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I pat Rosie’s head, then cuff the guy. I take his arm to lead him to the truck, but stop when I see that Rosie seems to be really hurt. I lean the guy against the wall, then pick up Rosie. “Start walking.”
We reach my patrol car and I put Rosie inside, then run the guy’s ID. Other than a few misdemeanors, he’s pretty clean. I remove the cuffs. I don’t really have anything to hold him for.
“Stay away from your sister.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If I get called here again, you’ll be making a trip to the station.”
“Got it.” He wanders off and I get into the car.
“Hey, Rosie. What’d you do? You don’t have wings, girl.” She whimpers and lays her head on my thigh. “Let’s get you to the vet and see what’s going on.”
I spend two hours at the vet and after an examination and x-rays, it’s determined that Rosie didn’t break anything, but she has a pretty traumatic sprain. The vet suggests she takes at least a month off. I call into my captain and give him the news, and he tells me to take the rest of the day off.
On my way home, I go through a drive-through and order two burgers. One for me. And one without the bun or fixings for Rosie. I break my rule of letting her eat in the car and give her the burger.
“There you go, girl. I hope it doesn’t take you a month to recover. I don’t want to work without you.”
She devours the patty, then licks her lips and cocks her head at me.
“That’s all. Let’s get you home.”
When we get to my apartment, I carry Rosie inside and set her on the couch. My apartment is small, just one bedroom, but it’s all I need. It’s also pretty sparse. I’ve never been one to collect stuff. I turn on the television without the volume for Rosie. She likes to watch it. I’m not sure why, but she’ll stare at the screen for hours. Oddly enough, she likes cop shows.
The vet sent me home with a pain reliever and a mild sedative for Rosie, but I’m reluctant to give it to her. Other than the occasional fast food hamburger patty, she eats pretty healthy and it just doesn’t seem right to introduce drugs into her system. She won’t settle down, though, which can’t be good for her leg. I read the label again, then pick up my phone.
Allyssa answers on the second ring. “Officer Brandt. Three times in one day. This has to be a record.”
“I need your super brain.”
“It’s not super. It’s just weirdly sponge-like.”
“Well, whatever it is. Do you know anything about natural ways to keep a dog calm?”
“Are we talking about Rosie?”
I run a hand down Rosie’s back. “Yeah. She got hurt today. The vet gave me some stuff. But I hate giving her pharmaceuticals. I’d rather go the natural route if possible. I gave her a sedative a year or so ago, and she was weird for a week afterward.”
“How did she get hurt?”
“She took a running jump off a second story landing. Sprained her right front leg.”
“Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.” Allyssa’s quiet for a moment. “I’m almost done here. I’ll be over in about thirty minutes.”
“With a solution?”
“Hopefully. I’ll see you soon.”
I put my phone on the coffee table and lift Rosie onto the couch. As long as I sit with her, she’ll stay put. But I can’t sit with her indefinitely. I’m glad Allyssa is coming over. If nothing else, I welcome the company.
When Allyssa knocks forty minutes later, I holler for her to come in. She comes to the couch and sits next to Rosie.
When I saw her earlier in the day, she was in work mode, which means a tailored suit with her auburn hair pulled into a ponytail or a loose bun. She still has on the suit, but she’s taken her hair out and it touches the tops of her shoulders in soft waves. It frames her face and makes the freckles on her cheekbones stand out. I’ve always loved her freckles.
She pats Rosie’s head. “Hello, baby girl. I’m so sorry you got hurt.” She hugs her and kisses the top of her head.
“You know this is a vicious police canine, right?”
