Rachel Reynolds took a break from the notes she had been studying to glance at her phone and shook her head. 3 messages from Jake – you still studying…I make a great study buddy…No need to be a bitch if you don't like me just say so it's not like I don't have other girls I could be "studying" with- a reminder from her green thumb app to water her plants, and nothing from Charlie. It was nothing out of the ordinary, he always got too wrapped up in his work at the clinic to remember basic human functions like eating, sleeping, and returning phone calls from close friends. Ignoring the texts from Jake- at least he had finally picked up on the fact that she didn't like him- Rachel picked up her phone and gave Charlie another call.

Charlie turned slowly to face the door of exam room 3. He muttered to himself, "Don't open the door, Charlie. Don't do it. This is how people die. Don't open the door." Charlie opened the door. Sandy stood on the table where he had laid her. The gentle, helpless look in her eyes was gone. Her pupils were wide and her teeth were bared. "Sandy, come on. It's me. I'm just trying to help you. Just relax, ok?" Sandy paused. Their eyes met. "That's it Sandy, I'm not here to hurt you. And I don't think you want to hurt me. Just lay back down and I can help you." Sandy lunged. She slammed into Charlie, knocking him to the floor. Charlie felt her teeth sink into his side, and he instinctively hit her in the face. Sandy's grip relaxed in surprise, and Charlie bolted for the supply closet. He barely made it, Sandy slamming into the door as he closed it. Unlike the doors outside, this one wasn't going to hold up against the force for long. Charlie looked around, panicking as he searched for anything that could buy him some time. Over the thuds of Sandy hitting the door, Charlie's cell phone rang, startling him almost as badly as Sandy had when she growled from inside exam room 3. Charlie ignored the first ring, thinking that he was about to die and had bigger issues to worry about. In spite of his instincts, he glanced at his phone and saw it was Rachel. He answered it, deciding that if he was about to die he should at least get to say goodbye. "Uh, hey Rach, sorry I didn't return your call I was-uh, busy…"

Rachel was about to reply with a sarcastic comment when she heard a loud thud and growl on the other end of the line, accompanied by Charlie exclaiming "Shit!"

"Charlie, what's happening? Where are you?"

"I'm at the clinic. There's a situation…"

"What kind of situation, Charlie? Are you ok?"

"Not really, or I'm about to not be. I'm stuck in the supply closet, there's a wild dog about to break down the door. Long story."

"Charlie! Why the hell did you answer the phone you should be figuring out a plan or something not looking at your phone! I should hang up and let you handle this but as long as I'm on the line if I were you I'd be looking for something to sedate the dog with. If you're in the supply closet there's gotta be drugs or something right? Find something to sedate the dog with."

"Uh, ok, yeah. I'll do that. I'm gonna put my phone down but please don't hang up. Just hold on." Charlie's voice grew muffled and Rachel could hear him rustling through the supplies.

"I'll be right here Charlie," he heard her say as he looked desperately through the closet for anything he could use. The door rattled ominously. Charlie grabbed a syringe and a needle, hands shaking as he unwrapped them. The door shook again. Grabbing the first bottle of liquid he could find, Charlie filled the syringe. Sandy burst through the door. As she pinned him down, Charlie plunged the needle into her neck. For a few horrible seconds nothing happed, Charlie felt her teeth sink into his arm as he frantically shielded his face. Then Sandy began to whimper and cough, going limp on top of Charlie.

Rachel heard the dog break through the door, Charlie yelling and then silence. "Charlie?! Charlie are you there? Are you ok? Charlie!" Rachel was on the verge of tears when she heard a muffled "Hold on a second…oh no. Oh no no no…Rachel, I killed Sandy!" Charlie sounded exhausted and on the verge of tears himself on the other end of the line. "Charlie, who's Sandy?" Rachel asked, trying to calm him down. Charlie sighed. "Sandy was the dog. I found her in the road and I was trying to help her. I was supposed to fix her and I killed her, Rachel. I killed a dog! What kind of vet- what kind of person at all kills a dog?"

"Listen, Charlie, you didn't have a choice. She would've killed you. Just take a deep breath and figure out what you need to do next. Are you hurt?" Rachel's voice caught. There was a moment of silence as Charlie assessed his damage. "Well, my side is bleeding pretty bad but I don't think she hit anything important. She bit my arm a little before she- before I killed her but it's not too bad. I hurt my leg earlier but it's just a scratch. Hey, I gotta put you on hold for a second to call 911 hang on…." Rachel forced herself to stay calm as she waited for Charlie to call for help. While she waited, she opened her lap top and searched for the first flight to Charlie. His voice interrupted her anxious scrolling. "Ok, ambulance is on the way, plus animal control. I'll be ok. Sorry you had to listen to that happen. Are you ok?"

"I'm ok, Charlie. I'm booking a flight to come see you now. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"You don't have to do that, Rachel. It's no big deal…" Charlie trailed off. He knew he should be in pain but mostly he was just tired; it was getting harder to stay awake. "Hey Rachel, I should let you go. You have to pack and stuff."

"Charlie, don't be dumb. I'm not hanging up until I hear the ambulances outside. Just stay with me ok? Charlie? Charlie?"

Charlie could hear Rachel anxiously calling his name from the phone, but even though he knew she must be yelling her voice was fading. He let his eyes close.