by Ho, Jo
I’d been talking to Zeb some three hours now, yet the old man showed no sign of fatigue. Fact was, he seemed more energetic than ever.
It took a while, but I had brought him up to date. During the long train ride, while Chase was fooling around with Bandit, I had worried how I would be able to recruit Zeb’s help. A researcher in the medical field, Zeb was a smart man, but he hadn’t had the acumen necessary to become a surgeon. What he lacked in physicality, however, he more than made up for in knowledge. More importantly, along with general antiquing, Zeb was a collector of old medical equipment, and amongst the odd assortment of machines and fixtures I knew Zeb had in his possession, a refurbished 2004 CT scanner. Exactly what I needed to see into Bandit’s body.
If it wasn’t for this, I wouldn’t have come back, tail between my legs. While I had expected my old man’s hostility, what I hadn’t counted on was how much more frail he now looked. And it wasn’t just the wheelchair — something that had happened after I left. He just seemed old. A decade could really change a person.
The room fell silent as both of us contemplated our thoughts. I asked the question, pressing on my mind since I first arrived.
“What happened?” I gestured at the wheelchair.
The old man’s face tensed. “An accident”
I waited for more, but it seemed nothing else would be forthcoming. I tried again. “But what caused it?”
A hiss of annoyance escaped Zeb’s lips. He wheeled away, turning to face the window that looked out over the green fields beyond.
“That was always your problem Jake. Never knew when to leave the past in the past.” He wasn’t referring to Emma, I knew, but I couldn’t stop the raw ache that appeared in my heart at his words nonetheless.
Taking a breath, I spoke. “You don’t want to talk about it, fine, but let’s set up some ground rules here. I don’t ask about your accident, and you never bring up Emma. Agreed?”
If Zeb was surprised by the ultimatum, he didn’t show it. Without blinking, Zeb issued a curt nod. “Now the dog. He needs a full workup: x-rays, blood tests, the works, right?”
I nodded in agreement. “Tell me you still have the scanner?”
CHAPTER 84
SULLY
I followed behind as Zeb took me through the ranch. Gideon and Chase appeared alongside, wolfing down the remnants of a sandwich. A few crumbs clung to Bandit’s fur, the only sign of his own recent snack. I made a mental note to get Bandit more dog food, unhappy with the amount of human food the dog was consuming.
As they passed by the rooms, I was struck by the familiarity I felt, though I had never lived here myself. I recognized odd bits of furniture, and the patterned curtains my mom had struggled for an age to make.
Zeb arrived at the back of the ranch and proceeded to go outside. A path had been cleared on the lawn, laid over with smoothed out timber so that the wheelchair could glide over it without issue. I followed as my father lead me towards the barn out back. The building had changed some since I was last here. A fresh coat of paint covered the building, and old siding had been replaced with new. Even the roof had been renovated.
Reaching a double height set of sliding doors, Zeb gestured at Gideon to open them. I watched as Gideon wrapped his hands around the door handle — an iron lever — and tugged it down. The doors slid open effortlessly as strip lights flashed on inside. I gasped. Instead of the messy, hay-filled barn I expected, all manner of scientific apparatus lay neatly before me, separated into types: there were medical monitors designed to measure vital signs; physical therapy machines to help rehabilitate injured patients; and life support equipment, like the defibrillator, commonly seen on every medical show known to man. I, however, was only interested in the diagnostic section of gear. Striding quickly across the room, I zeroed in on a large donut shaped contraption in a corner of the barn.
“That GE Lightspeed 16. You’ve had it what, twelve years now? Does it still work?”
Zeb looked at me.
“Guess it’s time we find out.”
CHAPTER 85
CHASE
Bandit whined unhappily.
Though Sully had explained what he wanted to do, just walking into the barn with all that medical equipment had made him anxious. He couldn’t stop himself from panting and I saw him walking behind me on shaking legs.
