Page 9 of Knocked Up

"So," he said.

"Don't."

"I'm processing the room." He pointed at the bulletin board. "There's a llama up there. Is the llama a patient or is the llama aspirational?"

He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, and his voice came down about a foot. "You've been in this city eight days and you have not asked me one question about it. And I've driven past this parking lot twice. Your truck was in it both times."

“Why are you driving past this parking lot?”

"I have a dentist over here," Auggie said, with enormous dignity. "Is the dog going to be all right?"

"We're waiting on a lab result."

"Okay." And he stopped joking. "That's a real thing. I'm sorry. That's your grandpa's dog, right? Then the balloon stays."

Then the door to the back opened and Tessa came out with a folder. Auggie's whole face turned over like somebody had flipped a card.

"Doctor Reeves," Marisol said, "room two's the ear."

"I heard the ear. Everybody in Jefferson County heard the ear." She looked at me. "Bear ate."

I stood up.

"Sit down, it's a good thing. Half a can at ten, kept it down, then asked for more. He tried to get up and tour the treatment room like he holds the deed."

"That's Walt's dog," I said.

Then she stopped, folder against her hip, and something in her went off duty.

"How is Walt? I mean… I know. I'm sorry, I saw it. I just meant. Was it…"

"February."

"Was it fast?"

"He had a stroke behind the counter at six in the morning. He was gone before the ambulance turned onto Thirty-Eighth."

"Oh," she said.

"He'd have hated a long one."

"He'd have hated any of it. He'd have wanted to go at ninety-nine, on the grill, mid-order."

Something went sideways under my ribs.

"He gave me a piece of pie once for free," she said. "He told me I looked like a stray. Then he asked what I was studying. I said veterinary medicine, and he said…" She stopped. "Sorry. You've got a dog to see."

"What did he say?"

She looked at the folder.

"He said, well then, you're going to have a hard life, honey. The good ones always pick the work that doesn't pay."

"Room two," Marisol said from the desk, apologetically.

Tessa went.

Auggie waited a full four seconds after the door shut.