by Annie Berdel
“Hello,” Angie said as he got closer.
Such a kind face, Angie thought and quickly dismissed it.
“Ma’am, My name is Scott. I am the local vet. I do not believe we have met before,” he said
“I’m Angie,” she said with her arms still crossed in front of her. “Are you here to see Tom?”
“Actually no, more like Emma. Is she here?” Scott said as he made note of the smile that didn’t match the body language
Angie was just about to turn and go look for Emma when she came out of the house.
“Hey Doc!” Emma said with a bit of perplexity in her voice “Did I know you were stopping by today?”
“No.” he replied “excuse me for a moment” he said to Angie and turned to walk to where Emma was.
Angie followed him with her eyes as he walked away. While it was nice to feel safe with Emma, Angie wondered when she would feel comfortable again being around a man. While she felt attracted to Scott, she still knew there was a wall up that wasn’t ready to come down. “And a damn shame,” she muttered under her breath.
22
“So, this wolf they found. How close to town?” Emma asked
“Closer to your Aunt and Uncles then to town” Doc explained
“Shit. I was hoping they were making their way out here. They are getting pretty brave getting that close to the city, don’t you think?” Emma said
“I’m having a meeting at the office tomorrow with some of the neighboring farms. I also called Brian and told him to get his ass out here. Can you and Tom make it over?” Scott asked
“You know it. Just let me know what time”
“Why don’t you come on over a little early, say around 3? And um, feel free to bring your friend with you” Scott said as he let his head jerk in Angie’s direction.
Emma let out a sigh as she knew she would need to talk to Scott about this privately. “I’ll see what I can do.”
23
“You sure you don’t want to ride along? Doc has some has a pretty neat fur family to check out if you don’t want to listen in on the meeting,” Tommy asked Angie
“No, I’ll be fine here with Dixon,” Angie chimed. Angie would admit in a heartbeat that neither choice, either going to Doc Scott’s or staying alone for the first time since the attack, were settling with her comfortably, but life had to go on. She had grown stronger over the last few weeks and it was time, she felt, to take the next step.
Emma walked into the room and put her arm around Angie. “We won’t be far and we won’t be gone long.”
“Yes, Mumsy,” Angie said as she rolled her eyes like a teenager being left alone for the first time
Tommy gave a chuckle. “Mumsy,” he said under his breath, shaking his head back and forth. Holding the door for his wife, they left for Doc Scott’s meeting.
24
“The wolf we had the tracker on has traveled a farther distance than any of us thought he would go, and he’s just a pup. Makes me think any adult out there is pretty much covering an area the size of the Tri- County as part of their territory,” Doc Scott said as he pointed out the diameter of the area on the map.
“Being as aggressive as we have seen them so far has me concerned” he continued. Looking at how I’ve seen some winter coats coming in on some of the animals, it looks like it’s going to be a cold couple of months. Add the cold weather to the aggressiveness we have already seen and we are talking about a recipe for disaster.”
“We have ‘coon season coming in soon, what do you think we should do?” asked Pete Barbic. Pete was an avid hunter and owned some prized hounds. The last thing he wanted was to lose a valuable dog to a wolf attack.
“Keep them in close. Don’t let them get a long lead and keep your ears open. First sign of a wolf and you know there will be more than one in the area. Get out of there and call me with exactly where you were so I can keep tracking their route. We released the one we caught,” he said as everyone gasped
“Listen to me before you start freaking out. We put a tracker around its neck so we can follow it on radar and see where they might be making their rounds. Once we determine that, it will make it easier to set up some traps. Right now we are just flying blind on where they might be and that’s a lot of territory to cover.”
Everyone was shaking their heads in agreement. Two wolves were now roaming around with trackers. That would make it a lot easier to figure out their patterns. The farmers in the area needed to eliminate the threat they caused. One good-sized wolf could create a lot of devastation on a farm. It could completely destroy a small homestead.
“After we plot out some pings from the GPS trackers,” Brian chimed in, “We will mesh the data with scat samples and verified interactions. We will then know how they are spending their days and nights and be able to better find their dens. Domestic cats are easy prey, so keep them inside. Mice, shrews and rabbits make up their normal diet but add in the cold weather and you’re going to see some odd behavior, some bold behavior if we don’t catch them and fast. Late winter is breeding season for wolves so we will see their territorial nature increase.”
“What are we looking for exactly, do they look like a big dog?” someone asked from the group
“Not really,” Doc said “Most are gray or rusty brown with a bushy tail tipped with black. The tail usually hangs down at a 45-degree angle instead of like a typical canine,” as he pointed to a picture of one.
“Keep garbage and pet food cleaned up from outside. This includes anything from around a BBQ grill too. While wolves typically prey on small mammals, they have been known to go after small dogs or cats if the food source is scarce. And if the male dog threatens the territory of the wolf you could have additional problems,” Scott said as he looked right at Emma
Emma took the hint. Dixon and the rest of his Great Pyrenees family were in danger on the farm. They would need to take extra precautions until this was under control.
