Green Dream
I glanced around the vet’s office. Minimal. Functional. Sterile. No windows. The only light flickered down from a strobe overhead. The neon globe emitted a low-register hum that battered against the tension already building near the base of my skull. If it was causing my head to ache, I figured it must sound even worse to the sensitive ears of Zeus, the German shepherd sitting on the tile floor beside me.
I lowered a hand to one of Zeus’s ears and began to stroke it. Zeus pushed into my leg in pleasure. “It’s alright, mate,” I said. Which was about as far from the truth as possible.
The single door to the small room opened and a woman in a white coat entered. Tall and athletic, her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. From behind expensive-looking glasses, she considered me for a moment before she spoke. “How is he with needles, Officer? Do you want a muzzle?”
I looked down at the six-year-old shepherd, seeing instead the eighteen-month-old pup Zeus had been when we were first partnered together. Those initial weeks before we’d established a bond had been hell. For all his size, Zeus had been terrified of the injections required of all new police dog recruits. Zeus had nipped and scratched and fought to avoid his inoculations—my hands still bore a few faded scars to prove it.
I’d worked hard to desensitise Zeus to the process. After some trial and error, I eventually stumbled across a fix in the unlikely form of a Bic ballpoint pen. I discovered that pressing a pen to Zeus’s neck, nib retracted, and then clicking the end button to extend the nib, resembled the needle experience. Zeus had a high tolerance to pain. It was more the sensation of force on his neck while he was restrained that frightened him.
Over months and years, it became a constant in our life together. Before he was allowed to play with his Kong, Zeus had to lie down and remain calm while I pressed the pen to his neck and clicked the pen nib out and in a couple of times. Zeus soon associated the experience with the promise of chewing his Kong, and the struggles and nips ceased.
“Officer? Would you like me to get a muzzle?” the vet repeated.
I snapped back to the present and looked down at Zeus. “No. Zeus doesn’t mind. Thank you.”
“Are you ready?”
I signalled for Zeus to drop, and went down onto a knee beside him. I wrapped an arm around his neck, conscious of the strong heartbeat pumping beneath thick fur. I nodded, not trusting my voice.
The vet took out a large syringe full of green liquid and expertly found a vein.
Zeus didn’t flinch. I looked into his brown eyes, recognised the implicit trust that existed, the knowledge that we’d done this together a thousand times before. That everything would be fine.
Only this time was different. Degenerative Myelopathy, a progressive disease of the spinal cord, was quickly eating its way through my courageous police dog. Any day now he could wake up paralysed. I wouldn’t let that happen.
Zeus turned his head briefly, looking for his Kong, and then closed his eyes. He rested his head on my hand, deciding he’d hunt for it after a quick nap.
I’m excited to announce that Green Dream took out 1st place in the 2019 Flash Memoir Contest at Writer Advice.
To top it off my good friend, Sarah Russell, took out 2nd with her brilliant flash Donny, 1968.
Here’s the link if you’d like to check out all four winning entries: Writer Advice 2019 Flash Memoir Contest
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank editor, B. Lynn Goodwin at Writer Advice for the wonderful job she does hosting a range of great competitions and writing resources on her site.
Congratulation, mate! Cheers!
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Thanks, Kunal. Hope you’ve been well, mate.
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👍
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Congratulations, Ryan. Well deserved. So happy to be able to read your work and Sarah’s as well…two excellent writers!
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You’re too kind, Rajani. Thank you. I’ve really been enjoying the string of poetry you’ve posted of late – truly beautiful 🙂
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Thank you. Am reading Lao Tzu- Tao Te Ching and trying to find inspiration from each chapter! Glad you like it, Ryan.
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It’s working 🙂
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Congratulations, Ryan! A beautifully tender and heartfelt tribute to Zeus.
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Mia! How are you? Thank you for visiting 🙂
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You’re welcome, Ryan. Good thank you, wishing you and your loved ones well. 🙂
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Really good piece Ryan. I didn’t know you wrote flash fiction.
Steve
Sent from my iPad
>
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G’day, Steve. Thanks so much, mate. I’ll try my hand at anything 🙂
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Congratulations, Ryan! And this was a beautiful, heartbreaking story.
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Thanks so much, Courtney 🙂 How are you going with your own writing? Hope you’re well.
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It’s coming along. Not always as quickly as I would like, but it is coming, so that’s the important part. Hope you’re doing well as well.
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Hey Ryan, if I have to take second place in a contest, I’m glad it was to you. 🙂
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Well Done! I’m so glad to hear your writing received the praise it deserves but I was sorry to read the subject matter. Perhaps the wining of this is a worthy tribute to such a good an influential friend.
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Heya, stranger! How are you? So nice to hear from you!
Thankfully written a few years on from the event itself, but that’s a lovely way to look at it. Thank you 🙂
I’m so happy you stopped by. Thanks for your lovely comment, so nice to hear from you once again. I hope you’re well.
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I’m fine thanks! made a few changes so I’m beginning to feel more like me, hoping to have more time to get back to doing the things I love to do! Hope all is well with you & yours too.
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Great to hear 🙂 Yes, we’re all magic thanks. I’ll send you an email if you still have the same address?
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That would be lovely, yes still the same address☺️
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Good news. Congratulations!
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Thank you 🙂
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What a powerful piece. Huge (belated) congratulations to you Ryan
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Thank you so much, Miriam. I hope things are well with you 🙂
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Yes, they are thanks Ryan. Busy with life and all.
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Happy to hear it. Haha, yes-I know that feeling well!
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