Vet Story - 
To Love Them All
Chapters 7, 8 & 9
by  Jordana
copyright © 2002

Part 7 

Sarah's heart sank as she watched Kevin walk away. Odd, but she would have felt much better if he had let the words fly, scolding her like a child. But no, that angered look and those trembling lips cut much worse than any words could. For that matter, she would have preferred Kevin grab her and turn her over his knee and spank her in front of Robbie and John. She looked over at John with puppy dog eyes.

"No use crying over spilt paint cupcake." John winked at her. How could John always be like that? Nothing ever seemed to get him down. Well...maybe a talented cat now and then! She guessed maybe that was why she liked John so much. He always looked for the rainbow behind a dark cloud.

They both surveyed the disastrous state of the room. "Robbie, John and I will help you paint the kennel room this evening after work. I'm real sorry what has happened and its only right we pitch in," Sarah offered.

"Huh?" John glanced over at her, but she returned a yes we WILL do this look that made John shake his head in agreement.

"Thanks. I appreciate that," Robbie said. "I've got a test tomorrow at school and the last thing I need is to spend most of the night here."

They each set about remedying the mess the best they could. After a while Sarah saw Robbie return Moses to his cage. She thought perhaps this was her chance to make amends with Kevin. She cautiously poked her
head in the doorway of the treatment room and there he stood filling out Moses' patient card.

"Dr. Grant?"

"There you are. I was wondering when you were going to get up the nerve to explain that little fiasco that took place awhile ago." He put down his pen, folded his arms in front of him and gave her his full attention. "Splain
Lucy!"

Sarah uncomfortably started relaying the events as they unfolded which led up to where Kevin had entered the kennel room and had his doctor smock painted on by the monkey. It was surprising how many times Kevin's eyebrows raised in amazement as she retold the story.

"So...that's kinda how it all happened." Sarah searched Kevin's face hoping to see a hint of amusement. No such luck.

"You're telling me that failing to pull back your hair today, as you know is proper for your safety, caused that whole comedy of errors?"

"Yes sir," she answered quietly.

Her mistake sounded so much more flagrant when he put it to words. Will I ever learn? Will I ever make a good animal technician? One that Kevin can be proud of?

Dr. Grant closed and locked the treatment room door.

"Kev...Dr. Grant....what are you going to do?" she asked with dread.

"I'd say its time to teach you another safety lesson, Sarah."

"NO! Not here! Everyone will hear. Can't we go to the kennel runs again?"

"Maybe its time everyone does hear," he replied calmly.

Without any hesitation, Kevin pulled Sarah with him over to an exam stool. He guided her over his lap without much problem although she tried to resist. His large hand landed with a resounding slap on her scrubs over and over. Sarah squirmed over his lap but protested as quietly as she could. Actually she was feeling more humiliation at the thought that everyone might be hearing her getting a spanking than the pain that Kevin's hand was causing on her bottom. Finally he stood her on her feet.

"From now on, hair pulled back," he ordered shaking his finger at her. "Understand?"

"Yes sir," Sarah replied meekly. She gave her assaulted bottom a quick rub.

Kevin stood up and closed the gap between them. "But at night, that's another story," he said running his fingers through her soft flowing hair. "At night, I want to see it like a halo framing this angel face of yours."

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Now back to work with you!" he ordered with a slap to her already stinging behind.

"Yes sir!" Sarah smiled and turned to leave. Oh...I have to walk through that door and face everyone that was within hearing distance, she thought! She wished she could become invisible.

She opened unlocked the door and stuck her head out to check out the scene. Sure enough John stood not very far away pilling one of the caged patients. He winked at her.

"What's up, hot buns?"

Part 8

"Hey what are you doin' back here scoopin' poop, Sarah?" Robbie asked when he found Sarah cleaning the kennel run. "Most everybody around here's happy to let me do it!"

"Scooping poop is a good way to be invisible." Sarah replied and kept on scooping.

Robbie decided he better let well enough alone. Besides, she was doing his least favorite job.

