After splashing his face with water to wake himself up, Desmond stared at himself it the mirror for some time.
"Hmm…" Desmond fixed his eyes onto his reflection as he rubbed his cheek.
"… Those sleeping pills really did the trick… My eyes aren't hurting as much as yesterday, I feel full of energy too…"
He then brought his paw from his cheek to the front of his face and saw that it was still trembling.
Desmond sighed as he looked at his paw shaking. "… Damn it… Nothing's changed…"
"Argh…!" Desmond pulled his ears in frustration. "I don't understand, I thought that getting some quality of sleep would help, but it doesn't seem like it…"
"Maybe breakfast will help…" Desmond walked out of the bathroom and headed for the kitchen.
As he poured kibbles into his bowl, he pondered on a thought he had ever since Dylan and Da Vinci's visit. He took the bowl and went to his room. There, Desmond jumped on the chair, put the bowl to the side, booted the computer, and waited for it to load.
"… First the Dimitris and now Dylan… It's been bothering me a lot lately…" Desmond's body began to tremble. "When the Dimitris were talking to Bernard, Dimitri 2 said that they knew where Bernard was coming from… But Bernard's a stray cat… And Dylan, he was only mentioning his mother, Da Vinci, and Dawkins when he talked about his human... It's weird, why didn't he also mention Doug, Dolly, or Dante…?"
When the computed loaded, Desmond opened a file containing an image of two Dalmatians, a male, and a female, standing next to each other. The male Dalmatian's ears were both covered in black fur and wore a red collar, the female Dalmatian had two black spots on both of her ears and wore a blue collar; both had golden round tags.
"Pongo and Perdita..." Desmond focused on the two dogs. "Based on the samples the boss's nephew acquired, the entire Dalmatian family are direct descendants of these two—is what the boss has told me… However, what Dylan said and the Dimitris implied, makes it sound like the Dalmatians may not all be related to Pongo and Perdita, or even amongst themselves… If so, that's a problem… The boss told me she specifically wants these dogs because they descend from Pongo and Perdita, but if Dylan and his family aren't all related by blood to them, I have to single out the ones that are… "
Desmond leaned back on his chair and groaned in agitation. "Great…! The mission just got more complicated…"
He went on to take a bite out of the kibbles, but as his body began to tremble again, Desmond accidentally pushed the bowl off the desk, making it fall and splatter kibbles all over the floor.
Looking at his bowl on the ground, Desmond's eyes narrowed as a swift wave of anger took over him, he ground his teeth and slammed his paws on the desk, scratching it with his claws. "Argh, Why did this had to…!?"
Realizing he's acting on impulse, Desmond quickly inhaled and exhaled and rubbed his face, calming himself down. "It's alright, nothing serious, I can clean it up easily, nothing to get angry over…"
Pulling his paws away, Desmond saw that they had started to shake even more. He started sweating, but shrugged it off, focusing on his thoughts. "Of course, I could be wrong about this… After all, this is all just speculation based on vague things Dylan and the Dimitris had said… Still, it won't hurt to investigate this…"
Desmond turned his attention back at the two Dalmatians' image to take a last look at them. He fixed his eyes at Perdita in particular.
"… She sure is an attractive dog…" Desmond blushed a little. "Now I know where Delilah inherited her good looks from…"
He then turned the computer off and jumped off the chair. "In any case, it might be more work, but I have a lot of time to look into this speculation of mine…
"I'll clean here quickly and head out… Dylan and Deepak are expecting me today, don't want to make them wait…"
Desmond wobbled his way to the utility room to get a broom.
Dylan was cleaning the living room when he heard a knock on the main door.
"I'll get it!" Dolly said as she slid down the banister.
"It must be Desmond." Dylan guessed, looking out of the living room.
Dolly put her paw on the scanner to unlock the door and open it. Outside, Desmond was standing on the doorstep as he forced a small smile.
"Good morning, Dolly…" Desmond wobbly waved his paw as he sat in front of her.
"Des!" She exclaimed. "Morning! I heard what's been going on with ya. Ya feeling better today?"
"Certainly better than…" Desmond paused when he noticed the medical plasters on Dolly's right ear. "Dolly, your ear…! What happened…?!"
Dolly brought her ear to her face and made a smug smile. "Oh, this? Pfff! It's nothing."
"Dolly…!" Desmond insisted.
"Hah hah! Okay, okay. Well…Ya should've been there." Dolly flipped her ear to the side but flinched when a sharp pain struck it. Dolly quickly put on a smile, trying to make it seem as if that didn't affect her. "Heh heh... Umm, so there I was, in the park, skating with Delgado who ran alongside me, when suddenly, a small earthquake started and the ground under Delgado began to gape open!"
"There was no time to think, only to act, so I quickly pushed Delgado to the side, saving him from the danger, but, alas…" Dolly said with a dramatic voice, she then spun in place and fell towards Desmond, expecting him to catch her, which he did.
