He's sorry
Patricia felt sorry for Atticus - how bad he must have felt. It would surprise many people to know I did too. I didn't just throw the dog out. I know he would never had made this mess if he could have not. He's never messed in the house since we had him.
And without being too graphic, both piles were close to each other, reminding me of how humans- at least in our home - have been known to be sitting on the commode doing their biz, while puking in a trash can. That is how I pictured poor Atticus.
I made him a nice bed with a big comforter outside. This morning I went to the store and bought some cottage cheese to mix with some rice for his breakfast. That is what is recommended for dogs to calm their intestines back down.
I'll feed him that and if he can keep all that down (and in), then Atticus will once again be an inside dog later today.