“For what?” Mom demanded angrily.
“Okay, look. Let’s everyone just calm down,” New-man said serenely. “All right?” He smiled at Mom. “Emotions are running high right now, but let’s take a look at it.” He turned to look at the parking lot, where two more cars with flashing lights pulled up and more police got out and walked up to us. I wagged. “See, this is how things get out of hand,” New-man continued. “Now, as unpleasant as it is, we have a job to do here. We’re going to have to take the dog into custody, but I promise you—”
“That’s not happening,” Mom snapped.
“Ma’am, please let me finish. I promise you we’ll take good care of her. You have my word.”
“Your word doesn’t mean a damn thing to me,” Ty said.
New-man looked at him, his eyes narrowing. The police standing behind him glanced at each other.
“Here comes Dr. Gann,” Olivia said quietly.
Another car had pulled up and I did not know the person who got out of it. Two more police came out of the building through the same door we had taken and joined all of us standing there. It was a big group of people, but unfortunately not a single one of them had any dog treats that I could smell.
“I’m Markus Gann,” the new arrival greeted New-man.
“Sheriff Mica,” New-man replied. The two men pulled on each other’s hands for a moment before giving up.
“Hi, Dr. Gann,” Mom said.
“Hello, Terri.”
“Hey there, Dr. Gann,” Ty added. The stranger’s name was Dr. Gann.
“Hello, Ty. Jordan. Drew. Olivia.” Dr. Gann turned to New-man. “So what may I do for you gentlemen this evening?”
Hat-man started to speak and New-man shut him up with a look.
“There’s a dog issue,” New-man began.
“She’s an emotional support animal,” Mom interrupted. I could feel the fear returning to her, see her hands starting to tremble. I touched her fingers with my nose, concerned.
“In my hospital?” Dr. Gann responded in a voice that reminded me of when Lucas would hold me before doing Go to Work—gentle and soft and caring. Mom looked down at me and I wagged.
“She’s been coming here a long time,” Ty said. “And now the sheriff’s department is here to pick her up.”
“Over my dead body,” added Mom.
“Me too,” said Steve.
Dr. Gann held up his hand, palm out. “All right.”
“We’re not going to let them have the dog, Dr. Gann,” Ty said hotly. “Period.”
“The last thing we need is for this to escalate,” New-man said.
“Ah.” Dr. Gann nodded, rubbing his chin. “But you’re sort of committed to action now, aren’t you? You didn’t choose this fight, but here it is.”
New-man gazed at Dr. Gann, and then made a tiny shrugging motion.
“Denver city ordinance eight dash fifty-five gives me the authority to confiscate that animal,” Hat-man said tightly.
“Chuck.” New-man sighed. “You’re not helping the situation.”
“Denver,” Dr. Gann replied thoughtfully.
“Yes, sir. I am executing my lawful responsibilities as an animal control officer.”
“For Denver. Denver County,” Dr. Gann repeated.
“That’s right.”
Dr. Gann looked at me for a moment, then at the two new police who had come out of the building. “Well,” he said finally, “this is not the city of Denver. This is federal property.”
“That’s never been an issue. We’ve been called repeatedly to this facility in the past,” Hat-man replied tersely.
“Called? You’re saying we called you tonight?” Dr. Gann asked.
“Well, no. I was tracking this animal, which is an illegal breed, and it went into the hospital.”
“So that’s it, then,” Dr. Gann said to New-man in the same gentle tone. “This is federal land. Animal control is out of its jurisdiction. No need for any further confrontation.”
New-man scratched his head, moving his cap with the motion. Then he gave a tiny nod. “I see your point.”
“Dog. Here.” Hat-man snapped his fingers and I felt Mom jerk in alarm. I did not move.
“Hold on!” New-man said gruffly. “Dammit, Chuck, what the hell are you trying to pull?” I felt his anger flaring.
“I expect…”
“No, I expect. I expect you to shut your damn mouth and obey orders!”
Hat-man looked unhappy.
New-man turned back to Dr. Gann. “Sorry for the misunderstanding. We’ll be on our way.”
“You are welcome here any time, sheriff. Give me a call, I’ll show you around the new facility,” Dr. Gann replied.
“I’d like that.” New-man turned to the police, who all seemed more relaxed. “All right, let’s go home.
“Fine, but I will tell you what.” Hat-man sneered, pointing a finger at Mom. “I’m going to be watching. And if I see that dog leave here in a car I am going to call for backup and pull you over and take it into custody.”
“You will do no such thing,” New-man replied, spitting on the ground.
“Sheriff…”
“Dammit, Chuck, you’ve wasted enough time on this one dog. I get more complaints about you than all the rest of the AC officers combined. I’m pulling you out of the field for more training. Starting tomorrow morning. As of right now, you’re off the clock. And no one pulls over a vehicle because of a dog,” he said intensely, glaring at the police. “No one. Is that understood?”
Some of the police grinned at each other. “Yes, sir,” a few of them said.
“You … you…” Hat-man stuttered.
“Return the department vehicle and sign out, Chuck,” New-man interrupted wearily. “Let’s go, everybody.”
The nice police turned and went back to their cars. Ty and Mom petted me and I wagged. They were happy.
“So … you do know VA regulations do not permit animals, even emotional support animals, on hospital grounds,” Dr. Gann said.
“Yeah, about that.” Ty shrugged. “Seems like a lot of people lately been bringing in their therapy dogs. Bella was just the first one.”
Dr. Gann nodded. “I have much, much better things to do than try to enforce everything in the book. Especially, as you say, since so many people have started ignoring that one.” Ty grinned at him and he smiled back. “Just don’t let her bite anybody.”
“Oh, she would never do that,” Mom replied.
“Bella!”
I whipped my head up. A new car had stopped in the parking lot, and I knew the man getting out of it.
Lucas.
*
In that moment, it was as if everyone else standing there vanished. I saw only my person, holding his arms wide, smiling broadly. He and I ran to each other. I was sobbing, wagging, licking him. We fell to the ground together and I climbed on him, craving his touch and his kisses. “Bella! Bella, where have you been all this time? How did you find your way home?”