Kod woke up in the hospital room. They'd at least expected that they took them back home, but they were still in the small bed with their pups.

Kodi was hit in the face by a beam of sun light coming through the window. He sat up and yawned. H smiled at Dusty and the pups. They were all still asleep in their pile, Koda must have found his way to the top of the pile.

He was about to get up until the vet and Dusty's owners came. He lied back down, and pretended to be asleep.

"I need to talk to you two," He said with his clip board in his hands.

"Is their something wrong with the puppies,"

"No they'll be fine, but I'm afraid there is something wrong wih the mother." He said

"What's wrong with Dusty,"

"It's hard to explain, but it is common," He said, not getting to te point.

"What's wrong with Dusty,"

"There were too many puppies, and it can sometimes hurt, or maybe kill her," he said

They both looked at Dusty.

"She'll, I'm afraid have to have sergery if she wants to live," He said looking at Dusty.

"What can we do," they asked

"You'll have to get a pill to her every morning , and until now and until the pain goes away, she'll have to have less food, oh and she's on the mail team right," he asked

They nodded.

"Then she'll have to stay out of it. She'll be able to be apart of the team in about four or five months,"

"When will she be having sergery,"

"In about a week," he said.

Kodi looked at Dusty. She was smiling in her sleep. How could she be taken away from him if the sergery doesn't go well. He couldn't amagine going through the rest of his life with out her.

"Thank you docter, will she be staying here then,"

"t would be a good idea. Follow me and I'll give you the pills," The vet said. They followed him out the door, closing it very quietly.

Kodi sat up and looked at the puppies. How would they survive with out her.

He looked back at Dusty, and said, "I will try every thing to keep you alive, I promise,"

Author's notes: The next chapter is, "What if It's A promise That I can't Keep,"