Page 13 of Maybe, Probably
The next morning I’m awakened by what feels like a ton of bricks being tossed onto my chest. It’s just Winnie on top of me.
“What in the ever loving– Winnie, off!” I groan. Winnie leaps off the bed and starts running toward the kitchen. Scrubbing a hand down my face, it takes me a moment to realize I slept in. I look at the clock, and it’s just before ten. I’m refreshed, and I don’t think I've slept that good in a while.
I get out of bed and make my way down to the kitchen to let Winnie out back. Throwing my hair up into a messy bun, I start the coffee. I don’t care how cold it gets outside, I will drink iced coffee all year round. I decide it’s the perfect day to take Winnie out to Sailor’s Point, and it’s secluded enough that I don’t have to keep him on a leash.
I spend the rest of the morning cleaning house so that when I come home exhausted later I can relax. After eating lunch, we head out. It’s about a twenty-five minute drive before we’re climbing out of my Honda Pilot in this beautiful countryside.
I hook Winnie up to his harness to start, with the intention of taking him off of it when we start the hiking trail. I make sure I have enough water for both of us, and of course a snack for when we reach the top.
Winnie excitedly paces on the leash while I’m getting all geared up. A little whimper comes out as he nudges my hand. I smile. “Hold on, big guy, let me get this backpack on, and we can head out.” I scratch his ear before slipping the straps on.
Locking the car, we head off in the direction of the hiking trails. It’s the best this time of year when the tree leaves are beautiful hues of orange, red, yellow and green. I take a deep inhale of fresh air, and a calmness washes over me. I didn’t know how much I needed this until I got here. A little bit of exercise on one of my favorite trails will put me into the perfect mindset.
The trail starts out on a semi flat. During the summer, the trail is more defined from the constant stream of hikers. But now? It seems to be a bit overgrown, like it’s been awhile since the last hiker was here. A little overgrowth is perfect for what I have planned.
“Come here, Winnie boy!” He comes to me and immediately joins me at my side. I give him a treat I have stashed in my pocket. “Good boy. Okay, I’m going to let you stretch your legs a little bit.” As soon as I unhook him from the leash, he stands at my side as I keep my hand on his harness. I shake my head as he shimmies in both excitement and anticipation for what’s to come.
The moment I let go, his nose hits the ground and he starts running around. He’s in his element. A smile blooms on my face as I watch him explore, following closely behind him.
Forty-five minutes later, I’m huffing and puffing as we reach the top of the trail.
We take a break at the top so we can both drink some water. Winnie sniffs and runs around some more. God, I’m out of shape, and I know my bodyis going to be sore tomorrow. I love the pain of a good workout the day after, but it’sbuildingthe habit of working out that’s hard for me. I have my shit together when it comes to work, my fitness goals doesn’t always match. Winnie has been a great reason to keep to my routine. I promise myself that we are going to walk the trails every weekend.
The sight around us is absolutely beautiful. The trail ends at the top of a high mountain, overlooking a breathtaking expanse of autumn colors. Reds, yellows, and browns scatter across the horizon. The breeze is starting to chill as the warmth disappears with the sun behind the mountain off in the distance. I take in my surroundings, enjoying the silence of nature. A few minutes later, I decide we should head back before the sun fully sets.
I whistle Winnie over, and because he responds instantly, I reinforce his behavior with a treat and affirmation. “Well, what do you say, my boy? Should we head back down now?” I scratch his head and then laugh at myself. “Look at me, talking to you like you’re going to answer.” Shaking my head, I gesture to Winnie that we’re leaving . He’s a quick learner, picking up everything I’ve been working on with him.
We make our way back down the trail to the car. It’s always easier when you’re going downhill. We’ve almost reached the bottom when Winnie darts to the right, a growl exploding from his throat.
“What the– Winnie, here!” I yell. Hoping he heard me and will come back to the command. Instead, all I hear is the rustle of the bushes. My heart stops when I hear Winnie yelp.
I panic.
“Winnie, where are you? Winnie, here!” I start to move off the trail in the direction of where he darted. I don’t make it too far when I start to hear the rustle of bushes again. Winnie runs out, his pace panicked.
I instantly know something is wrong.
There’s something on his snout. He’s moving too fast for me to get a good look, but when he circles around behind me, he angles his head down and uses his front paw to scrub at his face. Crouching down to tryand get a better look at his face, I softly say his name. I manage to get his head up and see half his snout covered in porcupine quills.
“Oh my God, Winnie! Look at your face!” He makes a smacking noise and it’s then I notice porcupine quills in his mouth too. “Oh Jesus, okay. Come on my boy, let's get you out of here. Oh my God, we need to get you to a vet.”
I hook him back up to his leash and begin to race back to the car but that seems futile, as Winnie continues to stop and paw at his face. Without thinking it through, I pick him up and make my way back to the car as fast as I can. I haven’t even figured out a vet for Winnie yet. Why didn’t I do this sooner? God I’m such an idiot. There has to be something close by.
As soon as Winnie is into the back of the car and situated, I jump into the driver's seat, pulling out my phone. I search “vets near me” in Google, and get a couple options. I choose the first one I see and press call.
It rings three times before someone on the other side answers. “Hawthorne Creature Clinic, my name is Todd. How can I help you today?”
“Hi there, I’m sorry to bother you. My dog just got attacked by a porcupine. We aren’t a client, but you’re the closest vet clinic from where we are. Do you offer emergency services? Or is there any way we could see someone today?” I rush out. I’m not even confident that I have taken a breath since Todd picked up.
“Oh my! The poor thing! Let me just look to see if we can squeeze you!” He puts me on hold, and my knee bounces while I wait. After what feels like forever, the receptionist returns. “Good news! We can fit you in today, why don’t you make your way over, and we will get you all situated with everything once you get here! I just need your name and your dog's name.”
Sighing with relief, I reply. “Yes of course! My name's Harper Beckett and my dog is Winnie! I should be there in about twenty minutes! Thank you so much!” I end the call then turn the car on. I put the location into my GPS and make my way over to the vet clinic. I can hear Winnie pacingin the back seat, with the occasional whimper coming from him. Poor guy must be in so much pain with all those needles in his snout.
“It’s okay buddy, we’re going to get you some help right now.”
Fifteen minutes later we’re pulling up to a little farmhouse. It’s gorgeous. Though, it could use a little TLC. As cute as the house is, I'm assuming that this isn’t the clinic. Following around the driveway to the other side of the house, I see what looks to be a barn. As I get closer though, I spot the signHawthorne Creature Clinic. Thank God I’m at the right place and didn’t just drive into someone's property. That would have been embarrassing.
I park quickly and get Winnie out. Cold air rushes over my face as Winnie and I push inside. The barn’s interior is a drastic change from the rustic exterior. The muted colors of the office interior is just like any other– rows of chairs, a line of doors down one side, and people waiting. Along the walls are cute black and white photos accompanied by a row of doors. I assume those are the examination rooms, and across from the doors is the seating area.
