The Alpha and the Gift

Chapter 7: The Burger

-Would you like to come inside? - Rowan asked the dog. -I think I need to take a look at your leg. -

-Rowan wants to help dog? - the dog replied in shock.

Rowan smiled gently at him and nodded. -I know you are hurting, and I would like to help you feel better. -

The dog's tail thumped hard as he happily agreed. He tried to stand, but the pain was so bad he just couldn't do it.

-Hold on.- Rowan told him

She quickly opened the door and put her food on the counter. Rowan raced upstairs and grabbed a blanket off the bed to put over the table. The dog was still sitting by the front door when she rushed back outside. He was staring at the entrance with worried eyes. The instant he saw her, his tail began swaying again, and his big brown eyes lit up with joy.

-Rowan has come back for dog!- he squealed in her head.

Rowan's heart broke for the animal as she caught a memory of him being left in the woods by his people family. She couldn't see who the family was. But the image of him waiting in the rain for days was very, very clear. The emotional pain of his abandonment hurt her so badly that she couldn't help herself. She knelt beside him and put her arms around him tightly.

-Rowan sad?- he asked in confusion.

She laughed out loud and sniffled. -I am sad that you are sad.-

The animal licked her face to remove the evidence of tears. -Dog is not sad. Dog is hungry.-

She laughed again and nodded. -Alright, let's get you inside. We'll check out that laugh, then get you some food.-

The dog's tail wagged harder, and he struggled to stand up so he could follow her. Rowan could not stand the sight of his struggles and the sounds of pain he made as he tried to do as she asked. She cautiously swept him into her arms and carried him inside. For a medium-sized dog, he was so light that she lifted him without an issue.

She sat him on the blanket-covered table and broke off a piece of her hamburger to distract him while she looked at his leg. There were several small wounds around his ankle like he had been hooked on barbed wire and a few thorns in his back paw. Several thrones looked like they had been there a while and had started to fester. Rowan hissed a bit as she gingerly touched the wounds.

The dog howled, then instinctively jerked back to snap at what was causing him pain. Rowan jumped back as fast as she could, but she was not fast enough to miss all his teeth. He left a long scrap along her forearm. She hissed in pain and grabbed her arm to see how bad the damage was.

The dog whimpered in distress and gave her a guilty look.

-Don't be mad at dog.- the dog pleaded with her. -Dog didn't mean to bite.-

Rowan turned away and tried to compose herself. He had acted purely on instinct and hadn't meant to hurt her. He was a dog working on a dog's instincts and had only wanted to make the pain stop.

Finally, she turned back and gave him a soft smile. -It's okay, sweetie. I should have warned you that I was going to touch it before I did. - Rowan soothed him.

The dog relaxed and laid back down. Rowan took a quick peek at her arm and found it was bleeding slightly. But she brushed it off and refused on the animal. She grabbed some of the fries and laid them in front of the dog's nose.

-Yummy sticks!– he cheered in her head.

-Fries.- Rowan replied as she rounded up some rags and warm water. -They're called French fries or fries.-

-Fries are good.- he replied, still munching on them.

Rowan chuckled softly and returned to her patient with her things. -I'm going to clean your wounds. I will have to cause you some pain while I get those thorns out of your leg.-

He turned to her with a c****d head, and his ears perked up. -Thorns?-

She had no idea what word he used for them, so all she could do was send him a picture of the thorns in his feet.

-Pokies?- he asked. -They are all through the grass. I try to avoid them because they hurt. But when I went through the scrap fence, I had to step on them to get my back leg out.-

-They're called thrones, and I think what you're talking about is called a barb wire fence. – Rowan explained.

-Thornes, pokies, scarp, barbed, all the same. They all hurts!- he whimpered in her head.

She patted his back soothingly. -I know, sweetie, and I hate to hurt you more. But I need to get them out and clean them up, so they'll heal.-

The dog seemed to think about it a bit, then finally agreed. -Yes, Rowan fixes them, so they don't hurt. Then dog can have more foods?-

Rowan nodded. -Yes, once I clean you up, you can have more food.-

The dog laid back down and looked away, but seemed to be bracing himself. -Then hurry and clean. Dog is hungry.-

As quickly as she could, Rowan began to clean his leg. The whole time she kept showing him what she was doing to help him stay calm. Though he whimpered, he did not bite her again.

-I'm going to pull the thorns out. Please prepare yourself because a few of these will hurt very badly.- Rowan warned him.

The sweet dog began panting, but he kept himself as still as possible. Rowan could feel his need to push her away, but he let her to her work. As soon as she pulled all the thorns, she quickly doused the wounds with alcohol, then patted them dry so she could bandage his leg.

-All done.- she told him softly. -I'll help you down, but I want you to stay off that foot for a few days.-

She picked him up and sat him on the floor with the blanket, so he would have a nice bed to snuggle on.

-Food?!- he asked excitedly.

Rowan laughed at his swift change of attitude. -Yes. As soon as I clean up my arm, I will share my dinner with you.-

His tail thumped excitedly. Rowan had to admit that he was a wonderful, sweet dog. Though he was starving, he didn't complain about having to wait for her at all. The dog was just happy to be around people. He loved despite everything they had done to him. She cleaned her arm and brought her food back to the table.

They ate a few fries as she studied the animal, wondering what she was going to do with him. She could barely take care of herself and certainly didn't need someone else to take care of. However, she already loved the sweet dog. He happily snacked on fries, all the while silently hoping for more of the burger that she had. But even though he knew she could read his mind, the dog didn't ask.

He was a wonderful dog, and she couldn't imagine anyone not wanting him around.

-Rowan gives dog good fries - the dog stated as he chomped on the other two fries that she threw his way.

-Do you have a name?- she asked suddenly.

Most animals called themselves by the type of animals they were. Because that was what they heard most people call them. But domesticated animals tended to use their own names. But the dog didn't, only referred to himself as “dog".

He tilted his head to one side and another as he shuffled through his experiences. -Most people called me: get out of here you filthy…-

-Whoa, whoa, whoa.- Rowan stopped his thought with a wave of her hand, unable to stand hearing the nasty things people have said to him. -No. That's not a… never mind. Anyway, what did your people family call you?-

Though the dog tried to remember, it was so long ago that he couldn't remember what their name for him was.

-Well, we'll have to think of a name for you then.- she told him happily as she threw a piece of the burger to him.

His tail thumped hard as he ate. -Dog loves this. Dog wants to be called whatever this is so dog can have it all the time.-

Rowan looked down at the last of the burger and giggled to herself. -You want to be called Burger?-

The dog wiggled happily. -Yes! Burger! Dog will be Burger!-

She nodded. -Alright. Burger, it is!-