Time passed, not sure how much but from my calculation, I believe it was about two years. I had graduated high school with honors and was employed at my city's animal shelter. I'd also moved out of my mother's house as soon as I'd turned eighteen. My job was centered on aiding sick or injured animals that were brought in. I loved being there, caring for sick animals gave me a sense of purpose. It helped me fill the emptiness I'd been harboring in my heart since that day.
During this time I met somebody who kept me busy. We dated for about eight months, but that's a story for another day. After that relationship ended badly, I found it hard to trust anyone. My heart was already in shambles and this guy hadn't helped at all. So, I made it a point to keep myself detached. It kept me from getting hurt or from getting involved with anyone. Re-living the pain of loving someone, then losing them so cruelly, was the thing I feared the most.
One day, I remember it was a Saturday. I was sorting some equipment in the medical room of the shelter when I heard footsteps scurrying past. I put down the supplies I was sorting and rushed outside. A local animal control officer brought in a full box of bloodhound puppies. They'd been abandoned in the middle of the highway and were almost hit by a truck. They were mal-nourished and in desperate need of medical care.
We rushed them to the medical room and hooked all of them up to IVs to re-hydrate them. The vet left me in charge while he went to the supply room to gather some things. I studied the litter of puppies one by one. There was one puppy that had big, cheerful eyes. It also happened to be the smallest. "What's wrong little one?" I asked as it started to whine. I pet him lightly, causing him to yap and lick my hand. I giggled. His brothers and sisters were all asleep, but he jumped around and chased his tail.
"Be good little one..." I whispered when the Vet came back with the supplies. I excused myself to let him work in peace. The puppy whined when he saw me leaving. "Hey doc?" I began. "Take good care of them." I said just before closing the door behind me.
I made my way back to my desk as I thought about that puppy. Even though their future had seemed bleak, he still had a positive outlook. It was then I decided that it was time for me to move on with my life too. It was time to put away the memory of that boy who had once made me so happy. Instinctively, my hand shot up to the dagger that still hung from my neck. I sighed, it felt like a heavy load was lifted off my chest at that moment. I was finally ready to move on. I smiled broadly in the face of my new start as I continued working for the rest of the day.
About a month passed after the rush with all those puppies. Since I had decided to take one day at a time, I felt a lot better. It was comical to me that all it took was the optimism of a puppy to perk up my spirits. I cut my hair short and dyed it black, an attempt to reinvent myself. I began wearing eyeliner and well-fitting clothes. I figured that the better I looked, the better I'd feel. I had gotten taller and my legs thicker since I'd left Red Lake. My chest had filled out more, so I constantly got offers to date, but I wasn't really interested in anybody, not until I met him.
The day was Sunday, I was behind the counter helping clients because three of my co-workers had called in. Apparently it was flu season. It was around one in the afternoon and everything was quiet, except for a few people who were waiting for their pets. My head shot up when a guy burst into the shelter in a panic. He was carrying a white and grey, border collie/Australian shepherd mix.
The dog had a few black and grey spots around its nose, along with some honey accents in its fur. It had long legs and sad, brown eyes. I walked over to the other side of the counter and looked at the dog closely. After the owner put him down, I lightly brushed my hand over its fur to feel the texture. It was soft and silky, clearly he was well taken care of. "May I?" I asked the owner as I gestured to the dog's mouth. He nodded and gave me permission.
After slipping on some latex gloves, I lifted the dog's upper lip and examined the length, girth and color of its teeth. "I estimate about a year old, am I right?" I asked the owner without looking at him.
"Y-yeah, that's right. How did you know?" He asked, puzzled.
"Years of practice and reading books..." I trailed off as I touched the dog's snout. Both his nose and mouth were moist. He seemed healthy and his record said all his shots were up to date, but for some reason, he kept whining. I paged the vet on my radio and let him know the breed, the estimated weight and age of the dog. After a few minutes, he came out from his office and took the dog's leash. "Take a seat over there and the doctor will be right with you." I instructed the owner.
I walked back to my desk and resumed the paper work I had been doing. He obeyed and took a seat in the waiting room quietly. After a long period of time, I glanced at him. His face was contorted with worry. So I walked over and sat next to him. It was part of my job to help calm and comfort our visitors. Things went a lot smoother when people weren't causing scenes. His posture alone gave it away. He was slouching forward, and his head was bowed as if it weighed a ton. I couldn't help but feel bad for him.
"Hey, I'm sure he'll be fine. What's his name?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Lucky." The male retorted without looking up. He was wearing an olive jacket, with a white T-shirt underneath. His jeans were faded, and his hair was shaggy but straight. It was an intense shade of black. Cautiously, I lifted my hand and patted him on the back.
"Lucky will be fine, I know it." I said as I leaned in closer to make sure that he heard me. At that moment, he looked up and our noses almost touched. "I'm-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have gotten so close!" I stammered as I jumped back.
"No, It's okay! I'm sorry for looking up so suddenly." He apologized sheepishly before looking away. My heart raced as I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes.
"He looks really familiar, I wonder if we've met before...?" I thought to myself as I studied him. He had faded brown eyes and pale skin. A couple of freckles littered the area around his nose. A knot formed in my throat when I realized who he reminded me of. Regardless, he was handsome.
"I'm Nathan." He said as he flashed me a familiar crooked smile. My heart skipped.
"That smile..." My thoughts trailed off causing me to stutter. "I um...Hazel..." I managed to croak. He arched an eyebrow. After a few seconds, I realized what I had said wasn't an actual sentence. "S-sorry! I meant to say, I'm Hazel." At that moment, Lucky came out wagging his tail.
"Lucky!!" Nathan's face lit up immediately as he ran to hug his dog. I stood up and walked over to the vet.
"What was wrong with him?" I asked curiously.
"It was just a little gas, he'll be fine. Just make sure to limit those table scraps!" He called out to Nathan who was being licked to death by his pet. Once he managed to get Lucky off his stomach, Nathan stood and walked over to where we were. He shook the Veterinarian's hand.
"Thank you for all your help. What do I owe you?" he asked as he pulled out his wallet.
"Don't worry son, it's on the house." The vet responded with a smile.
"Thank you so much!" Nathan reiterated as he shook the vet's hand once more.
"You're very welcome, it's my job to help people AND animals." He said with a smile as he turned and made his way back to the medical room. I escorted Nathan and Lucky out of the shelter. Lucky kept licking my hand the entire way out.
"Heh, look at that. Lucky really seems to like you." Nathan mused. "It's strange though, he doesn't usually warm up to people so quickly. You must be some sort of special, huh?" He asked in a joking tone. I smirked.
"Well certainly! Don't you know who I am!?" I asked as I placed my hand indignantly over my chest. "I am the queen...of treats." I clarified as I slipped a hand into my scrubs and pulled out a bacon treat. Lucky gobbled it up in one breath. Nathan laughed as I crouched down and tousled Lucky's fur. I couldn't help but smile at his reaction. His laugh was...sweet. Childish even. "Well, this is as far as I'll go. Try not to come back too soon, yeah?" I told the dog before standing up and turning to make my way back.
"Hey, wait!" Nathan called as he jogged back to my side. "I know it's kind of sudden, but would you like to get something to eat sometime?" He asked as he ran his fingers through his hair. My heart throbbed when I remembered Croy's habit of doing that. I hesitated, caught off guard by his invitation at first.
"Hm...I'm always up for some food." I muttered to myself before turning back to Nathan. "Sure." I agreed. That single decision, setting me down an inevitable path.