Martha looked over and saw Brick laying next to Carter's bed. He was convulsing and there was foam coming out of his mouth. His eyes looked like they were cross and he wouldn't respond when Martha called his name.

"Teegan, you need to help me carry him downstairs. We will take your Dad's car. We've got to bring him to the hospital." Martha took Brick around his waist, while Teegan helped his mother keep her arms stable. Martha was grateful Teegan took most of the weight considering she shouldn't be lifting anything heavy, let alone a seventy five pound dog. She started getting a headache again, but ignored it. Brick needed their help and she had to keep strong.

      They both carried him to the car and put him gently in the back seat. Teegan sat in the back with Brick to keep him company.  Brick's breathing started getting heavy and fast.  Teegan started to cry.

     "What's wrong with him?  Why is he breathing like that?  Mom, I am scared."  Martha looked in the rearview mirror as she was pulling out of the parking lot and saw Teegan's face.  She had never seen Teegan more terrified.  Her poor son ran out of answers.  She knew he was strong, but he looked weak.  His eyes had sunken in and were already red from crying.  His cheeks were flush and his lips were trembling. 

      "I am sorry, Teegan.  I don't know."  She sped down the street, ignoring the speed limit signs.

      "One time when I was at Micheal's house, he had a seizure.  He acted the same way that Brick is now.  Is Brick having a seizure?  If he is and he doesn't get help, he could die.  Mom please hurry!"  Teegan was starting to have an anxiety attack.  He got those from Martha, something she wished she hadn't passed down to him. 

      "Teegan, calm down.  Take deep breaths.  The vet is just down the street.  He will take care of Brick."

      The ten minute ride to the vet felt like a two hour ride across the state.  Martha's nerves couldn't handle anymore stress today.  Teegan's happiness was the most important thing.  If her son wasn't happy, then she wasn't happy.  Brick is going to be OK.  She tried convincing herself, but the luck she had been having lately is convincing her otherwise.
     
      "He's the only friend I have left.  I don't want him to lose him."  The tears came out of Teegan's eyes faster and more fierce.  His eyes were starting to swell from his constant despair.  "He was a healthy dog.  How could this have happened to him.  All I was doing with him was teaching him tricks and giving him a treat for doing it right.  I thought he was just tired from working so hard."

       "Teegan, this is not your fault.  I am sure everything will be fine."  Martha kept speeding.  Why is this ride taking so long? 

       They pull up to the vet's office and Teegan bolts out of the door.  "Come on mom. We need to get him inside as fast as we can.  Every mintue counts.  Mom, come on.  Hurry up!"

       "Teegan, I am going as fast as I can.  You have to remember that I've been weak from being pregnant... I can't..."  Martha stopped dead.  She looked at Teegan, hoping she didn't hear her.  "I've been sick because I am weak.  I mean I have been weak from moving fast.  I've been sick...from... I am weak from being sick.  Let's get Brick inside." 

       Teegan went back to being silent.  Did he hear Martha drop a huge bomb?  Or was he so distracted by Brick being sick that it went over his head?  They both took one of Brick's ends and carried him through the front doors of the vet.

       Dr. Volmar immediately came to their attention. "Oh my...what happened?  Dr. Tumt! Dr. Tumt!"  Volmar's assistant came running from the back door.  He must have heard he urgency in Dr. Volmar's voice.  Martha couldn't even explain to either of them anything before they both took Brick from her and Teegan.

        "We need to get an IV in him before it's too late.  He looks like he is having a seizure."  Dr. Volmar and Dr. Tumt carried him behind a door, leaving Martha and Teegan alone in the waiting room.  Dr. Volmar was Brick's primary vet, Martha knew that he would take care of him, but she was annoyed that they took him and carried him off.

       "Do we follow them?"  Teegan asks, barely able to talk over the amount of tears that he's shedding. 

        "Let's sit and wait.  I am sure we would just be in the way if we went back there with them."  Martha headed to the four vacant chairs sitting by a bay window, looking out at the river.  The same river that the white truck was pulled out of just last week.  The river should have taken the truck downstream farther.  She tried wiping the thought out of her mind, but as she was sitting down, that white truck passed by the bay window.  Martha's nerves started acting up more.  Someone was watching them.  Someone knew about their miserable events happening lately.  Martha was starting to think that these events haven't been accidents. 

        "Teegan, can you tell me again what you were doing before this started happening?"  Martha watched the truck until it drove off before she turned to Teegan, who had taken the seat next to her, sniffling into the sleeve of his shirt.  There was nothing she could do about it now.  The police knew about it, but she wondered why they haven't found it yet.  The truck comes out in the middle of the day, how could they not see it?

        "I was just having his do tricks for me.  I found those protein bars in the kitchen.  I didn't want to throw them away because Anne worked so hard to make them, so I thought..."  Teegan took a deep breath.  "I thought if I gave them to Brick as a treat, then Anne would think I ate them and she would stop hassling me about eating.  I am so sorry mom.  I didn't want to lie about it, but I was so frustrated with Anne trying to force me to eat.  I just don't feel like it OK?"  Teegan started on a fresh set of tears.  "Then he just suddenly got up, went to Carter's room and scratched at the door.  I let him in and he went to lay down next to his bed."