25
Emma was walking back to Tommy’s truck when Scott caught up to her.
“Hey, was hoping you would bring your friend along,” Scott said
“Ya, we need to talk a bit about that. Listen, don’t take this personal, but she isn’t ready to get into a relationship just yet. I’m not about to get into her business with you but it’s going to take some time for her to even contemplate being social right now.”
“Oh, no worries. She just seemed like a nice gal.”
“I know hun, but she just needs time. Wouldn’t be fair to either one of you right now.”
Scott let out a chuckle, “I don’t want to marry the woman Emma!”
“Scott, just now is not the time and the one thing she needs right now IS time, just let it go,” Emma said with a little too much emotion
“Hey! Geesh! I’m sorry! I just thought maybe we could go out for coffee or something. It’s not like I’d rape her!”
The look on Emma’s face spoke volumes. Scott knew without asking. He could read his old friend like a well-worn book.
“Oh man,” Scott mumbled under his breath feeling like a heel. “Man, I was just joking around, I’m so sorry,” he said as he combed his fingers through his hair.
“Let it go Scott,” she said as she turned and got into the truck
Scott saw the rest of the group off and decided he needed to go for a walk to clear his head. What an asinine comment to make, he thought.
Giving a whistle for Rusty, they headed up over the back hill. There were some rocky outfaces back there he wanted to check out anyways as they would make the perfect spot for a wolf den.
Picking up a straight branch he spotted beside a downed tree, he used it for a walking stick. He would be sure to add this one to his collection back at the house. Good and sturdy, he would add some paracord around the handle. The last one he designed, he added a compass and a ferrocerium rod too just in case he needed a fire starter when he was out walking. Examining this one, he could easily add a copper end to it to make i
t last longer. Maybe even brass he thought. Add a piece of pipe and make a secret storage compartment on the end. Now that would be cool, he thought.
A friend of his had visited Ireland and brought him home a shillelagh, a shorter stick which was wielded by all Irish men at one time due to the traditional art of stick fighting in Ireland. From doing a little research, he found out that the British soldiers found it hard to defend themselves against a skilled Irishman wielding a shillelagh without using a firearm, which would cause civil unrest so they banned the short sticks all together. The Irish just made them a bit longer and called them a walking stick to bypass the ban and not a lot could be done about it.
Scott picked up the pace now with his new stick in hand and made it over to the rock outface in no time. Tunnels ran under his farm and connected it to the farms around his, including Emma’s. They had all been part of the Underground Railroad at one time. One of the houses over in the next county had been turned into a museum so people could understand and not forget what others had endured back then. If you actually looked at aerial photos of the farms you could see the path if you know what you were looking at. If you looked at the bones of the homes you could also see that the original structures were all built the same too, like row houses. Years of remodels had taken their toll and a lot of the outsides of the homes had completely changed their face.
Scott hadn’t been up this way for years. Stopping and listening for a while, he couldn’t make out any sounds that he should be concerned about and Rusty seemed at ease. Wanting to check out the outcropping, he was surprised to see where part of the hillside had slipped away to reveal a cave.
“Well heck, what would Ole Tom and Huck do about right now”
Glancing at his watch, he realized he didn’t have much time to explore before the sun went down, which meant he would need to make his way back soon.
“Ah heck, I have to at least stick my head in,” he thought.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his flashlight, or one of the triplets, as Emma referred to them. He had to admit, she was right. It was good to have a flashlight, a knife and his firearm with him at all times.
Trying to figure out a smart path through all the fresh mud, he finally decided there was no easy way and edged his way along the outside until he hit the hillside itself. He stopped and listened. While many animals used caves for habitat, hungry wolves were not something he wanted to run into while he was alone. He would now have to get dirty but the inquisitive side of him far outweighed and overruled the hygienic side, so in the mud he stepped.
Making his way to the front of the cave quietly, he stopped and listened again. Nothing. Shining the flashlight into the cave, he couldn’t see very far. Tree roots hung down and blocked a good portion of his view. Taking the time to log the co-ordinates into his phone, he was going to have to come back another day and check it out further.
Maybe Emma’s friend. No. probably not a good idea. Not sure how long it would take her to be comfortable around men again. She kind of reminded him of the cave before him. Completely captured his attention and once he could get past the tree roots, the bad things blocking his way, there might be something even better in the back. “Scott, my friend, your mind works in mysterious ways sometimes,” he mumbled to himself. Backing out of the mud, he gave a whistle for Rusty and they headed off for home.
26
Angie hadn’t been this relaxed since the rape. Tonight, Emma’s kids were coming over for a family dinner and she was invited to stay. She was glad. She had slowly started to get out and even traveled to see her mom in town, but this would be good to be around a group of people who loved each other.
Once dinner was under control and the table set, Angie excused herself to go change before the kids arrived. Once in her room, she stripped and stepped into the shower.
