It didn't take long for them to arrive at the vet's office. Casey hoped they'd take a sudden walk-in client, as he hadn't thought ahead to call them. With Wyatt in tow, he carried the poor shaking puppy into the brick building and made his way up to the receptionist's desk.

People scattered out across the chairs in the waiting area with their pets. Some had their cats in carriers while some let their older, tired-looking dogs just lounge on the floor at their feet.

Before Casey could explain the situation, Wyatt spoke up for him, standing on his tip-toes in an attempt to glance over the desk. "The puppy's dying! You have to save him!"

A few folks in the waiting area glanced up at them, giving Casey empathetic smiles as they kept their pets close to them. The receptionist gasped at the sight of the little dog he carried in his arms, promising to inform one of the veterinarians in the back.

"I'll be right back. We'll get a room prepared for him soon."

"Thank you," Casey told her.

Soon enough, a vet assistant came out from the back, donned in light blue scrubs with paw prints. She had her long, blonde hair pinned back in a ponytail. On her chest, the little nametag had Everly printed on it.

"You can bring him back here," Everly said. "Just right down this hall."

Wyatt took the lead, following close behind Everly. As he walked, he'd glance back at Casey and the little puppy. Tears glistened in his brown eyes, but he fought them back and put on a brave face. Casey just wanted to hug him and promise everything would be okay. Even when he wasn't sure it would.

"We found him at the park," Casey explained. "Dunno what happened. Might've gotten attacked by something."

"Were there any more puppies around there?" Everly asked.

"No, not that we saw," Casey replied. "Just this guy here."

"Sometimes, we find a stray litter like that, where some other animal came and attacked them. I wonder if this little guy was dumped then since you saw no other puppies or the mamma." Everly examined the puppy he laid on the table.

"Not sure. Something got a hold of his leg. He's got a real bad cut there," Casey pointed out.

"Will he make it?" Wyatt asked.

"Once we get that leg of his patched up and get some water down him, he should be alright. We'll have to see how recovery goes. Taking care of an injured dog can be a lot of work though," Everly warned.

"Oh, we weren't planning on keeping him," Casey told her. "Don't you guys have someplace for him to stay?"

"Daddy, we can't leave him!" Wyatt tugged on his arm. "He has no family! No mamma!"

"Wyatt, taking care of a puppy is a lot of responsibility," Casey explained, his voice growing stern. "We've done what we could to help him. He's in good hands now. Everly here will make sure he's properly taken care of."

"You take care of him?" Wyatt asked, gazing up at Everly with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Sorry." Casey awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "He's really worried about that poor puppy."

"We're gonna do everything we can for him, okay?" Everly assured him, then turned her attention back to Casey. "I'll give you the vet's main phone number. Just in case you'd like to check up on him or change your mind about the puppy."

Casey nodded. "Alright, thank you."

After leaving the vet's office, Casey took Wyatt out for ice cream. Even during the coldest months, he enjoyed it. Ensconced in a booth in the middle section, overlooking the traffic, Casey stuffed a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth.

Wyatt sat beside him, near the window. He'd already eaten half of his ice cream. But even with the cold treat, it didn't brighten up his mood. The sullen look on his face upset Casey, and it made him reconsider everything with the puppy. Casey almost succumbed and let Wyatt keep the puppy right there at the vet's office.

"You okay, buddy? How's the ice cream?"

"Good."

"You sure?" Casey asked.

"I miss the puppy."

Casey sighed. "Yeah, I figured you did. I'll give Everly a call tomorrow morning and see how he's doing, okay?"

Wyatt's face lit up upon hearing that. "I wanna call her."

"Sounds good to me." Casey smiled, relieved to see his son's mood brighten just a bit.

While they ate their ice cream, Casey couldn't stop considering the possibility of keeping the puppy. It would be hard work, but with their family's work schedule, someone would always be home with Wyatt. Whoever it was could help him and Wyatt with the puppy.

