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“Yes. How can I help you?”
“I’m bringing a dog in that has been bitten on the tongue by a rattlesnake, and I wanted to give you a heads up. We should be there in about twenty minutes,” Crystal said.
“Thanks for the information. We’ll be ready for you. I’m sorry, but anti-venom is expensive, and I’ll need a pre-payment before we can treat him. Will you be able to take care of that?”
Crystal’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. She had one card with a small credit limit. She prayed it would be enough.
Angie’s desperate gaze darted to hers in the rear-view mirror.
“If I don’t have enough credit left on my card, can I make arrangements to pay it off?” Crystal asked.
Silence on the other end.
“My parents will pay when they get there,” Angie said, her voice breaking.
Crystal held her breath. The woman had said they needed the money before they gave him the shot, and time was critical.
“Just come in, and we’ll see what we have to work with,” the receptionist said.
“Okay. Thank you.” She gripped the wheel tighter, unsure how much she could cover on a low limit credit card that already had some charges. Somehow, she’d figure it out. And if Angie’s parents ended up paying the balance, Crystal would make sure to reimburse them. This was all on her. The dog had saved her life.
“He’s drooling now,” Angie’s voice rose from the back seat.
Crystal kept her eyes on the road, her mind shifting back to how Zach had talked to her when she’d been panicked in the tree and nervous at the urgent care. The man deserved a medal.
Even though he had his issues, he’d calmed her down by talking and distracting her. That’s what she needed to do for Angie, because if she kept panicking, Murphy’s blood pressure would zoom venom through his system and make him worse.
“This is a normal reaction for a dog with a snakebite. That’s why we’re going to the clinic. It’s treatable, and he’s a big boy. He’ll be fine.” Crystal hoped her words sounded more reassuring than her scary thoughts. “You have an incredible voice. Have you ever considered the arts at school?”
“I, umm…wait, are you sure he’s going to be okay? He doesn’t look good.”
Crystal drew upon her acting skills to keep her voice light. “Yes. I read about this. It’s textbook, and we’ll make it there in time. So, what about the arts?”
Angie shrugged. “It’s not cool to be in theater.”
“Really? Do you think I’m not cool?”
“You? No. You’re like, famous and stuff. Well, you used to be.”
That stung, but sometimes the truth hurt. Her phone beeped and a banner came across the top. Zach was calling. Her stomach jumped. She couldn’t turn off the GPS and wasn’t about to have a speaker phone conversation in front of Angie. She’d have to get back to him after Murphy was admitted.
“The clinic is just up ahead. You stay in the car with him while I let them know we’re here. They might want to help get him inside.” She pulled into the lot and parked. “Maybe you can sing to him again? I think it soothed him.”
Angie swiped at a tear and nodded.
Crystal’s blood coursed through her veins as she raced into the building and was greeted by the receptionist.
Two techs hustled out with a stretcher to get Murphy.
Angie followed them in as they hurried the dog to a back room.
“Just one second, I need to speak with the doctor to figure out the fee. We never know until we see the size of the dog and assess its condition.” The woman stepped away from the desk.
“I have fifty dollars back at camp.” Angie rubbed her arms.
Crystal’s heart wrenched. The poor kid had puffy eyes and black mascara smeared down her cheeks. She was even shaking. Without thinking, Crystal wrapped an arm around her and squeezed. “We won’t need your money. I’ll take care of this.”
“But what if—”
