I ran over the masked heeler this afternoon.

Oh, how I wish I could throw another snappy line here, one that would make the line above into a nasty tease.

But I can't. I really did run her over.

She's alive, but with a broken pelvis. At the vet's now, in a cage, getting painkillers and sedatives through an IV. Be there under observation and treatment for shock through at least tomorrow. And then surgery, probably Thursday.

The vet said it was a good break. Readily fixed, surgically.

Assuming no additional internal injuries.

The plate needed to repair what the left rear wheel did to her hip has to be specially ordered.

Knew what had happened as soon as I heard the painful yips.

Yips that didn't stop. Which was good, actually.

Just didn't know who it was. Until I opened the door and the little maskless heeler came running up to tell me something was wrong with her sister.

Couldn't for the life of me remember the vet's phone number. Knew it before, and know it now, but not then.

So called the wife, told her what had happened, and let her call. Told her to tell the vet's office I would be there in about an hour to an hour and fifteen.

We were way out in the boonies in the gas patch, looking for elk and elk hunters in the desert. No where near a developed road.

Made it in 50 minutes. Hard to do driving with one hand, the other holding the alert but panting heeler against you. But we did. Glad I know the roads.

Harder still talking on the cell or radio. Steering with the knee.

Thought I lost her three times, but she was just trying to get more comfortable each time. But the convulsions scared me.

I think my reactions scared her.

Surprised we beat the wife to the vet's. Six miles for her, almost fifty for us. But we did.

After X-rays, the vet went through the problems and procedure. And then silence. Took me a while to realize he was waiting for my permission to go ahead.

We've known each other since you started your practice, Doc. Do you need to ask? "Fix it."

As if we would want to know how much it was going to cost, or base our decision on that.

Wife and youngest son arrived in time for a brief visit before the drugs went in.

Didn't cry until the wife got me alone in the kitchen. Hopefully won't have to any more.

Suspect it will be a long time before the masked heeler forgives me....

Not only did I run over her with the truck, but instead of taking her home so the wife could make her feel better, I took her to the vet!

And left her there.