Lucy the Poorly Puppy Read Online Free

feed her again.”
    Lauren looked up at her mum hopefully. “Mum, my bedroom’s lovely and warm, and if I have her box in there, I can keep an eye on her…”
    “But we have to feed her so early. You don’t want to get up at half-past six in the holidays!” Dad smiled.
    “I do, I really do!” Lauren promised. “I was the one who woke up and found her, Dad. I really want to help.”
    Dad looked over at Lauren’s mum. “What do you think, Annie?”
    Mum sighed. “I suppose so. But only for tonight, Lauren. Tomorrow, when she’s a bit stronger, Lucy can go back with Bella and the other puppies.” 

    Lauren nodded eagerly and picked up the cardboard box. Inside, Lucy was snuggling up against the well-wrapped hot-water bottle. She looked happier than she had all day, Lauren thought. She padded back up the stairs, yawning uncontrollably. She set the box down next to her bed, and fell asleep listening to the minute wheezy breaths from inside the box.

    It was really hard to get up when Dad came in at half-past six, but Lauren dragged herself out of bed, and carried Lucy’s box downstairs to watch Dad make up her next feed. The trip downstairs hadn’t disturbed Lucy at all, she noticed with a smile. The puppy was still snoozing peacefully next to the cooling hot-water bottle.
    In the kitchen, Bella was out of the puppy pen looking hungry, and Lauren fed her while Dad boiled the kettle.
    “Can I feed Lucy again?” Lauren begged, and Dad handed her the bottle.
    “You might as well – you certainly seemed to have the knack earlier!”
    Going downstairs might not have woken Lucy, but the smell of the puppy formula certainly did, and she was gasping and squeaking with excitement as soon as Lauren held the bottle to her mouth.
    After she’d cleaned Lucy up, Lauren took her over to Bella. She and Dad hovered anxiously, not too close to the puppy pen, watching to see how Bella would react.
    “I hope Lucy will be all right,” Lauren muttered. “It said in that leaflet that sometimes the mum tries to lick the human smell away and accidentally hurts the puppy.”
    Dad put an arm round her shoulders. “We’ll watch really carefully,” he promised. “And it’s not as if Bella’s a dog at a big breeder’s, who lives outside and doesn’t really know people that well. She’s part of our family. Hopefully our smell won’t upset her too much.”
    “Look!” Lauren whispered.
    Bella was sniffing thoughtfully at Lucy, and Lauren held her breath as Bella started to lick the little puppy. But Bella didn’t look at all upset, just a little surprised.
    Lauren giggled. “I think Bella’s so worn out I bet she’d hardly noticed Lucy was gone!”

    Over the next few days, Lauren was sure that Lucy had started to recognize her. If Lucy started squeaking in her box, she would calm down as soon as Lauren picked her up, but not if it was Mum or Dad. Lauren knew it was probably just that Lucy recognized her by smell as the person who usually fed her, but it still made her feel special. She couldn’t wait for Lucy to open her eyes, so that the puppy could see her as well as smell her.
    Mum and Dad were supposed to be taking it in turns to do the night feeds, but Lauren couldn’t help waking up when she heard the alarm go off in their bedroom. And once she was awake, she just couldn’t stay in bed. Mum even stopped telling her off about it by the end of their second night of puppy-rearing.
    Lucy was putting on weight now, although not as fast as the other puppies, who were fat and glossy-furred . She adored her feeds, but Lauren suspected she might always be a bit smaller than her brothers and sisters.
    Lucy squeaked and sucked at Lauren’s fingers as Lauren scooped her up. She knew Lauren’s scent, and she was sure it was time for Lauren to feed her, and she was so, so hungry. 

    Lauren giggled as Lucy’s little pink paws flailed around. “I’m just waiting for it to cool down. You don’t want to burn your