Late Night Infusions

Last night, getting home late and feeling exhausted, I decided to forego Sparkey's IV infusion and just go to sleep. Mary had already drifted off and I attempted to join her in Dreamland, easing into my side of the bed as the dogs also made their circuitous motions towards settling down for the night.

Just as I began to drop off into an altered state, I felt a cold and wet nose pointedly nudge my arm which lay outside of the covers. I opened my eyes to see Sparkey staring me down and panting loudly and hotly in my direction, obviously trying to communicate something. I put my face next to his and my arms around his neck and explained that I was tired and we would take a break from the IV. I told him I loved him and lay back in bed, encouraging him to do the same. One minute later, he nudged my arm with his nose again, and then a third time, seeming more anxious and still panting. He stared at me intently.

I eyed Mary, sound asleep in the dim room, and sighed as I got out of bed. She never stirred.

"Is this really what you want, Sparkey?" He sat down as I brought my make-shift IV pole over (It's a standing lamp with no shade---I hang the bag on the switch.) He stared at me some more.

As much as Sparkey resists the treatments, tries to stand up while I'm doing the infusions, and otherwise shows moderate displeasure during our nightly ritual, on this night he lay very still, licked my nose, and never once tried to get up as the fluids ran into his skinny body. Within a minute of beginning the treatment, his panting ceased, he became very calm, and we sat in the dark while the fluids dripped through the chamber and into the line connected to his skin by a large needle. When we were done, he slowly got up, went to the kitchen for a drink, and then returned to the bedroom to make one, two, three circles before settling in his bed for a snooze. He never ceases to amaze me.

---Keith