Christmas Behind Bars #simplychristmascontest

Chapter 3- The Shelter

Shrill yips, loud barks, and sad whimpers filled the kennel area as Dr. Daniels wended his way through the maze of homeless dogs. His heart ached as he watched people, young and old, fawning over the puppies while older dogs were ignored. The worst part was seeing the rejection and hurt in their watery eyes. They knew...they were aware the puppies would find homes quickly while they might never find a human to simply love them and accept the love they so desparately wanted to offer in return.

One white-faced old timer stood at the kennel door with eyes bright and tail wagging as a little tow-headed boy and his mother approached the block of cages. The disappointment in his kind, brown eyes was evident when the child pointed a mittened hand to a neighboring puppy who was more interested in his brightly colored chew toy than entertaining another group of visitors. The old dog tucked his tail between his legs, hung his head, and went to lay on his tattered mat with a sigh.

Without a second thought, Daniels stepped up to the kennel housing the neglected canine and called to him through the chain-links. "Come here, Saul." Instantly, the droopy-eyed golden retriever came to life. Light shone once again in his eyes, and his tail wagged merrily as the doctor scratched his ears. "Who's a good boy?" He asked and smiled as Saul let out a cheerful bark in reply. "I wish I could take you home for Christmas, buddy... I wish I could take all of you home," he sighed.

After giving the now contented dog a final pat, he moved on to the real reason for his visit to the shelter. As a veterinarian, he volunteered two mornings a week to treat any discarded pets needing his attention. Today he needed to give a very special dog a check-up. Hank was an old, Australian Shepherd mix who was brought in eight weeks earlier after being hit by a car. The accident left his back legs paralyzed, and his owners surrendered him and decided to adopt a puppy instead. As if a member of the family could be so easily replaced.

He developed a special bond with Hank over the ensuing weeks of treatment and was working on designing a little, wheeled contraption for his back legs. Daniels knew mobility would make all the difference in bringing the loving canine out of the depression leaving him listless and aloof. Many times he considered adopting Hank himself, but he wanted to own a home before making the commitment.

One of the main reasons Hank was so special to him was due simply to the fact that he wasn't special to anyone else. Never once did people looking to adopt give the forlorn dog a second glance. Even the staff and volunteers spent as little time as possible at Hank's kennel. They cleaned up and cleared out like his paralysis might be contagious. Sighing and blinking back the stinging behind his eyes, he turned the corner and was shocked to see a red-headed, young woman sitting beside Hank's cage.

"Oh, I wish I could take you home," the girl sighed. He watched her for a moment and smiled. Her auburn curls were pulled back by an elastic band, but a few stray ringlets had escaped and were brushing against the collar of her t-shirt. Her skin was creamy white, and her eyes a brilliant, sky blue. When she smiled at the kenneled dog, he saw her lovely face blossom until he truly believed she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Sticking her fingers through the crisscrossed fencing, he watched as Hank dragged himself off of his worn-out mat and scooted to where the girl waited for him.

When she noticed the condition of the dogs back legs, he heard her gasp and figured she would soon get up and move on to a dog without so many obstacles to overcome. Instead, he saw tears spring to her blue eyes lending them an even deeper shade of turquoise. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I think you're perfect just the way you are." Her kind words brought a burning sensation in the back of his throat and forced him to cough in an attempt to dispel the discomfort.

Instantly, the girl stood to her feet, surprised to be caught talking to a dog. Her cheeks took on a rosy hue as she brushed off her backside and adjusted her grey t-shirt with a logo for a local diner. "I didn't mean to startle you," Daniels apologized. "I just need to give Hank a couple shots and make sure he's healing properly."

"Ok," the blushing redhead's eyes were still downcast, and he wished for a moment she would turn the sparkling orbs on him. "I'll get out of your way."

"No need," he smiled. "I could actually use your help...if you're a volunteer."

"I am," she nodded and let her eyes meet his for the first time. Something inside him melted when she looked at him. "What do you need me to do?"

"What?" Why was he losing his mind over someone he knew nothing about?

"You said you needed my help," she brushed a stray curl out of her eyes and tucked it expertly behind her ear. "What do you need me to do?"

"Oh...I need you to keep a handle on Hank while I give him his rabies vaccine. Don't let him struggle too much."

Nodding she smiled up at him, and suddenly it seemed like the fluorescent lights in the cinderblock building shined brighter than ever. He opened the kennel and carried Hank to a metal examination table. The girl wrapped her arms around the dog's furry shoulders and in no time the shot was given without any unwanted incident.

"You're such a good boy, Hank," the woman cooed as the canine licked her cheek. For the first time in weeks, a light shone in the old dog's eyes, and Dr. Daniels could not suppress a smile as he looked on the compassionate girl with admiration.

"What's your name?" He couldn't let this girl out of his sight without getting her digits.

"Darcy Wentworth," she smiled up at him then looked back at the dog who contentedly rested his head against her shoulder.

"Could I get..." his request was cut off by the shrill ringing of Darcy's phone.

"Sorry," she grabbed the phone from her pocket. "I need to take this."

He tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation, but it was impossible not to pick up most of it.

"Yes, mom," he watched as she rested a hand on her forehead with a look of exasperation on her face. "I told you I would bring him for Christmas...we won't have time to head that way before, so you and Grandma Trudy will just have to wait. I know...you're so disappointed. What's new? I'm nothing but a disappointment. Ok. Bye."

Upon hearing about the man she was planning to take home to meet her family, Daniels experienced acute disappointment of his own. Of course, she had a boyfriend. How was it possible someone as sweet as this girl could be unattached? As they parted ways, he tried and failed to get the lovely girl completely out of his head. He wished he could look into her blue eyes forever and experience the warmth of her smile until he was old and grey, but someone else found her before he did. He could only hope the man who held her heart was aware of the treasure he possessed.