Desmond was looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"I was about to fall into a deep, dark hole…!" She continued. "Luckily for me, I managed to grab onto the edge of the hole and I held for dear life, the sides of the hole were layered with sharp rocks and my poor right ear got cut by some of them.
"Delgado tried to help me, but I told him: 'No, Delgado! Run, save yourse—'"
"She fell in some bushes." Dylan nonchalantly said as he walked up to Desmond and Dolly.
"W-Wha…?! Dude, seriously?!" Dolly growled. "I was getting Desmond excited. Way to ruin the fun."
"Really…?" Desmond asked him.
Dylan nodded. "Got her ear tore by a Yucca, actually, and that hole was just Diesel playing around."
"Well, her version was still entertaining, though…"Desmond stood Dolly up and focused on her right ear. "Still, that sounds painful, sure you're okay…?"
"Yeah, I'm good! It's just a flesh wound." Dolly waved with her paw then smirked. "Once they heal, they're gonna be some cool-looking cuts, ya know?"
Dolly turned to Dylan and jabbed him on the side, causing him to gasp a little. "Always ruining my stories, aren't ya, Dylan? I was trying to get Desmond in a good mood with a cool story."
Dylan threw her a glare as he rubbed his side.
"Anyway… C'mon on in, Des!" Dolly turned to Desmond, she extended her paw towards the inside of the house.
Dylan stepped to the side, making way for Desmond.
As he walked passed them, Dolly noticed Desmond's shaky way of walking, which made her cock her head. Dylan and Da Vinci weren't kidding. He really is shaking like a Chihuahua.
After closing the door, Dylan and Dolly joined Desmond's side.
"Well? Did the sleeping pills help?" Dylan asked.
"Oh yeah, they sure did…" Desmond replied. "After a whole week of sleeplessness, I slept like a puppy last night… For twelve hours…"
"You slept for twelve hours?!" Dylan exclaimed while Dolly whistled in surprise.
"Guess your body had a lot of catching up to do, huh?" Dylan joked.
"Yeah, probably… Remind me to thank Delilah for the pills… Speaking of her, what did she say…?" Desmond asked.
"About you? Well… I told mum what you've been going through and she said that she would have liked to check you up herself and that you should have just come to her." Dylan then entered the living room. Desmond and Dolly followed after him. "I completely agree with her."
"Your mom's a busy dog, Dylan. I didn't want to trouble her…" Desmond justified.
"Go sit, I'll get you some water," Dylan told him.
"I didn't ask for water…" Desmond tilted his head, a bit confused.
"I know, but mum wanted me to let you know that you should stay hydrated. And by the looks of those dry lips, it doesn't seem you've had any water this morning," Dylan said then exited the room.
Desmond brought his paw to his lower lip when he heard Dylan, and as he touched, he felt the little cracks all over it. When did…?
Desmond's attention quickly shifted towards Dolly when she prodded him on the back then swung her paw towards the sofa.
They both then jumped on the couch. As he sat, Desmond noticed Dolly standing by his side, smiling with half-closed eyes. Feeling a little abashed, Desmond fixed his eyes on the TV instead of her.
"Ahem!" Dolly cleared her throat, getting Desmond to turn his attention back at her.
"Wh-What…?" Desmond stuttered.
"Why didn't ya tell me?" Dolly grinned.
"Tell you what…?"
"That you lived without a human too?!" Dolly started to wag her tail.
"Oh…! That…" Desmond scratched his paw. "Dylan and Da Vinci told you, I presume…?"
"Ya betcha!" Dolly winked at him. "That's awesome, Des! Ya should've told us earlier, hah hah! It feels so good now that we aren't the only dogs living like this anymore."
"Oh!" Dolly thought of something, then began rubbing her paws together. I'm so rubbing this in Clarissa's face the next time I see her, hah hah!
The two dogs' ears perked up when they heard several knocks that came from the living room's entrance. Turning their heads towards the cased opening, they saw Dante sitting, knocking on the wall. He stopped when he saw they noticed him.
Dante… Desmond thought as he stared at him.
Dante waved with his paw, fixing his eyes onto Desmond. "'Sup, Desmond."
"H-Hey, Dante…" Desmond waved back with his shaking paw.
"Heard what's been going on with you." Dante walked up to the couch. "So you sick or something? You feeling alright?"
"Not sick, just a little stressed…" Desmond told him with a firm tone and turned his head aside.
Dante frowned. The hell's up with him? Trying to be caring here, you don't have to say it in such a tone, geez!
"Oh! Umm…" Desmond turned to Dolly. "I need to use the bathroom…"
Desmond quickly jumped off the couch, but faltered as he landed on the floor and fell down.
Dante and Dolly just stood there, gawking at him, baffled.
