A Little Dog Angel - The Aftermath

Never in a million years could I fathom what DID happen next? All I know is that in a blink of an eye our lives changed forever…. 

 (Taco wearing a candy corn sweater I crocheted last Halloween.)

I answer the cell phone in the bathroom. S is screaming over car traffic noise, “Mom, Taco got away. He’s running through the streets.”

I answer frantically, “ Where is he? Where is N? Can’t N get him?” “Don’t panic. I’m coming right down.” I grab my hotel key. I’m still in my bathing suit, but I run to the elevator. It seems like it took an hour. The elevator door opens, and I jump inside. “Where is he now?” 

The ride down three floors took forever, and finally the elevator doors open. All of a sudden I hear S yelling,“NNOOOOOO. AAAAAAH. Mom he just got run over by a car. Oh my God!” 

I race through the lobby. I race through the automatic doors of the hotel entrance. Breathless I look to the left. I don’t see S, N, or Taco. “Where are you? Where are you?” I look to the right, and I see N running toward me. I start running full speed. I race across the street as fast as my legs will go without looking. I put my arms around N, and drag her with me. I can see S now, but no Taco. S is standing between two parked cars holding her hand over her mouth, and there is a strange man on his knees looking underneath the parked car. “Where is he?”

S is shaking. “Mom he is so scared. A car ran over the back of his body. He won’t come out.”

“OK.” I kneel down to look underneath the car, and there is Taco hiding behind the rear right tire. “OMG!” I remember thinking, he looks so scared. The strange man is looking over my shoulder. “Taco. Taco. Come here baby.” Taco doesn’t move, so I reached out to grab his neck. I pull him gently towards, and pick him up. Taco body goes limp, and I cradle him against my body. 

The strange man says, “you should take him to the doctor. Dogs don’t always show that they are hurt. My dog fell down the stairs, and my wife found out two months later that he broke his leg.”

“I will. I will take him right now.” I start walking back to the hotel. S and N are walking behind me trying to keep up. 

A woman jumps out her car, “Is he ok? I didn’t see him.”

“I’m not sure. I have to take him to the doctor.” S whispers in my ear, “She wasn’t the one. She didn’t hit him with her car.” I look at the woman. Her eyes are filled with concern. “I’m sure he will be ok. Thank you for stopping.” 

We continue walking to the hotel. “S take N upstairs. I’m going to try to get the Veterinarian information.” I didn’t want to upset them anymore than necessary. Just as I see the elevator doors close, I realize that I had given S my phone when I was on the ground getting Taco. Now what am I going to do?

The check in line in the lobby was longer than I would have liked, so I walk up to the counter. All eyes fall on me immediately. “Excuse me. I have an emergency. My dog was just run over by a car. I really need to get the name of a 24 hour animal hospital. Can you help me?” The hotel clerk says, “just a minute.” And she actually continues with the hotel customer. My arms immediately felt like I was carrying 1000 pounds. I bent down to put Taco on the floor, and our eyes meet. Taco looked so wounded, and I can’t help him at all. Why did this happen to him? Taco was the sweetest dog ever. I was wondering what S and N must be feeling now. 

“Excuse me miss. I can search a vet for you on my iPhone.”

I jump to my feet. “Oh, thank you. It is very nice of you to help me. My dog is really hurt.”

“I found three animal hospitals near the hotel.”

Choking back tears I say, “Thank you. Thank you.”

The young man looks at the hotel clerk, “Can we please have a pen and paper?”

The clerk responds, “Was the dog hit by a guest of the hotel?”

“What?, No. I’m not sure who hit my dog. Thank you” as I take the pen and paper. I write down the three numbers, pick up Taco, and start walking toward the elevator. 

I enter the room to see S and N sitting on the beds. They jump up and walk toward me. “Maybe you and N should go to the hotel restaurant. I am going to take Taco to the Animal Hospital. You too must be really hungry.”

Nylah looks at Taco, and pats his head. “Mommy is Taco going to be ok.”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to take him to see a doctor." Here S take N downstairs, and get something to eat.” I hand her some cash, and they both exit through the big brown door. I place Taco on his bed, and I hear him moan. Oh my poor little buddy is so scared. I start dialing the numbers, and I reach a live person at a 24 hour emergency pet hospital. The woman says that the hospital is about 30 minutes away. I change my clothes quickly, pick up Taco, and walk out the room to the elevator. 

…… I remember thinking “What happened to my little buddy?” It’s quite apparent that he is hurt, but now I was the one who was really scared. I consider myself an eternal optimist, but I was having a hard time with this accident. I was feeling very uneasy. “What will happen to my little Taco?”

Never in a million years could I fathom what DID happen next? All I know is that in a blink of an eye our lives changed forever….