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Authors: Gary Paulsen
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yelping.
“Look, Amos, Martha’s jealous.”
“Tell her not to worry herself. In a week we’re out of here. Then she can be jealous of some other suckers.”
The big metal door that led to the animal compound opened. A short stout woman with streaked gray hair and asharp pointed nose looked in over the top of her glasses. “You boys are supposed to be cleaning those cages, not playing with the dogs. Hop to.”
“Yes, Ms. Craig.” Dunc opened one of the cages and pulled out the old paper. “We’ll be through in a few minutes.”
“Well, see to it that you are. I won’t have any lollygagging on my shift.” She turned and slammed the door.
“Real friendly lady.” Amos filled the water bowl and set it inside the cage. “She kind of reminds me of someone.”
“Who?”
“The wicked witch in
The Wizard of Oz
.”
Dunc grinned. “She does seem to have a problem with us working here. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she didn’t want our help.”
“Hold still, Amos. How am I ever going to get a good look at it if you keep wiggling like that?”
“You’d wiggle too if you’d just been attacked by a vicious animal.”
Dunc looked at him. “The kitten in row three hardly qualifies as a vicious animal.” He examined Amos’s finger. “I don’t see any blood. I think you’re going to live.”
“Go ahead. Make fun. When I die from rabies, I’ll say I told you so.” Amos slid off the office desk and started searching through the cabinets.
“What are you looking for? Ms. Craig told us specifically to stay out of those cabinets.”
“She told us to stay out of the main office, too, but here we are.”
Dunc frowned. “That’s different. I came in here because I thought you were really hurt.”
Amos reached for a roll of gauze bandages. “I
am really
hurt—you just can’t see it. I probably have internal bleeding.”
Dunc moved toward the door. “We’d better get out of here before she gets back. She doesn’t seem like the understanding type.”
He reached for the doorknob. It turned in his hand. The door opened, and a tall distinguished-looking man wearing an expensive suit and carrying a black bag stepped in.
Amos looked up to see who it was and hit the cabinet door dead center with his head. Small bottles of vaccine, syringes, and bandages spilled off some of the shelves and fell out onto the table below.
“Are you all right, young man?” The tall stranger stepped over to help him.
“He won’t be if we don’t get this mess picked up before Ms. Craig gets back.” Dunc grabbed some of the bottles and started shoving them back on the shelf.
“Why don’t you let me handle this?” The man smiled. “I’m the new veterinarian, Dr. Keene. I know how it should be arranged, and no one will be the wiser.”
“Gee thanks, doc.” Amos rubbed his head. “That’s awful nice of you.”
“Not at all. You boys go on back to whatever you were doing. I’ll be happy to straighten up in here.”
Dunc pulled the door shut behind him. “So that’s the new vet. From the way he’s dressed, I’d say he does a pretty good business. I wonder what brings him down here today? I don’t remember there being any vaccinations scheduled or anything.”
“Judge Simmons probably got him on some phony charge too.” Amos sat down on a bench in the hall and held his aching head. “Are we through yet?”
“Almost. Why?”
“I forgot to give my mom the number down here. Melissa’s probably been trying to reach me all afternoon.”
Dunc thought about telling him that Melissa wouldn’t call him even if someone held the phone and dialed the number for her. But he decided not to. Instead he patted Amos on the shoulder. “You wait here. I’ll go make one last check to make sure everybody has food and water.”
Amos leaned against the wall and looked around. Everything was painted white. The door, the cinder-block walls, the shelves—everything. “This place could use an interior
“Look, Amos, Martha’s jealous.”
“Tell her not to worry herself. In a week we’re out of here. Then she can be jealous of some other suckers.”
The big metal door that led to the animal compound opened. A short stout woman with streaked gray hair and asharp pointed nose looked in over the top of her glasses. “You boys are supposed to be cleaning those cages, not playing with the dogs. Hop to.”
“Yes, Ms. Craig.” Dunc opened one of the cages and pulled out the old paper. “We’ll be through in a few minutes.”
“Well, see to it that you are. I won’t have any lollygagging on my shift.” She turned and slammed the door.
“Real friendly lady.” Amos filled the water bowl and set it inside the cage. “She kind of reminds me of someone.”
“Who?”
“The wicked witch in
The Wizard of Oz
.”
Dunc grinned. “She does seem to have a problem with us working here. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she didn’t want our help.”
“Hold still, Amos. How am I ever going to get a good look at it if you keep wiggling like that?”
“You’d wiggle too if you’d just been attacked by a vicious animal.”
Dunc looked at him. “The kitten in row three hardly qualifies as a vicious animal.” He examined Amos’s finger. “I don’t see any blood. I think you’re going to live.”
“Go ahead. Make fun. When I die from rabies, I’ll say I told you so.” Amos slid off the office desk and started searching through the cabinets.
“What are you looking for? Ms. Craig told us specifically to stay out of those cabinets.”
“She told us to stay out of the main office, too, but here we are.”
Dunc frowned. “That’s different. I came in here because I thought you were really hurt.”
Amos reached for a roll of gauze bandages. “I
am really
hurt—you just can’t see it. I probably have internal bleeding.”
Dunc moved toward the door. “We’d better get out of here before she gets back. She doesn’t seem like the understanding type.”
He reached for the doorknob. It turned in his hand. The door opened, and a tall distinguished-looking man wearing an expensive suit and carrying a black bag stepped in.
Amos looked up to see who it was and hit the cabinet door dead center with his head. Small bottles of vaccine, syringes, and bandages spilled off some of the shelves and fell out onto the table below.
“Are you all right, young man?” The tall stranger stepped over to help him.
“He won’t be if we don’t get this mess picked up before Ms. Craig gets back.” Dunc grabbed some of the bottles and started shoving them back on the shelf.
“Why don’t you let me handle this?” The man smiled. “I’m the new veterinarian, Dr. Keene. I know how it should be arranged, and no one will be the wiser.”
“Gee thanks, doc.” Amos rubbed his head. “That’s awful nice of you.”
“Not at all. You boys go on back to whatever you were doing. I’ll be happy to straighten up in here.”
Dunc pulled the door shut behind him. “So that’s the new vet. From the way he’s dressed, I’d say he does a pretty good business. I wonder what brings him down here today? I don’t remember there being any vaccinations scheduled or anything.”
“Judge Simmons probably got him on some phony charge too.” Amos sat down on a bench in the hall and held his aching head. “Are we through yet?”
“Almost. Why?”
“I forgot to give my mom the number down here. Melissa’s probably been trying to reach me all afternoon.”
Dunc thought about telling him that Melissa wouldn’t call him even if someone held the phone and dialed the number for her. But he decided not to. Instead he patted Amos on the shoulder. “You wait here. I’ll go make one last check to make sure everybody has food and water.”
Amos leaned against the wall and looked around. Everything was painted white. The door, the cinder-block walls, the shelves—everything. “This place could use an interior
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