Done With Dogs

I don't know how long the darkness remained, but when I finally got my eyes to open I was in the hospital. An oxygen tube was up my nose and hissed every once in a while when the oxygen was released. Several machines beeped above my head and I could feel several patches attaching wires to my chest. My wrist ached where the IV needle was inserted. Sunlight came through the blinds and I took a deep breath. I shifted slightly and felt tubes between my legs. Just what I wanted.

Several hours passed and I stared at the ceiling. I hadn't been able to find the button to page a nurse, nor could I see out into the hall. Booted steps soon came down the hall and entered the room. Turning, I looked at Brandt. He was still human.

"I owe you one, Carolynn."

"You owe me nothing, crazy mutt," I laughed.

He chuckled, but then got a serious look on his face.

"Carolynn, I wanted to thank you for helping me break my curse and… for helping me remember who I was."

I nodded. "Not something I plan on repeating again, so you'd better stay out of the pound."

"You have my word."

A gentle silence filled the room.

"Brandt, how long have I been out?"

"A day. We weren't sure how soon you would be awake, if ever, since it took us a while to get you breathing again."

"Okay."

"I'm sorry about everything."

"It's what I get for being obsessed about dogs."

Brandt looked at the floor.

"Now don't start that again. That's exactly what brought the curse to you in the first place."

His head came up slowly. "That may be true, but I'll never regret that the curse brought me to you."

I nodded.

He set a thick envelope on the side table. "Thank you again, Carolynn. Good luck."

"Same for you, Brandt."

He left my room that day and I never saw him again.

When I got back to my apartment, everything was as I had left it. I called my place of employment and I still had my job. So back to the same routine again, but on my days off I didn't visit any of the pet shops. No, I went to parks and read instead. When it got cold out, I would sit in a quiet corner of the library. No more dogs for me—especially ones who were actually cursed men.