Allyssa and the kids were there to greet them, amazed to see the first of several vehicles pulling into the ranch yard in a procession. Rex did his duty, keeping them at bay and in their trucks. He had achieved his full growth despite his many injuries and was an impressive sight. Not only was he big, but he had a huge booming bark that would scare anyone. Not many people had experience with Anatolian Shepherds, and he intimidated easily.
“Rex,” Allyssa called as she saw that no one was going to get out of their trucks while he was prancing about barking his welcome. He wasn’t ashamed. He saw this as his job, and he willingly retreated to the porch to sit and protect his humans. “Hello!” she called, wondering at their visitors and the horse trailers. Fiona rarely saw or kept patients in their barn.
“Hi, there,” one brave soul cautiously left her truck, eyeing the large dog standing alertly on the cabin steps. She looked curiously at the young woman wearing a gun holster on her hip and staring at them just as curiously. “Are you Dr. Herriot’s wife?”
“I am,” she admitted proudly. “I’m Allyssa.”
“I’m Judy Blackwood. We are with the Greater Oregon Second Chance Horse Rescue. Your wife said we could bring the horses?”
Surprise turned to delight as she smiled and came down the steps, signaling Rex to stay on the porch behind her. He would have followed, and she knew that new animals could be skittish around the large dog. “That’s right,” she agreed, sure that Fiona would have said just that and adding mentally, ‘anytime.’ “If you want to unload, we can put them in the corrals and the barn.” She gestured towards the corral where four horses were looking on curiously along with the llama and her cria, its head below the rail like a little kid.
Things became very busy as she met the drivers, who had volunteered their vehicles to transport the rescues along with their time and gas. Allyssa was pleased to meet them all and help where she could. She confidently walked up to the horses or led them inside, refusing to allow the kids to help until they knew the animals better. The other volunteers seemed even more confident than Allyssa. These first two vehicles were just the beginning, and she eventually met numerous people, who were curious about this part of the state and the reputation of the doctor and her wife they had heard so much about. Some had read the internet stories about the pair. They were famous. Allyssa had worried about running into people who were homophobic but was pleased when that never reared its ugly head. Instead, she was greeted with curiosity, well-meaning advice, and genuine offers of friendship. She sent Sean and Traci for coffee and hot chocolate. By the time they got the twenty horses somewhat settled, the familiar and impressive truck of Herriot Veterinary Services was pulling into the yard and all the introductions, greetings, and conversation had to be repeated.
Judy pointed out they had room for more horses on their ranch, but Fiona was ready for that. “Well, I didn’t want to volunteer too much until I’d checked every one of these,” she gestured at the horses that were looking at them over the fences already. They seemed curious about their new location and the humans that were gathered around chatting. “They need health checks, and I’ll want to make sure each one is sound.”
Agreement met her proclamation and elevated their opinion of the vet more than anything else she could have said. Her concern for the rescues was obvious, and the transporters stayed longer. Those who had knowledge about some of the horses, shared the information, and Allyssa took notes unobtrusively as they talked. She copied down names, color, special markings, and even ear tags or brands if they were visible, so they could keep track of all the horses. Noting what she was doing, those rescuers who knew the history on some of the horses shared it with her. She was setting up a special file on the computers just for the rescue. She had many ideas for the rescue, but was running it all through the lawyer, so they could avoid making any overt mistakes that might harm the rescue. They didn’t want anyone or anything ever coming back at them over their good deed.
As Allyssa took her notes and Fiona inspected each of the horses, they were overwhelmed by the help from the rescuers, who remained to see what they could do or meet the doctor and get to know her wife. They brought the gear including saddles, bridles, saddle pads, etc. into a room Fiona had set up. Previously, they had only four horses on the ranch, each with their own wooden saddle holder. Now, they had an influx of not only saddles, bridles, and leads, but also wheeled carts for saddles and the other gear and portable saddle stands that had been donated. Later, Fiona would have to help Allyssa organize the tack room, sort the gear, and donate some of the well-meaning contributions. Because the horses were rescues, the best gear wasn’t always available for them. Right now, they were only worried about checking up on the horses, evaluating them, and settling them in.
“Have to watch that one; she’s a real bitch,” someone warned as Fiona approached one horse.
Sure enough, a leg whipped out and caught Fiona squarely in the leg just above the knee. The kick was hard enough that she paused slightly in her stride but was far enough away that she didn’t get the full impact. Fiona didn’t let on that it hurt, not wanting to show fear to the obviously agitated horse. She soothed the horse with deep murmurs, speaking with her as she handled and examined her. By the time she was done petting and calming the horse, her leg had stopped throbbing and she was walking normally.
