Always Go Back (Jack Reacher Fanfiction)

Chapter 6: Vet Help

"Gunner."

Gunner lifted his head, feeling dazed and disoriented. He mumbled under his breath as he stretched his paw forward. "Er, Skylar?"

There was a soft laugh as the pretty she-dog bounded forward. She stopped beside her mate and touched her nose to his ear, rumbling softly. She suddenly pulled away and the warmth vanished. Gunner tried to lift a paw, but he couldn't.

"Sky," he mumbled with squinted eyes. "Please, don't go!"

However, she wasn't listening anymore. She vanished into a glowing light. The light started to come closer to him and he slumped back as the world went black once more.

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"Plenty of fluids and you can give him baby aspirin, but I wouldn't suggest anything heavier than that. It could cause him to go into shock, especially with the meds that I gave him," explained a voice.

Sage moaned as he opened his eyes and felt exploding pain in his neck, chest, and part of his shoulder region. He turned his head in the opposite direction and felt dizziness wash over him as well as nausea. He swallowed it down to the best of his ability as he tried to grasp exactly where he was.

"But, he will be okay," another voice asked and Sage recognized it as a strange sounding Reacher.

Sage felt a presence on his back and he growled ever so slightly. "Yes, he will be okay. Just let him take it easy and sleep most of this off. His stitches will dissolve and then he'll be good as new. May I ask how he came upon these injuries."

"Someone broke into my house and Sage defended me," Reacher lied as smoothly as if he was telling the truth. However, he lied much more than he told the truth.

The other voice sighed. "Yes, that happens quite a bit. You have a loyal dog. Don't give him up."

"Trust me," I won't," vowed Reacher as he leaned forward as he scooped up Sage, even though Sage weighed a fair amount. He was not a small dog by any means.

Reacher held onto Sage tight and Sage struggled not to loose his breakfast due to all the swaying that he was doing. Reacher paid the man in cash. It was honestly all of the cash that Reacher had left, but he would tell Sage that.

They left the building and headed to the car. Reacher Sage into the car in the passenger side as he climbed into the driver's side. He was just about to start the vehicle when Sage sat up with a jolt.

"Skylar!"

Reacher didn't jump, but he was certainly surprised. He turned his head and frowned at Sage as he tried to force him back down. Sage fought him as he for a heartbeat completely forgot that it was Reacher. He nearly sunk his teeth into his arm before he realized who it was. Reacher hung back and shook his head to clear it.

"You need to calm down," whispered Reacher as he ran his hand down Sage's neck and shoulders to calm him down. "Or you're going to tear your stitches and we really can't afford to go back in there."

Sage reluctantly obeyed. He knew that money was more tight than it wasn't and he didn't want to be the reason that they had to cut back on the little things that they had. Cutting back on food for the two of them would not be an option.

"I'm sorry," rasped Sage.

"You don't need to be sorry, but I would like to know what happened," Reacher explained as he started the car before he looked at Sage. "But, I need to know before we start out that you're going to just lay there and not tear out those stitches."