Episode 06: Pup-tag problem
The next day, while Jerony was sweeping the floor of the terrace of the house, suddenly Seca and Lynna came and approached him with sad eyes.
He could see his two puppies and then he asked, "Seca, Lynna... What's the matter?"
"Um, Master," Seca began, his eyes cast downward. "Lynna's pup-tag isn't working."
Jerony paused in his sweeping to look at Lynna, who nodded solemnly. The golden retriever puppy looked up at him with sad eyes, her usual cheerfulness replaced by a silent plea for help. He sighed, he knows that Lynna was the only puppy who couldn't talk without her pup-tag. Lynna always use her pup-tag to communicate with the others.
It's because she was born with a rare condition, making her unable to bark or growl like the rest of them. The pup-tag, a small yet advanced piece of technology, had been a gift from a kind-hearted CIA engineer who had heard of Lynna's plight. It allowed her to speak, translating her thoughts and feelings into words that played out of a speaker on her pup-tag. Without it, she was silent again, unable to express the love and loyalty that filled her heart.
"Lynna, is that true?" Jerony asked with a concerned look, kneeling down to inspect the pup-tag.
Lynna nodded and then she trying to explain it with her gestures and expressions.
Then, Seca trying to translating Lynna's gestures to Jerony, "um, Lynna said that when we're playing at the playroom again last night after meet you at the backyard, she accidentally hit the pup-tag on the corner of the table and it stopped working."
"Oh no, Lynna," Jerony said with a frown, his hand reaching out to gently touch her head. "Don't worry, I'll fix it for you."
Jerony know that Lynna's pup-tag was more than just a tool for communication; it was her voice. Without that, Lynna was unable to fully express herself to the rest of the gang. He took the pup-tag gently in his hands, examining it with a critical eye. It was clear that it had taken quite a hit, with the speaker cracked and the circuits exposed.
"Looks like it will take some time to fix it, Lynna," Jerony said gently, his eyes focused on the damaged pup-tag.
Lynna's eyes widened as she hear that, she was shocked and sad. She had never been without her pup-tag for more than a few minutes, and now she faced the possibility of a much longer silence.
"Seca, I need you to be close to her for a while, okay?" Jerony instructed as he hold Lynna's pup-tag, his mind racing to think of a quick fix. "You can become her translator until I can get this working again."
"But how long, Master?" Seca asked, his voice filled with concern for his friend.
"I'm not sure, Seca. It could be a few hours or even a day," Jerony said, his tone serious as he assessed the damage. "But I promise I'll do my best to fix it as soon as possible."
Lynna looked at Seca with hopeful eyes, and Seca nodded back, trying to be brave for his friend.
"Don't worry, Lynna, I got this. We'll figure it out together, how about we go to the park and get some refreshing air?" Seca suggested, trying to lighten the mood.
Lynna nodded happily at Seca's suggestion, her tail wagging slightly despite her sadness. She knew that her friend would take good care of her, and she was grateful for his support. As the two of them left for the park, the other puppies watched them go, their tails drooping slightly.
"Hey, wait for us, you two!" Luna called out as she and the other puppies followed Lynna and Seca.
Once they arrived at the park, the group of puppies found a quiet spot under a large oak tree. The leaves whispered secrets to the wind as they played, their laughter and barks echoing through the morning. But Lynna just sat quietly under the tree, her eyes following her friends as they chased each other and played fetch. Without her pup-tag, she felt like a muted character in her own story, unable to participate fully in the conversations and jokes that filled the air around her.
But at that moment, Lynna was seen squirming a little and bouncing her front legs slowly. She needs to pee but she doesn't know how to tell everyone, especially Seca, who had been busy playing fetch with Hershell and Anna.
While playing, suddenly Anna saw that and she then asked to Seca, "Seca... What's going on with your girlfriend, she seems sad?"
Seca sighed heavily, "It's her pup-tag, it's broken last night... She can't talk without it."
Anna's ears perked up, "Broken? Oh no, what happened?"
