This is a continuation of “The Promise.” I just couldn’t let that poor puppy languish in limbo!

A Home for Sam

John sat in the squad stroking the yorkie’s head. Sighing he contemplated the small dog sitting on his lap. Sam was interested in the world outside the squad. She watched the people coming and going from the emergency room, seeming not to miss any one of them.

John was discouraged. He had to find a home for Sam. He had thought he had found one with Edna, but Sam had nipped her. Luckily, that was all she had done. He could not even see a mark on the woman’s finger where she claimed the dog had viciously bitten her. He had thought the lonely woman and Sam would make good company for one another. Sam had apparently thought otherwise. Evidently she did not like Edna. When he had tried to suggest a reconciliation of sorts between the two, the dog had started a low growl each time she got anywhere near Edna. Edna cowered back from her, and insisted that the paramedics take the vicious dog away. The good news was, hopefully, Sam had broken Edna of her habit of calling the paramedics when she became lonely. He doubted Edna would be calling them again, unless it was a real emergency.

But John’s other problem remained. His apartment manager would not allow him to keep Sam there, and he could not keep her at the station. Sam and Boot, the current resident station mascot, got along like water and oil. Captain Stanley had told him he could not bring the dog back with him next shift. And if he did, then he, Cap, would find something to do with the dog. So it looked like he had two choices; take her to a shelter himself or move into a new apartment. He did not like either of those choices anymore now than he had that morning.

“Oh, how cute,” a voice said at his window, startling him. Sam’s tail was waging so hard her whole body soon joined in. Propping her front paws up on the open window, she danced on John’s leg. John looked up and saw a pretty, smiling face. The woman was obviously a nurse, as she wore a nurse’s uniform. John stared at her open mouthed for several moments, as she patted Sam’s head. “Is she yours?” she asked John.

“Um, yeah, umm…” John could not get anymore out because he was so speechless. The woman’s auburn hair and green eyes were barely discernable in the dim light of the emergency entrance. “I don’t believe I know you,” John said, voicing the first clear thought to come into his head.

“No, I don’t think I know you either,” the woman said smiling. “I’m Melody, I just started in the emergency department here two days ago.” John opened the door to the squad and climbed out, holding Sam. Melody reached out and petted Sam’s head again.

“Well then, that would explain it,” John said grinning. Sam tried to wriggle out of John’s arms in an effort to get to Melody, so John handed the dog to her.

“Are you a paramedic?” Melody asked, taking the dog and cooing to her.

“Oh, ah, yeah,” John said, “my name’s John, I’m a paramedic.” Melody smiled and nodded acknowledgement.

“Why do you have your dog with you?” Melody asked.

“Oh, well you see, I have to get rid…um…find her a home.” John said.

“How come?” Melody asked, a pretty little puzzled frown creasing her brow.

“Um,” John dragged his eyes from her and focused on Sam, maybe that would make it easier for him to think. “I can’t keep her. My apartment manager won’t allow it, and I can’t keep her at the station.”

“Oh, why did you get her, then?” Melody asked, puzzled.

“I didn’t, I mean, she was a gift and that’s why I don’t want to just dump her at a shelter.” John said. Watching Melody as she petted and cooed to the dog, an idea began to form. “Um, she seems to like you.”

“And I like her,” Melody said, in a cooing “baby talk” voice that was directed half at the dog, and half at him.

“Well, how would you like to keep her?” John asked, brightly hopeful.

“You mean it? I’d love to have her,” Melody said, smiling, then suddenly she frowned, “but…”

“But?” John’s heart had soared, then plummeted when he heard that word. He had hoped that Melody would take the dog and give him visitation rights, not just for Sam, but for herself as well.

“…but, I can’t take her right now. I’m just going on shift and…”

“That’s okay,” John said before she could finish. “I could keep Sam with me the rest of tonight, and then maybe you could come get her in the morning.” Chet would really be jealous of this one! “You get off at seven, right…”

“Usually, unless we’re busy,” Melody said.

John arranged for her to come to the station in the morning when she got off work.

“Oh, dear, I have to go or I’ll be late!” Melody exclaimed. Thrusting Sam at John, she rushed off toward the emergency entrance, passing Roy on his way to the squad.

Roy and John were on a supply run, and Roy had insisted John stay in the squad with Sam. Now he saw his partner, standing outside the squad, gazing at a retreating woman, and grinning. Roy knew that combination usually boded no good.

