I finally hit 15 reviews!

For everyone who has reviewed, you all get 1 million dollars! (Sorry, but in virtual money)

And this is the chapter you have all been waiting for! (Even me)

But please do not kill me, once you read, you will understand why.

So anywho, ENJOY! :)

Chapter 10 – A Visitor

For the rest of the month of September, we could not stop talking about our trip to New York. At lunch, during passing periods, texting, that's all we would talk about.

And we wanted to go back, like real soon.

I did kind of feel bad for Iggy, he didn't get to go. But, my mom did buy him a shirt, and a key chain that had Marilyn's name on it. He loved it!

So I guess I don't feel as bad.

When we had gotten back, I printed out the picture of all of us on top of the Empire State Building. It came out even better than I thought.

I put it in the new frame and it is now on my nightstand. I also put the 2 pictures of Fang and I behind. I just liked having all my friends together.

So now it's New Year's Day, and we are stuck at home, cause there is like 8 feet of snow outside. Jeez, stupid weather!

And for Christmas, I just had gotten this bike that I had been dying to get!

And now I couldn't use it.

I was so bummed; we couldn't even open the front door, or else all the snow would come in. Why couldn't we live in some place warm?

So any way this was our last Saturday before we went back to school on Monday. This Winter Break went by really fast. Hopefully it still snows during the week, so they can cancel school! I love those days!

I was in my room, downloading new music onto my iPod, when my dad came in. I looked up from my computer and smiled at him. "Hey, dad, what's up?" I asked, as he sat at the foot of my bed. "I'm really sorry you can't use your new bike, Max. I know you had been wanting to ride it." I shrugged my shoulders and looked at him, "Its fine, that means we just have to go riding all summer long." He just smiled at me and looked down. "Well anyway, the reason I came up here is because your mom just had a call that a Doberman puppy got hit by a car. She tried calling her assistants, but none of them answered."

I looked up from the screen, and raised my eyebrows. "And she wanted to know if you could help her?" Omg, was she really asking me to help? I mean, I've been watching her operate on animals all my life, and even help during 2 operations.

But actually helping her?

I jump out of bed and ran into my closet. "Yes, yes, tell her yes!" I screamed, getting my snow jacket and boots. I then came racing out and got my beanie and scarf.

"She is already down at the clinic, I am going to drop you off." He said walking downstairs. I quickly tied my boots, and wrapped my warm scarf around my neck. God, I was so excited!

I ran down the stairs and past the living room. I stopped and walked back. Marilyn? I peeked the corner and saw her sitting next to Iggy, they were both laughing.

"Marilyn!" I yelled and went running to hug her. "Max?" she asked confused, and then looked at Iggy. "You said she wasn't here, that she was at her friends' house."

She looked at Iggy sternly. "Well if I told you she was here, then you would want to spend time with her and not me." He didn't take his eyes off the TV.

"It's because he knows that you like me better." I said smirking. "Max!" my dad yelled from the door.

"Coming! Well bye Marilyn, see you guys later." I said before racing out to my dad's car. Wow, there was a lot of snow, and it was still falling heavily. My dad started the car and we headed towards my moms clinic.

When we got there, I went in through the back, passing the kennels with the recovering animals. I opened the door and bumped into my mom. "Max, you finally made it!" she said rushed,

"Go into the prep room, change into scrubs and wash your hands. I will be waiting in the second OR room." And she walked by me with a cast and an IV. I quickly took off my jacket, put on scrubs and washed my hands.

Just as I walked into the room, she was putting the IV into the puppy. I walked over and looked at the him. His right front paw was swollen pretty bad, maybe broken?

He had a real bad scrap on his left side, and a scratch on his head. The IV kicked in and he started closing his eyes drowsily.

"Max, can you start up the X-Ray machine. I have a feeling his front paw is broken." I nodded and walked down the hall to the third room. I switched on the lights and went to the control panel.

I turned the 'On' button and heard the machine hum to life. I ran back to the OR room and helped my mom put the dog on a gurney.

