So Many Questions
There was no way for Julia to know what had been happening while she slept. However, whenever she woke up she felt weak. This was the beginning of the end.
What caused her to feel this way? Then, she began considering all the events that occurred since she adopted her dog. Was he to blame for everything that was going wrong in her life?
Still No Answers
After everything was said and done, Julia did not have the faintest idea of what was happening. The situation escalated and she was still clueless.
Perhaps she had grown too attached to her beloved pet. But, who could blame her? This animal changed her life when the doctor gave her the news.
A Good Life
Julia Hanson was your average woman who moved to Indiana to spread her wings. She was lucky enough to land a job as a bookkeeper. The job paid her well enough to be able to rent out a small house.
Even though it felt like things were falling into place, Julia couldn’t help but feel lonely. She knew that had to change so she came up with the perfect plan.
What She Wanted
After a lot of thought, Julia decided to adopt a dog. She had an adorable dog growing up. She loved animals, and she felt ready to adopt her first pet.
Taking care of a dog is no easy task, and unfortunately, Julia did not know much about pet care. She wished she had known about this when the symptoms first appeared because she had no idea what was actually happening behind the scenes at the time.
She Found Him
Julia understood how important it was to find the right dog. Dogs come in a variety of shapes and sizes with different personalities. Finding one that complemented Julia was essential, so she began searching at all the local shelters.
After visiting three different shelters, Julia knew she had found the perfect pup. It was a beautiful Shepherd cross with striking eyes. She was unaware of what she was getting into, though.
Meet Bronx
She looked at his tag and read “Bronx”. It was love at first sight, and she knew she had to take him home. She just felt a connection to the dog and knew she wanted to save him and give him a second opportunity at finding a happy home.
She made her way to the front desk to fill out adoption paperwork. She might be fortunate enough to adopt him the following day. But she was unaware of what he was hiding.
She Did It!
Julia returned to the shelter 48 hours later with the completed and authorized adoption form. She grabbed Bronx from the shelter while tying him to a leash. Yet even the staff seemed to be staring at her strangely.
She quickly adopted her new pet and brushed off the feeling. She already had the necessities, such as a bowl of water and a bag of dog food. She was not given a dog bed, though. She would later come to regret it.
His New Home
Bronx settled well into his new home over the following few days thanks to Julia. For once, it was nice having company. Despite not feeling lonely anymore, she could feel a catch lurking in the back of her mind.
It was obvious that he was happier with her after only a week than when he was caged. His problem was that he was sleeping on the floor.
Uncomfortable
It was obvious that Bronx did not like sleeping on the floor. Even though they had only known each other for a week, he already seemed far more attached to Julia. She had provided blankets for him, but he didn't appear to be happy.
One day, she woke up to something strange in her bed. As soon as she touched something, she knew it was fur.
Compromise
Julia soon discovered that her poor dog obviously liked to lie on her bed next to her. She had a queen-sized bed, so there was plenty of room.
All she had to do was make sure to regularly groom her new puppy and to change her sheets each morning. Even though it required a lot of work, she believed it was worthwhile for her new pet.
Acting Strange
At first, everything went smoothly, but after a month or so, her dog developed a strange tendency. Instead of being by Julia's side as she woke up, the dog was sitting on the floor and gazing at the bed.
She first didn't give the habit much thought. Yet after exhibiting the exact same behavior for a few days, she began to feel apprehensive. He was looking at something. But what could it be?
Why?
Bronx appeared to be in a trance when Julia got out of bed. He kept looking at the bed. She had to figure out what he was so preoccupied with.
She came to the conclusion that the only way to learn would be to install cameras to observe what he was doing. She wouldn't, however, be aware of how horrific the truth is.
She Needed Answers
Julia installed some cameras in her bedroom after purchasing them from her neighborhood security store. She anticipated finding out what he was doing in the early hours of the morning.
She expected it to be nothing when she headed to bed. He might have simply been too hot in the middle of the night and decided to lie on the cool floor. She was about to find out, either way.
Ready To Record
The cameras were set to record when Julia went to bed. She had a restful night's sleep that night knowing she would soon learn what was happening with her new dog.
She noticed that Bronx was performing the same action the following morning as she awoke early for work. She turned on her laptop, but there was no turning back once she saw what he was doing.
