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her mid-20s wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope around her neck, showed Lisa and me where the cleaning and bathing supplies were, then left us to our own devices. She would pop into the kennel every now again carrying in one of the dogs to be bathed and dipped, or to carry out one of the other animals.
    Two of the dogs in for a bath had long, matted hair. We brushed a collie for nearly an hour trying to get the mats out and spent another 40 minutes de-tangling a Maltese. By the time the dogs to be groomed were bathed, dipped and dried, it was 11:30. Lisa and I stepped into the hallway, hoping to be seen and invited into one of the exam rooms. We were indeed seen, but only by Carol, who began asking us to shuttle dogs from the back kennel to the front lobby and their owners’ waiting arms. In all the time we were there, Dr. Sharpe didn’t even acknowledge us.
    “We were used!” Lisa wailed when we piled into her mom’s car at noon. “Free labor, that’s all they thought we were. We made them over $100 on those baths and dips alone and what did we get in return? The pleasure of doing their work for them, that’s all.”
    “Aren’t you going to Dr. Fiennes next week? I bet things will be better there.” Lisa’s mom, ever the optimist, had a way of ignoring the facts of the present in favor of the possibilities of the future. I, personally, had long thought she was a bit of a twit.
      Dr. Fiennes was no better than Dr. Sharpe. Lisa and I practically ran for the car at noon. “We’d be better off volunteering at a grooming shop if all we’re going to be doing is bathing and dipping dogs,” Lisa pointed out. “At least at a groomer’s we might learn how to do poodle cuts.”
    I sighed. It was beginning to look like the nanny experience all over again. “We’re back with Dr. Norris next week. Let’s see how that goes.”
    Dr. Norris himself answered our early morning knock. “Oh, were you two scheduled for today?” he asked, clearly surprised to see us.
    My heart sank. If he wasn’t expecting us –
      “You know, my last volunteers were no shows. I didn’t want to be shorthanded, so I have Kathy and Ashley both here today.”
    Here it comes, I thought. My dad’s not going to like having to turn around and come straight back to pick us up.
    “But since you’re here, I’ve been wanting to talk with you about this volunteer business. It hasn’t been working out too well. The other vets don’t want to work with the Explorers on Saturdays any more. Most of their volunteers have been no-shows, too.”
    It was worse than I expected. We weren’t just being sent home for today, but for good.
    “You two, though, have shown you’re dependable. Sharpe and Fiennes were both pretty impressed they could leave you on your own almost immediately. And Kathy had some very nice things to say about you when you were here before. So here’s my proposition. I can use one of you here every week. That way Kathy and Ashley can alternate taking Saturdays off. And my business partner, Dr. Vann, is willing to take the other one on. His clinic is just a couple of miles from your high school. If you can assure us that you’ll come every Saturday, you can work through till the end of the school year. I don’t want you to commit, though, and then fall through.”
    Lisa and I exchanged looks. We knew each other only too well to not know what the other one was thinking. Dr. Norris was a known value that either of us would be willing to work for, but what was Dr. Vann like?
    It was Lisa who asked. “Will Dr. Vann let us spend time in the exam room? The other vets weren’t too good about that, even after we finished everything they wanted us to do.”
    Dr. Norris laughed. “Paul’s a natural teacher. I don’t think you’ll be ignored with him.” He glanced at his watch. “Talk it over between yourselves and with your parents. Meanwhile, since I have enough help in the back, you can stay up front with Dr. Reese and