Bad news

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.