Prompts

We all love our pets

Prompt: you are a dog going into the vet. You have no idea why your owner is crying. You have no idea that it's your last visit.

I wagged my tail a few times, bumping my nose into the arm of my owner. She couldn't stop crying. She pulled into the parking spot of the big office she would take me to sometimes. Lately I have been brought here more and more. She turns around and crawls into the back seat with me. I lick her face and crawl into her lap and she cries into my back. Don't cry, it's okay. Nothing bad is happening, why are you crying? I wish I could let her know it's okay. The vet isn't scary anymore, I'm not a puppy.

She hugs me tighter and I try to wiggle out. This hurt, especially around my neck and stomach where I had my pain bumps. She doesn't seem to notice and just cries harder. Her glowy box makes a noise and she looks at it, rubbing at her eyes so she can see. I lick her hand.

Her box changed her. She nodded a little and mumbled to herself. She held my face and looked at me. "You're a good boy, you know that? A very good boy. The best boy I know." She choked up and couldn't finish what she was saying. I swelled with happiness at being called her good boy. I rubbed my face into her torso and wagged my tail harder. She chuckled some and then pushed open the door.

I let her step out first and then waited for her to pick me up and put me on the ground beside her. She clipped the leash to my collar before quickly taking it off and putting it on my new harness. I love my harness! I'm glad she moved it though because my collar sometimes rubs against the pain bump on my neck and that hurts a lot.

She slowly guides our way to the door. My back legs didn't work as well as they use to, but I do my best to keep up with my owner! She's so patient, caring so much for me over the years we've been together and I love her so much. She does so much for me.

We reached the door and she held it open for me. I winced at the change in height from the sidewalk to the vet floor, but it was only a foot or so it wasn't too bad. I went over to the big desk that we always go to first. My owner talks to the nice lady behind the desk and a doctor walks out through the door beside us. My owner and the doctor talked for a bit and I looked around the room, taking in all the smells of animals that have been here recently. I smelled a familiar scent, a friend I met at the last time I stayed here. It was faint and old. I wish I could have seen him again.

My owner starts crying again but hands the leash to the doctor. I pull against him, trying to stay with my owner. I whine and strain against him so I can rub against her legs and let her know she doesn't have to be sad. The doctor tugs harder and my legs give out and I fall with a yelp of pain. My owner screams and falls beside me and yells at the doctor with loud angry words I do not like. The doctor looks upset with himself and squats beside me. He rubs my head and pulls a small treat from his pocket and puts it in front of my muzzle on the ground, as if he was giving me an offering of apologies and peace.

I give him a look from the corner of my eye and turn my attention back to my owner. She was still yelling at him and petting me. I nudged her with my muzzle to let her know I was okay, not in pain from the fall. I was, but she didn't need to worry anymore than she was already.

I slowly stood up with some help from my owner and pushed the treat to her. Maybe she can have it, and then she'll be happy like I am when I get treats. You're my good girl, like I'm your good boy.

I wagged and licked her hand when she picked up the treat. She did what she does when we're both good; she broke the treat in half and we shared it. I quickly gobbled mine up and felt super happy; she put hers in her pocket because she couldn't eat these treats like I can. Some she can, but most she cannot. She explained that there were owner treats and there were dog treats and they were very different. She still took the treat and kept it for me. I know she throws them out later, I can smell them in the trash, but I know she appreciates them too.

The doctor takes my leash and gently guides me to the door. My owner comes with me this time so I walk beside her. She starts tearing up again as we walk into the doctor's room.

The man starts giving a speech to my owner and she cries through the whole thing, but nods along and pets me. I think it's better that she is here, she is calmer around me. Whenever she is sad she comes to me and I help her through it. I've been with her since I was a little puppy and she's raised me with abundant love the whole time; I loved her back wholly. But in my entire life, she has never cried coming here. She has a few times leaving, but never arriving. Once I stared getting my pain bumps she would cry more and more. But I never wanted her to worry about me. I still play fetch with her, even when my back legs are in immense amounts of pain and I can barely walk. I always get up and greet her in the morning, even if I have to sit beside the bed instead of jump on top of it like I would do when I was a puppy.

The doctor finished his talk and walks over to me and picks me up. He is very gentle this time, and takes extra care when placing me on the cold shiny table. I sit down and points my muzzle up some as the doctors would always ask me to do when examining me. However, this time the doctor doesn't start feeling my neck and instead walks over the wall and other tables. My owner gives me a big hug as I sit calmly, waiting for whatever the doctor will use. Maybe it's a new tool to look at my pain bumps. The doctors have only been focusing on them lately, maybe this is going to help them?

My owner was crying but I could still understand her. "I love you so much, you will always be my good boy. I'll love you forever. You're the best dog in the entire universe and nobody will ever beat you for first place," at this point she was crying to hard to talk and pushed her face into my fur. I nuzzled my muzzle into her back. You're the best girl, and no owner can ever top you. Nobody could have loved me more than you did or done more for me than you. I love you too. So much, my little heart is overflowing with it.

I lick her cheek as the doctor comes back and she lets go. "Lay down, be a good boy. You're just going to get a little shot, I'll be right here the whole time." My sits down in the chair beside the table and puts her hand on one of my front paws. I put my other paw atop hers and my head down in the table, waiting for this to be over so I can crawl in her lap and lick her face to let her know it will be okay.

The doctor takes the wet square and parts some of my fur on the back of my neck. He rubs a little bit on my skin and preps the needle. My owner rubs my head, continuously telling me I'm a good boy and she loves me. I look at her and lick her hand as the needle slides into my neck. I've had a couple shots lately, this wasn't too much. The needle only gave a small pinch and he pulled it out. The doctor rubs my head. "You're a good dog, you know that? Stay here for a minute." He turns to my owner and tells her, "It won't be too long. He'll be out in less than a minute. It won't hurt a bit." I didn't understand this. Maybe I was having surgery. I looked at my owners eyes and she looked at me for a moment before she had to grab a tissue and wipe at her eyes. She looked back and stared into my eyes. I hated seeing my owner sad, but whenever this ends she won't be sad and we can pet each other and play fetch again.

I start getting more and more tired, but do my best to never lose eye contact with my owner. Whenever I looked down or blinked too long, she would let out a loud sob. I hated that sound from her, it was heartbreaking. Eventually, I was so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open and fell asleep. I heard her wail after a moment but I couldn't move. I fell asleep to the sound of her crying helplessly. The doctor said something but I only heard the start of it.

"I'm sorry. This was the right choice, although the hardest. He's in a better place now..."

I love you, remember that, and don't cry. You, my owner, are a good girl who doesn't need to cry. I'll be right back, I just need a little nap and we can be together again. It's okay, I love you...