The escape of Maverick

Okay what to do when your teenage puppy decides to go on an all night bender without you, panic that is what. I I came home thursday from work and in the early afternoon Maverick asked to be let out, so I opened the door and said I will be right back puppy I have to pee. So off I went to go have an exciting time urinating and when I came back Maverick was gone. I called and whislted, called some more. NO Maverick. Mind you he is back usually by the third call. Not this time. Well at first I thought he is just out playing or in a bush hiding and watching me. Nope. By 5 pm I was worried. Real worried. He had been missing for 2 hours. Not good. By 7 pm I had informed all the neighbors to keep an eye out and strapped my sword to my back with a back back full of medical supplies some food and water and headed out. I climbed through the woods, circled the cove, went into the nature perserve still calling and calling. I noticed a murder of crows in the trees by the back field they were creeping me out. Everytime I called his name they would all caww. I tried yelling bob once and nothing, but as soon as Maaavvvvvvvverick was out of my mouth they would start up. And as I headed down the driveway 7 crows flew right in front of me startling the bejeesus out of me. Not a good sign. By 9 pm I was in the car, circling the island. But by 10 pm I was back at home, waiting. That night it was foggy, and I mean you can not see 10 feet in front of you fog, a thunderstorm was rolling in, and the temp was dropping. I stood on the porch freezing in the wet fog listening to the thunder and watching the lightning light up areas of the fog like alien landing lights.
I have terrible night vision and I thought well when Josh gets home from work I will ask him to help me.
Josh got an early night, so at 10:30 josh was back and with flash lights, and me with the back pack and sword we went out again. We searched the mud flats and the bogs in case he had gotten stuck. We tromped through the tall grass wet and cold to look in the back field where the murder had been, we went down to the well, over to the krinsky's place, through the woods, in the basement. We finally stealed ourselves for the part we did not want to do. Walk the sides of the roads and look into the ditches. As we were heading down the driveway a woman called out to us. At 12:30 at night she was out walking down the other dirt road crying beucase she had had a fight with her husband. Bad sign to meet with strife as you are searching. She noticed that I had a sword and started to walk away from us faster. Even better, now there is fear in the mix. Speaking of which the reason that I had the sword, was not to be cool. I could not find the key to the gun locker. And thought well if he got hit and is dying the least I can do is cut his throat and make his passing faster. Becuase of his thick fur at his neck and the fact that none of the kitchen knives have sheaths I thought it would be safer and more efficienct to carry soemthing really sharp that I could safely run and jump with. And not just have a pairing knife banging around in the back pack or my pocket.
At 1 A.M. I was too exhusted. I had been up since 6:30, at work lugging Debbie around, dug a large hole after work while waiting for him to return (no not a grave but I have to build a platform for my dad and I wanted to excavate the foundation). Josh was exhusted too. Still I got into the car and did another loop of the upper island, and josh took the lower loop before we called it a night. So I left the door open and just the screened door closed, opened the barn for him, and drugged myself into submission. Josh fell asleep around 3:30 am and well I crashed from drugs. We set the alarms for 8 am and both said quiet prayers for his safe return.

At 8 a.m. I was still alseep when the alarms went off but Josh got right up and walked to the front door and looked out. Nothing. It was not until he heard a thump thump from underneath him, he looked down and there on the stoop, lay Maverick, weakly thumping his tail and rolling his eyes up at Josh. Josh opened the door and maverick got up slowly and came into the house. I was still passed out, when maverick hoisted himself with the help of Josh onto the bed and curled up next to me, Josh says despite the fact I was out cold, I curled around him and snuggled into his fur. He left us like that till the pollen on his fur was irratating my nose enough for me to wake up. I got up took an allegra, and set to work looking at our boy. We gave him a sponge bath, and while we were washing off the mud, and pollen I started to squeeze his limbs checking for reaction. I checked his ribs and searched his entire body for bites. I pressed his abdomen checked his eyes ears and tongue. Everything seems okay, thankfully, but he walks with a limp and moves very slowly. Yesterday was my day off and I spent it with him watching him sleep and feeding him gatorade. I think that he is okay, no blood in the urine or fecal matter, just the limp and an incredible slowness. I think that he strained every muscle in his body. As all of his muscles are hard and bunched, his abdomen is harder too than it should be. And I think that he exhusted himself. I am going to keep an eye on his tummy and if it swells or does not recover in a coupld of days I am going to find the money to take him to the vet for tests and x-rays.
But I do not think he was hit by a car. People on this island drive this tiny roads at incredible speeds, and more than one animal both domestic and otherwise have met their doom on them. That was my biggest fear, that he was hit and hurt and I could not get to him to either help or end it.

Last night he slept with me and josh snuggled up with a mysterious smile on his face, he was snoring before we even turned out the light.

I know I will never know where he went or what he did, but I have to say I will always be curious. And I hope he never does that again.