Casey just hoped Wyatt wouldn't consider the puppy like a toy and abandoned him whenever he got bored or interested in something else. Perhaps it would be a nice learning experience for him too, taking care of the pet. He'd have to discuss it more with his father and Lani. If they were on board, then they might get a new addition to the family.

Later that night, Casey met his dad in the living room with Lani. He'd already gotten Wyatt down for bed, although it took more than a simple bedtime story to get his restless mind to sleep. All he kept asking about was that poor puppy. He'd wanted Casey to call him before bed, which he had to explain nobody would answer at such a late hour.

"I think you should let him keep the puppy," Mr. Lockhart said. "Considering everything the kid's been through, it might be good for him. Kids can do well with animals too. Remember when your mom and I got Coco for you?"

Casey smiled at the memory. "Yeah, I remember. Used to take her on walks around the neighborhood all the time. She'd been a sweet girl."

"I cried all day when we lost her," Lani said. "Cancer, but she'd already lived a long life."

"Ten years" Mr. Lockhart replied. "Your mom kept telling me to choose a younger dog but when I saw her, I couldn't say no. Old dogs don't get much love in the pound, you know?"

"Before I make a decision, I'll need to call the vet's office tomorrow. Make sure the little guy made it through surgery. They seemed to think he'd survive, but he'll have to wear a cast and he might not be too friendly at first. Probably will be skittish and maybe aggressive if he'd been abused by someone."

"You don't think someone hurt him and dumped him in that park, do you?" Lani asked, face distorted in disgust.

"I'm not sure. Everly mentioned how it's common for people to dump animals around there, especially considering how we didn't find the momma or any other puppies," Casey explained. "My only concern is if we're prepared to have a puppy. Wyatt's already a handful enough."

"Well, if we all pitch in to help, I don't see why it couldn't work. Audrey loves dogs too, so I can get her to help out if we need her too," Lani said.

"I'll help however I can," Mr. Lockhart replied.

"I want Wyatt to know how important this is and not just us taking in a poor puppy for fun. Like, he needs to understand that there's gonna be great responsibilities with this. He can't just abandon the puppy later," Casey explained.

"Wyatt's a smart kid," Lani chimed in. "I'm sure he'll understand."

Mr Lockhart replied, "And I can't see him abandoning the puppy either. Not after listening to him over supper earlier. He really cares about that puppy and wants to make sure it goes to a good home."

"Honestly, I really do want to bring the puppy home. Poor thing was scared to death and starved. I'll be sure to contact the vet's office tomorrow to tell them we'll bring him home when we can."

"You'll have to buy some supplies too," Lani replied. "Dog food, especially. You might wanna ask the vet what would be best for him to eat, considering how you mentioned he was starved. I'm sure they'll be able to tell you everything you should need."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to ask. Tomorrow, Wyatt's gonna be thrilled. I just hope that little puppy pulls through," Casey said.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he will." Mr. Lockhart patted his son on the back. "You ought to get some sleep. Sounds like tomorrow's gonna be a fun day for you."

🧁

Bright and early the next morning, Casey called the vet's office for updates on the puppy. To his relief, everything went well and they'd even gotten the little guy to eat some food for breakfast. Casey informed them that they'd be back soon to pick up the puppy, as they'd decided as a family to keep him.

"Would it be awful for me to wake him up and tell him that we're bringing the puppy home?" Lani asked, smirking.

"Let the kid sleep. I told the vet that we'd be by in an hour anyway," Casey told her. "Gives me time to pick up a few things. I asked about types of food and what all we'd need. Got my list here. I might go ahead and pick the stuff up then come back here for Wyatt so we can get the puppy."

"Sounds like a great idea to me. I'd offer to help, but I promised Dad to cover a shift down at Mad Batter today since you've gotta handle the puppy," Lani explained.

"Oh crap, I forgot all about that." Casey spared a glance at the microwave clock. "You've gotta head out here in a few minutes, dontcha?"