Watching The Footage
Her laptop's monitor caught her attention as she began to fast-forward the recording. At around 4:00 AM, she saw Bronx get out of bed and sit on the floor. About thirty minutes later, he turned around and observed her bed.
He did nothing but stare straight ahead for hours. It had the atmosphere of a horror film. What was happening?
What Was Going On?
Julia couldn't understand what was going on. The only other information she could gather from the recording was that her dog was staring at her for a lot longer than she thought. But what was her dog doing?
She knew she had to look closer at the recording to try and figure things out. Or maybe she needed advice from a professional?
Deciding To Take Him To A Vet
Julia couldn't figure out anything else from the recording. She decided to take it to a professional. She called up a vet and made an appointment to go see him.
The next day, she made sure the appointment was still on and made her way to the vet. But she had no idea what they would have to say once he saw Bronx.
The Vet's Opinion
Julia arrived at the vet with her dog by her side and was ready to finally find out what was going on. She walked into the vet's office and put Bronx on the exam table.
The vet walked in and greeted her before getting to work. He examined Bronx and even watched the recording that Julia had not transferred on her phone. That's when he brought up an important concern.
His Concerns
After a thorough examination and a look at the recording, the vet asked her exactly when she got Bronx and from where. All of the questions made her a little uneasy. What was he really getting at?
He told her that he wanted to run a few tests just to test his theory. But it would take a week, and there was nothing they could do to make it quicker.
Doing The Tests
Julia consented to the tests and made her way home once they were done. Bronx wasn't used to being at a vet and made things more difficult than they had to be.
But in the end, all of the tests on him were done, and now all she had to do was wait a week until the results would come back. Unfortunately, it would be a difficult week waiting for the truth.
Unsure Of Her Actions
That night, Julia didn’t know whether she should let Bronx sleep in her bed or not. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but she was just a little creeped out by everything that had happened.
So she did something that broke her heart. She locked him up in the kitchen and went to bed alone. It was a tough choice, but she couldn’t afford to take any risks.
Crushing Sight
When Julia woke up the next morning, she heard Bronx whining from behind the door. When she opened it, she found him sitting on the floor, moping like a toddler who did something wrong.
She hated seeing him like that, but she felt like she had no other choice. So the next night, she locked him up again, and that was when tragedy struck.
Missing
Julia woke up feeling as guilty as ever, but something was different from the morning before. There was no whining coming from behind the kitchen door.
She rushed in to check if Bronx was okay, but he was nowhere to be found. Julia saw the kitchen window was broken, and she ran out, but Bronx was long gone.
A Sad Day
The day dragged on, and Julia felt worse than she did before she adopted Bronx. All she wanted was to have some company, but it seemed that she managed to push that away too.
She was feeling depressed and blamed herself for what had happened. Julia had absolutely no idea what Bronx was up to.
That Night
Julia woke up to the sound of glass shattering. She was groggy and afraid, so instead of getting up, she just pulled her blanket over her head and went back to sleep.
But a few minutes later, she felt something. A warm, furry object plopped down on her hand, startling her. Was it Bronx? Did he come home?
Not What She Expected
With her free hand, Julia wiped her eyes and saw her dog sitting a few inches away from her. He happily wagged his tail before nudging her hand.
That was when Julia realized that the warmth wasn’t coming from him. She froze in fear, dreading what she would see once she looked down. At that point, she was praying for it to be anything but what she thought it was.
Was She Brave Enough?
A million things passed through her mind at once. Julia heard that cats would often bring their owners some kind of critter they caught, and she was really hoping it wasn’t a rat or bird.
“What is it?” she asked Bronx. Her voice was shaking nearly as much as she was. He nudged her hand again, and she couldn’t help but wince.
What Was It?
After a few minutes of convincing herself, Julia looked down. And the sight that greeted her shocked her to her core.
In her hand was something that resembled a puppy. However, it was incredibly dirty, and it didn’t look like it was breathing. What had Bronx done? Had he harmed a puppy in order to earn the affection he had gotten used to?
No Expert
Julia jumped out of bed and ran to her bathroom. Not knowing what else to do, she turned on the tap and shoved the puppy underneath it. He started squirming as the dirt and muck fell from his fur.
Julia let out a sigh of relief at the sight. She was so worried that Bronx had hurt him that she never considered what the other options could be. If only she knew how much trouble the puppy would cause.
