"I don't want to go to Disney if Dervla's dead", whispered Zoe, actually speaking on her own for once.
The Mixed Infants just wished Mrs Beauchamp would come in and tell them something.
They knew Dervla Dog was still alive when the kind policeman had rushed her to the vet's in his car and taken Mr Keogh with him.
They knew Mr Keogh had done something more frightening than hitting Taylor. He'd just looked at her as if she were dirt, and said coldly:
"One word, you little bitch. Karma."
A policewoman had said to Taylor, on learning the facts:
"Come on young lady, your parents need to know about this."
The kids didn't know the next bit, but Taylor certainly got Karma. Her mother, usually so doting, was a dog lover herself. She bawled:
"Get upstairs NOW. We were going to take you to Disneyland resort ourselves to make up for losing, but that's cancelled from now. No summer holiday this year. No pocket money until you've paid off that vet's bill. And don't show yourself downstairs here until I call you tomorrow. If you're hungry you can live off your spleen… you've got enough of it."
Now the kids were sitting in Ms Chao's class, too upset to carry on drawing. For once, Ms Chao didn't push them.
About ten minutes before hometime, Mrs Beauchamp came into the classroom where Mr Fairhead had given up on reading to them and was just letting them sit holding hands in a circle.
"Sorry it's been so long; Dervla's just come round from her operation. Her leg's been saved. Mr Keogh says to tell you there'll be Dervla days again but not soon. She'll have a limp for a while but she's a very lucky dog."
Lofty began to sob from sheer relief.
Zax hugged each other.
"Is Taylor going to prison for a legal injection?" Ethan asked in all seriousness.
"Dervla didn't die, thank goodness, Ethan, but Taylor won't be going to prison. She's too little. I have heard that Mr Keogh's going to take the vet's bill money from her parents… and give it to charity. He says she has to learn."
"Give us a lend of your hanky, Ben, mate", Cal asked, trying not to sniff.
"No, don't share hankies, please. This is a clean one, Cal." Mrs Beauchamp produced a decent boy-sized hanky from her bag. Ben looked very ashamed.
"Ben, darling, you're not dirty, it's just one of my rules about hankies. Now you can all go home and relax, and dream of Disney can't you?"
"But Mr Keogh won't go. He'll want to stay with Dervla and look after her till she can walk again."
"I believe Mrs Dixon is taking care of all that" Mrs Beauchamp told them.
"Come on Dylan, you're looking forward to this holiday and your lovely dog's going to be safe now. You don't go till June and I'm more than happy to dog sit for you. I'd love to get Dervla under my roof for a week; you're not going to ruin things for me now are you?"
Mr Keogh gave a sulky pout, which changed to a half grin.
"Thanks, Dixie."
Woo hoo, thought Mrs Dixon, "Dixie" now, is it?
Now the countdown to the Fierce Brave Gang and Friends holiday could begin in earnest.
A/N: You don't think I'd have really killed off that lovely dog, do you?