       "Oh Teegan.  You don't have to apologize.  You were just having fun with him.  We don't know how he became like this.  He could have gotten bitten by a tick for all we know.  Everything happens for a reason.  Dr. Volmar and Dr. Tumt will find out what is wrong and fix him.  And I am willing to do whatever it takes to help him get better.  He is a part of this family."

       "I wish dad were here."  Teegan looked out the window, trying to hide his guilty face.  Martha didn't mind that Teegan wanted his dad.  Martha wished that Jasper was with them too.  He was better at these types of situations.  He probably would have stormed into the examination room by now demanding an explanation, instead of sitting in the empty waiting room wondering what was going on.

       Just then, Jasper came rushing through the door.  He was so out of breath that Martha thought he ran there, but seeing the van outside did not confirm that.

       "Jasper, how did you know we were here?"  Was Jasper the one following her?  She tried to think back.  The first time she saw the truck, she was out with the boys and Jasper was suppose to be at work.  When she saw the truck getting pulled out of the river on the news, Jasper had left her alone at the hospital the night before.  She just saw the truck drive by the vet, and now Jasper just happens to show up without knowing where they would be.  Maybe Jasper made Brick sick too and that's how he knew they'd be at the vet.

       "I went home to find out that you weren't there, and Anne said she saw you two carrying Brick out to the car.  What is wrong with him?"

       Of course, Anne. 

       "We don't know.  Do you know what is wrong with him?"  Martha was getting frustrated with not knowing why her life was in disarray.  All the signs pointed to Jasper.  He could be involved with the truck.  He could have taken pictures and just dropped them in his own mail box while Martha was at the hospital.  All of the bags at Richard's house pointed to his job.  He could have poisoned Brick before he stormed out too.  The only thing that wouldn't make sense is the person that they've been seeing.  Maybe Jasper has a assistant.  It could be Kelly.  Martha never liked her.  She would always catch her trying to flirt with Jasper.  She could have convinced Jasper to mess with Martha because she somehow knew about the affair.  Maybe Anne told her.  Maybe everyone knew about Martha's mistake and was plotting against her, and Jasper was the main culprit. 

        "No, I don't know what is wrong with him.  I just came here because where else would you bring a sick dog?"

        "How do you know he is sick?"  Martha was starting to blame Jasper.

        "Why else would you carry him somewhere when he is capable of walking?  What is this Martha?  Are you trying to blame me for Brick getting sick?  Just like you tried to blame me for having something to do with,"  Jasper stopped and looked at Teegan.  He didn't know that Teegan knew about the pricinpal. "About, about the earlier incident.  Have you lost your mind?"

         "Dad?" It was Teegan's turn to talk.  "Do you know who killed Mr. Garbel?"

         Jasper looked at Martha in disbelief.  "What have you been telling Teegan?"  Jasper's face was getting red.  He thought Martha was trying to put everyone against him.

        "What was I suppose to do Jasper?  Did you want me to lie to him?  Did you want me to tell him that everything is OK?  Well it's not OK.  You were the one who left.  You also left me while I was sick at the hospital.  What have you been doing while you've been gone Jasper?  Have you been seeing your girlfriend Kelly too?  Who else was I suppose to talk to?"  Was Martha thinking clearly, or were her pregnancy hormones completely out of wack?  She didn't know, but she did not like the way she was sounding.  She couldn't help it, her anxiety and stress were taking over her mind.  Her eyes swelled with tears, not out of sadness, but out of frustration. 

       "Is this some kind of joke?  You think I have been doing things behind your back?  Have you forgotten who cheated on who here?  You were the one who hurt this family, but suddenly I am the bad guy?"  Jasper couldn't believe this was happening.  His family had been perfect, but now here they were, arguing in the middle of a vet waiting room while their family dog was possibly dying.

       "Dad?"  Teegan tried again, but his parents kept arguing.  He didn't like when they argued, and usually he had to comfort Carter when they did.  Now that Carter wasn't here, Teegan didn't know what to do to cope.

        "You are the bad guy Jasper."  Martha regretted it as soon as she said it, but she couldn't stop until she won the argument.  "I didn't hurt this family.  The only person I hurt was you.  You hurt this family by leaving.  You left us and now you think you can just come back and be all hunky dory?  I don't think so.  You left me in a time of need twice already and that is two times too many.  Why don't you just leave again Jasper?"

        "Mom?"  His voice was so innocent and he was getting scared now.  His parents did argue, but they've never argued like this before. 

        "I left so I wouldn't say anything that I would regret later.  I left so I could gather my thoughts and try and think of a solution.  I didn't want to hurt you by saying the wrong things.  I left to be alone." 

        "Then leave again and be alone."  Martha's voice was shaking now. 

       "I don't want to.  I want to be in this family.  I want to work things out.  Yes I wanted to be alone, but when I was alone all I wanted was to be home with you two."  Jasper's eyes were welling up.  He knew he'd made a mistake by leaving them at the wrong time, but he wanted to fix it.

       "Mom?  Dad?"  Teegan was crying again now too.  "I don't want us to fight anymore.  I just want to go home." 

       Jasper and Martha both turned to Teegan.  He was sitting with his face in his hands.  Martha and Jasper go to him to give him comfort. 

       "Teegan..."  Martha gives him a big hug.

       "Mrs. Critch?"  Dr. Volmar came out of the examination room, alone.  "I am sorry.  There was nothing we could do."  He bows his head to the floor.