Sometimes he just wants a hug!

I entered another contest. This one was brought to my attention by my dog loving aunt. 2000k words or less, send in a fictional dog story; no talking dogs please (and I'm assuming this also means no super powers!)! bummer.

What do you think?

Blessings come in all shapes and sizes… and species….

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Jamie was trying very hard not to let the noise get to him.

He knew he needed to be extra good today.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Jamie bit the inside of his cheek to keep quiet. He tried

the breathing exercise his mother had suggested to help

him concentrate. In. Out. In. Out. In-

Tap. Tap. Tap.

“WOULD YOU STOP THAT ALREADY?!?”

Jamie gasped.

All eyes landed on Kelly. Her face red and her hands

clenched tight, she was the one who had jumped up

and yelled.

Jamie was relieved. At least he wasn’t in trouble.

He’d still get his treat.

Kelly, realizing what she’d just done, immediately

covered her mouth in her horror.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled through her palms. “I’m

so sorry!”

“Are you trying to kill him?” Bridget mumbled.

Alex, who had stopped tapping at his cousin’s

outburst, just smiled politely.

“Nah, it’s cool. I didn’t even notice I was doing it.”

He laughed weakly and put the pencil down after

filling in one last answer.

“But are you okay?” Kelly asked carefully. “Or did

I make it worse?”

The bedroom was silent as everyone waited for the

answer.

“Guys,” Alex sighed exasperatedly. “I told you;

I’m not that bad! I’m not a bubble, and I won’t

pop at the slightest outburst. Geez! Relax a little.”

He rolled his eyes.

Kelly was only convinced because he chastised

them. If he wasn’t, he would’ve waved a hand

and looked out the window. That was his tell.

She sat back down. “’Kay. Just stop with the

pencil thing,” she tried to make it a joke. “It’s

sooo annoying.” She managed a wry smile

for the invalid.

Alex reached behind his head to scratch his neck.

“Yeah,” he said sheepishly. “Sorry again.”

The bedroom door opened.

“Is everything alright?” Mom asked carefully. “I

thought I heard a commotion.” Her eyes landed

on Jamie.

Jamie fidgeted a bit. “I didn’t do it,” he said

immediately.

Mom frowned. “Uh-huh.”

“No really, Aunt Sarah. Jamie didn’t do anything,”

Alex promised.

“It was Kelly,” Bridget blabbed on her twin easily.

She owed her for taking the top she wanted to wear

today without her permission.

Kelly glared at her. Bridget didn’t mind; they were

even now.

Mom’s eyes finished the once-over on Alex.

“Well okay then,” she said slowly. She entered the

room with the tray she had been holding.

“I thought the study group would like a snack,” she

said with a big smile.

Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches, celery sticks,

and apple slices filled it. There were even four

glasses of milk; it wasn’t a snack, it was a mid-afternoon

feast!

“I was thinking,” Mom said as she passed everything

out. “After this, would you like to move outside for a

bit?” Her eyes watched Alex for any signs of fatigue;

just in case.

“That would be great, Aunt Sarah,” he said eagerly.

“Can we go to the pond?” Jamie spoke up.

“Yes Jamie,” Mom promised. “I even have a bag of

stale bread ready; just like I promised.” She smiled

at her youngest son warmly.

“Yes!” Jamie exclaimed. His arm and elbow tucked

in his victory.

The feast was over in record time and Alex even ate

a few more things than expected. Mom returned

with his wheel chair before the last apple slice was

finished.

It was immediately scarfed down by Kelly, who

had snatched it before Bridget-only after she saw

her twin going for it. Tongues were exchanged with

narrowed eyes.

The procession to the pond at the edge of the property

was a lengthy one as mom had to push her adopted

nephew over the rough grassy terrain to get there.

The other three were dancing around-running, screaming,

doing cartwheels; simply feeling great about being

outdoors after the three hour homework session

they’d just finished.

Alex hadn’t seen the backyard since he’d returned

from the hospital three weeks ago. Now he was

watching the bright blue sky, interesting wildlife, and

funny cousins with wide excited eyes. His nose tickled

with the sweet smelling scents of the flower garden,

and the tart, but pleasant smell of the nearby citrus trees.

“We put a bench in while you were away,” Mom says

with enthusiasm.

“We were hoping you’d get to use it before it got

visited by the birds.”

Alex grinned. Those ducks would poop anywhere!

Jamie reached it first.

“Its safe!” he declared for everyone who hadn’t run

ahead with him. “No yuckiness!” He grinned, quite

pleased with himself.

Alex was carefully placed on the bench, his blankets

tucked just right in case any particular ‘light’ breeze

was too much. Mom wasn’t taking any chances.

Jamie grabbed the bread from the back of the chair

with excitement and, after thoughtfully depositing a

few slices in Alex’s lap, ran off around the pond,

flinging bits and pieces on his merry way.

“Mo-om,” Kelly complained, “Jamie’s not sharing!”

Mom sat down next to Alex. “Are you sure you

deserve to pass out bread?” she commented quietly.

Kelly's angry outburst earlier wasn't the

first time she had been in trouble today.

Kelly flushed, but didn’t answer back. She turned

around and ran off after her brother instead.

Mom grinned. She hoped her daughter caught her

son anyway.

Kelly did, and was immediately handed a single slice

of bread. Mom tried not to laugh at her sour expression.

That wouldn’t be very motherly of her.

Bridget was sitting on the grass.

“You brought a book,” Mom said, not really surprised.

“Kendra almost figured it out,” Bridget said excitedly.

“It’s a beautiful day, sweetheart. Maybe Sean and

Kendra can take a little break? Maybe for you to

lap the pond a few times? Please?” Mom pleaded

with a knowing grin.

