Two Doms for Christmas (19 page)

She didn’t even have a piece of
paper to leave them a note. With a disgusted, worried sigh, she went back to
her car and drove home.

* * * *

The stress of the day had gotten to
her very quickly. She hadn’t slept much the night before and she needed to
escape her rambling thoughts for a little while. Haley climbed into bed,
setting her alarm for one hour.

She was drawn from an uneasy sleep
by the pain of Ginger standing on her chest. How had the dog jumped up onto the
bed? She wasn’t supposed to be jumping on things.

She opened her eyes, thinking to
get Ginger off her when the small dog started to growl. Her lips were curled
back, her missing tooth blaringly evident as her three remaining fangs were
accented by low, menacing growls. It was the exact sound Ginger had made when
she attacked Sammie earlier. If she bit Haley in her present position, she was
going to rip her face apart.

Trying to restrain her fear so as
to not make matters worse, she calmly said Ginger’s name. The dog lowered her
head closer to Haley’s face, snapping at the air, but not actually biting as
Haley shoved her head back into the pillow. Haley was terrified to speak again.
She had a feeling that if she did, or if she moved, her face was going to be
torn apart.

Her mind raced for an answer as to
what to do. The books she had read always advised not to show an angered dog
your fear. How the hell was she supposed to do that when she was horrified?

This was her dog, her loving Ginger
who was standing on her, digging her claws into Haley’s skin as she stood in a
menacing stance with her dagger teeth inches from Haley’s face. Maybe if she
moved fast enough, she could throw Ginger off to the side and then grab her
with the blanket. Of course, she was probably going to get bitten in the
meantime.

The alarm clock blared out music
and Ginger turned to it. Haley took advantage of the distraction, flipping the
blanket up and over Ginger’s head. She pushed the dog off, trying not to hurt
her as she spun the blanket around her body. Haley lifted the struggling bundle
in her arms, gasping for air as she tried to calm herself down.

Just as suddenly as Ginger had
attacked, she went slack, no longer struggling or growling. She whimpered
softly and Haley saw the pattern forming. This was a temporary loss of sanity
and then Ginger became herself again. She was still slightly afraid to let her
go and carried the wrapped body out into the living room. She needed to find a
way to get Ginger to the vet without giving her free rein if she had another
meltdown.

Leaning Ginger on her hip, she
opened the basement door. If she remembered correctly, there was a good-sized
box from one of her meat shipments on the floor. She had intended to use it to
pack up some odd summer clothing but had never gotten around to doing it. She
found the box, setting the bundled down into it and then quickly closing the
flaps. It might not be ideal, but should serve for long enough to get Ginger to
the vet’s office. “I’m sorry, girl, but this is for both of our protection.”

Haley grabbed the tape and sealed
the box closed before taking her razor knife and very carefully cutting out
some holes to allow air into the box. Ginger remained silent and unmoving.
Haley had the supreme feeling that Ginger had gone back to sleep. She was even
tempted to open the box and check but resisted the urge as she headed back up
the stairs and grabbed her purse.

* * * *

Haley walked into the office with
the box tightly in her arms. She put it down on the reception desk. The room
was still filled with people waiting to be seen, but she honestly didn’t care.
This had something to do with the new pain medication and she was almost
positive of that fact.

A girl she didn’t recognize came
out from the back area. She frowned at the box and looked at Haley. “Can I help
you?”

“Uh, yeah. I picked my dog up this
morning. Her name is Ginger. They put her on a new pain medication that is
causing psychotic events. I need to talk to Doctor Shay before it happens
again.”

The woman was staring at her as if
she was insane. “I’m sorry, but Doctor Shay is busy.”

“I’m aware of that. I have my dog
sealed in a cardboard box because she almost bit my face off a little while
ago. My dog has never bitten anyone, but now she goes from a sleeping angel to
a raving, vicious lunatic. I’m not sure if this little bit of packing tape is
going to hold if it happens again.”

The woman glared at her and then
headed into the back. A few moments later, Doctor Shay came out, worry written
on her expression. “What’s going on, Haley?”

“I have no idea. Ginger was
sleeping when I picked her up. She seemed a bit disoriented, but otherwise
fine. She went pee and when Sammie came over to say hello, she snarled at him
and then went after him, pinning him to the floor. Austin tried to grab her and
she bit him. I took her back to my house and decided to lie down for an hour. I
woke up with her standing on my chest, snarling with her teeth inches from my
face. Now she is sleeping peacefully again. What the hell is going on? You know
Ginger. She has never been vicious. Could it be the medication?”