Cute Little Thing
After a proper scrub, Julia examined the little creature. It was some kind of Shepherd pup, but sadly, it was so young that it hadn’t opened its eyes yet.
Bronx must’ve found it while he was out exploring, and he probably brought it home because he knew it needed help. Julia sighed, not knowing what she would face when she woke up.
Strange Symptoms
When Julia woke up the next morning, she found the puppy curled up in her hand and Bronx sleeping next to her. She smiled at the sight, but when she lifted the puppy, she realized that something wasn’t right.
Julia had a strange feeling in her hands, particularly the one the puppy had been sleeping on. It was the strangest thing she'd ever experienced. They were red and incredibly itchy.
Nothing Serious
Julia took some allergy medication and went about her day. The medication must’ve worked since she had completely forgotten about her hands by the time she got home.
So she shrugged the symptoms off and paid attention to the two dogs that were in her home. Julia printed some flyers to try to find the puppy’s owner and got dinner ready. But later that night, things took a turn for the worse.
Getting Worse
Julia went to bed that night, assuming that she would be right as rain when the morning came. But at around midnight, she woke up with some serious symptoms.
Her hands had swollen to the point where she couldn’t close them anymore. They were like red, puffy boxing gloves that hurt every time she touched something. This was definitely more serious than an allergy.
Watching The New Footage
Julia realized that her camera was still recording and decided to watch the footage once again. There might be a clue on there that would explain her new condition.
She watched the footage and noticed something different. Just before midnight, Bronx got up and started doing something new. He had pushed the puppy aside and was licking her hands.
Affection?
She watched the footage of the previous night and saw that he had done the same then. Was he doing it out of affection? Or was it because he was jealous of the new pup?
Julia couldn’t understand the situation but thought it was better to be safe than sorry. She immediately called her doctor and made an appointment to see him the next day.
The Doctor
Julia left work early so she could make her doctor’s appointment and find out what was going on. If she knew the true cause, she might’ve done it a lot sooner.
She made her way to the doctor's office and was swiftly taken into the examining room. But just like the vet, her doctor had his concerns.
The Examination
The doctor did a thorough examination, paying special attention to her hands. He even went as far as to do an allergy test. But it didn’t take him very long to give up.
The doctor frowned as he led Julia into his office. He clearly had something alarming to tell her. But she had no idea what that might be. Was she developing an allergy to her dog?
Had No Idea
The doctor's frown wasn’t caused by his diagnosis. It was caused by the fact that he didn’t have a diagnosis. He had no idea what was causing her symptoms.
The doctor had never seen or heard of such a thing in his life, and he simply had no idea how to treat it. But he couldn’t let his patient walk out without a diagnosis, either. What if she was contagious?
Could It Be?
The doctor took a while to speak, but when he did, he told Julia that it could be an infection. However, he didn’t seem convinced.
Julia thought about what she had seen on her phone and wondered if she should reveal the secret. It could be the key to unraveling this mystery. But was she ready to learn the truth?
Deciding To Show Him
Julia decided that it was worth a shot. She told the doctor exactly what had been happening lately and even showed him the video.
All Julia wanted was some answers. But once she found them, there was no going back. She would have a tough decision to make. And it was something she never took into consideration.
Showing Him The Footage
The doctor watched the video once, and his frown deepened. Then he watched it over and over again. And he paused it each time, Bronx pushed the puppy away and started licking her hands. Then his expression changed.
He started asking questions about the puppy, and Julia told him as much as she could. But seeing the look in his eyes really had her concerned. What had he seen that concerned him so much?
Deeply Concerned
It looked like the doctor was deeply concerned about what he had just seen. And that really worried Julia. She had never seen a doctor with such an expression before, and she knew it could only mean that he had bad news.
The doctor told Julia that she had to get her dog checked immediately. If his suspicions were correct, she’d need to be hospitalized right away.
What?
Julia couldn’t believe her ears. Hospitalized? She couldn’t be hospitalized! She had just signed up for IVF and she still had to look after Bronx. It wasn’t like she could just abandon her life because of itchy hands. She started panicking.
With her heart beating in her throat, she informed the doctor that she had already taken Bronx to the vet. But before she could continue, he told her that he wasn’t talking about Bronx.
