ALMOST MY WORST NIGHTMARE

In my last post, I mentioned that something had happened that made me think again about finding the old lost dog.
This is the incident that brought that feeling back to me.
The feeling of possibly losing what matters most to me.

I take my boys, Blue, Jimmy Chew and Ralphie with me to work everyday at the vet clinic.
They stay in big nice roomy runs in the boarding area and when it's nice outside they can have their turn running around the big enclosed grassy play area. The clinic is a large building with a spacious waiting room in the front and a large grooming room off of the waiting area. Up front is the reception desk and then there is the other side of the reception area where we check out clients. Then it's the exam rooms and the lab area and then surgery and finally boarding. So, it's a long building.
Lately I have been working upfront in the reception area and my boys are in the back in boarding, under the care of two of my part-time people.
The other morning the propane truck pulled up and the gate to the enclosed play area had to be unlocked. I had my morning person go back and unlock it and then I told him to make sure there were no dogs out and not to let any dogs out. So the man filled the propane tank and left.
So I am sitting at the front desk facing the big double doors when all of a sudden I hear the groomer scream.
"I thought she screamed "Dog loose". I stood up and looked outside to see if the dog was loose out there or in the building and that's when I saw my Ralphie in the parking lot. I yelled and I ran out the front door with one of my co-workers as Ralphie and Jimmy turned and raced back around the building towards the back but there in the gravel in front of the windows stood Blue.
Blue looked panicky and frantic. Of course he couldn't hear us but when he turned and saw us he raced towards the doors. We got him inside but he was totally freaked out. He didn't have his collar on and as I reached for him to lead him away from the front doors he seemed to be frightened and confused. He kept backing away acting like he thought he was in trouble. Finally we got him to go into one of the exam rooms and my co-worker told me she had him now and to go on and try to catch my terriers. I ran out the door and around the front towards the back of the building. At the end of the parking lot I saw my 2 part-timers and one of the other receptionists trying to corral Ralphie. Apparently they had been able to call Jimmy inside the back boarding door but Ralphie was having none of it! As I called to him and hurried towards them, one of the girls came up behind him and grabbed him.
When we got inside, I asked what had happened. Apparently my morning person hadn't locked the gate yet and my other person who comes in at noon had just arrived and let my dogs out into the play area to "PLAY"....not realizing that the gate was open. I started to "talk" to them about it but I had to stop. I couldn't go on because I couldn't hold back the tears and I had to leave the room.
Lately I have been talking so bad about my little "terrors" that I felt like I was being "smite-d" in punishment. The clinic is less than a half block from one of the busiest intersections in the Quad Cities. And my Blue?

He wouldn't have heard anyone calling to him.
I can see his frightened face in my mind again and tears are blurring my eyes and choking my throat.
It could have been my worst nightmare.