“I don’t know. It’s new and is
supposed to be very effective for pain control.” She grimaced. “I really
haven’t had the time to read up on possible side effects. I have never heard of
something like that happening though. She bit Austin?”

“Yes, in the wrist. Can I use a
phone? Mine is dead and I have no idea how badly he is injured.” She knew that
sounded weird considering she had taken a nap, but she wasn’t about to relay
the entire trail of events for the last two hours of her life.

Doctor Shay nodded and they were
buzzed into the back. It was chaos and there were twice the number of normal
workers involved in different tasks. “Firstly, let me see if there is a crate
available to put Ginger in. I really don’t want to leave her in the box.”

“Me neither, but it was the only
way I could think of to get her here. I had a vision of her freaking out while
I was driving the car.”

She nodded again and Haley suddenly
had the urge to choke someone. Why had they given her dog a medication that was
completely new and probably poorly tested? Medications could cause manic
episodes in humans, so why not dogs? David came over, hauling a plastic carry
crate behind him. “Sorry this is the only one that’s empty.”

“I guess it will do for now.” It
was bigger than the box and had far more holes for observation. The problem was
getting Ginger out of the box and into the crate without knowing her mental
condition. Haley gritted her teeth and stood slightly back as she pulled the
tape. Ginger didn’t even react and she suddenly worried that the dog had died.
She reached in, stroking her and Ginger wagged her tail.

Her entire body sagged with instant
relief as she lifted her and the blanket out to put her into the crate. Once
the door was closed, she felt immensely better. “I know you are busy. If you
would let me, I can read through the paperwork and see if anything similar has
been reported.”

Doctor Shay frowned. “That is
highly unusual. Of course, so is getting thirty dogs who all need immediate
treatment showing up within half and hour. David can you take her into my
office and pull up the file on Medrinal and let her read the literature. Also
show her how to use the phone please. Haley, please let me know if you find
anything. I have no idea why this is happening. I’m sorry. I hope Austin is
okay.”

Haley hoped
so
also as she followed David down the hall and into the office. He pulled up the
information on the computer and showed her how to use the phone. As she began
to read, she called Austin, but there was no answer. She tried Med, but he
didn’t answer either. There was no sense in leaving a message until she got
home because they couldn’t call her back.

The information on the medication
was a long, mostly medical termed document that she didn’t have the proper
information to decipher. One thing she did notice was that it said all dosing
should be done exactly by size. Hadn’t they said they had given her a bit
extra? Could that be part of the problem?

Near the end of the document was a
long list of possible side effects. It included all the normal ones, vomiting,
diarrhea, lethargy, and stomach upset. As she continued to read, she saw what
she had been looking for.
A rare, but serious side effect has been noted. In
a miniscule percentage of those studied, Medrinal has been associated with
indications of confusion, disassociation, and aggressive behavior. No further
doses should be administered and this medication should be immediately stopped.
Please keep animal under observation for a minimum of twelve hours after giving
the first dose in case of serious reactions.

She stood and walked out into the main area. Doctor
Shay was busy trying to sew up a dog with a huge cut on its side. David saw her
and walked over. “Did you find anything?”

“Exactly how much extra did you
give her?”

His face paled slightly. “I don’t
know. It was before my shift started. Why?”

She relayed what she had just read
to him and he grimaced. “I’ll go tell Doctor Shay.”

That was a very good idea. “I’ll be
over by Ginger’s crate.” She walked over and pulled a chair up to the crate,
sitting beside it. David was talking quietly with Doctor Shay as the woman
finished up with the dog in front of her. As soon as she was finished, she
removed her gloves and walked over.

“I’m so sorry, Haley. I had no idea
this could happen. I can’t even imagine how this company managed to release a
drug onto the market that could cause aggression.”

“I can’t either. I have, however,
witnessed their rare but serious side effect. Take my word for it, it happens.”

She was angry and scared for Ginger.
Would her dog recover from this, or would Haley have to face putting her to
sleep when it seemed that all the danger had passed. She wanted to scream or
cry or something, but simply sat staring at Doctor Shay. “So what do we do
now?”

“The best thing I can suggest is
that you leave her here for further evaluation.”

She looked around at all the busy
techs and doctors. “Who exactly is going to evaluate her with bedlam going on
everywhere?”