Lani nodded. "Yeah, sorry. Otherwise, I'd help out. We already left Dad all alone that day with the whole Fredia bullshit. I don't wanna do that again. Especially not after I promised to be there. I think Xavier and two others are helping us out today."

"I understand. Go ahead. I'll just have to wait for Wyatt to wake up. If he's not up soon, I'll get his sleepy butt up," Casey told her.

After Lani headed out to Mad Batter, Casey fixed some blueberry muffins for breakfast. The delicious batter wafted in the air as he baked. Soon enough, Wyatt came out of their shared bedroom, barefoot and clad in his Paw Patrol pajamas. He yawned as he made his way over to a dining room chair, rubbing at his tired eyes.

"Morning," Casey greeted him before serving his muffins and sippie cup of milk. "I got a hold of the vet earlier."

Wyatt perked up at that. "Is puppy okay?"

"Yeah, he's doing a bit better. And he's even got a home now," Casey said, failing to hide his grin.

"He does?" Wyatt tilted his head slightly, confusion spreading over his sleepy features.

"With us."

"Really?" Wyatt grinned, eyes widened in excitement. "We can keep him?"

Casey nodded. "Yep, but it's gonna be a big responsibility for ya. You up to that?"

"I can do it!"

"Glad to hear that. Before we head out, we're gonna stop at the store and grab some things for him. I got a list from the vet of everything we'll need for him," Casey explained.

Wyatt nodded, eating the rest of his blueberry muffins with voracious hunger. Crumbs scattered across the table and in his lap, but he didn't seem to mind. With a final sip of milk, he wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve and rose from the table.

"Time to go shopping!" Wyatt announced.

"You gotta change into clothes first," Casey told him, sipping his coffee. "We've still got plenty of time, don't worry."

Casey realized his mistake when his son stripped down to his underwear, tossing his clothes aside on the floor as he hurried down the hallway. It was hard to resist chuckling. Wyatt had more energy than he did that morning. As if the kid would be able to wait another second after learning they'd be keeping the puppy they rescued.

What an adventurous day Casey had ahead of him.

🧁

"He needs this." Wyatt grabbed another chew toy from the bin, tossing it into their buggie. "And this." A dog bowl with colorful bones landed on top of the bag of food.

"Okay, I think we've got him enough toys," Casey told him. "Let's focus on bedding."

Of course, Wyatt had to choose the most expensive doggie bed available. Casey was able to convince him that a cheaper one in a similar shade of blue would work just as well. All that was left for them to find was a leash and collar. It also made Casey realize they'd need to name the puppy soon.

Casey decided he'd let Wyatt come up with the name, hoping nothing too outrageous. Once they checked out their supplies, Casey drove them downtown to the vet's office. Everly promised that the puppy would be waiting for them, although warned him that he'd been a little skittish.

"Remember, try not to startle the puppy," Casey said before heading into the building. "He's still scared from what happened."

"I know, Daddy. I know." Wyatt tugged on his hand, as if it would make him go any quicker down the sidewalk.

Maybe the puppy would be a great addition to their family. Casey couldn't help but wonder what his mom would think, probably worrying about the poor little puppy peeing on the carpet or making other messes in the house. He hoped the puppy wouldn't cause that much trouble.

Inside the vet's office, the nice receptionist greeted them before heading in the back. Wyatt paced around him, glancing at that door with eagerness until Everly and the other woman came out with the little puppy in a carrier.

Wyatt approached Everly, who held the carrier. He peeked inside with wide eyes, smiling as he waved at the little puppy inside. It only whimpered in return. Still scared, just like Everly had told him.

"It's okay, puppy. You have a home now," Wyatt said. "You not have to be sad no more."

Everly chuckled before handing the carrier over to Casey. "Can't say I'm surprised to see you back here. Knew he was right for y'all."

"Yeah, we discussed it and decided we couldn't just abandon the poor guy," Casey replied. "Just got done shopping and picking up supplies for him. The only thing left is naming him. I figured Wyatt would want to do that."

Wyatt glanced over at Casey, a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Woof Woof!"