“What now?” Roy asked, as he approached the squad with his hands full of supplies. John turned to look at him, seeing his hands were full, opened the bay doors, and began to help him put the supplies in the compartment.

“I think I’ve found a home for Sam,” he said, looking satisfied with himself.

“Oh, really?” Roy was skeptical, having heard that before. “Who?”

“Melody,” John said, sighing with pleasure.

“Melody? Who’s Melody?” Roy asked.

“Just the prettiest, sweetest nurse I’ve ever met,” John answered.

“Oh, no,” Roy said rolling his eyes. The last of the equipment was stowed in the bay and Roy shut the doors. He then went around to the other side of the squad, and got in.

“Don’t you want to hear about it?” John asked, getting in on his side with Sam.

“No, but you’re going to tell me anyway,” Roy murmured, starting the squad. And John did tell him all about it.

+++++

Everyone was in the dayroom, drinking his morning coffee, waiting for shift change. Even Captain Stanley was sitting in a chair next to the table. He chuckled to himself, as he watched Chet baiting John with his usual success.

“She can’t be that pretty, Gage,” Chet was saying, “It was dark…”

“Chet, she’s pretty,” John said, interrupting the other man. “I know a pretty girl when I see one. It could have been dark as pitch, and I would have known she was pretty.”

“There’s got to be something wrong with her,” Chet asserted.

“There is nothing wrong with her!” John replied, hotly.

They continued bantering for several more minutes. By then it was past time for Melody to have come. Chet saw an opportunity, and took it.

“She’s not coming, Gage. If she was ever coming at all,” Chet said, “I’m beginning to think you made her up.”

“I didn’t make her up, Chet,” John said. “You saw her, Roy, I didn’t make her up, did I?”

“No, no you didn’t make her up,” Roy affirmed.

”See!” John said triumphantly.

“Well then, she must of decided she doesn’t want…” Chet began, but was interrupted when Sam stood up on John’s lap, and let out a yip. Everyone heard it then. A car had pulled up in the lot out back and parked. They heard doors slam shut. Both Chet and John jumped up to look out the window.

“See, she’s here,” John said, triumphant again.

“Yeah, but who’s that with her?” Chet asked smugly.

For the first time, John saw the man with Melody. He was at least as tall as Mike, if not taller, and he looked as if his muscles had muscles. Mike hastened to open the door for Melody and her escort, greeting them cordially.

Melody came into the station and smiled when she saw John holding Sam. She was as pretty in the daylight as John had known she would be. John smiled back at her.

“Sorry if I’m a little late, John,” Melody said, “but Mark wanted to come, too.”

“Mark?” John asked, surprised.

“Oh, yes, this is my fiancé, Mark,” Melody said, indicating the man who had followed her into the station. She introduced the two men and they shook hands. John then remembered his manners and introduced the two of them to the rest of the group.

“…and, of course, Sam,” John finished. Sam was wriggling in John’s arms, trying to get to Melody. Taking the dog from John, she cooed to her for a short time before introducing her to Mark.

John was torn. He had hoped that he could get something started with Melody, but now he knew that would be impossible. Though he tried to dislike Mark, he found he could not. Mark’s handshake had been firm, warm, and friendly. His smile, when he took the dog from Melody, was genuine. John was surprised to see such a large man handle the tiny dog in such a loving, gentle manner. What was worse was that Sam seemed to love Mark. Her tail wagged so hard, her whole body wiggled when he cooed to her. When he put his nose to hers, she licked it enthusiastically.

“So, what do you think?” Melody asked Mark.

“I like her, she’s a keeper…” Mark said, then continued cooing to the dog.

“You would never think it, would you?” Melody asked John, laughing at his surprised expression.

“Think what?”

“That he’s a security guard,” Melody said, smiling.

“Well he certainly looks like one,” John said, smiling back. “Even if he doesn’t act like one.” His overriding feeling was one of relief. He knew he had finally found a home for Sam.

After Melody and Mark had left with Sam and her toys, food dish, leash, and food, John turned to Chet.

“See, what did I tell you?” he asked. “There wasn’t a thing wrong with her.”

“Yeah, well, what about Mark? Chet asked.

“There’s nothing wrong with him either,” John averred, “he seemed like a nice enough guy.”

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley,” Chet said.

“Now, Chet….”

Cap chuckled to himself as the two firefighters continued to banter. He was just glad the dog was gone, and that it was time to go home.

The end

Thanks for the beta read, Jane!