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” said David.
“I’ll put her crate right next to my desk. All I have been doing is running for
supplies and answering the phone. I’ll be there most of the day so I can watch
her.”

Haley knew it was the best option.
She didn’t have the experience or even a crate to handle a dog who went from sleeping
to wanting to tear someone apart. She hadn’t actually bitten Sammie, or her for
that matter, but had merely threatened. Austin had grabbed her and that was
quite possibly the final trigger that made her bite. “Don’t touch her if she is
growling. It only lasts a little while and then she calms back down to normal.
Please put her in a bigger crate if one becomes available.”

“I will.”

“Thank you.” Haley wanted to stay,
but there wasn’t anything she could do. She wanted to talk to Austin or Med.
She needed one of them and neither one was here for her. Of course, she wasn’t
there for Austin either and both scenarios made her want to cry.

Doctor Shay put a hand to her
shoulder. “I’m really so sorry, Haley. Hopefully she will go back to normal
once the dose wears off.”

“I hope that also. Call me if
anything changes please.”

“I will,” said David.

Haley nodded and looked into the
crate. Ginger looked up at her and wagged her tail. It was all she could do to
hold back her tears. “You be a good girl. You need to stay here for a while
longer.” She wanted to open the crate and hold Ginger in her arms. She wanted
to cry into the dog’s silky fur. But wanting didn’t make it so. It could not
happen and might never happen again.

Chapter Eighteen

“Son of a bitch this hurts,”
grumbled Austin as he grabbed for the door handle without considering what he
was doing. He reached over awkwardly with the opposite hand and pulled the
latch. Med walked around to help him and then couldn’t do anything but stand in
his way.

With a shrug, Med headed to the
front door and unlocked it. The three dogs came up to greet them, and Med made
them sit to wait for Austin to come in. He stopped to pet them and then headed
into the kitchen.

Austin had been bitching that he
really wanted a cup of coffee. As he turned on the brewer, he turned to Med. “I
can’t fucking believe her. She didn’t even call to see how I was. I guess we
know who truly holds her heart and it isn’t us.”

Med sighed. They had been debating
this back and forth for entire time at the emergency room. Of course it was not
fairing well for Haley that she hadn’t called. Austin tugged his phone from his
pocket. He then threw it on the table with a grunt of irritation.

“Still nothing, huh? She’ll call.”

“I know she isn’t going to give up
Ginger, and I won’t have that dog in my house. I will not have her biting April
or Jake. I see no way over this impasse. What are we supposed to do, wait for
another ten years or so until Ginger succumbs to old age before we resume our
relationship? I don’t see that happening. I want more from her than dating and
maybe the occasional sleepover. Fuck!”

Austin stood and grabbed his
coffee, spilling some of it on the floor as he walked to the refrigerator. He
was really uncoordinated with his left hand. Med grabbed a paper towel and used
his foot to clean up the mess. In a way Austin was right. They both enjoyed
what they had with Haley, but a relationship based on dating and visits might
not work. It would be even worse if Ginger remained aggressive toward Austin,
and he couldn’t go to Haley’s house. As far as he was concerned it was too
early with too many variables to simply trash their entire relationship. Of
course convincing Austin of that was a lost cause at the moment. He was too
angry and in too much pain to listen to reason.

The knowledge that Austin could
have bled to death if he hadn’t come right home wasn’t sitting too well either.
Austin had told Haley to leave in a furious moment, but then realized just how
badly he was bleeding. He had tried to call her to come back, but she had not
answered her phone. Austin had been lucky Med was already on his way back and
had rushed him to the emergency room. Austin had two fractured bones in his
wrist and severe puncture wounds that had required stitches and irrigation. He
had been told to watch for signs of infection and had been sent home with a
half cast and pain meds.

Austin didn’t do well when he was
high. His present unwillingness to listen to reason was partially due to the
medication he was given at the hospital.

He drank down half the coffee and
set the cup of the counter. “I’m going to lie down and get my arm elevated.
Could you go pick up my prescription for me? I have a feeling I’m going to need
it.”

“Sure, no problem. Do you want
anything before I leave?”

“Yeah, the ability to erase today
and do it over. I guess that wouldn’t do much good either. Can you put a hit on
a dog?”

He was trying to be funny. Austin
would never hurt an animal, even if Ginger was coming between the three of
them. He would pick up Austin’s meds, but he was going to stop at Haley’s house
on the way and find out what the hell her problem was.

“I have no idea. Do you want
anything at the store?”

