Merlyn got sick. Listening to a dog cry is excrutiating. So we took him to the animal emergency hospital late Sunday night. We left at 2 a.m. sans sick dog. Poor pup. Something is wrong with his lower spine. Monday night my husband came downstairs and said they called and said he had degenerative bone disease. I don't think I've ever cried so hard.
Merlyn is a poor excuse for a dog. He hates to ride in cars. He has allergies that cause him to stink. His anti-allergy medicines are expensive. He is quite smart and will be obedient just long enough for you to actually trust him, then zoom he runs off, laughing at you for being such a fool.
And yet I find it impossible not to love him. I love him more than any of the other dogs we ever had. The thing I love most is that if you yell at him, he won't slink away but will come stick his nose in your hand, as if to say "You know you love me so stop being angry."
We were despondent Monday night. I drove H to Backyard Burger so he could get a burger. I just needed to get out of the house. Then we went to the video store in what we figured was a futile attempt to find a movie we could both enjoy. We needed distraction big time.
Of course, nothing looked appealing. Two heartbroken people stumbling around the video store, one of whom doesn't really like many movies to begin with. We were just about to walk out when I saw the box for Iron Man.
"Hey, I heard this was good," I said.
And it was. And for two hours, we kept the grief beast at bay. I love the way fantasy and reality mixed in this movie. It was hilarious in spots; Robert Downey Jr was a revelation, something very Deppesque about his performance. Of course, the big fight finale was OTT. Hollywood endings always are. But the very end of the movie? The last line? Brilliant.
So now, three days later we are on our way to pick up the prodigal dog. It's not degenerative bone disease. And it only cost $2000 to find this out. We'll see how he fares. Maybe he'll turn out to be as resilient as Iron Man. Whatever. You only get so many years with a dog, so if he smells bad and doesn't behave like a good dog should, you love him anyway. Cause when they're gone, you're in for a big hurt.