Derrick stood frozen in the stark white waiting room, the echo of the vet’s words pounding in his ears: Rusty is in critical condition. The overhead lights buzzed, and antiseptic clung to the air, but all Derrick could focus on was the shallow rise and fall of his dog’s frail chest. Each second that passed felt like an eternity slipping from his grasp.
The vet’s grave tone cut through Derrick’s mounting dread. Treatment options were limited, and the cost loomed like a mountain he had no hope of climbing. Guilt twisted inside him, reminding him that he’d already failed to keep his life together—how could he possibly save Rusty now? Still, despite the dim prognosis, Derrick clung to a sliver of hope.
Through a small window in the door, Derrick glimpsed Rusty lying motionless on the stainless-steel table. Tubes snaked around the dog’s limp body, and monitors beeped urgently. Sweat beaded on Derrick’s forehead as he realized the unthinkable was happening: he might lose the only companion who had stood by him through everything.