Cross Lines

Chapter 44: Treatment

Emily Luo turned her face towards Maggie, her gaze complicated. After a moment of silence, she hesitantly spoke, “Maggie, the relationship between Qiqi and me is not as simple as you might think. Over the years, we’ve become accustomed to this way of interacting. Perhaps, as you said, it is meaningless. But for me, it has been an emotional support.”

Nodding slightly, Maggie remained silent.

“Since I met you... I admit, you’ve brought some very different things into my life. But,” Emily Luo’s smile seemed forced, even tinged with sadness, “I don’t think I can give up the feelings I have for Qiqi…”

At this moment, Maggie’s mood had calmed considerably. She looked into Emily Luo’s eyes, waiting quietly for her to finish speaking.

“I’m not asking you to give her up.”

Maggie’s expression was calm, and she seemed quite relaxed. “I understand that Qiqi holds a significant place in your heart. And as for her feelings towards me…”

At this point, Maggie smiled, though no negative emotions were evident. “Regardless of whether you’re willing to accept me or not, let’s keep our relationship between us for now. Let’s not let her know about it for the time being.”

Emily Luo looked surprised, her eyes wide at Maggie’s unexpected proposal. Just as she was about to say something, Maggie’s phone rang.

Seeing that it was a call from Ryan Ding, Maggie answered it. Emily Luo turned to adjust her hair and compose herself. However, after a brief conversation, Maggie’s expression changed.

“I’ll be right back,” she said before hanging up and getting up. Emily Luo looked up, and Maggie quickly explained while grabbing her coat, “Ryan Ding said the puppy is having some problems. I need to go check on it.”

Emily Luo immediately stood up as well. “I’ll go with you.”

Nodding, Maggie and Emily Luo quickly abandoned their discussion, grabbed their bags, and rushed to the car after saying goodbye to Eva.

Sometimes, love doesn’t seem as important.

On the way to Ryan Ding’s place, Maggie repeated the details Ryan had given her about the puppy. The puppy, which was adorable and liked by everyone at the store, had been fed so much by different people that it ended up with severe vomiting and diarrhea.

Dr. Luo’s brow furrowed deeply, her face filled with concern.

When they arrived at Ryan Ding’s place, the situation was worse than they had imagined. The puppy lay in a box, its once bright eyes now dull, unable to lift its head. The box was filled with used tissues, and according to Ryan Ding, it hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for almost two days.

Without much hesitation, Maggie asked Ryan Ding about the puppy’s symptoms and immediately moved the box to the car, heading straight to the vet. Once again, they woke the seemingly patient and competent vet, and Maggie wasted no time with pleasantries, urging him to diagnose the puppy.

The vet examined the puppy carefully, and his conclusion left Maggie and Emily Luo deeply troubled. “It’s a viral enteritis, highly contagious and severe. Given the puppy’s weak immune system, it’s unlikely to survive. Prepare yourselves; the situation is grim.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Emily Luo’s eyes filled with tears, and she placed her finger under her nose, silent. Maggie glanced down at the puppy and quickly made a decision.

“Please, do whatever you can to treat it. Use any medication needed; cost is not an issue. We’ll do our best and leave the rest to fate. If it doesn’t work out, it’s not your fault.”

Such a request was music to the vet’s ears. He nodded and said, “Let’s start with IV fluids for inflammation.” He then went to prepare the medication.

Emily Luo, with her head lowered, supported the puppy’s small head, watching it intently. Despite the mess from the puppy’s sickness, she didn’t seem to care. Maggie’s face grew somber as she forced a smile, not sure if she was comforting Emily Luo or herself.

“It’ll be okay. Don’t worry too much.”

Dr. Luo looked up at her, her expression forlorn, the worry in her eyes evident. After a moment, she composed herself, released the puppy, and approached the vet. “What medication will be used?”

The vet showed Emily Luo the medications, and she carefully noted the types and dosages.

“The IV should be administered once daily, taking about two to three hours. If you start today, you can come by every evening for the next few days.”

The vet adjusted his glasses. “There’s also an injectable medication to be administered three times a day. You can give it at home yourself.”

Maggie grimaced. “I don’t know how to administer injections…”

“I’ll give it the first injection. Once you see how it’s done, it’s quite simple. Just pull up the skin on the neck, insert the needle, and push it slowly.”

