Page 11 of A Furry Thing Called Love
“Fuck.”
Dropping the mug onto the counter, I ignore the liquid sloshing over the sides, the mess can be cleaned up later.Holding onto the edge of the counter, I pray for the spell to be a quick one.
Eli comes over to press against me, offering his silent support, while also giving me something to brace against.
Millie, finished with her food, doesn’t seem to want to be left out of the party, coming to dance at my feet.“Millie, no.Go lay down.”
She tries to jump up on me.“Millie, down.”
It’s hard not to snap at her with my head spinning.
She jumps again, and I release my grip on the counter to push her down gently while repeating the order.Overbalancing as another wave of lightheadedness and dizziness overtakes me, plus Millie trying to lick my face, I fall.
Trying to catch myself, pain shoots through my arm as I land on it awkwardly.“Fuck!”
Millie jumps on me, and the weight of her forces me to lean more heavily on my arm, causing more pain to run through me.
“Millie!Off.”I try to stay firm, but the pain and dizziness makes it hard.Thankfully, the dog either listens, or is tired of the game, as she climbs off me.
Carefully, I try to get off the ground, cursing when I first try to push myself up with my injured arm.
Eli gives me something to hang onto as I get to my knees, where I take a few moments to catch my breath and wait out the lightheadedness that comes with kneeling upright.Slowly, I climb to my feet, leaning against the counter and grabbing onto the edge once more.
When I don’t feel like throwing up from the pain, I examine my arm, noting the swelling that's already visible in my wrist and forearm.Fuck.
This is a hospital trip, no question about it.If I were anyone else, I’d wrap and ice it and call it good, unless it got worse, but for me, and the way this relapse is kicking my ass, there’s no way I can ignore such an injury.
Looking down at where Millie is now nosing around the food bowls, hoping for any scraps, I sigh.I don’t blame her.She’s still a baby.It’s not her fault I’m a fucking mess and am struggling to keep up with her training.The last two trainers we tried were okay, not ableist like the first, but were still missing something.
But every day that passes that we’re not working on proper training is more of a risk to all three of us, and their safety is more important than anything to me.So Ineedto figure it out.
You know who can help… With both the training and trip to the hospital.
Fuck.There’s no avoiding it now.Keeping hold of the counter for balance, I shuffle my way over to the end of it, and then carefully make my way over to the dining table where my phone is.Sitting in the chair, I pick the device up, it's heavier than it should be under the weight of what I’m about to do.
Plucking my courage from…somewhere, I pull up the number I haven’t used in three years…
Chapter8
Jordan
Socializingclasses are some of my favorites, but they’re also some of the most chaotic of all the ones I run.Having to keep track of both people and pets, make sure no one becomes overly aggressive, or too nervous, and carefully encourage the mix of different temperaments together, takes a lot of patience and dedication.
Some pet parents are overly cautious and anxious, which makes their dogs that way as well, and it can turn a good learning situation into a volatile one very easily.
It’s part of why I love having Indie in the small group sessions like this.She’s calm, collected, well-trained, and has the herding tendencies that border collies are known for, which is helpful with both humans and animals.
The session is wrapping up—they’re not as long as other sessions I host, as I keep them small and short to try to avoid any major issues from popping up—when my phone buzzes in my pocket.Pulling it out, I see Arlo’s name on the screen and my heart gives a little squeeze.I let it ring and turn back to my clients.
“Okay, thank you for joining me today.I hope to see you soon.If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to come speak to me.You’re also welcome to email or text me with any questions you have later.”
As I’m talkingto someone who today was her and her puppy’s first exposure to other dogs, I get another call.Glancing at the screen, a pit forms in my stomach when I see Arlo’s name again.
“Excuse me, I need to take this.”
“Oh, sure.No problem.I should get going anyway.Thanks for taking the time to explain some things.We’ll definitely be back soon.”She scoops up her dog and makes her way out of the training room, while I fumble to answer the phone.
“Arlo?Is everything okay?”