Slowly, the volunteers drifted away, driving their rigs out of the crowded yard. There were constraints on their time and they needed to return to their own places and duties, so they could only stay at the ranch so long. Allyssa invited all of them to subscribe to her blog and keep up on the status of the horses they had so willingly transported. She promised to announce what they would be naming their rescue and post lots of pictures. She was relieved when they were finally alone and it was just Fiona, herself, the two children, and all the new additions to their animal family. Now, Rex could come off the porch and begin to get acquainted. Some distrusted the big dog immediately, depending on their personal experiences, but others were willing to share sniffs with the curious canine.
“I met someone who promised to put me in contact with someone who does therapy with the animals. In fact, it’s a husband and wife team. Maybe we can work out a deal with them,” Allyssa told her wife as she finished up.
“I need a shower,” her tired wife answered as she smiled. It had been a long day, and she wished they could release some of the horses onto their range, but she wanted to keep an eye on all of them as they settled in. They had forgotten to bring the vet certifications they had with the horses, and Judy promised to overnight them to the ranch. Judy had tried to talk them into taking more of the rescues since they were on a time constraint and it was obvious the vet and her wife had the room. It was an ideal situation for the rescue that had run out of money and lost their lease. The fact that these two women owned the land was a big plus, as was the fact that one was a veterinarian.
“Why did they go under?” Allyssa asked as they all made their way up to the house. The kids were carrying the coffee pots they had brought down as well as the now dirty cups. Allyssa was holding her notes carefully, intending to add to them that night as she thought about all the people she had met and what they had told her.
“Funding was the main concern. Horses can be pests and eat a lot of the grass that was intended for the beef cattle. That’s another reason I don’t want to keep them all in the ranch yard once I know they are healthy, I’ve given them their shots, and they have had time to settle down. They’ll churn the paddock into a quagmire of mud if we aren’t careful, and I hate that.”
“Well, I just have to wait for Henry Lemoore’s okay and his direction on the website,” she informed her. She was excited at the challenge.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Not only did Judy’s package come two days later, but so did their vials of sperm. Putting the vials in the clinic’s cryo-tank, Allyssa contemplated that part of her life. She wanted to be a mom. She hoped she’d do better
than her own parents, and with Fiona’s excellent parenting skills, she was sure she would be a good partner in this endeavor. She wasn’t worried about being too young. She wanted to be able to enjoy them and hoped to have a good relationship with them when they were older. She already knew they would have more than one child. She would get pregnant first but only because Fiona was so busy generating income and getting their veterinary business solidified. Fiona was older and would have to consider getting pregnant in the next couple of years.
She looked at the vials and then took the packaging outside. It would have to be taken into Sweetwater to be discarded since it had come in a Styrofoam container, which wasn’t biodegradable, so they couldn’t bury it on the ranch. Burning also wasn’t an option as it gave off toxic fumes, so they would take it into town to be handled by the county.
The box containing the horse’s records was huge. Allyssa wanted to jump right into transcribing the information into their own records for Fiona, but she would have to wait. It was almost time to take the kids back to Keith and Rosemary, and she wanted to spend the last day here on the ranch with them. Fiona had wanted to spend this day with them as well but had an unexpected euthanasia to handle for a client. She came home slightly depressed but hid it from her siblings as they lamented the fact that their vacation was coming to an end. It had been an exciting week.
“Maybe next year we could come for two weeks?” Traci asked her sister. She was so excited about all the horses and couldn’t wait to tell her friends about her week on her sister’s and grandparents’ ranch.
“Maybe your mom will let you come at the end of summer too?” Fey returned with a smile, pleased that they had such a good time and wanted to come again.
The mosquitos had forced them into the kitchen for their dinner instead of the outdoor barbeque they had planned. Allyssa vowed to get some citronella to burn for future cookouts and find out if a mosquito plant would grow up here. Meanwhile, they were enjoying their last dinner together. The kids’ bags were packed, and she would be driving them to meet Keith again tomorrow.
“Shoo! Get back!” she swatted at the window.
“What’s going on?” Fey asked, looking up as Allyssa exclaimed.
“It’s Rex. He’s figured out he can jump up and put his paws over the windowsill. He can’t get enough of those kids,” she gestured with her chin towards the grinning kids, who adored the dog just as much.
“Well, that’s one way to get him over his aversion to the house,” Fey quipped, grinning as she ate her hamburger.
“He runs the length of the wraparound porch looking in all the windows, hoping to see them,” Allyssa laughed as she swatted at the dog again through the screen. “Shoo! Get down!” she ordered. She didn’t want him scratching up the windows, their frames, or the house.
They enjoyed their last night together despite the kids’ sadness over leaving and despite the depression that Fiona tried to hide. Allyssa was aware of it, but she was certain the siblings weren’t.
“What happened?” she asked later as they got ready for bed. The kids were already asleep.
