The Ear

Ok. Pinky went to the vet. The vet was very nice and sewed Pinky's ear back on and stitched Pinky back together with about a million stitches and staples. This took several hours. The vet left several parts unstitched, saying "I think I will leave that one," and "that one is probably better open," and "that is just a hole." Which didn't really make sense because they were all just holes.

The vet did not think it would be a good idea to give her any anesthesia so Pinky had to just stand there and be stitched. She stood quietly and did not complain.

The farmer came home and announced that Pinky would be staying in the VIP suite for the foreseeable future and no one must bother her and please keep it down and please do not make any comments about her staples or any jokes about TSA or metal detectors or anything like that. Pinky hobbled into the barn looking actually worse than before she left probably because all the adrenaline had rushed back out of her system. Her face had started swelling up, and now she was limping terribly, and she had lots of orange shaved patches where they had cleaned the bites with betadine, and she was glistening with staples. Underneath the orange she looked gray.

She was greeted with a hushed awe and no one said anything. And once the door closed we couldn't see her but she was moaning in the night when she would try to move.

"Oh dear," whispered Pebbles, when Pinky would moan. Pebbles was still thunderstruck. She hadn't said anything all day since The Dog and now in spite of being the world's biggest blabbermouth she never made a peep unless Pinky moaned and then she would whisper "oh dear," and shiver.

The next day was very grim and Pinky could not get up and she would not eat anything. The next day after that she went back to the vet and they discovered she had a big gash inside her mouth where the dog had bitten up from the bottom and the bite had gone all the way through her mouth and saliva was running out the holes. They sewed that up in two layers of stitches and seemed pleased and then they looked at the reattached ear rather skeptically and said, "hmm."

Okay then Pinky started eating. First she ate only willow leaves. Then she ate willow and grape leaves. Then she ate willow and grape leaves and actual grapes. And then she added applesauce and bananas. Then she ate some warm oatmeal with brown sugar. Then some Cheerios the farmer's friend brought over. Then she added nice soft grass hay. Then senior horse grain soaked in warm water. Pretty soon she was eating just about all day long, very slowly and carefully, but only stopping for naps.

Then she started taking short walks outside, and that was when everyone noticed one by one something strange. No one wanted to say anything but everyone looked at each other and it was clear that everyone saw it.

"Is it just me?" asked Eo drily.

"Don't say anything," said Betty.

"Pinky, your ear is on backwards," boomed Moony, who can't follow directions.

Pinky's ear was on backwards.

"I think it looks jaunty," Pebbles whispered gallantly. "I love it."

Pinky acted like she didn't hear. Or maybe she didn't hear.

"I just love it," Pebbles gargled. "I wish I had an ear like that."