#All credit and rights due to the “Wheeze” OP

[ominouspuff]

emoji drop

[bloojayoolie]

Being Alone, Apparently, and Cats: Mnck ID 62206, 4 YRS, 82 LBS BROOKLYN ACC BIG, FRIENDLY, SOCIAL, WAG GY & SWEET BOY LIKES DOGS. TO BE KILLED – 5/16/2019 Big, friendly, waggy and sweet, MacK was found wandering, scared and alone in the streets of NYC. He may be a big boy, but at that moment he was just a lost little boy on the inside. Dragged into the shelter by police via a rabies pole, his arrival at the care center was nothing short of terrifying. We can't blame him for his anxiety and confusion. But with a few days behind him, he has warmed up nicely to some of his favorite staff members and is a real heartbreaker, soft and attention seeking and a lover of treats. What a stunner too! His one magnificent icy blue eye, the other a warm brown, and his size – he’s 82 lbs of cookies and cream. He loves treats, he enjoys his time in playgroup with his girlfriends (like Sassy for example) and he is so stoic and patient, even when they jump all over him. He understands the meaning of “gentleman” and takes it all in stride. MacK truly needs a loving family, an experienced foster or adopter in an adult only home where he can decompress, relax, open his heart to his new family and feel safe and loved. Will you be the one to make his dream of a family come true? Message our page or email us at MustLoveDogsNYC@gmail.com for assistance fostering or adopting treat loving, heart stealing MacK now! MY MOVIE! I make friends with Sassy, she’s great! https://youtu.be/_OqIuCf0X2g ZEUS, ID# 62206, 4 Yrs. Old, 82 lbs, Unaltered Male Brooklyn ACC, Large Mixed Breed, White / Black I came to the shelter as an Agency, 5/7/2019 Shelter Assessment Rating: NEW HOPE ONLY Medical Behavior Rating: 4. Orange AT RISK NOTE: Although MacK has shown improvement with certain handlers in the care center, he has not acclimated well to the kennel environment and has allowed only minimal handling since intake. We recommend placement with a New Hope partner who can provide any necessary behavior modification (force-free, positive reinforcement-based) and re-evaluate behavior in a stable home environment before placement into a permanent home. Mack was also diagnosed with CIRDC and would have to stay away from other dogs for the next 14 days after diagnosed. INTAKE BEHAVIOR – DATE OF INTAKE, 5/7/2019: Mack was snapping, growling and lunging when being taken out of the crate. No handling was done. SURRENDER NOTES – BASIC INFORMATION: Mack is a large white and black dog that was found loose in the street and was brought to the ACC as a stray. SHELTER ASSESSMENT SUMMARIES Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Hard pulling Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Soft body, tail wagging, ears forward, explores somewhat, jumps up soliciting attention, stays near handlers, readily accepts treats with soft mouth Call over: Does not approach immediately Sociability comments: Mack was observed to walk toward assessor and sniffed the outstretched hand, tensed his body and low growled toward the assessor. In order to minimize Mack's stress levels, the assessment was concluded. PLAYGROUP NOTES – DOG TO DOG SUMMARIES: Mack was surrendered as a stray so his past behavior around dogs is unknown. 5/8: When off leash at the Care Center, Mack is introduced to a novel female dog. He is sexually motivated as he greets the female and places his chin over her back. Mack positions himself to mount the female but is interrupted by handlers. Mack walks away to explore the pens. 5/9: Mack was introduced to a novel female again today. He greets her with a soft body and wanders around the yard. He does give the female one quick bounce when she solicits play but does not reciprocate otherwise. Summary (1):: Mack understands the cue for "sit". INTAKE BEHAVIOR – DATE OF INTAKE: 5/7/2019 Summary:: Baring teeth, growling, lunging and snapping; No handling performed MEDICAL BEHAVIOR - Date of initial:: 5/8/2019 Summary:: Initially hyperactive, allowed muzzle, escalated to hard stare, growling and head whipping ENERGY LEVEL:: MacK has been observed to exhibit a medium level of energy during his interactions in the care center. IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: 5/10: Mack was laying in his kennel as handler approached. When handler removed the blocker and Mack noticed her, he stood and gave tail wags. As handler unlocked his kennel, She offered Mack a treat, which he took gently. Mack was easily removed from the kennel and walked out with a loose body, showing no reactivity to the barking dogs as he passed them. Once outside, mack relieved himself at the gate and was brought back inside for his interaction. After his interaction was over, Mack walked back to his kennel with the handler, returning to a loose body and showing no reactivity to passing staff members. Mack allowed the handler to pet his head and back on his way back to his kennel, giving tail wags the whole way. Mack was returned to his kennel without any issues. 5/12: Mack allowed very exuberant handling while maintaining a wiggly body. BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only Behavior Asilomar: TM - Treatable-Manageable Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Place with a New Hope partner Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to how uncomfortable MacK is currently with touch and novel stimuli, we feel that an adult-only home would be most beneficial at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Although MacK has shown improvement with certain handlers in the care center, he has not acclimated well to the kennel environment and has allowed only minimal handling since intake. We recommend placement with a New Hope partner who can provide any necessary behavior modification (force-free, positive reinforcement-based) and re-evaluate behavior in a stable home environment before placement into a permanent home. Potential challenges: : Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Kennel presence Potential challenges comments:: Handling/touch sensitivity: MacK displays handling sensitivity during his interactions in the care center, observed on multiple occasions. MacK has been observed to escalate to baring his teeth, growling, lunging and snapping toward handlers when attempting to handling him. Please refer to the handout on Handling/touch sensitivity. Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: MacK is very fearful at the care center and has bared teeth, growled, lunged and snapped at handlers when attempts are made to approach him and touch him. He will need a slow approach and time to acclimate to new people. Please see handout on Fearful/potential for defensive aggression. Kennel presence: MacK exhibits kennel presence and has been observed to growl when new people approach his kennel door. Should this behavior arise in a home environment, please refer to the handout on Kennel presence. MEDICAL EXAM NOTES 8/05/2019 DVM Intake Estimated age: 4 years Microchip noted on Intake? No Microchip Number (If Applicable): History: Stray Subjective: BARH, no coughing/sneezing/vomiting/diarrhea Observed behavior: Initially hyperactive but allowed muzzle, escalated quickly to hard stare and growling/whipping head around when exam was performed. Evidence of cruelty seen: No Evidence of trauma seen: No Objective: P: WNL R: WNL BCS: 6/9 OP: Mucous membranes pink and moist. Muzzled. EENT: Eyes, ears, and nares clear bilaterally, no discharge noted. PLN: Small/soft/symmetrical/nonpainful CV: No murmurs or arrhythmias, pulses strong and synchronous. RESP: Eupneic, no crackles/wheezes GI: Soft, nonpainful, no palpable masses. UG: Male intact, two descended testicles, no discharge INT: Good hair coat, no areas of alopecia or pruritus, no ectoparasites or masses noted. MS: Ambulatory x4, no pain on palpation of epaxials NEURO: Mentation appropriate, cranial nerves intact, no deficits noted. Assessment: -Apparently healthy Prognosis: Fair Plan: -Start trazodone 5 mg/kg PO q12h indefinitely Surgery: Okay for surgery 13/05/2019 Progress exam-New CIRDC noted on rounds History: Intake 5/8-APH, started on trazodone for shelter anxiety Subjective: BAR. Lunging at the front of the cage. Sneezing. Objective: EENT: serous nasal d/c bilaterally, no ocular d/c ou L: Eupneic, normal RR/RE but sneezing MSI: Ambulatory x 4, good haircoat CNS: mentation appropriate - no signs of neurologic abnormalities Assessment: CIRDC Plan: Continue trazodone 200mg PO BID Start baytril 10mg/kg PO SID x14d until 5/27 Recheck at day 7 Move to iso Prognosis: Good *** TO FOSTER OR ADOPT *** MACK S RESCUE ONLY. You must fill out applications with New Hope Rescues to foster or adopt him. He cannot be reserved online at the ACC ARL, nor can he be direct adopted at the shelter. PLEASE HURRY AND MESSAGE OUR PAGE FOR ASSISTANCE! HOW TO RESERVE A “TO BE KILLED” DOG ONLINE (only for those who can get to the shelter IN PERSON to complete the adoption process, and only for the dogs on the list NOT marked New Hope Rescue Only). Follow our Step by Step directions below! *PLEASE NOTE – YOU MUST USE A PC OR TABLET – PHONE RESERVES WILL NOT WORK! ** STEP 1: CLICK ON THIS RESERVE LINK: http://bit.ly/2ynocEZ Step 2: Go to the red menu button on the top right corner, click register and fill in your info. Step 3: Go to your email and verify account \ Step 4: Go back to the website, click the menu button and view available dogs Step 5: Scroll to the animal you are interested and click reserve STEP 6 ( MOST IMPORTANT STEP ): GO TO THE MENU AGAIN AND VIEW YOUR CART. THE ANIMAL SHOULD NOW BE IN YOUR CART! Step 7: Fill in your credit card info and complete transaction HOW TO FOSTER OR ADOPT IF YOU *CANNOT* GET TO THE SHELTER IN PERSON, OR IF THE DOG IS NEW HOPE RESCUE ONLY! You must live within 3 – 4 hours of NY, NJ, PA, CT, RI, DE, MD, MA, NH, VT, ME or Norther VA. Please PM our page for assistance. You will need to fill out applications with a New Hope Rescue Partner to foster or adopt a dog on the To Be Killed list, including those labelled Rescue Only. Hurry please, time is short, and the Rescues need time to process the applications. Shelter contact information Phone number (212) 788-4000 Email adoption@nycacc.org Shelter Addresses: Brooklyn Shelter: 2336 Linden Boulevard Brooklyn, NY 11208 Manhattan Shelter: 326 East 110 St. New York, NY 10029 Staten Island Shelter: 3139 Veterans Road West Staten Island, NY 10309 *** NEW NYC ACC RATING SYSTEM *** Level 1 Dogs with Level 1 determinations are suitable for the majority of homes. These dogs are not displaying concerning behaviors in shelter, and the owner surrender profile (where available) is positive. Some dogs with Level 1 determinations may still have potential challenges, but these are challenges that the behavior team believe can be handled by the majority of adopters. The potential challenges could include no young children, prefers to be the only dog, no dog parks, no cats, kennel presence, basic manners, low level fear and mild anxiety. Level 2 Dogs with Level 2 determinations will be suitable for adopters with some previous dog experience. They will have displayed behavior in the shelter (or have owner reported behavior) that requires some training, or is simply not suitable for an adopter with minimal experience. Dogs with a Level 2 determination may have multiple potential challenges and these may be presenting at differing levels of intensity, so careful consideration of the behavior notes will be required for counselling. Potential challenges at Level 2 include no young children, single pet home, resource guarding, on-leash reactivity, mouthiness, fear with potential for escalation, impulse control/arousal, anxiety and separation anxiety. Level 3 Dogs with Level 3 determinations will need to go to homes with experienced adopters, and the ACC strongly suggest that the adopter have prior experience with the challenges described and/or an understanding of the challenge and how to manage it safely in a home environment. In many cases, a trainer will be needed to manage and work on the behaviors safely in a home environment. It is likely that every dog with a Level 3 determination will have a behavior modification or training plan available to them from the behavior department that will go home with the adopters and be made available to the New Hope Partners for their fosters and adopters. Some of the challenges seen at Level 3 are also seen at Level 1 and Level 2, but when seen alongside a Level 3 determination can be assumed to be more severe. The potential challenges for Level 3 determinations include adult only home (no children under the age of 13), single pet home, resource guarding, on-leash reactivity with potential for redirection, mouthiness with pressure, potential escalation to threatening behavior, impulse control, arousal, anxiety, separation anxiety, bite history (human), bite history (dog) and bite history (other). New Hope Rescue Only Dog is not publicly adoptable. Prospective fosters or adopters need to fill out applications with New Hope Partner Rescues to save this dog.

