Page 47 of Hold Me Instead
Actually, better than that. But she didn’t dare allow herself to consider what it meant.
“Dr. Harris?” Their vet tech, Sheila, stood in the doorway, expression urgent. “Swallowed rubber band. Mrs. Roberts thinks it happened within the last half hour.”
Charlie nodded and followed Sheila to the patient’s room. Kicking the day off with an urgent situation, right at their opening hour.
Getting cats to throw up was difficult, swallowed rubber bands especially tricky to rescue. For some reason, Charlie felt today would be different.
***
“Oh my goodness, he swallowedthat?”
Charlie pointed at the baggie with a grin, a slimy yellow rubber band on display. “Can’t believe we got it.Veryglad we got it though, this was a big one.”
Maura shuddered. “Doesn’t matter how many years I’ve worked here, I don’t have the same level of excitement about it as you do.”
Charlie laughed and left the room. “Mrs. Roberts was grossed out when we showed her.”
Maura followed close behind her. “I’ll bet. She was so grateful Homer avoided surgery.”
“Me too,” Charlie said.
“Coffee is here, by the way.”
“Ooo, great.” Charlie detoured toward the kitchenette.
“I have a new machine ready for pickup. I’ll grab it after lunch.”
Charlie nodded as she prepped her coffee, but Maura hovered. With her first sip, Charlie pivoted to face her, eyebrows raised in question.
“I wanted to give you the heads-up,” Maura said softly. “Already handled Mrs. Delaney this morning.”
“Oh no. What now?”
“She called to say that she ‘found better care elsewhere and we can all go to hell.’”
“She said that.” It wasn’t a question, knowing the woman behind the words.
Maura nodded. “Apparently, after getting the same answer you gave her fromthreeother clinics, she finally found one willing to tell her what she wanted to hear.”
Charlie stared into her mug, watching oat milk swirl and blend. “Which clinic? Downtown?”
Maura grimaced at the mention of the clinic who’d become their rival once Neptune Corp had purchased them. “Yes.”
“Damn it,” Charlie muttered. “How many have we lost to them now?”
“At least ten percent since June.”
“Seriously?” Charlie rubbed her forehead. “I didn’t realize it’d gotten that high. Last Daniel told me, it was nearing five.”
“Well…” She looked around.
“Maura, you can tell me.”
“About five percent have left since Dr. Lee’s heart attack.”
Charlie opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. How many had left before Zachary arrived? All 5 percent? Was it her? Many of the recent accounts had probably been Daniel’s, but that was a lot, and quick.
“Most people who’ve given a reason said it’s because of cost,” Maura rushed to add.
