Read Online Acting Out by Laurie Halse Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laurie Halse Anderson
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“I’ll supervise, and then I’ll call the authorities to let them know what we found.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Mr. Darrow replies. “David, Zoe, would you like to come with me? Jet seems to be comfortable around you two.”
“Sure!” we say in unison, and hop in the van.
On the way to the clinic, I compliment David again on his quick thinking with thecommands. “He might have run from us if you hadn’t thought of making him sit.”
David smiles.
We’re in the backseat of the van with Jet on the floor between us. The dog doesn’t seem to mind the car ride.
David rubs Jet’s wet neck. “Well, for a while I had plenty of experience with practicing doggie commands on my cat.” He furrows his brow and turns toward the window. Even if he won’t let me see his face, I know that he’s hurting.
“We’ll be at the clinic soon. Maybe Gran has some answers for you,” I say. I pet Jet and hope, hope, hope, that both this dog and Rover will be fine.
Mr. Jenkins is already at the clinic when we arrive. Gran takes him and the dog into the Herriot Room.
“Need me?” I ask my grandmother.
“I’ll call if I do. Clean the kittens’ cage, won’t you?”
I go back into the recovery room to work with the kittens. In a month or so, they should be ready for homes. Gran says they’re all getting stronger. Even the little calico looks good.
David follows me but doesn’t help with the kittens—not that I need him to. He doesn’t joke, doesn’t talk. He just opens Rover’s cage andpets his cat gently. Rover is still not himself, and neither is David. I turn my attention to the meows beside me.
My friend and I spend the next twenty minutes in silence, as I clean the cage and David keeps Rover company.
Eventually, Gran brings Jet back to the recovery room.
“We’ll keep him overnight for observation,” she says. “I can’t be sure yet if he actually ingested the antifreeze or if he was only curious enough to get it on his muzzle.”
I see that Gran has inserted an IV into Jet’s front paw. She notices me looking at it and explains, “This will help if he did get some of the antifreeze, and it won’t hurt if he didn’t.” Jet doesn’t seem to mind. He’s looking sleepy. Gran must have given him an anesthetic in the Herriot Room.
After Gran puts Jet in one of the big dog cages, she talks quietly to David and then leaves to do some paperwork in the office. I couldn’t hear what they said, but I don’t think I’ll ask David, either. He doesn’t look terribly conversational yet. I’m long finished with the kittens’ cage, and it’s not quite time to feed them. But I stay with David in case he wants company.
The rest of the Vet Volunteers return from thelake about an hour later. They wander back into the recovery room.
“So what’s up with Jet?” Josh asks.
David speaks up. “Dr. Mac isn’t sure if he actually drank any antifreeze. She’s keeping him for observation.”
“And how is Rover?” Josh asks David.
“Still lethargic. Dr. Mac has done blood tests, a stool sample, and she’s checked enzymes. It doesn’t look like antifreeze poisoning—”
“That’s a relief!” Sunita interrupts.
“But we still don’t know what’s wrong with him,” David continues. He closes Rover’s cage and walks dejectedly out of the room.
Nobody says anything. Maggie checks the hanging chart on the kittens’ cage.
“I cleaned their cage,” I tell her. “I don’t think I marked it off, though.”
Maggie checks the box on their chart that I should have. Brenna pets a sleeping Jet through his cage door.
“Almost done with these guys,” Maggie says to Sunita as they prepare the kittens’ bottles.
“What’s happening with them?” I ask.
Sunita smiles and answers happily, “They’re doing great! We have homes lined up for all five, once they’re old enough to be adopted.”She tests the temperature of the formula and scoops up a kitten.
Josh says, “That’s great news. At
“Sounds like a plan,” Mr. Darrow replies. “David, Zoe, would you like to come with me? Jet seems to be comfortable around you two.”
“Sure!” we say in unison, and hop in the van.
On the way to the clinic, I compliment David again on his quick thinking with thecommands. “He might have run from us if you hadn’t thought of making him sit.”
David smiles.
We’re in the backseat of the van with Jet on the floor between us. The dog doesn’t seem to mind the car ride.
David rubs Jet’s wet neck. “Well, for a while I had plenty of experience with practicing doggie commands on my cat.” He furrows his brow and turns toward the window. Even if he won’t let me see his face, I know that he’s hurting.
“We’ll be at the clinic soon. Maybe Gran has some answers for you,” I say. I pet Jet and hope, hope, hope, that both this dog and Rover will be fine.
Mr. Jenkins is already at the clinic when we arrive. Gran takes him and the dog into the Herriot Room.
“Need me?” I ask my grandmother.
“I’ll call if I do. Clean the kittens’ cage, won’t you?”
I go back into the recovery room to work with the kittens. In a month or so, they should be ready for homes. Gran says they’re all getting stronger. Even the little calico looks good.
David follows me but doesn’t help with the kittens—not that I need him to. He doesn’t joke, doesn’t talk. He just opens Rover’s cage andpets his cat gently. Rover is still not himself, and neither is David. I turn my attention to the meows beside me.
My friend and I spend the next twenty minutes in silence, as I clean the cage and David keeps Rover company.
Eventually, Gran brings Jet back to the recovery room.
“We’ll keep him overnight for observation,” she says. “I can’t be sure yet if he actually ingested the antifreeze or if he was only curious enough to get it on his muzzle.”
I see that Gran has inserted an IV into Jet’s front paw. She notices me looking at it and explains, “This will help if he did get some of the antifreeze, and it won’t hurt if he didn’t.” Jet doesn’t seem to mind. He’s looking sleepy. Gran must have given him an anesthetic in the Herriot Room.
After Gran puts Jet in one of the big dog cages, she talks quietly to David and then leaves to do some paperwork in the office. I couldn’t hear what they said, but I don’t think I’ll ask David, either. He doesn’t look terribly conversational yet. I’m long finished with the kittens’ cage, and it’s not quite time to feed them. But I stay with David in case he wants company.
The rest of the Vet Volunteers return from thelake about an hour later. They wander back into the recovery room.
“So what’s up with Jet?” Josh asks.
David speaks up. “Dr. Mac isn’t sure if he actually drank any antifreeze. She’s keeping him for observation.”
“And how is Rover?” Josh asks David.
“Still lethargic. Dr. Mac has done blood tests, a stool sample, and she’s checked enzymes. It doesn’t look like antifreeze poisoning—”
“That’s a relief!” Sunita interrupts.
“But we still don’t know what’s wrong with him,” David continues. He closes Rover’s cage and walks dejectedly out of the room.
Nobody says anything. Maggie checks the hanging chart on the kittens’ cage.
“I cleaned their cage,” I tell her. “I don’t think I marked it off, though.”
Maggie checks the box on their chart that I should have. Brenna pets a sleeping Jet through his cage door.
“Almost done with these guys,” Maggie says to Sunita as they prepare the kittens’ bottles.
“What’s happening with them?” I ask.
Sunita smiles and answers happily, “They’re doing great! We have homes lined up for all five, once they’re old enough to be adopted.”She tests the temperature of the formula and scoops up a kitten.
Josh says, “That’s great news. At
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