DISCLAIMER:
Hi friends! Sorry I haven't been posting, I've been busy with school and searching for employment and dealing with mental health issues and writer's block. We're in the middle of a pandemic, I live in California where we're thankfully clearing up but it was definitely difficult on me.
I wrote this fic inspired by a recent circumstance I had. I had to take my cat to the vet because he had an ear infection. I'm turning 23 in a couple months and I still love and adore Austin & Ally. I hope you like this story!
Ally Dawson is drinking her morning cup of coffee with almond milk and binge watching Downton Abbey on Netflix when she hears Lola, her one-year-old cavapoo, whining and whimpering and looking at her with tears in her eyes. She pats her lap and Lola jumps up onto her and whimpering. She pets her small dog, and the dog scratches at her ear and shakes her head and whines.
"Baby, are you OK?"
She asks her dog. The dog whines at her and she says,
"I'll take the whimpering as a no."
She discovers some swelling and discharge under the dog's ear. Downton Abbey can wait, Ally has to take her dog to the vet. She closes her MacBook and picks up her iPhone, dialing her vet's office. She hears the man on the phone say,
"Miami Veterninary Specialists, how can we help you today?"
"Hi, this is Ally Dawson. I discovered my dog isn't feeling good and I think she has an ear infection."
"Sorry, Ally, but we're all booked up until a month from now. I would recommend you go to West Miami Animal Hospital. They're open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they take emergency services."
"OK, thank you, sir."
She puts a squirt of dish soap and warm water in her bowl of leftover oatmeal in the sink, and takes a shower, and dresses herself in a bright red open cardigan, a white t-shirt with a 1920's Minnie Mouse, black leggings, and red ballet flats, applying her makeup and putting her dog in the carrier.
Lola just whines and whimpers the entire ride over. It yanks at Ally's heart to hear her dog be sick and crying and she is almost tempted to take her out of the carrier and comfort her. She arrives at the vet, and a black woman with box braids tied in a and wearing scrubs has a smile on her face.
"Hello, my name is Nicole. How can I help you out today?"
Ally says,
"I think my dog has an ear infection. These past few days, she's been whiny and needy and this morning I noticed she was scratching her head harder than usual and she was shaking her head a lot. I also saw some oozing and discharge."
The woman says,
"I'm so sorry to hear that. What kind of dog is she?"
"She's a cavapoo. Her name is Lola and she's 1 year old."
The receptionist says,
"Alright. Lola. Cavapoo. 1 year old."
"Here's a ticket for you and a form you need to sign."
"Thank you."
She sits in the waiting room and put's Lola's carrier by her chair, filling out the form and she watches as a handsome man with short messy blonde hair and in a labcoat, green scrubs and green converse walks into the waiting room and indirectly makes eye contact with her. She can't help but think he's very handsome and she feels a strong urge to ask him out. He calls out,
"Lola?"
Ally says,
"That's me. Lola is my dog."
She stands up, carrying the dog and following him to the room. He says,
"How are we doing?"
Ally says,
"I could be better. I feel sorry for her because she's sick."
"I'm so sorry to hear about that, ma'am. I'll have a look at her."
Ally lifts the dog out of her carrier and the dog is whimpering, shaking and trembling with fear. She says,
"It's OK, baby girl. He's not going to hurt you. He's going to look at your ear and he's going to see what's wrong with you and make you better."
She pets her dog and lifts her on the scale and he turns it on and Ally asks him,
"What is your name, Doctor?"
The vet says,
"I'm Dr. Austin Moon. I've been working with animals for about five years. Your dog is 17 pounds and 6 ounces."
"Is that healthy?"
"Yeah. Your dog is healthy."
She watches as Dr. Moon unwinds his stethoscope from around his shoulders and listens to the dog's chest.
"She's got a healthy, strong heart. What does she usually eat?"
"She eats a quarter cup of kibble in the morning and a can of wet food at night. I also walk her every morning. She's been very low energy for the past few days."
"Hmmm. So you think she has an ear infection?"
"Yeah. I checked her ears, there was oozing and discharging and she was whiny and needy."
He picks up an otoscope and lifts up the dog's ear, saying,
"Yeah. I'm seeing a lot of discharge here. It's Otitis Externa. We're going to have to flush her ear."
"Is she going to need drops?"
"Yeah. I'll give you a prescription for her drops."
"OK. I hope the ear flushing won't hurt her."
"It's not going to hurt her, sometimes cats and dogs don't like it, but it never hurts them."
"OK."
She watches as Dr. Moon lifts up the ear flushing and massages it. Lola seems to like it, apparently. Ally watches Dr. Moon check her ears again.
"We got out the gunk that was in her ears, and I have a prescription for these ear drops. Tresaderm. She has to take them every twelve hours and come in every few weeks for ear flushing."
He hands her the drops and his business card.
"If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to call me or the hospital."
"Thank you, Dr. Moon,"
Ally says. She feels like she has a crush on her dog's new vet and the two stare at each other lovingly without even perceiving it. He asks her,
"Say, Ally, do you have a… husband?"
She says,
"Nope. I'm not married and I don't have a boyfriend. I just have my dog."
He asks,
"Would you want to… you know… go out sometime? Like, on a date?"
She says,
"I'd love that. It's a great way for me to repay you for helping my dog."
She finds a paper towel over by the sink and she writes her number on it.
"Thanks, Ally. My cell phone number is on my business card."
"Thank you, Austin. For helping my dog."
"Anytime. I feel bad about having to bill you."
"It was worth it."
He hands her a bill and she gives him her credit card and he kisses her hand. She is beyond grateful to Dr. Moon for helping her dog. She asks,
"Austin, do you want to hold her? She's very sweet and friendly."
"Sure."
Austin says,
"You're a very cute little dog."
The dog licks his face and he pets her.
"She says Thank you."
Later that night, Ally is rubbing her dog's belly and drinking red wine. She posts a review of Austin's clinic and gives him five stars. Austin then texts her and says,
"I saw the review you posted on Yelp. Thanks."
"You deserve it, cutie."
She texts back.
