ArchivedLogs:Better Orders

Better Orders
Dramatis Personae K.C., Steve
In Absentia	2016-07-10 "She still has nightmares."
Location <NYC> New Leash on Life
A thin sliver of a rowhouse recently converted to a spartan but functional kennel, New Leash on Life's headquarters isn't much to look at. Its back yard is fenced, but almost comically tiny, not fit for anything except an extreme emergecy potty break. It is, however, right next to a very nice dog park, and volunteers can often be seen taking dogs in threes and fours to play there. Inside, the first floor is taken up by the reception area, a small office with an even smaller break room, the kitchen, and a few temporary kennels by the back door. The second floor consists almost entirely of smartly partitioned kennels for dogs, while the third floor is reserved for the cats and other, smaller pets. There are water bowls, dog beds, leashes, poop bags, cleaning supplies, and tubs of treats tucked into every available corner of the place. Suppertime at New Leash on Life is a lively and sometimes hectic event, even when the tenants are fed and, if need be, taken outside in staggered groups according to the nicely color-coded, laminated chart on the clipboard. Steve has just returned with the Blue group -- mostly large, rambunctious young dogs -- and is settling them one by one in their kennels. He wears a white t-shirt featuring a cartoon cavalcade of adorable pets beneath a bright red banner that reads 'A New Leash on Life!' and chewed up but comfortable-looking blue jeans. He saves the most anxious dog of the group for last, but the year-old black lab mix is whining and weaving around his ankles, reluctant to enter her kennel. K.C. is just emerging from an adjacent aisle, a large watering can in her hands and a muscular black-and-white pitbull -- her own, not one of the shelter's -- tagging at her heels. "Oh -- oh, oh, uh-oh," her voice is a low murmur, kind of a monotone, "Oh, look, look, Nudge is scared again, Suga Mama you help, okay, okay." She wanders closer to Steve and his dog, leaning in towards the kennel first to fill its water bowl back up from the can she holds. Then set the can down by the entryway, sitting on the floor in front of it. The pitbull has paused, sniffing at the anxious dog. "She still has nightmares," K.C. informs -- maybe the ground, she's looking down at the floor near the lab's feet as she digs in her pocket for a treat. "See Nudge look at Suga Mama she knows there's nothing to be scared of." Steve kneels down and scritches gently behind Nudge's ears, though she has thus far ignored the treats in his other hand. The lab has tucked herself beside him, belly flattened nearly to the floor, floppy ears pressed way, way back against her neck. Her huge brown eyes dart back and forth between Steve and K.C., then finally settle on Suga Mama. Her whining quiets until it's only a faintly auible high-pitched drone, and she lifts her head to sniff at the other dog. Her tail wags once, twice, the motion small and quick. "Nightmares are no fun, even if you /know/ they're --" He pauses. Frowns. Strokes the young dog's back. "-- just that." "Just that. Just that, just that," K.C. echoes this with a small hum. "Yeah she has a lot. No fun." Suga Mama, meanwhile, is nosing back at Nudge's shoulder, her own tail wagging harder as she bows down low. K.C. drums her fingers against the floor, other hand still cupped around a small palmful of treats. "-- Maybe a friend." Steve gives a vague noise of agreement, still frowning. Nudge stays flat on the ground, but her tail is wagging more steadily now, her ears slowly easing down. Her nose follows Suga Mama, snuffling. "Maybe," Steve echoes. "She likes walking and playing with her buddies, just when it comes time to go into the crate -- nope." Suga Mama pokes her nose in against Nudge again, one paw lifting to swat lightly against the other dog's shoulder. "Mama, crate." K.C. snaps her fingers, pointing into the kennel. The pitbull wriggles backwards, settling down on the floor of Nudge's kennel with more eager tail-waggling. "Nope, nope -- well, nightmares." K.C.'s head shakes firmly. "But friends, that's better. For sleeping." Nudge rolls over other her side when swatted, paws waving in the air to slightly comical effect. Her tag now thumps against the rubber-tiled floor rhythmically. When Suga Mama goes into the kennel, Nudge lifts her head and gives a whine that sounds equal parts annoyed and distressed. But after a moment she rights herself and follows at a low creep, hesitant. Steve breaks into a faint smile. "Thatta girl," he says softly, watching her settle down next to Suga Mama. "Yeah, that. Can help. I mean -- we crate some of them together anyway. Just. Usually they're little ones, or from the same household. No reason we can't find Nudge a snuggle buddy, though." K.C. leans forward after Nudge slinks into the crate, offering a treat in each palm to both the dogs. "Big kennels. They'll fit." Suga Mama eats /her/ treat readily, at least; K.C.'s fingers strum lightly at the air in front of her once her palm is emptied. She wipes her hand against her jeans a moment later. "Rosie-not-yellow-lab-Rosie-big-Rosie. Or Spooky. Or Ella. You like them right Nudge. One of them maybe." Nudge is much more hesitant to take her treat, but finally leans forward and delicately snags it from K.C.'s palm with her incisors. Steve looks down toward the end of the aisle, coiling the leash around his hand thoughtfully. "Nudge likes just about everyone. Rosie's the calmest. Gives good cuddles." He nods. "Let's give it a try. Hang around for a while to make sure they settle alright." K.C. nods, patting Nudge lightly on the head before she stands. "Okay yeah wait here. Don't go." She takes another treat from her pocket, pressing it firmly into Steve's hand (and taking the leash) with another firm caution: "Stay." Then trots off down the aisle, returning shortly with a half-eaten bowl of food in one hand and a large shepherd mix trotting along at the end of the leash. "Yes, Ma'am." Steve chuckles, accepting the treat and adding it to the ones he already held in his other palm. Stretches said palm out and dispenses the treats to the two dogs in turn. Nudge starts whining again when K.C. starts to leave, her eyes straying to the door latch. But when Steve does not close the door or take her buddy, she settles down again. Does not take the first treat offered her, but changes her mind on the second round. She watches Rosie's approach with reasonably calm curiosity, tail twapping the inside of her kennel. K.C. leads Rosie to the kennel, clicking her tongue to call Suga Mama out of it before crouching to slide Rosie's food to one corner. "Okay look here's the new house new friend new sleeping. Have to snuggle that's important." She unclips Rosie's lead to gesture her in, though the larger dog doesn't immediately enter. Sets a foot in, sniffs at Nudge, looks up at the humans. "Oh!" K.C. looks back at Steve, too. "Oh yeah you can stop." Nudge gives a low, wavering whine when Suga Mama rises, and immediately scrambles to her feet. She really panics when the pit bull /leaves/, and tries to follow her at once, but that K.C. and Rosie are in her path. Her whining intensifies, and she crouches down low, ears pressed back. Sniffs right back at Rosie, their noses touching briefly. Steve settles back onto his heels, his smile going crooked. "I've gotten so much better at following orders, working here." Then, looking from Rosie to Nudge and back. "You remember each other, don't you?" K.C. gestures Rosie into the kennel again; this time the dog actually moves forward, snuffling at Nudge again. K.C. tips her head up, brows briefly furrowing when she looks at Steve. "Good at orders here. Not before. Weird. Weird. That's weird. You know that's weird?" Nudge whines a little quieter, her tail wagging in small twitches. Steve shrugs. "Yeah, I know." He passes K.C. the remaining treats in his hand. "Maybe I was never /bad/ at it, just -- didn't like the orders I was getting before." K.C. offers the dogs the treats again, scratching behind Nudge's ear after Rosie has eaten hers. "... like them now." Nudge relaxes by slow degrees and accepts the proffered treat. Steve nods, rising. "Yeah. Just like them."