Pasture Postmortem (Mandy Bell DVM Series Book 2)

by Abby Deuel

  "Well, I am glad you guys are all here tonight. Now that we have thanked you, we would like to explain why we invited you here. We are so impressed with how the town stepped in to help this morning that we would like to give the town a token of our appreciation," said Mr. Crowley.

  "Yes, we feel strongly that there should be a structure erected to show generations to come what an amazing town this is," said Barth.

  "Wow, how nice of you guys. What do you have in mind?" asked Gillian.

  "We would like to donate the construction of a town pavilion. It can be a place for indoor/outdoor activities. It will be a symbol of how this town steps up to help one another," said Mr. Crowley.

  "That is very generous. We simply cannot accept. We just are who we are. We don't need anything in return," said Gerry.

  "We thought you might say that. So, we have already arranged it all. It will arrive, with a crew to put it up, next week. There will be no arguments. It is the least we can do to say thank you," said Mr. Crowley.

  "My goodness. You boys are amazing. That was very special indeed," said Mandy.

  The Turkey Manhattans arrived to break up the conversation. The dish involved open-faced sandwiches featuring homemade mashed potatoes, freshly carved turkey, dressing, gravy, and a side of Myrna's cranberry sauce. The smell was divine. Myrna placed an extra boat of gravy in the middle of the table for anyone who needed extra. She then placed a small plate under the table of mashed potatoes and gravy for Lyle.

  "Yum," said Barth. "This is what I needed."

  "I just can't believe that you are donating such a gigantic object to Crestview. It is so very generous," said Mandy.

  "Believe it. We can't thank you enough. Now tell us about this bobcat you have," said Mr. Crowley.

  "He was brought into us because some trappers on the edge of town accidentally caught his mama in the trap. It was a live trap so she wasn't harmed. The only problem was that she panicked and broke her neck. So, we have been bottle feeding him every few hours. He was dehydrated and in shock when he came in; he is thriving now. The plan is to release him when he is big enough," said Mandy.

  "Is there anything you can't save?" asked Mr. Crowley.

  Mandy blushed. "I have dabbled in this and that. Over the course of my career, I have lived all over this country and worked with lots of different wildlife. I had never worked with a bobcat so it seems Crestview got to keep me here because it produced a bobcat," said Mandy.

  "We are going to keep finding reasons for you to stay," said Gillian.

  "Why not stay? Where is home?" asked Barth.

  "I live in an RV. I have no 'home' necessarily. I travel, relief vetting," said Mandy.

  "That seems strange. With your talents and this lovely town, why move on?" asked Mr. Crowley.

  "Let's leave the poor girl alone. We will do our best to take the wanderlust out of her," said Gerry.

  They were all interrupted by Lyle scooting her plate all over the floor. She was trying to get every last drop of gravy and the plate's slippery bottom meant it kept moving away from her. It was quite a humorous sight.

  "Lyle, let me help," Mandy said as she walked over to Lyle and held the plate still with her shoes on either side of it.

  "Dessert anyone?" asked Myrna.

  "My goodness, I would explode if I ate anymore," said Barth. "I think we should turn in. It was a long day and tomorrow we will be busy making sure everyone is healing."

  "Me too. I'm stuffed. I need to get home for an early start," said Gerry.

  "Never know what tomorrow brings for a vet clinic," said Gillian. They settled their bill and all went their separate ways. Gillian was pulling out behind Mandy when she noticed Mandy going the wrong way. Mandy was staying at Anna's which was south and yet Mandy was turning north. She flashed her lights and Mandy pulled over.

  "What?" asked Mandy.

  "You're going the wrong way. Remember, you're at Anna's?"

  "I was in autopilot. Thanks for catching me. I still have to feed the bobcat at the clinic, though," said Mandy.

  "Let me do that. It's on my way home. You go tuck yourself in," said Gillian.

  "Thanks. I won't argue with that," said Mandy.

  Chapter 6

  The next morning, Mandy woke up, thankful there was no flood in Anna's house. Instead, she found that Lyle was barking incessantly.

