“Why don’t you talk to him?” Grey encouraged.
“Atlas?” He didn’t move. “Are you sleeping, Atlas? I’m sorry to bug you, but there are a couple of guys here who want you to wake up as much as I do.”
She felt a little silly talking to the sleeping dog, but there was a sliver of relief in knowing he wasn’t dead. She could see his belly subtly rising and falling under Grey’s hand, and at least the rhythm of his breathing was steadier now.
“Can I pet him?” She asked the doctor. “When we were at the other vet, he liked that. It made him less growly.”
Grey exchanged a look with Maddox, then nodded, moving a little to the left so she could reach between them.
“He growled earlier?”
“Yes.” She flattened her palm along Atlas’s soft fur, loving the way it enveloped her hand. “I don’t think he liked Dr. Gomez very much. He growled at him during the video consult too.”
While Lucy pet Atlas’s flank, she shared her suspicion that the growling was the reason for all the medicines, and her concern that the dosage was too high.
“I mean, he didn’t even whine yesterday.”
“At all?”
Lucy slid her hand down Atlas’s foreleg, thinking about Grey’s question. “Well, there was a tiny whine at bedtime. But I think he just wanted me to pet him.”
She remembered him nudging her hand with his muzzle and glanced at Atlas’s face. His eyes were still closed, and Maddox still had his hand on Atlas’s head.
“Oh, Atlas.” Lucy sighed. “Please wake up, baby. We all want you to be better.”
Lucy kept up with the talking, telling Atlas what a good boy he was and how she was going to make chicken for dinner, and he needed to wake up so he could eat and play with his new toys.
But aside from a sort of sigh and a deepening of his inhales, he didn’t stir.
After a while, Maddox cleared his throat and suggested they try something else. His somber tone dampened some of the hope she’d had earlier.
“Do you think he’s going to wake up, Grey?”
“Eventually.” He crossed his arms, gazing down at Atlas with a frown. “It appears his body doesn’t agree with the drugs that veterinarian ordered.”
Lucy felt tears prick her eyes at the news. She tried blinking them away, but they just pooled, making her vision blurry.
“I didn’t mean to hurt him.” She whispered.
She’d followed the other doctor’s protocols to the letter, giving Atlas a fresh dose right on time. She’d had no idea the medicine wasn’t the right thing for him.
“It’s okay.” Maddox soothed, setting a hand on the arm of her chair. “No one believes you did this maliciously. It’s clear you care for him.”
“I’ve never had a dog before.” She shook her head. “I didn’t know what to do. I just did what—”
“You did beautifully, Lucy.” Grey said softly. “You did more than most would have.”
“But he’s going to die, and it’s all my fault.”
Great, now the tears were really flowing, but Lucy didn’t do anything about them. She hated the thought of Atlas hurting.
Or dying.
“It’s all my fault.”
“Shh.” Grey soothed. “There’s no reason to cry. He’s going to be okay. And it’s not all your fault.”
“I hit him with my car.” Lucy swiped at her eyes with her knuckles. “None of this would have happened if I hadn’t hit him.”