I kept turning to look at him, speaking encouragingly the whole time, but Bandit could sense my fear; it was impossible to miss, being almost as great as his. My concern only made Bandit’s worsen. He pressed close to me for reassurance.
I looked up at Sully, standing by the strange machine. “You’re sure this won’t hurt him?” I asked. My voice wobbled on the last word, and I hated myself for it. I wanted to be strong for Bandit.
“It’s just an X-Ray machine, Chase. He won’t feel a thing, but this will give us an insight into what’s going on inside. With this, we should be able to see what might be causing the fits…” He trailed off, stopping himself from saying what was on his mind.
Bandit tugged on my sleeve to get my attention. When I looked down, Bandit pressed the home button on the iPad.
“What will it do?”
Activating the machine, Zeb, looked straight at him. “You will lie here as several harmless beams will come from the machine. They will scan you and form several two dimensional images that are then put into this,” he pointed at another machine, a few feet away. “Once the images are inside the computer, the computer will layer them together to make a three-dimensional image that will clearly show us what is going on inside you. Does that make sense?”
Bandit barked twice. No. “What is number die-men-son-all?”
Sully grabbed a sheet of paper from the counter and drew onto it before showing it to him. “Do you see this test tube I just drew?”
One bark.
“This is two dimensional, as it is a flat picture, an image of the actual test tube.” Bandit watched solemnly as Sully then picked up an actual test tube from the counter. “See this test tube however, it’s real. I can hold it in my hand. This is three dimensional. A three- dimensional picture, would be a picture that is made in such a way that it seems real. That’s all that means.”
“By doing this, we’ll get a good image of your insides.”
Bandit chuffed but none of us understood his response. Seeing our confusion, he typed into the iPad.
“OK.”
Moments later, Bandit lay under the machine as Zeb nodded to Gideon, who flipped a switch. The CT scanner powered into life. Feeling the hum of electricity, Bandit’s body shook with terror and unbidden, a yelp escaped. Having not left his side, I immediately touched him.
“What’s wrong boy?”
Bandit whimpered as then seemed to calm. Laying his head down, he focused on a spotlight on the machine…
CHAPTER 86
SULLY
I saw the way Bandit’s body tensed as soon as the scanner switched on.
Chase immediately offered what comfort she could, but it hurt me all the same to think what was done to him that simply turning on a machine could cause fear to grip him so entirely. I knew the scans wouldn’t hurt him, though convincing the dog of this was another matter. At least the scanner looked like it was working. If they had come all this way to find it wasn’t…
“Stand back,” came Zeb’s command.
Chase looked as if she were going to argue. “Just for a second, Chase. Just while the rays get to work,” I said.
Chewing anxiously on her lip, Chase took a few steps back, but her eyes never left the dog. Wheeling back, Zeb settled a few feet away before picking up a remote switch lying on his lap. Giving one last look around the group to make sure the table was clear, he pressed the button.
Bars of light danced across Bandit’s body as radiographic images began to appear on the computer by Zeb. While it was an old system, having come off the line somewhere around 2002, it had been refurbished to a good standard, and though it could only provide a
16 slice measurement (top-of-the-line ones could now manage 320), it should, provided it still worked properly, provide a decent look inside Bandit’s body. I watched as the cross-sectional images came together to form a three-dimensional map of Bandit’s body. Even though he had seen CT scans throughout his career, he never stopped marvelling at the technology being displayed before him. This simple but miraculous machine had saved countless lives.
“Almost there,” Zeb spoke reassuringly. To Bandit or Chase, I wasn’t sure, but the kindness in his voice surprised me. I couldn’t remember a time when Zeb had addressed me in such a manner.
Bandit was proving to be a trooper. Aside from his initial discomfort, he lay there calmly, but I could tell the dog was still anxious. Bandit was trying to steel his nerves but couldn’t quite control his panting. His chest was rising and falling a little too fast. I kept this information to himself. No point stressing the girl or dog out further.
