"Oh, Malcolm, I'm just worried sick about him! He's not eating or anything!"

I stand by the window. The sun is out and I can see the world outside better. I lick my paws that are wet from the grass. It's extra wet and messy out there now from me. But not by much. I'm still not hungry or thirsty. I must watch and wait again. He'll come back today.

"He's just sitting by the window waiting for you! I wish he would eat...."

The woman has one of those things humans talk to. She's talking to someone and looking at me. She's upset. So am I. My owner can't have left me here. He hasn't given me away. He still loves me!

More cars! Must yip! Must dig the windows! Maybe he can't hear me. I'll yip louder! With every ounce of my body! Every strand of fur! Every muscle! I'll use my weak paw and break right through! I can feel my teeth growing! Sharp and sharper still! I'll chew right through, I'll get to him! I'll find him! 

"If you really think so...okay..."

The woman stops talking but I barely notice! I'm yipping up a storm! 

"Malcolm thinks he'll eat eventually if we just leave him alone."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Call the vet, I guess..."

The cars disappear one by one. My owner isn't in any of them. I stop yipping and digging and chewing. I go back to watching and waiting. My shoulders ache and my stomach churns. Cold air still blows around the house. I shiver. I lie down. I sigh and close my eyes. 

**********

I finally give in and lick a bit of water. I nibble a bit of food. I keep looking back at the window to make sure there really aren't any cars coming. There's nothing. So I eat and drink. The woman is on the floor with me. She pets me and speaks softly.

"That's a good boy...good boy..."

Her hands are gentle. I don't mind that she pets me. I can smell something on her. Something familiar. I look into her face as I eat. 

"He's eating now, William."

"Oh, that's good."

I drink more water. It splashes all over the floor. My stomach doesn't churn anymore. I stretch and my shoulders don't ache. I let the woman pet me and I stand there. 

"He'll come back, Charlie. He'll come back."

I lick her hand. She really isn't so bad. 

**********

I still refuse to sleep with the humans. I must sleep out here in the cold air and wait. He will be back any minute. And I'll be here when he does. I'll be the first to say hello. The first to lick his face. And we'll go home. And he'll never leave me again. 

**********

The weather is getting colder. The cold air that blows inside is gone. It's replaced with warm air. Sleeping on the floor isn't as bad as before. I love the warm air blowing through my fur. I sleep better. I wake up with more energy. I don't shiver anymore. I wait eagerly for my owner's arrival. I eat more and drink more. Knowing that any minute he'll be here. 

**********

There's rain everywhere. Outside is cold and wet and I want none of it. The woman takes me outside to wet and I do but I do it quickly. I don't bother kicking up wet dirt. It gets in my toes and I have to lick them clean. It tastes awful. The woman takes me back inside and I shake. I shake and shake and roll around on the carpet. I sneeze and sneeze again. I hear water running inside but I don't bother to check. I have to stand by the window. He might be here.

He isn't.

"Charlie! Come here, boy!"

It's hard to see when the window is coated in water. There aren't any cars around. I keep my tail down. 

The woman picks me up and takes me away from the window. Her arms are warm and her hands are wet. I see the large tub of water and I struggle. I won't take a bath! I won't! She can't make me! 

I'm in the tub that's filled with warm water. I try to climb out but she puts me back in. The water is warm. Warmer than outside and much warmer than the violent cold of the metal tub surrounded by those blue hands. I still struggle and whine. The woman rubs my fur with bubbles and her hands are gentle. They're not blue. They're big and soft and warm. She talks to me. Her voice is soft.

"You'll feel a lot better after your bath, love."

I let her clean me. The way I let Mum clean me. Both are gentle. Both are loving. I suddenly know who this woman is. 

She's the man's Mum. 

He still has his Mum. He doesn't live with her but he wasn't taken away from her. I begin to love this woman. She takes good care of her son and she takes good care of me. I stop struggling and lick my nose. 

She laughs. 

She pours warm water on my back. It drips off my fur and splashes around me. I want to shake. I must shake. But I don't. I stay still and let the water run down my fur and into my ears. She rinses the bubbles out of me. I smell just like them. 

More water. Less bubbles. I shiver a bit from the water. I look at the woman and blink. I lower my head. She smiles at me. I feel safe. I want to sprint out of the tub and run to the window, water dripping behind me. I want to make sure the man isn't there. But I stay still. I let her clean me. 

She lifts me out of the tub. I finally shake, starting with my head and ending with my tail. Water flies everywhere and I stick my tongue out. I race out of the room and flop on the carpet, rolling around. Just like the rain, the bath has gotten me wet. My fur is damp and must not be. The woman comes out with a blanket and wraps it around me. It isn't a blanket, it isn't soft. But it takes away some of the water. I sniff her face. My whiskers brush her cheek and she laughs. I lick my nose. She releases me, and I run to the window. It's still raining. There still aren't any cars. I whine and tremble. The warm air starts flowing. I lie on the floor.

**********

The rain stops. The air is still cold. The sky is covered with clouds. My fur keeps me warm. But I enjoy the sun. The sun is gone. Just like the man. I want the sun. I want my owner. I want my Mum. 

I have a Mum. She isn't mine but she's the man's. She cares for me like Mum did. She feeds me and gives me water. The older man cares for me too. I wish I knew what to call him. He sits in chairs and looks at those soft sticks that used to swat me. They're flat now and can't hurt me. But I stay away from them all the same. 

**********

I smell lots of humans in this house. I smell brothers and sisters. I smell the small man who gave me the honking toy. His smell is still on the toy. It's in the carpet too and on the couch. This family is large. Even bigger than mine. A whole litter of humans. 

I smell my owner. I smell him deep in the house behind some closed doors. I scratch but they won't open. They're empty. I want to sleep in there. Where I can smell him better. But nobody lets me in. I lie at the door and listen to the footsteps. I can feel them through the floor. The woman sees me. We look into each other's eyes. She wipes her hands on a piece of cloth. I whine.

**********

"He's sitting by your bedroom door."

I lie by the door, trying to stick my nose underneath. I can smell him. It's strongest at this door. I want to sleep here. 

"He's eating now and everything."

I scratch and dig at the carpet. Maybe I can dig my way under. I must dig. I must find him. 

"Are you sure you want him in there? I don't want him chewing on anything of yours."

The carpet won't give. It won't move for me like dirt. I give up. I see something on the door. It's shiny and round. I see humans use them to open doors. I stand on my hind legs and scratch at it. Maybe it will open for me.

"Alright, Charlie, Malcolm says you can come in..."

The woman opens the door with the shiny object and I race inside. I jump on the bed. I can smell him! He's here! I sniff around trying to find him. I will find him! He must be here! I know it!

I search under the bed and over it. I search every corner with my twitching nose. The woman watches me but I don't look at her. I can't break my focus. 

Where is he???

**********

The woman lets me sleep on the bed. I sleep near the pillow and rest my head on it. I hear cars outside but the window is blocked. I can't see out. I look anyway.