The Deer

When I arrived home yesterday evening Daveen and I hugged, as usual. We’ve been together for forty years now and know how to read each other’s moods. She seemed a bit preoccupied, so I asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Later,” she said.

I’ve also learned that timing is everything. So I waited.

As we climbed into bed Daveen was ready to talk. “I had a bad morning,” she said.

She had been driving south on Sepulveda on her way to visit our new grandson when she thought she saw a dog lying by the side of the road.  She couldn’t stop quickly enough, but finally turned her car around.  When she got back to the dog there were two other cars parked nearby, and one man was on his cell phone.”

“Was the dog hurt?” I asked.

“It wasn’t a dog.  It was a small deer.  I sat down beside it.  It looked like its legs were broken.”

“Oh, no.”

“I called 911.  They connected me to animal control.”  Daveen shook her head.  “I will never do that again,” she said, with considerable feeling.

Daveen touched the deer, trying to comfort her. The deer seemed to relax and began nuzzling Daveen’s leg.

“She was very weak,” Daveen said.  Then she began to sob.

“We…we…the deer and I had a connection.  I felt it.  I told her that everything was going to be all right.  That I would help her.  After I told her it was going to be okay, I believed it.  But then animal control arrived.  It was awful.

“They took one look at the deer and said they would have to kill her.”

“What?”

Now there were tears in my eyes.

“That’s exactly what they said.  That they would have to shoot her.  Alan, I felt so completely helpless.  There was nothing I could do.  They wouldn’t even let me touch her again.  There was nothing I could do.”

I felt helpless as well. I told Daveen I loved her and I patted her back while she cried on my shoulder.  Sometimes just being present is the best and only comfort you can offer.

“I will never do anything with animal control again,” she said.  “Never in my life.”

“Of course, honey.”

“Next time I’ll be sure to call animal rescue,” she said.  “Maybe they would actually help.”

It was a long time before either of us fell asleep.

Alan