Within a few moments, the scanner fell silent and Bandit was pulled out. He immediately leapt off the gurney and shook himself as if to rid himself of that unpleasant experience, and made his way to Chase’s side.
“Good boy. You did so well,” she said as she stroked the sweet spot behind his ears. I moved over to the computer and stood by my father, already reviewing the information on the screen.
“You see that?” Zeb asked solemnly.
He pointed at a mass, around the size of a quarter, that was growing on Bandit’s brain. I nodded, unable to stop the sudden sinking feeling in my stomach.
“Yeah.”
Chase came over, shoving me aside.
“What is it? What’ve you found?”
CHAPTER 87
CHASE
The black and white image didn’t make much sense to me, but I knew it wasn’t good news. Sully’s eyes looked haunted.
“What is it?” I asked again. More urgently this time.
When Sully’s answer came it was small. Defeated. “He has a tumor growing on his brain.”
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I distantly remembered that that was what had killed Emma. A part of me felt deep sorrow for him, that he would have to go through this again with someone else he cared about. Then I caught myself. Wasn’t tumor another word for cancer? My Muttface had cancer?
“But it’s fixable right? You can get rid of it?” My voice came out a lot more panicked than I intended. Neither man spoke, just looked down at Bandit and I. “You’re a vet, Sully! You must be able to help!”
Sully looked at me, concern radiating from him. “It isn’t as simple as that. The tumor is aggressive; see how it’s pressing on the normal brain tissue? It looks as if it’s been there for some time, which doesn’t make much sense. If Bandit escaped from a lab, there’s no way a mass that size would have gone unnoticed. Frankly, it’s a miracle he is able to function as well as he has.”
“That’s just science talk for you’re not going to help him, isn’t it?” I couldn’t keep the accusatory tone from my voice, and frankly, I didn’t care.
“It means I’m not sure I know how to. If I go in blind, I could do irreparable damage. This isn’t my area of expertise. It’s not something I’ve done or even know how to do.”
I breathed in sharply. “Look, your dad’s an expert researcher, and you’re a vet. Putting the two together, surely that means you’ll be able to help him?”
Sully and Zeb stared at each other. Sully looked aghast, but Zeb seemed to be considering my words. “It’s incredibly risky.”
I looked him straight in the eye. “If you don’t help him, he’s going to die anyway.” At this, Bandit’s whole body shook. I hated myself for scaring him like that, but the others needed a push. Zeb paused, considering my words. When he finally spoke, his tone was reluctant.
“I need to think. Let’s all rest and talk about this tomorrow.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Gideon shot me a look. “Enough already. He said he’ll talk about this tomorrow.” Without another word, he steered Zeb out of the barn and back into the ranch. I turned to Sully, faking a confidence that wasn’t there.
“This is going to work. I know it.”
He didn’t reply.
CHAPTER 88
CHASE
Sully showed me to a guest room overlooking the vegetable garden.
The room was basic, containing only a double bed, a chest of drawers, and a side table, but to me it was heaven and a serious step up from Motel Gross in Atlantic City. It made me wonder what Sully’s room was like growing up. Even though he and Zeb didn’t seem like they had had a great relationship, I’d bet the house that it’s still better than what mine was like. Bet Sully had more than a bug ridden mattress on the floor.
An old patchwork quilt lay over the bed. I sat down on it and ran my hand over the stitched squares. The handiwork was a little rough: some of the threads could’ve been better trimmed, and if I looked closely, I could see the squares weren’t all the exact same size, but whatever; it was clean and comforting.
Seeing me studying the quilt, Sully stopped beside me. “My mom made that,” he said. “Had a period where she tried to be crafty. Some of the mom’s at school kept giving her grief because she was a career woman, and I guess they were threatened by that. One summer she decided to give them a run for their money. Didn’t last long though. She wasn’t very good.”
