Emergency vet visit

I let Jax out to greet Tate. What do I say? It's nice that he is helping but this. I don't like that he is here without telling me. Or the fact he is fixing my car.

"You got the keys?" He asks with his award winning smile.

"Uh y-yea." I shake a little while getting my keys. I should say something about him helping too much but I have no courage to say it.

He holds his hand out for the keys and I hand them over with my gut in knots. He thanks me and leans through the open car window to start it up. It fires up with no problem.

"Best to let it run for a bit to charge the battery up. How are you this morning?" He asks leaning against the car.

"I-i'm alright. H-how are you?" I ask.

"I'm good. It was a nice morning for a walk so I walked here. Jax probably would have woke you up sooner if I drove." He states.

Tate looks out to Jax then a concerned look wipes the smile from his face. I turn to look and Jax is struggling to poo. 

"We need to get him to the vet. It looks like a blockage. Did he get into the trash recently?" He asks then quickly pulls his white greese stained shirt from the cars engine, along with his tools and slams the hood shut.

"A-a few days ago he got into the trash." I say panicking. 

"Katie. It's going to be alright. Get dressed and I will get Jax into the car." Tate says holding onto my shoulders to focus me.

"A-alright." I say before scurrying into the house.

I slipped on some clothes then hurried back outside. Tate is in the drivers seat and Jax was laying in the back. I hop into the passenger seat. Tate shifts the car into drive and we take off to town.

"I made a phone call so Kevin knows we are coming with Jax. They are getting their office prepped for him for surgery." Tate explains while dodging the random pothole or chatter bump.

How am I going to afford this? I will do what ever needs done for my boy. Why is all this happening? I let silent tears run down my cheeks and try to brush them away quietly. Tate reaches over to hold my left hand.

"It's going to be alright." Tates says calmly.

I just nod and keep wiping away the tears.

We make it to the vets office. Tate scoops up Jax from the back seat then heads for the back door of the office. A beautifully dark skinned man with his head fully shaved is holding the door open for Tate.

"Are you Katie?" He asks while I follow Tate inside.

"Y-yes." I reply.

"I'm Kevin. Tate filled me in on what's going on. We will do what we can to get Jax feeling better alright?" Kevin says with a comforting smile.

I nod and wipe away more tears from my eyes. Tate lays Jax onto a steel table and the girls start prepping Jax for sedation. Kevin gives Jax a poke.

"We are going to get an xray to see what's going on. Then we may need surgery." Kevin explains wheeling a sleeping Jax away on the table.

I keep sniffling while wiping my tears. Tate reaches behind a desk and pulls out a box of tissues. He hands them to me. I give him a weak thanks while taking them.

"He needs surgery." Kevin says popping his head out of a room. "Are we good to proceed?"

I nod my head frantically. Please save my boy.

"Tate you want to take her to room 6?" Kevin asks before disappearing.

"Let's go." Tate says leading the way. 

After what feels like an eternity of sitting in the quiet room with only the sound of a ticking clock. Kevin comes into the room.

"Surgery went well. He will need to stay quiet for a few days while recovering. We got to it before it was bad so we didnt have to remove much intestine. Sasha will be in to discuss payment." He says smiling before leaving to help others.

We sit in the room for awhile before the receptionist comes in with a laptop.

"Hi! Today's total is $3,670. Services have to be paid in full. Will you be paying with cash, check or card?" She says with a smile.

I try running numbers in my head. I think I have enough room on my one credit card for that. I hand her my credit card.

"Credit cards have a 3.5% charge to run. Will that be alright?" She keeps smiling.

"H-how m-much i-is t-that?" I choke out.

She pulls out her phone and does the math. She shows me 128.45 will be added on top of the bill. My knees buckle a little.

"Here Sasha." Tate says handing over a plastic card. "Debt cards don't have the charge right?"

"That's correct." She says snatching the card up and running it. She hands it back along with the receipt. "He will be ready for pick up by the end of the day. We want to make sure he comes out of anesthesia fine. Here are at home care papers." She then hurries out of the room.

I collapse to the floor. Tate kneels beside me. I hold my hand up to him trying to say I need space but those words don't come out.

"W-why?" I ask.

"Why what?" I hear the concern in his voice.

"W-why are y-you doing this to me?" I plead.

"I did this for Jax." He says.

"I-I don't h-have the m-money to repay you." I choke on the words.

"I don't need to be paid back." He sits with me on the floor.

"T-thousands of d-dollars don't need to be p-paid back?" I nearly scream. He peirce his lips together.

"T-then what d-do you w-want with me?" I plead not wanting to know the answer.