[astridthevalkyrie]

A Game of Pretend (Revised)

Modern AU. Hiccup and Astrid are having a normal conversation on the phone, or so Astrid thinks. Oneshot.  

Revised version, with thanks to @athingofvikings’s contributing.

The cliffhanger is finally resolved! 

There wasn't any blood on his face, but Hiccup still felt his vision go blurry. His fingers were touching the sticky hot liquid on his stomach, trying to staunch the flow. With a painful grunt, he slipped away from the wall that had been holding him up, and he fell to the dirty ground; his injured arm took the bulk of the impact and he cried out despite himself, a few tears splashing the ground without his permission.

He laid there for a moment, and them realized that his phone was still in his back pocket.  It took nearly every bit of effort he had, but he managed to twist his phone out from his pocket, managing to keep his screams down to agonized grunts.

The screen was cracked, and he managed to wryly comment, “Here goes nothing...” and hit the power button.

Emergency Call hovered in front of him as the screen lit up.

The ambulance wouldn't get here on time. There was no point. This was it.

He wasn't going to bother calling them. Hiccup shakily unlocked the phone, and hit the shortcut labeled with Astrid’s name and a phone icon.  

After three terrifying rings, his wife picked up the phone.

"Hello? Hiccup?"

"Hey, Ast," he grit out, not making a single agonized sound, no matter how much he wanted to cry out in pain, "what's up?"

Her voice sounded relieved over the phone. "Everything's fine at the office. How did it go? No injuries or anything?"

Hiccup laughed - it would come out as cocky to her, ironic to him. "Of course not. You know me - careful is my middle name."

"I thought it was horrendous."

They both laughed - Hiccup rested his head against the wall with his blood on it, hanging on to her voice. He was going to die. He was going to die right here.

“Your day doing all right?” he asked.  “I went for a walk after the meeting to try out the new prosthetic.”

“How did it go?”

“All right,” he managed, glancing at the broken stump of shattered fiberglass and bent metal attached to his leg.  “How about you?”

“Well, I finished up work early, and...”

He kept the conversation going, wanting to hear her cheerful voice. He didn't want to let go of her, but if he was going to, he didn't want to hear her cry. It might make the pain even worse. It was selfish, but he needed this.

His breath started coming out short, so he let Astrid do most of the talking, which he had no problem with anyway. She told him about her day, and Hiccup felt his eyelids trying to close, but he kept them open for as long as he could, until it seemed unbearable and there were tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Astrid," he whispered, interrupting what she was saying, "I love you."

Her laugh was the last thing he heard as the phone slipped from his hand and he slumped over.

"I love you too, babe. I had a surprise to tell you at home, but since you're getting all emotional on me right now, I'll just tell you. I, uh, well, you know the pregnancy tests I bought yesterday? Hiccup - they came out positive! ...Hello? Are you speechless, I bet Fishlegs ten that you would be. Come on, babe, say something. Hello? Hiccup? Hiccup, we're having a kid! Hiccup?"

Astrid dove through the hospital doors almost before they managed to open in front of her and ran, her phone still held to her ear.  "I'm here!  Where do I go!?"

"Follow the red line on the floor to the ER, Mrs. Haddock," the calm voice of the EMT said, and then there was a moment's hesitation.  "And I'm sorry, but I have to ask... since the muggers took his wallet, do you know if he's an organ donor?"

Astrid felt her whole body chill at that question and the implication behind it. Was she too late…?  Taking a deep breath, she nodded, and then realized that the EMT couldn't see the motion.  "He is.  Said that it was important... but that he never expected...  Oh god!"  She choked, hearing Hiccup's sarcastic comment in her memories.  It's like insurance, right?  You do it just in case, not because it's actually going to happen...

She found the red line and started to run down the hallway at top speed, her stomach churning from something aside from the morning sickness.  Curse the hospital’s inadequate parking; she'd had to find a spot on the other side of the hospital from the emergency room... a spot not far from where her OG-BYN's office was, actually.  Now she had to run like she’d never run before.

