Puppylove

Chapter 4

A week of adventure went by without Alejandro seeing even a peek of Fetcher. For his new "babysitter", the man didn't seem very dedicated to the job. The latest shenanigan Tilly had dragged him into was some outdoor indie concert. He had zoned out for most of it, which now greatly irritated Tilly. Due to last week's zombie incident, Mr Mazie had forbidden them from attending, but Tilly had not cared, and Alejandro had not been able to change her mind either. As they rode from the interstate and down the road Tilly had found him on, Alejandro listened to her whining about his music taste.

"I liked it," she said, "How can you say it was shit?"

"I said no such thing," Alejandro corrected, "I called it crap, there's a big difference-"

Alejandro's words were cut short, as something black and red whizzed by. He leaned to check the mirror and noticed a weremane dragging itself along sluggishly. Its ears drooped and its eyes were glazed over. When it noticed the car going by, it tried to run after it, but after two steps collapsed onto the hot asphalt.

"Pull over!" Alejando told Tilly.

Alejandro grabbed his umbrella, and, the moment Tilly had stopped the truck, he was out the door. He didn't dare to approach the weremane running, instead slowing himself to a steady walking pace. The afternoon sun was still hot and unforgiving, and he could hear the weremane panting labouredly from several meters. It took a while to notice him approaching, and even then, it didn't even lift its head, only twitching an ear just a tiny bit.

"Hey buddy," Alejandro spoke softly, kneeling next to it. "Fetcher, is that you?" When it didn't react, he tried softly picking its head up. It felt limp under his hands, like it had simply no more energy left to give. Concern now bubbled up in his chest. He rested the beast's head in his lap, and tried pinching and pulling the skin on its scruff. The skin didn't bounce back at all, instead stood up, stiff like clay.

"Tilly, get the water bottle!" Alejandro ordered. "He is dehydrated, badly!" Still standing at the door of the truck, Tilly nodded and dove back in to fetch the bottle. Alejandro petted the dog's neck nervously as he waited. Once he had the bottle in his hand, he made his palm into a cup and poured some on it. He then offered the hand to the weremane's nose. The beast was slow to notice the liquid, but greedily slurped it all down once it did, and Alejandro repeated the process several times until it refused to drink more.

"What's wrong with him?" Tilly asked worriedly.

"Dehydration and overheating..." Alejandro explained. The way the dog was so zoned out made him feel it might be more than that, but he didn't say his thoughts out loud. It still couldn't even lift its head under its own power. Alejandro gave Tilly the bottle and umbrella, then hooked one arm under the creature's neck, the other behind its back legs. He heaved it up and carefully carried it back to the truck. He deposited it delicately on the backseat as Tilly held the door open.

"Should we drive him to a hospital?" Tilly asked when they were both seated again. Before Alejandro could answer in the affirmative, a weak growl sounded from the back seat. He looked back to see the weremane had managed to move its head up to rest on the edge of the seat, and it eyed him and Tilly anxiously.

"Do you want us to take you home instead?" he asked. That got him a clearer growl and an exposed fang.

"I take that is a no?" Alejandro sighed as he sat back in his seat.

"Well, what now?" Tilly cried in frustration. "I'm sorry Fetcher, but if you don't give me somewhere else to go, I'm going home! I'm done with both of your shit." Neither growl nor huff came from the back seat as she turned to the small road that led to the small farmhouse. The trip took a while, but despite the occasional bumpy ride, after a bit, a faint, snore-like heavy breathing started emitting from the dog.