After awhile, the car finally pulled to a stop. The humans unloaded Delilah, Chance, and Sassy. The little boy got out as well. Then the two older humans got back in and began driving again. Riley was thankful for the company of Shadow. The older dog would comfort him if he needed it. The pain kept him from moving, so he just lay there, listening to the different sounds.

"How're you doing, Riley?" Shadow asked after a few minutes.

"Same as before, Shadow." He responded. Then he sighed. "The gang's probably looking for me. Haven't been back there in two days now. I just hope that they stay away from any threats."

"They will." The golden retriever assured him.

Riley shifted so that his paws were tucked underneath him. He forced his front ones to move, stretching them up so he could sit. He glanced out the car window, seeing the city flash by alongside them. One of his legs gave out and he slipped, hitting the car floor once again.

"And I told them that Pete couldn't fight…" He murmured, recalling the moment. "Guess I was wrong about that. If it weren't for him, I could've stopped Ashcan."

"It's always the unexpected that catches us off guard." Shadow told him thoughtfully.

"I guess, yeah." Riley responded, getting comfortable. "In the city, everything's hard to predict. That's why it's good to live in a group, like the gang. Who am I kidding...I should've let one of them come with me. It would've turned out better for me."

The older dog didn't reply, but glanced at him from across the back of the car. He rested his chin on the floor, too tired and exhausted from the pain to hold it up any longer. He closed his eyes, trying to relax as the time passed by.

When the car finally stopped, the moon was high in the night sky. Riley opened his eyes and lifted his head. Shadow was on his feet, looking out the back of the car. One of the humans opened it and the golden retriever jumped down to the ground. He didn't try to follow him, knowing it'd only result in more pain. The younger human picked him up and stepped back while the other closed the back of the car.

Shadow walked beside them as they went up to the building. The door was opened and they went in. Other dogs barked at them from where they waited with their humans. Riley watched them curiously, wondering why they cared so much for their owners. Chances were that they'd get dumped on the streets one day. Just like he was when he was a pup.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" The woman at the vet's desk asked.

"We found this dog at a construction site earlier today." Bob Seaver spoke up. "He's in really bad condition and needs immediate care."

"Name?" She asked.

"Bruno." The younger human responded, carefully shifting the dog in his arms.

Riley winced slightly, glancing up at him. The teen was looking at him as well. The dog narrowed his eyes and kept the human's gaze for a moment longer before looking away.

"Bruno?" The woman asked for confirmation.

"Yes."

"Alright. There should be someone coming up for him right now." She clicked a few times on her computer screen.

"Thank you." Peter said gratefully.

"You're welcome."

They moved out of the way of the next people in line. Then a middle aged man came down a hall.

"Bruno?" He called.

"That's us." Bob responded, walking towards him, followed by Peter and Shadow.

They followed the man down the hall and into a room. The human teen put Riley down on the floor before he sat down on a chair next to his father. Shadow laid down out of the way, watching.

The man closed the door and then walked over to a computer. "How long have you had him in your possession?"

"We just found him on the streets a few hours ago." Peter told him.

"Alright…" The man mused. "It looks like these are new wounds. He was in a dog fight, that's for sure. A very unfair one, by the looks of it."

Riley rested his head on the ground, eyeing the humans carefully.

"Should we leave him overnight?" Bob asked.

"Probably." The man agreed, nodding. "I have your phone number in the computer, so I'll call you when he's ready to be picked up. Hopefully he'll be feeling better by then."

"Alright." Bob replied, standing up. "Thank you."

Peter stood up as well, motioning to Shadow. "Come on, Shadow."

"I'll see you in the morning, Riley." The old dog told him as they exited the door.

"See ya, Shadow." Riley replied just before the man closed the door.

Then the human picked him up, surprising him. The back door to the room was opened and he was carried back to another room. He was laid on his side under some kind of machine. The man pressed a button and the machine let out a beep and a flash of light. He looked up at a screen in the room, which now showed a dog skeleton.

The human turned back to Riley and picked him up again. He was carried to a room full of kennels, where other dogs were. None of them were beat up like him. He was put in a kennel next to a gray Great Dane pup. He got comfortable, resting his head on the bottom of the cage. A bowl of water was put in beside a bowl of pet food.

Riley lapped up some of the water, refusing to eat that kind of food. He glanced out through the bars of the cage and sighed as he got into a good position to rest. He spotted the pup looking at him.

"What do you want?" He asked, unsure of how to react.

"What happened to you?" The pup asked curiously, sniffing at him. "You get in a fight with the neighbors' dog?"

"I'm not a pet like you." Riley snapped. "I got in a fight with another street dog."

"You're a street dog?" The pup wagged his tail. "That's so cool!"

"Not really, but better than being a pet." He retorted. "You look fine. Why're you here?"

"I'm here 'cause I'm not growing as fast as my sis." He told him. "I'm Buster. What's your name?"

Riley rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes. "Riley, but the humans call me Bruno."

"Which one do I call you?"

"Preferably the first one."

"Okay, Riley." Buster answered. "How old are you?"

"I don't keep track." He admitted, wishing the pup would leave him alone so he could sleep.

"Really?" He asked, shocked. "Every dog should know how old they are."

The pup went on and on, asking him questions. Riley ignored him, focusing on trying to sleep. His stomach rumbled loudly and the pup laughed. Self consciously, he forced himself to eat enough of the pet food so that he wasn't hungry anymore. He relaxed again, closing his eyes. Sleep came to him.