Bosco awoke with a start. He was tangled in the sheets and hanging off the
edge of the bed, but that's not what woke him up. What did wake him up was
a cold wet nose, and then some cold wet licking. Copper was ready to go
outside for his morning walk and he was making it known.
"All right, I'm comin, I'm comin" He pushed the dog away and started getting dressed.
He had reluctantly agreed to take the mutt home and keep him, only long enough to find him another home. That was two weeks ago, and Copper has since expertly integrated himself into Bosco's daily life. He would never admit it to anyone but he was really starting to like this dog. But he drew the line at sleeping on the bed. Nope, no dog of his was going to sleep on the bed or get up on any furniture.
Copper waited patiently at the front door, thumping his tail on the ground. Bosco, who had finally finished getting ready, walked toward him, causing the dog to jump up and spin in a few excited circles before settling down once again to let his new master clip the leash on.
Out the door they went, down the steps, out the other door, and...WHOA! Every time like clockwork, you'd think Bosco would be better prepared by now, but man that dog could pull on the leash!
"Must be the dog chow" he remarked and made a mental note to call a dog trainer about Copper's little pulling problem.
"So how's it going with you and that dog?" Faith asked, closing her locker door.
"I haven't lost any limbs yet, so I guess were doin okay" Bosco said as he gently rubbed his shoulder.
"Somethin wrong with your arm?" She didn't want to mother him but he was obviously in pain.
"I've been walkin Copper and he really gets to yankin me around. I called this trainer that came to my apartment, you wouldn't believe the things she wants me to do with this dog Faith!"
She looked at him in amusement, trying not to snicker.
"All I want is to stop him from pullin and she wants me to make him sit at doorways and lie down before I feed him. Then I gotta stop every time he pulls. EVERY TIME FAITH! It took me 2 hours to make it half a block down the street!!" Bosco sighed in exasperation.
"What I wouldn't give for a video tape of that!" She couldn't help it any longer and broke out into fits of laughter.
"Ha Ha, glad to see you find this so entertaining" He said faking hurt.
"I'm sorry Bos, but man, that dog really knew what he was doing when he picked you" She tried to control herself, but the image of Bosco stopping and starting and stopping and starting all the way down 3rd Ave. crept back into her mind and laughter over took her once more.
Bosco glared at her and continued shoving clothes into his locker.
"Wait, You actually had a trainer come out to your place? For a dog that you're not keepin?" She seemed to have her wits about her now and grabbed some Chapstick, applying it quickly.
"I...want to make sure he's well behaved for whoever gets him. I don't want someone returnin him to me because he yanked their arm outta the socket"
"Uh huh, and I suppose it has nothing to do with the fact that you're becommin attached to him?" She said, a knowing expression on her face.
"I am not attached to that dog Faith. I wouldn't care if he left tomorrow. He's a nuisance, nothiin more."
Faith grabbed her purse and headed for the door, but stopped abruptly before leaving. "Oh, I almost forgot! A friend of Fred's is looking for a dog, I told 'em that you had a real nice one you were lookin to find a home for and gave them your number"
Bosco looked up at her, shock written all over his face. He hadn't even thought about what he'd do if someone else really wanted the dog. " That's great. Thanks, Faith"
She noticed his hesitation and wanted to say something, but decided to keep her mouth shut. "Night, Bos" she said before leaving the locker room.
"Night Faith" Bosco slumped down on the bench. No one said he had to give the dog away, he thought. Besides, they may not even be nice people and he certainly wasn't going to hand Copper over to just anyone.
Bosco opened the door to his apartment only to be greeted with a spinning, wiggley dog. He quickly grabbed the leash and snapped it on before asking the dog to sit and finally going through the doorway. No sense in wasting all that money on a trainer if he wasn't going do what she said.
Upon returning from the ritual evening walk, Copper promptly jumped up on the side chair. Bosco thought this would be easier than keeping the dog completely off the furniture, just in case he ever needed to vacuum. He made it very clear though that he was only to lie on that chair, when it had that blanket on it. No exceptions.
He had flipped on the T.V. to Animal Planet and just finished popping some popcorn when the phone rang.
"Hello" he said over a mouthful of popcorn.
"This is Jake Castors, I'm calling about the dog your trying to get rid of" The man sounded short tempered and annoyed. Certainly not the type of person who should own a dog Bosco thought.
"He's already been taken" He said and hung up the phone without waiting for a reply.
Grabbing the popcorn and plopping down on the couch he joined Copper who was already watching "Animal Cops".
