had hit in earnest. This was a time for my prescription, but I was too blind to find it. Instead, I downed a handful of aspirin and hoped for the best.
The phone woke me with its obnoxious ringtone mere moments after my head hit the pillow. Except that the clock said it was two p.m. Oh, shit! As I realized I’d slept far longer than I intended, the ringing took on the angry tone that I knew would match the voice on the other end. Megan. I was in deep shit. So deep that letting the call go to voice mail was my only option. I dragged my body out of bed with my head reluctantly following and got into the shower.
Forty-five minutes later, with my wet hair in a French braid and no makeup, I bustled into the clinic as if I’d been hurrying all along. Megan glared at me, but didn’t say a word, for which I was profoundly grateful.
“Who’s next?” I said. Megan called out a name and the older gentleman sitting with a cute pug in his lap picked up the dog and followed me back. For the next few hours, I worked steadily without going to the front. Megan may or may not have gone to lunch; all I knew was that as soon as one patient left, another appeared like clockwork.
My headache forgotten, I lost myself in the pleasure of helping the animals until finally Mrs. P appeared with Minerva. I loved Minerva. The old Burmese was more personable than any of the cats of the other two breeds Mrs. P kept, in my opinion. Her dark brown fur was beginning to be shot through with gray, but the old dear was as loving as ever.
“Good afternoon, your majesty,” I teased, holding my hand for her to bump her head against as she purred. “Are you here for your regular checkup?”
“Oh, my dear,” Mrs. P said, her mournful tone alerting me that all was not well. “She’s been bumping into things, and missing the litter box. Can you look at her eyes?”
Sadly, Mrs. P was right. A film of milky blue covered Minerva’s left eye. “How long since we saw her last, Mrs. P? Here at the clinic, I mean.” I had to clarify, because as a frequent visitor to my apartment, Minerva had been around recently, or so I thought. But maybe I hadn’t looked into her eyes. I hadn’t seen this before.
“I think maybe six months ago? Is there anything you can do?”
“Mrs. P, even if this were the type of cataract that can be corrected, I’m not qualified to do it. I’d recommend you take her to Boulder, to a specialist. Megan may have a referral for you, if you want to do that.”
“Of course I want to do it!”
“I want you to know that most of the time, this bluish haze in an older cat’s eye doesn’t interfere with vision. If this is a true cataract, the most likely cause is injury, and it may not make sense to operate. The specialist will be able to make a determination.”
“Thank you, dear, I’ll remember that. Come, Minerva, let’s go home.” The elderly cat jumped into her arms and stretched to rub her cheek on Mrs. P’s wrinkled chin. “How much do I owe you, dear?”
“No charge, Mrs. P. You’re one of our best clients, so this one’s on the house.”
“Erin, I meant to ask, how are you holding up?”
“I’m fine, Mrs. P. Thank you for asking, though.”
Half an hour to closing time on this fucked-up day, and the clinic was empty except for Megan and myself. I asked Megan if she’d like to knock off early, since she’d been there alone most of the day. She narrowed her eyes at me, as if I were trying to pull a fast one on her, and shook her head. When Jon walked in the front door just then, the joy that welled up in me was an utter shock. Still, I couldn’t help giving him my most brilliant smile. He looked stunned.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Erin ’s smile nearly knocked me off my feet, while at the same time I wondered what had happened to her. She looked...done in. I glanced at Megan to see if they’d been having a fight again, but her usual sullen
The phone woke me with its obnoxious ringtone mere moments after my head hit the pillow. Except that the clock said it was two p.m. Oh, shit! As I realized I’d slept far longer than I intended, the ringing took on the angry tone that I knew would match the voice on the other end. Megan. I was in deep shit. So deep that letting the call go to voice mail was my only option. I dragged my body out of bed with my head reluctantly following and got into the shower.
Forty-five minutes later, with my wet hair in a French braid and no makeup, I bustled into the clinic as if I’d been hurrying all along. Megan glared at me, but didn’t say a word, for which I was profoundly grateful.
“Who’s next?” I said. Megan called out a name and the older gentleman sitting with a cute pug in his lap picked up the dog and followed me back. For the next few hours, I worked steadily without going to the front. Megan may or may not have gone to lunch; all I knew was that as soon as one patient left, another appeared like clockwork.
My headache forgotten, I lost myself in the pleasure of helping the animals until finally Mrs. P appeared with Minerva. I loved Minerva. The old Burmese was more personable than any of the cats of the other two breeds Mrs. P kept, in my opinion. Her dark brown fur was beginning to be shot through with gray, but the old dear was as loving as ever.
“Good afternoon, your majesty,” I teased, holding my hand for her to bump her head against as she purred. “Are you here for your regular checkup?”
“Oh, my dear,” Mrs. P said, her mournful tone alerting me that all was not well. “She’s been bumping into things, and missing the litter box. Can you look at her eyes?”
Sadly, Mrs. P was right. A film of milky blue covered Minerva’s left eye. “How long since we saw her last, Mrs. P? Here at the clinic, I mean.” I had to clarify, because as a frequent visitor to my apartment, Minerva had been around recently, or so I thought. But maybe I hadn’t looked into her eyes. I hadn’t seen this before.
“I think maybe six months ago? Is there anything you can do?”
“Mrs. P, even if this were the type of cataract that can be corrected, I’m not qualified to do it. I’d recommend you take her to Boulder, to a specialist. Megan may have a referral for you, if you want to do that.”
“Of course I want to do it!”
“I want you to know that most of the time, this bluish haze in an older cat’s eye doesn’t interfere with vision. If this is a true cataract, the most likely cause is injury, and it may not make sense to operate. The specialist will be able to make a determination.”
“Thank you, dear, I’ll remember that. Come, Minerva, let’s go home.” The elderly cat jumped into her arms and stretched to rub her cheek on Mrs. P’s wrinkled chin. “How much do I owe you, dear?”
“No charge, Mrs. P. You’re one of our best clients, so this one’s on the house.”
“Erin, I meant to ask, how are you holding up?”
“I’m fine, Mrs. P. Thank you for asking, though.”
Half an hour to closing time on this fucked-up day, and the clinic was empty except for Megan and myself. I asked Megan if she’d like to knock off early, since she’d been there alone most of the day. She narrowed her eyes at me, as if I were trying to pull a fast one on her, and shook her head. When Jon walked in the front door just then, the joy that welled up in me was an utter shock. Still, I couldn’t help giving him my most brilliant smile. He looked stunned.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Erin ’s smile nearly knocked me off my feet, while at the same time I wondered what had happened to her. She looked...done in. I glanced at Megan to see if they’d been having a fight again, but her usual sullen
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