"Don't worry Robbie, John and I will still help you tonight with the painting. I just needed some time alone and out of the way." She explained.

"Hey, no problem," he backed out the door and went on his way.

Sarah finally worked her way to Hobo's run. He was her favorite for heart to hearts. She looked into his brown, smiling eyes and said, "Tell me the story of what happened today has spread through the doggie grapevine."

Hobo wagged his tail. "I thought so!" she sighed as she entered his run and kneeled down beside him and rubbed his floppy ears. "You should feel privileged to have your run cleaned by such a walking comical circus as me Hob!"

Hobo was grateful for the attention and closed his eyes and moaned his appreciation at having his ears massaged. "At least you still love me." She smiled and kissed the lonely pooch on the top of his head.

Sarah tried to keep busy and out of Dr. Grant's way the rest of the afternoon. In fact she had not seen him since he had sent her back to work a couple of hours ago. So it was quite a surprise when late in the day the
receptionist walked back to the lab and handed her a sealed note. It had her name written on the envelope and the writing was Kevin's. John who was sitting at his microscope reading some fecal slides noticed the concern on her face. Sarah opened the envelope.

Sarah,
UU
I'm going away for a few days. Try not to wreck the place.
UU
Kev

"Problem?" John asked.

Sarah looked up from the note. "Wish I knew." She answered and walked dejectedly toward the backroom. John was off his chair like a shot and after her. He clamped his arm with hers and dragged her into the kennel area.

"Come on cupcake, get your old glad rags on cause we've got us some paintin' to do!"

During the next few hours of painting, John managed to get Sarah to tell him what was in the note, which of course led to her admittance that she was having a relationship with Dr. Grant.

"Heck I could have told you that the first week, Cookie," he laughed.

"You could?" Sarah seemed surprised.

"The first day you walked in here I knew Dr. Grant was a gonner. You could see it in his eyes, sort of a haze look crossed his eyes and that simple grin that came on his face when he watched you walk out of a
room." John shook his head and laughed. "Yep I knew right then. Of course you two have been playing this game of yours and I've just been going along with it," he smiled at seeing Sarah blush.

"Guess it was sort of silly," she said. "But it was Kevin's idea!"

"Aww men! What do we know?"

"Doesn't matter now anyways, not with this note. I'm sure he left to get away from me for a while and when he comes back, he'll want nothing to do with me." Sarah dropped her head and without realizing it allowed her brush to hang down too and drip paint on the floor.

"Hey, hey! Unless you want to be here all night cleaning up, get that brush up and your chin!" John scolded. "You're makin' way too much of this note hon. Love doesn't die over spilt paint and monkey paws."

She hoped John was right.

Part 9

The next couple of days were long not to mention the nights! On the third day without Kevin around, John came up behind her and asked, "What to make a few bucks?"

Sarah turned around to face him with raised eyebrows. "Depends."

John eagerly told her his proposition. "Dr. Young has this client who has a pet skunk."

"Whoa…stop right there!"

"Come on hear me out." Sarah started to protest but John continued. "Young says if you and I want to do it, we can descent it outside in the back of the hospital. We can split the money Sarah! Easy money. It'll be a piece of cake!"

"Haven't you ever been told there's no such thing as easy money, besides…look at the mess.."

"I won't take no for an answer. I need you to do the anesthesia. See, you'll be at the harmless end. It's me who will be taking all the chances." John's eyes were sparkling with excitement. "We can plan on doing it tomorrow during our lunch hour. I'll go call the lady right now and tell her we'll do it."

John was gone before Sarah could open her mouth again. She just sighed and wondered what she had done to deserve all this good fortune.

The next morning Sarah tried to keep busy. She had not slept well, with tossing and turning and convincing herself that Kevin was finished with their relationship. Before she knew it, it was noon and John was standing in front of her waving two large black garbage bags.

"What are those for?" she asked.

"We're wearing them. Cut a hole for your head and arms." He said handing her scissors. "Our patient awaits us out back in a cage."

