That Thing You Do (Crystal Lake 2)

Molly jogged over to where he squatted beside a large steel drum that was rusted out and half hidden by all the brush near the water. He stood back and pointed inside. “I think she’s going to be a mama.”

Molly got on her knees and peered into the darkened drum. There, on a ratty old blanket, was what looked to be a black Lab-shepherd cross, with the biggest, softest brown eyes, a large distended belly, and obvious signs of lactation. A large contraction took hold and then eased, while Molly offered words of encouragement. The thought that anyone would drop off a mother about to whelp filled her with such anger.

She was gentle and unafraid, this mother-to-be, and allowed Molly to do a quick exam.

“We need to get her to the clinic. She’s not having these pups in here.” She glanced up at Nate and asked him to bring her truck as close to where they were as possible. Once he did that, she tried to coax the mother from her spot, but the dog wasn’t budging. Frustrated, she sat for a moment, trying to think of a way to get her out, but the dog wasn’t interested in food or treats.

“We’ll just take the barrel,” Nate said, bending behind it and grabbing hold.

The two of them managed to lift it and very carefully moved the dog to the back of Molly’s truck. She climbed on board and sat beside it while Nate got behind the wheel.

Less than an hour after the entire operation started, they had the barrel inside the clinic, and while Molly made ready a whelping bed inside a pen, Nate finally managed to get the dog out. She collapsed onto the bed, panting as another contraction seized up her belly.

“It won’t be long now,” Molly murmured, sliding her hand across the poor girl’s head. “You’re such a trouper.”

Molly did an initial examination and could tell the dog was young, between one and two years of age. She was in good health and so trusting that her sweetness brought tears to Molly’s eyes. Why would someone dump her when she was in such a vulnerable state? Why not bring her to the clinic instead? There was an emergency number, so it being after clinic hours wasn’t an excuse.

“I can’t believe this poor dog was left out there,” Nate said quietly. “Who would do that?”

“It happens more than you know.”

“Well, that’s just wrong.”

“Yeah.” Molly shrugged. “People suck.”

And then it started. Nate knelt beside her, and several hours later, by the time the birthing was done, the young mother had produced six pups, four dark like the mother with shepherd markings, and two golden with white spots.

Nate helped her clean up, and while the pups nursed from their exhausted mother, she and Nate sat back and watched.

“This is pretty incredible,” Nate said, nudging her knee with his own.

She nodded. “It is. It never gets old.”

“When did you know you wanted to be a vet? Because from what I remember, you wanted to play pro hockey or football or basketball.”

Molly leaned back against the wall.

“Do you remember that summer we all went to sleepaway camp across the lake?”

Nate nodded. “We were like, nine? Ten?”

“I was miserable and so upset because they wouldn’t let me sleep in the boy’s cabin, understandably so, but a nine-year-old doesn’t get shit like that. All I knew was that I was stuck in a cabin with a bunch of girls who didn’t get me or like me, and they were all weird about you guys being my best friends. It made me a target, or at least made the bull’s-eye on my back a lot bigger.” She gave Nate a side-eye. “One of them was Chess Somers.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

“You should be.”

“So what happened? What was the big revelation?”

“You guys went on a hike with your camp leader, and I was stuck with the girls for the afternoon, and I was having none of that. Not after one of them put a dead frog in my bed. I didn’t want to go swimming with the group, so I played sick, and when they left, I went to the barn instead. Mr. Waters was in there. Misty, one of the horses, was foaling.” She smiled at the memory. “He let me watch, and I saw everything as it happened. When that little filly got up on those four spindly legs and took her first steps, I knew that I wanted to work with animals. When she fed from her mother, I felt like I witnessed a miracle, and it was a miracle I wanted to see over and over again.” She shrugged. “When I got back from sleepaway camp, I told my dad I was going to be a vet one day and I’d take over his practice.”

“I’m sure that wasn’t surprising.”

“Oh, it was. He told me I’d have to get over my aversion to blood.”

“Well, I guess you did.”

“Barely.”