Little Black left.
It took several zombies with it.
Lin Zao hadn’t had time to stop it, and he had no idea how he could have anyway.
He could only watch as Little Black departed while clutching the rope tightly and hauling upward with all his might.
Lin Xiaobao stayed obediently by his dad’s side without a word or a fidget.
Though he couldn’t see what was happening outside the window, he had caught his dad’s anxious and heartbroken expression. He had heard Big Daddy’s fierce, booming roar and the little dog’s whimpering plaintively, like it was crying.
He figured things must be really serious.
So he wouldn’t cause any trouble.
At last, Lin Zao hauled up the plastic basket with the rope and set it on the windowsill.
Lin Xiaobao’s eyes lit up. He leaned in close and whispered breathlessly, “Dad, is that the little dog? How is it?”
“I need to check it first before I know.”
Lin Zao reached out a hand but then remembered something and pulled it back in a hurry.
“Little Bao, head down to the first-floor stairs and grab Dad’s gloves, okay? The ones I always wear when delivering food to Big Daddy. They’re on the stair railing.”
“No problem.”
Lin Xiaobao answered promptly and dashed downstairs.
He knew that real doctors always put on gloves before examining a patient.
His dad was a pro!
It wasn’t long before Lin Xiaobao returned with the gloves.
A pair of fuzzy ones and a pair of rubber gloves.
Only after slipping them on did Lin Zao reach toward the little dog again.
He had no idea if the zombie virus could spread through saliva, so it was best to play it safe.
Clearly, this was a puppy only a few days old.
It was scrawny and tiny, smaller than an adult’s palm, and it hadn’t even opened its eyes yet.
It had a bit of fur, but it was so sparse that the color of its skin showed right through.
Probably because it had been separated from Big Dog and the plastic basket was so hard, the little dog kept whining plaintively.
Lin Zao cupped his gloved hands beneath the little dog’s body, gently flipping it over and inspecting it from head to tail.
Good. The little dog wasn’t injured.
Big Dog had carried it with great care, without hurting it at all.
As long as saliva didn’t transmit the virus, the little dog would be fine.
Lin Zao picked up the plastic basket, shut the window, and drew the curtains tight.
Lin Xiaobao stood on tiptoe, craning his neck for a look. “Dad, it’s so small.”
“Yeah.” Lin Zao nodded. “Come on, let’s take it down to the first floor.”
Lin Xiaobao asked, “Are we giving it to Big Daddy to look after? But he’s so big, and the little dog’s so small—he might not even notice it…”
What if Big Daddy got up in the middle of the night and stepped on it?
That would be way too dangerous!
“No, not for Big Daddy to stay with it. We’re just putting it on the first floor for now.”
“Can’t it sleep with us?”
“Not yet. It’s still too small. To it, any person is huge and could easily step on it.”
“Okay.”
Lin Zao led Lin Xiaobao downstairs, carrying the basket.
Fu Cheng heard the commotion and let out a prompt roar.
—Little Zao!
With the little dog in his arms, Lin Zao didn’t dare shout back. He softened his voice and gave a quiet “Ooo” in response.
—I’m fine. Don’t worry.
Fu Cheng couldn’t understand the words, but hearing Lin Zao’s voice was enough for him to gauge that Lin Zao was safe.
It was still afternoon, with the sun hanging low and rays slanting in through the west window.
A newborn puppy couldn’t regulate its own body temperature and normally huddled against its mother for warmth.
With Big Dog gone, Lin Zao set the basket in a patch of sunlight so the little dog could bask on its back and get a bit warmer.
“Brother Cheng, keep an eye on the little dog. Little Bao and I are going upstairs to grab some stuff for it.”
Fu Cheng stood behind the iron door. He rumbled a low “Hrrrumph” from deep in his throat, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce right through the metal.
—Got it.
He would watch that dog like a hawk until Little Zao and Little Bao returned.
“Little Bao, go up to the third floor and fetch a couple of your old clothes that don’t fit anymore. Thick, warm ones to make a nest for the little dog.”
“Dad will head to the kitchen and fix it some food.”
“Be careful not to trip.”
“Got it!”
And so the father and son split up to tackle their tasks.
Lin Xiaobao headed to the third floor for clothes, while Lin Zao went to the kitchen for food.
Kids grew so fast—one day to the next, they changed. Clothes that fit perfectly, or were even a touch big one month, wouldn’t fit after a few more.
Lin Xiaobao always loved the patterns on them anyway, so even when they got too small, he hated to throw them out.
