(The Grey's)

When I woke up, I felt myself inside of a house. I was laying on something soft, like my blanket pile in the barge. I open my eyes and roll upwards so that I was leaning on my forelegs. I noticed that I was wearing a bandage around my leg.

"Huh? Where am I?" I asked myself, looking around the house. The house looked fancy; like Rita's old apartment from when she was a puppy. My entire body ached, making me groan. I closed my eyes and dropped my ears.

"Hey there, girl," the man said, noticing that I was awake. For a moment, I was hasty of this man. I growled quietly at him but he slowly kneels down in front of me. "Easy, girl. I'm not going to hurt you. I saved you from those coyotes," the man said, holding out a raw steak towards me. It wasn't a big one, but it was enough to tide me over. I took it with my teeth and laid it in front of me. The human watched me as I ate the steak.

This man saved me from being killed by those things? If I heard right, there was a kid with him. "How's she doin', dad?" the kid said. Well, speaking of. The boy walked in and saw that I was awake. "She just woke up, Alex. But she can't walk around with that sprained leg of hers," the man answered, getting up from the floor.

I glanced down at my leg, thinking about how I didn't break it. A sprain heals up pretty quickly since I've had them before. Alex, the mans' son, knelt down in front of me. "Hey there, girl. You'll like it here. Surely dad will be cool enough to let me keep you," Alex said in a whisper.

Let him keep me? I can't stay here for too long! I gotta get back home! But, I couldn't just yet because of my leg. Alex lifted his hand and reached towards my nose to see if I would bite him or not.

He had a face that reminded me of Jenny. This boy acted like her. I licked his hand and stood up, careful enough to hold my injured leg up as to not agitate it. I make my way over to him and began licking his face, making him giggle.

Alex started to pet me behind my right ear, my favorite place to be scratched. I tilted my head to the right and smiled. "Oh, you like that, don't you girl?" Alex giggled. I gave a little bark to respond to him.

I then look behind me and saw my bandana in the pile of blankets. I limped over to it and picked it up with my mouth, bringing it over to Alex. I wanted him to put it back on me.

"What is it? This bandana was... around your neck when my dad and I saw you," Alex said, taking the bandana from my jaws, which I licked. I huffed and nudge his hand to tell him what I need. Too bad I couldn't speak to him, otherwise, he'd be considered crazy.

"Want me to put it on you?" Alex asked and I barked once at him to confirm this. He smiled and puts it back on me, tying the knots around the front of me. "There you go. It fits you. But, we need to give you a name," Alex started.

But, I already have a name. I can't tell him what it is. So I would have to show him. I looked around the room and saw a boquette of roses, specifically, blue roses, sitting in the corner of the room. I turn away from him and limp to the roses, picking one from the batch.

I bring the flower back over to him and drop it in his hand. "Huh? What'd you get a rose for? Is that your name? Are you telling me that's your name?" Alex asked, making me perk up and bark once. Alex smiled brightly at this. He didn't expect me to be this smart.

"Dad! I figured out the dogs' name!" Alex called, standing up from the floor. I limp to where Alex was, careful to not let my injured leg touch the ground. Alexs' dad was in the kitchen, where he was making them dinner.

"Now I said we probably aren't gonna keep her, son," the man said, dismissing his sons' discovery. "C'mon, dad! She's really smart! She brought me one of the roses from that boquette in the living room and brought it to me. That was after I was trying to think of a name!" Alex cheered happily.

I limp over to the two boys and look up at what Alexs' dad was doing, tilting my head. He noticed me watching him. "Don't start begging now. You'll get more food soon," he said. What? I wasn't begging for food.

I dropped my ears and turned around from them. Jeez, this human saves me from certain death and he's accusing me of begging? Wow, I already don't like it here. This is why I need to go home. I wouldn't be happy here.

I limp to the back door of the house and look outside, seeing what was on the other side. It was freedom beyond a fence... A tall wooden fence that I couldn't even jump over. I didn't want to be fenced in. It didn't feel right to me.

It was blocking me from getting back to my family, my mate, my puppies... I wanted to see them so badly. I laid down in front of the glass sliding door, whining in sadness, curling my tail around the left side of my body. They were waiting for me. I had already been gone about a month now. So they gotta know that I'm missing.

I kept my ears laid back. I couldn't go back to sleep if I tried. "Rose? C'mon, girl," Alex called, whistling to get my attention. I didn't move from where I laid. I hear Alex walk up to me, seeing just how sad I was.

"Dad, something's wrong with Rose. She looks sick or something," Alex called, gently petting me on my head. "She's probably just tired, son. We need to let her rest that leg. Tomorrow, we'll get her a collar with her name on it. Maybe we can get rid of that bandana she's wearing," the man replied back from the kitchen.

I glance over my shoulder at the man. He'll have to pry my bandana from my cold, dead paws if he wants to get it. "No, dad. We can't get rid of that bandana. She brought it to me earlier, wanting me to put it on. It's a part of her, dad," Alex defended me, making me a bit happy.

"Son, she's a dog. She's not gonna know the difference," the man said.

I do know the difference. Just because I'm a dog and that they couldn't understand me, doesn't mean I'm willing to give up the one thing that gives me purpose. I'm not going to be wearing no collar. I didn't like them.

How could this human not even consider that there was a reason why I have my bandana on to begin with. "Don't worry, Rose. He's not as bad as you think. That's how he was with our other dog, Jerald," Alex said, still petting me. My ears perk up a little bit when he said that name.

Jerald. Wait... That's my father's name. Did they own him before? Or was it the same dog? "Son, get her to your room. I don't want to take a chance of her running off while we're sleeping tonight," the man said.

Alex helped me to his room. It was a pretty decent room. There was even a dog bed in the farther corner of the room. "You can sleep there tonight, Rose. I'll bring you some dinner later," he said, patting the bed.

I limp over to it, giving it a few sniffs. I climb into it and curl up into a ball, resting my head on the wall of it. It was pretty comfortable to say the least. As soon as Alex saw that I was comfortable, I move my head and curled my neck around my body. My tail was wrapped around my body, covering my nose.

Many thoughts swam through my head, sad thoughts. Dodger crossed my mind. My puppies and the whole gang crossed my mind. What were they doing at this very moment? Having many sleepless nights in hopes that I would return?

I'm doing my best to get there. I needed to make it. I had to.