Me: Nell, look at me please.
Nell: I need to be alone. This is hard to accept.
Me: Charlie is going to get through this.
Nell: Congestive Heart Failure due to Mital Valve disease.
Me: Yes, but the cardiologist could find no dangerous heartbeats and his heart has only just gone into heart failure so it will hopefully remodel to a certain extent.
Nell: My poor Charlie.
Me: The tablets are helping already. He isn’t panting anymore.
Nell: Does Sally know?
Me: Yes. Dave called her on his iBone. She is handling everything at work.
Nell: No more James Bond.
Me: Not in the conventional sense maybe, but there is a lot you can do from your desk nowadays and you will be there for him.
Nell: Yes. I need to pull myself together. The main thing is the vets know what is wrong and we can deal with it. He just needs to adjust.
Me: Harriet says he is asking for you. She and Mutley are with him. Malcolm is making soup and Poppy has baked some fresh scones for everyone.
Nell: Yes. Just give me five minutes. I don’t want him to see my distress.
Me: He will understand. He knows how much you care about him.
Nell: Yes. Who needs James Bond when you can have Charlie Shepherd.
Me: Exactly. The Cat popped round earlier with flowers from its garden.
Nell: How kind. Did David just walk past in a long white coat and stethoscope with a basket of fruit and Gladys in my handbag wearing a nurse’s hat?
Me: Yes, he did. They make Charlie smile.
Nell: Good. We will get through this together.
Me: We will. I am so sorry.
Awww poor Charlie, I’m sure you’ll take good care of him Nell xx