Free Bella by Ellen Miles Page B

gave birth, and she is still sick, too sick to take care of them properly.” She paused and gave Lizzie a very serious look. “Sissy had five puppies, this one here plus four boys. But none of the boys made it.”
    “You mean — they died?” Lizzie asked. She could hardly stand to think about it. Poor puppies! Poor little girl, all alone in the world without her mom or her brothers.
    Ms. Dobbins nodded. “It’s so sad. Alexandra kept hoping that Sissy would get better, and she is improving. But Sissy still can’t take care of this last puppy, and neither can Alexandra. She’s too busy taking care of Sissy.”
    Lizzie looked down at the puppy. She didn’t look much at all like the cocker spaniels on her “Dog Breeds of the World” poster, with their long, fringed ears and adorable faces. She looked morelike a hamster. A sick hamster. “The poor little thing!”
    “I know,” said Ms. Dobbins. “When Alexandra called to ask for help, I agreed to take her. How could I say no? Her friend drove the puppy up and showed me how to mix the formula to feed her with.” She showed Lizzie a baby bottle full of white liquid. “It’s made with goat’s milk and raw eggs,” she said. “And some other stuff. Puppies this age have to eat every three or four hours. Maybe even more often in this case, since she is not growing as fast as she should be.”
    “She does seem really small,” said Lizzie. She gazed down at the puppy, feeling a strange mixture of love and fear. This small, squirmy thing was so helpless!
    Ms. Dobbins nodded. “She’s had a tough life so far and she’s not very strong.”
    “What’s her name?” Lizzie asked.
    “She doesn’t have a name yet. Alexandra wanted to wait to see how she does.” Ms. Dobbins put out one finger to pet the tiny puppy.
    “How she does?” asked Lizzie. She felt an ache in the back of her throat. “You mean —”
    Ms. Dobbins nodded. “I have to warn you, Lizzie. This puppy might not make it. Normally a four-week puppy can survive without her dog mom, as long as she has plenty of care from a human. But since Sissy was sick ever since she was born, this pup has not had a very easy start in life.”
    Lizzie swallowed. The ache in her throat was worse now, and her eyes felt hot. “But you’ll take good care of her,” she said. “Right?”
    “I’ll do my best,” said Ms. Dobbins. She stood up and dusted off her hands. “I think it’s time to get her settled at home. The staff can close up here today. I’ll grab all the formula supplies if you can carry the box out to my car.”
    “Me?” Lizzie asked. Lizzie knew so much about dog breeds, and dog training, and dog care. But somehow, this tiny puppy made her feel as if she did not know anything at all. She was not sure she trusted herself to carry that box without dropping it or jarring the puppy inside.
    Ms. Dobbins smiled. “Yes, you,” she said. “You’ll be fine.” She arranged another towel over the top of the box to keep the puppy warm, then picked the box up and handed it to Lizzie. “Follow me,” she said.
    Lizzie followed Ms. Dobbins, cradling the box carefully in her arms. It wasn’t heavy at all; it probably weighed less than her math book. Lizzie felt the box move a little as the puppy squirmed around inside. Out in the parking lot, she followed Ms. Dobbins’s directions and gently set the box on the floor by the passenger seat.
    “Okay, Lizzie. Thanks. I’ll let you know how she’s doing.”
    Lizzie watched as Ms. Dobbins drove off. When her mom pulled in a few seconds later to pick her up, Lizzie burst into tears.
    Her mom jumped out of the car. “What is it, honey?” She hugged Lizzie close. “Did something go wrong at the party?”
    Lizzie cried even harder, burying her face into her mother’s familiar soft warmth. When she could speak, she told Mom about the puppy.
    “Oh, sweetie,” said Mom. “That’s so hard.” She hugged Lizzie some more. “Tell you what. I could use