Father Goes to the Vet: The Drop-off

We waited almost a half a year until we decided to take Father for a check-up at the vet. It took us a while to do this because we had been burned by the “Princess Ordeal”, and we didn’t want to get emotionally or financially involved with Father only to have some negligent owner swoop in and take him back. However, after waiting a while and asking around with the neighbors about Father, it was apparent that Father’s owners were not going to step forward.

Not only was Father going in for an exam, but he was also going to be groomed, so I was going to drop him off in the morning and pick him up later that afternoon. My mom made the appointment and gave instructions to the clinic what needed to be done while I was the one who had to take Father to the vet. What made the chore annoying was that my mom wanted to use a vet in Knightdale, a town about 10 miles east of where we lived, and it was also in the wrong direction on my way to school, so I was going to have to go 40 miles out of my way that day to get Father to the vet even though there are many choices of vets inside Raleigh itself. At the time, the US 64 Bypass had not been built, so the only way to Knightdale was US 64, which is also a major artery from Raleigh into eastern Wake Co. and eastern NC. That 10 mile drive at the time would often take 30 minutes but it wasn’t unusual for it to take over an hour. It was a pain in the ass having to go through that hick town with all of its randomly timed red lights.

I learned several things that day. First, Father gets car sick – easily. I had hardly pulled out of the driveway onto the street when Father started peeing and throwing up in my car which I had otherwise kept in good shape of 8 years. Poor Father was panting heavily in the backseat the whole way. When we arrived at the vet, a vet tech was in the only person at the reception desk. I told him my name and that we had an appointment. He asked my why Father was there, and I said I really didn’t know what was scheduled for him that day since my mom had made the appointment. The guy, Bob, got gruffy. Then when another client came in, he grew even more frustrated and yelled in the back for some help. Later, a few months, I commented to the vet that Bob scared Father, to which the vet said “Bob scares a lot of people.” I was a little put off by the guy at first and still find him a little odd, but the guy has been at the clinic well over 14 years now, and from what I know, he is a loyal and dependable employee. Vets would love to have employees like that.

Bob took Father to back for his exam and grooming while I went to school with a detour home in order to clean the backseat after Father’s mess.