Derek was a 12-year-old corgi living with his human, Don, in a suburb of Denver, CO. Don had adopted Derek when he was just a puppy, and they had been inseparable ever since.
Derek loved living with Don. He had his own bed in the living room, and Don would always let him snuggle up next to him on the couch when they watched TV. Don would take Derek for walks every day, and they would often go to the park to play fetch or just hang out.
One day, Don came home with a new dog bed for Derek. It was a big, fluffy bed that looked like it would be comfortable. Derek was excited to try it out, but he didn’t want to seem too eager, so he just sniffed at it and walked away.
Later that day, Don came back into the living room and saw that Derek was still lying on his old bed. “What’s the matter, boy?” Don asked. “Don’t you like your new bed?”
Derek looked up at Don and wagged his tail. He wanted to tell Don that he loved the new bed, but he did not know how to say it in human language. Instead, he just walked over to the new bed and lay down on it, curling up into a ball.
Don smiled and petted Derek’s head. “I think he likes it,” he said to himself.
Over the next few days, Derek started spending more time on his new bed. He would lie there for hours, watching the world go by outside the window. He felt safe and secure on his new bed, and he loved the way it felt against his fur.
But one day, Derek woke up feeling a little strange. His stomach was gurgling, and he felt like he needed to go outside. He went over to Don and whined a little, hoping that Don would understand what he needed.
Don looked at Derek and realized what was happening. “Oh, I see,” he said. “You need to go outside, don’t you?”
Derek barked happily and ran to the door. Don grabbed his leash and they headed outside.
As they walked around the neighborhood, Derek felt a little better. But he was still feeling a little off, and he wasn’t sure why. He sniffed around and tried to find something that would make him feel better, but nothing seemed to work.
When they got back home, Don gave Derek some water and a little bit of food. Derek ate it gratefully, but he still didn’t feel quite right. He lay down on his new bed and tried to rest.
Over the next few hours, Derek’s stomach started to hurt more and more. He whimpered a little and tried to get comfortable, but nothing seemed to work. He wanted to tell Don what was wrong, but he didn’t know how.
Finally, Don noticed that something was wrong. He could tell that Derek was in pain, and he didn’t know what to do. He called the vet and made an appointment for the next morning.
That night was one of the worst nights of Derek’s life. His stomach hurt so much that he couldn’t sleep. He whined and cried and wished that Don could understand him. He wanted to tell Don that he loved him and that he was sorry for being such a bother.
In the morning, Don took Derek to the vet. The vet examined him and found out that Derek had eaten something that didn’t agree with him. He gave Derek some medicine and told Don to keep an eye on him for the next few days.
Don took Derek home and gave him some special food that the vet had recommended. Derek ate it gratefully and felt a little better. He lay down on his new bed, happy to be home and feeling a little more comfortable.
Over the next few days, Derek started to feel better and better. He was able to eat his regular food again and he was back to his old self. He loved going for walks with Don and playing fetch in the park.
But even though he was feeling better, Derek couldn’t help but worry. He didn’t want to get sick again, and he didn’t want to be a bother to Don. He wished that he could talk to Don and tell him how much he appreciated everything he had done for him.
One day, as they were walking in the park, Derek saw a little girl playing with her dog. The girl was about the same age as Don’s granddaughter, and she had the same kind of energy and enthusiasm.
Derek watched as the little girl threw a ball for her dog to fetch. The dog ran after the ball and brought it back to her, wagging his tail. Derek felt a pang of jealousy. He wanted to be able to play like that, but he was getting older, and it was getting harder for him to keep up.
As they walked home, Derek lagged a little. He felt tired and a little sad. He wished that he could talk to Don and tell him how he was feeling, but he didn’t know how.
When they got home, Don sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to him. “Come on, Derek,” he said. “Let’s have a little chat.”
Derek wagged his tail and jumped up onto the couch. He snuggled up next to Don and looked up at him with his big, brown eyes.
“Don,” Derek thought, “I wish I could tell you how much I love you and how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for me. I wish I could tell you that I don’t want to be a bother, but I’m just getting older and it’s getting harder for me to keep up.”
Don looked down at Derek and smiled. “You know, boy,” he said, “I think I know what you’re thinking. You do not have to worry about being a bother to me. I love you just as you are, and I always will.”
Derek felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest. He snuggled up closer to Don and closed his eyes. He felt safe, loved, and happy.
From that day on, Derek did not worry so much about being a bother. He knew that Don loved him just the way he was, and that was enough. He still loved going for walks and playing fetch, but he also loved just snuggling up on his new bed and watching the world go by.
Years went by, and Derek grew old. His fur turned grey and his legs grew weak. But Don never stopped loving him. He would carry Derek up the stairs to his bed at night and help him down in the morning. He would bring him special treats and give him extra cuddles.
And when Derek finally passed away, Don was there with him, holding his paw and telling him how much he loved him. Derek closed his eyes for the last time, knowing that he had been loved and cared for his entire life.
Even though Derek was gone, his memory lived on. Don would often sit on the couch and remember all the happy times they had together. He would smile and pet the spot where Derek used to lay, feeling grateful for all the love and joy that Derek had brought into his life.
And somewhere, up in doggy heaven, Derek was wagging his tail, knowing that he had been the luckiest dog in the world to have such a wonderful human like Don.
(Derek is fine… this is a fictional story!)
