Page 9 of Zeke

Even fed, he looks totally pitiful, and I feel bad for him. He’s obviously had a rough time and needed our help badly.

I look down at him as he starts to lick as his hurt leg. I bet it doesn’t feel good on those cold, hard tiles. I stand up and pet him.

“Stay, boy.”

He watches me go, unwilling to stand up on his injury, and I rush to get some blankets and pillows from a linen closet. I come back and make a little nest out of the blankets, put the pillows down, then lift Bastard to put him in the middle of it. He immediately curls up and falls asleep.

I watch him for a moment, then slide down beside him to wait for Justice’s friend.

Everyone else in the club ends up coming by at some point to see him, and he ends up getting showered with pets. He’s an instant hit with the whole family, and he seems to be soaking up every morsel of love he’s getting.

I guess he wasn’t only starved for food.

Finally, Justice’s friend shows up to take a look at Bastard.

“Hey,” he says. “I’m Henry.”

“Eli,” I say back, shaking his hand.

“This him?” he asks, kneeling next to the dog.

“You see another injured stray around here?” I ask in a light tone with a bit of a laugh.

“Nah,” he says, already starting to look him over. “Just checking though.”

He opens his eyes and shines a light in them, which makes Bastard whimper and pull away, but Henry gives him a pat on the head to calm him down.

“So what’s your deal?” I ask, watching him. “You a vet?”

“Yeah,” he says, beginning to run his fingers gently along the hurt leg. Bastard begins to cry and pull away hard, so I sit back down beside him and put an arm over him to keep him still.

“It’s okay, boy,” I tell him.

“Hmm…” Henry says, standing up. “I’m pretty sure it’s broken.”

“So what do you need to do?” I ask.

“Oh, I can’t help with that,” he says. “I’m not affiliated with an animal hospital. I’m kind of a triage guy. I can take care of minor first aid and illness, but anything that needs real medical intervention needs to go to the veterinary hospital in town.”

“Okay,” I say, reaching for his hand again. “Well, thanks, Henry. I appreciate you coming by.”

“Anytime,” he says. “Anything for a friend of Justice’s.”

I smile at him, then wave goodbye as he walks out the door and back to his truck.

“Well, boy,” I say, looking down at the pup. “Guess we need to get you into town.”

CHAPTERFIVE

Kira

Igroan as I lose another round in the puzzle game on my phone. I’ve been working on the same level for three days straight and can’t seem to figure it out. I’ve been playing this same game for the last three years, so now that I’ve been at it this long. The levels are intense. I actually ended up throwing some money at it earlier today just to get some extra lives, but it hasn’t helped. Thankfully, I can afford it though.

It’s a slow day at the bakery, which means I’m fighting boredom. The cases are stocked, the counters wiped down, and the dishes done. My dad is in the back decorating some of the cakes we have orders for, while I man the front of house.

“Come on,” I mumble, trying the level again.

I love my job here at the bakery. Some people might not want to work with their parents as an adult, but I love working with the pastries, and I love getting to meet and talk to people. It’s a fun job most days, even if there are days like today where I just want to nap.

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