"What happened, Desmond? Why did you fall like that?" Dante rubbed his head in confusion. "Are you feeling dizzy?"
"Looked like you stepped the wrong way there." Dolly pointed at Desmond's paws.
"Don't worry about me…"Desmond got on his paws immediately. He then shook his left paw a little. Ahh…! Of course, I had to step the wrong way…!
As he rushed towards the bathroom, Desmond grabbed and dragged Dante by his collar along with him, making Dante feel anxious.
"Whoa, the hell, Desmond?!" Dante exclaimed, struggling against him.
"Why are ya dragging Dante?" Dolly got taken aback by the scene.
"Well, umm…" Desmond began thinking of an excuse as he yanked Dante out of the room. "I need him to… Help me…"
"Help you…?!" Dolly questioned with a puzzled face. "Wha—? You mean in the bathroom?!"
"Yes…" Desmond replied before he and Dante went out of the living room.
Dolly took some time to think about what Desmond had just said as she looked at the direction the two dogs went. "Helping him… W-What…?!"
Desmond knocked on the bathroom's door, making sure no one was inside before opening it.
"Desmond what are you doing?!" Dante asked, irritated.
Desmond pushed Dante in and after entering himself, he closed the door and locked it.
"What's this about?!" Dante said with anger as he walked up to Desmond and pushed his paw onto Desmond's chest. "What are you thinking? Dragging me by my collar like that, you trying to chook me or something?! And why did you even bring me here with you?!"
"Calm down, Dante…!" Desmond smacked Dante's paw away. "I needed to talk to you in privet… This is the only place I could think of… Sorry for pulling you like that, but I couldn't tell you in front of Dolly…"
Dante rubbed his neck as he sat down. "Felt like my neck was going to snap… What do you want to talk about?"
Desmond sat in front of him. "… Well… Has something happened to you after we left Downhill street…?"
So that's why he wanted a privet conversation with me. Dante understood. "Umm, like what?"
"Anything…" Desmond said.
"Not really…" Dante pondered. "Only… I couldn't sleep the night after, but that was it."
"I suppose Dylan told you that I've been having a hard time sleeping…?" Desmond asked.
"Yeah, that's what you needed the pills for, right?"
"Right… But…" Desmond was about to say when he suddenly paused as his eyes went blank and he started leaning forward.
"Hey, Desmond!" Dante clapped with his paws, snapping Desmond back.
"Huh…?!" Desmond pulled his head back and shook it.
"What happened?" Dante cocked his head in confusion. "You seemed like you were going to faint there."
"N-Never mind that…"Desmond ignored Dante's words and continued. "As I was saying… "
What do you mean, 'never mind'? Dante thought. Just now, you were about to fall like a tree.
"… How to put it…" Desmond started scratching the tiles on the floor with his claw. "I think those hallucinations back in the house took a toll on me… I mean, umm—"
"Wait!" Dante stopped him. "Are you sure? Portia said that the effects of that plant are temporary; she told me they fade away within a couple of hours."
"Listen…!" Desmond exclaimed as he started to sweat a little.
Dante went silent and rose his ears.
"I didn't mention this to Dylan or Da Vinci, obviously because they'd know where we've been…" Desmond dropped his ears. "I suppose you're aware of my condition… Even though I told them this whole thing started a week ago, what I left out was that it was probably due to what happened in that house on Downhill street…"
"That so…?" Dante pondered as he looked at the tiles. Was it… What he hallucinated back then? Could he have experienced something so terrifying that it traumatized him…? Was it that serious? I had to consult Deepak after that night myself, but Desmond…
Dante glanced at Desmond for a second before looking back at the tiles again. I never experienced symptoms such as Desmond's… I get the lack of sleep, but stress, lack of motivation, trembling, this weird way of talking... Good dog, you're such a mess Desmond.
"You sure it's because of that and not because you're sick of something?" Dante rose his head.
"Yes, I'm sure…!" Desmond exclaimed, agitated. "The problem is, you see, I don't know why I'm so stressed out over this…"
Desmond's whole body began to shake. "I thought that it was due to me not being able to sleep, but no…! I slept plenty last night and I'm still like…"
He showed his trembling paws to Dante. "Like this…!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down." Dante put Desmond's paws back down. "Look, I've been a little stressed out myself after that thrill we had in the house, so, as Dylan told you, you should just relax and let Deepak help."
"Deepak…? Hah hah… Excuse me, Dante, but I still don't think that a small pup can help me with this…!" Desmond argued, huffing with anger to the side.
"Hey! That's my little brother you're talking about!" Dante frowned at him. "Watch your tone!"
Desmond glared at Dante. "You think he can help? With what…?! I'd much rather have Delilah examine me instead…"
"Oh?! Than why didn't you come to see her this past week, huh?!" Dante started getting angry with Desmond. "I don't know exactly what you've been going through, but if you were in such a bad condition for a whole freaking week, why didn't you simply seek our mom for help?! We live on the same street, did you forget?! And now that we are offering to help you, you have the nerve to complain?!"
