Chapter 18

 

Time raced back to a year ago. 

It was inside a hospital room, and the beeps of monitoring equipment were heard.

Mike was back to being a human again while he lay in a hospital bed in a coma hooked up to monitoring equipment.

His eyes opened, and a piece of equipment made a louder beep.

In the waiting area, Debbie, Kenny, Chris, and Jenny sat and looked worried sick that Mike might be gone forever.

Doctor Winston entered and walked up to Debbie, who stood up and trembled a little. "How long will he be in a coma?" she asked.

"It's hard to tell. It could be weeks, or it could be years," Doctor Winston told her with concerned eyes.

Debbie's eyes welled up fearing the worst would happen to Mike.

Doctor Winston placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

Nurse Betty rushed inside. "Doctor, Mister Hanson just came out of his coma," she called out then rushed back out of the waiting area.

"Or it could be now," Doctor Winston said while he turned around and rushed out of the waiting area.

Debbie, Kenny, Chris, and Jenny rushed out after the doctor.

In Mike's hospital room, he was groggy and dazed while he looked around the room to figure out where he was located. He saw the monitoring equipment, and then he looked down and saw his human hands. A huge grin formed when he realized he was a human again.

The door to his room slammed open.

Doctor Winston, Nurse Betty, Debbie, Kenny, Chris, and Jenny rushed inside.

Mike saw his family rush into the room, and his eyes welled up at the sight of his family.

Debbie rushed over to Mike's side. Mike! I thought I was going to lose you forever," Debbie softly said while a tear rolled down her cheek.

"What happened?" Mike replied while he pretended to play ignorant.

"You were sleeping on the couch last week and got struck by lightning," Debbie replied.

"Oh yeah, lightning. What a beautiful phenomenon!" Mike responded with a smile remembering he was a dog just before being struck by all that electricity.

Everybody in the room looked baffled with Mike's response.

A week passed, and Mike was released from the hospital.

On the way home, Debbie listened to Mike's request and drove by his construction site.

Mike looked out his window and smiled when he saw the "Hanson's Construction" sign was still intact on his office trailer. 

"Why would you think it wouldn't be there?" she curiously asked while she drove down the road away from the site.

"Just verifying things are where they should be," Mike replied with a smile.

Debbie looked worried with Mike and wondered if that lightning bolt damaged his brain.

Debbie drove Mike home, where he relaxed for the rest of the day.

The next day, Mike sat on their couch and turned around and peeked out the window curtains.

Thirty minutes later, Debbie entered and saw Mike and got concerned. "Are you okay? You've been staring out that window for a while," she said while she sat down and held his hand.

"I'm going for a drive," Mike said then he leaned over and kissed her on her cheek.

"The doctor said you should rest for a couple of weeks," she replied and looked concerned with Mike's well being.

"There are a few loose ends I need to clean up. I'll be okay," Mike said while he stood up and walked out the front door.

Debbie peeked out the window curtains and looked worried while she watched Mike rush over to his pickup truck. She continued to watch while he started it up and backed down the driveway and drove off down their street.

Mike's pickup slowly drove down the road and headed to his construction site. 

He drove through the gate and slowly drove through all the streets and looked at all the homes.

He drove out of his construction site and looked disappointed.

A little while later, Mike drove down another street and stopped by Mamma's Great Cooking restaurant. He looked at the restaurant but realized it was closed. 

A car horn blew behind him, as the driver was mad that Mike stopped in the road. 

Mike drove his pickup truck away.

Mike drove around the streets of New Castle, searching every inch of ground.

Then he drove past the dog pound where he remembered Rascal and himself were once held, prisoner.

Then his eyes widened when he remembered something Ginger once told him. He quickly stopped his pickup and backed up and was lucky traffic wasn't behind him.

He pulled his pickup into the parking lot of the dog pound and parked.

He rushed to the front door of the pound.

Mike rushed through the front doors of the pound and rushed up to Joe Smithson, who sat behind his desk.

"I'm looking for a reddish haired terrier mix female mutt," Mike said with hopeful eyes.