“Still, nice that she tried. Only thing my mom made was me, and look how that turned out.” I meant it flippantly, but Sully seemed upset by my words. I really have to watch this mouth of mine. Not everyone wants to hear my tale of woe. I looked to change the subject. “You haven’t spoken about your mom before. What happened to her?”
Sully’s eyes took on a distant look as he turned to stare out of the window, at the vegetable garden. “She had the same line of work as my dad. They were both workaholics. She was more patient though, and kind. When I was young, she was my world, but when I got older and told them I wasn’t going into the family business, they didn’t take kindly to that. Things got worse when they learned I wanted to be a vet. Neither of them cared much for animals; they both considered it a waste, especially considering my pedigree. Far as they were concerned, I was a disappointment.”
His voice broke a little at that word. He stopped, clearing his throat before continuing. “Ten years ago, out of nowhere, she suffered a heart attack and died. Just like that. No warning, no sign anything was wrong. Two world class medical researchers living in the same house and neither of them had a clue.”
Bandit left my side to press against Sully, offering his support. Sully gave him a grateful smile, bending down to stroke him. “After that, things changed. My dad, while never soft and cuddly, turned into an outright jerk. He retired, left the city and moved to the ranch here. I got a job in town working at the local garage. Saved every cent I earned, then went off to study. I met Emma at college. Knew from day one she would be my wife. We were happy and in love, but my dad refused to come to the wedding. Blamed her for not talking me out of this lowly career. After that, I decided he wasn’t worth having in my life.”
He tried to sound pragmatic, but I could see he was still hurting. It made me uncomfortable. This kind of raw emotion, I didn’t know how to handle it. It actually made me regret ever asking the question, so I stayed silent. Sully must have picked up on my unease, as after a few moments, he asked, “What do you make of Gideon?”
To my horror I felt my cheeks flush again. “Nothing,” I managed to mumble.
He stared at me funny. “You spent a good while with him; you must have an opinion?”
“I don’t know. He’s just normal I guess.” I shrugged, hoping the ground would open up and swallow me whole.
“You think he can be trusted?”
My only answer was another shrug. By now Sully’s brow was furrowed in an expression I can only describe as “perplexed”. Probably wondering where the mouthy girl he’d gotten to know had disappeared to. I was wondering that myself. He must’ve fin
ally sensed my discomfort, as he headed to the door.
“Get some rest. I’ll be in the room down the hall.”
With that he was gone.
CHAPTER 89
SULLY
Something was clearly up with Chase.
While I knew she was stressed about Bandit’s condition, what I hadn’t bargained on was this bizarre crush she had obviously just developed on the boy, Gideon. Teenage hormones. I remembered them with the fondness of a rash I couldn’t scratch.
I headed down the hall to the second guest bedroom. The sun had set by now, and my room on the East side of the ranch was pitch black. Flipping the lights on, I saw it had almost the same layout as Chase’s room. There was a double bed in the center of the room, a closet, and a desk by the window. This bed was also covered with one of my mom’s quilts. One of her earlier efforts, it had a marine theme with pictures of sail boats and sea shells. I remembered how I had loved it as a kid.
Somehow, seeing that quilt brought her to the forefront of my mind. Whatever my issues with my dad, Zeb had truly loved my mother. Despite never having lived in this house, her little touches were everywhere. Feeling a deep ache, I turned away, shrugging out of my jacket, when footsteps sounded outside. I looked at the door to find Gideon standing with a tray of food in his hands. There was a sandwich, some vegetables freshly dug from the garden, and a glass of water.
“That for me? Thanks.” I reached for the tray, but Gideon didn’t move. Just stood there staring at him.
“Zeb asked me to put this together for you. If it were up to me, I’d tell you to do it yourself.”
It was impossible to miss the hostility in his voice. With plenty on my mind already, I really didn’t need an angry teenager to contend with, so I decided to tackle the issue head on. “You don’t like me much do you?”