  "What now?" asked Mandy. She threw on some clothes and went downstairs to see what the fuss was all about. Gillian's car was parked in the driveway. Before she could even get a cup of coffee in her, Gillian was briefing her.

  "It seems that the Warner boys are heading in with all of their dogs. They were out in the back of their farm, getting ready to put pour-on on their cattle. On the way back to the yards, the container of pour-on tipped over in the back of the truck where the dogs were. They all got covered in it. They are already showing signs of toxicity. Get your game on, Dr. Bell," said Gillian.

  "Jeez, are you guys trying to kill me? I can't leave Crestview if I'm dead, eh?" Mandy said.

  "Bad things always happen in threes. This is two, unless you count your flood."

  "You get off on adrenaline, don't you?"

  "You are grumpy first thing in the morning with no coffee," Gillian said.

  "Guilty," said Mandy. She was looking forward to her special roasted coffee that had come in the mail. It was her one perk that she allowed herself. The librarian, Sonya, had put her onto the coffee mailing club. She had yet to be able to sample this month's pick of the month. Her mouth was watering just thinking about it. It would have to wait.

  Mandy got her shoes on and fluffed her hair up into a bun. Her hair was wild no matter what. She had tossed and turned through the night since it was a new surrounding so it was even more interesting this morning.

  "I've already fed the bobcat several times this morning. I canceled all of our appointments. The decks are clear for the Warner dogs. Want me to drive us or do you want to follow me?" asked Gillian.

  "See, I think you have already had caffeine from how quickly you are speaking. The playing field is not level until I have had some. Just so you know I am not at the top of my game."

  "I'll take it that I will drive. You are still not making much sense," Gillian said. Mandy followed Gillian like a duckling following its mother. They walked by the coffee maker and Mandy gave it a pleaful look as Gillian picked the pace up. "I'll make you some tea at the clinic."

  They arrived at the clinic before the Warner boys. Gillian set Mandy up with tea while she got IV fluids ready for the dogs. Their hospital was not large enough to accommodate all eleven dogs. They would have to use cages in the surgery area as well. It would be a tight squeeze and fairly hectic if they all needed to be on fluids. They didn't even have one IV pump, much less eleven.

  Mandy was finally starting to become coherent. Tea wasn't the same as coffee, though it did have more caffeine. Lyle was sitting in the middle of the lobby. She, too, looked behind the eight ball. She knew something big was going to happen but couldn't figure out what it was.

  The door chimed and in walked the Warner boys, Devon and Bill. They looked like boys who had grown up on a farm. They couldn't have been in their twenties yet their faces already had a leathery look, with crows feet around their eyes. They were tall and sturdy, ready to jump into action. From their faces, they were shaken up and needed help knowing exactly what action should be taken.

  "Let me see the pour-on container," said Mandy.

  They produced a container that would hold fifty gallons and was bone-dry empty. Mandy inspected the ingredients. Her mind was processing the situation.

  "OK. First, we need weights and TPRs. Then we should bathe every dog, starting with the worst affected, to disinfect their coats as much as possible. Then we need to start them all on IV fluids. We will need to add medications to their fluids to lessen the effects of the toxicity. We will set up an assembly line. Any questions," asked Mandy.

  The boys brought in the worst one. Man
dy weighed him, took vitals including temperature, pulse, and respiration. She started to calculate the drugs he would need, leaving Gillian to give him a bath with Devon's help. The worst of the dogs was showing mild seizures while the others were just tremoring. Decontaminating them with a bath would help stop further absorption. That which had already been absorbed would eventually be out of their blood stream if they were supported through the toxicity with fluids and medications. Mandy drew blood from the worst one to save for later. She would send it to the lab if she needed more information. She had seen this toxicity before, just not in eleven dogs at once. She hardly spoke, deep in concentration, to ensure that she was ticking all the boxes.

