Rex doesn’t remember very well what happens next. He is in the car. He is in a white place, that smells like other animals and blood and chemicals. His Person Jack is there, petting and petting him. People poke and prod him and he whines because he still hurts. His Person smells of bitter sadness when he kisses him on the head and says good boy, good boy. Rex licks him, but then he goes out the door and doesn’t come back.
The people in the white place pet him, but don’t do it the way Jack does, and he cries as they move him around. He wants his Person, and the rope, and to not hurt.
He sleeps for a long time.
When he wakes up, the pain is different. He aches everywhere, and he whines and kicks because his body feels wrong. He is in a kennel that isn’t his, one with a door, and there are other scared animals he can smell. The white-place people pet him and roll him and look at him, and he snaps at them because he is scared too now, and feels bad, and puts his tail between his legs. They try to say good words, but Rex knows he must have been a bad dog for all this to happen.
He sleeps again. Wake, discomfort, sleep, several times.
He smells Jack but it is old and stale, and he snuffles at a blanket under his head. He breathes in and is that oh yes it is the ROPE is there oh he was a good dog after all! His mouth tastes strange, like metal. He whines to see if his Person will come, but he doesn’t so he takes the rope and chews on it and feels a little better. He tries to hold it between his paws, but only has one. A metal thing scrapes on the floor when he tries to move his leg, and Rex whines and barks at it but it won’t go away, until one of the not-his-people people comes and makes him sleep more.
A smell. His nose wiggles itself as he wakes up. A smell, a good smell HIS PERSON JACK IS THERE. The kennel door is open, and Rex slips and slides on the hard floor to get to him. His legs are somewhere far away, but he doesn’t care, his Person hugs him and scratches his neck and says good boy good Rex. He licks and wags, and there is wet and salt on his face, and Rex is so happy he didn’t leave him there forever, all alone. He aches a little still but he feels good and jumps up when his Person stands, even though only Bad Dogs do that. He laughs and Rex pants as he scratches behind his ears, where the strangers do not scratch right.
His body feels stiff and hard, and he limps as he puts the soft collar on him and takes him to the car. He smells through the window, and smells when they are near their house, and barks and Jack doesn’t tell him to be quiet. But it smells cold, and like leaves are almost falling, when it was hot and dry when they bit the bad guys.
His Person’s puppies meet him and pet him and he rolls on his back for tummy rubs, because he loves the puppies and how they run and play with him. But they smell like fear, and step away. He puts his ears down and goes to his kennel. His body feels wrong, like when it is very very cold and his Person’s mate puts a coat on him, but thick and hard. The blankets are in the right shape, but his body isn’t, and Rex whines to himself very softly.
One by one, he listens to his family go to bed. Jack stops to scratch his ears, and Rex musters up a wag for him. He sighs, once things are quiet. He had his home-job now, guarding his people. He would listen, and patrol the house while they slept, and keep them safe, like he always did. He was a good dog.
He is scared when he wakes up for a long time, that he will be in the white place, but he is home and safe every morning. Jack walks and loves him, and trains him, and his legs work better. The puppies rub his tummy, and his person’s mate sometimes puts people food in his kibble. He goes back to work and he doesn’t care so much about his body, because the world is normal and good again.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
Protect and Serve (2/4)
Date: 2014-09-13 07:37 pm (UTC)The people in the white place pet him, but don’t do it the way Jack does, and he cries as they move him around. He wants his Person, and the rope, and to not hurt.
He sleeps for a long time.
When he wakes up, the pain is different. He aches everywhere, and he whines and kicks because his body feels wrong. He is in a kennel that isn’t his, one with a door, and there are other scared animals he can smell. The white-place people pet him and roll him and look at him, and he snaps at them because he is scared too now, and feels bad, and puts his tail between his legs. They try to say good words, but Rex knows he must have been a bad dog for all this to happen.
He sleeps again. Wake, discomfort, sleep, several times.
He smells Jack but it is old and stale, and he snuffles at a blanket under his head. He breathes in and is that oh yes it is the ROPE is there oh he was a good dog after all! His mouth tastes strange, like metal. He whines to see if his Person will come, but he doesn’t so he takes the rope and chews on it and feels a little better. He tries to hold it between his paws, but only has one. A metal thing scrapes on the floor when he tries to move his leg, and Rex whines and barks at it but it won’t go away, until one of the not-his-people people comes and makes him sleep more.
A smell. His nose wiggles itself as he wakes up. A smell, a good smell HIS PERSON JACK IS THERE. The kennel door is open, and Rex slips and slides on the hard floor to get to him. His legs are somewhere far away, but he doesn’t care, his Person hugs him and scratches his neck and says good boy good Rex. He licks and wags, and there is wet and salt on his face, and Rex is so happy he didn’t leave him there forever, all alone. He aches a little still but he feels good and jumps up when his Person stands, even though only Bad Dogs do that. He laughs and Rex pants as he scratches behind his ears, where the strangers do not scratch right.
His body feels stiff and hard, and he limps as he puts the soft collar on him and takes him to the car. He smells through the window, and smells when they are near their house, and barks and Jack doesn’t tell him to be quiet. But it smells cold, and like leaves are almost falling, when it was hot and dry when they bit the bad guys.
His Person’s puppies meet him and pet him and he rolls on his back for tummy rubs, because he loves the puppies and how they run and play with him. But they smell like fear, and step away. He puts his ears down and goes to his kennel. His body feels wrong, like when it is very very cold and his Person’s mate puts a coat on him, but thick and hard. The blankets are in the right shape, but his body isn’t, and Rex whines to himself very softly.
One by one, he listens to his family go to bed. Jack stops to scratch his ears, and Rex musters up a wag for him. He sighs, once things are quiet. He had his home-job now, guarding his people. He would listen, and patrol the house while they slept, and keep them safe, like he always did. He was a good dog.
He is scared when he wakes up for a long time, that he will be in the white place, but he is home and safe every morning. Jack walks and loves him, and trains him, and his legs work better. The puppies rub his tummy, and his person’s mate sometimes puts people food in his kibble. He goes back to work and he doesn’t care so much about his body, because the world is normal and good again.