The doctor had just filled Mark in on Mr. Sanders’ condition when he was called out of his office. It would be hours before Brad and Clark would get to town and all three dogs were sitting in the back of his truck waiting for him to come and take them someplace. The question was…what someplace? Since he would not be visiting Mr. Sanders, today, he decided to leave a message for Brad at the nurse’s station and drive back up to the cabin.
Biff: I’m really confused. Why didn’t my human come back home with us? Did he go fishing again?
Annie: No Biff, he’s still sick and in the hospital where they can fix him up and make him as good as new.
Arf: Mark looks sad. Do you think there is something really, really wrong? I hope Mark feeds us. I’m super, super hungry.
Biff: Woofta…me too!
Annie: I was kind of surprised that we came back to the cabin…I think Mark forgot to let us out of the truck. He just went inside the cabin by himself.
Mark began to prepare more of Biff’s dogfood for all three of the dogs. He didn’t realize that he had left them in the truck until he put the food down and there was no one there to eat it. He quickly ran outside and saw three sets of wide eyes looking at him.
“I’m sorry Arf and Annie…and Biff. I was so deep in thought I forgot you were still in the truck. It’s a good thing it’s a nice day. Go run around for a few minutes before we go in. I’ll wait right here for you.”
While the dogs ate their food, Mark looked around the cabin. It was small but well built. On the back wall, there was a bed covered in quilts with more quilts stacked on a shelf. There was also a standing wood cabinet that Mark assumed held Mr. Sanders’ clothes. Above the cabinet, there was a rack of sorts that held a guitar and a banjo. The outhouse was on a path outside the back door. On the wall towards the front, there was a big cast iron stove that was used for cooking and heating. Facing the stove were two rocking chairs. The little kitchen at the front of the house had a sink, refrigerator and a table with four chairs. There were windows on either side of the door. The cabin had electricity but water had to be hauled from a nearby well.
Mark glanced out the window and saw a small shed hidden in some trees not far away.
It seemed a little strange to be staying at Mr. Sanders’ Cabin. He had never really met the man when he was conscious, but in some ways it seemed like being there taking care of the place and Biff seemed like the right thing to do. He looked at his watch. In another hour, it would be time to head back down the mountain. He should get to the hospital around the same time Clark and Brad did.
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Clark was excited! His Grandpa John was in the hospital, but he was alive. He had been living in a cabin on a mountain for all these years. Clark knew his grandpa was a good man. How could his dad have treated him like he did?
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“Come on you mangy mutts,” Mark teased. “Hop in the backseat. We’re going back down the mountain. Say some prayers for Clark’s Grandpa John. He’s going to have a rough time of it when he wakes up and realizes what has happened.”
Those 70ish Girls 