Chapter Two #3
“I’m going to finish up this client, and then I’ll see you when you get home.”
“Okay. Be safe, baby.”
“You, too, Jock.”
He waited for her to hang up, then shoved the device back into the front pocket of his jeans.
“Maynard will be coming home with me once he’s well enough.”
“Wasn’t expecting anything else, brother.” Ace clapped a hand on Jock’s shoulder.
The vet picked up a vial and a syringe, then drew a measured amount of the liquid into the barrel.
He injected it into the IV tubing and set a basin half filled with soapy water on the counter.
“I’m going to document everything for the cops.
Just in case we find out who did this. We’ll photo first, then take samples, and then finally wash him, in case there’s residual chemicals on his skin.
This is not going to be pleasant for him.
” He cocked one eyebrow at Jock. “You got him through this?”
“I got him.” Jock encircled Maynard with his arms again, holding both of them still. “I got you, boy.”
It took hours for the vet to be confident he’d mitigated any further damage.
He’d taken photos from every angle and meticulously labeled samples of fur and burned skin before he began the tedious process of gently washing every inch of the dog.
They’d taken a break about halfway through, and Kent had reported the abuse to the local cops.
Jock had listened in on the call and gave details that would assist the cops.
“Why were you in the area, Mr. Tinney?”
Hearing his government name was always a jolt, and he paused to take in a slow breath. “I was dropping off an article of clothing with the leather alteration shop. I heard the whining and tracked down the source.”
“The dog.”
“Yes, the dog.” Goes without saying. Why does the po-po always turn everything into “oh, you’re a biker—you must be in the wrong?”
“Did you notice anyone leaving the area? Or anything else that could help us locate the abuser?”
“No, not when I pulled up and parked, and not when I walked back out of the shop a few minutes later. The street was quiet and empty. So much so that when I got off the bike, I could hear the engine cooling down.” Too much info, asshole.
Keep it to the dog. Jock could feel his muscles tightening as his anxiety started to grow. You did nothing wrong.
Kent reached over and took the phone from Jock.
He spoke into it for a few minutes, the sound merely background noise, hardly audible over the roaring in Jock’s ears.
Something I can see: Maynard. Something I can hear: Maynard.
Something I can feel: Maynard. He cradled the dog in his arms again, resting his forehead against Maynard’s.
The dog shifted and lapped at the side of Jock’s face.
The pain medication the vet had provided was still working in full force, letting Maynard breeze through the debridement of the burned areas.
Kent made a noise, and Jock looked up. “What?”
“It’s just that this is shitty for the dogs used as bait.
Likely they wanted him weakened, but because he doesn’t have any bite wounds, he never made it into the circle.
That’s a very good thing. He’s got a little touch of pneumonia.
We’ll get that taken care of.” Kent moved to the little refrigerator underneath the cabinet.
“I’ll do IV meds while he’s here and give you pills when you go home.
He could benefit from a few breathing treatments too. ”
“Tell me what to do, Doc.” Jock gave Maynard’s backside a good scratch, earning himself another face washing from the dog.
“Shake this.” The vet handed over an inhaler and a tube. “Give it a good shake, then insert the inhaler in the tube and hold it up to his nose. Two pumps will do it.”
“Okay. Like this?” He supported Maynard’s chin as he positioned the tube in front of his face.
“Just right. Maybe ten seconds. Just enough time for him to get a good four or five breaths out of the application. I’ll make a note of the time so we can give him another in three or four hours.”
“Just tell me what to do.”
You never did take orders, Jake.
He jerked and looked around the room. Nobody. Didn’t really expect anyone, didja?
That’s one of the reasons you wouldn’t take yourself off that mission. Wanted to stand alone.
“That’s not true.”
“What?” Kent looked up, puzzled.
“Nothing.”
Something I can feel. Maynard’s stinky tongue on my face.
That would also be something I can smell.
As Jock went through the calming mantra he’d learned in therapy years ago, he began to relax a little.
Would have been the first round with therapy.
Dr. Jaagr didn’t know what she’d taken on with me. Saved my life.
“I’m going to start again, Jock.”
He jerked up his head, staring at the vet...Kent. Wordlessly he nodded, then leaned his forehead against Maynard again. The dog jerked underneath his hands, and he soothed his palms over the sides of Maynard’s head. “It’s okay, boy. All good. Gonna be all good.”
