We stood bleeding in the vet's office again.

Slogging through the house after our morning run in the woods, I was working myself out of my fleece when Hershey and Lily barged through the doorway at the same time. Hershey growled as they struggled for position, and Lily bit.

With Bandit The Runaway's leash in hand I yelled Hey! No! as I looked at Lily and slapped her across the nose.

Hershey bled on my foot, the wooden floor in the bedroom, through the living room, and into the kitchen.

I herded Lily, Bandit, and Puggy Puggy Pug Face downstairs and rushed Hershey outside. She bled on the patio, up the back steps, down the front steps, and along the sidewalk. My thoughts like echos caught up with my momentum seconds after I was in motion.

In the truck I paused. Nervous, I didn't want to pull onto the road until my mind arrived in the present. Hershey's neck and jaw trailed thick drops running down her fur. She licked where it landed on her legs and paws. I had no idea if there was a gash, or a punctured artery like Lily had several months ago under her tongue. I saw a stream of blood tossing heavy drops all over the seat, console, a stupid wrench and stupid medium point pens. Who writes with those fat things? All pens should be fine points. She bled along the black metal floor and managed to smear a window, my bag with my purse, and smudged my cheek.

I drove. She bled. We parked at the vet.

No collar. I wasn't thinking about leashes or collars, I was thinking about copious streams of blood freeing themselves from the flesh as fast as Hershey's heart could beat.

Inside I said, Hi. I have no appointment, but there is an emergency…

Finally I looked down at my dog and myself and saw the smears even in her chocolate fur. She was matted and sticky, and a strand of coagulating blood hung from a lip.

Then I had to explain. It's a bite. My shepherd bit her.

Into the intercom the receptionist paged the doctor: bite wound. Dr ??? Dr??? We have Miss Bobowick with Hershey with a bite wound on the neck….

In the vet's exam room we hefted a squirming, bloody lab onto the table. She decorated your shoes, the vet said.

Another assistant pointed at my face and said, she got your cheek too. Grab a seat in the lobby, she said.

I wandered back outside and surprisingly, the vet had followed.

She is just too off the wall, she said. Too crazy, we need to give her a fast-acting sedative.

OK, I said.

Back inside she explained, we need to clean the area and see what's there. If we need to stitch we'll have to get a tube down her throat and sedate….

Do what you need to, I said.

Hey, I thought, I have done this before. At least I was able to remember my phone number this time…

Seated on a bench, I listened to doors close, shuffling, and the agitated whining vocal jabber filling the office at a high pitch -- Hershey. The receptionist got up and wandered the rooms. He peered around the corner where Hershey was probably in the grips of fear with a dopey sleepy feeling creeping up on her.

He came back and said with concern, someone is having a melt-down.

The melt-down softened and I knew the drugs were soaking in. Seconds later I heard a buzzing as they shaved away her fur.

A puncture, the vet told me. She is lucky, she had scrapes up over her eye, and a puncture under her jaw. No stitches, but she'll need to take it easy for at least 24 hours. Come get her around noon.

I never considered how shaved up and patchy she would be. My loving Hershey would not place any blame on my failure to correct and stop Lily from nipping and grabbing whenever she and Hershey wanted to occupy the same space next to me. Hershey would growl and turn away, but sometimes Lily would nip. She was more eager about it if Hershey had a stick she wanted, but turned her head when Lily lunged for it. She would snag Hershey's scruff instead, but never anything this bad.

I do blame myself.

I need to take enough time to teach Lily to stop it, or tape her big mouth shut.

A muzzle, Jerry said, and a shock collar.

Poor Ozzy has a cough and I think we are going to need antibiotics. It's so hard to see something so small suffer. It's so hard to handle the dogs everyday, and sometimes I am just worn out.