Hello Vet! How are you?

“Is our Sugar really in bad shape?”

The fact that things could have gone terribly wrong implied seriousness.

The expression of Sugar’s guardian darkened as he asked Lee Joon again.

“Well, I’ll need to conduct more tests to tell you in detail… Would you like to try touching here?”

Lee Joon released his hand from near Sugar’s rear leg and spoke.

“Here?”

The guardian placed his hand where Lee Joon had indicated and widened his eyes.

The swollen area was, with a bit of exaggeration, about the size of a fist.

Moreover, it was hot to the touch.

“W-What is this? Why is it like this?”

“It’s probably an inflammation. We’ll have to find the cause, but since it’s to the point of affecting mobility, the affected area might be deeper than expected.”

At the suggestion that the illness might be severe, the guardian felt his heart sink.

“It… it can’t be cancer, right?”

Though he didn’t think so, Lee Joon couldn’t provide assurance, so he held back his words.

His silence spurred the anxious guardian to ask again.

“Is it like a human boil?”

“Not sure. It could be similar or not, so we’ll need to conduct tests to know for sure.”

“Please do.”

The guardian sighed heavily, lamenting.

“To think I didn’t notice our Sugar getting like this… it’s shameful.”

“With such dense fur, how could you know?”

“You got that right, hyung. With this furry creature, how did you find the affected spot so quickly?”

“Sugar indicated that it hurt there. Either way, since the affected area is quite serious, we’ll need to do an X-ray to see how extensive the swelling is.”

Lee Joon’s response left Go Gijin and Sugar’s guardian wide-eyed.

However, that moment passed, and they assumed Lee Joon was joking to lighten the mood.

After explaining what tests Sugar would undergo, Lee Joon began the examination.

It amazed Go Gijin how Lee Joon managed everything, from blood tests to X-rays, single-handedly.

Meanwhile, Lee Joon glanced at Go Gijin, who was watching with sparkling eyes and grinned.

‘Right, starting with large dogs and gradually moving to small dogs, and getting familiar with cats like Gray one and Kkamnyang should work.’

Lee Joon contemplated how to guide Go Gijin, who was handling Sugar with the ease of a small dog.

‘With that strength, he’ll be a huge help in Sugar’s rehabilitation.’

Lee Joon prepared for the final X-ray with a sense of assurance.

“Alright, sugar, let’s get into this position, okay?”

Even though he spoke as if addressing a person, sugar obediently assumed the posture Lee Joon had indicated.

After the examination, go Gijin carried Sugar back to the treatment room, marveling at the process.

“It’s really amazing. I can’t tell if this pup is just smart, or if you’re just that impressive, hyung.”

“It’s more amazing that you can lift Sugar so easily. Geez.”

“Hehehe, is it?”

“Yeah. Anyway, doesn’t this look like a needle?”

Lee Joon squinted at the monitor displaying the X-ray, scrutinizing Sugar’s rear leg.

“It kind of does? Being completely embedded in the flesh, it seems like it’s been there a long time. But surely it hasn’t pierced through to the bone?”

“It seems precarious, but…

I don’t think it has.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Right, but what about this? Is there a needle stuck between the toes as well?”

Lee Joon pointed between the toes.

“Hmm. Doesn’t look like a needle there…”

“Still, it seems like inflammation caused by a foreign substance?”

“True, a lot of boils are attributed to foreign substances… Oh! Could it be that?”

“What?”

“Grass seeds.”

“Grass seeds?”

“Yes, those tiny and extremely hard, pointed ones. If they get stuck, it’ll hurt, right? And since it’s painful, they’ll lick at it, and again because it itches, they’ll lick more, causing the seed to dig deeper into the flesh.”

Go Gijin’s reasoning made sense to Lee Joon.

“That sounds plausible.”

“I had a recent home visit. To this familiar farm where there’s this adorable guy, named Mount, a Border Collie that really gets along with me.”

Though the subject of a home visit came out of the blue, Lee Joon listened attentively.

‘He’s still the same.’

Circling around to the point, getting to the essence in a roundabout way was Go Gijin’s style of conversation.

