Page 40 of Fruit
The not having but being almost, almost there.
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I almost don’t hear my mobile ringing amidst the noise of the bar, but I’ve just stepped out into the open air when it starts buzzing in my purse.Sebastián, the screen flashes.
“Hello?” I say, picking up. It’s late on a Friday. I just saw him yesterday at the youth club, and I’m seeing him tomorrow to pick up Nina, so a pit of worry solidifies in my stomach as I greet him, wondering what could be prompting the call.
“Hey—sorry, I know it’s late,” he says.
“That’s okay. Is everything okay?”
“It’s Nina. I was just about to call the vet but, I don’t know, I thought I’d call you first, I don’t know if this has happened whilst she was with you.” It’s the most frazzled I’ve ever heard Sebastián. I grip the phone a little tighter.
“What’s happened?”
“She’s—I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She’s wheezing. It’s like she can’t catch her breath.”
“Is she moving around?”
“Not really, she’s just lying there—I should call the vet. I just thought—”
“It’s fine. Sebastián, she’s gonna be fine. Call the vet and then text me. I’ll meet you there if you have to take her in.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I want to. It’s okay. I’ll talk to you in a few minutes, okay?”
“Okay. Right, I’ll text you when I’ve called.”
“Okay.”
We hang up. I pace away from the bar entrance, wanting to get away from the suddenly overwhelming sound of people as I wait for Sebastián’s text.
Sebastián
They told me to bring her in
Me
okay text me the address i’ll meet u there
I book an Uber after he sends me the address and text Jack and Iván, who are still inside. I probably have time to go tell them face-to-face that I’m leaving, but I’m too anxious to face the crowd.
What if the state we had found Nina in had done permanent damage to her lungs? What if it’s only manifesting now, and the vet can’t do anything, and they have to, have to—
I hop into the Uber and bite down the impulse to tell the driver to hurry up as she drives away. I stare out the window in an attempt to distract myself, but my anxious thoughts chase each other inside my head.
By the time we get to the vet, I’m a mess, but I tamp it down. Sebastián had sounded even more worried than I was, and I didn’t want to escalate what he was feeling. One of us had to keep a level head if any decisions had to be made.
“Hey,” I say as I spot Sebastián in the deserted waiting room. He turns towards me, already standing up anxiously, and looks relieved to see me.
“Hey. They told me to wait here while they took a look at her, I don’t know why.”
I take his arms and squeeze it briefly. “I’m sure it’s just protocol.”
“Yeah, but that first time we went to the vet they let us in.”
“But this is a different vet, they’ll have different policies. Let’s wait until they come, okay? Come on, let’s sit down.” I pull him to the plastic chairs and sit down next to him.