“Not really. I can’t say I have
much of an appetite. If I’m sleeping when you get back, please don’t wake me
up.”

“I won’t. Be back shortly.”

Med was really worried about him.
Austin had fallen apart after his divorce and it had taken him years to
recover. Over the last two weeks, Med had noticed the profound change in
Austin. He was happier and much more like the man who he had become friends
with years before. For him to lose Haley now would destroy him.

Petting the dogs, he hurried out
the door and to his car. He had to talk to Haley and find out what the hell was
going on with her. Everything that had happened just seemed so out of character
for the woman he had come to know. The worst part was that he had fallen in
love with her also. Austin wasn’t the only one grieving the idea of having to
give Haley up.

* * * *

Her car was in the driveway when he
pulled into it. She had the door open before he could even get out of the car.
What had she been doing, sitting in the window?

“How’s Austin?” she asked as he
walked up the sidewalk.

“He’s in a lot of pain. Why didn’t
you call?”

“I called from the vet’s office,
but neither of you answered your phones. I didn’t leave a message because I
couldn’t have you call me back. My cell phone is plugged in beside the bed and
my house phone has been off the hook for who knows how long and it won’t take a
charge now.”

“Why were you at the vet’s office?”

She showed him in. “Because I was
so stressed that I laid down. I woke up to Ginger standing on my chest
threatening to rip my face off. When did you get home? I stopped on the way
home from the vet’s, but Austin’s truck was still gone. I’ve been frantic
worried about him.”

“Ginger attacked you?”

“No, she just threatened. I don’t
think she meant to bite Austin either. It was the medication they gave her. One
of the rare side effects is aggression accompanied by confusion and
disassociation. I thought she looked kind of out of it, but I couldn’t figure
out why. The meds fucked up her brain. I left her for observation, and all I
can hope now is that she recovers from it.”

Med sighed. “Now we just have to
figure out what to do about Austin.”

“What do you mean?”

“You already know he can be a
stubborn fuck when he gets his brain on something. He is convinced there is no
way this can work. I’ve tried to talk to him, but it’s not helping.”

“So what can we do? Would it help
if I went over there and tried to talk to him myself? He must have noticed my
phone is there.”

She took her phone off the hook and
handed it to Med. “Try it. It just goes dead when you turn it on.”

“I believe you. The problem is that
Austin is stoned and he won’t. He doesn’t handle pain medication well either.
If things go as usual, he will take the medication tonight and then decide he
doesn’t like how it makes him feel. Then he will just take over the counter
stuff and deal with the pain.”

He lowered his brows, and then
raised one as he grinned. “I have an idea that just might work.”

Haley adored the expression. Med
was a sneaky shit when he wanted to be.

* * * *

Austin was lying in the recliner
with his arm propped up on a pillow. It was fucking Christmas Eve, and Med had
already made arrangements to go to his parent’s house. He flicked the channel.
Another damned Christmas show was playing, happy tunes in the background. He
was miserable and in pain. He hated taking prescription medication. It made him
feel stupid and made it hard to think. Did he really want to think now? Not
really. Two days ago he had been looking forward to Christmas. Now he only
wanted it over so he could go back to work and keep himself busy.

The doorbell rang and he glared at
it. Who the fuck was at his door, tonight of all nights? If it was one of those
kids trying to sell shit, Austin was going to ring his neck. He held his arm
up, pushing down the footrest and getting up. The dogs were barking, and he
resisted an urge to yell at them. It wasn’t their fault he was so fucking
depressed.

Walking to the door, he tugged it
open, ready to throw a fit. Haley stood before him in a skimpy little reindeer
costume with antlers on her head. She turned, wiggling her tail at him. It was
all he could do not to smile. He reminded himself he was angry with her and
that she hadn’t called to see how he was doing. There was no way they could
have a future together. She stood, handing him an open box with a paddle in it.
It had a bright red bow tied around the handle.

She must be freezing her ass off.
“Come in,” he said reluctantly. He didn’t want her getting frostbite and all
the heat was going out the open door. “What do you want?”

She dropped down to her knees
before him. “I want to be punished for my mistakes. I want you to give me a
chance to talk to you and tell you what happened. Not necessarily in that
order.”

“Stand up. You’re not my submissive
anymore. Take the damn tail off, it has Med’s signature all over it. Did he put
you up to this?”

“I don’t want you to get mad at
him. I love you. Both of you. Please just hear me out. Things are not as they
seem.”

