Teacher's Pet by Laurie Halse Anderson Page A

room. Scout opens his eyes, sees Mr. Carlson, and tries to lift his head.
    â€œHe’s back! I shout.
    Gran fights a smile, trying to stay professional. “Don’t scream in the recovery room, Maggie. It disturbs the patients.”

    Once Scout’s condition is stabilized, we creep outside to give Scout and Mr. Carlson some privacy. Dr. Gabe wanders off to write up the surgery report, whistling happily. We walk to the kitchen, where Gran starts to make a pot of coffee. She pours in the water, measures out the coffee into the basket, and turns on the coffeemaker.
    â€œHe’s going to pull through, isn’t he?” I ask.
    Gran shakes her head in amazement and chuckles softly. “Yes, Maggie, I think he is.”
    â€œWill he be able to guide again?”
    â€œI’d say the chances are pretty good. It will take a month or two for him to recover. I hope James will be able to get by with his cane.”
    I hop up on the counter. “He can do that easily. But he’ll miss Scout.”
    â€œI’ll call the guide-dog school and let them know what happened,” Gran says. “Once Scout’s injuries have healed, they’ll probably give him a little retraining. Scout has a very strong personality, and he really adores your teacher. They’re going to be a team for a long time.”
    I swing my legs. Everything has happened so fast. I need the world to slow down for a few minutes so that I can figure it all out.
    â€œSomething wrong, Maggie?”
    â€œI thought he was dying, Gran. I know he was. I saw the monitors.”
    She glances at the coffeemaker to make sure it is turned on, then turns to face me.
    â€œScout heard his companion’s voice and decided to fight. Love is the strongest thing in the universe. It makes us do things we never thought possible.”
    She stops. Gran doesn’t talk like this very much. “Stupid machine,” she mutters, bending down to look at the coffeemaker again. “It’s slower than molasses in January going uphill backwards.”
    â€œMr. Carlson realized that he loves Scout, too. He said he had been thinking of his guide dog as a tool, like his cane. The accident made him see things differently.”
    â€œThat makes sense,” Gran says.
    â€œYES!” Dr. Gabe bursts through the kitchen door holding up something gleaming and gold in his hand. His other hand holds a leash attached to our friend Shelby, who looks mighty proud.
    â€œMrs. Donovan’s wedding ring,” Gabe announces.
    â€œIt’s about time,” Gran says, giving Shelby a quick pat. “Gabe, why don’t you give Mrs. Donovan the call she’s been waiting for.”
    Gabe and Shelby leave, and Gran turns back to the coffeemaker. “Oh!” She smacks her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Talk about seeing things differently—it’s unplugged!”
    She shakes her head and reaches over to plug in the coffeemaker’s electrical cord. “Get down from the counter,” she scolds mildly. “Why don’t you make us some sandwiches. Then I’ll drive you back to school.”
    I open my mouth to whine and plead for the rest of the day off—but I stop.
    I think about the promise I made to Mr. Carlson that day in the classroom. And I remember what John from the guide-dog school said: “Big changes are easier to handle if you know people love you.” I have Gran, Sherlock, my friends, even Zoe, plus Mr. Carlson and the other folks at school.
    I look at Gran and simply say, “OK.”

Puppy Raising
    By J.J. MACKENZIE, D.V.M.
    Wild World News—Guide dogs are loyal and dependable, but they start out as frisky, unpredictable pups. So the guide-dog schools rely on puppy raisers. These special families volunteer to take a puppy into their household and give her basic training, love, and care until she is old enough to learn the skills she needs to become a guide