Chapter 11.3｜Then We Hug
Dr. Wang has encountered such situations before, but no matter how many times, his chest still tightens. As a physician, he must find a balance between rationality and emotion. Some words may sound indifferent when spoken, but they are a responsibility to both dogs and humans.
He first patted "Friday's" head, then said to Yin and Zhiyi, "I need to discuss some of the dog's conditions with you."
Zhiyi and MYin followed Dr. Wang to his office.
"I will temporarily medicate the dog to stabilize its condition," Dr. Wang pulled out a pen from his pocket and continued, "but regarding its future, I hope you will carefully consider it."
Seventeen-year-old Xu Zhiyi, taller than Dr. Wang by half a head, met his gaze calmly and firmly, saying, "Dr. Wang, please tell us directly."
The dog was picked up on the way, and they were students wearing school uniforms. They were not involved in the incident, so many people did not believe that they could solve problems with just enthusiasm and passion.
"I have already mentioned the dog's spinal fracture situation to you before. There is almost no possibility of it standing up again. Further observation is needed to see if it retains the normal appetite of an ordinary dog," Dr. Wang's voice was calm, even a bit icy. "If it continues to eat normally, cannot be cured, and you are not firmly committed to adopting it, I suggest euthanasia."
"NO!" Yin's voice was firm as she spoke, her emotions rising slightly, her hands nervously fidgeting at her sides, her mind filled with the image of 'Friday'. It was so brave, so eager to survive.
A mix of choking sobs and confusion in her tone, Meng Yin asked, 'Dr. Wang, you are a doctor, how can you just...give up on it like this?"
Isn't it said that doctors should have compassion?
"Euthanizing a dog is the least favourite thing for a veterinarian to do. But this is not giving up on life; it is for its own good," Dr Wang withdrew the pen from the table and spoke again, with a weight in his words. "I can see that you have thoughts of adopting it, but the comfort and strength you need to provide far exceed what it can give you. It will require daily care, including disinfecting its living environment and bathing it, day in and day out, which not only is tedious but also demands immense patience."
Meng Yin fell silent, her brows furrowed, her thumbs tightly clasping her index fingers, her gaze dropping to the floor.
She was solely focused on saving "Friday," overlooking the harsh realities in front of her.
"Once you decide, you are responsible for life." Dr Wang's calm tone was now mixed with questioning as he continued, "A dog's lifespan is over a decade, whether it's a healthy or stray dog, it's what every dog owner should commit to. Given your current situation, can you be a hundred per cent sure you will be responsible for it for life?"
He was not only a doctor at this pet hospital but also the owner. In the nearly ten years of running the pet hospital, almost every month, there were dog owners who didn't want to continue treatment for their sick pets or simply didn't want to keep them and left the dog cages at the store entrance. He had thought about rescuing every abandoned dog left at his door, but his financial means and social status could not support such actions. All he could do was try his best to restore the health of every abandoned dog and find them a home that would be with them for life. And if a disease was incurable, he would accompany them to the end, letting them depart for their other home without suffering.
"Would you like to keep it?" Zhiyi turned his head, his gaze falling on Yin's head, then following down to her body.
Yin raised her head at the words, her teary eyes meeting his shimmering eyes, nodding slightly.
"YES."
He didn't inquire further, addressing Dr Wang, "Dr Wang, once we decide, we will take full responsibility for a lifetime. Please trust that we have such capability."
The boy's voice lingered in their ears, always so resolute.
Exiting the pet hospital, it was already half past nine.
Yin tugged at Xuzhi's sleeve and pointed to the school uniform he was carrying in his other hand, "Xu Zhiyi, give me the uniform, I'll take it back and wash it for you."
"Meng Yin," Zhiyi smiled at her, hands clasped in front of him, serious with playful, "So you love washing my clothes so much?"
Yin remembered she had just said those words not long ago.
"Just a school uniform, no need for you to wash it." A familiar response.
Before Yin could fully react, Zhiyi lightly patted her arm, pointing to a parked ride-sharing car at the intersection.
When Yin returned home, a faint aroma of seafood congee lingered in the kitchen.
Upon hearing the door open, Grandpa emerged from the kitchen, saying, "My sweetie you're back," then glancing behind Yin.
Yin looked back, seeing nothing but the door. "Grandpa, what are you looking at?"
"Where's Zhiyi? Didn't he come back with you? He called and said you found a puppy, that you hadn't eaten, ordered takeout to be delivered, and I thought you both came back together."
Yin instinctively reached for her phone to message Zhiyi while there was a new message on the screen from a few minutes ago.
