Paws

It Could Be a Home

-Richard-

Waking up to darkness was a bit surprising...until I realized we'd been watching Spirit and I had obviously fallen asleep. My lap was empty, but that was expected. Jess always left me on the sofa if I fell asleep, since I hardly got much these days. Stretching out, I yawned quietly and got myself up, intent on going upstairs to actually get in bed. Well, that had been the plan until I heard a worried, drawn-out howl come from outside.

Sam?

I knew we had coyotes in the area but with my fence, there was no chance they would be so close. Walking over to the front door, I grabbed one of my winter coats hanging there and tugged it on, then headed out the back door. Immediately I got a smack in the face from the cold, whisking away any former thoughts of sleep. It had to be close to twenty degrees outside.

"Sam?" I shouted, unable to see him clearly through the gusting snow since the only light I had to use was from the television we'd left on after the movie had ended. By the time I got to the kennel he was in the entryway to the doghouse, his fur whipping about as the wind battered him. My eyes met his for a brief moment as I silently asked if I was allowed inside. When he took a step back I figured that was as good a yes as any, so I quickly undid the gate clasp and slid inside.

The snow had risen about half a foot and the storm showed no signs of letting up overnight. Perhaps that's what he was calling me about? It is almost up to the entrance to the dog house.

It took me a moment to get closer, but when I did Sam actually hopped out of the doghouse and nodded towards it. I noticed he didn't have his baby between his teeth, so I quickly hunched over and peered inside.

"Of course. Best. Timing. Ever."

Sighing, I sat back on my heels in the snow and looked over at a very wary Sam. I didn't blame him. I know I smelled like a predator, and hell, if this was the wild he'd be my dinner any day, but that's not how we were.

"I'm going to take him inside and get him warmed up, okay? You can come, but you need to keep quiet because my daughter is sleeping."

His eyes darted from my home to the doghouse several times before he shifted his weight in the snow and gave a worried bark. Taking that as an okay, I carefully got the little baby boy tucked inside my coat and inside the house. Sam was literally glued to my heels as I stepped inside and got the door closed. I knew he wanted me to sit his kid down now that he was safe in a warmer place but I wasn't going to wake up to urine and feces on the floor.

"i'm going to get him into a diaper and some warm clothes, then you can do what you'd like."

Sam seemed to scoff at that and jumped to try and grab Coda, but I was easily able to keep the kid just out of reach as I walked to my room and began digging through my closet one-handed.

"If you grab him too hard you'll make him bleed. He doesn't have a scruff or fur in human form."

Sam paused at that, though when I glanced sideways at him he still seemed frazzled. Going back to what I was doing, I grabbed a diaper and small onesie outfit from my daughter's old things and sat down on the floor.

"These are all left over from my daughter, so they might be a bit big on him but it's good enough for now."

As I got the diaper on Coda I didn't bother telling Sam that they had been saved for my wife's second baby...that never ended up being born. Shaking that thought from my mind, I carefully added the soft, dark green pajama over Coda's diaper. It was definitely big but it wasn't going to fall off. "There we go. Much better."