Old Habits

Future

"Mal!" I call after her. "Mal?!" I scream again. I get no response. I run through the forest, trying to find Mal. She took off after I proposed without a word. Why didn't she say yes?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❶Mal❶~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My feet were faster than my mouth. Before I said anything to Ben, I was in the forest, running away. I barely noticed when it started to rain. My vision blurs and my bare feet slide on the mud. I can no longer here Ben calling out behind me. I turn to look and regret my actions. I fall down, my head hitting something on the way.

When my eyes next open, the rain is harder. I don't know how much time has passed. I try to get up but my vision fades away. I eventually stumble my way through the trees blindly. It's a miracle I make it anywhere. I make it to a road before falling to my knees. Mud coats my hair and limbs in think splotches. I can't think straight for more than a few seconds. Everything hurts. I stand up again, tripping over my feet as I try to make it to the closest building. When I make it there, all the lights are out. I fall against the door after trying to get it open and failing. Everything blurs together until all I see is black.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❶Carlos❶~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wake up!" Jay screams. "We're going to be late." I open my eyes to see and feel Jay shaking me. "First appointment is at eight. It's six thirty now and we still need to get ready."

"Got it. Give me fifteen minutes. Can you start-"

"Breakfast?" Jay finishes. "Yeah, it'll be ready."

I smile and get up. "Thanks, man." Dude jumps up and licks my face. I laugh and push him off. After getting dressed quickly I head to the offices and make sure everything's in order. Before I can make it upstairs, something feels off. My first thought is to check the drop off. One of the first things I did was make this office a safe haven. Anyone who didn't want their pet or couldn't care for them could leave them in what we call the drop off; relatively small room that's only meant for care over the duration of a night. When I reach the door, I see why I was so offset. Mal sits by the doorway, coated in mud and a red liquid I can only assume is blood. I pull her inside, laying her flat against the floor as I check for anything that says she's alright. "Jay!" I scream. "Jay, get down here."

"Just a minute," he calls.

"No, now!" I call again. "It's an emergency!"

Something clatters upstairs and soon, Jay is running down the stairs. "What's wrong?"

I shake my head and look up at him. He's staring at Mal. "I don't know. I found her like this sitting outside."

Jay rushes over and picks her up. "Make a sign. We're closed today. Appointments will be rescheduled. Hurry!" He rushes Mal to one of the medical rooms. I scribble a sign and set it in the window. When I get back to Mal, Jay's trying to gently clear her head of mud. "This is going to take too long. Fill the tub with water, we need to get this mud off. And call Evie." I run upstairs as Jay picks her up carefully. I run the water as Jay takes as much of Mal's clothing off as he can while leaving her some decency. After helping Jay set her in the tub, I call Evie.

"Hello?" she asks.

"Evie, it's Carlos. We need you to come over to our vet and we need you here like, yesterday."

"There are some people coming to work here today, what's wrong?" Evie replies.

"We don't know," I reply. "I went downstairs and Mal was there covered in mud and blood. She's unconscious and we're trying to help but we need you here. Mal needs you here."