Page 84 of Greed

Her heart pounded hard in her chest, but as Riker placed his hand on her, she took comfort in his steadiness. “Where are you now?”

“At some emergency vet. I called the number you gave me, but they sent me here. The vet took him back to examine him, but I haven’t heard anything yet.”

“Okay, text me the address, I’m on my way.” She hung up the phone, her hands shaking as her adrenaline hit her system. “I don’t want to lose him,” she said softly.

“You won’t. He’s going to be fine,” Riker said calmly as his hand rested on her back. She sucked in a steadying breath and wanted to yell for them to move faster and get the plane door open. A ding sounded and she looked at the address Penny sent her. A knock sounded, and Riker leaned forward. With a click and hiss, he pushed the door open. She rushed down the stairs and then remembered that her only ride was the man behind her.

“I know it’s out of the way, but could you drop me off at the vet’s instead of at my home?”

“Of course, come on.”

She’d never been more thankful for his crazy driving and heavy foot as they tore out of the private airfield onto the highway. She gave him directions, and it took half the time it normally would for them to pull into the parking lot. She bolted from the car before it had completely come to a stop.

“Thanks for the amazing trip Riker. Um, I…” she paused. “I’ll call you.” She closed the door and ran for the front door of the vet’s office. The scent of dog, cat, and cleaner invaded her nose as she burst inside. Penny stood from her seat, and the two of them embraced, hugging one another tight.

“What is it? What’s wrong with him,” Minny asked as the door behind her opened again. Riker walked in, surprising her that he’d stayed.

“He’s in surgery. He has some sort of bowel blockage. I told them to do the surgery. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. Maybe I fed him too much, or maybe I should’ve made sure he went to the bathroom.” Penny blubbered, tears steadily running from her eyes. Minetta rummaged around in her purse and pulled out tissues to wipe away the red tears before she scared the people working there.

“It’s not your fault. Come on, let’s go sit down,” she said, handing the package of tissue to Penny.

Riker was a silent shadow as he followed her, but she couldn’t deny that it helped to have him here. Just his closeness was enough to make her feel stronger. He sat down beside her and didn’t say anything. He laid his hand on her leg, and she quickly laced their fingers together.

They waited in silence for the vet to emerge from the back. Time had never ticked by so slowly before. She held her head in her hands, aware that Riker was rubbing circles on her back. One of the large double doors opened to the back area, and she stood fast. Rushing toward the vet, she wished she hadn’t as she stumbled on her feet. Only Riker’s hands held her upright.

“Please tell me Toby’s alright,” she said softly. “I’m his owner.”

The vet removed the surgical cap as he stepped forward. Her heart pounded hard in her ears, the pulse thumping wildly. She wanted to shake the man and order him to speak.

“He’s in recovery, but he’s not out of the woods. He had a perforated bowel,” the vet said. Her knees shook, and Riker wrapped his arm around her waist.

“But, he’s going to live?”

“The next few days are crucial. He was in a state of sepsis when he was brought in, and he is not a young dog anymore for his size, so the surgery has taken a toll, but I am hopeful that he will if he makes it through the night.”

“Can I see him?”

“He is on strong medications so that he will sleep, and our visiting hours are almost up. I will call you if there is any change, and you can come back tomorrow to visit.”

“No, I’m not leaving him here alone. He needs to know that I’m here.”

“I’m sorry, but….”

“There are no buts. If she wants to stay, you will let her stay as long as she wants. I’ll donate a hundred thousand to this place to let her be with her dog, but let me be clear, we are not leaving.” Tears filled her eyes as she stared up at Riker’s stern expression. He stared down at the vet, his expression that of stone.

The vet swallowed hard. “That is very generous of you for night visitation. Alright, I cannot say no to that offer. The money will help a lot of animals in need. Follow me.”

“I’ll call you, and thank you,” she said to Penny, giving her a quick hug, and then followed the vet into the back of the clinic.

She ran across the room as soon as she spotted her sweet boy lying on the mat on the floor. He had a tube going into this shaved leg, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow. The bright white bandage wrapped around his body had the tears pricking her eyes once more. She buried her face in the fur around his neck.

“I’m here, Toby, I’m here,” she whispered into his ear. “You fight, Mister. I don’t want to lose you too.” She stroked the soft fur on his head and rubbed his ears just the way he liked. She grabbed a towel and folded it up to put under her head as she laid down and got comfortable. She immediately resumed her gentle attentions.

Riker stood for a long time like a guard and stared at her before finally sitting cross-legged on the floor. It seemed strange to see the imposing man, a prince of Hell, sitting on the floor like a child in his expensive suit.

“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” she said, her eyes finding his.

“There is nowhere else I want to be.”