Tempted

response told me the some
one
was really a some
dog
.
    “Don’t let her come in.” Stark grimaced in pain as he abruptly turned his head away so that he couldn’t see Damien or the doorway. “Tell that Jack kid she’s his now.”
    “No.” I stopped Damien as he began to back away. “Have Jack bring Duchess in.”
    “Zoey, no, I—” Stark began, but my raised hand stilled him.
    “Just bring her in,” I said. Then I met Stark’s eyes. “Do you trust me?”
    He looked at me for what seemed like a really long time. I saw his vulnerability and pain clearly, but finally he nodded once and said, “I trust you.”
    “Go ahead, Damien,” I said.
    Damien turned and murmured something over his shoulder and then he moved aside. Jack, Damien’s boyfriend, came into the room first. His cheeks were pink and his eyes were suspiciously bright. He stopped after a couple of feet and turned back to the door.
    “Come on. It’s okay. He’s in here,” Jack coaxed.
    The blond Lab padded into the room and I was surprised by how quietly she moved for such a big dog. She stopped briefly by Jack’s side and looked up at him, wagging her tail.
    “It’s okay,” Jack repeated. He smiled at Duchess and then wiped away the tears that had escaped his eyes and were slipping down his cheeks. “He’s better now.” Jack made a motion to the bed. Duchess’s head turned in the direction he’d pointed, and she looked directly at Stark.
    The injured boy and the dog just stared at each other while I swear we all held our breath.
    “Hi, pretty girl.” Stark spoke hesitantly, his voice choked with tears.
    Duchess’s ears perked up and her head cocked.
    Stark held a hand out and made a beckoning motion. “Come here, Duch.”
    Like his command had broken a dam inside the dog, Duchess surged forward, whining and wriggling and woofing—basically sounding and acting way more like a puppy than her one hundred plus pounds said she could no way be.
    “No!” Darius commanded. “Not up on the bed!”
    Duchess obeyed the warrior and contented herself with stuffing her head against Stark’s side and sliding her big nose under his armpit while she wagged her entire body, and Stark, face glowing with happiness, petted her and told her over and over again how much he’d missed her and what a good girl she was.
    I hadn’t realized I’d been bawling, too, until Damien handed me a tissue.
    “Thanks,” I muttered, and wiped my face.
    He smiled briefly at me, and then he moved to Jack’s side, putting his arm around his boyfriend and patting his shoulder (and handing him a tissue, too). I heard Damien tell him, “Come on, let’s go find the room the sisters have ready for us. You need to rest.”
    Jack made a sniffling, hiccupping sob sound, nodded, and let Damien begin to lead him from the room.
    “Wait, Jack,” Stark called after them.
    Jack looked at the bed where Duchess still had her head pressed against Stark, who had his arm wrapped around the Lab’s neck.
    “You did good taking care of Duch when I couldn’t.”
    “It wasn’t any trouble. I’ve never had a dog before, so I didn’t know how really great they are.” Jack’s voice broke only a little. He cleared his throat and went on. “I’m—I’m glad you’re not, uh, evil and awful and stuff like that anymore so she can be with you again.”
    “Yeah, about that.” Stark paused, grimacing as the pain of his movements caught up with him. “I’m not exactly one hundred percent yet, and even when I am, I’m not sure what my schedule’s going to be. So I’m thinking that it would be a big favor to me if you and I could maybe share Duchess.”
    “Really?” Jack’s face lit up.
    Stark nodded wearily. “Really. Could you and Damien take Duch back to your room, and maybe bring her to see me again later?”
    “Absolutely!” Jack said, and then he cleared his throat and continued. “Yeah, like I said before. She hasn’t been any problem.”
    “Good,” Stark said. He lifted Duchess’s muzzle in his hand and looked into the Lab’s eyes. “I’m okay now, pretty girl. You go with Jack so I can get all better.”
    I knew it must have caused him agony, but Stark sat up then and bent to kiss Duchess and let the dog lick his face. “Good girl . . . that’s my pretty girl . . .” he whispered, and kissed her again and said, “Go on with Jack now! Go on!” and he motioned to Jack.
    After one last lick of Stark’s face, and a single reluctant whimper,