Zachary’s dread sharpened when Daisy stumbled after a rough play session. One cub had lunged too hard, knocking her sideways. She yelped, got up quickly, and resumed her steady watch, but Zachary’s hands shook long after. He realized the moment everyone feared was no longer distant, but circling close.
The other keepers avoided eye contact when they passed him in the corridors. He overheard them muttering: “He’s blinded by sentiment.” “When it turns ugly, it’ll be on him.” Their words stung because he half-believed them. Yet every time Daisy wagged her tail at him, his resolve not to separate her from her family deepened.