Maggie hesitated but was reassured by Dr. Luo’s agreement to learn how to administer it. Maggie decided not to dwell on it further.

With the medication prepared, the vet administered the injection and set up the IV for the puppy. The puppy was quite compliant, only making a few sounds during the injection and not struggling much. This made Maggie’s heart ache even more.

After administering the injection and giving the oral medication, the vet yawned, and Dr. Luo looked at the wall clock, asking, “Is removing the IV like it is for people?”

The vet nodded. “Yes, just apply pressure with a cotton swab to stop the bleeding, and it should be fine.”

“Okay, we’ll leave you to rest now. We’ll take care of removing the IV later,” Dr. Luo said, looking at Maggie.

Maggie agreed, “Alright.”

On the way back, the puppy was uncomfortable, constantly trying to stand up. Dr. Luo, worried about the needle, held its small paw and pressed its neck to keep it still, which made her own arms stiff. Once home, Maggie set up a temporary area for the puppy near the balcony for its recovery.

Emily Luo stayed by the puppy’s side, who refused to eat and looked extremely weak. Maggie made some porridge, blended it, mixed in the medication, and fed it to the puppy with a syringe, along with some water.

Both women felt the weight of the situation, their conversation sparse. As it was past midnight, Maggie suggested, “You should take a shower and get some sleep. I’ll keep an eye on the puppy and wake you when it improves.”

Emily Luo shook her head. “You’re tired; you should sleep.”

“You have work tomorrow. It’s not good for you to be exhausted.”

“I can’t sleep.”

Emily Luo remained half-kneeling, cleaning the puppy with wet wipes, not lifting her head. “You go to sleep if you’re tired.”

“We’ve been on a business trip for over three days, and we have a day off when we return. I don’t need to work tomorrow,” Maggie said, pouring two glasses of water, placing one next to Emily Luo. “I’ll change the sheets. If you can’t sleep, at least rest.”

Considering she had a surgery the next morning, Dr. Luo reluctantly agreed, tossing her things into the trash can. “Don’t bother changing; I’ll manage. You watch the puppy and don’t let it move around too much. I’ll take a shower.”

Having stayed over frequently, Emily Luo was quite familiar with Maggie’s home. After changing into sleepwear, Maggie urged her to go upstairs to rest.

The IV drip continued until 2:30 AM. Emily Luo came down to remove the needle, and the little puppy lay there weakly. Maggie, unable to sleep properly, decided to stay on the couch, frequently checking on the puppy throughout the night.

In the morning, the puppy had more watery stools. Maggie prepared breakfast while Emily Luo cleaned up. They fed the puppy more porridge and medication, administering the injections. With Maggie needing to go to work, she left hurried instructions for Emily Luo before heading out.

Throughout the morning, Maggie took care of the puppy while researching juvenile enteritis online. The puppy seemed to be in agony, unable to stay upright or rest comfortably. Maggie constantly monitored it, cleaned up, and provided water to prevent dehydration.

By noon, Emily Luo, who had skipped lunch, returned with a bag full of supplies. The two of them worked together, following the vet’s and online advice, to care for the puppy.

The next day, Emily Luo stayed home to look after the puppy, while Maggie, despite being at work, called frequently to check on its condition. Their entire focus had shifted to the puppy, leaving no room for anything else.

By the third night, the puppy began to pass blood. Emily Luo sat on the floor, her face as hard as iron, lost in thought. Maggie, on the phone with the vet, repeatedly asked what to do. The vet seemed uncertain, stammering that it was a typical symptom of hemorrhagic enteritis and that there were no additional treatments beyond injections, which only heightened Maggie’s anxiety.

The puppy, now barely able to open its eyes and breathing shallowly and rapidly, seemed as if it might stop breathing at any moment. Emily Luo gently patted its small head. It weakly raised its eyes to look at her but soon closed them again.

Hanging up the phone, Maggie took a deep breath, remaining silent as she prepared more porridge for the puppy. Emily Luo looked at her.

“What did they say?”

“As long as there is still breath, we should keep giving injections and medications. If there’s even the slightest hope, I won’t give up.” Maggie said calmly while washing rice, her face showing no sign of emotion. Her composure reassured Emily Luo, helping her regain her resolve and recover from the brink of despair.