CHAPTER 181 – Not All Superheroes Wear Capes
Friday night was a long night with Abigail gone. At the House of Buns, whenever Dad looked over at Abigail’s spot expecting to see her, his heart dropped. This was the first time since Abigail came to live with him that she wasn’t home. There was a big emptiness in the House of Buns – and in his heart.
Meanwhile, at the vet’s house, Abigail wasn’t feeling very energetic as she sat quietly in her strange environment. “Did Dad abandon me?” she wondered, “Is this my new home? I want to go back to my old home!” Dr. Stern kept a watchful eye over Abigail, making sure she was kept warm. Despite Abigail’s objections, Dr. Stern fed her some Critical Care to help her get her strength back. For both Dad and Abigail, it was a long night being apart.
On Saturday morning, Dad opened his eyes. He wasn’t sure what the day would bring. Would Dr. Stern’s report say, “She’s OK” or “She didn’t make it”?
Preparing breakfast was difficult. Difficult because Dad had to skip making Abigail’s tray. A habit formed over this many years was difficult to break. As he sat down alone in the living room to eat breakfast, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Dr. Stern.
The message read, “Abigail made it through the night. She has started pooping tiny poops and is now swallowing Critical Care. Yay! Her temp is normal. My plan is to keep her over the weekend and do a dental on Monday.”
Dad was relieved! His little girl had fought back. Over the weekend, Abigail continued to improve. By Monday, Dr. Stern reported, “She has a lot more energy and is showing us her dwarf spunkiness. She is eating greens and feels a lot better. Her kidney function is back to normal!”
Abigail was back at the hospital. She was feeling better, that is, until the doctor jabbed her with a needle. Then she started feeling sleepy. Before long, she was out like a light. When she awoke, her jaw was sore, and she was groggy. “What happened to me?” she wondered.
A few hours passed by and her head started to clear. Then, her little ears picked up a familiar voice. It was Dad! The staff carried her out to the examination room and set her down on the table. “Dad!” she thought, “I’m so happy to see you! I thought I might never see you again!” She stood up on her back legs and pawed at Dad’s chest. He put out his arms and she hopped into them. Dad raised her up in his arms and gave her a kiss, “Oh Abigail. I missed you so! I’m SO glad you’re OK. I knew you would fight hard!”
The vet staff laughed and said, “Yep, she’s our adorable firecracker – with strong opinions of her own!”
Abigail listened as the doctor explained, “We took x-rays of her. Her teeth are really messed up. It happens a lot with Dwarfs because their face is “pushed-in”, so their teeth are crowded. Her roots are pressing against her jawbone and they’re growing at different angles. It’s just a result of her getting older. I ground her teeth flat, but they’ll continue to grow, so this will probably have to continue as ongoing maintenance every 6-8 weeks. I’m putting her on pain meds for 3-5 days and antibiotics for two weeks to knock down the infection.”
Abigail didn’t like the sound of all that, but she was just happy to be back in Dad’s arms.
That night, back in her home, Abigail patrolled her territory to make sure everything was just how she left it. Then she grazed her tray and begged for treats. She thought, “I missed all this food!” She would never take it for granted again. If Dad didn’t cherish Abigail enough before, he certainly did more so now. He was glad to have his baby home again.
There was no doubt in Dad’s mind that the outcome would have been very different if Abigail had not been in the caring hands of Dr. Stern. She went above and beyond and took personal care of Abigail. Not all superheroes wear capes. Even though she didn’t wear a cape, to Dad, Dr. Stern was a superhero for saving Abigail!
Abigail is thankful to have a superhero vet on her side.
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