Lin Zao and Fu Cheng had packed them into a big box and some bags, planning to donate them someday.
Today was that day!
A little dog smaller than him had come into their home and needed his help!
Lin Xiaobao opened a bag and pulled out his favorite Snoopy long-sleeve shirt.
But it wasn’t quite thick enough.
So he grabbed that one too, along with his beloved Paw Patrol puffy jacket.
In the kitchen, Lin Zao opened the fridge and took out the leftover half-bowl of pig liver lean meat soup from lunch. He set it on the induction cooker.
The soup had been made that morning, reheated at noon, and now warmed again. The pig liver and lean meat had broken down from the repeated heating.
Lin Zao pressed down hard with a metal spoon, mashing the pig liver and lean meat into shreds and then into a mush.
They had no milk at home, so the little dog would have to drink this.
It was nutritious enough; it should work.
Five minutes later, father and son met on the stairs—one with clothes in his arms, the other carrying a bowl of food.
“Dad, let’s go.”
“Right.”
They headed downstairs.
The little dog still couldn’t move much. It just lay obediently in the basket, basking in the sun.
Lin Zao set the soup aside, slipped his gloves back on, and gently lifted the little dog’s body.
“Little Bao, come lay your little jacket in there.”
“Okay.”
Lin Xiaobao squatted down, pulled on his own gloves, and carefully spread out his puffy jacket with small hands.
He was thoughtful enough to put the zipper side down so the little dog wouldn’t be uncomfortable.
With his dad’s guidance, Lin Xiaobao lined the basket’s edges with two sweaters.
“That’s it—perfect job,” Lin Zao praised him. “No wind can get in now to chill the little dog. Big Dog made a nest just like this before his puppies were born.”
“Heh heh.” Lin Xiaobao grinned bashfully and started to lift a hand.
Lin Zao spotted it and intervened quickly. “Little Bao, no scratching your head.”
“Oh.” Lin Xiaobao obediently dropped his hand.
No matter what, he couldn’t touch anywhere the little dog had been and then go rubbing around.
Lin Zao’s plan was to keep the little dog on the first floor and observe it for a few days.
If all was well and it perked up, they could give it a bath.
Then Little Bao could pet it all he wanted.
Not for now, though.
Lin Zao carefully lowered the little dog back into its new nest.
The clothes were far softer than the plastic basket. The moment it settled in, it quieted down and stopped fussing.
Lin Zao placed the bowl of pig liver lean meat soup inside the nest too.
Worried it might not know how to eat from it, he had chosen a small, shallow dish.
Even so, the little dog wouldn’t drink.
Lin Zao gently pinched the skin at the back of its neck, lifting its head to the soup’s surface, but still it wouldn’t lap.
Lin Xiaobao grew anxious and a little sad. “Dad, why won’t the little dog drink? Does it not like this soup? But I think it’s yummy.”
“It’s probably not that…”
Lin Zao observed closely.
“I got it. Puppies drink with their tongues, but it hasn’t learned to stick its tongue out yet, so it can’t reach.”
“What do we do?”
“Let me think.”
Lin Zao released the little dog, removed the bowl, and looked around.
He went to the shelves, rummaged a bit, and finally found a small milk bottle in a box of odds and ends.
“This’ll do.”
Lin Xiaobao hurried over. “Will it work?”
“Should.” Lin Zao nodded. “When you were too little to eat solid food, Dad and Big Daddy fed you formula just like this.”
“Yeah.” Lin Xiaobao nodded. “But can we use it for soup?”
“Sure. Anything liquid works.”
Lin Zao and Lin Xiaobao went to the sink, took the milk bottle apart, and washed it.
Once dry with a paper towel, they filled it with soup.
Lin Zao held the bottle and eased the nipple into the little dog’s mouth.
At last, it reacted.
Still flopped in its nest, it parted its jaws, latched on, and began sucking noisily with little “glug-glug” sounds.
The soup level in the bottle started dropping steadily.
Lin Xiaobao squatted beside it, tilting his head as he watched intently.
“Dad, it’s drinking!”
“Yeah.” Lin Zao smiled.
“How much will it drink?”
“Hmm… About half a bottle, I’d say.”
“Will that fill it up? It’s not even enough for me.”
To Lin Xiaobao, that was a pitiful amount.
“I’ll check its belly in a bit,” Lin Zao explained. “If it’s nice and round, it’s full. If it’s still flat, we’ll give it a little more.”