"Ma'am, it's fine!  We just had to know.  Just in case."

She didn't have the breath to reply; she was running flat out down the hallway, darting around other patients and doctors like they were opponents on the sports field.  At least one orderly or nurse yelled at her to stop running, but she ignored them.

The red line of paint on the worn linoleum of the floor and the phone at her ear were the entirety of her existence.   

"How is he?" she gasped out, still clutching the phone to her ear like a lifeline.  An hour ago, she'd been ready to share the news with Hiccup that he was going to be a father.

Now... she might be a widow before the nice dinner that she'd left half-assembled on the kitchen counter.  The front door to their home was hanging open from her hurry to get here.  

"We've got him stable, but he's lost a lot of blood from the stab wounds, and there's internal bleeding from the beating he took.  We've got three IVs giving him whole blood, plus saline.  We're going to get him into the operating room as soon as the surgeon is ready to deal with the gut wou--shit!  Stop that bleeder!"

A flurry of alarms came over the phone as Astrid rounded a corner at speed, nearly crashing into some old grandfather using a walker followed by his IV stand.  "Paul!?  EMT Emerson!?  What's happening?"

The EMT didn't answer, but the talk she was hearing over the phone--Hiccup's phone, which she had still not hung up on since this nightmare had begun forty minutes ago, and she was going to kick his ass for not calling the ambulance as soon as the muggers had left him in that alley--terrified her.  Not their tone, but the content hidden among the professional jargon.  She understood quite well what a 'crashing BP' meant, or 'internal hemorrhaging.'

The red line terminated in front of a pair of battered swing doors, above which there was a sign reading EMERGENCY ROOM.

She burst through the doors just as the phone delivered a shrill alarm to her ear, and the call for a crash cart.  

Fishlegs sat next to Astrid as the machines beeped around them.

Three hours of surgery.  Sixteen pints of blood.  A nicked artery in the intestines that had torn open as soon as they'd started raising his blood pressure.  And six stab wounds to the abdomen for the blood to leak out of, plus broken bones, cracked ribs, badly bruised kidneys and liver, a perforated intestine, and purpling bruises on his skin whose imprints made clear impressions of boot heels and fists.

If they hadn't had him in the ER right at that moment when the artery had burst, he would have died.  As it was, the surgeon had told them that it had been touch and go at several points as they’d sutured his arteries shut and had to remove part of his liver.

All over forty dollars and a worn leather wallet and irrational hate over someone who ‘walked funny’.  

They'd already caught the three skinheads who had decided that beating up on a guy with a prosthetic leg would be a fun way to pass a little time.  The one with the knife--still wet with traces of Hiccup's blood caught in the crevasses--had been charged with attempted murder, and his buddies, who had held Hiccup up to be stabbed, were being charged with aiding and abetting.  They hadn’t gone far; just around the corner to a nearby bar where they’d bought some beers and snacks with Hiccup’s credit card.

They were protesting that they were innocent, but that was a little hard to get away with when one of them had been caught with Hiccup's wallet, doing gross things with Hiccup's pictures of Astrid, and another's boots made perfect matches for the bruises.  

The fascist symbols on the boot heels that matched the one on the bruise above Hiccup's kidneys were rather a giveaway...

Fishlegs took a deep sigh.  Stoick would see to it that the two-legged animals that had nearly killed his son would be prosecuted.  Meanwhile, Astrid was finally asleep in the chair next to him.  

Now... they just had to wait for Hiccup to wake up.  

And hope that nothing else would go wrong.

Meanwhile, she had a death grip on his half-broken phone, which she'd reclaimed from the EMTs during the surgery.

He reached over to take it from her and put it to charge with hers, but her eyes snapped open as soon as he touched it. An instant later, she managed to pull the punch to his gut so that it only hurt, rather than knocking the wind from him.  

Staggering back, he wheezed, "You weren't asleep."

"I tried, but I can't.  Not with these... things beeping."

Fishlegs held his hand to his aching gut and nodded.  "Okay."

The nurse came in as the two of them were looking at each other.  Ignoring them, she added something to Hiccup's IV.

"What's that?" Astrid asked anxiously, like she had for every addition to the IV bag in the last six hours.

"Antibiotic for the gastrointestinal perforation--we want to prevent peritonitis from developing," she said professionally.

"And that means?" Astrid asked desperately.  

The nurse gave a professionally even smile.  "Due to the injuries to the intestines, the bacteria inside could leak out into the abdominal cavity and cause infections," she said.  "So we're giving him a standard post-op prophylactic antibiotic."

Despite himself, Fishlegs asked, "What about the chance of resistant bacterial infection?"

The nurse gave him a momentary irritated look, as Astrid asked, "What's that?"

Sighing and shooting Fishlegs another dirty look, she said, "Some bacteria have evolved resistance to the standard antibiotics."  She nodded to indicate Hiccup.  "If he does come down with such an infection, we'll use the second-line antibiotics."  She reached out to Astrid.  "Your husband will be fine."

Astrid nodded and then turned green.  Staggering over to the room's wastebasket, she managed to get her face over it before she vomited into it.  

"Ma'am...  are you alright?" the nurse asked, sounding somewhat concerned.

Fishlegs winced, and stepped over to help Astrid, even if that was limited to handing her a bottle of water and holding her hair up out of the way.  Even as he did so, it felt wrong for him to be doing so, like he was usurping his friend's place at his wife's side.  

Astrid retched again, and gasped out, "I'm pregnant."

"Oh.  And..." the nurse glanced at Hiccup.  "He's the father?"  There was a pause.  "Does he know?"

Astrid gave a half-retch, half-sob.  "I told him... just as he was passing out from blood loss."

The nurse considered that and said, "I'll be right back."

She left, and Fishlegs helped Astrid, whose legs were shaking, back into the chair, and twisted open the bottle of water for her.  

In the background, the machines continued to beep.  

Hiccup was alive... stable... and not waking up anytime soon.  The damage was just too severe, and his body was focusing on healing itself.  If he woke up now, he’d be in agony.

Despite himself, Fishlegs took out his own phone and did a search.

He shouldn't have... because Astrid heard his little hissing gasp, and snatched the phone from his hands without so much as a question.

He grimaced, and a few moments later, she found what he'd searched for.  

"One in twenty-five patients gets infected in the hospital!?"  She looked up at Fishlegs, her expression one of despair.  "Please, please, tell me that he'll be okay."

"He'll be okay," Fishlegs said with as much confidence as he could muster... and resisting the urge to tell her about MRSA, which was his biggest worry.  

He looked at the unconscious body on the bed.  Hiccup's prosthesis was busted, kicked to pieces by the brutes who had attacked him, and his friend looked so small and broken, his body pierced by tubes and kept alive with machines.  

The doctors had told them that if he made it through the night, he'd likely survive.

It was two in the morning.

And Fishlegs wanted to see his friend learn that he'd be a father.  

Hang in there, Hiccup.  Just keep living.  Please.  

Snotlout’s face was red by the time he reached the room Hiccup was in. He saw Astrid, looking ill and leaning against the wall, and Fishlegs, rocking back and forth on a chair with his eyes closed.

And then he saw his cousin, looking in the worst condition Snotlout had ever seen him in, with bruises and cuts and surrounded by machines.

Astrid saw him first, and she opened her mouth, but no words came out. He walked over to her and hugged her tightly. Her eyes were red and bloodshot.

“You’re going to be an uncle,” she whispered in his ear.

Snotlout’s eyes widened and he pulled back, looking her in the eyes, and she nodded with her eyes looking at the floor. “You’re actually…”

“Hiccup p-passed out either before or as I was telling him.”

“Holy shit,” Snotlout whispered, sitting down with his head in his hands. Fishlegs clapped a hand on his shoulder.

His cousin couldn’t have just called a damn ambulance instead of his wife. He had to go ahead and be romantic instead. What about romanticizing life? Astrid hadn’t been the one in danger.