“Really?” He held up his injured
hand. “Tell me how this is any different than what it is?”

“I can’t change what happened to
you. You just don’t know the rest.”

He was bored shitless anyway. He
might as well sit down and hear her out. She did look adorable in the costume.
Austin gestured to the sofa with his open palm, and she sat down.

Sitting back in the chair, he
stared at her. Sammie jumped up to sit in her lap and then April and Jake sat
to either side of her. The three dogs really liked her. Of course Sammie had
become his through default. He was not about to let Haley take him with a
chance that Ginger would kill him. He was just too sweet of a dog.

“Okay, firstly did you see my
phone? It’s still in your bedroom.”

“I didn’t notice it.”

“Well, it is. I put it on charge
and never took it off. My phone at home has completely shit the bed. It was
left off the hook and now I can’t get it to take a charge. I did try to call
and I stopped here twice yesterday, but you weren’t home yet. Ginger is not
aggressive. It was the pain medication she was given in the vet’s office. She
has been under observation since yesterday morning. She had one more incident
after I dropped her at the vet and none since. Everyone there has been holding
her and going up to her crate with no further incidents. She has been walked
with other dogs and nothing. She’s back to normal Ginger. They are going to
keep her for another day or two just to make sure she doesn’t relapse, but she
wasn’t in her right mind when she attacked you. I don’t even think she meant to
bite you. It was just because you picked her up and hurt her ribs.”

“So what? I’m supposes to trust her
in my house with my dogs? What if it happens again? What if it happens when no
one is home to stop it? What if she bites you next time instead of me?”

A single tear dripped down Haley’s
face. “I will give her up for adoption if I have to. I have already spoken to
Sheltie rescue.” Her eyes watered up with tears and he could see she was
fighting a losing battle not cry. “I have explained the circumstances and they
understand. They will take her if it is a last resort, but their voices were so
filled with condemnation. If that’s what it takes, then I guess that I have no
choice.”

“And you will always resent me for
forcing you to do that.”

“You are not forcing me. I do it
willingly because I love you. I’m willing to become one of the people I always
hated because they did the exact same thing. If that doesn’t prove how much I
love you, nothing will.”

“You would give up Ginger for me?”

“Yes.”

Her bottom lip was quivering as she
swiped at her cheeks. She was a strong woman, but also an emotional one who was
horrible at hiding her true feelings. She was also sitting in a skimpy reindeer
suit with her antlers crooked to one side. She had gotten out of her car and
walked up to the front door with a butt plug tail hanging from her ass. Did she
have a coat in the car or had she driven over as is? “Do you have a coat?”

“Yes, it’s in the backseat.”

“Did you have it on while you were
driving over?”

“No.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “You
walked out of your house like that and drove the car like that? Your tits are
barely covered and your ass is completely naked. What must your neighbors have
thought?”

She pursed her lips in disgust, but
at least she no longer looked like she was going to burst into tears.

“I had my coat draped over my
shoulders. I wanted to make an impression, not end up in jail.”

“Oh, okay.” Austin got up and
headed into the bedroom. Her phone wasn’t on the nightstand and he looked
between it and the bed. It was there, hanging from the outlet. “Haley, come in
here,” he said.

She walked in, her expression
bleak. She looked at the nightstand and her mouth dropped open. “I swear I left
it here. I remember putting it on charg—”

He put his finger to her lips. “It
fell between the bed and the nightstand. I would have to do calisthenics to get
it with my left arm.”

She immediately moved to get it and
then looked at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t have a way to call you. I’m not really
friendly with any of my neighbors, and I have no clue where to find a pay
phone. I called as soon as I got to the vet's office.”

“How did you suddenly come to the
conclusion that there was something wrong with her?”

She sighed. “I had a feeling all
along that something was wrong, but I couldn’t figure out what. After I left
you, I was so completely stressed that I wanted to escape. I lay down for an
hour, thinking that when I got up I would drive over here again. I woke up
because Ginger was standing on me. The minute I opened my eyes she started to
snarl with all her teeth showing. I thought she was going to rip my face off. Fuck,
I was so scared. I think I woke up every half hour last night in a cold sweat.
Either I dreamed that the man broke into my house and raped me, or it was
Ginger biting me in the face. I gave up trying to sleep and got up about five.
Med asked me to wait until tonight because he said you would be easier to talk
to once you stopped talking the pain medication. I thought I would lose my mind
sitting and waiting. I couldn’t even go on the computer because it’s still
here.”