That was one of the longest conversations he had in a while. The ones with his parents didn't count since they knew sign language. For that reason, they could communicate with more efficiency. The problem was with people he needed to write to talk with, as those usually lose their patience quickly.

Besides, since he had some problems conveying his thoughts by writing, sometimes people seemed to struggle to understand him. Even though he strived to communicate with others, more often than not, his talks would end up with misunderstandings that needed time to solve. And time is something precious. People usually don't want to waste it with useless things or, in his case, roundabout conversations.

It was frustrating because he always had so much he wanted to say, but it was rare to find someone who could comprehend him. He wasn't a foreigner who had to learn a new language to live in another country, so why couldn't he communicate with most people he met? Sign language was an official language too! But it was like ninety-five percent of the population who can hear didn't know about that.

So with people always running against time and his not-so-conventional communication method, he was only getting more isolated from others. But Andrew seemed eager to continue their conversation. Every time Lowe finished writing a sentence, he could see the other ready to steal the pen from his hands to make another question.

Trying not to get eaten by the increasing excitement from talking with someone outside his family, since he got so used to being ignored or left out from conversations, he bit his lower lip to keep focused. He needed to contact his father first. After that, he could let himself get distracted enough to keep the depressing thoughts away.

Lowe knew it was no use to keep beating himself with worries that weren't in his power to do something about. He couldn't help Cookie more than he already did, and he was in check to keep his intrusive thoughts out of his head. It wouldn't change their situation the realization of how useless he was being.

So after asking for a cell phone and contacting his dad, he relaxed. He would live one problem at a time, and his biggest support was on the way. There was no need to panic, at least no more than he already did.

He let himself get absorbed one more time by curiosity and excitement, asking his savior's name. He needed to, at least, treat him and the driver for lunch or something. Lowe truly appreciated the help and wanted to show it. And he couldn't forget about the veterinarian. For her, it was probably just another job, but he felt grateful nonetheless.

The guy looked at him, seeming amused. The pen on his hand worked fast, and soon he could read the name "Andrew Lopes" on the paper. He felt a little better knowing his name. At least now he knew who he had to thank.

He was ready to keep their conversation going, but Andrew turned his head to look in the direction of the room he left Cookie. It was like they had some stealthy powers because Lowe didn't sense the driver getting in the waiting room at all. Gosh, he didn't even feel when Andrew was in front of him in the woods. But given how he was overwhelmed by the situation, his perception could be a little off.

The driver came in their direction, and he and Andrew started to talk. After some back and forth between them, Andrew gave his phone to the driver, and the other tapped some keys before handing it to Lowe. 

Looking at the blank screen, he got a little confused. But before he could look back at the driver with a questioning face, letters showed up on the screen. The letters formed words, and then he could read phrases.

He mentally screeched the word savior from his mind. These people were angels. Thinking of them as saviors seemed to be too low for their actions. And he definitely would need to step up his "thank you" game. Only paying them lunch wasn't enough.

Maybe it was just a voice command app, but it was the first time he was using it. Smiling over the fact they were letting him take part in their conversation, he changed his attention to the screen, examining carefully the words appearing like magic.

"The dog is fine. Jenny patched her up, and she's receiving some blood transfusion. She needs to stay for a couple of days to rest and do some check-ups, but she will be fine."

Taking his eyes from the screen, he looked to the driver showing him a gentle smile. He nodded, returning the action. It seemed like the best moment to ask for his name, so he pointed to the driver and looked for the question he wrote earlier on the paper, indicating it with his finger.

The other took a step closer to read the paper, and soon the name "Ethan" appeared on the screen. He beamed with delight. Now he had all names in his possession, making them no longer strangers. And he would definitely share them when he had the opportunity to explain all the misadventure to his parents.

At least his timing was on point because, after that, he felt a very known presence. Handing over the cell phone to Andrew, he almost jogged to the entrance door, giving no time to the man entering the place before he jumped over him in a tight hug.

His dad had finally arrived.