“I packed a huge dental bone for him that day, but he was nowhere to be seen. I was looking around for him when I saw him limping towards me from afar, wasn’t that something?”

“He must have been like Sugar.”

“Yes. So, I rushed over to hold him, and gosh, he let out such a piercing scream… felt like my heart was tearing apart.”

Go Gijin’s lips drooped as if Mount had screamed right before his eyes.

“Thinking it was perhaps a hip dislocation, I checked, but that wasn’t it. Examining thoroughly, it turned out to be a CPF, just like this little fellow here.”

When a dog’s foot becomes swollen with pus between the toes, it’s commonly referred to as a CPF.

“Really?”

“Yes. Due to the abundance of fur, it could’ve been overlooked, but that Mount guy’s body was covered in grass seeds all over. So on a hunch, I sliced his paw open, dug in, and sure enough, there was a grass seed lodged deeply.”

“Hmm!”

“And it was huge. Oh, I’ve got a picture saved…”

Go Gijin retrieved his phone and showed a picture to Lee Joon.

“That’s big.”

“It must have been extremely painful with something like this lodged inside, right?”

“Indeed, but my point is that you mentioned the affected area was extensive.”

“It was quite broad.”

“Did you call him Mount? After the surgery, how did you manage the aftercare? Being a dog on a farm, you couldn’t really afford detailed care, could you?”

In reality, surgery on a large dog’s limb, like Sugar, was a substantial undertaking.

While the surgery itself wasn’t particularly difficult, the post-operative care posed challenges.

Such a sizeable body with a limb operated on wouldn’t function normally in everyday life.

If smaller, the guardian could carry or assist, but dealing with a large breed wasn’t as manageable.

The paw, which needs to bear weight and touch the ground, was a bigger issue.

“What surgery? We don’t baby the big guy. A farm has limited hands. Even if someone could help, that wouldn’t mean he’d stay still. I just did a local anesthetic, took a scalpel, sliced it open, and removed the seed.”

“What about suturing?”

“Ah, why suture? Mount wouldn’t stay still anyway. Even if sewn up, it would split open under exertion or licking. It’s better not to.”

“True.”

Lee Joon didn’t worry about Sugar licking and breaking sutures.

That, he could manage with caution.

However, tearing due to exertion posed a concern.

“I just told them to spray an anti-bacterial spray over it.”

Go Gijin mentioned he applied an antibiotic spray to the wound.

“So, it healed without complications?”

“Absolutely, he’s running around lively as ever now.”

“Oh, that’s a good method.”

“The spray coats the wound, preventing water entry, it’s good. Even cattle often heal without issues when sprayed.”

The paw being a tricky area to manage, Lee Joon found Go Gijin’s rough treatment method acceptable.

“Then, let’s perform the surgery to remove the damaged muscle, and for the paw, let’s proceed as you suggested.”

“Sounds good.”

Lee Joon and Go Gijin promptly prepared for surgery.

Though initially apprehensive, with Lee Joon’s detailed explanation, sugar eventually calmed down.

“Don’t worry, we’ll fix you right up. You probably haven’t been sleeping well because of the pain.”

Under Lee Joon’s genuine encouragement, sugar gently fell asleep.

The sight moved Go Gijin deeply.

‘Wow, truly… no one loves animals like hyung does.’

With Sugar under anesthesia, the four hands moved swiftly.

Amidst quick movements of slender, long hands, thick hands worked rapidly too.

‘Witnessing hyung’s surgery—what an honor is this?’

The gleaming eyes of Go Gijin assisting Lee Joon reflected awe.

‘Kid, you’ve really grown.’

Lee Joon also acknowledged the adeptness of Go Gijin keeping pace with his rhythm, offering a satisfied smile.

In this heartwarming atmosphere, the surgery concluded successfully.

“Whew, we’ve crossed a threshold now.”

“Hyung, you’re really incredible, you know that? How can you get even faster?”

“Hmm… just by diligently doing it, I suppose?”

To Lee Joon’s comment, go Gijin rolled his eyes.

