Page 61 of High Intensity

I’m happy to return to my apple-stuffed French toast and bacon Ama served up this morning, and make a mental note to ask her for the recipe, if she’s willing to share. I enjoy the rest of my breakfast in silence, as I listen to Ama and Thomas bicker like siblings. They’re not related, and a generation separates them, but the love between them is obvious. At some point, Jackson walks in, closely followed by Sully, and before you know it every stool at the kitchen island is filled, and the supply of food seems never-ending.

It’s a strange patchwork of individuals in this kitchen, but there is no doubt these people are family. I feel pretty lucky I’m being made to feel included.

I’m just shoving the last bite in my mouth when JD walks into the kitchen, his eyes on me.

“Doc’s here,” he announces.

I’m off my stool and beelining it for the front door. I didn’t even thank Ama for breakfast. Janey is standing next to her truck with the rear door open, grinning widely as she steps aside for me to poke my head inside.

“Oh my God, you guys. Hey…”

Hunter leaps up from the back seat and attacks my face with her tongue, while her tail beats a tattoo against the leather seat.

“Hello, pretty girl. You’re looking a lot better.”

When I nudge her aside, I catch sight of Nugget on the other side of the back seat, whimpering softly. He lifts his head and his tail wags too, albeit with a little less enthusiasm.

“Who’s my good boy?”

I quickly lift Hunter out of the truck and reach back in for Nugget, who is already crawling toward me. I gingerly pick him up, cradling him in my arms when I back out of the truck.

“He’s still weak,” Janey volunteers. “Much better than he was though. Given he has the smallest body mass of all the dogs, I think it’s going to take some time for the drugs to get completely filtered from his system. But he’s progressing, and I’m positive he will do even better once he’s back with his pack.”

“I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Believe me, it’s my pleasure. Happy to see them doing better. Although, you may want to keep an eye on Nugget just for today. I think you’ll see a great improvement in him with another day or so.”

“Did you ever find out what they were given?” Wolff asks.

I hadn’t even noticed him following me outside, I was too focused on my dogs.

“Yes,” Doc responds. “I believe it was acepromazine. It’s a tranquilizer often used as a pre-anesthetic. It would’ve been about forty minutes to an hour before it would’ve taken effect once in a dog’s system and can last six to eight hours to wear off when properly dosed.”

“They were probably given something when I last let them out before we went to bed,” Wolff suggests.

The vet agrees, “That would be my guess.”

I thank her again and ask her to send me the bill, to which she responds with a smile and a, “Sure.” I have a sneaking suspicion I’ll have to chase that bill down.

Once again, I feel that warm sense of community, of family. Something I’ve denied myself for too many years.

I carry Nugget as I follow Wolff, who leads Hunter to his cabin. The welcome from the rest of the pack is enthusiastic, and I have to caution my bigger boys to be gentle with especially Nugget.

“New plan for today,” Wolff announces once the pack seems settled down.

“Which is?”

“You stick around here with the dogs. Give Nugget a chance to recover and maybe tomorrow he’ll be good enough to come with us to Wellspring. Give the big dogs some exercise so they don’t feel left out. And Jackson says he’s sticking close by today,” he suggests as he reaches for me.

I step willingly into his arms. Amazing how fast his embrace has become like home to me.

“And what about you?”

“I’m gonna head over to your place. The feds should be done with it by now, but they’re not known for leaving things tidy. I’ll do a bit of cleanup, maybe grab whatever perishables are in your fridge and freezer to bring back, and make sure the place is locked up tight. Anything you need that I can pack up?”

I squeeze his waist and tilt my head back. “A couple of the dog beds. Three dogs barely fit on your spare bed, all five of them would be pushing it. Nugget won’t be able to jump up there by himself anyway.”

He drops his head for a quick, hard kiss.

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