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Leo and Joy (fiction)

 

Leo was lying on a gurney in the Government Veterinarian Hospital. He was too weak to stand up, and could barely move his tail. He hated the cold, metal feel of the gurney. He wanted to be home, playing fetch with Joy, his best friend.

Leo was adopted by Sam, Joy's father, when he found a tiny pup shivering in the rain. Sam, then 17, swaddled the pup in an old blanket, fed him milk with a dropper, and held him close when he wouldn’t stop whimpering.

Now Leo was 14 years old and had a weak heart. He fainted last evening in the middle of running around with Joy.

Sam brought him to the hospital.

The vet gave the bad news to Sam - Leo was dying. He might be dead in a day, most probably will not survive the next week.

Sam came to see Leo, trying hard to brave. Leo tried to wave his tail, and managed a very slow, little movement. 

Leo just wanted to run around with Joy, getting the old tennis ball back to Joy and see his face light up with a smile. In the haze of his sickness he could see Joy, he wanted to get up, run to him, lick Joy's face. But he could manage only a little movement in his tail. Leo desperately wanted to run around in the grass and watch Joy's face light up when he took the ball back to him. every time. He wanted the ball in his mouth, so that he could take it to Joy. He tried to look for it. But he didn't have any strength to move his head. He couldn't see very well. He didn't realize he was in a hospital and not in the backyard.

"Can't we do anything?" Sam asked the vet

"We can give him intravenous drugs; he might get better, but the chances of that happening are very low", the vet said. "You can decide to take him home or you can leave him here for the treatment" the vet said "its your choice".

Sam spoke to Leo in a loving whisper "Buddy do you want to go home? Do you want to play fetch with Joy?"

Joy's name brought a faint spark to Leo's eyes. He wagged his tail and tried to get up. Sam could not hold back his tears; he was overwhelmed by his love for Leo and with Leo's love for Joy. And he knew that Leo would want to spend his last few moments with Joy. He had to take him home - the choice was clear.

Sam picked up Leo and brought him to the car, and put him in the back seat. He drove slowly. He was trying to control his own emotions. He wanted to be strong in front of Joy. Once he reached home, he continued sitting in the car for a few moments, trying to compose himself, taking a couple of deep breaths.

He walked to the back door of the car, and opened it up to pick up Leo. Leo was dead. Sam realized that Leo would have died somewhere on the way. He couldn’t stop his tears. He was 17 again, holding a shivering pup to his chest. And he felt scared, of Joy's grief. And of Joy's first brush with death of a loved one.

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