The Death of Our Innocence (Dead Plate Swap AU)

Think Of Me Once In A While, Take Care

TW: Pet loss

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"Here, girl, come on.. please have something to eat."

There is a hint of desperation in Rody's voice as he keeps his hand right before Brie's snout, hoping that perhaps she will take a small bite from the food he's giving her. He traveled all the way from Marseille to Nice in a frantic state, and the adrenaline hasn't settled down yet. Thanks to the railway, in a little over four hours, he managed to reach his childhood home and find his dog still breathing.

The elderly dog snorts, bumping her snout against his his hand and curiously sniffing the treat. Ultimately, however, she turns her head away and lies down, curled up against his side.

The sight turns Rody's heart into smithereens. This is Brie's favorite treat. When she was younger, she would move heaven and earth so she could have it-- but now she was old, tired. She is dying. Treats no longer hold the same value. She just wants to rest.

Rody lets out a small sigh, setting down the treat a bit further away in case she maybe changes her mind later.

"It's okay.. I'll leave it here if you want it."

He says softly, trying to keep himself from breaking down as he gently pets her head. He hears the way she sighs. She must be in pain. It must be terrible to be in pain and not be able to vocalize it or show it in any way that makes people understand.

Rody sits cross-legged at the porch facing their back garden with Brie seated by his side, who rests her snout on his thigh and basks in his affection. The only thing flooding his ears beside the silent hum of the small lantern overhead is the song of the crickets nestled among bushes and blades of grass. He gazes up at the starry night, feeling so small in comparison to the moon that shines so brightly above.

Oh, how surreal life feels.

Out of the corner of his vision, Rody is absentmindedly aware of the door connecting to the house opening and a voice flowing through the gap.

"Rody.. you can't stay out here the entire night. It's nearly one o' clock," His mother says, voice small and tired. "You're going to be eaten alive by mosquitoes. At least come inside. Come on, Brie. You can do it."

At the sound of the woman's voice, Brie perks up slightly. She always had a soft spot for Rody's mother, and so she slowly rises from where she's curled up and walks through the gap between the door and the frame.

Rody follows suit, getting inside the house and watching through a veil of sorrow as Brie heads over to the living room and lies down next to the fireplace; her designated spot. It only feels like yesterday when she was an energetic puppy running around the place and using his fingers like chew toys with those sharp little teeth of hers.

"I'll stay with her tonight," Rody tells his mother, heart overwrought with a despair that cannot possibly be put into words. He cannot possibly go to bed when his mind is in this state of disarray, nor can he simply let his dog suffer on her own. "I can't leave her alone like this. You.. you should go rest."

With a reluctant nod, his mother gives a sympathetic squeeze to his shoulder, taking a moment to glance between Rody and Brie before departing toward her own room. She doesn't say anything. What can one even say in a predicament like this?

Rody lets out a heavy sigh, the entire weight of the world resting atop his shoulders and crushing him beneath its colossal force. He lowers himself to the floor and lies down next to Brie, resting part of his head against her and gently petting her side. He can feel the feeble rise and fall of her ribs beneath his skin.