"Wrong…! Nobody forced you to help me…!" Desmond broke into a sweat. "I was always able to take care of myself… I would have… I would have just…"
"Would have what?! Gotten worse?! Stayed locked inside your house until you crumbled down?!" Dante asked as he began snarling. "Why didn't you seek help anyway?! I'm telling you, give Deepak a chance!"
"I refuse to…!" Desmond fumed. "I refuse to let a brat do—"
An abrupt slap from Dante's paw cut Desmond off, making him stumble back, leaving him stunned.
"… Call my little brother a brat one more time…" Dante said nonchalantly, but with a furious look in his eyes.
Holding his cheek, Desmond laid bewildered by what just happened. Realizing that he was acting on impulse again, Desmond stood up and faced Dante. "S-Sorry, Sorry… I didn't mean to insult him…"
Dante took his time to gain his composure back.
Desmond held his head as he felt a sharp pain struck him. "I just… Lost my temper… This really hasn't been my best week, has it…?"
"… You sure know how to piss me off, don't you?" Dante fixed his eyes towards the wall, away from Desmond.
Desmond looked away as well, as both dogs didn't know what to say to each other.
They then rose their ears when they heard a rapid knock from the other side of the door.
"What's going on in there?" Dylan asked with a worried tone. "Why are you both shouting?"
"Ya good in there?" Dolly asked as well.
"Why are you even in there together?" Dylan wondered. "And why is the door locked?"
"Get lost, it's none of your business!" Dante told his brother.
"Hey now! Where did that come from?!" Dolly got surprised by Dante's angry tone. "What's gotten into ya?"
"Desmond, Dawkins wants to have a look at you," Dylan said, "If you're fine with it, just come ou—"
"I'm fine, Dylan… Don't bother…" Desmond answered back as he started breathing heavily.
Dante noticed this and got a bit anxious. "What's the matter with you?"
"N-Nothing…" Desmond replied. "Just a little… S-Short of breath…"
"Are you hearing yourself?!" Dante got baffled. "That's not normal!"
"What's not normal? What's happening in there?" Dylan asked, alarmed. "Is something going on with Desmond?"
"Every… Everything's fine, Dylan… Leave… Leave us…!" Desmond exclaimed as he put his paw onto his chest, feeling a bit of pain.
"He's having trouble breathing, Dylan," Dante told him.
"What?!" Dylan exclaimed, shocked.
"Unlock the door, Dante, let us in!" Dolly slammed her paws on the door.
"I said leave—" Desmond paused when he felt his abdominal muscles contracting. He slammed his paw onto his mouth and made a quick sprint to the toilet; he held his head over it and began fiercely vomiting.
"Guys! He's throwing up!" Dante rushed to unlock the door.
Opening the door in a burst, Dylan and Dolly rushed in and went over to Desmond.
"Uh, Dolly…!" Dylan turned to her. "Stay here with Desmond, I'll go get the antiemetic!"
Dolly nodded her head.
"Dante, you're telling me everything that happened here," Dylan sternly said, "Now come."
Dante followed after him as he and Dylan ran to their parents' room.
As Desmond continued vomiting, Dolly stayed by his side, rubbing him on the back.
"There, there. Easy now," she said with a soft voice, "It's okay, take it easy."
And after what felt like the most dreadful minute of his life, Desmond finally had nothing more to eject. He stood over the toilet, with sweat dripping down his face, tears flowing out of his eyes, and strong but slow pants coming out of his mouth.
As it seemed to her like it had finally ended, Dolly leaned in. "Des… Are ya done?"
With some struggle, Desmond looked up at her. "… I… Think so…"
"Okay." Dolly gently pulled Desmond away from the toilet then wiped the tears off his face with her paws. "Ya can stand, right?"
"… Y-Yeah… Of course, I can…" Desmond murmured, but as he tried stepping forward he stumbled, luckily, Dolly caught him, stopping his fall.
As she helped him stand, Dolly walked Desmond out of the bathroom and into the hallway, where Dylan, Dante, Dawkins, and Da Vinci waited for them.
The instant Da Vinci made eye contact with Desmond, she sprung to his side.
"Are you okay?! What happened?!" She asked as she stared anxiously at him.
Desmond took a quick look at Da Vinci and then to the floor, ignoring her entirely.
"What's wrong, tell me!" Da Vinci insisted.
"Hold on, sis, let's get him some place to rest first," Dolly told her as she walked Desmond back to the living room.
"Dylan, I'd like to make a full body checkup on Desmond," Dawkins said as he and the rest of the dogs followed after them.
"Now, Dawkins, I know you've been studying for this, but keep in mind—practice is different than theory," Dylan stated.