But really, what else could Snotlout expect?

He settled in on one of the uncomfortable chairs and held Astrid’s hand as she stared dully at the monitors.  Once, he would have done anything to be holding her like this.  

Now, he wanted to yell and scream at that younger version of himself with a shout of “Are you happy now!?”

Because he wasn’t.  

Beep... beep... beep... beep...

Snotlout hadn’t been in a hospital for anything worse than a broken arm from a bad moment on the field since his and Hiccup’s grandfather had died when they were young.  

And his memories kept reminding him of that moment of supreme loss when old Hamish had breathed his last and the beeps... stopped.  

He glanced over at Fishlegs, who had gotten here first; the big man looked worn out and tired, and said quietly, “‘Legs, head down to the cafeteria and get something to eat.  I’ll stay with ‘em.”  

Fishlegs looked like he was going to protest for a moment, and then nodded.  As he went to the door, Snotlout cocked his head towards Astrid. “And get something for her, too.”

Another nod, and his friend left to get food.

It wouldn’t help Hiccup any for his wife to starve herself... and she was eating for two.  

The nurse came by on her floor check, and he introduced himself as a part of the family.  He wanted to take her aside and ask, honestly, how bad it was... but there was no way that he was going to leave Astrid alone, or ask that in front of her.  

So he watched as the woman in the blue scrubs did inscrutable things to the various machines, bags and tubes--what she was checking for, Snotlout had no idea--and then left.

He handled the nurse the next few times she came to check on Hiccup. Fishlegs just wasn’t handling it, and he didn’t want Astrid to be lingering on every word the woman said, she was already sick to her stomach.

Then he would sit back and try to calm himself down. It was going to be a long night, and Snotlout didn’t know if Hiccup was going to make it.

Astrid watched as the technician unhooked Hiccup from the dialysis machine; his color was much better than it had been before the treatment.  The kick to Hiccup’s back had injured his kidneys, and to let them heal and keep Hiccup from poisoning himself, they hooked her unconscious husband up to the machine for a few hours each day.  

They were also uncertain about nerve damage to his spine from the same kicks, and his primary doctor had advised her that, despite the liver and kidney damage, it was best to keep him sedated while he healed.  He would be in so much pain when he woke--and it was when, not if, she assured herself--that they were trying to spare him that.

And she just had to hope that they knew what they were doing.  She’d been educating herself on what all of the various indicators meant... and the answers weren’t good.  

He’d lost so much blood--twice what his actual body would normally hold--that he’d be vulnerable to infection while his immune system built back up his antibodies, a thought that terrified her when she’d learned that knife wounds to the intestines were highly likely to become infected.

His ‘intact’ leg was broken in two places and they had needed to use metal pins to put the bones back together, and the skinheads had nearly torn his arm from the socket when they’d been holding him for their knife-carrying friend.  Those would take months to heal, and would require physical therapy.

They were cautiously optimistic that he wouldn’t need a kidney transplant and that the injured organ would heal... but the catheter tube that came out from under the sheet was filled with red, a sight that made her heart jump and her throat swell shut with fear every time she saw it.  

Her phone rang, and her heart sank when she saw the number.

Taking a deep breath, she answered it.  “Yes?”

“Hello, Mrs. Haddock.  This is Alvin, with the insurance company?  We spoke yesterday about your husband’s treatment.”

“I remember.  What about it?”  

“Your case is currently under review, but I’m afraid to inform you that due to the circumstances of your husband’s emergency, we are denying your application for the changed plan to apply to his current treatment, as it counts as a preexisting condition.”  He didn’t sound afraid.  He sounded as if he was enjoying what he was saying.  

Her heart sank.  They couldn’t afford his treatment without that change to the insurance plan.  The deductible was just too much, and Hiccup’s leg was only covered due to his work.

“Please, please, please, reconsider--” she started to say, only for him to cut her off.  “Ma’am, you’ll have to apply for an exemption and a review of your case.  Good day.”  

He hung up.

Astrid looked around the room, at the multiple complicated, expensive machines keeping Hiccup alive...

And hunched her legs up into her chest and cried.  And then had to run for the wastebasket again, as the granola bar and orange that Snotlout had gotten her to eat suddenly turned sour in her stomach.  

“Hey, listen, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Ruffnut murmured, taking a glance back at the boys, who were talking in hushed whispers among themselves. Astrid’s eyes were closed, her face was flushed, and she was letting out labored breaths.

“It’s not okay.” Astrid bit her lip. “No one is sure if he’s gonna wake up or not. And even if he does, he’ll be in so much pain, so much-”

Ruff wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her shoulders. “He’s going to live. That’s gotta count for something.”

“Of course it does, but Ruff, how, in what universe, are we going to be able to pay for all of this?” Astrid put a hand over her mouth and released a sob.

Ruffnut and her brother had been about to board a flight when they were given the news. Fishlegs had texted them both multiple times, and, when they were about halfway there, added that Astrid was pregnant. Tuff had broken a lot of speed limits, and no one stopped him, especially not Ruff. That had been a few days ago.

Now, she held up her crying friend, hugging her and rubbing her back. “Listen, we’re all going to help you. We’re your backbone, Astrid, we have been since high school.” Astrid didn’t appear to hear her. Instead, she gasped, “Something’s wrong.”

“Astrid? Astrid!? What is it!?”

Astrid didn’t answer; her face was contorting with pain; she gave a heaving gasp and grasped her stomach like she was having period cramps dialed up to maximum and the knob broken off.  Her legs buckled and, most terrifyingly of all, a cry of sobbing pain pain escaped her.

Ruffnut swore as Astrid swayed and started to topple, her eyes rolling back into her head before they closed completely.  

“Help!” Ruffnut called as Astrid passed out into her arms.  

Snotlout swore and hit the button to call the nursing station, moving so fast and fluidly that Ruffnut would later realize that he’d been waiting to hit the alarm for hours.  Tuffnut helped her lower Astrid to the floor, both of them grunting with the effort as the other woman tried to unconsciously curl into a ball.  Fishlegs grabbed a pillow and stuck it under her head, and a moment later, the door swung open to reveal the duty nurse.

“What happened?”

Fishlegs said something technical that Ruffnut didn’t understand--it sounded like Sin-cop?--and then Ruffnut noticed that Astrid’s jeans were damp with blood.  

She shrieked and tried to tell the nurse, but couldn’t get the words out, instead just pointing frantically.  

The nurse understood, though; within a minute, there was a gurney coming in through the door and Astrid was loaded onto it by a pair of orderlies, who rushed her out of the door.  The nurse wasn’t looking too hopeful, though.

Ruffnut left with them, trying to understand, while Snotlout and Fishlegs stayed behind.  

But part of her understood what had happened all too well, and she was in denial.

An hour later, Astrid’s gynecologist confirmed it, although he used kind, technical terms, like “spontaneous miscarriage”...

Astrid had lost the baby.

Ruffnut didn’t cry often. But tears sprung to her eyes at this news. Hiccup probably hadn’t even heard enough to know Astrid was pregnant, and now he would have to get the news of the baby and the miscarriage all at once.

Ruff sat down, buried her face in her hands, and wondered why it had all gone so wrong so quickly for the Haddock family.

Tuffnut stood by, feeling useless, as Stoick hugged his sobbing daughter-in-law, heedless of the hospital gown she was wearing, crying that she was going to lose him and had already lost the baby.  The big man had flown in a few hours ago, and was throwing his weight around.  He’d arranged to get both Hiccup and Astrid into a private room, and his lawyer, Gobber, was making sure that the skinheads wouldn’t get off with a slap on the wrist.  Gobber had left a little while ago, an ugly and oddly satisfied chuckle in his voice as he’d considered a way to make those three bastards’ lives hell.  

Tuffnut wished him the best of luck.  Apparently, due to some stupid law on the books around here, it was possible that they might even manage to get the three of them charged with murdering Astrid’s baby.  