"Watch his leg." My mom instructed. We then wheeled him to the X-Ray room. My mom checked the machine, and then placed the puppy on the table. We had to step out of the room, and then heard a beep; the machine had taken the picture.

"Max, I'm going to take two more pictures. Can you please go get the operating table disinfected and my tools ready?" she asked as she turned the puppy onto its' other side.

"Yeah, I'll be ready in 2 minutes." I ran back to the other room and got the disinfecting wipes. I rubbed the table clean and had gotten the tools set next to the bed when my mom came back in. I put the puppy on the operating table while she put the X-Ray pictures on the light box.

"Yup, just as I thought, the front leg is broken." I heard my mom say, and I turned and saw the fracture. "Good thing it's a clean break. We just have to open it, and put a metal plate." Um that sounded painful.

"I'm going to get the metal plate and more valium." She said before leaving the room. I checked the puppy's heart rate on the monitor, he was doing fine. I stroked his head gently, "It's ok, you're going to be fine". I told him soothingly.

I then looked at his collar, his name was Duke. Just then my mom came back and also checked his condition, "Ok Max, as I am cutting his leg, hold this hose and when the blood starts coming out, this will suck it in."

I grabbed the hose thing and watched as my mom started cutting his leg. Blood started oozing out and I put the hose opening next it, sucking it in.

There was about a 5 inch cut on his leg, and I could see the broken bone. Suddenly I started feeling woozy and light-headed. I never had actually seen the surgeries, I was only allowed to hand my mom the tools she needed. I shook my head and sucked more blood.

"Ok, here's the break, as I'm putting the plate, shine the light to make sure I am getting both pieces of bone." my mom instructed, getting the metal plate.

I grabbed the light from the table and shone it directly to where she told me too. She grabbed both pieces of bone and connected them with the plate.

Then she grabbed a drill gun, and nailed the plate in place. "Alright, the hard part is over. We just have to close him up." I nodded, still light-headed, and handed my mom the staples.

She stapled his leg back together, and we both went to go wash our hands again. "Are you ok Max? You look kinda white." She asked touching my forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just never have seen so much blood." I mumbled and then walked back into the room. "Well we just need to clean his two scrapes, bandage them he will be done." I got the antiseptic from the cabinet, and the bandage roll.

My mom applied the liquid to a rag and handed it to me. "I'll be back, his owner it out in the waiting area. I'm going to tell him that his puppy will be fine." She walked out, and I cleaned both scrapes.

Then I cleaned up the area and sat down against the wall. I had never realized that this job was hard. I had seen my mom do it so fast and well, it seemed really easy, but now I know it's not.

Then I heard the door open and got up. "He's going to spend the night, and the owner will come back tomorrow." She said looking at the puppy on the table. "His name is Duke." I told her, also looking at him.

"And I am going to have to spend the night, here, with him. Just in case something happens." "Can I stay too? I have nothing else to do at home." I asked, it would be pretty cool sleeping here.

She looked at me, "Alright, but call your father, and tell him we are both staying." I ran to her office and called my dad. He said it was fine and then I walked back into the room. My mom had just put more pain medication into his IV.

"Dad said it was fine and to tell you that he loves you." She smiled at me, "And can you please go get a kennel ready for Duke Max. Put like 2 blankets and a bowl with food and water."

I went to the kennels and found 2 warm blankets and put them in a kennel. Then I went to the storage room and fixed a bowl with food and water. By the time I went back to the kennel, my mom had put him in.

He was still asleep, and my mom hung his IV bag outside of the kennel door. I looked at him and smiled. My mom had just saved another animal.

"But doesn't he need one of those cone things around his neck?" I asked, looking at my mom.

"No, right now, I'm sure he will sleep through the night, when he wakes up then we will put in on." I nodded and then we walked into the little kitchen at the back of the clinic.

My mom opened the pantry and looked in, "Do you want ravioli's or a chicken noodle soup?" my mom asked, bringing out both cans. I gave her a 'duh' look and then she put the soup in the microwave.

