"No, I didn't just hear that. It can't be." Luna shook her head in disbelief. She nearly fell down as she staggered backwards. She took another fearful look around her surroundings and again, she realized it was just her and the dog.
She heaved a deep sigh to calm her nerves and tried to think straight.
"It's my mind, right?" She asked. The question was directed at the dog.And Luna waited for some seconds in silence.
There was no response and she didn't hear the voice again. There, she concluded it was just her befuddled mind playing tricks on her. So, she exhaled sharply and moved closer to the dog.
"Don't mind me, alright. I have really overworked today and I am tired and hungry." She stated more to herself than the dog.
"Now, let's check where you got hurt." She said to the dog, touching it softly. The dog relaxed under her touch and stayed quiet.
"Good girl or..." She wanted to compliment the dog but she got stuck on the gender, then she used her phone's flash to check and realized it was a male.
"Okay, good boy. I can see you have hurt your left hind leg pretty badly. So, I have to take you to my home and take care of you. My office is really far from here but my home is closer and you are one lucky guy. I have some treatments at home." Luna said to the dog. The latter growled but weakly.
"A growl? Do dogs growl now? Well, it may be because this is a large dog." Luna thought inwardly and didn't dwell much on that. The dog whimpered as Luna could tell he was in pain.
"Don't worry, I will take care of you." She informed the dog and tried to make him stand up. She tried because as she did, the dog wobbled and fell down again.
"Oh no!" Luna exclaimed as she realized the dog did not just hurt his hind leg, he was bleeding from his head.
"I need help." Luna stated to herself and quickly got up. She had wanted to trek home since it was near, but now that she had a companion who couldn't walk, she knew she had to board a taxi.
She flagged down a taxi and with the help of the driver, she was able to carry the dog into the backseat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh, is that so?" Tessa inquired. It was the following morning and Luna had called her friend to explain what happened the previous night to her.
"Yes, that was why I ended the call. And when I got home I was busy tending to him. He was badly injured. He was even bleeding from the head and I had to do everything I could, to save him." Luna explained further.
"That's a lot. So, how is the dog now?" Tessa inquired.
"I don't know. I can't really say. He has been whimpering in his sleep, since last night and he isn't up yet." Luna informed her friend, sounding worried.
"I am getting worried, Tess. I have done everything I knew I should do but it seems it isn't enough for him. And now, I don't know what to do anymore." Luna divulged to her. Her voice was low and solemn.
"Hey, don't be worried. He is going to get better. He is one lucky guy for meeting you, the great veterinarian." Tessa stated excitedly. She was trying to make her friend happy.
She knew Luna would be sad if anything bad happened to the dog. There was a certain time when the cat Luna was treating died, and she was inconsolable for days. Tessa remembered that and relived the memory.
*FLASHBACK*
"You won't eat. You won't even sleep. Why are you doing this to yourself?" Tessa had said to Luna that day. She had been in Luna's house since that morning, trying to console her but Luna wouldn't stop mourning the loss.
"I lost a patient, Tess. I feel like I didn't do enough for her. She was pregnant, heavily pregnant and I couldn't help her." Luna had sobbed.
"Luna, it is a cat." Tessa had pointed out, getting tired of her friend's mood.
"That cat had a name and a family, Tessa." Luna had retorted.
"Okay, I am sorry. May her soul rest in peace. But you really need to stop brooding and go to work. I'm sure your other patients are already waiting for you." Tessa had told her, gently.
"No, I can't. What if I fail to save another one?" Luna had insisted and didn't go to work for days.
*FLASHBACK*
"Don't let it bother you. I am sure he will get better, okay?" Tessa tried to assure Luna. However, Luna stayed quiet.
"Luna, are you..." Tessa wanted to ask if she was still there but couldn't finish her sentence before Luna interrupted her.
"Oh my God!" Luna screamed.
"What is it?" Tessa inquired, her voice laced with concern.
"He is awake. Talk to you later." Luna stated and dropped her phone on the table and quickly went to the dog.
"There you are, sleeping handsome!" Luna stated, sitting beside the dog.
"You are hungry, aren't you?" Luna asked the dog, stroking his body gently. The dog let out a whimper and Luna took that as an answer.
She jumped up and stated rummaging through her kitchen for dog's food. She found a pack and quickly put it in a plate and placed it before the dog.
"There you go. Get up and eat." Luna said to the dog but there was no movement from the latter. He just kept staring at the food, as if he was disgusted by the sight.
"Do you not like that?" Luna inquired and of course she wasn't expecting a response. But she actually got one.
"No, I don't. That's a dog meal." The masculine voice that Luna had heard the previous night spoke up, shocking Luna.
"I am not a dog." The voice added.