"I'm aware, Dylan, no need for you to be telling me that," Dawkins replied, "I'll simply examine his physical state."
As they entered the living room, Dylan turned to Dolly. "Get him on the couch."
"Desmond…" Dylan looked at him. "I left you a bowl of water on the table, drink it along with some antiemetic pills that I brought you."
Desmond shook his head side to side as he still eyed the floor and struggled to breathe.
"Huh?" Dylan frowned in disbelieve. "What do you mean by that?"
"See? Just like I told you." Dante sat by Dylan's side. "He doesn't want our help. Thinks he'll be fine on his own."
"Des, I know that that medicine is some yucky stuff, but ya gotta take it," Dolly told him.
"For… Get… it…" Desmond barley gathered straight to speak.
"Desmond, listen to me." Dawkins moved next to him. "Vomiting causes you to lose a lot of water from your body, considering that you're already dehydrated, you must at least drink the water Dylan left you."
"Ah…!" Desmond held his head again as the pain returned. Why won't they stop yapping for just a moment…?!
"Please, Desmond. Why are you being so reluctant?" Da Vinci put her paw on his back.
"Stop, all of you…!" Desmond shouted as all of this was getting him overwhelmed. He pushed Da Vinci and Dolly away from him. "Listen! I don't need your…..."
"…..." Desmond's voice froze, all the noise around him began to fade away, his body went limp, and he collapsed on the floor.
All of the dogs' eyes widened in shock, and it took them some time to process what had just happened until everyone snapped back to reality.
Da Vinci held her mouth with her paws as she gasped.
"Des… Desmond!" Dylan exclaimed in panic and fear as he hastily turned Desmond on his back and put his ear onto his chest.
Hearing Desmond's heart beating somewhat relieved Dylan but he felt his own heart rapidly hitting his ribcage from distress.
"His heart's beating, but…!" Dylan turned to the others.
"Get him on the couch, fast!" Dawkins exclaimed, jumping on it.
Dolly and Dylan picked Desmond's body up and laid him on the sofa.
"Get me the tablet, I need mum!" Dawkins ordered Dylan.
"Uh, Right!" Dylan bolted out of the room and headed to Dawkins' room.
Dawkins went on to loosen Desmond's collar, allowing him to breathe more easily.
"Dante, did something happen to Desmond back in the bathroom?" Dawkins asked.
"Well, err… It seemed like he was about to faint when I was talking with him," Dante replied.
"Did Desmond display any odd behaviors?" Dawkins jumped off the couch and walked up to his brother. "Dehydration is obvious to blame for this, but anything else?"
Dante pondered as he tried remembering any unusual things. "Desmond, he… Began having trouble breathing at one point. He also started sweating a lot… And… He held his chest… I can't remember anything else."
Dawkins put his paw on his chin as he began thinking. Excessive sweating, breathing difficulties, and most likely chest pain… So Desmond had nausea, which explains him vomiting… But those are more serious symptoms of nausea… Anyway, right now, I need to tend to him.
He turned his attention to Da Vinci and saw her quivering as she bit her lip. "Please, don't worry yourself, Da Vinci."
"He should regain consciousness in a couple of minutes." Dawkins tried reassuring her.
"Can we help with something?" Dolly asked.
"As I said, no need to worry." Dawkins shook his paws at her. "It would be better if you leave us alone, in fact. Mum and I will need a quiet environment."
Dolly sighed, she looked at Desmond then back to Dawkins. "Okay, but if something were to—"
"I assure you, Desmond will be fine," Dawkins stated.
"C'mon, Da Vinci." Dolly rubbed her sister on the back.
"But to leave him like this…" Da Vinci trembled as she stared at Desmond's unconscious body. However, she knew it'd be best to leave things to Dawkins and their mother.
Dolly walked her sister out of the living room.
"Dante." Dawkins looked at his brother.
"Yeah, yeah. I was about to leave anyway," Dante said with indifference.
"He got on my nerves enough for today." He stormed out of the room. It's his own fault.
Dawkins returned his attention back to Desmond and waited for Dylan to arrive with the tablet before starting anything.
"…... Ugh…... Oh…..." Slowly moving his limbs, Desmond began to wake up. Opening his eyes, the room around him looked blurry at first, he rubbed his eyes then his face. He mumbled some things under his nose as his vision regained its sharpness. Desmond held his head as he tried standing up.
"Don't move!" Ordered Dawkins, which made Desmond pause.
Desmond turned his head to the side to see Dawkins sitting on a chair, looking at his tablet.
"I see you finally came around." Dawkins turned to him. "You started to get us worried."
"Us…? Wha… What do you mean…?" Desmond asked as he laid on the couch. Moving his paws around, he felt something soft covering his body. He realized it was a blanket. He lifted it a little and gazed at it with a bit of confusion.