Joe thought for a few seconds. "We picked up a dog that looks like that a week ago. She's slated to be put to sleep," Joe replied.

"I'll pay whatever it cost to save her. She's a family pet, and my kids will be devastated," Mike quickly replied while he removed his credit card from his wallet.

"Follow me," Joe responded while he jumped up from his chair, as he had a soft heart for kids that loved their pets.

Joe walked over and went through a door.

Mike followed Joe through the door.

Joe rushed down the hallway and rushed into an examination room.

"Stop!" Mike screamed out when he saw the veterinarian with a needle inches away from Ginger's body. The female veterinarian jumped a mile and dropped the needle, and it bounced on the floor.

Mike smiled, knowing he saved Ginger's life.

Ginger looked up and saw Mike, and she looked intimidated by him, as she remembered his treatment of her at his construction site.

A little while later, Mike drove out of an Arby's restaurant.

While Mike drove his pickup down the street, Ginger sat in the passenger seat, and she gobbled up the roast beef from an Arby's that Mike bought.

"We need to find someone else," Mike told Ginger and smiled while he watched her eat the sandwich.

Ginger looked up at Mike. "He's giving me food? I must be dreaming," she quietly said to herself while she returned to munching on her roast beef.

Mike scanned the street while he drove.

A little while later, Mike slowly drove his pickup truck around another residential area and searched the area over.

Ginger had her front paws on the passenger windowsill and stuck her head out the window and loved the wind through her face.

A little while later, Mike slowly drove his pickup down another residential street, and Ginger still had her head out the window.

Then Mike slowly down another street and drove past a street perpendicular to his right, where he spotted the dog pound truck that was parked along the curb.

Then Mike saw Rascal. Still a puppy he dumped off in the woods a few weeks ago, while he ran toward his truck while Ernie, the Dog Catcher, chased after him.

Mike stopped his pickup and got out, and he waited.

Rascal turned and ran down the street hen he unknowingly ran into Mike's opened arms.

Rascal looked stunned when he realized he was in Mike's arms and figured his days were numbered.

Mike rushed to his pickup and placed Rascal inside. He got in and quickly drove away.

Ernie huffed and puffed while he ran to that street and looked around for Rascal. He looked baffled. "Where did that mutt go?" he said while he searched the area over.

He turned around and walked back to his truck disappointed that a stray dog got the best of him.

Mike drove away down the street, happy that he completed his mission. He looked at the two dogs.

"Ginger, meet Rascal. Rascal, meet Ginger," he said.

"Hi," Ginger said to Rascal.

"Hi. Are you going to live with us?" Rascal asked her when he realized Mike was taking him back home.

"I guess so," she replied, then looked at Mike and wondered how he knew her name. She shrugged it off; as she didn't care because she knew in her heart, she was finally going to get off the streets.

Mike turned his pickup right down another street so he could head home.

Then halfway down the street he saw another familiar sight down a perpendicular street. He saw Howard while he moped down another street.

Mike stopped his pickup truck and rolled down his window. "Hey, Howard!" Mike yelled out his window.

Ginger's head snapped around when she heard that familiar name. "Howard!" she called out the second she saw Howard down that perpendicular street.

Howard turned around and saw Mike in his pickup truck.

"Ah, yeah," Howard replied a little apprehensive of Mike as he remembered how he was treated.

"If you want a job as a laborer, come by the Hanson construction site over at," Mike called out.

"I know where it is, and I would love a job," Howard quickly interrupted Mike so happy he might have finally found work.

Howard rushed over to Mike's truck, all excited. 

"Great. Come by tomorrow," Mike replied with a warm smile. Then his eyes widened with an idea, and he removed his wallet. Mike opened it and took out eighty dollars, and he handed it to Howard. "Go buy some fresh clothes and it's on me," Mike said.

Howard couldn't believe Mike's generosity and took the money. "Bless you, sir," he called out to Mike while his eyes welled up.

Mike rolled up his window and drove off.

Howard waved goodbye while Mike drove his pickup away.

"Good for Howard," Ginger quietly said while she looked a Mike.

A little while later at his home, Mike walked through the front door and entered the living room with Ginger and Rascal behind him.

