1956: A Kennedy Story

Chapter 24

March 10, 1956

Jackie arrived at the vet with the small bird tucked in a small hankerchief she had grabbed on her way out, she was pressing it on the bird's large wound on it's leg and wing.

She wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do, but it's what people did to humans so it couldn't be too bad right?

She could've wandered for hours and the bird would've died, but she found, just by luck, a small animal hospital that was open.

She, in relief, ran in and had to say nothing to the clerk who saw the bird in the hankerchief.

"Doctor Smith!" Jackie heard.

A young man came out of a hallway and slid into the room.

Jackie passed the bird to the man and made to follow him before the front desk attendant called to her.

"Miss, I'm afraid you can't go in, and you also need to fill this out."

Jackie sighed, she was starting to regret saving the bird's life but deep down she knew that she was happy she'd done it.

She finished the paperwork within fifteen minutes, she tapped her chin during those minutes wondering what she should answer on the question: "Is this animal your pet, a stray or a wild animal?"

She picked pet because she didn't want anything to happen to the bird. She needed to stop calling it bird and give it a name.

She wasn't even sure if it was a boy or girl.

The front desk attendant, after Jackie gave her the paperwork, told Jackie,"She's in surgery right now."

And Jackie knew the bird was a female.

She asked the attendant,"How long will it take?"

The attendant said,"Four hours."

Jackie told the attendant she'd stay. Jackie decided to spend the first few minutes trying to think of a name for the she-bird.

She was almost certain the vet was ask her what the name of the bird was.

She tried to think of a name the suited the bird, the bird was navy blue with a little yellow and a white belly. She remembered, it had black legs but that was all she remembered.

The first name that came to her was Lee, like her sister but Jackie didn't think her sister would appreciate a bird being named after her.

After a long thinking time, that was about thirty minutes, Jackie decided on the name Luna, which meant moon in spanish.

Luna the bird. Yes, Jackie liked it.