And color me surprised. I had soft skin that did look brighter. No wonder Maddie was addicted to this stuff.
What kind of person orders an array of lipsticks that need a special remover to get them off…?
And doesn’t order said to remover to go with them.
Maddie, that’s who. So now I was sitting here, having had my mouth open while the stuff dried for an unhealthy amount of time, waiting for her to bring her remover back.
Hearing her car pulling up out front, I stayed where I was, sketching something out to send to a client, and waited for her to come in.
When it took longer than usual, I got up and opened the door to find her on her knees in front of Bash, who was panting heavily with his head hanging down.
“Sienna,” her voice shook. “Something’s wrong with him.”
I could see she was right immediately. His muscles looked like they were barely holding him up, and his body was swaying with each panted breath.
Grabbing my phone and keys, I whistled for Mento, who came running with a large bone in his mouth. Opening the back of my car, I let him jump in and then helped Maddie pick Bash up to put him beside his brother.
“Call Jordan for me, Maddie. Tell him what’s wrong and that I’m taking them into July’s practice, okay?”
How I was able to say it as calmly as I did while I drove faster than I’d ever driven before to where the vet’s office was, I don’t know. My heart was racing, and I could feel sweat building on my forehead as I alternated between watching the road and glancing in the rearview mirror at Bash.
Then I noticed Mento had dropped the bone and was doing the same thing. Maybe it was the bone? I’d never bought them one like that and stuck to the ones I could get in the pet store that helped clean their teeth. Maybe they were allergic to it?
Hearing a thud, I almost screamed when I saw that Bash was now on his side.
Pulling up with a screech in front of the building, I got out and ran to the back door, while Maddie ran into the office to scream for help. I knew it happened at hospitals, but I had no idea that people ran out with gurneys and wearing scrubs for animals.
Running behind them, I watched them wheel first Bash then Mento behind the doors marked for staff only. It was heartbreaking, and I couldn’t stop crying as I stared at where they’d disappeared.
“Sienna,” July said quickly. “I need you to tell me what they’ve come into contact with. They’re checking them for bites and stings, but is there anything they could have eaten, even medication, that you can think of?”
Wracking my brain for ideas, I shook my head. “I don’t think so. The workshop’s locked up, so they couldn’t have gotten near any of the paints or stuff in there. I don’t keep anything outside, but we were playing with makeup, so maybe that’s it?”
Chewing her lip, July shook her head. “It’s plausible, but I don’t know what would be in it to cause this kind of reaction.”
“I don’t know anyth— Wait!” I shrieked, running back to the door. “Mento was carrying a bone, and I don’t buy ones like this one. Maybe he’s allergic to it?”
Before she could say anything, I was out the door and running out to my car and grabbing the bone, before sprinting back to pass it to her.
Maddie was crying silently, but when she saw it, she frowned. “Where did that come from? We get the ones for their teeth.”
July’s eyes sharpened as she took it in her gloved hand from me. “I’ll go and get this looked at, but I want you guys to think long and hard where it could have come from. Let Wes and Jinx know about it, too, okay? Maybe Jinx picked it up one day, and if they’re allergic to something in it, we need to do a trace to see if other dogs have had a reaction, too.”
I was about to say something when she ran away from us, back through the double doors the boys had been taken through, just as the front door burst open and Jordan came running in with Wes behind him.
As we were rehashing the story with them, I noticed the look he exchanged with Wes, but I was starting to feel strange. It felt like everything was surreal and my lips felt numb.
“Sienna, baby,” Jordan whispered, pulling me into his chest.
This normally soothing move made me notice how rubbery my limbs were and how off I was. It was a strange feeling, like looking out through your eyes but not being in your body.
“Sienna,” Maddie said sharply, snapping her fingers in front of my face. “What’s wrong with her?”