little toy guns

Medic

Marty was sniffing the halls as we walked up to the elevator. Once we were up on the pediatric floor I stopped Marty. I looked at her and said, "Gentle." Her pace slowed. She looked into every room we passed. Some of the kids were asleep and some could not wait for us to come back by. I told the nurse station we were here. Some of the nurses said hello to Marty. We walked back down the hall and started going room to room. I would gently nock on the door and let the kids and families know we were there some parents were hesitant as they took in Marty's size but once she showed how gentle she was they relaxed.

We visited some of our consistent patients. Some of the cancer kids could not get enough time around a dog because they were so bad that they could not go home and see their own. One girl was constantly showing me photos of dogs her parents said she could get when she was all better. After seeing Marty so much she was determined to get a Shepard of some sort.

I loved coming to visit the kids in the hospital. Marty loved children and was more than happy to get out of the house. I stopped by the nearest restaurant with a patio. I stopped Marty at the door and she laid down. I went in after telling her to stay.

"Hi, I was wondering if I could get a seat on your patio with my dog?" I asked the hostess.

"Is your dog well behaved?" She asked.

"Very." I told her she said she would meet me at the side entrance to the patio. I walked back outside and got Marty. When I met the hostess at the side gate she seemed skeptical at Marty's size. I stopped as the woman stared at Marty. "Marty heal." I said gently to her. She soon sat at my side looking up at me and then around waiting for me to tell her what to do.

"Right this way." As the owner of a large dog I was not unfamiliar with the stairs other people were giving us. One woman gasped as we walked by. Ya that was always fun especially when I left the gym on Saturdays with some of the guys and Marty. Just like Marty the guys were softies as well unless you made them mad but none of us would just snap.

I ordered and got a bowl of water for Marty. I watched people walk by and looked at the time. It was already 4:00 p.m. once I looked down at Marty I could see she was bored. I paid and got up to leave.

I got home and walked in both of my parents cars were here so I was surprised that no one was yelling. Once I got in the house I realized why. My mom was curled up on the couch with a book and Jeopardy was playing on the T.v. she looked up and said hello and then returned to the pages of her book. My dads running shoes were not here and that told me he was most likely at the gym. He liked to get his problems out physically. That anger was what got him into boxing because he did not want to hit a normal person. As I walked by my mom I could see tears on her cheeks. I wanted to ask but that would just result in me hearing what a terrible man my father was. I had told them both I was sick of being in the middle not that it stopped a whole lot I would still hear about one from the other. Thats why I was always staying late at school and takeing long jogs around town with Marty.

I knew the kids in the hospital were sick. Some times I could have sworn what ever was eating at my parents relationship had to have been worse. I was always afraid that I would never have a healthy a relationship because of them or that I would not know what to do with a good thing once I had it.

I walked into my bed room and took a shower and then laid in bed watching old movies. It was about two hours later when my dad got home. He must have turned off the T.v. because the sound in the living room stopped. Then I heard the shower start and once he got out he went to his room. My mom was most likely still asleep on the couch with her book on the ground. I looked at my clock it said it was 7:40. I called Marty up on the bed with me and went to sleep.