" He just didn't seem right for you" he said to the dog, who agreed with a snort then began staring at the popcorn.
"If ya want some, all you have to do is ask" Bosco said.
"Grumble" The dog looked at him hopefully.
"That's more like it" he said and tossed him a piece.
**************************************************************************** ********
It was nearly 6am as Bosco tossed and turned in bed. Copper lay curled up on the opposite pillow which is were he always slept. He just waited for Bosco to fall asleep first before jumping up.
He lifted his head from the pillow and sniffed the air, bending his head as far back as it would go. The room was filling with a light haze and he could hear sirens in the background.
To his disappointment, his owner didn't seem to notice this at all.
Copper started licking his face only to be pushed away. "It's Saturday, can't ya sleep in just this once?" Bosco growled, shoving his head under the covers.
The dog stood up on the bed and started barking loudly, bouncing up and down with each bark. This woke Bosco up immediately. He distinctly remembered telling Copper that the bed was off limits. He was seconds away from scolding the dog and shooing him off the bed when he noticed the smoke.
He instinctively dropped to the floor, dragging Copper with him. He could hear the door of his apartment being kicked in and grabbed a pair of jeans and his gun. "Never leave home without it" he mumbled and only then did he see the flames from his living room start to move toward him.
Jimmy burst into his bedroom and Bosco was silently glad that he remembered to put pants on. The smoke was starting to fill his lungs and he nearly passed out before Jimmy dragged him to his feet. Bosco reached for Cooper's collar but lost his grip. He saw the dog following him anyway only to be knocked over by a piece of falling ceiling. He tried to struggle, tried to go back, but he was too weak and darkness engulfed him.
Bosco lay on the stretcher as the paramedics fussed over him. The oxygen mask was working it magic and he had regained consciences only seconds ago. Suddenly he remembered Copper, still trapped in the building and swung his legs over the stretcher. Kim tried to keep him from getting up but her efforts went un-noticed.
He spotted Jimmy a few feet away and called out his name. "My dog's in there ya gotta go back in for'em!"
"The fire's to strong I can't, I'm sorry Bosco"
He wasn't going to take no for an answer and grabbed his gun from his waistband. "You get your ass back in there and find my dog or ya won't have to worry about the fire killin you"
TBC..... You want to see what happens to the puppy dog? Then review, it makes me write faster.
"All right, I'm comin, I'm comin" He pushed the dog away and started getting dressed.
He had reluctantly agreed to take the mutt home and keep him, only long enough to find him another home. That was two weeks ago, and Copper has since expertly integrated himself into Bosco's daily life. He would never admit it to anyone but he was really starting to like this dog. But he drew the line at sleeping on the bed. Nope, no dog of his was going to sleep on the bed or get up on any furniture.
Copper waited patiently at the front door, thumping his tail on the ground. Bosco, who had finally finished getting ready, walked toward him, causing the dog to jump up and spin in a few excited circles before settling down once again to let his new master clip the leash on.
Out the door they went, down the steps, out the other door, and...WHOA! Every time like clockwork, you'd think Bosco would be better prepared by now, but man that dog could pull on the leash!
"Must be the dog chow" he remarked and made a mental note to call a dog trainer about Copper's little pulling problem.
"So how's it going with you and that dog?" Faith asked, closing her locker door.
"I haven't lost any limbs yet, so I guess were doin okay" Bosco said as he gently rubbed his shoulder.
"Somethin wrong with your arm?" She didn't want to mother him but he was obviously in pain.
"I've been walkin Copper and he really gets to yankin me around. I called this trainer that came to my apartment, you wouldn't believe the things she wants me to do with this dog Faith!"
She looked at him in amusement, trying not to snicker.
"All I want is to stop him from pullin and she wants me to make him sit at doorways and lie down before I feed him. Then I gotta stop every time he pulls. EVERY TIME FAITH! It took me 2 hours to make it half a block down the street!!" Bosco sighed in exasperation.
"What I wouldn't give for a video tape of that!" She couldn't help it any longer and broke out into fits of laughter.
"Ha Ha, glad to see you find this so entertaining" He said faking hurt.
"I'm sorry Bos, but man, that dog really knew what he was doing when he picked you" She tried to control herself, but the image of Bosco stopping and starting and stopping and starting all the way down 3rd Ave. crept back into her mind and laughter over took her once more.
Bosco glared at her and continued shoving clothes into his locker.
