The Vet

Today I had to take my dog Gypsy to the vet for her annual check up. I arrived early so that I could beat the crowds and sign in first. There is nothing worse then sitting in a waiting room full of people and their pets, while my dog barks and causes trouble at every move and sound that is made.

Shortly after I settled into the waiting room three more people arrived with their pets. The first was a lady with a very cute and hyper long haired dachshund. She was a very nice lady who kept asking me all kinds of questions about Gypsy, also being a dachshund, while her little dog kept running all over the waiting room trying to get Gypsy’s attention. The entire time I kept Gypsy in my hands to prevent her from attacking the dog. Gypsy did not find that little dog cute at all. She kept looking up at me and telling me that she really wanted to get down so she could beat that dog up and show him who really was the cutest one here.

The second person to arrive was a very quiet young lady with a dog that was just a big white ball of hair. She sat quietly in the far corner of the room holding her dog in her lap. Her dog must have been suffering from some type of allergy, because it just constantly made this snorting and sniffling sound that I could hear all the way over on my side of the room.

The third person to arrive was an elderly lady with great big bushy red and gray hair sticking out all over her head. Her hair was held back from her face by these large plastic 1960’s looking framed glasses. When she entered she made a big entrance that got everyone’s attention. In one hand she held a cane and the other a small pet carrier that held a sick cat. With out a free hand she had some trouble getting in the door and banged herself, the cat, and the cane around in making her entrance.

After talking with the ladies at the counter for some time, the red haired lady sat down just across from me and placed her cat, still in its carrier, to her side. She never really spoke to me but looked up often and smiled.

As I sat in my chair struggling to keep Gypsy under control and trying to prevent her from attacking the hyper little dachshund, the red haired lady began to laugh at me. There I sat saying over and over, “Gypsy behave, and be a good girl!” The red haired lady continued to laugh and at one point called out, “Gypsy get him, get him Gypsy.” I looked up and smiled but secretly was thinking that this was great, all I needed was some one to encourage Gypsy’s bad behavior.

A short time later the doctor came out and spoke to the red haired lady. I over heard him tell her that there was nothing more he could do for her cat and that it was his time to go. It would seem that over the last week she had made several trips to the vet to try to get her cat healthy, but he was old and very sick. The red haired lady looked up at the doctor and shook her head and said, “Yes it is his time.” The Doctor asked if she would like to come back to the room with her cat. She declined and said she could not handle that. She handed over her cat to the doctor and watched him leave the room. She sat very quite and poised for a few seconds and then broke down in tears as she buried her face into her hands.

All went quiet and still in that waiting room. You could hear every heart, pet and human, break at that very moment. After a few seconds the red haired lady stood up and straightened her dress. She removed her glasses from the top of her head and her hair went flying all over the place. Glancing over at me one last time, she smiled and then left the room.

I looked over at the two other people in the waiting room and saw them sobbing from this sad moment. I hugged Gypsy tight and kissed her on her head as I glanced out the window and saw the red haired lady drive off. At that very moment the veterinarian assistant called my name to come back. As I walked over, I wiped the tears from my face and said to the veterinarian assistant, “You have perfect timing.”