Story's life as a brick (as in "as sensitive as" . . .)

We were terribly concerned about Story's response to Oscar during his convalescence so we've been keeping the door to the sick room closed and a leash on Story when it couldn't be. She is inclined to be terribly obnoxious with him when they're outside together and he only occasionally jumps her case about it so I've been intervening or simply leashing her and not letting her continue the behavior.  Over the last month or so, he's stopped wanting to go into the exercise pen with her, but I wasn't sure if that was the extreme heat or her. Either way, I've honored the old guy's feelings on the matter. He's earned that right. 

However I've seen signs of sensitivity in her lately--when I napped in my recliner yesterday (the night before having been a disaster), she crawled in beside me and laid there quietly instead of jumping all over me and throwing toys in my face (yes really).  When she gets too rough with one of us while playing and we make distressed sounds (usually just "OW! is enough) she purposefully and carefully licks any available limb and slows a bit. But I didn't count on this sensitivity with Oscar.

This morning Oscar insisted on moving into the living room and laying in the middle of the cool laminate floor (tummy probably hurts). So when I took Story outside, I put a leash on her to lead her from her kennel to the front door. She lit up when she saw "Uncle Oscar" and made a beeline for him. I was about to stop her when I realized that she'd slowed as she approached and came to a halt a good foot from him.

She then lowered herself and began nuzzling him gently, smelling his ruff, checking out the bandage on his leg where they'd given him an IV. Her entire response was one of sympathy. She then retreated on her own, glancing back at him a couple of times.   

Perhaps Story's title of "Story the Brick" is about to change.