"Wait, You actually had a trainer come out to your place? For a dog that you're not keepin?" She seemed to have her wits about her now and grabbed some Chapstick, applying it quickly.
"I...want to make sure he's well behaved for whoever gets him. I don't want someone returnin him to me because he yanked their arm outta the socket"
"Uh huh, and I suppose it has nothing to do with the fact that you're becommin attached to him?" She said, a knowing expression on her face.
"I am not attached to that dog Faith. I wouldn't care if he left tomorrow. He's a nuisance, nothiin more."
Faith grabbed her purse and headed for the door, but stopped abruptly before leaving. "Oh, I almost forgot! A friend of Fred's is looking for a dog, I told 'em that you had a real nice one you were lookin to find a home for and gave them your number"
Bosco looked up at her, shock written all over his face. He hadn't even thought about what he'd do if someone else really wanted the dog. " That's great. Thanks, Faith"
She noticed his hesitation and wanted to say something, but decided to keep her mouth shut. "Night, Bos" she said before leaving the locker room.
"Night Faith" Bosco slumped down on the bench. No one said he had to give the dog away, he thought. Besides, they may not even be nice people and he certainly wasn't going to hand Copper over to just anyone.
Bosco opened the door to his apartment only to be greeted with a spinning, wiggley dog. He quickly grabbed the leash and snapped it on before asking the dog to sit and finally going through the doorway. No sense in wasting all that money on a trainer if he wasn't going do what she said.
Upon returning from the ritual evening walk, Copper promptly jumped up on the side chair. Bosco thought this would be easier than keeping the dog completely off the furniture, just in case he ever needed to vacuum. He made it very clear though that he was only to lie on that chair, when it had that blanket on it. No exceptions.
He had flipped on the T.V. to Animal Planet and just finished popping some popcorn when the phone rang.
"Hello" he said over a mouthful of popcorn.
"This is Jake Castors, I'm calling about the dog your trying to get rid of" The man sounded short tempered and annoyed. Certainly not the type of person who should own a dog Bosco thought.
"He's already been taken" He said and hung up the phone without waiting for a reply.
Grabbing the popcorn and plopping down on the couch he joined Copper who was already watching "Animal Cops".
" He just didn't seem right for you" he said to the dog, who agreed with a snort then began staring at the popcorn.
"If ya want some, all you have to do is ask" Bosco said.
"Grumble" The dog looked at him hopefully.
"That's more like it" he said and tossed him a piece.
**************************************************************************** ********
It was nearly 6am as Bosco tossed and turned in bed. Copper lay curled up on the opposite pillow which is were he always slept. He just waited for Bosco to fall asleep first before jumping up.
He lifted his head from the pillow and sniffed the air, bending his head as far back as it would go. The room was filling with a light haze and he could hear sirens in the background.
To his disappointment, his owner didn't seem to notice this at all.
Copper started licking his face only to be pushed away. "It's Saturday, can't ya sleep in just this once?" Bosco growled, shoving his head under the covers.
The dog stood up on the bed and started barking loudly, bouncing up and down with each bark. This woke Bosco up immediately. He distinctly remembered telling Copper that the bed was off limits. He was seconds away from scolding the dog and shooing him off the bed when he noticed the smoke.
He instinctively dropped to the floor, dragging Copper with him. He could hear the door of his apartment being kicked in and grabbed a pair of jeans and his gun. "Never leave home without it" he mumbled and only then did he see the flames from his living room start to move toward him.
Jimmy burst into his bedroom and Bosco was silently glad that he remembered to put pants on. The smoke was starting to fill his lungs and he nearly passed out before Jimmy dragged him to his feet. Bosco reached for Cooper's collar but lost his grip. He saw the dog following him anyway only to be knocked over by a piece of falling ceiling. He tried to struggle, tried to go back, but he was too weak and darkness engulfed him.
Bosco lay on the stretcher as the paramedics fussed over him. The oxygen mask was working it magic and he had regained consciences only seconds ago. Suddenly he remembered Copper, still trapped in the building and swung his legs over the stretcher. Kim tried to keep him from getting up but her efforts went un-noticed.
He spotted Jimmy a few feet away and called out his name. "My dog's in there ya gotta go back in for'em!"
"The fire's to strong I can't, I'm sorry Bosco"
He wasn't going to take no for an answer and grabbed his gun from his waistband. "You get your ass back in there and find my dog or ya won't have to worry about the fire killin you"
TBC..... You want to see what happens to the puppy dog? Then review, it makes me write faster.