Chapter 9
The next morning, Scarlett hugged Rocker goodbye. “Call me when you land. Thank you for everything.”
“I will. Don’t worry. Sledge will watch over you, and if you need me, I’ll be here in a flash. You’re gonna be fine,” he assured her.
The lump grew thicker in her throat as she nodded and stepped back. One of the veterans offered to take him to the plane. Sledge put his good arm around her and squeezed her.
“Now it’s time to get to work. Kassie asked me to take you to meet Lisa and Allie. We have thirty minutes. Do you want a sweater or a jacket? I don’t know what they planned for you,” Sledge asked, sounding worried. “I have PT this morning, but I can meet you for lunch.”
Scarlett heard the hesitation in his voice. Sledge didn’t want to leave her. She didn’t want to come here. But she promised to give this her best shot. She needed to find her path, which sometimes meant she discovered it alone.
“Will someone bring me back when we’re finished? I have an appointment with Dr. Winters,” she explained. “I’ll need to get my sweater.”
“I’ll run and grab it for you. We’ll take a golf cart down to their area and they’ll make sure you’re back in time,” Sledge assured her as he led her to a bench.
A few minutes later, he returned with her sweater and guided her to the electric cart. He drove down the path, and Scarlett heard dogs barking and toys squeaking as they grew closer.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked.
“Kassie asked me to bring you here. Lisa and Allie will explain everything. I know this seems scary. Trust me, when I arrived, I was at a loss for words and felt like giving up. These people know what they’re doing. Give them a chance, Scarlett, no matter how frightened it makes you.”
“Now, I’m freaking out,” she admitted as he rolled to a stop.
“Hi, Scarlett. I’m Allie. It’s nice to meet you. Hi, Sledge,” she greeted them.
“Hey, Allie. Take good care of my friend here,” he said, helping Scarlett from the cart and placing her hand in Allie’s. “I’ll see you later.”
Allie led her inside a building. Scarlett knew it must be somewhat large from how her voice echoed when she spoke.
“I bet you’re wondering what we do here,” Allie said as she led Scarlett to a metal chair.
“I’m the resident service dog trainer. Kassie reviewed your file and said almost everyone noted your independence.
It’s the first thing she wants to work on with you.
Have you considered getting a seeing-eye dog? ”
“Uh, no?” she said slowly. “I can’t take care of myself, much less a dog. I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she said, shaking her head.
“Don’t panic. We don’t push an animal on anyone. But as it happens, we have someone we thought you might like to meet. It’s kinda cute, actually. Your hair resembles fire, and his name is Ice.”
“Ice?”
“Yeah. He’s unique. We brought him in when his mother unexpectedly passed away to have one of our breeder dogs nurse him.
Ever since then, he’s acted like he’s waiting for someone.
I’m hoping both of you find each other. If you decide to give him a try, we’ll hold lessons with you to learn how to command him.
He already knows what to do. The lessons are more for you than him. ”
“I’ve never owned a dog. I don’t know what to feed one or how much or anything, really.”
“It’s all right. Today’s an introductory day. If you decide you want to try, we’ll go over everything with you. There’s no pressure one way or the other,” Allie assured her.
A few minutes later, Lisa brought in Ice, who ran up to Scarlett, nuzzled his nose in her hand, and sat before her.
“Hello, Ice. I heard you’re special,” Scarlett greeted him. “What does he look like?”
“He’s a pure white German Shepard. Ice knows all his commands and manners, although he sometimes likes to push the edge.
He loves playing ball and swimming. His intelligence tops the charts.
Sometimes, Ice picks up commands within a day or two.
We keep practicing to engrain it in him, and he never forgets,” Allie informed her.
Ice moved closer and sat by Scarlett’s leg. “He’s showing you his ready position. You’re right-handed, correct?”
Scarlett reached down and petted the soft fur, imagining the snowy coat. “Yeah.”
“Then, Ice will stay to your left. Keep your dominant hand free. We can take a few turns around the track, giving you an idea of how he works. We have several obstacles, noises, and various objects on the ground. I can tell you’ve met the concrete from the scrapes on your face.
Ice can protect you from such obstacles.
Like everything else, he’s not a cure-all for everything.
He’s a partner and tool for you to use,” Allie explained.
Ice nuzzled her hand as if trying to encourage her to give him a shot.
“What do you say, boy? Shall we give it a go?” she asked nervously. He gave a small bark as if telling her, ‘Hell yeah.’