Meanwhile, Stoick was assuring Astrid that he’d cover the costs.  Hiccup wouldn’t like that--he made a big deal about not needing his dad for anything--but, as far as Tuffnut was concerned, Hiccup had given up his right to protest over how they paid for his hospital bills when he’d wasted over ten minutes of time when he could have called the ambulance to make a dramatic romantic call instead, between the time he’d talked to her and the time she’d found where he was and sent the ambulance.  

As it was, thank god that he had installed that tracking software on his and Astrid’s phones after they both kept forgetting and misplacing them.  Otherwise, the ambulance would never have found him in time.

He shivered at the thought.

Ruffnut came in, carrying the duffel filled with Astrid’s clothes that she’d gotten from their house.  Thankfully, they hadn’t gotten robbed when Astrid had left in a hurry, but Stormfly had gotten out again, and Fishlegs and Snotlout had spent an hour using the tracking collar to retrieve the cat from the neighborhood’s park two days ago.  Toothless, at least, had stayed.

Tuff cocked his head.  There was something... off about the sound that the machine was making.  How long it had been going on, he didn’t know; the nurse had last checked maybe fifteen minutes earlier.  He listened carefully.  It was very subtle, but he was sure that it was there.

He was about to get to his feet and call attention to it when Hiccup stirred.

He was alive.

That was surprising for some reason, but he couldn’t remember why...

Blinking, he moaned, and a hospital room swam into blurry view.

His dad was looking down at him with concern.

He moaned.  “What happened?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” his dad asked him.

Hiccup tried to shake his head to clear it, and an alarm went off, making him blink.  Bit by bit, his body was reporting in, and the news was pain.  Lots of it, in many different flavors.  Itchy-burning feeling from his back, a dull ache by his groin, a sharp stabbing pain by his leg, a pulling-tight sensation by his gut, a hot-burning feeling from his shoulder, a cramping sense of hollowness from his stomach...

He wanted to go back to sleep, but he didn’t see Astrid around...

Astrid.  

Right.

“I was talkin’ with Ast... but I don’t remember ‘bout what...” he slurred.

There was a rustling of fabric nearby, and a flurry of voices that sounded like Ruffnut and his wife...

Wait, wasn’t Ruffnut heading off somewhere?  For a something...?  What was she doing here?

They were talking hurriedly, and he strained and managed to turn his head in that direction.  

There was one of those privacy curtains there, with a blushing Fishlegs standing in front of it.  

Huh?  

Stoick leaned in.  “Do you remember what happened to you?”

“Yeah... I went for a walk to try out the new prosthetic...”

He squinted, trying to catch sight of Astrid.  A moment later, the curtain pulled aside and Astrid stepped forward.  

Hiccup drank in the sight of her.  She was wearing a light blouse, which was half-tucked into her third favorite pair of jeans, like she had dressed in a hurry...

And looked like she had barely slept in days.

“Ast...?”

She fell forward and hugged him, kissing him in a flurry all over, gasping out ‘Oh god,’ and ‘thank you’ over and over.  

Despite the pain, he awkwardly hugged her with the arm that hurt less, and a vague memory bubbled up.  “You said that you had a surprise for... me...?”

He caught but didn’t understand the significant looks being shared all around him, and then Astrid seemed to decide something and said, “It’s nothing important.”  She poked him in the nose a little bit hard.  “And that’s for doing something stupid like calling me and pretending that everything was alright instead of calling an ambulance!”

Hiccup made a brief sound of pain, even as he knew what was coming next.  

She kissed him solidly on the lips, and then broke apart.  “And that’s... for everything else.”

“I’m sorry...” he said, remembering that moment of decision.  

“I know,” she said, and then looked up.  “Snotlout, could you get him something to eat if the nurse says that it’s okay?”

Hiccup’s stomach rumbled.  “God, I could eat a horse.”

“Given that you haven’t eaten anything in almost a week, yeah,” Astrid said wryly.  

He got a good look at her eyes; she’d clearly been crying.  

“How bad was it...?” he asked weakly.

She hesitated, and said, “Really bad.  Don’t you ever do that to me again, Hiccup Haddock!”

“Promise.  I won’t.”

“Good.  Rest.  We’ll get you out of here as soon as we can.”

“Okay.”  He closed his eyes and fell back asleep.  

Epilogue: Sixteen months later

Looking at Astrid curiously, her daughter wrapped her hand around the offered finger.

Astrid closed her eyes for a second, and then held her daughter tighter, kissing the top of her head.

They were in the hospital again. She hated the place--she wanted out, but unfortunately, they’d be there for a few more days for her to recover. Astrid wanted to scream at the nurses that she’d recover much faster at home, at least mentally. But she kept her mouth shut, just relieved that her baby girl had been born, healthy and in great condition.

Astrid looked at her husband, who was watching them, with a kind of quiet admiration in his eyes. He didn’t look relaxed, per se, but he wasn’t tense either. He too, must have just been relieved.

She had never told him about the first pregnancy.

She had pleaded for anyone who knew not to tell him. There was no point, no point at all in telling him something so painful, and then waiting for the inevitable self-blame. Hiccup was horribly noble, and she just wasn’t ready to talk about her unborn child as though it was anyone’s fault. It was a child, a baby, and it had passed away before knowing life.

So Astrid pretended like the baby had never existed. She pretended like one of the happiest moments in her life, when she had seen the positive results on the pregnancy test, had never happened. And she pretended like all the pain she had been in when she lost the baby was just something out of a story. Hiccup was left in the dark, and she preferred to keep it that way.

Her baby, her pain, her secret.

Hiccup looked at his wife and daughter as the newborn got her second-ever meal and smiled.  The scars from his assault still twinged occasionally, and he got reminded of ‘the time you were a stupid selfish romantic idiot’ on a regular basis from everybody.  He’d never live it down, but that was okay.  He, at least, was going to live.

Unlike their first child, who everybody pretended never existed around him, and he pretended that he didn’t know, as if he had never found out from the court documents.  He’d caused Astrid enough pain; he wasn’t going to force her to relive those horrible moments.  It was the least he could do, after how he had pretended that all was well when it had begun.

So Astrid acted as though it never happened, and he acted as though he knew nothing of it.

It was their little game. A game of pretend.

[snarktheater]

The Chemist — Chapter 31

So, the resident pretty boy is dead. Well, one of them, anyway, since…you know, they're twins. But the one that mattered to our protagonist is dead, and so we should feel sad.

Or we can follow Alex as she angsts that he was in the position with the least risk and OMG, why did it have to be him? Which…is a way to handle grief, I guess, but it's still phrased in a pretty flabby way. Like, the one time you could go high with emotions, you just…have Alex think back to a gangster she couldn't save after he was shot in the same way. Because when you want to make us sad about a character's death, making it all about another character's sense of failure is totally the way to go, right?

Wrong. Duh. That sense of failure can add to the tragedy of the moment, sure. In this case, it falls pretty flat since Alex has spent the past few chapters telling us she expected them to get shot at, and Alex was in no position to defend Daniel, so there's no failure beyond…"bringing him here", I guess. And the book doesn't even use that point of pathos—no Alex questioning whether Carston really did need someone to watch over him, for instance. Meanwhile, the thing that should make us care about Daniel dying, such as their relationship…barely mentioned.

It's such a perfectly imperfect way to handle grief it can only mean one thing.

He was breathing.

Yep, turns out the bullet missed Daniel's heart, in spite of being "perfectly placed". Remember how Daniel told us he was a "mirror-image" twin? No? Well, me neither, but I guess it was setup. And because Meyer doesn't understand that a setup needs a reminder if the payoff is going to be so long afterwards…this is what we get. I gave credit where credit wasn't due. I should be angry, but frankly, I'm strangely comforted by the thought that Meyer really is as predictable a writer as I expected her to be. It's like the universe makes sense again.

I mean, seriously. Even Alex doesn't remember about the mirror-image twin thing; she just goes "okay, bullet missed, I guess" and starts making planning to extract him so she can patch him up. Admittedly the right reaction, but it just goes to show how botched the setup is if the character doesn't even go "oh!" right after it happens.

