NOW WILL YA LEAVE ME ALONE? part 16

NOW WILL YA LEAVE ME ALONE? Part sixteen

Max

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Looking lost and scared and almost in tears, Tommy said, “It’s Max. He’s been hit by a car. He ain’t breathin’ right and he’s makin’ wheezin’ noises when he does breathe. He can’t walk. I think his leg’s broke. Please, help me. Please help him! Please!” His voice sounded more frightened with every word as he grabbed Dr. Morgan’s arm in desperation.

Mary Ellen sat down next to her friend. “How did it happen? He’ll be all right, won’t he? He just has to be!” Not waiting for Tommy to answer, she looked at her father and said, “Daddy, you will go and help, won’t you?

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Dr. Morgan looked at the faces of his wife, daughter, and then Tommy.

He started to say, “I’m a people doctor, not an animal doctor. I’m not sure I would even know where to begin to ..”

Tommy’s near hysterical outburst cut his words short. “But, Dr. Morgan. I KNOW ya can help him. Yer a great doctor. Ya took care o’ me when I was sick. Ya made me better. I KNOW ya can do it. Please? Please try?”

“Hold on, son,” Dr. Morgan replied soothingly as he placed a gentle hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “You didn’t let me finish. I was about to say that I’ll go with you and see what I can do for you. In the meantime, Mrs. Morgan will call my friend, Dr. Sutherland. He IS a veterinarian. Give her your address while I get my coat and bag.”

Dr. Sutherland arrived at Tommy’s apartment seconds after Dr. Morgan and his family, and Tommy. Introductions were hurriedly made, and Uncle Jimmy said, even though he now had a house filled with unexpected company, “Nice ta meet all o’ ya. I know yer in a rush, so please, just go ahead and help the poor little mutt. In the meantime, I’ll put on some coffee.

Drs. Morgan and Sutherland said their quick hellos, shook Jimmy’s hand and walked to where Max lay whining.

Although Jimmy was worried about his nephew, he turned his attention to Mary Ellen and her mother.

Placing his hand affectionately on the top of her head, Jimmy said, “Hello, Mel,” then bent down to kiss her forehead. She responded with, “Hello, Uncle Jimmy. This is my mom.” But she never took her eyes off Max.

Jimmy offered his hand to Mrs. Morgan as he said hello.

“Mr. – oh dear. Now I know how Tommy felt the first day he rang my doorbell. I don’t know your name,” Mrs. Morgan said as she looked somewhat embarrassed.

“Jimmy Raake. But please call me Jimmy. Or Jim. Pleased ta meet ya, Mrs. Morgan. It’s nice ta finally meet the mother of Tom’s friend. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”

Looking around at his poor home, he quickly apologized. “Try ta ignore the mess, Ma’am. We weren’t expectin’ no one. This thing that happened took us by surprise.”

Mrs. Morgan smiled as she shook Jimmy’s hand and said, “You don’t have to apologize, Jimmy. You haven’t seen my house after Mary Ellen gets home from school. It’s like an obstacle course. Mary Ellen’s told me so much about you. She loves coming here and she’s telling everyone she has a new uncle.”

Jimmy’s eyes glowed with warmth.

Mrs. Morgan said almost apologetically, but with a degree of eagerness, “I made a cake for tonight’s dessert. Hope you don’t mind or think I’m being pushy because I brought it along. I just figured there’s no point in having it sit on the kitchen table.”

Jimmy’s smile grew as he took the cake and said with utmost gratitude, “Well, Mrs. Morgan, that’s real nice o’ ya. We can have it with coffee. I’ll get the cups and plates.”

“And, Jimmy? Please call me Liz.” Jimmy thought her smile was radiant.

“Ah, Elizabeth! A beautiful name! It was my mother’s, also.” He smiled again as his mind brought back pleasant memories of long ago.

After Jimmy set the table, while the coffee was brewing, Mrs. Morgan and Jimmy sat and while getting to know each other, watched the doctors treat their patients.

Across the room, Dr. Sutherland asked, “Tommy, how did the accident happen?”

Tommy still shivered as he spoke, “I worked taday so I couldn’t get Max out for his exercise like I usually do on Saturday mornin’. It was rainin’ when I got home so I just took him for his last walk before suppa. We started crossin’ the street ta come home when this car just came barrelin’ down the road outta nowhere. It was goin’ so fast.”

Tommy’s voice cracked with spontaneous emotion, yet he tried to control shivers he felt run through him. He felt helpless when he looked at Max. Wincing as he tried to breathe, he continued, “Max and me ran. The driver musta seen us too late. When Max heard the brakes screechin’, he jumped in front o’ me makin’ me trip over him and fall on the sidewalk. It was almost like he tripped me on purpose ta get me outta the way fasta. At least, that’s the way I felt. When the driver hit the brakes, the car skidded and spun around. It spun around so fast. But it hit us anyway.”

Tommy wiped the beginning of controlled tears from his face and looked back at Max again. “It coulda been worse. The back o’ the car hit us as it swung around. I stood and Max and me got knocked ta the ground but after Max tripped me, when I fell forward, I blocked Max’s way and then he had no place ta run. He got the worst of it. The car threw him a few feet away from me.”

Tommy paused to catch the sob working its way to the back of his throat. “He couldn’t move. He just lay there, breathin’ funny and whinin’. He couldn’t move. He just lay there. He ..” Tommy stopped, looked down at his beloved dog and biting his bottom lip, couldn’t continue.

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Thank you for reading Now Will Ya Leave Me Alone? I’m working on another segment. Please stay tuned to see what else might happen to Tommy and Mary Ellen.