Beyond the Pain

Beyond the Pain - Chapter Seven.

Chapter seven.

The weekend arrived and Nick was still working late most nights. He hardly came home in time for tea, shoving a pasta bake in the microwave at midnight. I felt very lonely and was thankful to my dogs for being there. The weather was getting slightly warmer as it was coming to the end of February, so I took Holly, Bess, George and Dylan to the beach for a splash.

We drove down in the car; me and Holly in the front, George, Dylan and Bess in the back. When we arrived, the beach was full of people prematurely stripped down to their t-shirts, shorts, bikinis and trunks. I still had my winter jacket on. Cautiously, I opened the car doors and let the dogs loose, who were panting and whining in excitement. They scattered around the sand, leaving sandstorms wherever they went. I tried to get them into order, shouting their names and holding treats out for them, but there was no point. They were already miles away, covered in sand and soaking small squealing children in the sea.

“Bess!” I shouted and she came running over.

I breathed a sigh of relief. One down, three to go.

“Holly! Come! Good girl! There we are then.”

Only two left.

“George! George! Come on, be a good boy. Stop drenching everyone.”

No reply.

“Dylan! Come!”

They were happily dancing in the water, two balls of fire, trying to cool down. I clipped Holly and Bess' leads on, thanking them for being so good. Bess shook her head, flapping her ears from one side to the other.

“What's the matter girl?” I said, examining her ears.

They were still burning and red.

“Your going on a trip to the vet later,” I told her.

I strolled along the sand, pretending I didn't have a clue who the two hooligans in the water belonged to. My two dogs were perfectly behaved, trotting along beside me, panting in the breeze.

That was until George decided to see what I had in my pocket, remembering I'd brought some chicken to lure him back.

He sprinted over, Dylan shadowing behind.

“Oh my God.”

They both crashed into my legs at full speed, knocking me to the floor. I swallowed my pride, hoping no one had noticed, got to my feet and handed them both some chicken, clipping on their leads and dragging them back to the car. Four wet, sandy dogs covered the car in muck on the ride home as I shook my head in horror.

As soon as I got home, I took Bess straight to the vet.

“It's a fierce infection, that,” said Dr. Harper, as Bess stood calmly on the table.

I stroked her head and kissed the tip of her nose.

“We'll put her on a course of ear-drops and see if that helps. It should clear up in a few weeks.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“How long have her ears been inflamed?”

I hesitated.

“About a week,” I said, trying to remember.

“I would bring her in straight away next time. Dogs with floppy ears are prone to infections and if not treated straight away, they can lead to deafness, especially in dogs as old as Bess.”

I nodded.

“I know,” I said, “I've just had a lot on my mind recently.”

I got Bess' drops, paid the bill; which was much less than I'd imagined and got home to Jayne who was caring for the puppies.