Meanwhile, Carston is dying. I'm going to believe that he's dying because Alex spent the past few minutes angsting over Daniel's "dead" body while he was still alive. Because he is still alive, just enough for Alex to reveal the obvious.

“Lowell, it’s okay. I never poisoned Livvy. Of course not.”

Well, gee, I'm shocked to know that. But from there to say that it's okay…you know, he's still dying. But no, apparently this is good enough for Carston.

“Proud of you, Jules,” Lowell Carston wheezed quietly. “You managed to hold on to your soul. Impressive…”

She still tortures people, so…that's a very relative notion of morality you've got there, Carston.

Also, yes, that ellipsis is an indication of this being his last word, because the rule of drama dictates that people only ever die after giving a powerful final line. Or…"powerful". You get the idea.

They start making their way out, which means moving the unconscious Daniel without reopening his wounds, and only then does Alex remember about the mirror-twin thing, because…I don't know, the book remembered it had to explain things all of a sudden, I guess.

And the way out is…completely clear all the way to the elevator. Which…what? What's the point of setting your climax underground if your characters have no issue getting to the elevator and exit it on the ground floor? And where is everyone?

everyone must have rushed to the observation room when the shooting started.

…Really? Everyone?

Anyway. Kevin confuses the one remaining guard by yelling for help before taking him out, because…everyone is stupid in this book…and Alex heads straight for the car, with Kevin asking her to "let him finish up here". Whatever that means (and I assume we're about to find out), I should point out that Kevin doesn't know where the car is. How's he going to find them? Just look around and hope for the best?

But Alex cares more about her pretty boy, so she goes for the car and patches up Daniel. And…suddenly she starts fearing that she won't be able to keep Daniel alive? I don't know where this comes from, honestly.

Kevin kills any dramatic tension the book might have built up as he comes back with all the security footage from the facility (because…when you run a covert, somewhat treasonous torture operation, you totally want to record the whole thing, right?), and they drive off. And then they start talking about what to do about Daniel. Alex insists he needs a hospital, which would mean handing him over to "the bad guys".

“Didn’t we just kill the bad guys?” “Pace is still in charge, Ollie, till he slaps the right patch on, and given the current stress level, he might just start smoking again.”

So…yeah, I guess Deavers died off-screen. What a satisfying ending to that story, right?

Kevin comes up with an alternative plan: give Alex access to surgical equipment, so she can perform the surgery Daniel needs. Which…sure, whatever, she's a Mary Sue, she can totally handle this fatal wound knowing just "the basics" of surgery (her words).

And…we just skip it all. Both the search for equipment and a place to operate, and the surgery. We get a scene break to Alex post-operation, exhausted by the surgery we didn't get to see. It went well, surprise surprise, and they got the help of a Dr Volkstaff whom I don't think we've been introduced to, but hey, why not introduce a last-minute doctor, right? It's just a giant Deus Ex Machina, who cares!

She thought about what they had accomplished tonight, what she had almost traded Daniel’s life for. Deavers and Carston were dead. There might not be another person alive – besides Wade Pace – who knew she existed. And his hours were numbered. Hopefully.

"Not another person alive"…except for the brothers, Val—who, shall I remind you, Kevin stated he only trusted as long as he paid her—and now this Dr Volkstaff whom we know literally nothing about.

We also get some hand-waving of consequences, for good measure. Because this whole chapter was Mary Sue-esque enough yet. So Olivia's kidnapping? Alex wrote a note claiming that she was just a mother who confused Olivia with her own child. And apparently she expects this to mean the police won't look any further because Olivia's home now. Yes, really.

Daniel wakes up, and he…recaps how he got shot, because that was apparently a major mystery since last chapter. The answer is…Deavers realized he was being double-crossed and ordered Carston shot along with his "aide". Wow, I never would have guessed, thanks for that. It's not like you're once again wasting all the potential emotional payoff of their reunion by focusing first on a completely unnecessary infodump.

He also assures Alex that he doesn't regret anything that happened between them. Yes, I guess that includes her torturing him for no valid reason. Although I'm not entirely sure the book still remembers that even happening, because the way it's phrased, it sounds like he's just talking about all the times Deavers's men targeted hem.

They get to exchange their "I love you", which is meaningful because it's the first time Alex says it, they banter some more, until Alex hears someone outside. Cue short, tense moment, until Alex realizes it's just Val and Einstein, and everything's still fine. Gee, what a shock, the book will commit to its lack of conflict until the bitter end.

Val and Alex fuss over the boys, who are apparently too stupid to realize that cut toes and near death means you shouldn't stand for a while, everyone gets their respective reunions, complete with this bit.

[Alex] found herself half on [Kevin's] lap, her arms pinned under his, and there was nothing she could do when he decided to kiss her full on the lips with a wet, resounding smack. “Hey!” Daniel protested. “Get your face off my poison woman!”

Assault is fun and worthy of banter, right?

And then we heap more praise on Mary Sue, for good measure.

“What a performance! I can’t believe you just walked in there and busted me out! Never tell me you aren’t black ops – honey, you’re what black ops dreams about being!”

Yes, she's better than black ops. Really.

There's also a weird moment where Kevin won't let Alex go until Einstein and Daniel both threaten him. I…think it's just supposed to be playful, but it's still making me uncomfortable. Why did you include this?

Want more stupidity? "Dr Volkstaff" is the Beaches' family veterinarian! And ignoring the issues of how that works into his ability to perform surgery on a human, I have to point out that if you want to be incognito/leave no trace that you're alive, going to someone connected to your family is probably not a good idea. But hey, everyone's dumb in this book, so…whatever.

Volkstaff does show a small hint of practicality, at least, by forcing Alex and Kevin to get some rest while Val watches over them all. Alex, of course, only does so with Daniel's blessing. Because agency is not a thing for women in Meyer's world.

“Be a good girl and get some sleep like my old family vet ordered you to.”

Like…I realize this is meant to be teasing, probably, but was it really necessary? No. No it wasn't.

And with that, we close the penultimate chapter in this book. Just one more and the epilogue to go. Honestly, I'm not sure they'll be very eventful, but hey, at least it's almost over!

[bloojayoolie]