"Do you like it?" Dawkins asked. "Da Vinci covered you with it while you were unconscious."
"She did…?" Desmond questioned as he gripped the blanket.
"Un… Unconscious…?!" Desmond jerked his head at Dawkins in surprise and shock the moment he heard this.
"Hey! No sudden movements!" Dawkins yelled at him, causing Desmond to freeze in place.
"Let me see him, sweetie." A female voice came out of the tablet.
"Here." Dawkins turned the tablet's screen towards Desmond.
He saw Delilah on the screen, she was laying on the floor in a hospital ward. "How are you feeling, Desmond?"
"Well, I…" Desmond scratched his head. "F-Fine…"
"I heard from Dawkins that you fainted," Delilah said.
"… Did I…?!" Desmond asked with a shaky voice as he looked at both the dogs, worried.
"Yes, you did," Dawkins answered him.
"But you need not worry, Desmond. Normally, you don't remember passing out; most people don't." Delilah reassured him with a calm voice.
"Is that right…?" Desmond laid his head back on the couch.
"Desmond, has this happened before?" Delilah asked.
"No…" He replied.
"Is this your first time fainting?"
"… Yeah… I've never passed out before…" Desmond said as his body started shaking a little.
"If you can, lift your paw up," Delilah told him when she caught a glimpse of him trembling.
Desmond pulled his quivering left front leg out of the blanked and rose it towards the ceiling.
"It's just as you described it, Dawkins." She rubbed her cheek as she watched. "You can put your paw done, Desmond."
"Now I want you to listen to me," Delilah said with a solemn voice, making Desmond pay close attention to her, "I'll examine you when I come back home, so please stay in the house until then."
"But I…! Ah…!" Desmond groaned as he turned his head around, facing the cushions of the sofa.
"Mum, didn't I already examine him?" Dawkins turned the tablet's screen back to him. "What was the point of me doing it if you are just going to do it yourself?"
"I know, sweetie, but what you mostly did was just keeping an eye on his heart rate," Delilah told him, "You did a fantastic job, really; taking care of an unconscious person, but you're still new to this. Let me take care of things, you just let me know if his state worsens. Also, make sure he stays in the house, okay?"
Dawkins pouted then huffed as he rolled his eyes away from the screen. "Fine, mum."
"Thank you, dear. Turn me around again, will you?" she did a spinning motion with her paw.
"Desmond, I'll have to be going now, my break's up. You rest for now and don't exert yourself. I'll see you in a couple of hours." Delilah waved with a paw then ended the video call.
Dawkins left the tablet on the table where there was also a medical book he had left earlier. He was about to reach for it when he noticed Desmond holding his head tightly with a firm grip. "What's the matter? Do you have a headache?"
"It's scary…" Desmond uttered as his back still faced Dawkins. "… I can't remember how it happened…"
"The only thing I can recall is… I don't even know…" Desmond's voice started to tremble as he clenched his teeth.
"Can you remember something, whatever it is?" Dawkins asked.
Desmond paused and tried his hardest to remember. "… No, I told you, I just… Stood beside Dolly and Da Vinci and then… I woke up, laying here…"
Dawkins jumped off the chair and onto the couch, opposite to Desmond.
"You know… I've fainted once, too." Dawkins said as he stared down the floor.
Desmond turned his head to face him.
"Last year, in fact. I was quite freaked out about it, like you." Dawkins sat down.
"From what…?" Desmond rose an eyebrow.
"Stress," Dawkins smirked.
"What stressed you out so much…?"Desmond got curious.
"Had to mend some machines here and there, work on some new gadget, study," Dawkins told him, "Not to mention Dylan and Dolly constantly going 'Fix this, fix that! Dawkins the TV stopped working, Dawkins the water pipe broke go fix that, Dawkins the scanner isn't working properly, also take care of the pups, Dawkins! Chop chop this, chop chop that!'"
Dawkins paused as he felt himself getting frustrated. "Apologies if I seem like I'm throwing a tantrum, but it can be quite aggravating at times."
Desmond just looked at Dawkins, astounded. "You're that skilled…?!"
"Surprised? I'll assume so." Dawkins smiled a little. "Most dogs react like that upon learning this."
Desmond nodded. "I mean… You're so young… "
"I suppose being fourteen and maintaining the functionality of all the household devices can seem outlandish… Though, I never thought that myself," Dawkins replied, "Anyway, allow me to finish my story."
Desmond nodded, letting him continue.
"Let's see… Ah, yes. All of this combined, put so much strain on my mind that my brain just shut my entire body off and I fell flat on my back." Dawkins fell on his back to emphasize. "I didn't remember falling on my back, of course. Dylan told me when I woke up."
"Were you scared afterward…?" Desmond asked.
"… I was." Dawkins nodded as he stood up. "I know this feeling… Waking up with no memory of how you ended up on the ground..."
