Wednesday. Visting Hours.

At 7:30am Wednesday morning, I received a wake-up phone call from Dr Prata.  Rooster was up to seeing visitors.  At first I was afraid to see her and thought it would hurt too much. According to the surgeon, we would be faced with the choice of letting her go soon (never being able to walk/pee/poop on her own, quality of life, decisions, decisions, heartbreak etc).  Then I realized I was being a selfish dick.  Would I really abandon my sad and confused baby when she needed me the most? Am I a Nazi?  Last time I looked, my thin black mustache hadn't grown back.

I took a rare lunch break and left the office on a mission to see my dog.  Arriving at the clinic steel jawed and determined, I would show my puppy so much love, she would have no choice but to walk again.  Hell, maybe even walk into my arms that day!  Upon my arrival, I was shown a waiting area and  proceeded to wait 40 minutes.  Every time I heard nails clicking on the linoleum, I looked at the door expectantly and if I had a tail, it would have been wagging furiously.  Eventually, Roo walked into the room.  Sort of.  With some help.  Her front legs were moving and a lady with a sling was holding the rest of her body up.  I fell to my knees and began frantically petting and kissing her face.  All pride was checked at the door.  Was Roo happy to see me?  Maybe.  Was she sad and bummed out? You betcha.  Were her front legs shaking with the effort of trying to stand?  100%.  We sat on the floor together on a beat up Spiderman blanket, while the vet tech gave us some alone time.  I examined the horrifying rectangle that had been shaved into her back along with the 30 odd stitches keeping it all together. 

The tech I spoke with didn't seem to know anything about Dr Prata's grim forecast and instead kept saying things like, "When you bring her home" and "In a few weeks she will need".... Do I get my hopes up?  Or is she ignorant of the situation? Is she saying that this is a future possibility?