Colored Full of Trauma

Happy Wheels 🦴

A Year Ago

Seriously, that's important to remember throughout this, or the timeline will be a bit confusing.

Tommy sits at the front desk in the animal shelter that him and Zoey work at. She's helping the manager with other animals, so he's bored.
Sat there, impatiently, he thinks of everything stupid that he can.
Looking at the door leading to all of the animals, he notices something.

(Hmm. I can see most of them through the small window there .)
...
...
(If I had my slingshot, I wonder how many I could..)

His thoughts are interrupted by the front door opening.
Panic sets in for a second, as he takes his feet off the counter. (They didn't notice. Ha!)

A woman walks in, holding a big baby carriage on her arm like a purse.

(Alright Tommy, don't look at her chest.)

(Dammit Tommy!)

She speaks, just as his eyes dart back up to meet hers.

"Hi, is it possible for me to leave this little guy here?.. I feel awful for saying it, but my husband is allergic and we can't keep him."

"Ma'am we don't accept children."

...

The woman slowly opens the baby carriage. Inside, a baby german shepherd lay on it's back, tongue out.

Tommy's eyes light up with a huge smile.

"This child is an exception!"

He steps around the counter, and picks the puppy up, giving him a big hug.

Tommy pokes the little pup's nose, getting a lick on his finger in response.

*Gasp*
"I love you too."

Hours later, Zoey heads home. Tommy usually goes with her, but not tonight for some strange reason. She ignores it, and goes home to spend alone time with Charsley. That night, when he gets back, he brings a guest along with him.

"Tommy, you didn't bring the new one home, did you?"

He mischievously giggles.
"No."

The big front pocket of his hoodie barks.

"No."
He reassures... pointlessly.

"Okay listen. We need to take him back tomorrow. Maybe, after some proper bonding and training with him at the shelter, we can bring him here. But Charsley and I don't want him peeing everywhere inside for the next few weeks. Okay?"

"Alrighty. Got it Wheels? No peeing inside tonight." He says, looking the pupper in the eyes.

Wheels licks Tommy's face. He laughs.

The next morning, the showerhead turns off, dripping water slower and slower until it fully stops. With a little nudge, the glass door slides open. Tommy grabs a yellow towel off of the rack in front of him, and wraps it around himself. Then, Wheels steps out of the shower right after. One shake, and they both smell like wet dog.
Tommy laughs.

After moments of staring at the mirror, combing his hair, he looks down to the pup. Then the mirror, then the pup.

...

"Do you want your hair spiky like mine?"

...

Wheels looks up to him, confused.