Betty leaned against Scooby’s side, her breathing slowing as her body found its rhythm again. Vanessa watched the familiar pattern return—hands relaxing, shoulders dropping—as if the tension of the past days had finally released.
The specialists who arrived spoke softly now. Separation, they admitted, would destroy both stability patterns. The animal’s neurological structure depended on the bond. So did Betty’s emotional regulation. Removing Scooby would not resolve the risk. It would simply create one.