“I had to put a dog down. The whole family was there. They were petting the old dog, showing their love, trying to comfort him. Even their six-year-old son was there. I wondered if he really understood what was going on, and then he said…” she halted a moment to get her emotions under control. She euthanized animals on a regular basis, so she had learned to control her emotions and not let it get to her, but occasionally one would get to her, and this one had. “He was watching as I depressed the plunger and the dog slipped peacefully away. He wasn’t upset or anything. As his parents discussed how sad it was that animals just don’t seem to last long enough, the six-year-old pipes up with, “People are born so they can learn how to live a good life—like loving people and being nice, right? Well, dogs are born knowing that, so they don’t have to live as long.” She looked at her wife, tears in her eyes despite trying so hard not to cry. “Isn’t that amazing?”
Allyssa took Fey in her arms, holding her close as she cried. “Yes, that is amazing. Out of the mouths of babes, isn’t that the saying?” She was touched and wondered if they could raise a child like that…that innocence and total acceptance. She hoped so. She thought briefly of her own family and how they had raised her, and she determined she would do her damnedest not to let that happen to any child of hers.
A couple days later, they decided to make their first attempt to get Allyssa pregnant. Deciding whether to implant before or after making love caused some debate, but finally, they agreed to make love before the implant. Their lovemaking was kind of stilted and hurried, and they were both anxious as Fey used a syringe to insert the sperm afterwards.
“Are you sure this is my fertile time?” Allyssa kept asking as she watched Fey concentrate on what she was doing.
“Have you ever noticed how extra horny you get before your period? Or how horny I get during or after mine?”
Allyssa thought for a moment before nodding as Fey pulled back the syringe and she saw it was now empty. “Yeah, why is that?”
“From everything I remember reading on human sexuality, and believe me that was a while ago,” she admitted wryly “that horny time is also your fertile time. I’m sure we could go to a doctor if this doesn’t work…” she offered.
“No, no, I trust you and your judgement,” she assured her, not wanting to discuss this with a stranger, even a doctor, as she spun around and put her legs up on the wall.
“What are you doing?” Fey asked as she watched her get into the ridiculous position.
“I read that this position is recommended by fertilization specialists. I also saw it on some TV show.”
“Oh, if you saw it on TV, then it has to be true, right?
“No, probably not.”
“And if you read it in a story of some book…” she teased.
“Well, you would hope so.”
“So, if you jump up and down after sex with a man, you won’t get pregnant because it will confuse the sperm?”
“That’s not true.”
“No, it’s not, and this probably isn’t true either.” She gestured at the sight of her wife’s naked body with her pelvis in the air. Fey laughed at her.
Allyssa shared in the laugh, but she refused to take her legs down. Instead, she added to the humor by saying, “I bet our child ends up being a circus performer after this.” They both ended up laughing merrily at that thought.
“How long do you have to sit like that?”
“Half an hour.”
“You are going to end up with a crick in your neck or a headache.”
“I’m glad we waited until your brother and sister were gone,” Allyssa mentioned as she lay there, feeling foolish but still determined to follow what she had read.
“Well, I didn’t want to make any noise while they were here.” Fiona flushed at the thought that her siblings would know she had made love to her wife. Still, they had learned to accept that she kissed her wife frequently. She hoped it showed them a love she knew they were sadly lacking in their own home.
Allyssa laughed at her wife. Fey had been very tired almost every night of their visit despite Allyssa’s attempts to interest her. She knew it was because of their visitors, but she also knew the walls were thick enough that she hadn’t heard Sean’s screams from a nightmare until she happened to need the bathroom one night. Fiona was in theirs and she had heard him as she walked by his door. Waking him up from the dream, he wrapped his arms around her, sobbing incoherently about the bad dream. She hadn’t spoken to him about it, waiting for him to bring it up. She knew the preteen was embarrassed, so she didn’t mention it. She knew the walls didn’t carry tales but explaining that to her wife still hadn’t gotten her laid. Maybe she was tired or maybe she was overworked.
They’d released a couple of the horses onto the range, but being social animals, they hung around near the ranch yard waiting for their friends to be released too. Fiona wa
s slow about that, preferring to play it safe rather than having to try and catch some of these damaged beasts later. Slowly, the entire herd was allowed out. Communal animals, they tended to stay together, but they made forays farther and farther out, only coming back for treats as they learned their new humans. Allyssa and Fiona had both given them apples and a little bit of sugar now and then to get them used to their presence.
“We’re going to have to plant an orchard for all these,” Fiona joked as they tried to steal chomped apple droppings from each other. Crunching into the offerings, frequently an apple would break in half and another, greedier horse would steal it as it fell from their mouths.
“I already arranged with the Feldmans, two ranches over, to give us their discards from their orchard,” Allyssa assured her.
“I should have known you’d be one step ahead of me. Should I tell the rescue to bring more horses?”
“I don’t think we can handle much more, can we?”
“We can handle hundreds more, but I don’t want that to get out…ever. Every no-good person, who shouldn’t own a horse would dump it here if they knew. Knowing I’m a vet, they would figure it was okay. I think I’ll tell the rescue we can take twenty more and that’s it.”
Vetted Further Page 12
