The animal shelter had been quiet for most of the day until the call came in.
"Dav…*sneeze*…id…" the dwarf greeted "we need some…hell.* -muffled sneeze* the mines…."
The shepherd turned prince sighed as he grabbed his jacket off the rack with the phone cradled between his ear and his shoulder. "Hang on Sneezy how about you get somewhere clear so you're coherent then explain," David suggested trying to be as courteous as he could
"Can't…" Clark defended "It's….*violent sneeze* allergy season." At that Dorthey rolled her eyes as she watched her supervisor struggling with his jacket while she set down the bags of kibble she'd been bringing in from the back room.
"What's going on Clark?" Charming asked thinking it was just a regular call about needing extra help down in the tunnels. "li…*sneeze*..en" was the sniffed answer. Both Dorothy and David shared a heartbroken look when the only sound on the other end of the line was muffled sounds of shifting rocks then the weak echoing panicked yelps of a dog.
"We're on our way," Dorothy promised all but running to the door before David had finished the call grabbing her jacket on her way out the door. "The others are still looking," Clark promised before David ended the call following Dorothy out to the truck.
The drive out to the mines had been fast and quiet with the passenger bouncing her leg anxiously all the way through town and down the turn-off. Dorothy didn't even wait for the truck to come to a stop before she was already running toward the mines with David chasing after her with a called "They're the other way Oz girl."
"Shhh quiet," Dorothy ordered throwing out her arm to force David to stop when he'd caught up with her. David watched the brunet at his side curiously as he paused listening hard to try and pick up on what had made her stop. However, he couldn't hear anything but the birds and the wind in the trees around them.
He was about to remind her that Clark and the others were in the other direction, but Dorothy was still standing as still as marble listening hard to ever sound her face hard in concentration. Charming knew from eavesdropping on Snow and Ruby's talks and the snide comments he'd heard from Zelena that this Dorothy wasn't the innocent pigtailed school girl from the movie musical or the book David Nolan had once flipped thought.
"This way." Dorothy cut in heading over to his right at a run heading toward the caved in part of the dwarf mines rather than the real entrance that Sneezy was now standing at waiting for them.
It wasn't until they'd gotten closer that David heard the panicked barking grow louder from a darkened hole in the rocks. "Easy." He cautioned but the hardened farm girl was already on her knees digging carefully in the rocks while David was busy shifting the heavier rocks to prevent another potential cave in.
"Sshh easy little one." Dorothy cooed after several minutes of digging. "easy now." She repeated calmly when the scared little dog started whimpering in distress at all the shifting rocks trying to move farther into the rock pile in fear "David I need some more light…I think it's hurt." The experienced owner concluded noticing the hitch in one of the dog's hind paws.
Prince Charming fumbled as he unhooked the flashlight from his belt as he took Dorothy's place at the mouth of the hole. "hey hey hey that's not going to help." He continued when Dorothy started pulling the rocks at random when the trapped pup whimpered again from the glow of the flashlight.
"I have an Idea." David promised pulling out his phone "Trust me." He soothed meeting his companions worried look as he hit his speed dial. "Hey, we need some help at the cave in mines." Was all he said before the swirl of purple magic appeared beside them and the former Evil Queen stepped out closing her phone as she looked around in worry "Can you get her out?" David asked nodding to the hole as more frantic barking sounded again.
"Hold out your arms please," Regina asked as she nodded once with a determined look as her eyes lifted to Dorothy's. The Oz hero stiffened under the reformed villain's gaze but nodded her worry for the trapped dog overshadowing her distrust of the former villain as she did as she was told. "Wait a second." The farm girl insisted as a thought struck when Regina raised her hand toward the pup.
Dorothy quickly struggled out of her jacket tossing it to David who caught it expertly then pulled her plaid over shirt off "Now." She nodded holding the shirt like a blanket earning a smile from both Regina and David before the shaking little blonde dog appeared in the hero's arms.
"Regina….do you know any mellowing spells?" David asked while Dorothy wrapped the dog up gently whispering soothingly to it as she stroked the dog's dirty blonde fur.
The former queen looked at the shepherd prince in annoyed confusion as she shook her head quietly. "I only know how to calm horses. Dog are out of my comfort zone." She confessed.
"She'll be alright we just need to get her cleaned up and take care of her leg." Dorothy concluded as she cradled the dog against her chest "she's probably dehydrated and hungry too." She noticed while she rocked the pup slowly digging in her pocket awkwardly for some treats she normally carried for Toto.
"Regina, can you?" David asked nodding to the pair as Dorothy carefully started giving the pup something to eat but country native was already shaking her head. "She's already been in enough shock I'm not letting her endure anymore." She told them with a protective motherly air about her while she scratched the dog behind her ear as the canine licked its muzzle after finishing her snack.
"I agree." Regina nodded "she seems to be in better hands now anyways." She smiled "I'll go let Snow and the others know what's going on." She offered helpfully. "Thank you…Regina" Dorothy agreed sharing a shy smile with the town mayor before Regina disappeared in another cloud of purple smoke.
"I'll go tell the dwarves we found her and meet you both back at the truck." The prince commented getting a nod from Dorothy.
"You're safe now." The country girl promised still hugging the little blonde version of Toto against her chest. The dog had stopped shaking but she was still buried as close against Dorothy as she could lick at her arms in thanks.
Once they got back to the truck Dorothy climbed up into the cab setting the terrier down gently on the seat beside her as she dug around in the back for a travel bowl then rooted around in the glove box for a bottle of water. "Let's take this slow alright?" she asked pouring a little into the bowl. The pup's ears perked up as she turned away from sniffing around the seats scrambling as quickly as her worn out body would let her to get to the water.
While the Terrier was distracted Dorothy gently ran her hands down the little dog's sides checking for any injuries. She didn't notice anything other than the need for a bath until she reached the dog's left hind leg. The pained whimper made the Kansas girl pull her hands away but noted the tenderness there. "Sorry little one" she whispered apologetically as she looked out the window to check if David was heading back to the truck.
A low whimper and the slight pawing at her arm pulled Dorothy's attention back into the cab. "I know but you have to wait for a while before you can have more." She answered with a kind smile when she noticed the little terrier looking from the water bottle to the empty bowl and back again licking her lips as she whimpered again. "I know your still thirsty sweetie, but I don't want you getting sick from drinking too fast." She explained when the dog tilted its head curiously at her words. "But you have some of these." She compromised pulling out a few more treats from her pocket and breaking them up for her.
"How's our furry patient?" David asked when he finally made his way back to the truck.
"Thirsty, hungry and still a bit scared," Dorothy answered as she refilled the water dish again while their four-legged friend pressed herself against the Kansas girl's legs nervously at David's voice. "Sshh it's alright Sky he's a friend," Dorothy whispered soothingly stroking behind the pup's ears to calm her as David opened the door.
"Sky?" David asked curiously climbing back behind the wheel of the truck "It's her name." His companion replied holding up the makeshift rope collar with a plain battered tag hanging from it. "It just has her name…no owner information at all." The angry edge to her voice made David look over with a low exhaled breath.
"And I think she has something wrong with her left back leg…it's a bit tender," Dorothy diagnosed as David started the truck back up. "We'll check her out better back at the clinic." Charming promised as he carefully guided the truck back out onto the road "she seems better regardless," he commented looking down between the floor of the truck and the road while Sky laid curled up behind Dorothy's legs all the way back to the shelter.