When she brought it up to the head physician, he stared at her in disbelief. “You know the regulations.” Then, after a long breath, his expression shifted. “But… if this is truly his final request, maybe we make an exception.”
Two hours later, a thin bark echoed down the hallway. Nurses stopped what they were doing. A skinny dog with a frost-gray muzzle appeared at the doorway, tail flicking as he searched the room until his eyes found the man.
“My boy,” the man whispered, sliding trembling fingers through the familiar fur. “You came.”
Ritchie pressed his head against the man’s chest, matching his breaths to the fading rhythm beneath his ear. Tears tracked down the man’s cheeks as he stroked him gently. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I know I wasn’t always enough. But thank you… for staying with me.”
The dog whimpered softly, as if answering, “You were.”
The nurse slipped away, giving them the moment they needed. For the first time in days, the man’s face relaxed.
Continue reading…