Against her better judgment, Sarah did as she was told. She then gathered up a bottle of ether, a roll of cotton and the breathing cone from the anesthesia machine.

"I don't know about using this ether John. There's very little control with it." She said to John as they headed toward the back.

"Relax Sarah, old-time doctors did all sorts of surgeries with it, even amputations, so I think it should work for us. Hey, guess what our little skunk patient's name is." John appeared all enthused over this little project.

"I don't know…Peppy le Pu? Stinky? P.U.?" Sarah smiled, amused with her attempt at comedy.

"NO! Domino! Isn't that an appropriate name for a skunk."

"Hmmm…whatever you say master!"

They arrived outside and Sarah viewed the patient with doubt. "I don't know about this John."

John gently got the skunk out of his carrying cage and the little creature sniffed his shirt and around his neck. "You ready to start, puddin?"

"Ready if you are." Sarah replied. She poured some ether onto the roll of cotton and placed it inside the nose cone. John put the skunk's nose slowly up to the cone and they waited for him to become drowsy before putting his nose actually into the cone to totally anesthetize him. Then John set about the job of removing the scent sac while Sarah watched the skunk's vitals and kept him at the proper depth of anesthesia.

It only took a few minutes and John soon placed the unwanted scent sac in a small plastic bag for proper disposal and laid it beside of Sarah. Sarah removed the nose cone and allowed the skunk to start regaining
consciousness. They decided it was best to put him back in his carrier and allow him to wake up there. Sarah started gathering up the surgical instruments they had used.

"I'll take these back in and wash and run them through the sterilizer. Here you throw this away." She said as she tossed him the plastic bag that was lying beside her.

John's eyes grew excitedly wide as he saw the plastic bag come flying his way, but it was too late to jump out of the way. SPLAT! A funny liquid ran out of the bag and down over the garbage bag that John was wearing and then dripped down his leg and onto his shoes.

"YEWWWW! YUK! EWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Sarah gasped and held hernose. "Oops!"

"SARAH!" John yelled, but Sarah had grabbed the instruments and ran back toward the door of the back entrance.

"Better go home and take a bath John…..In some tomato juice!" She yelled back to him just as she vanished through the door.

Sarah was filling out a patient card when suddenly, a batch of photos were dropped on the table before her. She turned to see Dr. Grant's smiling face. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and hug him but she
wasn't sure how she should react.

"Well what do you think?" He asked pointing toward the photos.

"Think? Think of what?" Sarah was really confused now.

Dr. Grant walked toward her and put his arm around her as they both looked at the photos. They were mostly photos of a building and its surrounding area. Sarah looked up questioningly at Kevin.

"This is where I've been the last few days. Finding the right town and right building to start our own practice. It's a great area, mountains and countryside, you'll love it. The local wildlife warden stopped by while I was there checking things out and asked if I'd be willing to take care of any wild animals they find that needs veterinary care. I guess the other two vets in the area are old and ready to retire and they're in real need." He replied beaming from ear to ear.

Her mind raced wildly at his words. Did he say "Our"?

"Our own practice?" Sarah asked hesitantly.

"Our." Kevin turned to Sarah and took both her hands in his. "Will you marry me, Sarah Evans?"

SEVERAL MONTHS LATER

"Stick it in real deep," Sarah told him. Her heart was pounding with excitement.

Kevin grunted and vowed to go deeper. He wanted to please his lady.

"How's that?" he asked hopefully.

"Wiggle it around. I want it deep and tight," she claimed.

Kevin wiggled it, although he thought that was as deep and tight as he could go.

Sarah stood back and read the sign:

Happy Valley Animal Hospital
Kevin Grant, D.V.M.
Sarah Grant, Veterinary Assistant
John Darr, Lab Technician and Assistant

"Perfect!" she announced.

Just then John stuck his head out the doorway and called to them. "Some nit wit shot a bald eagle. They think you can save it. The game warden's bringing it right in!"

Kevin looked at his new wife. "How's your eagle handing skills young lady?"

"I don't know but we'll give it our best! After all, we love them all."

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