Chapter Three; A New Member Of The Family
Chucky quickly pulled into the Hackensack animal hospital parking lot. He quickly turned off his headlights before turning off the engine and ran inside with the puppy all bundled up inside his towel. "Can I help you?" the woman behind the counter asked him as he brought the puppy up to the front desk. "I sure hope so. This little guy walked out right in front of me when I was on the road." Chucky explained. "I see, well he doesn't look too bad, but I don't see a collar on him so that must mean that he's a stray." She said.
"I know, but if you promise to help him, I'll pay for his medical bill." Chucky told her. "Well alright, but that doesn't mean that his chances at life are any better. I mean since he doesn't have a collar he'll legally have to be sent to the pound, and even though he's cute and that helps his chances for adoption, it doesn't guarantee it." She told him. "Yes it will," Chucky began. "I'll take him." He said as he turned over to Tiffany. "Are you nuts!?" she snapped inside a whisper.
"We can't take a dog home that we don't know anything about! Besides, he'll eat the furniture and chase the cat!" she snapped in the same hushed tone. "And that's exactly why we should take him." Chucky said as Tiffany simply rolled her eyes. "Besides, it won't be forever. I'll take his picture and make up the flyers and someone is sure to recognize him." He explained. "Oh yeah," Tiffany began while a veterinarian walked forward and took the bundle away from Chucky. "And what if they don't!" she snapped as the man started walking the puppy back down the hallway.
"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Chucky said. "Now we'll need your address and phone number since he'll have to stay here overnight so we can make sure that he'll be good enough to come home with you." The woman explained as she pushed out a form for him to sign. All throughout that night, on the way home and while in bed, Chucky couldn't help tossing and turning as he thought about that poor little puppy back at the animal hospital and he secretly just hoped and prayed that he would be alright.
Sure enough, the next morning the veterinarian called him and assured him that the puppy was fine and he could go back and pick him up. As soon as he did, Tiffany absolutely insisted that the dog would have a bath. Even Chucky agreed with her since the puppy was absolutely filthy. Although he soon found on that this wouldn't be an easy task. For the puppy didn't want to take any part in this whatsoever and so they had to chase him around the house a few times before they even got him into the water.
"I hate to say this, but I got to admit, he looks like a brand new dog." Tiffany said after he was clean and Chucky finished rubbing him dry while he chomped down a bowel of Swedish meatballs. Chucky grinned as the puppy started to wag his short little tail. "Yeah, and I think it's high time that he has a real name." he said. "Oh no! Uh uh! No way!" Tiffany exclaimed shaking her head. "Why not? We have to call him something." Chucky said.
"Because once you name him, then you start getting attached to him! And this is only temporary remember?" she questioned. "Oh come on Tiff, I wanted a dog my whole life. And I say that if nobody claims Stanley then we should be able to keep him." He told her. "Stanley? That's the best you could do? What kind of name is that for a dog?" she asked as the puppy started lapping up his water from his water dish. "You know, named after Paul Stanley. The guitarist from Kiss." He explained. "What else am I going to call him, Paul?" he questioned as the puppy stopped drinking and looked up at him with a whimper.
"I see, well I certainly can't argue with that logic." Tiffany said sarcastically. "Well in that case you better stay here with him and start working on those pictures. I'll go to the store and get him some real dogfood because he can't live on Swedish meatballs forever." She told him as she turned to go towards the front door. "Oh and Chucky," she began before turning back to look at him. "Make sure that he doesn't eat the cat." She told him as he just simply scoffed at her. "I'm more worried about that huge furball eating him." He told her as it was a well-known fact that Pumpkin was twice Stanley's size.
…..
Later that morning while Tiffany went to the doctor's office, Chucky took Stanley over to Mary's house to meet her. "Aww! He's so cute!" she exclaimed as she watched the little puppy twirl around in circles chasing his tail while he made little puppy growls. Chucky and Mary laughed as the little puppy suddenly fell over. "How's Tiffany?" she questioned. "She's been better, but I'm sure she'll be alright." Chucky told her. "My mother hasn't been feeling too good either." She said sadly with a sigh. "Yeah, but I highly doubt she's been having morning sickness." Chucky told her with a grin when suddenly Mary gasped excitedly.
"You mean you're having another baby!?" she cried as Chucky picked Stanley back up and held him inside his arms. "Well, we're not exactly sure yet and that's why I haven't said anything, but I'm pretty sure she's pregnant. She'll find out later today and let me know about it." He explained as he chuckled at the fact that she probably was. For he heard her voice echo inside his head saying that; "My mother used to tell me that once was a curse, and two was a blessing."