A brief excerpt from The Viking Way ‘A Walk for Denver’

I awoke with a jolt, checked my watch, 4.10 am. Something was wrong! I’d been asleep since midnight. He was not in the room. A feeling of dread rose from my stomach and stopped at my heart.

Jumping from the settee, I dashed from the lounge into the dining area. He was lying next to my desk looking absolutely serene and at peace. Looking up at me he thumped his tail a couple of times as I laid down beside him. ” Hey buddy, what are you doing in here then”?

I had no idea how long he’d been there, or what he’d been thinking. I had not slept that long for months. Lying next to ‘Denver’ my beloved Chocolate Labrador now was perfect. Yet, in this moment I did not know he had less than four hours to live.

I cherished the time here to hug him, kiss him and tell him how much I loved him.

I grilled a piece of Salmon, and hand fed it to him on his bed, aware of the unconditional bond of love that bound us together as one. Yet, in this moment, I did not know this would be his final meal. I truly had no sense of what was coming at us, and how soon it would be here.