It was a quiet night after their trip to Boston. Not a sound could be heard but PJ's terrible hacking cough.   No one wanted to talk much. The doctor had not looked optimistic about PJ's chances.   Still, they waited nervously for her call.  At long last, PJ heard the phone ring.  He tried to stop coughing so he could listen to Mommy Cricket.  "Are you sure?" he heard her ask.  "Isn't there anything we can try at all?" PJ listened hard but Mommy Cricket took the phone into another room and talked in a low voice.

'

Auntie Molly saw the expression on PJ's face.  She knew what he was thinking.  They were all thinking the same thing.  She felt so helpless. It wasn't fair.  PJ was just a puppy. Why should he have to suffer like this.  The sheepies were quickly running out of hope.

Patrick listened as well.   "He deserves a chance," said Mommy Cricket.  "This is not his fault!" When Patrick heard Cricket start to cry he hurried to be by her side.

Henry listened with Molly, hoping against hope that something could be done for the littlest member of their family who was struggling just to breathe. "This doesn't sound good at all," he said.  "The poor little baby," said Molly.  "He has come all this way to learn this..."

When Cricket hung up the phone, the others rushed to hear the news.  Cricket was in shock.  She knew the news might be bad. Grannie Annie had warned them all along.  Still, hearing the doctor's words stunned her.  She could feel her heart breaking and she could barely talk. "He's too sick," she finally said.  "He can stay on the medicine for his pneumonia, but it will eventually stop working.  He's not going to make it."

Little PJ Wigglebee didn't need to hear what they were saying.  He could tell by the grown ups' whispers that things were very bad.   On the one paw, he didn't feel well, and understood how sick he was.  On the other paw, he felt like fighting it.  He wanted to keep his pawmise to his mother.  He wanted to live a wonderful life for both of them.   Little PJ fell into a deep sleep.  He didn't hear the phone ring the second time.