08. The Choking Doberman

“That was fun,” Andy mused and opened the door for his wife Linda to join him in the living room. They had spent the better part of the evening out on the town enjoying the late night. First was dinner and drinks with friends at their favorite restaurant followed by a little dancing at the hottest nightclub in town. He was beat and he could tell his wife was just as tired as she immediately pulled the heels from her feet and dropped herself to the sofa.

As Andy started towards her, he heard a gagging noise coming from the hallway. As he rounded the corner he found their family pet Max leaning against the wall and slowly meandering towards them. “Max!” he yelled and hurried over to him. He appeared to be choking on something and no amount of patting his back helped to dislodge the item. “I have to get him to the vet!” Andy yelled towards his wife who had passed out on the couch from their night out. 

Driving as quickly as he could, he got Max to the emergency clinic belonging to their long time friend and veterinarian Dr. Richard Briar. Rick assured Andy he could get the object from out of Max’s windpipe before long. In the meantime Andy thought to get back to the house and get Linda to bed. It would help distract him from Max’s situation; otherwise he’d worry himself to death.

He got home within twenty minutes to find Linda snoring on the sofa and smiled. She had one too many which was unusual for her and now she was paying the price. Andy scooped his wife into his arms to move her and get her comfortable in bed. As he started up the stairs towards their bedroom he heard the phone ring and at first thought to ignore it. 

But with Max’s uncertain condition he instead placed Linda in the chair beside the wall near the bedroom closet and answered and was quickly met with Rick fearfully screaming as he expressed a sense of urgency.

“ANDY? Andy! Thank God I got you in time! Get Linda and get out of that house now! There’s no time to explain!” Hearing the franticness in his friend’s voice made his pulse race as he felt a lump grow in his throat and his heart pound hard within his ribs. Linda who’d been awakened with the yelling looked at him in wide-eyed terror as he took her by the hand and rushed down the stairs and outside. 

When the door opened, the police were already waiting outside. An officer escorted Andy and Linda towards the curb as three others rushed into the front door. As they waited near the curb watching the police rush inside the house Rick drove up and ran towards them. “Did they get him?” he asked a little out of breath as the cascading blue and red lights flashed across his concerned face.

“What? Did they get who?” Andy asked still very confused and slowly growing angrier and angrier as no answers have yet been given.

“The reason I told you to get out of the house. I found out what Max was choking on, it was a human finger.” 

As Rick was explaining two officers stepped out of the front door and they watched as the police pulled him towards the curb handcuffed and bleeding from one hand. “We got him!” One of the officers announced with amusement. “He was hiding in the bedroom with this,” he dropped a large bag at his Sergeant’s feet and a bloody ax fell out the top.

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