"It can be a frightening experience indeed, I won't deny that," Dawkins stated, "Mum and Doug had to calm me down for three hours after I regained consciousness… Ever since then, everyone agreed not to put pressure on me with constant work. They try to repair things on their own now. I'll give them a paw here and there if they can't handle the problem, of course."
"But if they were putting that much pressure on you, why not just tell them off…?"
Dawkins exhaled heavily as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you see… I didn't tell them that they were overworking me… Simply because I… Enjoyed it."
"Huh…?!" Desmond flinched. "You enjoy being overworked…?!"
"Uh! No! What I mean is…" Dawkins' ears jumped up in embarrassment. "Oh kibbles, I didn't phrase that right… What I mean is… Despite all the stress they put me through, seeing how happy my family is when I fix whatever's broken or not working, does bring a smile on my face."
Desmond rubbed his chin as he looked down at the blanket, pondering.
Dawkins noticed Desmond's focused eyes. "Do you want to ask something?"
"About… The things you mention earlier… It's still very impressive that you can do all of that; I know adults who struggle with just fixing a sink…" Desmond answered him.
"I guess I just have a talent for it, you know." Dawkins rubbed his ear.
"Back when I was six, Da Vinci liked chewing on wires, even though mum had scolded her multiple times for doing so. Eventually, she tore a wire connected to a desk lamp, mum had, in two; luckily, she didn't get zapped because the lamp was switched off. Of course, mum got quite mad when she discovered who ruined her lamp." Dawkins lifted his paws and extended one digit finger from each paw. "I walked in while mum was yelling at Da Vinci and noticed that the lamp didn't glow. See, I really liked how it shined, so I completely ignored mum and Da Vinci and just walked passed them, I don't think mum paid me much attention, so I jumped on mum's bed to try and turn the lamp on.
"Heh heh, you have no idea how peeved I was when the lamp didn't turn on, so then… I honestly don't know why but I just jump down, took the two parts of the torn wire, brought them together, and…" Dawkins connected the tips of his digit fingers. "The light bulb lit up."
"You can imagine the look on mum's face. Saying that she was surprised would be an understatement." Dawkins chuckled to himself. "I think that's what sparked the interest in fixing things; getting them to work again. Then, as I grew up, my interest expanded in inventing and building things, not only repairing."
"Aren't you an unusual dog…?" Desmond smiled a little at him.
"Suppose I am, huh?" Dawkins adjusted his collar. "I've liked the idea of becoming the first dog engineer ever since I was eight, you see?"
"But then…" Desmond pointed to the medical book on the table.
"Oh, that." Dawkins looked at the book. "See… For a couple of months now, I've been interested in the field of medicine. I've been thinking that I'd like to be a nurse dog just like mum…"
Dawkins paused for a moment. "… While... Repairing and building pleases me, at the end of the day, I'm just fixing inanimate objects… But healing or curing people; that amazes me and looks so much more admirable to me."
"I understand… So do you plan on becoming an engineer dog as well as a nurse dog then…?" Desmond wondered.
"Absolutely not!" Dawkins scowled. "That'd be too much stress, and I refuse to go through what I did a year ago!"
Both dogs stayed silent for a brief moment.
"… I'm torn between the two…" Dawkins sighed. "I don't what to just abandon my dream of becoming an engineer, but… I really do want to be a nurse dog…"
Desmond looked to the book then back to Dawkins. "… I think that—"
"However!" Dawkins bumped himself twice on the head and with a determined look in his eyes said. "I'm certain I'll sort this out eventually, no matter how long it takes."
Desmond smiled upon hearing him. I didn't know he can be this expressive…
"Ah, yes! I almost forgot." Dawkins hopped off the couch and reached for an antiemetic pill as well as the bowl of water. He grabbed Desmond's jaw, opened it, quickly hurled the pill in his mouth, and poured all the water in as well. As Dawkins was doing all of this, Desmond was so bewildered by what was currently happening that he couldn't react in any way.
Dawkins closed Desmond's mouth shut and held it sealed. "Swallow."
Desmond did as told, Dawkins then released his mouth, causing Desmond to cough.
"AGH! GHACK! What—GUHU!" Desmond tried saying trough coughs. "AHGA! W-WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU! AGH!"
After clearing his throat, Desmond glared Dawkins with anger. "I would've taken it if you just told me…! Why did you have to do that…?!"
Dawkins looked at Desmond, surprised. "I apologize. Since you were so reluctant to take them earlier, I thought you'd be now as well."
"AH! Shove them down my throat, why don't you…?!" Desmond rubbed his neck. The moment he did, he realized that his collar was gone. "Wh… Where's my collar…?!"
"Oh, right. I removed it, so you'd have an easier time breathing," Dawkins told him, "Don't worry, your collar's right on the desk behind the couch."
