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The Master was dead.

All he could do now was lie there and watch as his provider  lay there on the floor. No movement, no sound of breathing or anything to suggest that life still resided in there. Just an empty shell that had been left behind. And now that his Master had fully departed, all he could do was wait in the aftermath for someone to show up and help.

He could be patient, as much as the Master probably would have thought otherwise. He could wait here, perform his last act of futile protection. In the end, it was the last thing he could do. He looked over the wounds on Master’s body, blood still oozing. He pressed his nose to them, not understanding how a human that was so full of life and energy could so quickly turn into something like this. It fascinated him, nearly taking his mind off of his own predicament.

He was trapped inside this house but tried not to dwell on that. Someone would show up eventually. Someone would find him here. At worst, he may have to start howling at the neighbors until someone heard him and came to investigate what was wrong. Someone would find him, someone would save him.

The Master was still bleeding.

Maybe he wasn’t dead. Maybe somehow he had survived his injuries and just couldn’t move. Not very likely but anything was possible. Still, he hadn’t moved a muscle and his eyes were completely fogged over. No sign of life in there. The smell was that of death. So he returned his nose to its resting position and began waiting patiently for the inevitable dramatic entrance that should soon follow.

He woke up to the sound of banging from the front door. Men wearing uniforms were breaking into the house, finding Master on the floor.

He was saved.

One of the men in uniforms led him away from Master and he spared one look back before allowing himself to be led away. Then, following his instincts, he pulled free and ran back to Master, lying down next to him and snuggling his nose underneath an arm for one last time. He man in the uniform led him away, speaking to him softly. He couldn’t understand what the man was saying but he picked up enough from the tone.

Everything was going to be all right.

They were going to find him a new home and a new family.

Maybe he could do to them what he had done to Master.

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