Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Tori
Three entire freaking days passed, and I still hadn’t heard more from Kincaid beyond his curt text.
“How long do you think I should keep waiting?” I asked.
Tish stared at me, a small wrinkle between her brows. “I don’t know. Just give him a little more time.”
Tish’s suggestion boomeranged through my brain over the following days. Actually, three more days, which made it six days. Not that I was counting or anything. All the while, I was absolutely obsessing over how long was enough time.
That night—yes, the sixth night—Bella was breathing heavily after our walk.
When we came back inside, she started pacing in rapid circles through the kitchen and living room.
Worry spun wild inside of me. She was my best friend, the companion who was always there with unconditional love. I called the vet.
Since it was after business hours, I got an answering service.
They assured me there was a vet on call and I’d hear back within fifteen minutes.
“If you’re that concerned,” the woman on the phone said, “I’d recommend driving to the vet clinic.
If they decide she needs to be seen, that’s where they’ll meet you. ”
“Okay, okay, okay,” I repeated, trying not to panic.
Bella was still panting, her sides heaving like she couldn’t get enough air.
She looked like she might collapse right in front of me.
While she kept on pacing, I threw on something that qualified as actual clothes, stuffed my feet into my tennis shoes, grabbed my purse, and raced outside to start my car.
I planned to get the car ready and come back inside to get Bella.
“No, no, no,” I muttered as the engine turned over and sputtered. I leaned my head back against the seat, closing my eyes and taking a slow breath.
I patted the dashboard gently, trying to be kind to my car. “You can start,” I whispered.
The car did not, in fact, start. “Oh, no. No, no, no, no.” I was on the verge of tears.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I fumbled to pull it out. “Hi!” I blurted the moment I saw the Willow Brook Veterinary Clinic flash across the screen. I’d been there enough with Bella that I kept it in my contacts.
“Hi, Tori,” came Alice’s calm voice. “I’m on call tonight.”
“Oh, thank God. Bella’s not breathing well. She’s panting really hard. What should I do?”
“You should meet me at the clinic,” Alice said without missing a beat. “We’ll check on her and sort out what’s going on.”
“Okay. When should I meet you there?”
“I can make it in about twenty minutes. Does that work?”
“Yes. I’ll be there.” I hung up, heart pounding.
I tried one more time to start my car. “Maybe third time’s the charm?”
No such luck. With my anxiety for Bella creating a cacophony in my thoughts, I wasn’t thinking clearly when I called Kincaid. The phone rang and rang and rang before it went to voicemail.
My heart plunged into my stomach, but I marshaled enough composure to speak.
“Hey, um, I know maybe you don’t want to talk to me now, or ever, but I’m in a bit of a bind. Maybe this isn’t the right reason to call you, but you’re the first person I thought to call. Bella’s having trouble breathing, and I need to take her to the vet, and my car won’t start, and I miss you...”
My voice cracked, and I had to blink through tears to see when I ended the call. I tried starting my car again. Still nothing. I scrambled out and ran back inside. Bella was in the kitchen now, not pacing, just standing there with her sides heaving.
“Oh, sweetie.” I dropped to my knees beside her. “I’m going to get you there, one way or another.”
I didn’t want to waste time. The vet clinic was only about ten minutes away. I glanced at my watch and called my mom.
“Hey, honey,” she answered.
“Hey. Sorry to bother you, but Bella’s having trouble breathing and I need to take her to the vet. My car won’t start. It’s probably my battery or something.”
“Okay, I can—”
My phone buzzed in my hand again. “Hang on, Mom. I’ll call you right back. Kincaid’s on the other line.”
“You got it.”
I switched over to the other call. “Hey.”
“I can give you a ride,” Kincaid said. His voice was careful, but clear.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I’m already on my way over.”
“Oh, thank God. Really?”
“Of course, really. Also, you can just thank me and not God,” he teased lightly.
A watery laugh bubbled up in my throat. “Okay. I’ll see you in a few minutes. Thank you so much.”
As soon as he hung up, I burst into tears. The emotions felt like a tidal wave inside. There was Bella and Kincaid, and this whole mess I had made.
I took a shaky breath. “Okay, girl, are you ready?” I looked down at my dog.
Her breath was still heaving, but she met my eyes, and my heart ached. I would do anything for this sweet girl. She was my best friend. She’d been with me through so much.