Dawkins walked behind the couch and towards a desk where he had left the collar. He took it and tossed it over the couch; to the other side where Desmond caught it.
"You know, mum and I were discussing that if you didn't wake up in a few more hours, she'd have to admit you to a hospital," Dawkins stated as he walked back to the front.
"Few more…?! How long was I—"
"Two hours," Dawkins replied, "Usually, after blacking out, most people wake up in a couple of minutes, but I'm certain it's different for everyone. I woke up twenty minutes after passing out, for example."
"Guess you and I are special cases, huh?" Dawkins jested.
"Oh, dog… Two hours…" Desmond put a paw on his forehead. "Felt like an instant to me…"
As Desmond was pondering on this, he realized something, it was awfully quiet in the house. He looked outside the living room then tried listening for any sound. "Where's everyone…? I can't hear anything in here… Are we alone…?"
"No, I told them that mum and I don't want to be disturbed, so Dylan and Dolly took the pups to the backyard, Da Vinci's with them… As for Dante, he headed back to his room, though, he was pretty angry; said something about you getting on his nerves."
"D-Did he now…?" Desmond held his cheek where Dante had struck him.
"Indeed. Heh heh, for which you have my praise!" Dawkins smirked. "He can get on your nerves too, honestly."
Desmond tilted his head in a bit of surprise upon hearing this. "… Do you two not like each other…?"
"I wouldn't say that…" Dawkins said with a more stoic tone. "He and I bicker from time to time… But, umm… Well, He can be annoying. One thing that grinds my gears about him is his constant walking around the house at nights, he wakes me up every time, and it just infuriates me."
"But anyhow..." Dawkins jumped on the chair and picked his book up. "I had the great privilege of checking the contents you've ejected from your stomach, and it seems you've at least been eating. As I was doing that, I was thinking, why didn't you seek help if you were in such a bad condition?"
Instead of answering him, Desmond frowned, bit his lip, and turned around, pulling the blanket further over himself.
"… Well, fine. I won't force you to talk if you don't want to." Dawkins turned to his book and began reading it. "I'll tell you this, back then, mum and Doug weren't the only ones who helped me calm down; Deepak played a big role too. While everyone else went back to their rooms after mum and Doug told them they'll take care of things, Deepak was the only one to stay and wait in front of my room until they left and he could speak with me.
"Even if you aren't sick from anything serious, I recommend that you have a session with him. If nothing else, he could at least help you relax until mum comes home."
Dawkins flipped a page from his book, but as he was focused on reading, he didn't notice that Desmond had started to shiver again—a little more fiercely this time.
I… I was always able to take care of myself, always…! Ever since I was small… Desmond tucked his tail between his legs. Sure, sometimes my human would help, but I never asked for it…
Why then…?! He grabbed his ears and began pulling them out of frustration. Why do I find myself in this situation then…?! Can I not heal on my own…?!
I didn't ask for their help, damn it…! Desmond hit a cushion with his paw and growled as he felt his body getting hot in irritation. Dawkins broke his attention from his book the second he heard him.
"Desmond?" Dawkins asked with concern.
"Nothing…" Desmond replied. "It's nothing, really…"
Dawkins stared at him for a few more seconds before going back to his book.
Desmond buried his face in his paws and started thinking things over. … Why did I come here then…? Was it because Dylan was expecting me to come, or was it because I was sick of being locked in my house…? Argh, I don't understand myself…!
For the next hour, Desmond quietly lied on the sofa, wrapped in the blanket, and stared at his collar he held in his paw. After some more time, he turned to look at Dawkins then back to the collar. … Always on my own, ah…? Maybe if I… Let them… Let them…?! I can't believe I'm even considering this, but…
"Dawkins…" Desmond said, getting him to halt from flipping a page and making him perk an ear up.
"I'm listening," Dawkins replied.
"Is Deepak in the backyard with the others…?"
"He's meditating in his room," Dawkins told him.
Desmond put his collar around his neck and began standing himself up from the couch.
"Hey, hold on! Don't rush." Dawkins closed the book.
"I think I can move fine now…" Desmond unwrapped himself from the blanket, stretched a little, and then started folding it.
Dawkins hopped off the chair and sat on the floor. Desmond put the blanket on his back. Slowly and carefully he moved off the couch and stepped on the floor where he realized he couldn't balance himself properly.
"Can you help me a little…?" Desmond turned to him.
"Of course." Dawkins stood up and helped walk Desmond out of the living room.
"Sorry if I'm heavy…"
"I'll just ask that you don't lean your entire weight on me," Dawkins replied, "You're twice my size after all."
"Once you climb the stairs, you turn right, and at the very end of the hallway, you'll find Deepak's room," Dawkins said as they both reached the staircase. Dawkins then took a look at the stairs and figured he'd have to help Desmond climb them to the top. "Oh, bother!"