“Okay,” Bridget consented unwillingly. She bookmarked

her page and laid it on the chair. Then she stood up and

raced off for the required laps, determined to get back

to her book as fast as possible.

Mom watched a goose saunter up to Alex’s bread

crumbs. He’d already scattered several.

“Look, Aunt Sarah!” he whispered excitedly.

“Wow!” she breathed back. It was the largest goose

she’d seen, and almost perfectly snow-white in coloring.

“I bet he would taste yummy for dinner,” she teased her

new son with some country humor.

“Awww! Aunt Sarah!” he whined. “Gross!”

Mom ruffled his hair. He was going to be just fine once

this remission was confirmed, she thought for the

thousandth time. This place was perfect with all the fresh

air, but she worried being so far from the hospital.

Mom decided it was too quiet and looked up to find the

other three. Not a single child was around the pond.

Not even the anxious Bridget.

“Alex, will you be okay if I take a small walk?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “I promise not to let any geese

eat me," he said sarcastically.

Mom set off with a grin.

After circling the small pond, she heard something just

inside the treeline. She sighed in her relief. She had

found them.

Walking into the forest that bordered the property,

Mom found all three of her children suspiciously huddled

together.

“Oh, no,” she said as soon as she saw the subject of

their disappearance. “You know how Dad doesn’t like

those things.”

“Awww mom! Please?” Jamie begged.

“We’ll take good care of him, and-”

“-Make sure he gets walked all the time,” Bridget

promised in tandem with Kelly.

“But where will he sleep?” Mom started with the

obvious questions. “And what if he’s not house-trained?”

“We can train him easy!” Bridget said. “I just read a

book on how a girl did it in forty-eight hours!”

Heaven forbid I argue with a book, Mom thought with

a small smile. She always was a softee.

“Yes!” Jamie celebrated prematurely. Mom thought

it too cute how he could read her so well.

Just then the dog took off barking insanely. The kids

hopped up and scrambled after him screaming and

laughing with giddiness. Mom turned and trotted after

them.

Mom’s heart stopped once she cleared the trees.

The bench was empty.

In full sprint now, she passed all three children in record

time.

“Alex,” she gasped once she reached his side. She turned

him over. “Alex, are you okay? Can you hear me? Blink

twice for yes.”

Alex blinked once. “I’m… okay,” he managed, and

blinked a second time for her. “Just… got really… tired…

and… fell off?” He grinned in weak amusement up at

her.

Mom sighed in relief for the second time that afternoon.

She gathered him up in her arms and started for the

house, forgetting the chair. She had called... the doctor had said that it

would be alright… she didn’t understand how this

could happen!

“The dog helped,” Kelly spoke in a whisper. “He knew

and he helped us.”

“He’s a superhero,” Jamie added wisely.

“But will that be enough?” Bridget wondered aloud

for them.

There was no answer, but the dog wasn’t turned away

when they all started filing in the house.

He’s worse. Mom repeated the doctor’s prognosis

in her head for the hundredth time: The cancer had

reached his lungs, the chemo hadn’t helped. He was

going to die.

The kids had been put to bed, and she was watching

her sleeping nephew with pained anxiety. She was grateful

they were able to bring the hospital home this time. Support

machines surrounded him.

Just then the dog sauntered in. He had been bathed

and his collar polished. Calls had been placed on the

corresponding answering machine shortly after. The

owners were sure to pick up such a beautifully cared for

dog. Mom knew he was a Labrador Retriever. Black in

coloring, he matched the kind she’d had when she was

young.

The dog walked right up to the boy’s bed and put his

nose on the edge.

He whimpered a bit.

Mom would have smiled if she wasn’t so upset.

“Thank you,” she said to him. She rubbed behind his

ears. “I guess you can stay until-” mom broke off as

the next sob engulfed her throat. Meaning ‘until…

your owners show up’ had gotten mixed up

with the thought of her son’s future. She cried for a

long time.

When she stopped, she looked back at the dog. He

was still whimpering.

“You need a name,” she decided. The kids were

already in bed, but-

“How about… Zachary,” said a weak voice from the

pillow.

Mom’s eyes flew. “Alex?”

There was silence for a long moment, with only the

dog’s whimpering filling it.

“I’m fine,” came back the hesitant reply. “It’s really…

hard… to breathe.”

“You’re hooked up to the machine,” mom said, quickly

checking the wiring.

The dog made a louder noise and his nose pushed at

something on the bed.

The line was not connected there.

“Good Dog!” mom said as she got out the rubbing

alcohol to swab it and then put it back together.

“Goooood dog!”

Alex took a long, assisted breath. “Much better,” he

sighed.

“That’s twice, you know,” mom said. “He’s helped

you twice now.”

Alex looked at the dog.

“Thank you Zachary,” he said with wonderful politeness.

Zachary barked once and licked the boy’s hand. Alex

laughed weakly. Color filled his cheeks. He looked

like it was the best present in the world to get covered

in dog slobber.

The days following were long and hard on the family,

but whenever Zachary made Alex laugh there was hope.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months,

and finally Alex was ready for chemo again. This was

amazing to everyone who had heard the doctor’s

prognosis. Surely the boy playing tug-o-war with the dog

out back was not the same one wheeled across the

grass so long ago. Mom knows he wouldn’t be without

the help of that dog beside him. She very firmly believes

that it was God that sent him to them, especially after

learning that Zachary’s previous owners had died in a car

crash the day before he showed up. That canine was

their hero; and now, with a ‘proper’ name, a beloved

member of this patchwork family.

Do you think this will win? I won't know until spring sometime, from what I can tell. Is it good enough?

...................