"Can't we wait until the morning to see if he's better?"
He nodded again. "We can wait, but he isn't going to get better. I know you love him, but you can't keep putting this off. It isn't fair to him."
She met his gaze. "If it was me, you wouldn't put me down."
He sat up and leaned toward her with a heavy sigh. "Don't do this to me, Carmen. We have a responsibility to him."
He was right, of course, and he didn't like putting Brutus down any more than she did. She nodded.
"Alright, but let me go say goodbye to him first."
Alex stayed in the house while she walked out to the barn. With no one looking on, she allowed the tears to flow freely. Brutus had never been a pet, but he had served them selflessly for years. He had risked his own life to protect her from the wild dogs, and chased the man who smashed her windshield. Somehow he always managed to get between her and the bison - even when she didn't know they were close.
She found Brutus in the stall next to Ed where Alex had put him. He lay on his side against the wall and didn't move when she kneeled beside him. His eye followed her, but he never lifted his head.
"Poor Brutus," she said as she stroked his head. "You've been a good dog and we all love you."
Brutus whined and his tail lifted once in recognition of her voice. Alex was right. He was suffering. Even so, it was hard to let him go. She had been unable to make that decision, leaving it to Alex. It wasn't fair to him. No wonder he was upset with her. It was bad enough that she left all the decisions for him, but then she argued with him. This was an area where he undoubtedly knew best.
She leaned down and laid her head on Brutus' chest. His heart beat slowly twice and then stopped. She sat up straight.
"Brutus?"
She stared at him for a moment, unconsciously holding her breath. His eye glazed over. Brutus was gone.
A tear slid down her cheek unnoticed until it dropped on Brutus. She was suddenly lost in the unhappy never after. Never again would he come running up to meet her, his big tongue hanging out as he gave her a huge doggie smile. Never again would she be startled by his sudden appearance in the garden, nor laugh at his gentle frolicking with the twins. Brutus was gone forever.