Cooper’s Life in the Bayside Medical Center

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I stare into her dying eyes, begging with every ounce of my soul to some incomprehensible deity to let her stay here with me, or for us to meet again. Every moment with her was peace. With her, I felt whole. No longer was I just a massive, hapless fool as I had been called a million times, but, instead, I could see my own greatness twinkling in her eyes. I am not nice, but she thought I was. My voice is loud and scary, but she was never intimidated. I am not cuddly, but that would never stop her from shimmying up next to me. My life became complete when she entered through that thick oak door. 

Her name was Makenna and she was the kindest creature ever to have lived. She had massive puppy dog eyes and gorgeous blonde hair. She had boundless energy, and brought up my spirits. She lived in the apartment directly next to mine. I remember the first time I saw her, she wore a gorgeous pink bandana, and her hair was smooth and soft. I was in a fight with the mailman—I have a true penchant for fighting. There was something extraordinarily nefarious about that man; his motives could not have been pure. Makenna walked by, clearly annoyed at my behavior. She did not even look at me, but boy oh boy did I look at her. 

Speaking of my father, I lived my life as a disappointment to my adoptive single father. He was very old when he took me in, and I could never be exactly what he wanted. I have a bad temperament, and simply cannot sit still. Yet, he yearned for me to be an outstanding listener, and very loving. He thought I would bring some sort of light to his life. My father cares for me, but I can tell I am not exactly who he pictured. He loved me so much when I was young, but slowly I feel as if we drifted apart. We were no longer father and son, but something else; perhaps, just friends who share the same house. Our lack of blood was apparent, and he never treated me as if I was his own. 

One fateful day, Makenna’s mother died. Makenna had nowhere to go, and we did not want her to have to be sent to a home. My father—very reluctantly—took her in. She changed both our lives in only days. Our house suddenly had the light my father thought I could bring. I was just happy that this girl I fell in love with at a glance now had no choice but to notice me. 

Notice me she did. It took my smoothest of moves, and I had to push myself and force myself into being something I cannot believe I was: nice. We fell in love in only a matter of weeks. My father liked her more nearly immediately, but it did not bother me in the slightest. To be frank, I liked her more too. Soon we became inseparable. She was a rambunctious explorer, and I her sidekick. She was a ball of energy, and in my arms was where she recharged. 

Years we lived like this in harmony, her getting into trouble and me being right by her side, taking any blame my father would dare dish out. My hair was beginning to turn gray, but Makenna looked just the same as the day I first saw her. My father, though, was beginning to get worse and worse. He was starting to go out less and spent most of his time at home on the couch. I wanted to do something, but at a certain point there is nothing I could do. 

One day my father stopped moving. He walked in the door and sat down as usual. However, today he never stood back up. No matter how much Makenna pleaded, or I pushed, he wouldn’t come back to life. Finally, a knock on the door came. A man in a dark blue outfit and a bright green vest came in. Three others followed. I fought them off for as long as I could, but I felt a sudden twinge in my neck and everything went black. 

I awoke on a cold linoleum floor. Two brown puppy dog eyes sat directly across from me.  Makenna was staring right into my soul. Her eyes were afraid, I tried to move with all my might, but my muscles would not let me. I grunted and growled; I screeched and I shook. I couldn’t do anything, nothing at all. A woman walked in dressed entirely in white. I gently licked Makenna’s nose as the needle was injected into her back. Her eyes stayed open, but they stopped twinkling. Now, I was just some big scary-looking dog, laying empty and soulless on the cold ground. I closed my eyes and felt a poke in my back.

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Not a day goes by where Will does not feel alone. He looks around the stale tan room wondering if his view will ever change. The room is bright with the afternoon light. Will’s two dogs lay at his feet. He sits on this couch simply wasting days lost in thought and memory. His partner died when they were only 58. Now it has been twenty years and he still cannot find another soul like Steven. Steven was caring, kind, and incredibly handsome. They met when they were young, but they were just friends on the basketball team then. It wasn’t until they met again in their late 20’s that they became a “thing.” A thing was what they could call it until they moved out west. 

Cooper lazily barks at the mailman, lacking the youthful vigor that once put Will on his heels. Will chuckles to himself, knowing that both he and Cooper are beginning to slip. Though, Cooper still had something to keep him young. Ever since Will had taken that little golden retriever Makenna in, Cooper had been bouncing off the walls; nothing was the same about the dog who used to scare everyone away. Will hated the way Cooper used to bark at every single person who came to the door. Will used to joke to his neighbor that Cooper scared everyone away, but Will knew all too he was the only scary presence in that house. 

Will was the oldest living person in the Bayside Medical Center, and he could feel that with him came darkness. Will and his formally rugged face had rounded with age. Will used to tell Steven that he couldn’t wait to grow old with him, that each moment would still mean something. The light in the room was dwindling, but as Will always joked to himself his eyes were the last to go. 

Makenna jumped on the couch, and Will began to pet her. Will reached out for the picture that sat on the table beside him. The picture was a handsome face surrounded by a pale blue backdrop, and the frame’s tacky gold veneer. Will hated that gold plating, but Steven thought it brought out his color. Will’s life was essentially going to the pet store, going to dinner, and coming home to stare at that picture. 

Will finally put down the photo and turned on the stereo. Cooper stirred, and nudged Makenna. Will often mused those dogs were in love, but they were just dogs. Besides, that grumpy German shepherd certainly would not be capable of love anyways. Makenna hopped down, and Will grabbed the paper off the stand. Will twitched to hand the sports section to some invisible specter. The room was nearly entirely dark now, but Will did not move a muscle toward the light. 

Everyday Will held out a tormented hope that when the light faded he could disappear with it. The only thing keeping Will here was the knowledge these two innocent souls had nowhere to go. Cooper was not the best dog, but he still had a kindness to him. Cooper pawed a tennis ball towards Will’s feet, and Will picked it up and threw it. This went on for at least fifteen throws. 

“Okay one last time” Will whispered to Makenna. The dogs went flying side by side into the neighboring room, their strides precisely in sync. Will remembered all the times he and Steven had walked together just like this. The first time they strolled down the road, with Steven carrying a basketball, and Will carrying on about all the problems with Of Mice and Men. 

The Dogs bounded back into the room. Makenna triumphantly carrying the ball in her mouth. Her look was just that of Steven as he stormed into their first date with a Steinbeck novel in his hand, claiming he had never stopped thinking of that walk they shared in the fall. The tennis ball rolled to Will’s feet, as the light in the room entirely faded. The two dogs stared up at their owner expectantly awaiting the last toss that would never come.