Chapter 1
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All creatures are deserving of a life free from fear and pain.
–Maura Cummings.
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I step down from the last step of the veterinary clinic, I had finished my shift later than usual, since one of my coworkers and best friend Tayo couldn't come to work today since she was sick.
I slowly make my way home, cursing myself for not bringing my car, when I didn't bring it this morning it seemed like a good idea but now not so much, just my luck that the day Tayo was sick we were incredibly busy.
A German Shepherd that presented with acute abdominal pain and cardiovascular instability. He was rapidly diagnosed with septic peritonitis in the emergency room via the use of patient-side emergency ultrasound and in-house cytology.
During diagnosis, fluid therapy resuscitation was performed which was continued while the Soft Tissue Surgery and Anaesthesia and Analgesia services were contacted. They rapidly arrived and were able to take a stabilised patient to theatre for a positive outcome. The smooth working efficiency was due to each member being able to focus on their specialty and it meant the dog's owner waskept fully informed of the progress.
A cute Chihuahua was also treated, the dog had an arrow stuck in its . I was more than exhausted, all I just wanted to do was to jump into bed and sleep, even food didn't seem like a good enough reason to stay awake right now.
I sigh when I see my apartment building a few feet away, I couldn't wait to lay down, ever since my parents died 4 years ago, I have been leaving on my own.
Since my sister Nicole currently leaves in Zimbabwe with her husband and a 3 year old baby, she had gotten married 2 years before the accident and had immediately flown down when it happened.
She stayed here for about a month and had organized the funeral and everything since I was writing exams during that period, the funeral had taken place immediately after my exams were over, I didn't completely fail and she had given me lots of moral and emotional support.
Her husband Simba was really nice and didn't even complain at all, he couldn't come with her because of his job but he was able to attend the funeral. They sold the house since I refused to stay in it any longer and had bought an apartment for me, it wasn't really fancy but wasn't run down and was quite cute.
The remaining money was added to my college funds before they went back home, we were quite close for people living in different countries, we talked a lot and I had even visited them on my sister's birthday which was a surprise to her, I had saved enough money for a plane ticket and again during Thanksgiving she was heavily pregnant then
But I hadn't visited her since she gave birth to my little niece Jaya, she's almost three years old now.
She was the cutest thing being of mixed race with cute chubby cheeks and a freckleless face which she had gotten from her dad, pouty pink lips also from her, and the brightest blue eyes which she had gotten from my sister, she was literally an angel.
We still Skype and FaceTime regularly enough so that my little niece recognizes me as her aunt, Nicole even took a video of her calling me by my name and another of her calling me aunt, I almost cried while watching that scratch that I cried while watching that.
Entering the front building I ignored the receptionist Jessica as she sat by her desk, she never liked me anyway and never failed to show it, we both had a mutual hatred for each other.
I head to the elevator and pressed the up button, I press the button taking it up to the third floor. Just as Mr Seung Cho stepped in, he was a short Asian man with black hair and a cute face, he was in his early thirties and was unmarried, he was one of the people that lived in the same floor, I greeted him and he replied.
I made my way to my apartment door, I stood outside searching for my keys, I tried hurrying in my search which made all my things fall out.
I picked everything up and stuffed them into my bag not even bothering to arrange them, I grabbed my key last from the floor and got a fright when I saw Miss Patricia but preferred being called Pat standing on my right.
She was a middle aged woman currently in her late 30's, She had beach blonde hair with hazel coloured eyes and cream teeths, a slightly crooked nose and thin lips, she was 5 ft 10 and was a joyous woman, in some ways she reminded me of my mom.
She had recently gotten divorced and had come to live here since it was decent and not too expensive, I had lived here the longest among the two of us, she was in her 8th month and was one of the few people that lived in this building that I actually talked to.
"Good evening Pat." I greeted her.
"Good evening Meila, how are you doing?" She asked.
I turned to look at her before replying, she was wearing a simple blue gown, it was body fitting at her chest but when it reached her waist it was loose, the dress reached her kneels and she paired it with flip-flops, I looked up at her face her hair was in a messy bun.
"...Ahh.... Dear you look tired." She tells me before grabbing my face with her hand and starts inspecting me with her eyes, she inspected me like how a test was inspected in a microscope.
"You need sleep Melia, you have a lot of eyebags under your eyes." I let out a tired sigh I had tried to use makeup to cover those, if she could see them, it means that everyone at the hospital saw me like this.
"I had come to ask if you would like to help me bake cookies with me but seeing your state, I have changed my mind, you really need to rest, even if that young man of yours hasn't been around doesn't mean you shouldn't take care of yourself." She scolds me before grabbing the key from my arms and opens the door. She spoke referring to my boyfriend of 8 months Caleb.
She enters the apartment leaving me to follow after her, she turns on the switch and turns to face me, "How about you go take a shower while I whip something up for you" she tells me not even waiting for me to answer her before she's already headed to the kitchen.
I roll my eyes before heading to my room, I strip and go take a shower I take more than 30 minutes even though I didn't even wash my hair.
Once I am dressed I stifle a yawn before heading to the kitchen, Pat just finished the room as I walked in, she served me dinner while I ate.
She then told me to go to bed when I was done, I immediately obliged i collapsed unto the bed not even bothering to cover myself with the blanket before I drifted of to sleep, I felt lips on my forehead and a blanket being placed on me.
The surgery procedure about the dog with acute abdominal pain and cardiovascular instability was gotten from clinical connections – autumn 2017.
In their article about themost common cases seen by the clinical teams at RVC small animal referrals focused on the emergency referral services and the critical care services, which are integrated and staffed by the same clinicians.