Being Alone, Apparently, and Children: Mnck ID 62206, 4 YRS, 82 LBS BROOKLYN ACC BIG, FRIENDLY, SOCIAL, WAG GY & SWEET BOY LIKES DOGS. TO BE KILLED – 5/16/2019 Big, friendly, waggy and sweet, MacK was found wandering, scared and alone in the streets of NYC. He may be a big boy, but at that moment he was just a lost little boy on the inside. Dragged into the shelter by police via a rabies pole, his arrival at the care center was nothing short of terrifying. We can't blame him for his anxiety and confusion. But with a few days behind him, he has warmed up nicely to some of his favorite staff members and is a real heartbreaker, soft and attention seeking and a lover of treats. What a stunner too! His one magnificent icy blue eye, the other a warm brown, and his size – he’s 82 lbs of cookies and cream. He loves treats, he enjoys his time in playgroup with his girlfriends (like Sassy for example) and he is so stoic and patient, even when they jump all over him. He understands the meaning of “gentleman” and takes it all in stride. MacK truly needs a loving family, an experienced foster or adopter in an adult only home where he can decompress, relax, open his heart to his new family and feel safe and loved. Will you be the one to make his dream of a family come true? Message our page or email us at MustLoveDogsNYC@gmail.com for assistance fostering or adopting treat loving, heart stealing MacK now! MY MOVIE! I make friends with Sassy, she’s great! https://youtu.be/_OqIuCf0X2g ZEUS, ID# 62206, 4 Yrs. Old, 82 lbs, Unaltered Male Brooklyn ACC, Large Mixed Breed, White / Black I came to the shelter as an Agency, 5/7/2019 Shelter Assessment Rating: NEW HOPE ONLY Medical Behavior Rating: 4. Orange AT RISK NOTE: Although MacK has shown improvement with certain handlers in the care center, he has not acclimated well to the kennel environment and has allowed only minimal handling since intake. We recommend placement with a New Hope partner who can provide any necessary behavior modification (force-free, positive reinforcement-based) and re-evaluate behavior in a stable home environment before placement into a permanent home. Mack was also diagnosed with CIRDC and would have to stay away from other dogs for the next 14 days after diagnosed. INTAKE BEHAVIOR – DATE OF INTAKE, 5/7/2019: Mack was snapping, growling and lunging when being taken out of the crate. No handling was done. SURRENDER NOTES – BASIC INFORMATION: Mack is a large white and black dog that was found loose in the street and was brought to the ACC as a stray. SHELTER ASSESSMENT SUMMARIES Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Hard pulling Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Soft body, tail wagging, ears forward, explores somewhat, jumps up soliciting attention, stays near handlers, readily accepts treats with soft mouth Call over: Does not approach immediately Sociability comments: Mack was observed to walk toward assessor and sniffed the outstretched hand, tensed his body and low growled toward the assessor. In order to minimize Mack's stress levels, the assessment was concluded. PLAYGROUP NOTES – DOG TO DOG SUMMARIES: Mack was surrendered as a stray so his past behavior around dogs is unknown. 5/8: When off leash at the Care Center, Mack is introduced to a novel female dog. He is sexually motivated as he greets the female and places his chin over her back. Mack positions himself to mount the female but is interrupted by handlers. Mack walks away to explore the pens. 5/9: Mack was introduced to a novel female again today. He greets her with a soft body and wanders around the yard. He does give the female one quick bounce when she solicits play but does not reciprocate otherwise. Summary (1):: Mack understands the cue for "sit". INTAKE BEHAVIOR – DATE OF INTAKE: 5/7/2019 Summary:: Baring teeth, growling, lunging and snapping; No handling performed MEDICAL BEHAVIOR - Date of initial:: 5/8/2019 Summary:: Initially hyperactive, allowed muzzle, escalated to hard stare, growling and head whipping ENERGY LEVEL:: MacK has been observed to exhibit a medium level of energy during his interactions in the care center. IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: 5/10: Mack was laying in his kennel as handler approached. When handler removed the blocker and Mack noticed her, he stood and gave tail wags. As handler unlocked his kennel, She offered Mack a treat, which he took gently. Mack was easily removed from the kennel and walked out with a loose body, showing no reactivity to the barking dogs as he passed them. Once outside, mack relieved himself at the gate and was brought back inside for his interaction. After his interaction was over, Mack walked back to his kennel with the handler, returning to a loose body and showing no reactivity to passing staff members. Mack allowed the handler to pet his head and back on his way back to his kennel, giving tail wags the whole way. Mack was returned to his kennel without any issues. 5/12: Mack allowed very exuberant handling while maintaining a wiggly body. BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only Behavior Asilomar: TM - Treatable-Manageable Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Place with a New Hope partner Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to how uncomfortable MacK is currently with touch and novel stimuli, we feel that an adult-only home would be most beneficial at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Although MacK has shown improvement with certain handlers in the care center, he has not acclimated well to the kennel environment and has allowed only minimal handling since intake. We recommend placement with a New Hope partner who can provide any necessary behavior modification (force-free, positive reinforcement-based) and re-evaluate behavior in a stable home environment before placement into a permanent home. Potential challenges: : Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Kennel presence Potential challenges comments:: Handling/touch sensitivity: MacK displays handling sensitivity during his interactions in the care center, observed on multiple occasions. MacK has been observed to escalate to baring his teeth, growling, lunging and snapping toward handlers when attempting to handling him. Please refer to the handout on Handling/touch sensitivity. Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: MacK is very fearful at the care center and has bared teeth, growled, lunged and snapped at handlers when attempts are made to approach him and touch him. He will need a slow approach and time to acclimate to new people. Please see handout on Fearful/potential for defensive aggression. Kennel presence: MacK exhibits kennel presence and has been observed to growl when new people approach his kennel door. Should this behavior arise in a home environment, please refer to the handout on Kennel presence. MEDICAL EXAM NOTES 8/05/2019 DVM Intake Estimated age: 4 years Microchip noted on Intake? No Microchip Number (If Applicable): History: Stray Subjective: BARH, no coughing/sneezing/vomiting/diarrhea Observed behavior: Initially hyperactive but allowed muzzle, escalated quickly to hard stare and growling/whipping head around when exam was performed. Evidence of cruelty seen: No Evidence of trauma seen: No Objective: P: WNL R: WNL BCS: 6/9 OP: Mucous membranes pink and moist. Muzzled. EENT: Eyes, ears, and nares clear bilaterally, no discharge noted. PLN: Small/soft/symmetrical/nonpainful CV: No murmurs or arrhythmias, pulses strong and synchronous. RESP: Eupneic, no crackles/wheezes GI: Soft, nonpainful, no palpable masses. UG: Male intact, two descended testicles, no discharge INT: Good hair coat, no areas of alopecia or pruritus, no ectoparasites or masses noted. MS: Ambulatory x4, no pain on palpation of epaxials NEURO: Mentation appropriate, cranial nerves intact, no deficits noted. Assessment: -Apparently healthy Prognosis: Fair Plan: -Start trazodone 5 mg/kg PO q12h indefinitely Surgery: Okay for surgery 13/05/2019 Progress exam-New CIRDC noted on rounds History: Intake 5/8-APH, started on trazodone for shelter anxiety Subjective: BAR. Lunging at the front of the cage. Sneezing. Objective: EENT: serous nasal d/c bilaterally, no ocular d/c ou L: Eupneic, normal RR/RE but sneezing MSI: Ambulatory x 4, good haircoat CNS: mentation appropriate - no signs of neurologic abnormalities Assessment: CIRDC Plan: Continue trazodone 200mg PO BID Start baytril 10mg/kg PO SID x14d until 5/27 Recheck at day 7 Move to iso Prognosis: Good *** TO FOSTER OR ADOPT *** MACK S RESCUE ONLY. You must fill out applications with New Hope Rescues to foster or adopt him. He cannot be reserved online at the ACC ARL, nor can he be direct adopted at the shelter. PLEASE HURRY AND MESSAGE OUR PAGE FOR ASSISTANCE! HOW TO RESERVE A “TO BE KILLED” DOG ONLINE (only for those who can get to the shelter IN PERSON to complete the adoption process, and only for the dogs on the list NOT marked New Hope Rescue Only). Follow our Step by Step directions below! *PLEASE NOTE – YOU MUST USE A PC OR TABLET – PHONE RESERVES WILL NOT WORK! ** STEP 1: CLICK ON THIS RESERVE LINK: http://bit.ly/2ynocEZ Step 2: Go to the red menu button on the top right corner, click register and fill in your info. Step 3: Go to your email and verify account \ Step 4: Go back to the website, click the menu button and view available dogs Step 5: Scroll to the animal you are interested and click reserve STEP 6 ( MOST IMPORTANT STEP ): GO TO THE MENU AGAIN AND VIEW YOUR CART. THE ANIMAL SHOULD NOW BE IN YOUR CART! Step 7: Fill in your credit card info and complete transaction HOW TO FOSTER OR ADOPT IF YOU *CANNOT* GET TO THE SHELTER IN PERSON, OR IF THE DOG IS NEW HOPE RESCUE ONLY! You must live within 3 – 4 hours of NY, NJ, PA, CT, RI, DE, MD, MA, NH, VT, ME or Norther VA. Please PM our page for assistance. You will need to fill out applications with a New Hope Rescue Partner to foster or adopt a dog on the To Be Killed list, including those labelled Rescue Only. Hurry please, time is short, and the Rescues need time to process the applications.