Before she could open it, Grandma pulled her away from the kitchen, complaining to Grandpa about discussing matters after finished eating.
The takeout was placed by Grandma on a tray and reheated. It consisted of a fresh shrimp and scallop congee, a basket of soup dumplings, a stir-fry vegetable dish, and a serving of fried dough sticks. Yin remained silent, sipping the congee while listening to Grandpa and Grandma gossip about the thoughtful nature of Xu Zhiyi and informing them about the situation on Friday.
At the pet hospital, Zhiyi noticing Yin's focus solely on "Friday," worried that returning home after the hospital visit would be too late for dinner. He ordered some food to be sent back home, called to explain the situation, to prevent the elderly couple from worrying. Upon hearing about Friday, Grandpa pondered briefly and said, "For stray dogs, the shelter is usually their final destination. Inside, they may face bullying from humans and other dogs, possibly reverting back to being strays. Stray dogs may lose their lives due to illness, external forces, or accidents, but starvation should not be the cause."
Starvation is a cruel fate for any living being.
Upon encountering Xiuze at the entrance of Xu Zhiyi's home, the former inquired about the pungent odour emanating from the latter, expressed his disappointment while teasingZhiyi about his choice of fragrance.
"Rescued a stray dog and taken it to the veterinary clinic." Zhiyi threw the dirty school uniform in his hand onto Xiuze's head, then opened the door and walked into the yard. "Why are you not going home when you have a home? Sitting at my doorstep?"
"The two old men were debating passionately, and I wanted to hide here to avoid being accidentally hurt. I didn't expect you hadn't returned yet," Xiuze said as he took off the 'Friday' uniform wrapped around and followed him. "Bro, I have dedicated the time I usually spend coming home after school to you and Yin. Can you two be a bit more considerate?"
Knowing that Zhiyi was a day student and only returned home after sending Yin back every day, Xing Xiuze, considering his brother's love for her, selflessly gave up the time spent playing games with him for Yin.
"I don't know," Zhiyi said as he ran upstairs after changing shoes. "I'm going to take a shower."
Xiuze felt a little melancholic as he took a puff from an imaginary cigarette. Why didn't his Bro have germophobia when he rescued the stray dog?
Before going to bed, Yin finally found the opportunity to check her messages. The message from Xu Zhiyi was short and sweet, simply stating, "Ordered some takeout for you, remember to have dinner."
Meng Yin enjoyed the congee and felt satisfied. She messaged back, "Don't forget to eat as well. Today, I applaud you!"
Xu Zhiyi, eating the noodles Nanny Dong cooked for him, smiled and snapped a picture of the bowl to send over. He replied, "Today, I applaud you as well."
Over the weekend, Yin took her grandparents to the pet hospital to see "Friday." The elderly couple adored "Friday" and were deeply concerned about him. That night, Yin received an email titled "All about Friday" from Xu Zhiyi. The email was short, containing only a compressed file. Inside the compressed file were various manuals and guidelines on adopting stray dogs, with key points clearly highlighted.
Yin scrolled through the contents, she was amazed by Zhiyi's thoughtfulness and attention to detail. She had always known he was considerate, but this level of care surprised her and opened up another possibility in her mind.
Yin grabbed her phone, feeling a bit ashamed of her oversight. Why hadn't she thought of this issue before?
She typed and deleted in the chat box, editing her words repeatedly before finally opting for a voice call.
"What's wrong?" This was the first thing Xu Zhiyi said. He had been staring at the WeChat interface, which kept showing "typing...". Before Meng Yin could finish typing, he received a call from her.
"I was looking at the email you sent," Yin said, "I was wondering if you also have thoughts about adopting 'Friday'?"
Before seeing his email, her mind was focused on 'Friday', overlooking whether Xu Zhiyi, who once said to Dr Wang "Once chosen, responsible for life", also had thoughts about adopting 'Friday'.
Mentioning the email, Zhiyi guessed Yin's hesitation.
"No matter what, 'Friday' was saved by both of us. I can also be considered half of its family. Doing something for family isn't excessive, right?" A light laughter caused Yin's heart to skip a beat, Zhiyi said, "When you go abroad in the future, I will take care of 'Friday' and wait for her mother to come back."
Zhiyi's tone remained unchanged, but the atmosphere in Yin's room became slightly ambiguous, causing her ears to turn slightly red.
"Then you'll be its godfather," Yin said boldly.
"Yes, I'll be its godfather." Zhiyi didn't let this unclear ambiguity linger for too long, casually and naturally changing the subject.