“Oh God. Buddy.” Sydney seemed to be trying—and failing—to keep a lid on her panic. “Will he be okay? Janey, please, tell me he’ll be okay.”

“Let me get some films of his belly so we can see what’s causing his pain.” Drawing on her years of training and observation, Janey walked through the steps Doc would’ve taken—exam, X-rays, blood, pain management. She was shakier than she should’ve been, and it was easier to blame the single beer she’d had earlier than the fact that she had no business handling an emergency of this magnitude on her own.

The X-rays revealed a blockage in Buddy’s intestines. She stepped into the exam room to update Sydney and Luke.

Janey pointed to the X-ray. “He swallowed something, and now it’s lodged in his lower intestine. It’s got to come out. Soon.”

“What do we do?” Sydney asked, her face devoid of color.

The arm Luke had around Syd seemed to be the only thing keeping her on her feet.

Janey felt Joe’s hand land on her back and was grateful for his support. She squared her shoulders, fortifying herself for what needed to happen. “Here’s the thing—Doc Potter is off-island at a wedding. His backup vet was due to arrive today, but he missed the last boat and won’t be here until morning.”

Sydney moaned, and Luke tightened his hold on her.

“Can Buddy wait that long?” Luke asked.

“This kind of thing can go bad really quickly. He’s still strong, and in my opinion, he’d be better able to withstand the surgery now than he will be in eight or nine hours.”

“But if Doc Potter is off-island, who’ll do it?” Sydney asked, wiping tears from her face.

Janey made an effort to keep her voice strong and confident. “I will. I’ve seen it done a hundred times, and I’ve assisted Doc in surgery since I was eighteen.” Her stomach surged with nerves and nausea, but Janey kept her expression calm to reassure Sydney. “I’m not yet a veterinarian, but I’m Buddy’s best hope.”

“Let her do it, honey,” Luke said. “She can save him. I know she can.”

“Okay,” Sydney said with only a hint of reluctance.

“I’ll need you to sign a release and fill out some other paperwork while I get him prepped for surgery.” Janey took a few steps to close the distance between them and hugged Syd. “I’ll do everything I can. I promise.”

“Thank you, Janey.”

“I’ll give you a minute with him.” Janey and Joe stepped out of the room. She turned to Joe. “Will you track down Cal Maitland for me?” The island’s new medical doctor had replaced Doc Robach when he retired the previous winter. “His on-call number is the same as Doc Robach’s was. Should be in the phone book.”