  With the first dog bathed, they put him under a drier while Mandy placed an IV catheter. It was tricky to achieve with the tremoring. She got it in and started fluids. He went in a cage while she drew up the medications that would help alleviate his symptoms. Meanwhile, the Warner boys and Gillian continued the assembly line with bathing and prepping for IV catheters. They all worked silently, focusing on their task. Lyle sat, watching those that were already undergoing treatment. She stopped Mandy at one point because the bobcat was squealing for another meal. Lyle was a handy fixture in any clinic. She could always alert Mandy when something was in distress so Mandy had learned to read her behaviors and react accordingly. The process continued until all eleven dogs were safely tucked in a cage and their IV lines were going.

  "Cup of tea?" asked Gillian, sensing a good time to take a break.

  Everyone nodded and followed her into the kitchenette, except Mandy who stayed behind to check the dogs again. Gillian produced cookies and crackers and cheese for snacking purposes. While the kettle boiled, she watched the boys interact with Lyle who had brought them a ball.

  "Watch out. Once you start playing with her, she doesn't stop," said Gillian.

  "Anything to keep our mind off of our dogs is welcome," said Devon, the older boy.

  "This is quite a drama," said Gillian.

  "What are the odds that they will all survive?" asked Bill.

  "With Mandy on board, the odds are high. She won't quit until they are all stable. As evidenced by the fact that she is still fussing over all of their catheters," said Gillian.

  "She is very thorough. We appreciate it," said Devon.

  Mandy entered and all speaking ceased. It was obvious that they had been speaking of her. She blushed in response.

  "The IV lines are all running for now. We will need to monitor them frequently. Not only is it important for the fluids to help support their kidneys, but the drugs in the IV bags also help keep the tremoring from frying their brains. Seizures raise their internal temperatures and we can't have that happening," Mandy explained.

  The kettle had boiled and Gillian presented everyone with a cup of tea. She reserved her horse-themed mug for her cup. Gillian had collected lots of random mugs for the clinic kitchenette over the years. She enjoyed trying to match the mug to the person. It was like a character guessing game. Lately, she had been giving Mandy a superwoman mug. Today, she gave Devon a John Deere mug and Bill a ceramic glazed. He seemed like an old soul to her and this mug was the oldest one she had.

  Mandy heard something going on out back. She left her mug of tea to investigate. The noise was coming from the RV. She opened the door to find Gerry's bum sticking out from under her bathroom sink.

  "Can I help you?" asked Mandy.

  "I heard about your mishap. And I knew you would be tied up this morning with the Warner dogs. I thought I'd just go ahead and fix this for you," said Gerry.

  "Oh my gosh. That is so sweet. At the rate I am going, I would never have gotten around to it. So you've heard about the Warner dogs?"

  "Yep. It's the talk of the town," said Gerry. "My advice is to make Mrs. Bouvier the spokesperson. You can give her updates and she can disseminate the information to the town. That way, you don't have to field too many calls. She is the town busy-body, you know, in a good way, of course."

  "I had noticed that. I still can't believe you came over to fix this for me," said Mandy. "And that is a good idea about Mrs. Bouvier."

  "I think you should think about just staying in Anna's house. It'll be much warmer and winter-proof for you. We can park this RV up for winter for you. You'll have nothing to worry about."

  "I see. You have figured it all out for me. I am not ready to make that commitment. Thanks for the offer. I need some time."

  "I'm just looking out for you, Dr. Bell," said Gerry.

  "Would you like a cup of tea?" Mandy said, purposely directing the conversation elsewhere.

  "Sure," said Gerry.

  They joined the others inside where Gillian was checking IV lines while the kettle boiled for another cup of tea.

  "They are all going," Gillian said, referencing the IV lines. Mandy sat down for the first time in what felt like two days.

  "That's great. Thanks, Gillian. Gerry pointed out a good idea. We can keep Mrs. Bouvier updated on the Warner dogs and she can handle all of the town's questions. That will give us a chance to watch the dogs, check the cows, and feed the bobcat. Do we have any appointments today?"

  "Good idea. And, yes, we do. No rest for the wicked," said Gillian.

  Mandy turned to the Warner boys. "I think you guys can head on home. We will monitor them through the night. If all goes well, they will be taken off fluids tomorrow and can go home the next day. We just need to keep their kidneys functioning while their livers filter the toxins. It's going to take some time. We will keep you updated. You've done a great job this morning."

