Each step she took became a battle not to worry. She’d given this over to God, trusted in Him to give her strength.
Aaron’s hand never left her back. His unwavering support bolstered her spirits. In the exam room, he rubbed circles against the fabric of her shirt.
The door to the back office opened, and Rachel closed her eyes, bracing herself for the image to come. She heard Roxie’s uneven gait and the encouraging words of the office staff. Rachel pried her eyes open with sheer willpower.
She locked eyes with Roxie, and happy tears pooled behind her lids. Roxie’s beautiful brown eyes lit up. She gave Rachel a smile and came to her.
Dropping to her knees, Rachel wrapped her arms around Roxie. Only then did she realize what Aaron had said was true. Overcome with joy to have Roxie back and cancer-free, she hadn’t noticed the missing limb.
She stood and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Standing up, she exchanged a knowing smile with Aaron. Braveness filled her. She knew she could look at Roxie as a whole and not fall apart.
To Rachel’s surprise, Roxie didn’t look much different. Very little of the fur on her upper chest had been shaved away, and there were no bandages, only stitches. Relief bubbled over into laughter. “The image I had in my head was a hundred times worse than it is. She looks great.”
Dr. Scott gave her a pleased smile. “The surgery went textbook perfect. When her fur grows back, you won’t even notice the scar.”
“I don’t have any bandages to change, no drains to worry about?” She couldn’t stop looking at Roxie, still in awe over how great she appeared.
“No. The hard part of your care for her is over. Make sure she doesn’t get the stitches wet and keep the cone on her.” Dr. Scott handed her a green folder labeledDischarge Instructionsalong with a plastic bag. “All her prescriptions are in here with instructions. Please give them on schedule to keep her comfortable. She looks happy now, but she’s heavily medicated.”
“I will.”
“Do you have any questions for me?” Dr. Scott handed her the lead.
“Not now, but I probably will once I get home.”
“You know the deal. Call the office anytime, and if it’s afterhours, they’ll get hold of me.” He shook her hand. “We’ll see you back in ten days to remove the sutures.”
“Thank you for everything.” Emotions balled in her throat. “I can’t imagine going through this with any other veterinary staff.”
Dr. Scott blinked. “That’s the highest compliment a patient’s owner can give.”
Since she’d prepaid for the surgery and already had the medicine, she didn’t have to stop at the front desk when she left. She and Aaron went to her car, and Aaron wrapped the lift harness around Roxie, then loaded her in the backseat.
Rachel sat in the rear with her, stroking Roxie’s fur.
Once Aaron was behind the steering wheel, he craned his neck. “Are you okay?”
“Better than okay.”
He moved his gaze to the rearview mirror and backed out. “I’m proud of you.”
“Why?” She couldn’t imagine the answer—she’d practically crumbled multiple times over the last three days.
“You faced your fears and did what you had to do.”
“Not without blips along the way.”More like meltdowns.
“You were amazing. Don’t undersell yourself.”
She brushed aside the compliment. “Can you believe how good she looks?”
“Even better than I expected.”
“I feel like a hundred pounds have been lifted from my shoulders. For the first time since the C-word came up, I truly believe she’ll be okay.”
Roxie laid her head on Rachel’s lap, signifying their bond of trust hadn’t been breached. It might have sounded crazy to non-pet owners, but it had been a subconscious worry. Would Roxie blame her for the missing limb? Now it seemed another idea she’d wasted time worrying over.
Once they returned to her home, Aaron looked at her before getting out. “I’ll lift her down for you.”
