It all began with my father. Me and daddy! We were inseparable, the best of friends, or so I thought. It began one day a couple years ago.
"Jackson?" My mother asked staggering up to her mate. The German Shepherd looked up at his cream colored Cockapoo mate.
"Honey, are you okay?" She shook her head.
"I think it's time." his eyes went wide.
"Are you sure?" A contraction hit her as she screamed out.
"Yes! The pup is coming! She's coming now." My father began to panic.
"Okay I'll get the baby-bag and you try and get in the car. No I'll help you once I find the bag! Stay still!" My mother rolled her eyes and began to hobble to the car. My father ran back out of the room where the bag was kept.
"No- Honey you shouldn't be walking. Here I'll help you."
"I can walk Jack. just get the bag in the car."
"Are you sure?"
"Jackson! I am a fully able pup and I will walk to the car by myself."
"Okay I'll go put the bag in the car." He said backing off. He walked back in to see her on the floor.
"H-h-help!" She whimpered. Jack bolted over to my mother, picked her up by her scruff and then charged out of the house, taking off down the road as fast as his legs could carry him. I don't know why he didn't take the car but I guess adrenalyn makes you do some pretty crazy things however, he did arrive at the vet in a time that would have been faster than if he did take the car. He rushed through the doors and gently set me and my mother down.
"My wife is in labor help!" He cried. Two nurses walked up with a stretcher and set my mother on it. My father followed them as they rushed her into the delivery area of the vet.
"How far apart are her contractions?" a doctor asked.
"I don't know, I just ran all the way here." the doctor nodded as Honey let out a cry in pain. They arrived at the room and nurses quickly got to work helping her out. My father just stood in the doorway not knowing where to go.
"Dad?" a nurse asked getting his attention.
"Yes thats me! I'm the dad!"
"You stand there." she said pointing to the right side of Honey's head. He was next to her in a second. Honey let out a cry of pain through gritted teeth as another contraction came.
"J-jack?"
"Yes? I'm here Honey."
"We are never having sex again." My father's eyes went wide.
"Okay Honey, when the next contraction comes, I need you to push as hard as you can!" The doctor told her. My mother pushed with all her might as another contraction hit my her.
"I-I'm scared, Jack. Can I hold you paw?" She begged once it ended. My father nodded and put his right paw into hers.
"Okay and again. Push." My mother did as she was told as my father felt the pain as she crushed his paw in hers.
"Okay Honey, one more big push and it'll all be over." My mother nodded and gave the biggest push yet. Her head flew back and her middle body lifted off the bed.
"A beautiful girl!" the doctor said handing me to my father.
"What's her name?"
"Skyler." my father said. "We decided on Skyler." My mother nodded as the doctor wrote some things on a clipboard. It was a perfect moment, but like everyone knows, moments don't last very long. The machine beside my mother began to let out a long cry. The doctor jolted his head up from his clipboard towards the machine. He dropped what was in his hands and began to do CPR.
"Defibrillator! Charge to 200." The doctor said never missing a beat.
"Clear!" the nurse said placing the black objects on her. Nothing happened. He resumed CPR.
"Charge to 400." The nurse did as she was told.
"Clear." still nothing happened. The doctor looked into my mother's eyes with a small light, pressed a few buttons on the machine and sighed.
"Time of death 17:25." He said making some notes on his clipboard again.
"Time of death? Y-you mean she's gone!?" My father cried. The doctor slowly nodded.
"But, why? How? Wasn't she healthy?"
"Healthy? Yes. Ready for labour? No. Her heart was incredibly weak and totally unprepared for puppy-birth. It failed due to the amount of stress that was put on it."
"No, she can't be dead! She has a pup to raise. A family to take care of. A mate that loves her. Please isn't there anything you can do?" The doctor shook his head.
"No my job is to help living people not bring dead people back to life." My father began to cry ashe held me tight in his paws.
"N-no! Please! Honey come back!" The doctor put a hand on his shoulder.
"Take her home Jack and leave the dead in the past." He nodded.
"Thank you Dr. Platinum" My dad left the hospital carrying me by my scruff, ready to face the world.
A year later…
"No!"
"But dad..."
"No buts! I said no for a reason! That boy is bad news. And as long as you live under my roof, you listen to me." My father told my strictly but he wasn't yelling. My father never yelled at me ever. If he did it was because I was in immediate danger.
"Fine then!" I yelled storming up to my room.
"Where do you think your going?"
"I'm moving in with Drazel."
"That sorry excuse of a pup?"
"Does he have a job?"
"No."
"His own house?"
"Well, no."
"Then why? What do you see in this pup? Why him over me?"
"He loves me."
"And I don't? Skye, honey, I know how boys act. Especially when they are this age. I had dozens of girlfriends before I met your mother. Girls I knew I had no future with."
"But you did meet mom eventually and she met you!"
"I don't care! That boy is bad news, and you are not leaving this house!" My father screamed.
"Dad listen..." I whispered.
"Actually, you know what? Go! But when he breaks your heart, don't expect an open door!" I felt the tears begin to fall as I ran out of the house. I only looked back once.
"Bye dad. I love you." But I was only met with screams.
"Get out!" I ran as fast as I could blinded with tears. I ran and I ran until I finally was at his front door. I sighed and walked in. I had become quite comfortable with Drazel and although he still lived with his mother, his home was my home. I walked in and was about to call his name when I heard him say my name. But it wasn't directed towards me.