One Perfect Summer

he’ll survive,’ the vet tells him gently.
    Joe looks down at Dyson.
    ‘The kindest thing would be to put him out of his misery.’ He gives Joe a sympathetic look.
    I gulp back my tears and put my hand on Joe’s arm.
    ‘No,’ Joe says and it’s like his throat is closing up because he can hardly get the word out. ‘Try.’
    The vet indicates the door.
    We wait outside for an hour, me gripping Joe’s hand tightly as he stares at the vinyl floor. Finally the door opens and the three of us jump to attention.
    ‘He’s alive,’ the vet says and Joe’s face lights up. ‘But it’s not good.’ Joe’s smile freezes on his face and then fades. ‘I don’t know if he’ll make it through the night.’
    Joe nods. ‘Can I stay with him?’
    The vet shakes his head. ‘I’m afraid not. He’s in safe hands. You can come back in the morning.’
    ‘What time?’ Dad asks.
    ‘Call me first thing.’ He hands over a card. Joe takes it and stares at it in a daze.
    ‘Come on,’ I say gently.
    It’s a long, long night. Dad trundles upstairs to bed as soon as we get back to the cottage. I can hear him talking to my sleepy mother in the room above our heads. I stay with Joe on the sofa and there are no complaints. I rest my head on his chest and he stares up at the ceiling, too upset to speak or sleep.
    ‘Do you think it was Ryan?’ I ask carefully, lifting my head to look at him.
    Joe hesitates before nodding.
    ‘Why didn’t you tell—’
    ‘I don’t know,’ he interrupts.
    ‘Why do you feel loyal to him?’ I try to keep my frustration under control. ‘After everything he’s done to you?’
    ‘It’s not loyalty,’ he says. ‘It’s like I’m bound by him.’ He keeps staring up at the ceiling, deep in thought. ‘Silence is almost second nature to me now.’
    I press my face to his chest. The next thing I know, Joe is edging himself away from me. I come to, groggily. Dawn is spilling under the curtains.
    ‘I need to call the vet,’ he tells me quietly. I sit up and rub the sleep out of my eyes as he delves into his pocket for the vet’s card.
    I dig out my phone, but I’m out of credit and I forgot to top up. ‘I’ll see if I can borrow Dad’s,’ I say.
    ‘No.’ He pulls me back. ‘Don’t wake him. There’s a payphone down the road.’
    ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ I snap.
    He furrows his brow with annoyance at me. It’s the first time he’s looked at me like this and it makes me feel wretched. ‘I’ll go to the payphone,’ he reiterates firmly.
    ‘Okay. I’ll come with you.’
    We reach the payphone and Joe goes inside. I stand against the door, holding it open. It’s sickening, waiting for someone to answer, but eventually they do.
    ‘I came in last night,’ Joe tells the person on the other end of the line. ‘With my dog.’ Pause. ‘Sorry,’ he says, and I think he’s being chastised for calling too early. ‘Please could you check on him now?’ he begs. ‘Thank you.’ He looks across at me. ‘She’s going to check.’
    ‘Is it not the vet from last night?’
    ‘No.’ He shakes his head. ‘I think it might be his wife. She said he’s still in bed.’
    ‘They must live at the surgery.’
    He nods. I notice his knuckles are white from clutching the phone so tightly. Suddenly he perks up.
    ‘Yes?’ he asks. My eyes widen with anticipation. ‘Oh, no,’ he says quietly. Blood rushes into his knuckles as his hand goes limp. I step into the booth and take the phone from him.
    ‘Hello?’ I speak into the receiver.
    ‘Hello?’ the woman at the other end replies.
    ‘What happened?’ I ask.
    ‘He didn’t make it, I’m afraid.’ She sounds apologetic.
    Sobs well up inside me. I turn quickly to look at Joe. He’s hunched over at the side of the road.
    ‘What would you like us to do with the body?’ she asks.
    ‘I don’t know.’ I stare in shock at Joe.
    ‘Can you come in at around ten? We can discuss it then.’
    ‘Yes. Okay. Thank you.’
    I hang up the phone and go to Joe. He cries hard into my shoulder, clutching my body as his tears dampen my T-shirt. I hold him as tightly as I can, crying too. Dyson meant the world to him. He loved him so much. He was his escape from reality, his only ally in a horrible home. He won’t know what to do with himself now that Dyson’s gone.
    The bill is the next hurdle we have to face. Joe stares down at the white sheet of paper, his hands shaking as he reads the total. I take it from him and almost have a