“Perfect. I’ll let him know.”
“Thanks for the update.” The sun beaming through her window shined brighter. She hung up, and immediately began sending texts to Aaron and all those who had been praying, relaying the good news.
By the time she finished, Aaron had already replied. —Best news I’ve heard all day.
—Me too! I can’t wait to pick her up.
—What time?
—5:30. The hours are going to drag.
—They’ll pass before you know it.
If she could focus her mind on work, they probably would. She toyed with the idea of inviting him along, He’d been a tremendous help and support, and she already thought of him as a good friend. After a moment’s deliberation, she sent the message. She held her breath until he responded.
—I wish I could, but I have a meeting with a client at five.?
A pinch of disappointment clouded her enthusiasm, but she swept it away. —It’s okay. I appreciate all you’ve done.
—What if I bring dinner to you when I’m done around seven? I’d love to see Roxie again.
Not wanting to come across too eager, she waited a minute to reply. —I’d like that.
Several texts later, they decided on Chinese take-out.I’m going to eat healthy over the weekend. Really, I am.
Despite her eagerness to take Roxie home, Rachel fixed her thoughts on work and knocked out most of her to-do list. All that remained were items she could work on from home.
She rushed out of her office at five-twenty, praying she wouldn’t hit traffic. Fifteen minutes later, she walked through the vet’s front door.
Hannah waved her to the counter after she checked out the two clients ahead of her. “Dr. Scott is running several minutes behind. An emergency came in, and he’s tending to that right now but should be finished soon.”
The guilt she’d felt for being five minutes late evaporated. “How’s the emergency?”
“A cat had a run-in with a mouse trap, but Tabs will be okay.”
Rachel caught her laughter before it escaped. It wasn’t funny at all, but the image recalled the comical old cartoon show her brother had loved to watch. Since she had a few minutes to spare, she went to the side bar and poured a cup of coffee. She added creamer and stirred it until the coffee transformed its color and sweetness.
She watched an elderly man bring in his rottweiler who she was sure weighed more than the man. When he neared the door, she jumped up and held it open for him. Not out of necessity—the man had an impressive command over his dog—but out of respect.
A couple came out of the exam room area. The lady had puffy eyes, and Rachel couldn’t help wondering what had happened. A scary diagnosis? A final goodbye? She didn’t see the lantern up front lit, so she wagered it was an unfavorable diagnosis of a beloved pet. From her seat on the bench, she closed her eyes and prayed for the pet, and that God would comfort the owners.
Close to six, Cora, a new vet tech whom Rachel didn’t recognize, called her back to a room. Once inside, Cora asked several questions, then announced the doctor would be in shortly. Rachel’s stomach wrestled with unease—a new employee wouldn’t know all of Roxie’s history and would lack the bond Roxie had with the other staff.
“Stop being ridiculous,” she chided herself.
Eastern Veterinary Hospital had never hired a single employee who wasn’t as passionate about animals as Dr. Scott was. Only the best could work for him.
The door swung open, and she saw Roxie before the vet. Roxie came straight to her with no coaxing and laid at her feet. She appeared tired but in good spirits.
Dr. Scott closed the door behind him and removed the lead from Roxie. “She’s excited to go home. I can’t tell this to all my clients, but you have one special dog.”
“I know.” She pulled Roxie’s leash from her purse but didn’t clip it to her collar yet.
“Do you feel comfortable changing her bandage at home on your own?” Dr. Scott’s gaze lowered to Roxie’s wound. “I’ll warn you; it doesn’t look pretty under there. It’s a gaping hole, but we had no choice.”
She swallowed. This was a facet of the ordeal she hadn’t considered. “I can do it.”
The lines around Dr. Scott’s eyes wrinkled with kind understanding. “If you need to, you can bring her here daily and we’ll change it for her.”