No Other Choice
The doctor told Julia that he suspected that she might’ve picked the illness up from the puppy, and that she had to have him tested to see exactly what it was that was causing her symptoms.
Without those test results, there would be no definitive way to treat her. He wasn’t a veterinarian and didn’t know what could cause these symptoms. But he was sure it had something to do with the puppy.
Taking Precautions
What the doctor said really scared her. She had no idea what was wrong with her, and she was afraid of what would happen if they couldn’t uncover the source. Would she really end up in hospital?
Julia asked the doctor what would happen if she didn’t get treatment soon. But he assured her that she wasn’t in a life-threatening situation yet. However, that could change at any given moment.
In The Meantime
The doctor wasn’t just going to send Julia on her way, though. He gave her a prescription for medication that would lessen her symptoms and told her to get to the vet right away.
Julia could see that what he said wasn’t just some silly advice, and she wasn’t going to risk getting worse. She went home, got the dogs, and went straight to the vet.
The Results
Since Julia didn’t have an appointment, she had to wait her turn. And it felt like an eternity had passed before she was called in. But it finally happened, and she couldn’t be more relieved.
The vet informed her that she had arrived right on time, as he had just received the results of the tests that were performed on Bronx. But Julia stopped him mid-way through his speech.
An Explanation
Julia explained what had happened while she was waiting for the results and showed the vet the puppy Bronx brought home that night. The vet turned pale as a sheet.
He took a few steps back and put on a pair of gloves before taking the puppy from Julia and examining it. He looked at Bronx and said, “what have you done?”
Never-Ending Tests
The vet carefully put the puppy down on the exam table, keeping his distance the entire time, and started checking it.
He checked its ears, eyes, and throat before running a few blood tests and taking a full-body x-ray. The scene had Julia on edge. She waited so long for the last results, and she couldn’t afford to do so again.
So Nervous
Unable to contain her fears any longer. She turned to the vet and asked him how long this batch of tests would take. But what he said caught her completely off guard.
He informed her that the tests wouldn’t take long at all and that they were the least of his concerns at that point. And then he said something that changed her whole attitude toward him.
Dazed And Confused
The vet told Julia that he couldn’t let that puppy leave with her. She was confused by his reaction. It wasn’t like she stole the puppy, so she had every right to keep it if she wanted to.
But when she voiced her beliefs, the vet informed her that it had nothing to do with that. He told her that if she wanted the puppy, she could have it. However, it needed urgent medical attention.
Stop Being So Cryptic!
At this point, Julia had reached her limits. Nobody was telling her what was going on because they all wanted more tests or results from the tests they had already conducted.
But she was fed up. She wanted answers, and she wouldn’t be leaving without them. She demanded to know what was wrong with the puppy and why her hands had been swelling since it arrived at her house.
Calm Down
The vet politely asked Julia to calm down. He might’ve already found out what was wrong, but he needed the test results to confirm it. And they wouldn’t take more than a few minutes to obtain.
However, Julia couldn’t take it anymore. She was angry and afraid. She needed concrete answers, and it felt like she couldn’t afford the few minutes it would take to get them.
Understanding
The vet could see that Julia was at her breaking point and decided to tell her what he had uncovered. But before he did that, he sent the puppy to the kennel.
He sat Julia down at his desk and started explaining the situation. But what he had to say would force her to make a split-second decision.
The Cause
The vet told Julia that the puppy was riddled with infections. Since it was a stray with no mother to look after it, everything that could be caught was caught.
He was very sick, and it would take a lot of medication and maybe even surgery to get him back on track. But unfortunately, the practice couldn’t do that without someone agreeing to and paying for it.
Not Her Main Concern
At that point, the puppy was the least of Julia’s concerns. Her health was her top priority, and in her mind, that made sense since she couldn’t cover the puppy’s medical costs while she was lying in a hospital bed.
She understood that the vet needed to know if he could start treatment. But she had one question before she could accept. “Did the puppy make me sick?” she asked.
In Its Own Way
The vet gave her a warm smile and said, “the puppy didn’t directly cause your illness, but it did happen because of its presence.” Julia was even more confused at this point.
The vet went on to explain that Bronx had picked up on the puppy’s ailing health, and in order to protect Julia from its germs, he started licking her hands clean. But he wasn’t exactly germ-free either.