[bloojayoolie]

Best Friend, Children, and Click: HATCH d 61180, 4 Yrs. Old, 51 Lbs., Neutered & Waiting for a cuddle, at the Brooklyn ACC TO BE KILLED 5/11/19 Super sweet, gentle, happy Hatchi. This adorable boy with his stunning eyes, endearing face, and easygoing ways is simply tail wagging and wonderful. He loves treats, making new friends, and is taking each day in stride at the shelter. If you are looking for a new best friend who will be just as happy cuddling on the sofa as he would be taking a long walk in the park with you, look no further. Hatchi is your boy. He’s neutered and more than ready to step into his new life! Don’t wait! Message our page or email us at MustLoveDogsNYC@gmail.com for assistance fostering or adopting this darling boy. MY VIDEO: Hatchi making new friends https://youtu.be/ivqxEJegGjo HATCHI, ID# 61180, 4 Yrs old, 51.2 lbs, Neutered Male Brooklyn ACC, Medium Mixed Breed, Gray / White Surrender Reason: Found Stray Behavior upon intake: Hatchi had his tail tucked and whale eyes however he allowed to be collared and scanned by going slow. He was not interested in treats. Hatchi scanned positive for a microchip. Date of Intake: 4/27/2019 Basic Information:: Hatchi is a gray and white medium male dog that was brought to the center as a stray. Medical Behavior Rating: Blue Behavior Assessment Date of intake:: 4/27/2019 Spay/Neuter status:: Yes Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray, no known history Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Mild pulling Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Neutral body, low tail wags, approaches handler slowly, some lip licking, explores, distracted by outside noises Call over: Approaches readily, neutral, leans into handler Sociability comments: Handling Soft handling: Neutral body, some lip licking, tucked tail, closed mouth, ears neutral, accepts all contact Exuberant handling: Neutral body, tucked tail, ears neutral, closed mouth, accepts all contact Handling comments: Arousal Jog: Follows handler, low and neutral Arousal comments: Knock Knock Comments: Pulls toward door when assistant exits and whines; No response to knock; Approaches assistant Toy Toy comments: Minimal interest; Distracted Summary:: Hatchi was surrendered as a stray so his past behavior around other dogs is unknown. 4/28: Hatchi was uncomfortable with handling, his body tensed and he would lower his head when an attempt was made to place a collar on him. His warning was respected and attempts to place a collar on him were suspended. He greeted a novel female dog through the gate and displayed a fearful body posture- ears back, tucked tail, lowered head, wide eyes. 4/29: Hatchi was successfully collared but still remains nervous. He greeted the female with a low body then explored the pens mostly keeping to himself. He tolerated persistent genital sniffs from the female. 4/30: Hatchi continues to be nervous with a novel female and handlers. He did sniff the female briefly then walks away with a low body to explore the pens. He does approach handlers to sniff them but then walks away. 5/2: Hatchi was introduced to a novel male today. He greets the male with a low body and walks away and approaches handlers with low tail wags. Hatchi then walks away to wander the pens, but he becomes slightly tense when the other male greets him face to face. 5/6: When Hatchi was introduced to a novel female today, he became tense at the gate with hard eyes. He then began to hard bark at the female. Hatchi is separated from the female and an off leash interaction was not conducted. Date of intake:: 4/27/2019 Summary:: Tail tucked, whale eyed, allowed all handling upon slow approach Date of initial:: 4/27/2019 Summary:: Whale eyed, lip licking though tolerated handling ENERGY LEVEL:: Hatchi has been observed to exhibit a medium level of energy during his interactions in the care center. IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: 5/7 During an adoption interaction, Hatchi was observed to lunge and hard bark at the potential adopter. Hatchi was unable to readily settle and when the potential adopter approached, Hatchi lunged and snapped at him. When handler attempted to move Hatchi away, Hatchi lunged and snapped at the potential adopter a second time. BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only Behavior Asilomar: TM - Treatable-Manageable Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Place with a New Hope partner Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to Hatchi's overall level of fear and observed escalation, we feel he would be best set up to succeed in an adult only home environment at this time. New Hope Only: While Hatchi has been observed to warm up to handlers in the care center upon a slow approach, he has been observed to escalate rapidly to lunging, growling and snapping at strangers. On one occasion, Hatchi was observed to fixate on an unfamiliar handler and growl and lunge in his direction, he was observed to snap twice in this handlers direction as well. At this time, the behavior department believes Hatchi would be best set up to succeed if placed with an experienced rescue partner; force-free, reward based training only is advised. We also highly advise guidance from a professional trainer or veterinary behaviorist. Potential challenges: : Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration Potential challenges comments:: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Hatchi displayed overall fearful behavior during his interactions in the care center, he has been observed to growl, hard bark and lunge at strangers. Please see handout on Fearful and Defensive aggression. Anxiety: Hatchi exhibited some anxious behavior during his interactions in the care center. He was observed to whine when staff members would exit the room and was easily distracted by outside noises. Please refer to the handout on Anxiety. On leash reactivity: Hatchi has been observed to hard bark, growl, and lunge towards other dogs on leash. Please see handout on Leash reactivity. MEDICAL EXAM NOTES DVM Intake. Estimated age: 4 years. History: Stray. Subjective: BARH, no coughing /sneezing/ vomiting/ diarrhea. Observed behavior: Whale eye, tucked tail. Muzzled for exam as precaution. Reportedly required sedation when picked up by police. Evidence of cruelty seen: No. Evidence of trauma seen: Yes, small wound on L ribcage. Objective: P: WNL, R: WNL, BCS: 5/9. OP: Mucous membranes pink and moist. Muzzled for exam. EENT: Eyes, ears, and nares clear bilaterally, no discharge noted. PLN: mall/soft/symmetrical/nonpainful. CV: No murmurs or arrhythmias, pulses strong and synchronous. RESP: Eupneic, no crackles/wheezes. GI: Soft, nonpainful, no palpable masses. UG: Male castrated, no discharge. INT: Patchy alopecia on distal tail with crusted, thickened skin. No ectoparasites or masses noted. 1 cm round wound with healed edges and mild serosanguinous discharge on L ribcage. Expressed keratinaceous debris from wound. MS: Ambulatory x4, no pain on palpation of epaxials. NEURO: Mentation appropriate, cranial nerves intact, no deficits noted. Assessment: -Wound (r/o large comedone vs old infected wound), -Alopecia on tail (r/o demodex vs sarcoptes vs flea allergy dermatitis vs pyoderma). Prognosis: Good. Plan: -Clipped and cleaned wound, monitor for infection. -Scheduled skin scrape of tail for tomorrow, 4/28. Surgery: Neutered *** TO FOSTER OR ADOPT *** HOW TO RESERVE A “TO BE KILLED” DOG ONLINE (only for those who can get to the shelter IN PERSON to complete the adoption process, and only for the dogs on the list NOT marked New Hope Rescue Only). Follow our Step by Step directions below! *PLEASE NOTE – YOU MUST USE A PC OR TABLET – PHONE RESERVES WILL NOT WORK! ** STEP 1: CLICK ON THIS RESERVE LINK: http://bit.ly/2ynocEZ Step 2: Go to the red menu button on the top right corner, click register and fill in your info. Step 3: Go to your email and verify account \ Step 4: Go back to the website, click the menu button and view available dogs Step 5: Scroll to the animal you are interested and click reserve STEP 6 ( MOST IMPORTANT STEP ): GO TO THE MENU AGAIN AND VIEW YOUR CART. THE ANIMAL SHOULD NOW BE IN YOUR CART! Step 7: Fill in your credit card info and complete transaction HOW TO FOSTER OR ADOPT IF YOU *CANNOT* GET TO THE SHELTER IN PERSON, OR IF THE DOG IS NEW HOPE RESCUE ONLY! You must live within 3 – 4 hours of NY, NJ, PA, CT, RI, DE, MD, MA, NH, VT, ME or Norther VA. Please PM our page for assistance. You will need to fill out applications with a New Hope Rescue Partner to foster or adopt a dog on the To Be Killed list, including those labelled Rescue Only. Hurry please, time is short, and the Rescues need time to process the applications.