Pawtners in Crime | Skephalo

.:My ears are your ears:.

CHAPTER 3

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I stepped outside of the college building, footsteps sounding gently against a grey path. It was only 11am on a windy Tuesday, so I didn't have a lot to look forward to today. The sun peered over light grey clouds, making irksome patches of shadow and sun. I stared at the moving ground in front of me, watching quietly as my shoes moved rhythmically in front of me. Music blasted through my earbuds, leaving me alone without my thoughts to bother me. I let out a shaky breath, stopping to wipe the sweat off my forehead with the back of my sleeve. It hadn't even been that hot outside, but it didn't surprise me when Rat jumped up on my leg, nudging her little dark nose into my fingers. It was an alert to my blood pressure dropping, warning me that I could end up fainting. I scratched her on the bridge of her nose before she dropped down at my side, watching me cautiously. I didn't really have a lot of places I could sit down, and though I'd prefer not getting dirty, I prefer my safety first. I breathed a sigh as I purposefully made my way to a large tree planted just between the sidewalk and college walls. I sat down in the green grass, leaning my back against the tree bark behind me. Lucy took the chance to dive under my knees, supporting them for blood circulation. I waited, watching curiously as my eyesight blurred in and out of focus. It felt like I had spent an eternity under the tree, though it had only been 5 minutes. I groaned softly, pushing myself to bury my face into my knees. It might have looked like I was crying, but I was just really tired. Really tired from sitting around, but mostly felt energy-wise. Did that make sense? I really felt like it didn't make sense a lot of the time. I yawned, thinking deeply about whether or not I was okay to get up again. I could end up picking a really bad time to get up and send myself crashing into the pavement, which would not be good. I opened my eyes once again, looking through my dusty glasses and sighing to myself. 

I sat up again, feeling an overwhelming rush of dizziness wash over me like a tidal wave. I feel like I'm going to be sick. I took another deep breath and shuffled my hand over my eyes, pulling my glasses from my face and tucking them into the pocket of my jacket. I shifted around, taking a different position while a blurry white dog stared at me. Laying down, I felt a lot better now. Lucy placed under my knees again-- and before any dog experts come at me, she was medically checked for this. It wasn't like I was crushing her under the weight of my knees. For my own height, I didn't weigh that much. Apparently it was 'normal' for someone like me, but what was normal about my situation anyway? I stared up at pale green leaves rustling in the wind, watching as the corners of my own vision got dark. It was no surprise when, not even two minutes later, I was out like a light. Just my luck, anyway.

I got Lucy four years ago. We adopted from a breeder, because my mom really had hoped it would calm my anxiety. It did at some times, but in the end she didn't know what she would do. You shouldn't give a dog a job it wasn't trained for. We always had been best friends, though, from the day we met. It was like a match made in heaven. She was so excited to smell me, lick me, and play with me. I just couldn't contain my excitement when I picked her from the litter. I was always told I should always adopt and not shop, but I always felt different about it. Adopt and shop responsibly. Don't buy from an irresponsible or inhumane breeder. Don't buy if your dog has no use other than to be a companion. I didn't abide by my own beliefs at the time, because I never put thought into it. People who need working dogs are advised to shop for a dog who suits their needs. People who are allergic to dog fur are advised to shop for a dog who sheds minimally. People who are looking for a companion are advised to adopt from the many shelters scattered all over the world.

It wasn't until a year later when my doctor suggested I look into service dog work that I realized how good she was for the job. In the future, I would like a bigger dog to perform more tasks. I worry that it might be too much on her small body, and some dogs are just too small to perform mobility tasks. The reason I prefer smaller dogs to big dogs is because of some trauma I had back when I was still a kid, that I'd prefer not to talk about.