Heal My Heart

S i x t y : S c o t t

A/N: Comment & Vote!

Dinner seemed to stretch on forever.

This men were as right wing as humanly possible. They bitched about taxes, liberals, and welfare for almost an hour. If this wasn't so important for my professional image I would have left already.

But instead I sat there, listening to their racism remarks and arrogant views, throwing in the occasional nod where expected. I kept on eye on Puppy who has gone from still to restlessly moving to dead still again.

He was looking a bit pale. "Are you alright?"

"No Sir," he gasped. "My tummy doesn't like cake."

My eyes drifted shut. "There wasn't anything in it to make you sick. It's all in your head."

"No Sir. It's in my belly."

"So Scott--how long do you train those horses?"

"Anywhere from two to four years. It's not the training that difficult. It's finding the right handlers."

The conversation went back to politics as the night began to wrap up. All in all it had gone well. And I was relieved to say my goodbyes and pack Puppy up.

He was quiet and as soon as i got into the car hugged his knees to his chest, beginning to cry. "What's wrong?" He was fine all evening!

"I don't feel good. I want to go home to my crate."

"You don't have a crate Puppy. Because you're not a dog. And we're going back to the hotel. You can lay down and go to sleep."

"I don't want to go back to the hotel. I want to go home."

I ignored him and drove quietly. At the hotel he refused to get out. "Puppy the valet needs to park the car."

"Please bring me home Scott. I don't feel good."

Then he promptly got sick on the dash on the car. I sighed and all but pulled him as he cried and apologized. The valet looked unimpressed and I smiled apologetically. "Here's fifty bucks for the trouble," I sighed.

He took it with a sigh as I helped Puppy up to the room. "Why would you do that?" I asked when I closed the door. "You are absolutely fine--you're just being difficult. I'm not impressed."

Puppy wiped his face and went into the bathroom to clean up. I sighed heavily and changed into a tee shirt and sweats. He took a shower by the sound of it. If he felt bad about puking in a car I paid over three hundred dollars a day to use, plus forty per mile.

I sound like an asshole.

I sighed as I watched Puppy put on his night clothes and crawl under the bed. "Puppy."

"It's alone time right?" His voice hardly drifted up to me. "I won't talk. I promise."

I sighed and got up. "Fine. I'll be in the living room."

He didn't respond. I closed the bedroom door and looked over the small living space. There was small kitchenette and a plush L-Shaped couch facing a mounted TV. The room was nearly untouched. My free time in here had been spent asleep and Puppy refused to leave me long enough to sleep.

I sat on the couch and put on the news. But I was distracted as I usually was. Even though I came out here for a break from Puppy, I couldn't stop thinking about him. His behavior, his mistakes, our future.

It was all so heavy.

I crossed my ankles on the coffee table and ran my hand through my hair.

I never made sure Connor finished the paperwork.

I never considered registering him.

I didn't even bother to apply for a real replacement license for him. It was the same scrap of paper you popped out of the brochure the Auction House gave you.

Maybe I wasn't ready.

There was no other option at this point. He was here. And he was here to stay. After all who wanted a sub with as much baggage as he had?

We weren't perfect. I wasn't perfect. But we loved each other.

At least I think I love him.

The TV powered off suddenly and I looked at watch stunned to find that hours had gone by. My back felt stiff as I heave myself up to go to bed.

I laid down, feeling the empty space beside me. Puppy didn't sleep me every night at home but when he did he curled up under the covers against my side.

The way a dog would with his Master.

***

The morning of the derby is always hectic.

And having to tote along a whiny sub only made it worse. I ended up sitting him in the box in the shade while I went to go the proper meet and greets and checked in on the houses.

The bidding booths were swamped. I didn't gamble on my horses. I knew good they were and that gave me an unfair advantage. I checked in on Lucky who was being prepped by the jockey riding him.

She smiled as she rubbed him down with cool water, working his muscles a bit to get the blood flowing already.

When I went back to the box Puppy was leaning over the edge, looking down at the ground. "What are you doing?"

"They're all so little. Is it cos we're so high up?"

"That would make sense." I replied.

"You're being mean today."

"Well I'm little upset about yesterday."

He looked at me. "I don't like cake. It makes me--"

"No it doesn't. You make yourself sick. Because you like to be stubborn."

His face scrunched up. "No! It makes me sick!"

I sighed. "It's over. I don't want to talk about it with you. I can't punish you for getting sick. But I can if you're being difficult. Unless you want that to happen sit back and hush up."

I sound like Kyle. Puppy huffed and crossed his arms. "This is supposed to be fun," I reminded him.

"Well you're making it unfun."

"Not fun."

"Whatever," he seethed.

We sat silently for a while while I scrolled through my email. "Scott! I want one!"

I looked up at a man in a paper hat selling snow cones. "You don't need one."

"I'm hungry!"

"It's not real food. It is just ice."

He crossed his arms. "I'm hot."

"I said no. I don't even any cash right now--I had to use it all to pay the valet to clean up your vomit. Unless you forgot?"

He kicked the wall of the box, drawing a few eyes. I took his arm firmly. "Enough Puppy. I will take you to the car."

He pulled away and sat on the concrete against the wall, burying his face in his knees.

I heaved a sigh and sat back.

Great idea bringing him Scott.

QOTC: Is Puppy's behavior justified?