"Remember last night, when we're playing at the playroom for the second time, she accidentally hit it on the table and it stopped working," Seca recounted, his eyes downcast.
Then, Seca walked towards Lynna but he didn't know that Lynna feeling the need to pee. As he approached, she looked at him with a mix of desperation and embarrassment in her eyes. Without the pup-tag, she had no way to convey her need to him.
Maxtone and Svara exchanged a look of shock before rushing over to Lynna.
"Is it true, Lynna? You can't talk?" Svara asked, her voice filled with concern as she nuzzled her friend.
Lynna nodded solemnly, her eyes welling up with tears. The reality of her situation was setting in, and she felt a heavy sadness press down on her. The park, once a place of joy and laughter, now seemed eerily silent without her voice to contribute to the symphony of sounds.
"Ouh, don't cry Lynna," Hershell said as he nuzzled against her, trying to comfort her. "Master will fix it, I know he will."
Lynna then trying to express herself without her pup-tag, she trying to barking to make a sound but nothing came out. The other puppies looked at her with confusion and concern, they didn't understand what Lynna was saying except for Seca, he knew her well and can understand her expressions and gestures.
"I think, Lynna said she wants to be able to talk like us, without the pup-tag," Seca looked at Lynna, tried to translate her gesture "but she doesn't know how to bark or growl like we do because she was born with a rare condition."
"Wow, Seca... How can you understand what Lynna wants to say even just from her gestures? It's like you guys have a secret language!" Maxtone said, his eyes wide with wonder as he watched Seca and Lynna interact.
"Hehehe... Well, I've been with her since she and I was a little pups, I guess I just know her really well," Seca said with a shrug, his tail wagging slightly. "We've learned to communicate without words."
Maxtone looked at Seca with admiration before looking back at Lynna, his expression filled with sympathy, "poor Lynna, not being able to bark or growl must be tough."
But at that time, Lynna could felt her bladder was getting heavier and heavier. She looked around for a place to relieve herself, but her eyes fell on her friends staring at her with confusion and pity. She didn't want them to see her like this, not now, not when she couldn't even explain herself.
The other puppies looked at each other, feeling a pang of pity for Lynna. They never truly understanding Lynna's deepest desires. For them, barking and growling were as natural as breathing. But for Lynna, it was a sound she could only wish to make.
Maxtone, feeling sympathetic, tried to cheer her up.
"Lynna, don't be sad... You know we all love you, no matter what... And hey, maybe this is a chance for us to learn a new way to communicate," he suggested, his tail wagging in an attempt to lift her spirits.
"I know it's hard, but we're here for you," Svara said, looked thoughtfully at Lynna, placing her paw on Lynna's shoulder. "Let's show her, guys... We can understand her without words."
Seca smiling at the other puppies but when he glanced at Lynna, his expression changed as he could see Lynna started to peed herself a little, she was trying so hard to hold it in.
"Um, I think I should take Lynna to somewhere quiet, she might need some rest," he said awkwardly, trying to cover up the situation.
The other puppies nodded understandingly, and with that, Seca led Lynna away from the puppies.
Then, after they were far enough away from the other puppies Seca then asked, "how could you didn't tell me that you need to pee, Lynna? You almost embarrassing yourself by peeing in front of everyone."
Lynna use her gestures to communicate that she was feeling the urge to pee.
"I forgot, Seca... I really need to pee," Seca said to himself, as if he were Lynna's voice.
Lynna was so frustrated, she felt like the whole world was spinning around her without any way to join in. She had always relied on her pup-tag, but now, without it, she was like a fish out of water. She need to pee but she doesn't know how to tell Seca without her voice.
"What are you waiting for, Lynna... You said you wanted to pee, let's go find a bush," Seca said with a concerned look, his eyes searching for a suitable spot.
Lynna nodded, her eyes pleading for Seca to understand. She knew she had to go, but the thought of doing so without the dignity of her pup-tag was almost too much to bear. Seca looked around the park, his eyes searching for a private spot for Lynna.