"We can both sleep in the break room, there are 2 really comfy sofa's." she brought out my soup, and put her ravioli's into the microwave. I ate my soup really fast, even before her food was ready. Wow, I was starving!

After we finished our some what dinner, she brought in blankets and we both laid on the sofas.

"You know, I really miss the Harding's." I heard her say, "Yeah me too. Sometimes I wonder if they think about us too." I said looking up at the ceiling.

I heard my mom laugh, "Max, please, I know they think about us. I mean, how could they forget some one as crazy as you?" this time I also laughed,

"But I've been thinking a lot about Lori lately. And I keep getting this feeling, but I don't know if it's a good or bad feeling."

I sat up and looked at her. "I know, me too. I just hope she's alright." And then I laid back down again.

"I'm sure she is, that women is as tough as nails." she replied, and then we both fell asleep. I woke up in the morning and did not my find my mom on the sofa next to me.

I sat up and looked through the door into the kitchen. No mom. I threw back the blankets and got off the sofa. Jeez, it was freezing in here.

I then walked into the kennel area and found my mom crouched next to Duke's kennel. He was still lying down, but he had his eyes open and a cone around his neck.

My mom looked over at me, "I found him licking his IV this morning. So I put on the cone." I laughed and stuck my finger through the bars. He licked it, and then started closing his eyes again.

"Come on, he still needs some rest. His owner should be here in a couple of hours." We both got up and we had breakfast (cereal) in the kitchen. At around 2 the owner came back and picked him up.

He thanked my mom and she told him to bring him back in 3 days so she could check on his leg. After she closed the clinic and we went home.

I told Iggy and dad the whole story. They both thought it was pretty cool.

So I guess I ended my Winter Break…interestingly.

When we went back to school, I also told my friends. They also thought it was cool, except for Nudge, who though it was kinda gross.

So now we are at the end of my last year in middle school. They had this little promotion thing at school, where we all walked across the stage and got little certificates. It was kinda sad, and we all ended up crying and hugging.

And Summer Break is here!

The first few weeks, all six of us (me, Nudge, Logan, Ella, Marilyn and Iggy) spent every second in the pool. It was really fun.

My mom had taken a lot and I mean a lot of pictures of us. It was a really great summer.

Oh, and I almost forgot, Duke is doing really well. My mom said his leg is healing nicely, and she took off the metal plate, so I was really happy for him.

And also for Iggy's 16th Birthday, guess what my parents got him?

A freaking car! Yes a brand new silver Acura TSX. I have to admit though, it is a really nice car and it seems to fit Iggy perfectly.

So now to the interesting part of the summer. It was about three weeks before school (high school) started.

Since I was little, I always thought that Fang would be at my side as we walked into the gates of our first day at high school. I thought we were going to get through high school together and go to college at Stanford.

But now that we are back in reality, I knew it wasn't going to happen. So on August 23rd (I still remember) I had just finished lunch.

Iggy and Marilyn went to the movies to go watch the premiere of Jack and Jill. And yes they went in his new car. Marilyn insisted that I go, but behind her, Iggy was shaking his head 'No'. So being the good sister that I am, I declined her offer. But told her that we had to go watch Breaking Dawn: Part 1.

So they had left, and my parents were upstairs painting their bedroom. My mom had finally gotten tired of their Maroon colored walls and wanted to paint it a light shade of blue. I had finished putting my plate in the sink and sat down to watch TV. Just as I got comfortable, the doorbell rang. I rolled my eyes knowing it was Iggy. He probably forgot his wallet. So I walked to the door and opened it. But instead of seeing Iggy, I came face to face with a pair of familiar midnight colored eyes.

Ok. Please. Do. Not. Kill. Me.

I am so sorry I stopped there, but I just had too. I know I left you guys another cliffhanger, but I planned it. And also cuz I still don't know what I want to do with Fang. But I hoped you guys enjoyed, and if I sounded unrealistic when they were doing the surgery, sorry, that was my idea of how a dog surgery would go. :)

So again, I am going to try and have the next chapter up by tomorrow, but I'm not sure.

So Review!