The online application had required a statement of interest, and Cora had shared her goal of one day becoming trained to do this work for real. Hearing Maria take her dream so seriously gave Cora an incredible boost of confidence in it that she really appreciated. “Well, I’m a long way off—”
Suddenly, the door to the veterinary clinic pushed open. “Maria, we’ve got another one,” Dr. Josh said, his dark face set in a scowl. Dr. Joshua Pierce was the shelter’s director of veterinary medicine, a young guy in his thirties with a nerdy-but-cute look and the biggest smile Cora had ever seen. Well, normally.
“Damnit. Every Monday . . .” Maria’s tone was part worried, part angry.
“Is everything okay?” Cora asked.
Frowning, Maria hesitated. “This might be a lot for your first day . . .”
“I have time, if you need help,” Cora offered. A glance at the clock told her she had seventy-five minutes until the boys’ bus reached their house. Whatever this was, she really wanted to assist and learn.
Maria gave her a nod. “I suppose you’ll have to see it at some point. For today, just observe. This is the rough part, Cora, so if you’re not sure . . .”
“I am.” Inside the clinic’s exam room, Cora found out exactly what Maria meant, and realized she wasn’t as prepared as she thought. Then again, how could anyone prepare for this? “Oh, God,” she whispered, hands going to her mouth.
“Dear Lord,” Maria said.
“I’ve got him sedated,” Dr. Josh said, frustration rolling off him as he pushed glasses up on his nose. One of the vet techs coolly cleaned and bandaged numerous wounds covering a tan-and-white pit bull’s body. “But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This is the face of dogfighting right here. When is this going to end?”
Dogfighting? Someone had made one dog do this to another? For . . . for fun? “How can he breathe?” Cora asked, tears squeezing her throat. Because it appeared that the dog’s nose had largely been torn off, along with part of his cheek. Even sedated, he made a labored, wet, rasping sound with each breath. Those injuries were the worst, but not the only ones. Cuts and bites covered his muscled body.
Dr. Josh frowned. “He’s struggling. I’ve called in Dr. Lisa to help with an emergency surgery.”
Maria shook her head. “Can he be saved?”
“Time will tell,” the doc said. “But I think this is a case for Noah’s Arks. See if they’re up for a transport if he makes it.”
“I’ll call them right away,” Maria said. “And the police, too. At some point, they have to start giving this more of a priority.”
“Who is Noah’s Arks?” Cora asked as Maria nodded.
She gave Cora a sad look. “A rescue down south that specializes in caring for and rehabilitating abused and neglected animals. This guy’s bad enough off that he needs them.”
Cora had to leave just as the docs were taking their newest patient into the operating room, and she felt like she was leaving her heart behind at the shelter the whole way home. Not even driving her new red baby gave her any pleasure. She was a watery, wobbly mess all night, and finally had to retreat to her room after dinner.
Sitting on her bed, she hugged a pillow to her chest. And burst into tears. Sadness rolled through her until she sagged sideways onto the bed, her knees drawn up, her tears rolling over the bridge of her nose and wetting her comforter. Maybe it was ridiculous to feel this bad, and maybe it was a stretch to identify with an animal, but it just hurt to see another living thing used, discarded, and in so much pain.
Cora knew too well what that was like.
Voices reached her from the hallway, but she couldn’t do anything to rein herself in. And then her door was opening and Slider was there, his face a storm of concern. He closed himself in and went to his knees beside the bed, lining up his ruggedly handsome face with hers. “What’s wrong, Cora? What happened?”
She shook her head, unable to talk even as she tried to make her tears stop.
“Jesus, sweetheart, you’re scaring me.”
“S-sorry,” she managed. “Just . . . this dog . . .” Trying to explain made her cry harder again.
Slider wrapped himself around her, his forehead against hers, his arm around her shoulder. She pulled him closer, needing his touch, needing his comfort, needing him.
Eyes still flooding, Cora heaved a deep breath, then another, until her breaths were shuddering but becoming more even. But her eyes wouldn’t stop leaking. Damnit.
“Come here,” Slider said, his voice full of grit. He pulled her off the bed and into his lap there on the floor of her bedroom.
Cora wrapped her arms around his neck. “Just being stupid,” she said.