sixteen

I let the paramedics in and rushed them to where DeDee was. After answering what few questions I could, I stepped back and let them do their job. I only interrupted them once, asking, “Is she going to be okay?”

One of the paramedics, a burly blonde with a tattoo peeking out from under his white sleeve, glanced over his shoulder at me. “Hard to say,” he said, not unkindly. “She’s in pretty bad shape. It’s lucky that you found her when you did. A little while longer, and I don’t think there’d be much hope. But she’s in good hands now. We’ll do what we can.”

I nodded and walked out into the hallway, just as Nigel brought Skippy downstairs. Seeing me, Skippy repeated the ebullient greeting he had given Nigel. His paws draped over my shoulders, he whined and licked my face with an enthusiasm I didn’t try to temper. “Where was he?” I asked Nigel as I happily pressed my face against the dense fur on Skippy’s neck.

“DeDee must have put him up in our bedroom,” he answered. “Speaking of which, I suggest you stay out of there if you want to keep your current benevolent mindset about Himself.”

I glanced up at Nigel. “Why? What did he do?”

Nigel sighed and scratched Skippy behind his ear. “Well, do you remember our curtains?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Because that’s the only place they exits now; in our memories. Same thing goes for the carpet in front of the door. Oh, and while we’re on the subject, the door,” Nigel added with a shake of his head.

I ran my hands over Skippy to make sure he wasn’t hurt. As I did, he covered my face with slobbery kisses and whined as if to apologize. “Poor baby,” I said. “It’s okay, Skippy. You were trying to get out to help DeDee, weren’t you?” I asked.

Skippy gave a short bark, his soft brown eyes staring intently into mine. There are times when I think Skippy is more intelligent than the majority of our population. And then there are times like now, when I know he is.

The paramedics rolled DeDee out on a gurney. She lay still and unconscious. What little of her face I could see from beneath the gauze bandages looked suddenly smaller and older. I gently pushed Skippy off of me and asked, “Which hospital are your taking her to?”

“Cedars-Sinai,” said the blonde paramedic rapidly as he continued to monitor her vital signs. “Once you’re finished with the police, you can see her there.”

I nodded, my throat tightening at the sight of DeDee’s battered face. Now that the paramedics had her, all of my earlier adrenaline vanished. Exhaustion now seeped through my body. Tears pricked the back of my eyes. Nigel wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “She’s going to be fine,” he murmured softly as he pressed his face into my hair. “DeDee’s a fighter.” I turned into his chest as he pulled me into his arms and hoped to hell he was right.