“Where are you?” he asked frantically. “On Oakridge — two minutes from the vet,” Emily replied. “I’m coming. Don’t stop. Don’t wait. Just get him there.” The line went dead. Emily gripped the wheel harder and prayed the dog who had just saved her daughter would survive long enough to be saved himself.
Emily swung into the emergency vet’s parking lot hard enough that her tires squealed. Before she could even open her door, a vet tech spotted Ranger slumped across the back seat and sprinted toward her.
“He was bitten,” Emily said, her voice cracking. “A snake—red and yellow—please, he’s fading—” “Got him,” the tech said, already lifting Ranger out with practiced urgency. “We’ll take it from here.”
He disappeared through the sliding doors with Ranger, and they slammed shut behind him with a cold, final thud. Only then did Emily feel the tremble in her hands. Only then did she realize Lily was still in her arms, small and shaken, her face pressed into Emily’s shoulder.