Work Text:
Dal
Hutch opened one eye and found two staring back at him.
“Go ‘way,” he said groggily, “lay back down.”
A loud “woof” followed by a high pitch whine was the reply the sleepy detective got.
“Dal,” Hutch groaned pulling the covers up, his blonde hair disappearing under them, “it’s 3 am! Get back in your bed!”
Silence followed for a beat and Hutch heard the dog pad his way back to the den, plopping down on his bed.
“Good,” Hutch thought as he burrowed further under the covers, heading back to sleepy land.
But the trip was interrupted by the fast clicking sound of four paws heading back to him. Dal propped his head on the side of Hutch’s bed again, letting out another woof and whine.
Getting no response, Dal paced back and forth from the bedroom to the den, his paws carrying the sounds of “I gotta go and I gotta go now!” and his whine getting stronger.
Finally, Hutch growled and threw back the covers. Angrily, he started to order Dal back to his bed and go to sleep. But one look into those soulful dog eyes and knew he couldn’t. Nature calls to all – no matter how many legs you walk on.
Sighing deeply, Hutch pulled on a pair of sweatpants, threw on a t-shirt and stuffed his feet into a pair of sandals. Dal, realizing that relief was finally on the way bounced and jumped his way to the front.
“Calm down boy,” Hutch said, finding the leash in its usual corner by the door, clipping it onto Dal’s collar.
And out the door they went or, rather, out the door Dal pulled Hutch. The dog was walking fast and sniffing the ground, stopping to see if he’d found the right spot, moving along when he didn’t. Hutch had learned to let Dal have the lead on these excursions, he would do his business when ready.
A couple of blocks from the house, Dal stopped quickly, having found the right spot. Up went his leg, out came the relief, and a few seconds later, he was all done.
“Good boy”, Hutch said quietly, “now can we go back and get some sleep?”
Dal looked at Hutch and, as if understanding, turned back toward home.
Man and dog walked slowly the bathroom urgency gone. Dal was relaxed now, looking around, sniffing and hearing things that only he could. Hutch looked up at the night sky, in awe of all the stars he could see; the moon so bright that it cast a shadow of him and Dal. He remembered past walks, watching the clouds roll over the sky with the moon and stars peeking in and out.
And even though he would rather be in his bed, Hutch did enjoy these walks – even at 3 am. There was a peace and quiet found in the night, the darkness like a blanket one could burrow under to hide from the world.
Soon, though this peaceful time would be over. No more night walks, no more moon shadows, no more sniffing grass blades. Hutch realized the life of a cop just wouldn’t let a dog fit in, especially an active one like Dal. So, he asked around the station and found the perfect family for Dal, complete with kids to play with and a big yard to run in. This was the life Dal needed and deserved, it’s what was best for him.
Sadness settled over Hutch as he thought about this, knowing how much he would miss his furry friend. Dal, sensing this, rubbed his head against Hutch’s leg, letting his human know it would be ok.
Once back in the house, Hutch took off Dal’s leash and dropped it in its spot. He rubbed Dal’s head and gave his four-footed friend a treat – which he took and ran quickly to his bed to devour. Hutch laughed and headed back to bed.
In a minute, he heard the clickety-clack of Dal’s paws again, wondering if another bathroom battle was at hand. Instead, he heard Dal thump to the floor by his bed and let out a long sigh.
Soon, both human and dog were snoring, tucked in peacefully by the blanket of night.
Editor’s Note: I have a dog named Dixie, she’s been in the family about six months now. It was the late-night/early morning bathroom breaks that we’ve had to take which inspired this story. Being in a warm bed at 3am is much nicer than walking around outside, but the night sky…the stars…the moon is all so spectacular along with the peace and quiet. So, if you ever have a chance to go outside (safely) at that time of night, look up and enjoy the wonders before you.