PJ knew that this was it.  All the miles he had traveled, all the medicine he took, and even all the whacks in his medical steam tent were leading to this moment. Would he ever get better or was he going to die? PJ knew this was his last chance. He looked out the window at the huge animal hospital. "If they can't help me here, then no one can," he thought.

'

PJ could feel his heart pounding as his parents checked him in. The technicians weighed him in again but he was too scared to even notice what the scale said. He looked around at all the sick animals and he wondered what his news would be today. So many friends had sent their well wishes. PJ wanted to tell them all he was going to get well. He was especially thinking of his pawmise to his mother. "The doctor will see you now," said the technician.

Cricket and Patrick and PJ went right in.  "Am I going to die?" PJ blurted out to the doctor. "I have some good news and some bad news," said the doctor. "Which do you want first?" "The good news please!" begged PJ. "The good news is that you have grown quite a bit, you have put on weight and you seem to be responding to all your treatment. I think you will survive an opawration that will remove the sick parts of your lungs, but it must be scheduled right away. We haven't a moment to lose."

"What is the bad news Doctor?" asked Cricket, bracing herself for whatever it might be. "The bad news," said the doctor, looking at all the test results in PJ's medical chart, "the bad news is that there is no guarantee he will survive it, and the cost will be over seven thousand dollars." "Seven THOUSAND dollars?" gasped Patrick.  That was more money than he had ever made in his entire lifetime. "Yes," said the doctor. "And if you decide to do it, we must schedule it as soon as possible, before the medicine stops working for PJ."

"Of course we'll go through with this," said Cricket, not batting an eye.  "Then I will hand pick a team of surgeons," said the doctor.  "We will need to opawrate within the month." Patrick was stunned.  Did Cricket understand that she just agreed to spend more money than they have ever seen? He whispered softly to her.  "Cricky, HOW are we going to get all that money?" "It's only money," smiled Cricket.  "Look at PJ.  He has a chance! Our puppy has a chance!"

"I have a chance!" said PJ.  "I have a chance! Wait 'til I tell everyone.  I might get to live!" What Patrick was too stunned to see, Cricket could see with no pawblem.  Little PJ was surrounded with rescue dust.  "Can't you see it?" she asked him.  "Our puppy is surrounded with Rescue Dust!" "Believe in the rescue dust," Patrick could hear Guinney's voice say deep inside him.  "You will always see its magic when you love and care for someone beyond yourself." Not having a clue how all this would work out, Patrick and Cricket scheduled PJ's surgery for the following month.  With all the love surrounding him, surely they would find a way to pay, but that dear friends, is an entirely different book!    Book 5, The End. Ready for Book 6?