I hide under the table. I don't want anyone to find me. I don't know what happened. I was only sniffing around the bed trying to find my way around when suddenly I wet. I couldn't control it. If my owners see what I did they'll be angry with me. I can't stand it when they're angry with me. I don't want them to find me.
"Oh no...."
I lick my paws. I chew on them with the teeth I still have.
"Malcolm? Did Charlie have an accident in the house?"
"...I dunno, did he?"
I can't see or hear them. I can only feel their footsteps through the floor. I feel them but they're far away. I'm sure they've found out what I did. They're sure to be cross. I stay hidden.
"When's the last time one of us took him outside?"
"I took him out an hour ago...."
"I think Cara took him out before she left for her friend's house..."
I feel footsteps getting closer to me. I lick harder. They're coming closer and closer. I feel a presence. "Charlie, what's goin' on, boy?"
The man takes me out from under the table and holds me in his arms. After all these years he still holds me like a puppy. He pets me and kisses me. I lick his arms. Maybe if I lick him he won't be so mad at me.
"Did you find him?"
"Yeah, he's out here, Linda."
I feel the woman's hand on my back. I relax a bit, knowing they still love me. They don't seem angry. It was just an accident, it will never happen again!
"Maybe he jus' had to go an' couldn't find the door."
"I really hope that's all it is..."
**********
The man pats me on the back. "You're alright, boy, you're okay..."
I seem to have developed a slight cough. I go to cough and I end up hacking out a lung. I don't think I inhaled anything. But sometimes I have a bad feeling in my chest and it needs to come out. So I hack. The man offers me my bowl of water and I drink.
Water is the best.
"Poor thing. Got the smoker's cough."
"You think he needs another vet checkup?"
"I don't know, they always jus' tell me he's gettin' old an' I fuckin' know that. Tell me somethin' I don't know for fifty bucks."
I hack again. Hacking isn't as fun as burping. I don't taste any food, it only hurts my throat and chest. After I'm finished I sniff around for the man. He pets me. The woman pets me. I wag my tail.
**********
"Malcolm, honey, slow down, what happened?"
I lie on the couch. The man is gone again for a bit. The kids are playing outside. It's a warm day today. I haven't had any accidents since the one and I'm very happy about that! Now if only the hacking would stop and life would be pretty good again.
And yet...I can feel something is wrong.
"There's a bad connection or something, say it again."
I sneeze. It shakes my whole being. My ears flop around and I start drooling again. I wait for the woman to clean me up but she doesn't. She must be busy. Maybe she's on the phone. She usually is when the man is gone. I think it's nice they can still talk while he's so far away. It keeps her happy and that makes me happy.
"....are you serious? You're not joking...? Malcolm, that's horrible! How old were they?"
I stretch out on the couch. My bones ache like the devil but I just live with it. It's worse at night. The woman stays up with me until I fall asleep. I whine from the pain and she comforts me. I wish the man were here too. But he's gone again playing his guitar. I assume he plays it, he always takes it with him.
"They were just kids! No, Malcolm, don't think for one second this was your fault. Okay? This has nothing to do with the band, this was an accident....."
I smell wet salt. Something is definitely wrong....
"Mal I'm so sorry....I can't imagine what their families are going through..."
There's a lot of wet salt. The woman is crying. If I knew where she was in the room I could offer her my comfort. A thought hit me. What if something happens to my owner while he's away? What if the last time I saw him....was the last time I ever saw him?
I almost howl at the thought.
"I don't know, sweetheart....the best we can do is wait."
I feel the weight of the couch shift. I sit up and I feel the woman pick me up into her lap for a hug. I lick around for a while hoping to find her face. Her cheeks are soaked and she's shaking. Please tell me the man is okay....please tell me he's okay....
