Saving Fish from Drowning - Heal Burma

SAVING FISH FROM DROWNING
T-shirt. There in the crook of the hysterical girl’s arm was a very
lethargic-looking puppy. “Let me have a look-see,” he said quietly.
“You can’t have it!” Esmé blurted and blubbered. “If you try tak­
ing it I’ll kill you, I swear I will—”
“Stop that!” Marlena scolded. In the past year, Esmé had said this
a few times to both her and her ex-husband’s new wife. Though Mar­
lena knew it was just histrionics and empty threats, it pained her to
hear her daughter use the word “kill” when there were teenagers who
had acted upon such enraged thoughts.
Harry put his hand on Esmé’s shoulder to calm her.
“Don’t touch me!” she shrieked. “You can put your grimy hands
on my mom but not on me. I’m underage, you know!”
Marlena flushed, and Harry did, too, with embarrassment and in­
dignation. He looked up to see the others in the bus staring at him.
“Esmé, stop this right now,” Marlena said.
Harry, remembering his training as an animal behaviorist, recovered
his equanimity. With frightened dogs, shouting never helped mat­
ters. He made himself a symbol of calmness. “Of course no one is
going to take away your puppy,” he said in a soft voice. “I’m a veteri­
narian, and I can see what’s the matter with him.”
“No, you’re not!” Esmé sobbed. “You play a stupid dog trainer on
a TV show. You make them do stupid pet tricks.”
“I’m also a veterinary doctor.”
Esmé’s sobs subsided into sniffles. “For real? You’re not just an ac­
tor?” She eyed Harry, assessing whether to let go of her distrust.
“For real,” Harry acknowledged, using this Americanism he nor­
mally despised. He began to talk to the puppy. “Hey, little wiggle-
waggle, not feeling so well?” Harry opened the puppy’s mouth and
expertly peered at its gums, touching them lightly. He pinched up the
skin on the puppy’s back and let it fall back. “Gums are quite pale,”
he noted out loud. “See here? Slightly grayish. And see how the skin
slowly drapes. Dehydration.” He lifted the puppy and peered at its
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