Just a matter of minutes later, I’d updated my mom that I didn’t need a ride when I heard the sound of tires crunching over gravel, and I headed outside. Bella seemed more uncomfortable when I tried to carry her, so I let her walk slowly at my side.
Kincaid was out of his truck in a flash. “Hey, sweet girl,” he murmured as he knelt in front of her. “We got you. Should I pick her up?” he asked, glancing at me.
“I don’t know. She seemed more comfortable when I let her walk, but obviously, we have to pick her up to get her in your truck.”
“I’ll be careful.”
We watched her make her way carefully over to his truck before he gently lifted her into the small cab behind the front seats.
A few moments later, we were on the road.
It was late enough that the sky had dimmed to twilight.
A crescent moon was rising above the mountains, casting a soft glow over the last of the lingering snow.
“Thank you,” I said into the quiet.
“Of course.” He hesitated before adding, “I’ve been meaning to call you anyway.”
“You have?” My eyes jerked toward his profile.
“I have,” he said simply. “Let’s talk later, though.”
I reflexively glanced toward Bella in the back seat. She was sitting up, alert and watching out the window. Her breathing still sounded labored.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with her.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“She’s not young,” I replied, anxiety for her twisting my heart sharply.
“No, but she’s still eating and drinking okay, right?” he asked. The worry in his voice helped me not feel so alone in mine.
“Yeah. She is.”
The rest of the short drive passed in silence. We pulled into the gravel lot behind the veterinary clinic. The building was mostly dark, and I started to fret. Before I could spiral too far, headlights swung into the lot, and Alice waved as she hopped out of her car.
Kincaid and I got out as she called, “Just come in the back with me.”
She hustled ahead, flipping on lights as she went. By the time we caught up in the hallway with Bella, Alice immediately crouched down at her side.
“Is it getting any better?” she asked. I’d grown up with Alice in Willow Brook, although she’d been a few years ahead of me in school. I was grateful she’d taken over the vet clinic here when she moved back to town.
I pulled out my phone. “I took a video at home. Here—watch.”
Alice studied it quickly and nodded. “Okay, yeah. She already sounds better, and I know what’s going on.”
“You do?”
Bella had stopped pacing. Her breathing was still labored, but it had eased a little.
“It’s tracheal collapse.”
“What does that mean? Is she going to die?” I pressed.
“She’s not going to die, not at this moment,” Alice said calmly. “But it’s uncomfortable. Usually, they just need a little time to recover. If it doesn’t ease up, there are things we can do.”
“I’m going to give her some medicine. It’ll relax her a little.
The muscles supporting the trachea weaken with age, and sometimes it collapses like this.
They can’t get enough air, so they try harder, but they don’t have the muscular strength to make it work.
So it just gets worse. Until they can get out of the cycle of breathing like that. ”
“Oh, my God...” I sagged against the wall, swiping at the tears tracking down my face.
Alice’s lips curled into a soft smile. “We can get Bella through this.”
“Did I just waste your time? I made you come all the way in.”
“Absolutely not. Even if you’d texted me that video, I would have wanted to see her. She’s not young, but she’s doing pretty well for her age.”
“Is she really?” I asked quietly.
Alice looked from Bella to me to Kincaid, then nodded. “She is. I don’t think we’re losing her yet. She might be mostly blind and deaf, but her heart’s still pretty strong. Sometimes things like this happen just because she’s old. That’s it.”
“I just want her to be comfortable.”
“That’s what we’re going to do.” She stood, glancing toward the exam rooms. “Let me do an exam to cover all the bases. Just a quick check, but first I’m going to get those meds.”
We walked through the open doorway Alice pointed to, and I knelt down beside Bella. I stroked the soft fur just over her forehead. She tipped her head up and closed her eyes. She loved any and all affection. “That’s my sweet girl,” I whispered. Her tail gave a little wag.
“She’s going to be okay,” Kincaid said softly.
I smiled up at him. “I know. She’s just old, and trust me, she already sounds much better.”
“Oh, I heard the video. She didn’t sound good at all.”
Alice reappeared a moment later, holding out a small bottle. “This is just going to chill her out a little bit, okay? It’s an anxiety medication. Just enough to take the edge off so she can relax if she gets stressed. Because not being able to breathe is stressful.”
“For all of us,” I murmured.
Alice chuckled softly. I moved to lift Bella onto the exam table, but Alice shook her head and dropped to the floor beside her. “No need.”