Under the Night Sky

Chapter 29

"So, you ready?" Meredith smiled at him from under her surgical mask and handed him the scalpel.

"I- I think so," he sighed apprehensively as he took the blade and stared at it.

Meredith frowned her forehead looking at him. She thought she was giving him a treat, an occasion to exercise his fingers, outside the bedroom that was. She knew he missed cutting, the rush of the surgery. Mind you, neutering a dog was no craniotomy but still- However, he didn't look at all content and happy to cut. In fact, his face was steadily changing colors from healthy through pale to green.

"I- Do we really have to do this?" he asked, clearing his throat.

"What do you mean?" She eyed the table in incomprehension. Everything was in order. Fluffy, Mrs. Marsh's pup, was prepped for the procedure and already unconscious having breathed in the gas.

"I mean, do we have to- you know-?" he said uncomfortably.

"I know what?" she shook her head.

"Ugh, remove his... I mean, castrate him," he coughed.

"Well, yeah, Mrs. Marsh brought Fluffy to neuter him. And it's our job to do that," she shrugged. "What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem," he bit back a bit defensively. "It's just- inhumane-"

"It's just a castration, Derek. He'll be as lively leaving the practice as he came in," she argued.

"I think not," he snorted. "He's going to go out of here- emasculated."

"Well, that's kinda the point," she nodded.

"That's animal cruelty!"

"What? No, it's not! He'll be better after the procedure-"

"He will be better?" Derek snorted. "Or Mrs. Marsh who will not have to worry about him peeing on the carpet and running around female dogs. He doesn't even- know fun, you know? You're ruining his life at the age of two months."

He was interrupted by Meredith's outburst of laughter. "Seriously?" she guffawed behind her mask.

"I don't see how it is remotely funny," he snapped, going red in the face.

"Well, I do. Solidarity of penises" she doubled up in laughter stepping away from the table.

"You can stop laughing now," he rolled his eyes at her. Fine, he felt for the dog but she didn't have to mock him for it. "Can't you talk Mrs. Marsh out of it?"

"No, I can't Derek," she said firmly when her breathing returned to normal. "Mrs. Marsh is an old lady, I'm not going to guilt talk her to drop it and worry about her later. He'll be less aggressive, he won't go roaming after females in heat and he won't have tumors"

"Of course, he won't have tumors, he won't have a place to have tumors in the first place!"

"This is ridiculous," she rolled her eyes even if she was still amused by Derek's ardent defense of Fluffy's manhood. "Obviously, you're not going to do it. Scalpel," she reached out to him expectantly.

"I-" he gulped and she had to carefully pry it off his fingers.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," she rolled her eyes and positioned herself to make an incision.

"Wait!" he pleaded.

"What now?" she snapped.

"Can you just- give me a minute?" he asked, stepping next to Fluffy's head. "So, Fluffy- Just hang in there, okay? It's not like the end of the world" he said halfheartedly, though his face indicated it actually was. "You can still be a happy dog, you know-"