“Sounds like those straight-A students on TV claiming they only studied textbooks…”

“Haha, I mean work hard.”

“Oh, come on.”

“All right, anyhow, the real issue is ahead…”

“What are you worried about?”

“Since we excised a lot of muscle, recovery might be slow. And to avoid complications, he shouldn’t move for a while… Ugh, the thought of supporting this large guy is daunting.”

“Can’t he just stay still?”

“Well, basic needs must still be met. Like potty breaks. Already, my back and arms hurt thinking about supporting this hefty one.”

“Oh, that? Why worry when I’m here?”

“Still. Sugar needs a few days of hospitalization—during the day, you can take care of him, but at night, I’ll have to.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll just sleep here with him.”

At his nonchalant response, Lee Joon was startled.

“What? You need to go home and sleep. I’m not that kind of unkind senior.”

“It’s fine. I can sleep on straw when visiting farms.”

“Well, I appreciate it, but… I’ll make sure your night shift pay reflects it well.”

“Oh please, there’s no need for that. I’m grateful just for being allowed alongside hyung. You could just bring something delicious like cake and what’s it called, cafe mocha, when you come to work.”

“Hahaha.”

Lee Joon’s laughter echoed across the surgery room.

***

Go Gijin truly took excellent care of Sugar.

“Sugar, let’s go for a pee-pee.”

Go Gijin efficiently lifted Sugar and set him down on a pee pad, supporting him securely until he comfortably did his business.

“Sugar, time to eat.”

Supporting Sugar’s belly so he didn’t put weight on his rear leg, go Gijin helped him eat.

By ensuring no pressure reached the surgically treated leg regardless of the posture, sugar’s recovery was significantly expedited.

Each morning when Sugar’s guardian came for a visit, a broad grin would spread across his face.

“When he was laying there after surgery, my worries were endless… I sincerely thank you. Please, have these, though they’re a small gesture.”

“Oh my, this is heaven.”

Go Gijin exclaimed while relishing the cafe mocha and cake brought by Sugar’s guardian.

“How do they make such delicious cake?”

“I’m more thankful to see you enjoy it. Our Sugar is truly fortunate to have you. Given how big Sugar is, which other doctors would care for him this dearly?”

“Agreed. Meeting Director Lee Joon was a blessing for Sugar.”

Rather than denying, go Gijin simply expressed the truth as he saw it, while patting Sugar.

At that, sugar wagged his tail and barked happily.

“See, he’s saying the same.”

“Exactly. Thanks to the doctor, this neighborhood is improving… Thank you.”

When the guardian thanked Lee Joon, he modestly waved his hand.

“No, the credit goes to Dr. Go here. Without him, sugar wouldn’t have recovered as quickly as he has.”

Just then, sugar gave Go Gijin’s hand a long, affectionate lick.

Sugar’s guardian widened his eyes in surprise at the sight.

“Oh? What’s gotten into Sugar?”

“What is it?”

“Sugar just licked Dr. Go’s hand…”

“Oh, that? He does this quite often.”

Go Gijin didn’t think much of it and neither did Lee Joon.

“It’s not a big deal… he used to do it frequently when he was younger, but then less and less. Now, about once a year? So, this surprised me.”

“Our Dr. Go carries Sugar around easily, so he must feel like a puppy again.”

Lee Joon shared with the guardian what he had understood from Sugar.

“A puppy?”

“Yes, you must have carried him often when he was young. He’d have really loved that. Now that Dr. Go carries him again, those feelings are reviving. Combined with feeling unwell, he’s a bit more affectionate too.”

As Sugar’s guardian absorbed this, he gradually nodded.

“That must be it. We did carry him around a lot. But as he grew bigger, it became quite a task.”

Though Go Gijin wasn’t, Lee Joon completely understood the guardian’s feelings.

“Sugar probably missed that. When he sees dogs being carried in the park or on the street, he gazes at them longingly.”

『My friends too…』

Sugar, who had quietly been listening till now, murmured.

“Your friends?”

Lee Joon asked again, and Sugar nodded.