Lisa handed her his harness. “First, you’ll need to learn how to put this on him.
Ice can carry a pack vest for your medications if needed, or one saying, ‘do not touch.’ It’s essential you know your rights under the Disability Act.
We’ll review those later. As much as Ice will protect you from oncoming cars and obstacles, it’s your job to ensure no one bothers him. He’s your eyes and you’re his voice.”
Lisa showed her how to attach it, then removed it and handed it to her. Ice stood perfectly still. It took her four tries to get it on correctly, and Ice stood and rubbed against her, signaling his approval.
“Let’s see how you do on the practice spaces,” Allie said, moving away from Scarlett. “Walk to your left until I tell you to stop, then walk straight ahead. Hold the harness like Lisa showed you and begin when you feel ready.”
Scarlett took a deep breath and leaned down to Ice. “I’m not ready for this and have no idea what I’m doing. I’m counting on you to keep me from making a fool out of myself.”
Ice whined, as if telling her to get on with it.
She took her first step, and Ice took the lead when she turned left.
“You’re doing wonderfully, Scarlett. You can stop and walk straight ahead,” Allie coached.
She began walking, and Ice came to a stop and refused to budge.
“Listen to Ice,” Allie called. “He’s stopping to prevent you from running into something. Follow his lead.”
“Ok, boy. Show me how to do this,” she whispered nervously. Ice took her around the object and continued to go slowly. When he halted again, Scarlett grinned. “You’re the leader,” she instructed. This time, he didn’t move, but rose on his front leg, using his paw.
“He’s telling you there’s a step there. Ice used his paw to indicate steps. When you meet with Doc today, he’ll provide you with some items to aid you in walking. Did they give you a cane?” Allie asked.
“Uh, yeah. I didn’t really like it. I left it at home. I don’t want people staring at me,” Scarlett admitted.
“It’s a useful tool for you to use to determine the height of a stair or curb. It also warns you of objects in your way,” Allie explained. “I’m sure Candy will teach you how to use it. People will stare at you more when you’re face-planting on the ground. Tell Ice to go around.”
“Go on, boy,” she encouraged. Ice continued to stand.
“He responds to left, right, forward, keep in, and over. Instruct him on what you want to do,” she informed her.
“Ice, right,” she commanded. The dog moved to the right, purposefully maneuvering her away from the steps. They walked again until he stopped. Scarlett gave him another order, and her heart felt lighter as they made it around the track with very few hiccups. Ice led her back to Allie.
“You did great. I used hand signals to have him return to me. He picked it up from my dog. It’s a nice way for you to give a command silently when needed. I’ll teach it to you once you master the basics. How do you feel?”
“I’m not sure. It’s the first time in a long time I haven’t depended on someone to get me from point A to point B,” Scarlett murmured.
“Some people don’t prefer using a guide dog. They use a cane instead, while others use both. It depends on their sight. Some people can see shapes in different lights. I’m sure Doc can go over the information with you when he sees you today. It appears our time has come to an end,” Allie announced.
Scarlett felt disappointment run through her. Ice gave her a taste of freedom, and she desperately wanted to keep it.
Lisa approached the group. “It seems you and Ice have become friends.”
Scarlett rubbed him between his ears. “He’s a good boy. Thank you, Ice.”
His head rested against her leg, and she continued to pet him.
“I’ll take you to see Doc. We do have a few more guide dogs if you decide you want to use one,” Lisa explained.
“Give it some thought. A service dog requires more responsibilities than a pet. They must keep updated on shots, proper grooming, and you’ll need to learn your rights when it comes to owning a service animal. ”
“Oh,” she said, deflated. It sounded as if this might be a long and tedious process, and she already fell in love with her four-legged friend. She knelt and whispered in his ear. “Thank you for today. I’ll miss you.”
Ice gave her doggie kisses, making them all laugh.
“Don’t worry, Scarlett. He’s taken to you, too.
We’ll discuss it later today at your care meeting.
You won’t need to make any final decisions, but we want you to get a full view of everything we offer,” Allie said, removing the harness from Ice.
“I’ll give him some playtime outside while you take Scarlett up to see Doc. ”
Lisa took her arm and led her from the building. She already felt the loss of her furry partner. The golf cart started moving and she heard a dog barking close by.
“It’s Ice. He’s following us beside the fence. I don’t think he likes you leaving him,” Lisa gushed.
“I’ll return tomorrow,” Scarlett called, hoping she didn’t lie to him.