room. Scout opens his eyes, sees Mr. Carlson, and tries to lift his head.
âHeâs back! I shout.
Gran fights a smile, trying to stay professional. âDonât scream in the recovery room, Maggie. It disturbs the patients.â
Once Scoutâs 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.
âHeâs going to pull through, isnât he?â I ask.
Gran shakes her head in amazement and chuckles softly. âYes, Maggie, I think he is.â
âWill he be able to guide again?â
âIâd 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.â
I hop up on the counter. âHe can do that easily. But heâll miss Scout.â
âIâll call the guide-dog school and let them know what happened,â Gran says. âOnce Scoutâs injuries have healed, theyâll probably give him a little retraining. Scout has a very strong personality, and he really adores your teacher. Theyâre going to be a team for a long time.â
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.
âSomething wrong, Maggie?â
âI thought he was dying, Gran. I know he was. I saw the monitors.â
She glances at the coffeemaker to make sure it is turned on, then turns to face me.
âScout heard his companionâs voice and decided to fight. Love is the strongest thing in the universe. It makes us do things we never thought possible.â
She stops. Gran doesnât talk like this very much. âStupid machine,â she mutters, bending down to look at the coffeemaker again. âItâs slower than molasses in January going uphill backwards.â
âMr. 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
âThat makes sense,â Gran says.
âYES!â 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.
âMrs. Donovanâs wedding ring,â Gabe announces.
âItâs about time,â Gran says, giving Shelby a quick pat. âGabe, why donât you give Mrs. Donovan the call sheâs been waiting for.â
Gabe and Shelby leave, and Gran turns back to the coffeemaker. âOh!â She smacks her forehead with the palm of her hand. âTalk about seeing things differentlyâitâs unplugged!â
She shakes her head and reaches over to plug in the coffeemakerâs electrical cord. âGet down from the counter,â she scolds mildly. âWhy donât you make us some sandwiches. Then Iâll drive you back to school.â
I open my mouth to whine and plead for the rest of the day offâbut 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: âBig changes are easier to handle if you know people love you.â I have Gran, Sherlock, my friends, even Zoe, plus Mr. Carlson and the other folks at school.
I look at Gran and simply say, âOK.â
Puppy Raising
By J.J. MACKENZIE, D.V.M.
Wild World NewsâGuide 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
Joe Hart
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