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Wes nodded and got to work. He carefully measured out food for each of the canines, then put their bowls inside their enclosures and made sure they ate. He also changed their water bowls and made sure to give some affection to all of them. The last dog for him to feed was Reverend. When Wes put his bowl in the enclosure, Reverend looked at him but didn’t approach. Wes sat close to the bowl, staying still and calmly watching the dog. Wes could tell he was hungry, but the distrust in his eyes warred with the emptiness of his belly.
“It’s okay,” he said softly, just sitting there, being patient. And then Reverend got up and slowly walked over, head down, eyes up, as though he expected to be hit.
“Hey, Wes, I thought—” Daniel had come to the door of the shelter, but he stopped and stood still when he saw what Wes was doing. Wes was afraid Reverend would spook, but he came closer and took some food, and then backed away. He watched and ate before eyeing the bowl for more. He repeated the process, taking a mouthful of food and going off to eat before coming back. Once he was done, Reverend walked away back to the other side. Wes picked up the dish, left fresh water for him, and exited the enclosure.
“Wow,” Daniel said, overflowing with excitement. “That was pretty amazing. He never eats until we all leave.”
“Fear is a hard thing to get over… for a dog,” Wes said, and thought he saw a bit of the same pain he’d seen in Reverend’s eyes flash in Daniel’s.
“Not just for dogs.” Daniel gently bit his lower lip, making it red and a little puffy. Wes wanted to ask about what he’d said, but he figured it was Daniel’s business. “Mitchell is out with Raj making sure he’s eating too. I fed the snakes and tortoise at the clinic.”
“You have those too?”
“We picked them up at the same place we found Raj and the six dogs back there. Mitchell is treating them, and with luck, he’ll find homes for them soon.” Daniel followed Wes to the door, still talking. “I just love all of them. That’s why I’m hoping to become a veterinarian. Are you in college too?”
Wes shook his head. “I graduated a year ago.” His mother’s illness had changed any future plans he’d had.
“What did you study?” Daniel asked.
“Literature,” he said. Then he turned away—it was better not to think about it. He looked over to see how Raj was faring. “Raj seems to like Mitchell.” Man and beast stood motionless, watching each other, Raj’s tail flicking every so often.
“How can you tell?” Daniel asked.
Wes wasn’t sure how he knew—he just did. “I think it’s the way his shoulders and back are relaxed. He isn’t ready to pounce. He knows that Mitchell won’t hurt him.” He sighed and tried not to think about his own fears. Maybe his mother was right and he did need to get back out into the world. But that was the way of hurt, and Wes had already had enough of that in his life.
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