting door in the back of the office, through the rear working space of the vet clinic. Shestopped in her tracks at the sight of a woman who looked exactly like the veterinarian she followed.
“Hi, Coco, right? I’m Isabella, Sofia… Dr. Rossi’s twin. I’m a vet tech, too.”
“Oh! That’s so fun. Hi, Isabella.” Coco noticed Dr. Rossi standing by a closed door waiting for her. “I'd better hurry.”
“Sorry, Dr. Rossi,” she apologized as she approached.
“Totally understandable. I should have warned you.”
Dr. Rossi smiled as she opened the door to greet the next pet owner. “Hi, Janet. This is Coco. She’ll assist me today. How are the kittens?”
The basket on the counter barely contained a bunch of squirming kittens in all colors. In her studies, Coco had learned that a female cat could mate with several males and have different breeds of babies. In the basket, a Siamese kitten climbed up the side while a flashy calico kitten meowed up at her. A pure white kitten slept despite all the chaos next to two yellow tabbies who wrestled. A small gray fur ball barely moved. Coco instinctively knew something was wrong.
“Everyone is great, except for this small one,” the owner said, looking worried. “She’s not getting any bigger.”
“Sometimes with a litter this big, a kitten can get lost. Let’s start with the gray kitten first.” Dr. Rossi looked at Coco.
Scooping the runt up in her hands, Coco hesitated to put the animal on the cold metal table. “Is there a towel or a mat I could grab? She or he’s not very warm.”
