The Battle of Wounded Knee

Sandy hobbled into the sitting room,

"How's the leg Sandy?"

"Not too bad Dad, it only really hurts when I jump up on something."

"That's why we have stood up the seat cushions on the sofas, to stop you jumping up, but it doesn't always work, does it?"

"Don't dig me up Dad please, I'm a sick dog."



"You're not so much sick as injured but anyway some of the things you do slow down your recovery."

"Like jumping up on the seats and sofas?"

Shamefaced

Guilty

"Yes and going up or coming down stairs, particularly at break-neck speed."

"I mostly only do that at night or in the morning."

"Hmmm, you also do it if I forget to fasten the stair gate."

"Ah well, that's when I want to take a nap on your bed Dad."

"But you know it doesn't help your hind leg."

"I forget."

"And jumping up on the sofas?"

"Again I forget, usually because I hear something outside, go into guard dog mode and need to be able to look out of the window."

"I know Sandy but it doesn't help you."

"I have to do my job Dad."

"Running about outside when someone passes down the farm lane isn't good for you either."

"I'm a dog Dad, there are some reactions I just can't control, I have to do my duty guarding the house."

"I think you're headstrong, the vet thinks you need an operation to fix your leg."

"What's the matter with it anyway?"

"You've ruptured a ligament in your knee and it needs to be re-joined."

"How?"

"By an operation. They open you up, find the ligament and, I suppose, stitch it together."

"That must hurt a lot."

"You don't feel it at the time because they give you something to make you sleep."

"If someone cut me with a knife I'd wake up."

"No, it's a very deep sleep and you don't wake till the operation is finished."

"So what's the problem?"

"The problem is that it takes up to four months to recover from the operation and during that time you'd be in some pain and discomfort. I think that you'd be a bit grumpy Sandy"

"I'm going off the idea Dad."

"I knew you would"

"What would you do?"

"If it were me I'd have the operation Sandy."

"And suffer four months of pain?"

"Yes."

"You're mad. You'd take all that pain to stop a bit of discomfort?"

"Let me explain. If my body is injured and it can be repaired then, provided my doctor recommended it, I'd have an operation to sort it so that I'd be fully fit again."

"And you think I should do as you do?"

"Yes, I do and so does the vet."

"What does Mum think?"

Mum

His instinct always leads him to the gap in the fence, it's infuriating.

"Mum thinks we should wait a few weeks to see if your leg heals without an operation."

"I think so too."

"But for that to have any chance of working you have to rest your leg; that means no climbing stairs, jumping up on furniture or running around outside. This is where we came in, the discussion's gone full circle."

"Well, now that you've explained I'll do my best to rest my leg."

"Promise?"

"I promise to do my best Dad."

And there's his get out clause, he hasn't agreed to do as I ask, only to try to, and that's not the same thing at all when dealing with Sandy The Dog.

Suspicious