Defending Hayden (Second Chances #7)(47)

I held my breath and stood there, not comprehending what he was telling me. How the hell could that be true? I’d just checked on her that morning, and she was fine. “I don’t understand,” I snapped defensively. “She was doing great this morning.”

“I don’t know,” he murmured sadly. “Lady wasn’t exactly a young pup to begin with. Operating on an animal her age was a risk.”

My eyes burned, but I had to hold it together. “Mrs. Jenkins is going to be coming here this afternoon thinking Lady is alive and well. What the hell am I going to say to her?”

He placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “Mrs. Jenkins is a good friend of mine. She’ll just have to understand that the surgery was a risk and that complications happen. I can tell her if you want.”

Lady was more than a dog to Mrs. Jenkins. I shook my head, dreading the moment when Mrs. Jenkins walked through the door. “Lady was my patient, so I’ll handle it. Where is she?”

Amanda nodded toward the back. “I wrapped her up in a blanket and put her in a box. I didn’t want to leave her in the kennel.”

“Thanks, Amanda.” I started toward my office, my throat tightening with each step. I’d never lost a patient like that. Lady was an old dog, but I’d been confident I could save her. The thought of having to tell Mrs. Jenkins made my heart ache. I wished I could go ahead and get it over with, but I had to wait until she showed up.

For the next couple of hours, I got through my appointments without breaking down. Once I had a free moment, I retreated to my office and pulled out my phone. I wanted to call Derek to get his moral support, but I didn’t have time. The moment I’d been dreading had finally arrived.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Amanda stuck her in. “Dr. Hunter?”

Taking a deep breath, I blew it out and looked at her. “She’s here, isn’t she?”

Amanda nodded. “Do you want me to seat her in an exam room?”

I shook my head. “Bring her in here, please. I’m sure she’ll want to take Lady home and bury her.”

“All right, I’ll bring her back.”

As much as it killed me, I put on a strong face and waited for Mrs. Jenkins to walk through the door. When she did, she had the biggest smile on her face. However, it didn’t last long when she saw me.

“Hi, Mrs. Jenkins.” I pointed to the seat across from me. “Do you mind sitting down for me?” She did as I said while Amanda shut the door and stayed in the room.

Brows furrowed, Mrs. Jenkins glanced back and forth at us. “Is there something wrong?” she questioned.

Releasing a heavy sigh, I nodded. “After I talked to you this morning, Lady took a turn for the worse. When I—”

She held up her hand, stopping me. “Where is she? I don’t want the details, I just want to know where she is.”

I swallowed hard. “She didn’t make it, Mrs. Jenkins. My nurse had gone to check on her and found her shaking violently. Shortly after that, there was nothing we could do.”

Tears fell down her cheeks, but she wasn’t sad—she was angry. “And where were you during all of this, huh?”

“I wasn’t in the clinic, Mrs. Jenkins. And even if I had been, there’s nothing that could’ve been done.”

“Then why did you lie and say she was doing well?” she shouted, jumping to her feet.

I got up slowly and held out my hands. “I didn’t lie to you. When I checked on Lady this morning, she was up and moving around. She gave no indication that she was in distress.”

Her hands started to shake, and I was afraid the old woman was going to attack me, but Wilford rushed into my office. He put his arm around her and she instantly calmed. “Myra, these things happen. You can’t blame Lady’s death on Dr. Hunter. I’m so sorry for your loss, but we did everything we could do.”

She broke down and fell into his arms. “I just want her back. Can I take her home?”

“Of course,” he murmured. Amanda hurried out and came back with the closed box. Wilford escorted Mrs. Jenkins out and Amanda followed. I had never felt so horrible in my life. Would I have been able to help Lady if I’d been there? I’ll never know.

A few minutes passed before Wilford entered my office again. “I am so sorry about that. She’s gone now.”

I ran my hands over my face. “I was afraid she was going to attack me.”

He snorted. “She probably was. Lady was her life.”

“I know. It’s what makes this harder to stomach.”

He patted me on the shoulder. “You don’t have any more appointments today, do you?”

I looked down at my schedule and shook my head. “No, I’m done.”

“Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off to breathe? We all need a break every now and again.”

“You don’t mind?” I asked sadly.

“Not at all. Just promise me this won’t wear you down.”

“I promise,” I lied. I felt like a failure, letting Lady and Mrs. Jenkins down.

I left the office as fast as I could and rushed home to change clothes and grab Patch. I was ready to see Derek. When I pulled up at his house, he was outside with Bear, playing fetch. He saw me pull in and started toward me, then stopped when he saw my face. Patch was fighting for me to let him go, so I put him on the ground to play with Bear.