  "Thanks, Dr. Bell. We will stop by and check on them tomorrow morning, if that's OK with you."

  "Sure thing," said Mandy.

  Chapter 7

  Mandy ducked out during lunch to check on the cows from yesterday. They were all up and eating which was a good sign. Even the calves were standing and taking nourishment. Mr. Crowley was there so Mandy walked over to him.

  "It's a miracle that they are all doing well," said Mandy.

  "It's not a miracle. It's proof of your hard work. Heard you had another multiple animal mess today," said Mr. Crowley.

  "Yep. Seems they happen in threes so I don't know if I want to get out of bed tomorrow."

  "You'll rally, no matter what is thrown at you," said Mr. Crowley.

  Mandy took that advice and headed back to the clinic. She fed the bobcat and checked on the IV lines. One wasn't flowing so she had to unblock it by flushing it. The least affected dog was already showing vast improvement. His eyes were no longer flicking and unfocused. Mandy offered him a small meatball of canned food and he gobbled it up. She was hopeful that this indicated that the others would be improving steadily as well.

  The afternoon was a blur to Mandy. She handled all of the appointments without a hitch but her mind was definitely taken up by making sure she hadn't missed anything on the Crowley cows or the Warner dogs. There were vaccinations and routine rechecks. The poodle, Trixie, had come in for a recheck on her diabetes. Mandy had diagnosed her when she first came to Crestview. It was a big change for Trixie to be on a special diet and for her owner to start injecting insulin. The original problem had been that Trixie developed acute glaucoma and Mandy had found diabetes to be a contributing factor. They finally had it regulated and Trixie was doing very well. Her owner's love of baking meant that Trixie got to eat homemade diabetic-friendly treats and Mandy got to eat lots of baked yummies, too.

  As the day went on, Mandy and Gillian worked to keep all of the IV lines unblocked. By the end of the day, they were able to remove three catheters in dogs that had dramatically improved. A fourth removed his own IV catheter, which is generally a sign that it's ready to come out. The plan for the evening was for Mandy and Gillian to take turns through the night, checking the IV lines and feeding the bobcat. Mandy would have just stayed in the RV except that her things were now at Anna's house and Lyle was just starting to understand that the RV and the house were OK to slee
p in so Mandy didn't want to confuse her further, not to mention that the RV was still damp from the recent flood.

  Mandy couldn't stop thinking about macaroni and cheese, one of her favorite comfort foods. Once they had closed up the clinic and made the roster for evening patient checks, Mandy and Gillian headed to the Inn together. Not one of the specials for the night, Myrna said she could satiate their mac and cheese cravings anyway. They had hot cocoa while they waited for their soul-warming food.

  "What a day. I feel like I said that last night, too," said Mandy.

  "You did," said Gillian, laughing. "And don't forget, these things come in threes. We have one more to go."

  "I hope you are wrong," said Mandy. "What is the plan tomorrow?"

  "We have a few routine surgeries in the morning and then hopefully we can discharge some of the Warner dogs in the afternoon, between appointments?"

  "Sounds great. And then I think we might deserve a day off. Do we have anything the next day?"

  "The next day is Sunday. Nothing planned that I am aware of," said Gillian.

  "Perfect. I will take the day to take Lyle to Derek's sheep farm. She could use some exercise and I could use some fresh air," said Mandy.

  "Well-deserved for both of you. I might take Hamish for a horse-ride."

  Their meals arrived. The mac and cheese was steaming through the brown, crusty layer of cheesy goodness. Perfect comfort food for two hard-working women. They didn't utter a word. All that could be heard was two women enjoying every creamy bite of their comfort food.

  "That helped. I was hungry," said Mandy.

  "Me too," said Gillian. "We better make tracks so we can be well-rested for our night-time nursing."

  "After that meal, I should sleep like a baby. I need to set an alarm," said Mandy. Lyle was already asleep under the table, not even waking up to beg for mac and cheese. It's hard to wear out a Border collie but the last two days had succeeded in doing so.