"Jenny! Chris! I have a surprise for you," Mike called out.

Debbie rushed into the living room. "Where were you? I was scared," she quickly said then looked stunned when she saw the two dogs.

Rascal's tail wagged the second he saw Debbie and ran up to her.

"Rascal!" Debbie cried out and knelt where Rascal immediately jumped up and licked her face.

Jenny and Chris ran into the living room curiously, and their eyes lit up the second they saw Rascal.

"Rascal!" they both cried out in joy and rushed over to him.

Rascal wagged his tail and immediately jumped up and licked Jenny and Chris' face.

They both hugged him.

Debbie stood up and looked surprised at Mike. "You found Rascal! Why the sudden change in heart?" she asked while she walked over to him.

"Let's say that lightning bolt made me see things a little clearer," he replied while Debbie kissed him on his cheek to thank him for being so kind.

Debbie saw Ginger, who hid behind Mike's legs. "You have another dog?"

"Yep. Her name is Ginger. She's a stray that needs a loving home for once in her life," Mike replied while he looked down at Ginger.

Debbie walked up to Ginger and petted her. "Hello, Ginger, and welcome to our home," she said with a warm smile.

Dreams can come true. Ginger thought in her head while Debbie petted her head.

Mike smiled while he watched Ginger and Rascal get all the loving attention he finally realized they deserved.

"Come on, Rascal, let's go outside and play ball," Chris said.

Chris ran out of the living room and went down the hallway.

"Come on, Ginger. "Let's go have a tea party," Jenny said.

Jenny ran out of the living room and went to the hallway. Ginger followed and didn't have a clue what was a tea party.

Debbie gave Mike a warm hug for being so sweet and kind.

Then Mike saw Chris and Rascal while they ran into the kitchen from the hallway.

"I'll join you, Chris," Mike called out when Chris opened up the kitchen door. Then he looked at Debbie. "By the way honey, I was thinking, I want to know that if you want a jogging partner, I think I could stand to lose a few pounds," he told her then walked away and headed toward the kitchen.

Debbie stared at Mike in disbelief with his sudden change. "Ah, sure," she said and wondered if that bolt of lightning fried part of his brain; the mean part.

A couple of weeks had passed, and Kenny stood outside his animal shelter, and he watched while some construction workers framed out an addition to his shelter. 

Howard was also one of the workers and picked up trash. He was clean-shaven, and his hair was cut short and wore a new work shirt and a new pair of blue jeans. He looked like a different person, and he seemed so full of life again.

Mike drove up to the shelter in Debbie's mini-van and parked.

Debbie, Jenny, and Chris in his Little League uniform, got out with Mike.

They all walked over to Kenny.

"It's looking great, Mike. Thanks for getting your guys to volunteer on their Saturday," Kenny said.

"My pleasure," Mike replied while he watched his workers.

Debbie placed her arms around Mike and rested her head on his shoulder, loving her new man.

"Well, we have a little game to attend. I just wanted to stop by and check it out," Mike told Kenny. "It's coming along just fine," Mike said with a smile.

Debbie, Mike, Chris, and Jenny headed back to the mini-van, where Mike opened up the passenger door for Debbie.

Later that day, Debbie and Mike walked to their front door in jogging outfits. 

"We'll be back in a while," Debbie called out to the kids who were playing with Ginger and Rascal in their bedrooms.

Mike and Debbie went out of the house.

Mike and Debbie walked through their front yard and headed to the street.

Once they got to the street, they took off in a slow jog.

A little while later, Debbie and Mike jogged down another street.

At that same street, two toads hopped along the curb. 

Mike and Debbie jogged down that street and came upon the two toads.

They passed the toads where one toad was Louise, and the other toad was Boodro.

"It's all your fault, Boodro. It's going to take us years to get back home. And who knows if I can turn us back into humans again since most of my special liquids have been used up by that mutt," Louise the toad, yelled at Boodro the toad.

Boodro's ignored her as he spotted a fly. Then his tongue whipped out, and he caught the fly and quickly ate it. "Mmmm!" Boodro, the toad replied.

They continued to hop down the street.