As the water flowed over her, she felt like it was washing away all the bad memories of the past couple months. While she would never forget, each day it was getting easier to breathe, to smile. She dressed quickly and sat down to dry her hair. As the hairdryer blew her hair back, she caught a glimpse of the last remnants of her attack. The scab behind her ear, the ear that was being pounded into the concrete from her attacker’s thrusts, was almost healed. She would have no proof of him after that besides the wounds in her soul. Those wounds would take longer to heal and hopefully not leave hideous scars.
Angie entered the room as Lauren, Connor and Emily arrived. Making introductions, they were fast friends in no time. Kevin and his wife along with their kids next, and Angie stepped back to take in the whole scene. There before her was a force like no other she had ever known. A family. Love filled the room with such permeable strength that it overwhelmed her. Gladly someone rang the doorbell and she ran to answer it and made her leave before they saw her tears.
Angie opened the door expecting the last of the kids and was quite taken aback when Doc Scott was standing there. “Hi there,” he said just as surprised.
“Hey,” she responded and leaned against the door for support
“I knew Jonathan was on his way over and wanted to give him the meds for the goats he ordered a while back.”
“Oh, come on in. He hasn’t arrived yet,” Angie said with a puzzled look “Or at least I think so anyways. There’s so many of them!”
Scott grinned, “Yes, just a few. And they seem to breed like rabbits around here.”
Scott dropped his eyes, realizing that might not have been a good thing to say. He was quite relieved when Angie picked up on it and gave a giggle.
Tommy walked into the room and almost tripped when he thought he walked in on a private conversation that he wasn’t invited to. “Hey Tom!” Scott exclaimed
“Doc. What brings you over?”
“Got the goat meds that Jonathan wanted and I knew he was on his way. Saved him a trip since I was driving passed.”
“Awesome! We can get that off our plate tomorrow then. Come on in and sit a spell, I’m sure he will be here soon… might as well stay for dinner too for driving all this way”
“Oh no, no,” Scott countered
“Oh please do, I can set an extra plate in no time,” Angie chimed in
The trio walked into the family room and Emma caught Tommy’s glance. They exchanged raised brows that spoke volumes.
Jonathan and his family arrived and in no time the entire family was all settled around the dinner table. Stories were being shared with the guests that had them laughing throughout the meal and straight into dessert.
“Let’s play some Conflicted!” Kevin said. “Let’s get this table cleared!”
“What’s Conflicted?” Angie asked
“It’s a deck of cards with a bunch of survival scenarios all over them,” Lauren explained. “We sit around and argue about who has the best solution for each card.”
“We don’t argue,” Kevin said. “We have deep, philosophical conversations that will eventually save the world” which sent all of them into a rage of laughter
“Sweet!” Angie said. “Let’s play”
27
“I have the first card,” Emma said “And you boys need to listen up. Your significant other develops a fever with a yeast infection. You have no modern medicine as most supplies have been used up. You know the fever is a bad sign and could lead to a bladder or kidney infection. What would you do?”
“Oh wow,” said Angie. “I was studying to be an EMT before I left Memphis. Problem is, we weren’t trained for a grid down situation without medicine or a white sterile hospital.”
“Well, I can tell you what not to do! Last time we had this question, Connor said to spray it with Windex because that’s what he saw on TV!”
“What!” Angie chuckled
“Yes, in that movie about a Greek wedding, the dad was curing everything with Windex,” responded Connor
“Hilarious! So what should we do, because I have no idea,” Angie asked
“Yogurt, cranberries, garlic are al
l good for yeast infections. Soak a tampon in yogurt and insert it,” Lauren said
“My concern,” chimed in Scott, “Is the fever. That’s a sure sign of infection. And you said there was no normal human medicine available?”
“Right,” Emma said
“Could I use vet meds?” asked Scott
“No one said you couldn’t,” replied Emma
A grin came across Scott’s face as he got up and walked to the fridge. Reaching to the top where he had placed some of the goat meds, he grabbed a bottle and brought it back to the table. “Do your research, but a lot of the same medications we use in the veterinary world, are the same thing in the human world, just packaged differently. This bottle, in the human world, is the same thing as amoxicillin and would help combat the infection causing the fever”
“Wow,” Angie replied, “I never knew that and I was studying medicine”
“Not a well-known secret. The pharmaceutical companies don’t like that info to get out as the vet meds are a lot cheaper. More and more people are finding out so the companies are trying to get the government to regulate them so it doesn’t eat into their profits,” Scott said
“Interesting. I need to read up on that,” Angie said
“I’ve got some books for you to read,” Emma said. “Doom and Bloom is a book written by a doctor and his wife on grid-down medicine. I think you will find it quite fascinating”
“OK, next question” Jonathan said “You hear a noise outside and realize someone is shoveling snow out of your walkway. You peek through the window and see three older kids with snow clothes on and without thinking you open the door. They immediately push through passed you and into your house. You can’t see who they are because they have ski masks on but they start looking through your belongings. What do you do?”
