Tinsel and Terriers, A Novella by Cressida McLaughlin

Author:Cressida McLaughlin
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780008135232
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2015-07-31T16:21:37.344000+00:00

Chapter 5

People came and went around her, cold blasting in every time the front door opened, making the foil paper chains rustle. Cat kept her eye trained on the door they’d taken Chalky through, wishing with every fibre of her body that a smiling vet would emerge and tell her it was just a scare, or, even better, that Chalky would trot out, his dark eyes looking up at Cat from under his bushy eyebrows. She was taking deep breaths, trying not to give into her emotions, holding onto Disco for comfort and warmth.

But then the front door burst open and Polly ran in, green scrubs on, followed by Elsie, her face pale above a dark-grey coat, and then Joe.

Joe. Back in Fairview.

Cat stared at him. At his blond hair, slightly longer and scruffier than when she’d last seen it, his skin, browner than it should be in December, his jawline fuzzy with stubble, his eyes creased at the edges. He was wearing a pale-grey hoody, the colour of day-old snow. Her heart contracted and tears stung her eyes. She inhaled and tried to keep her composure.

‘Cat.’ Polly crouched in front of her. ‘How is he?’

Elsie sat next to Cat, putting her hand on her shoulder. Disco moved from Cat’s lap to Elsie’s, and Cat shuddered at the loss of warmth. She shook her head. ‘Nobody’s come out, I don’t know anything.’

‘You’ve done the right thing,’ Elsie said firmly. ‘You’ve got him here.’

Cat turned to her friend, hearing the stoicism in her voice, the pain underneath it. ‘It was Mr Jasper,’ she whispered. ‘He helped me, he brought Chalky here. I’m so sorry, Elsie. I should never have taken him out, I—’

‘Tush, girl,’ Elsie said, squeezing her shoulder. ‘You’ve been a marvel.’

‘I’ll see what I can find out.’ Polly stood and hurried into the treatment room.

‘He was fine.’ Cat glanced at Joe, then turned back to Elsie. ‘Quiet, but fine. And then he didn’t want a treat, he seemed a bit off, so I thought I’d bring him here. He was walking OK, and I was going slowly, but then he just crumpled.’ She covered her face with her hands, bent forward and pressed her elbows into her knees.

‘Hey,’ Joe said, suddenly beside her. ‘Hey, come on. There’s nothing more you could have done.’ His gentle, solid voice was instantly comforting. She nodded but didn’t sit up, wishing she could hide in the dark space behind her hands and listen to him forever.

But then a door opened and a man cleared his voice. ‘Mrs Willows? I understand Chalky is your dog.’

‘Yes, that’s right.’

Cat heard the tremor in the older woman’s voice. She sat up and blinked at the tall, greying vet.

‘How is he?’ Elsie continued.

‘He’s very sick,’ the vet admitted. ‘He’s suffering from acute pancreatitis. His pancreas is inflamed, and so it isn’t working properly.’

‘Oh my God,’ Cat murmured. ‘Is he going to be all right?’

The vet gave them a hesitant smile. ‘I’m afraid I can’t answer that just yet. We’ll need to keep him in.

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