CHAPTER 261 – A New Routine
Abigail was just dozing off for her morning half-nap when she heard Dad walking around the living room. She recognized the sounds as he placed cushions to block her paths from behind the couch. “Uh oh,” she thought. She thumped and bolted for the dining room.
“Oh, Abigail. Are we going to play chase again, today?” asked Dad. Abigail used to like playing chase with Dad. But back then, she always won. Now, he won all the time. It wasn’t as much fun.
Abigail darted left, then dodged right, and then ran between Dad’s legs into the living room. She ran behind the couch, but realized too late that the exit was blocked. As she turned around, Dad caught her. “It’s OK, Abigail. Don’t worry. It’s not a big deal. You know the routine,” he said soothingly as he stroked her little ears.
As follow-up to her radiation therapy, Dad had to give her medication and track her weight every day for a month. Her eyes were still watering a bit, causing the fur around her eyes to matt, so he had to wash her face, too. Dad placed her on a baby scale to weigh her. “Holding steady at 1.8 pounds,” he announced, “That’s good! That means no assist-feeding needed!” Abigail was happy about that.
Next, he placed a syringe against her mouth. This was the part she hated. She gritted her teeth and turned her head, “No, Dad! Don’t want it!” Dad nuzzled her ears with his nose and eventually, she gave in and took her medicine. “There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked.
Next, to wash her face, he dipped his finger in a bowl of warm water and moistened the fur around her eyes. It was hard and crusty. After a few minutes, the water softened her fur and he wicked it up with a tissue. Then he gently brushed her fur so it wouldn’t stick together. Abigail didn’t mind this part. It reminded her of when her mother bathed her when she was just a kit.
Dad didn’t want the experience to be all bad, so he cradled her in his arms and played “their song”, A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, while he petted her. Normally, Abigail wasn’t fond of being held, but she remembered what Enzo had said, “You trust him, right?” She did. She knew Dad would never drop her. She relaxed and snuggled up against him, draping her front paw over his arm. “OK, this isn’t so bad,” she thought.
When the song was over, Dad knelt down on the floor to release her. Normally, she couldn’t wait to hop away, but today, she wasn’t in any hurry. She stepped onto the soft carpet and stayed by his side.
Dad noticed, and said, “Awww, good girl!” Even after living with Dad for seven years, she could still learn something new!
Abigail adapts to a new routine after coming home from the hospital.
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