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TWELVE

I stopped at the vending machine and paid way more money for a drink and an energy bar than I would in a store, but there was no store in the veterinary clinic. There was a vending machine, so it was this or no sugar for me.

The can fell down with a loud clank, followed by the dull plop of the bar. Should I go home since my shift was at its end and get a proper dinner? Of course, but I had a date with a hellhound and I didn't want to keep him waiting.

I made my way towards Quarantine, going through all the processes to put on protective gear so I didn't track dirt into here or worse, carried a disease out of here.

All of the bays I passed were full, which was normal since the private collection was unearthed, but had definitely not been the case before that.

It couldn't be a very relaxing place for an animal as scared as Obie, so moving him would be much better but we couldn't do that until he wasn't so scared.

What a catch twenty-two.

Hopefully, my plans for today would help set him at ease because I came with a pocketful of treats. Maybe I should've spent the money on snacks for myself, but I hadn't thought of that until now. And it wasn't like the pet store had human treats anyway.

I reached Obie's bay and opened the door, not making the mistake of going in straight away. I was prepared for the smell, but not used to it yet. Maybe I would never be used to it because it was harsh and potent and felt like it could burn the hair in my nostrils if I breathed in too deep.

Once the odour had dissipated, I went inside, not at all surprised to find the hellhound hiding in the corner. He looked up when he saw me and his tail instantly went between his legs where it quivered slightly. He growled and pressed himself into as small a ball as possible.

"Fair enough. Last time I was here, I did jab you with a needle," I said, feeling pretty guilty about that. "But I'm not going to hurt you today."

He kept growling, which wasn't a surprise. He likely didn't understand a word of what I was saying, unlike some animals who were surprisingly clever and capable.

Still, it would be good to get him used to my voice. Or just sounds in general.

"So I watched a lot of training videos on how to work with anxious dogs," I said, settling down against the wall furthest away from him. "And one of them said that just sitting in silence is better than trying to engage you. So that's what I'm going to do."

It sounded boring, but luckily, I had my phone and my snack. That would just keep me plenty entertained while I hopefully got Obie used to my presence enough that he'd at least stop hiding in the corner.

I watched short videos without really paying attention to them. Instead, I kept an eye on Obie, who was still glued to the same spot. But maybe he looked a little bit more relaxed. Or less tense at least.

That was a step in the right direction.

That confirmed this was the right decision. I just had to keep it up and hope he would get used to me before I ran out of videos. And before my bum went numb from sitting on the floor.

Another animal fail video came up, one of a royal sphinx lunging at a small boy and hitting his face against the glass.

The boy burst into tears while the sphinx slunk away, clearly dazed and embarrassed.

I didn't particularly think this was funny, but the comment section seemed to find it hilarious.

I didn't recognise the habitat, which meant it wasn't taken in the Griffin Sanctuary.

Still, I didn't like this rising trend of putting mythical animals on social media.

Especially not when lots and lots of comments were discussing the health of the royal sphinx, the habitat, and giving critiques about keeping them in captivity without clearly understanding why.

It was like they never even heard about the wildfire that destroyed their entire habitat.

I clicked away from the videos and read some articles about personal drama instead when movement caught my eye. It was Obie, flopping down on his belly. He rested his head down on his front legs, and it made his mouth squish together, which instantly took him from ferocious to adorable.

A rush of excitement vibrated through me, but I didn't dare move or kick my feet or jump for joy. Instead, I screamed soundlessly and grabbed my phone so I could take a picture to commemorate this moment.

Obie was relaxing! This felt like a massive victory.

I sent the picture to Felicity right away. Look!!

Her response came right away. Awww, he's so cute. Is he asleep?

I glanced at the hellhound who was giving me the side-eye. He was no longer on high alert, but calling him comfortable would be too much.

No, he's still looking at me. But this is a big win considering he would cower and growl.

I took a few more pictures, excited about this development. It was only a small step, and we were miles away from handling him, but this proved that progress was possible.