“Dr. Brower?”
I could hear the tears in his voice the second he spoke. I automatically began trotting up the path that would get me to my car the fastest. “What’s going on, Riley?” I said as calmly as I could.
“It’s um… it’s Puddles. I think she’s sick,” he responded, his voice high.
Fuck.
“Okay, can you tell me what’s happening? Is she throwing up or acting distressed?” I asked. I managed to keep my voice steady but the thought of something happening to Walter and Lenny’s beloved dog had my stomach roiling with anxiety.
“Um, she’s, um bleeding… from her um… girl parts.”
“Okay, I’m on my way right now. I’ll be there in a few minutes,” I said as I reached my car and jerked the door open. “Is anyone else at home? Cam? Ford?”
There was a long pause that had me saying, “Riley?”
The kid let out a harsh sob. “It’s just me. Cam’s at work and Ford’s at his studio. Linc took Walter and Lenny to an appointment and um, Theo, he um, went with them.”
As I tore out of the driveway, the phone switched to my car’s Bluetooth, so I dropped my phone into the cupholder. “Okay, Riley, she’s going to be okay,” I lied. It was way too soon for the puppies to be born, so Puddles was probably miscarrying them. I likely wouldn’t be able to save any of them but even worse, the traumatic event could very well put Puddles’ life at risk too.
“Can you find a towel or rag to put pressure on where she’s bleeding?” I asked. With each question I asked, Riley seemed to lose it even more, so I gave up on trying to get information out of the boy and tried to soothe him with reassurances instead. The ten-minute drive was one of the longest of my life but there was little relief when I brought my car to a screeching halt in front of Cam and Ford’s house.
“I’m here, Riley,” I called and then I was out of the car, pausing only long enough to grab my medical bag from behind my seat.
Not surprisingly, the side door was unlocked so I didn’t bother knocking. “Riley?” I called as I entered. There was no response, so I quickly went from room to room on the lower level. I finally found the teenager in the same room where I’d announced Puddles’ delicate condition to her family.
“How is she?” I asked as I hurried to where Riley was sitting in an armchair on the far side of the room. I was surprised to see Theo sitting next to Riley in another chair. Tears were slipping down Riley’s face as he cuddled a very quiet Puddles to his chest. His free hand was linked with Theo’s. The young man wasn’t crying like Riley was, but he was clearly upset. Hadn’t Riley said that Theo had gone with Linc, Walter, and Lenny? Figuring the teenager had just misspoken, I hurried to him and crouched down in front of him.
“Let me take a look,” I said gently as I reached my hands out to take Puddles from Riley. I didn’t see any blood on the white dog, nor did I see any kind of towel being held in place as I’d instructed.
“Riley?” I asked in confusion.
“I’m sorry,” Riley choked out. “I’m so sorry, Dr. Brower.” The teen’s eyes lifted to look at something behind me even as he cuddled Puddles closer to his chest.
My stomach dropped out as things came together far too slowly in my mind. I carefully stood, looking over my shoulder as I did. I already knew who I’d see, but I wasn’t prepared for the full picture of my ex holding a handgun.
The weapon was pointed at the floor but there was no missing the fact that Marcus’s finger was hovering against the trigger. There was no emotion in Marcus’s eyes as he stared at me and that terrified me even more than the gun.
“Marcus?” I asked softly as I tried to place my body in a way that I could shield both Riley and Theo at the same time.
“I just wanted to talk to you,” he responded, his voice strangely even and laced with… disappointment?
“Okay, we can do that. Let’s go outside. There’s a nice spot to sit near the garage,” I offered. “Or we can go somewhere more private,” I added, keeping my voice soft. If I could just give Theo and Riley enough time to lock themselves in one of the main rooms in the house, that was all that mattered.
“You don’t look like him anymore,” Marcus murmured as his eyes shifted to my hair. I had no clue who he was talking about and I didn’t really care. I just needed to get him out of the house.
“Let’s go talk, Marcus,” I said as I cautiously took a step forward, then another.