“I know you want to stay with them, but I need room to work. Please wait outside – I promise to update you as soon as I can.” Katie opened her mouth to protest but caught herself. She realized the vet knew best. With a reluctant nod, she retreated to the waiting room, Peter by her side in a shared state of nervous anticipation.

Time crawled by endlessly as the two of them sat hunched in the sterile waiting room, watching the hands of the clock make their endless loops. Katie wrung her hands, her mind swirling with possibilities, each one more concerning than the last. What if the creatures were too injured? What if the vet couldn’t help them? She had never felt more powerless. All they could do was wait and hope.