"Come on, I know it's hard, but you can do this," he encouraged her gently.
But Lynna just sat there, her eyes closed, her body quivering slightly. It was clear that she was holding back, but she didn't know how to tell Seca. The pressure was building, and she was running out of time. She could felt her urine started to seeping out of her, staining the ground beneath her.
"Ouh, you can't hold it much longer, right?" Seca asked, his eyes full of concern as he noticed Lynna's discomfort. "Sorry if I was too... Forget it."
He had been her confidant since they were both young, and he knew her better than anyone else.
"Lynna, move aside a little, I will dig a hole for you to pee," Seca said, his eyes filled with kindness as he began to dig with his paws.
Lynna looked at him with a mix of relief and embarrassment. Without her pup-tag, she couldn't express her gratitude, but she knew that Seca was trying his best to help her. As she watched him work, she felt a newfound respect for her clumsy friend. He was always there for her, even when she couldn't speak.
"Okay, done... You can pee now, Lynna," Seca said, standing back from the small hole he had dug.
Then Lynna squatted over the hole that Seca had dug and looked around to make sure no one else was watching. She let out a sigh of relief as she began to pee, the warm liquid spattering against the cool earth. It was a strange sensation, not being able to communicate her needs, but she was grateful for Seca's understanding and support.
Lynna peeing for almost a minute and when she was done, she walked towards Seca who was sitting next to the berry tree and then she patted his shoulder with her paw.
Seca then turn around, his eyes met Lynna's and he gave her a comforting smile.
"You okay?" He asked, his tail wagging gently.
Lynna then made a gesture that indicated the word thank you with her paws. It was a gesture that Seca taught long ago when Lynna was still a puppy, a silent way to express her gratitude. She knew she couldn't talk without her pup-tag, but she could still express herself through the language of touch and gestures.
"Your welcome, Lynna," Seca said, nuzzling her gently. "But we really should get back to the others, I'm sure they're worried."
But Lynna made another gesture and this time indicated that she was asking Seca if he needed to pee too.
"Ouh, as I remember... I haven't pee since this morning," Seca said, his tail wagging slightly as he thought about it. "But I guess I can hold it until we get home."
However, Lynna asked Seca to pee better now, of course with her gestures and expression, because she knew that holding it in could make things worse for her friend. Seca, on the other hand, he also know that he haven't peed since the morning. He looked at Lynna and then nodded.
"Okay, I'll go pee now," he said, and then he trotted over to the bushes, his tail wagging slightly as he went.
Seca then lifting one of his hind legs and relaxing his bladder against the bush, relieving himself. Meanwhile, Lynna sat patiently, watching the squirrels playing in the distance.
Despite her inability to communicate verbally, she felt a sense of kinship with them. They too, lived in a world of silent understanding, their movements speaking louder than any words could.
After a moment, Seca returned, looking much more comfortable. He sat next to Lynna, leaning against her for a brief moment before speaking.
"Lynna, I know this is hard for you, but you're still the same awesome puppy, pup-tag or not... You're my girlfriend, and I'll always be here for you, no matter what," he assured her, his voice filled with love and support.
Meanwhile, at Jerony's luxury house.
Jerony, at that time he was trying to repair the communication device on Lynna's pup-tag. The device was small, but the technology within was complex. He worked meticulously, his brow furrowed in concentration as he fixing delicate wires and damaged circuits. The room was silent except for the occasional beep of his tools and the soft hum of the air conditioner.
But, after working for almost three hours, Jerony still couldn't fix Lynna's pup-tag. He was getting frustrated because he knew how much it meant to her. He took a deep breath and stood up, stretching his legs. He knew he couldn't give up, not on Lynna. He decided to take a break and get some fresh air. Maybe a clear mind would help him think of a solution.
"I hope, tomorrow I can fix this," Jerony whispered to himself, as he walked towards the terrace door.
The afternoon sun painted a warm glow over the room, and a gentle breeze whispered through the curtains. He stepped outside, the scent of blooming flowers filling his nostrils.
