Disclaimers: The characters described here are not my own. They belong to Paramount, and if ya wanna sue me, you've gotta catch me first:)
Warning: This fic contains a death scene, and it's very angsty (I can't write fluff at the mo).Also, this is Pre-Voyager, so no Chakotay to save the day. Pleasereview if you think I could make this better in any way, or if you think it's good as it is.
Gretchen's Guilt
Bramble coughed again, and tried to lift his tired body from his doggy basket. His little legs quivered, and collapsed beneath him. Gretchen was heartbroken. She and Edward had talked about taking him to the vet to be put down, but nothing had been done. The poor dog couldn't walk far, couldn't climb the stairs, and his age started to affect the family. Kathryn would still hold him, but in a week she'd be gone. In that moment, Gretchen made a decision. She didn't like it, but to live in pain was not what she wanted for Bramble.
Quietly, she gathered her strength and wrapped her hands around a woollen blanket. Bramble started hacking, the vocal cords battered by years of barking. "Bramble, quiet." She knelt by the basket, and wrapped him – head to paw – in the soft blanket, entombed in its gentleness. Slowly, each doggy biscuit breath stole away from his lungs, never to return. Gretchen's shoulders shuddered, but she would not let the tears fall yet.
Time passed as if in tar. The sun made the warm kitchen walls seem dull, its life washed away. Bramble lay quiet, never to cough or bark again. Gretchen gathered the still bundle and enveloped the cooling dog in her arms.
Time sped up. The tick-tock of the grandfather clock came back stronger, the wind blew through the window, and Gretchen was awash with tears.
"Mom?" Gretchen started at the sound of Kathryn's voice. "Mom, what's wrong?" She hadn't seen?
"I think Bramble's dead." Kathryn's eyes grew, and pained diamonds fell.
"Dead?" Gretchen nodded. Kathryn looked around the room, trying to stop the tears. Her faithful friend would never be there to lick away her sadness, would never play fetch with her again. She collapsed onto the kitchen floor.
Gently, Gretchen deposited Bramble into his basket, and wrapped her arms around Kathryn. Her guilt, however, threatened to make itself known. She sniffed sadly. "Come on Katie; let's bury him down the bottom of the garden. He liked it there." The two stood like women condemned, but only one knew why.