(Service Dog AU) Keith Kogane's family trains service dogs. After training a dog for a year, another boy who has seizures, Lance McClain becomes the recipient. Keith can't stand him. How in the hell does he train the dog with the most ANNOYING perso...
"Sit. Down." Keith ordered. He watched as Rex, the black Labrador, followed his orders and watched Keith intently. "Good boy." Keith said, rubbing the top of the dog's head.
Mr. Kogane opened the door to the training center of Altea, Oklahoma. Rex's ears perked up to see the newcomers. A teenage boy, looking to be Keith's age, walked back to the office with who seemed to be his parents.
Keith had grown attached to Rex. He was his trainer for a whole year and now the 18 month lab was getting ready to be passed on to someone else. The boy had wandered away from his parents and walked by, looking at all of the dogs chilling in their crates, some chewing on toys, others chewing on bones, some just sleeping. He put his hand through the bars and attempted to pet a sleeping dog.
"You can't pet them." Came a voice. "Everyone knows that." Keith and Rex walked up to the wall of crates.
"You can pet own your dog"
"I don't have a dog."
"What?" Keith asked. He just figured that they were signing up for pet classes but if he didn't have a dog-
"Keith." Mr. Kogane ordered.
"Yeah?"
"Meet Lance McClain- Rex's new handler."
"What?" Keith asked, handing the leash to Mr. Kogane.
"Lance, introduce yourself." Mrs. McClain nudged.
"Hi." Lance said, holding up a hand.
Keith smiled politely and shook his head. "I'm Keith Kogane, Rex's main trainer."
"Cool." Lance said, jamming his hands into his pockets.
Mr. Kogane spoke. "We are going to train Lance to be Rex's new handler."
"So you have..." Keith trailed. "seizures?"
Lance nodded. "Pretty much.- and hypoglycemia"
Keith tried to hide his disappointment. "Well he's been training for blood sugar and seizure alerts for months now. He's probably the best dog I've ever trained."
"Cool." Lance replied. "So what will it do?"
Keith wanted to roll his eyes. How did this kid not know what his dog has been heavily trained for. "Well he will smell adrenaline in your spit and he can sense when your blood sugar is low."
"Cool..." Lance hesitated.
Mrs. Kogane spoke up. "Lance has seizures and we need a way to make sure he's safe."
"If you don't mind asking, how long has he been having seizures for?"
"Well let's see..." Mrs. Kogane recounted. "He got his concussion playing baseball and that was last season of 8th grade so..."
"2 years." Mr. Kogane finished.
"Right." Mrs. Kogane agreed.
"Lance has taken a week from his summer to train with you and Rex."
"Me?" Keith asked. Please no, he thought.
"Yep. You're Rex's main."
Keith tried to hide his disappointment "Right."
Mr. McClain handed the leash to Lance. "Have fun training." He said. "Your parents will stay behind for some paperwork.
They stepped out from the glass doors of the training center and into the Oklahoma sunshine.
"Let's start with the basics." Keith said. "We're going to walk around the strip mall here and every time you stop, he should sit." Lance followed Keith and stopped when he was supposed to. "Good. Now- have him sit down here in the shade and give him the down-stay command."
"What do I say?" Lance asked.
Keith internally cringed. "Down. Stay."
Lance ordered Rex and he obediently sat down. Keith was about to speak again when Rex barked and jumped up. "Rex what are you...?!"
He turned to suddenly see that Lance had fallen to the ground and was seizing. Keith was used to medical emergencies. "Sweet mother of Jesus." He muttered. He knelt down and put Lance's head in his lap. "Rex, cover." He ordered.
Rex lay down on Lance's chest until his seizure stopped. He was licking Lance's face and barking every so often. The McClain parents rushed out of the training center to where Rex, Keith, and Lance were.
"Was it another seizure?" Mrs. McClain asked frantically.
"I think so." Keith responded, looking up. "Wake up." He demanded. It worked, because Lance's eyes opened up.
"Did I have another? That's the third one today."
"Yeah." Keith said.
Lance looked down. "Hi, Rex."
Mr. Kogane caught up to the group. "Rex is trained to jump up when Lance is going to have a seizure and bark if no one is around. He'll provide pressure to stop the attack."
Mrs. Kogane sniffled, wiping away a tear.
"We finally have hope."
Keith rolled his eyes after turning back to Lance who was sitting up. Lance pet Rex's head. "Thanks, buddy."
"Well." Mr. McClain began. "We have a service class tonight. Why don't you go and get some lunch and then meet us back at the center around 4:30."
The McClains agreed and soon Keith was putting Rex away in his crate.
"Keith." Mr. Kogane said. "I need to talk to you about something." Keith sighed. Another lecture. His father continued, "You can't grow too attached to a working animal, you know that."
"I know." Keith replied. "But he's my first puppy trainee."
"Yes." His father answered. "But he is no longer your dog. He never was. He was always meant for that McClain boy."
"Great." Keith muttered.
"What was that, Keith?"
"Nothing." Keith said, backpedaling. "I'm going to give the dogs some more water."
"Okay. Why don't you go out for lunch? Just be back by 4."
"Thanks." Keith replied, catching the car keys that his father tossed him.