God. The trust this dog has already given me is so big. I bet they won’t find an owner. I bet he needs a place to belong, where he can connect with people and dogs. Exactly like me. He just needs someone to give him a chance.
“Ace, call Wrench again. Tell him to talk to Miss Danielle. Maybe she saw something.”
“On it.”
Jock didn’t look around, just stayed focused on Maynard while he listened to Ace’s side of the conversation.
“Hey, Prez. Jock had a thought. He was at Miss Danielle’s place.
I don’t know, I didn’t ask him why. Okay.
” Ace sighed heavily. “Jock, why were you at Miss Danielle’s place?
Wrench wants to know if you were getting ready to patch over to the CoBos?
” Another sigh. “No, Wrench, I will not ask him that. You call him later and ask him.”
“Getting some patches on Silly’s PO vest. She’s going to be gone all next week. Seemed like a good time to do it.” He stroked the side of Maynard’s face. “Best decision I made today. Put me in the right spot to help get Maynard out of that alley.”
“Did you hear that, Wrench? Okay, then you’ve got your answer. No, I’m not going to ask him what patches. You can call him later and ask him. Wrench, stop whining. It’s not appropriate for a man of your standing.” Ace sighed audibly. “Jock, why did you name the dog Maynard?”
He grinned. “Because his name is Maynard. Why does anyone name anything? Because it is, young grasshopper.”
Ace snorted. “I’ll call back if we have news.
Start digging, Wrench. This dog has been harmed by someone on our patch.
That cannot stand. Yeah, let me send you pictures and see what you think.
Asshole.” He stepped up to the table and took a series of images, then took pictures of the couple of X-rays the vet had taken, showing old, healed fractures.
Which, like the tail, were not healed very well and were not as old as Jock would have liked.
“There.” Ace resumed his stance on the other side of the table. “He sounds better already.”
“Yeah, Kent here said he had started developing a case of pneumonia, so the antibiotics will do their job, but he also gave him something for the rasp. He does sound a lot better.” Jock caressed Maynard’s ear with delicate touches and gentle rubs. “He’s a good boy.”
Kent grunted, and the dog froze in pain, the whining reaching a volume not heard before. These were yelps and cries, and Jock didn’t know what to do to make it better.
The sun beat down on his back as he ran from one downed soldier to another.
“How can they all be dead?” The radio had gotten blown to bits, so he couldn’t even call in help in case someone did survive.
Jake made another round of the bodies scattered around on the hot sand.
Blank stares refused to meet his gaze, blood drooling out of mouths testimony to the kind of percussive wounds hidden in skin and bone.
“They can’t all be dead. That’s not right. ”
“We’re dead because you’re fucked in the head, Jake.”
He whirled to see one man sitting up, leaning against a wall that hadn’t been there a moment before. Blood sheeted down his chin and throat, blending into the fluids seeping from his midsection.
“What?”
“You’re fucked in the head because of that bitch.”
Jake flinched. “Anybody would be. That was some fucked-up shit she pulled.”
“Yeah, it was. But if it was another man in our squad, would you have let them outside the wire? Head all fucked-up? Would you have held them back, giving them another day to wallow? We’re dead because you didn’t do the same to yourself. And you took lead too. That’s fucked-up, Jake.”
“I didn’t think—”
“Right.” That came from behind him, and Jake whirled to see another man sitting up in the middle of the sand patch in the center of the village. This man was missing a leg and both arms, which belied his ability to sit up in the shifting waves of sand. “You didn’t think, asshole. And now I’m dead.”
“Yeah, now we’re dead.”
Jake turned in a tight circle, seeing man after man moving when they shouldn’t be. Not if they were all dead.
“We’re dead.”
Something touched his shoulder, and he turned, fist cocked back to take down whichever of the dead men was there.
“Hey, Jock. Come on, man.”
Nothing was there, just blank space that felt very occupied. Jake was going to try to walk away, but the only path was through the middle of the circle of men.
Something whined piteously, and a hot tongue wet the side of his head.
Jock jerked back, eyes wide, trying to reconcile the white room with the blood-colored sand he’d just been standing on.
There was a dog on the table in front of him, pulling with one paw to get closer.
Instinctively Jock dropped to his knees, putting his face on a level with the dog.
The dog was trembling with pain and anxiety, and Jock knew he was the cause of at least part of that.
“Hey, hey. It’s going to be okay.”