Dan nods his head.
“Why don’t you head home and get some rest. We’ve got it covered here.”
When the door to the clinic closes, I take the first deep breath I’ve managed in the last three hours, releasing the tension that had been building in my shoulders. As I walk back to the surgical room, I pull my scrub cap off and run my fingers through my hair. What a fucking night. I can’t quite process everything that’s happened. First with Sara, then with Archie. It’s all entirely too much to deal with for one person. I can’t imagine how Sara is feeling right now.
I look over at her while she puts away all the newly cleaned surgical instruments. She was incredible during surgery, anticipating every need before I even voiced it. She would’ve made an extraordinary vet. Makes me wonder about her story. I know she’s a few years younger than me, but I don’t remember her from school. I also didn’t care much about making friends since I was only here for a year before I went to college.
Sara comes over to me when everything is put away. The shadows under her eyes tell me exactly how drained she is from everything that’s happened. I want to pull her into my arms and comfort her, make sure she knows she’s not alone, but I know that would be weird. We don’t have that kind of relationship, even if I’ve spent these past couple of weeks thinking about her in ways I should not be—as both her boss and someone she’s not super fond of.
“Everything okay?” I ask, attempting to wade into discussing the events of tonight.
“I got all the supplies sanitized and put away.”
That didn’t exactly answer my question, but I can understand why she wouldn’t be able to talk about how she’s feeling just yet. “Thanks for doing that. Mom and Dad brought my car over while we were in surgery. Can I take you somewhere?” I had texted my parents on the way to the clinic, letting them know about the accident. Mom had responded a little bit ago saying my car was out front.
“I guess you can drive me home. I don’t have any other option since my car is still at La Mensa.” Sara’s voice hitches.
“Happy to be your last resort,” I tease, attempting to distract her thoughts. I get a small curve in her lips as our part-time tech comes into the clinic to take over monitoring Archie. I do a quick rundown of the surgery, then usher Sara out the door.
I wish I had the magic words to make all this better for her. I can’t imagine what’s going through her head right now. I mean, she was seconds away from being kidnapped. How are you supposed to react to a situation like that? I haven’t quite wrapped my head around being the one who intervened before the bastard could get away with her.
I had just walked out of La Mensa with my food, and I remember looking across the rows of cars and seeing a flailing body being carried across the parking lot. My gut told me something was off about that scene, so I dropped my food on the ground and took off across the pavement. I didn’t know who, but someone was fighting against a monster of a man, and every instinct told me I needed to do something to stop him from getting away.
When I got close, I just reacted. My right arm threw the punch before I even had time to think. I hadn’t yet figured out that Sara was the one being kidnapped before I was throwing a second punch. It allowed her to fall to the ground, which is when I finally recognized who it was.
When I went to pull her behind me, she understandably freaked out, and I guess the attacker took advantage of the moment to run off before I could stop him. I wanted to chase the asshole, but I was worried Sara was hurt. She had her arms wrapped so tightly across her middle that I thought maybe she’d been stabbed or something.
And as pissed as I was that he got away, I’m glad I managed to save Sara. What if I hadn’t been fast enough to stop the guy from taking her? What would have happened if he’d gotten her into the car? I shut those thoughts down before they can continue spiraling.
“We should go to the police station,” I say quietly once we’re in my car.
Sara starts shaking her head. “There’s no reason. I’m fine now. I don’t want to make a fuss.”
“It needs to be reported, Sara.”
“I can’t right now. I’m exhausted. I’ll go after I’ve had some rest.”
“Sara—”
“No. If you won’t take me home, I’ll just walk.” Sara starts to open her door, but I stop her with a hand on her arm.
“Wait, I’ll take you home. I’m sorry for pressuring you.” As much as I disagree with her choices, I don’t want her to be alone. There’s something telling me she needs someone to be there for her tonight, and pushing her past her limit isn’t going to help my efforts.
Sara sits back in the seat, pressing her lips together as she stares out the window. The drive to her house is quiet, only interrupted when she gives me directions to her house.
I pull into the driveway of Sara’s little cottage, and I suddenly have a very big urge to see inside. I want to know everything about this woman. I’ve never met someone so strong, so capable of handling her shit like a warrior. I want to know what made her be this way. If something happened in her life to make her this strong or if it’s just an inherent trait she was born with.
Deciding to push my luck, I get out of the car, following Sara up the sidewalk to the front door. She unlocks the door, leaving it open for me to come in, as well. I guess that’s the green light to know she’s okay with me coming inside.
As I step over the threshold, I watch a hoard of animals swarm Sara’s legs. Koda and Luna are first, their tails wagging fiercely while a three-legged black cat joins the mix, weaving between Sara’s feet.
Sara gives each animal a small greeting, then turns to the tanks on the side of the room, saying hello to a lizard and a hamster I didn’t notice when I walked in.
Koda keeps looking back and forth between me and Sara as if he’s trying to figure out what’s going on. I can understand his confusion. I’ve never come over before, so I’m sure he’s worried about why I’m here. He nudges Sara’s hand again, understanding that something isn’t quite right.
“I’m okay, Koda,” she says quietly. Turning to me, she raises her eyebrows. “You want a drink? I need a drink.”
“Sure.” When I speak, Koda nudges Luna, and they both come toward me, almost warily. Koda is giving me the once-over, and I know if I mess up this greeting, I won’t be welcomed back by Koda. Despite having hung out at the dog park, we’ve never formally met. I’m in his territory now. It deserves a whole different kind of greeting.