Capnocytophaga
When the vet received Bronx’s results, he saw that Bronx had Capnocytophaga. Which, in dog terms, meant that he was perfectly healthy and that there was nothing to worry about.
But in human terms, the condition wasn’t as simple, as it came with quite a lot of side effects when it had a human host.
The Truth
The truth of what was going on was pretty simple. Bronx had been watching Julia sleep, as he had a traumatic upbringing. He was most likely abandoned while he was sleeping and felt the need to remain awake when he felt most vulnerable, which was at night.
And he brought the puppy home because he felt neglected when Julia locked him in the kitchen. But he soon realized that the ill puppy could harm her. And he wanted to prevent that.
Harmless
It was so much for Julia to take in, and she knew that it would take a while before it was processed. However, she did understand that Bronx was fine and that he was the most caring creature she had ever heard of.
But there was still one problem. Even though the bacterium was harmless to Bronx, she was suffering from the consequences, and she had no idea what that meant for her health.
What It Meant For Her
Julia raised her concerns with the vet, but he informed her that her condition was beyond his realm of expertise. However, he was more than willing to offer her doctor an explanation of what he found.
It wasn’t what she was hoping for, but it did help Julia feel a bit better about the situation. She thanked the vet, agreed to pay for the puppy’s treatment, and took Bronx home so she could deal with her next problem.
Contacting Her Doctor Again
As soon as she let Bronx into the house, Julia called her doctor. She asked the secretary if they could have a telephonic consultation. And the secretary agreed since Julia was willing to pay the consultation fee.
Julia told the doctor what the vet said, and he asked her to come to his office immediately. He needed to run a test to see how far the bacteria had spread.
A Sudden Change
Julia was anxious. From the doctor’s tone, she could tell that this was far worse than she thought it would be. It was clear that the medication he had given her wouldn’t combat this specific bacterium.
And from his response regarding the tests, she could tell that this was a life-or-death situation. She could only hope that things would work out in her favor.
Getting Tested
Within fifteen minutes, Julia was sitting in the examination room, and blood was being drawn for the tests. The doctor assured her that she wouldn’t have to wait long to get the results, as they already knew what was wrong.
He just wanted to find out how severe the condition was so he could treat it effectively.
Waiting Game
The doctor understood that Julia was afraid and explained his concerns while they waited. “This kind of thing rarely happens,” he said. “But Capnocytophaga can spread to people through bites, scratches, and from saliva produced by a dog or cat.”
Julia finally understood what kind of predicament she was in. And it did nothing to provide her with comfort. In fact, it made her feel even worse.
Better Understanding
Julia had a ton of questions about her condition, and she started rambling as she ticked things off. But the most important things she wanted to know was: how would it affect her fertility? How long would it take for her to recover? And can she be reinfected?
The doctor assured her that her fertility wouldn’t be in jeopardy. But he also told her that the risk of reinfection is quite high. However, there were ways to combat it.
Will She Be Okay?
When the results came in, the doctor looked at Julia and nodded. She tested positive for Capnocytophaga. But luckily, the situation wasn’t as grim as he first assumed it would be.
He explained that it was completely treatable and that she would be perfectly fine within a few weeks. The results confirmed that it was only a mild infection, and because of that, she just needed some medication to get rid of all the symptoms.
Relieved
With a sigh of relief, Julia thanked the doctor. Now that she knew that she wasn’t in any danger, she felt better than she had in weeks.
The doctor prescribed some strong antibiotics and informed Julia of what she could do to prevent reinfection. But Julia’s day wouldn’t end there. There was something she needed to do to ensure she stayed healthy.
Lesson Learned
Julia did exactly what the doctor ordered, and on her way home, she stopped at the pet store. She loved Bronx to death, but there was no way he was going to sleep in her bed anymore.
He would get his own bed next to hers so she could control the amount of hand licking that took place. The new routine would involve washing her hands every time he licked her. But this little family had another surprise in store for them.
Growing Family
About a week after all this happened, Julia received a call from the vet telling her that she could pick up the puppy. Julia was a little hesitant, but when she looked over at Bronx, she knew it was the right thing to do.
He did bring the puppy home to make peace, after all. And the aspiring mom couldn’t just let the little pup make its way through the world alone.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.