The Courtship of Hobo Hudson Part Two

This is part two of the Courtship of Hobo and Lily.  Part one can be found here  There will be further installments to follow.  When we last left them Hobo and Lily had split up over Hobo trying to give her an actual rock for an engagement gift and then a string of misunderstandings.  Their friends have come together to help them find true love.

Hobo is awakened  by the jangle of his alarm at 6 a.m. and jumped into the shower.  After having blown-dried his fur, he stared into the mirror and carefully drew a very thin black line down his upper right fang with a sharpie. Then, he stuffed cotton balls into his upper lip to simulate swelling and off he went.

He kept his lip curled back to allow the ink to dry, and donned a fedora.   He sat in Lily’s office doorway by 7:30 a.m. where he kept a sharp lookout for the arrival of Lily’s office personnel.  A little poodle in scrubs walked up and fumbled in her purse for keys, and Hobo began a low moaning. The little poodle looked at him and asked, “What’s the matter?”  Hobo looked up and groaned, “I cracked a fang on a steak bone last night, and it’s killing me. The hotel told me Dr. Lily is the best dentist in California. Do you think she has time to help me?”

The little poodle smiled and said, “Oh course, Dr. Lily always keeps a few openings on Monday for emergencies.” She took Hobo’s paw, and helped him get up and lead him into one of the exami rooms. She put a bib around Hobo’s neck and reclined the chair. Hobo complained of the bright light hurting his eyes and asked her to put a towel over his eyes.

The little poodle walked out and returned with a clipboard. “Let me get a little information while we’re waiting. Name?” Hobo thought fast. He couldn’t give his real name or Lily might run. “Tramp,” he replied.

After a few more questions, Hobo heard Lily’s bark at the front door, and the little poodle said to him, “I’ll send Dr. Lily right in, and we’ll finish the paperwork later.” She placed the clipboard in a basket attached to the outside of the door and walks away to call Dr. Lily.

Lily took the chart down and started to read ... *broken upper right canine with swelling*  She saw the patient in the chair with a towel over his eyes.  She read the chart again  and saw the patient’s name *TRAMP*.  “Right then,” Lily thinks smelling something familiar... Fish!  She looked again at the patient and saw his tail is wagging.  She realized it is Hobo! “ I would know that after shave anywhere!” she thought.

Lily was happy to see Hobo but couldn’t resist teasing him for the way he had been behaving.  “Mr. Tramp?  You need a root canal!” she said.    Hobo tried to pull the towel off his eyes but the little poodle told him to leave it on,  *Dr. Lily has to numb you first.  You don't want to see the big needle  err... the sleepy juice,” the poodle said.   Lily laughed behind her mask.

Hobo/Tramp tried to sit up at the mention of the big needle and a root canal.  Maybe he has pushed it too far?  The little white poodle took Tramp's hand and said “now, now Mr. Tramp.  You must hold still or Dr. Lily can hurt you with that big ol' needle and drill.”

Lily picks up the drill and started it “zzzzzzzz.”

Hobo clinched his teeth and didn’t yelp when the Novocain went in but, a few minutes later, he heard the drill and terror provided,superdog strength. He wrested his paw free from the tech and leapt to the door to prevent Lily from escaping

He tried to proclaim his love for Lily but the Novocain had deadened  his lips and tongue and it comes out as “LulahismahOoba. I oovesugh.”

Frustrated, he fell to his knees and reached for the box he had left just inside the doorway, thinking that if Lily saw the ring, she would know it was Hobo and what he was trying to bark. The little tech, thinking he was a  terrorist reaching for a bomb, gave a frightened yelp and dove under the dental chair.

Lily helped the assistant to her feet.  “I said he was a terrier, not a terrorist,” she cried.    Lily looked around for Hobo.  “Now where did he disappear to?  He was just about to ask me something.  I think you scared him when you screamed and grabbed the stun gun” she chastised the tech.

Lily looked all over the office but couldn't find Hobo.  She looked in the lab and in the other operatories and even in her office.  No Hobo.

On seeing the tech’s terrified reaction to Hobo reached for the box, he grabbed it and ran out to the reception room just in time to hear Lily’s sweet tinkling laughter and realized that Lily had seen through his disguise and was just toying with him. He flung a few kibbles on the payment desk and walked dejectedly out the door.