Page 105 of Revival

“Oh, let me see.” I crouch down low, facing away from the door. Slipping my hand into my pocket, I pull out a spare treat and extend it toward the tense golden retriever. She looks at me from the side, showing a large amount of the whites of her eyes.

Not even a minute later, a wet nose nudges my fingers. The pup moves in close enough to steal the treat, and Lee carefully closes the door. The latch catches with a soft click.

“She’s highly food motivated.” Lee drops another treat by her paws.

I slowly stand and wipe my hands on my scrub pants. “Where’d you find her?”

“A neighbor called her in over by Hastings Pond. Said she’s been out there the past three nights sleeping under a bush.”

“Poor thing. She doesn’t look very old. Maybe a year.”

“That was my thought as well.”

“Let’s go into exam two.”

Lee’s been here enough he could be a part-time assistant. I’m pretty sure he knows where to find most of my basic supplies. The only place he’d get lost is the surgical suite because I only allow my techs in there.

He guides the frightened golden into the clean room. Her nails click noisily across the tile floor. I note the need for a nail trim as I visually assess her for pain, weakness, or deformities.

“She’s walking well. Was she near the road?”

“Not when I got there. The neighbor didn’t see her there either.”

“I wonder if she was dumped.”

Lee scrubs his hand over his hair. “He says it’s the fourth dog he’s found at the pond this year.”

“That’s awful.” I frown at the terrified girl. Her fur is dirty and matted in places. She’s in rough shape for spending only three days outside.

“Yeah,” Lee says. He drops onto the floor and sits with his back against the wall. The dog curiously sniffs his outstretched leg before tucking herself against him.

“Seems you’ve made a new friend.” I grab a microchip scanner from the drawer and kneel beside them.

“I may have given her a few of my fries on the way over.”

As if proving her new BFF isn’t a liar, the dog leans over and licks Lee’s fingers.

I wave the scanner over her back. “I can see that.”

“Nothing?”

“No chip. No collar. What happened to you, sweet girl?” I toss her another treat and exchange the scanner for my stethoscope.

“She’ll be okay. We have room for her. The adoption event at the festival opened up a lot of space. Also, Jude hasn’t seen her yet.”

“Oh no.”

Our brother Jude lives on the Sanctuary property with a pack of dogs who aren’t good candidates for adoption. At last count, he had sixteen of them. He also has a soft spot for goldens.

“One of us should probably text Frankie and give her a heads-up.” Lee grins.

I lay the diaphragm against the side of her chest and listen to her heart. The rhythmic thump sounds healthy and clear.

“She’s gotten as bad as him. They’ll probably have a name picked out before you get there.”

“They enable each other. If they didn’t work so well as a team, I’d have concerns.”

I shoot him a look as I palpate her hips. “You aren’t much better.”

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