Vetted Further

by K'Anne Meinel

  Allyssa knew it was more than the fact they would soon be certified as a rescue. Fiona didn’t want the work and the heartache of rescues. Allyssa had already fielded a couple calls and referred them to her wife. She’d gotten quite irate over the condition of one of the horses she had gone to see. She’d even called the sheriff about the abuse on the last one. That person would be prosecuted for animal cruelty.

  * * * * *

  Fey finally had a day off that summer, and she planned to do absolutely nothing. She had returned the horses she borrowed for her siblings weeks ago. The rescues were all out in the hills, including the additional ones they had taken on. The rescues had broken into two unequal size herds, one led by a gelding that didn’t realize he had no balls and used his domineering personality to hold his band together. The other was led by a mare that more than epitomized the word ornery. She had obviously been abused but instinctively knew how to lead, and she kept her herd safe. She led them into the hills. They rarely saw the smaller of the two herds, but when they did, she looked at them suspiciously, sure they were either going to steal one of her herd or try to capture them all. Still, some of the horses were tame and looked forward to the humans and the treats they always carried. Some even made the trek back to the ranch yard, neighing over the fence for attention.

  Fey was lazily swaying on the porch swing. A cat was eyeing her, wondering if she would fall asleep or if it should risk jumping on her now and being thrown off. Rex was laying on the porch, no longer afraid of or disliking the house since his kids had lived there. He missed the kids and looked for them frequently when Allyssa would come back from town in the Jeep. He hoped to see them again, but over the summer he finally accepted he was alone with his two humans, whom he loved and adored.

  “Hey, lady. Want some lunch?” Allyssa called from the kitchen. She’d come in from the clinic where she was working on the rescue website, adding a blog, so she could keep everyone appraised of their activities. Having another blog for the clinic kept her well-occupied. She was taking pictures when they could get a look at the horses and assuring everyone how well the Sweetwater Rescue was going, and the blog was growing by leaps and bounds. They had decided to name it after the local, little town instead of their own ranch to keep their activities separate and distinct. That way, there would be no misunderstanding about what was the ranch and what was the rescue. They were considering looking for volunteers. They needed people who could ride the horses regularly and maybe help them find permanent homes. The initial interviews were going well.

  “Sounds good. Want me to come in?” Fey asked lazily, eyeing the cat that was eyeing her and knowing it was deciding whether to leap or not. It nonchalantly looked away as though that had been its plan all along.

  “No, I’ll bring it out.”

  Fey was relieved. She didn’t want to move. It was hot, and she was contemplating going over to the spring house. She was too lazy to get in the truck and drive out to the lake. Besides, the lake was fed by the mountains that even now had snow in the high reaches and that meant the water was cold!

  Carefully bringing a picnic lunch out to her wife on a tray, Allyssa started to laugh. Putting the tray down inside the door, she reached for her camera to catch a couple of snapshots. One cat was laying on Fey, who had dozed off in the few minutes it took her wife to prepare the lunch, and another cat was laying on top of the dog. Despite the heat, the cats seemed to need their paws kept warm and both had theirs tucked in on their human and canine. The sound of the camera shutter had both felines opening their eyes and looking towards the door. Allyssa put down the camera and opened the screen door farther to come out on the porch.

  Both cats, sensing they were about to be ejected from their comfortable perches, voluntarily left and walked a few paces away. They very deliberately started cleaning their fur as though the whole idea had been their own. Allyssa smiled as she put the tray on a table and began to kiss her wife awake.

  “Oh, God! That stinks!” Fey said as she came almost violently awake, trying to breathe through her nose.

  “I beg your pardon?” Allyssa asked, suddenly insulted, wondering if she had been sweating through her anti-perspirant.

  “Dog farts. What the hell did Rex eat?” she asked as she got up and held her nose. “Oh, my God. I must have had my mouth open for that one.”

  Just then, Allyssa smelled what her wife had smelled and wrinkled her nose appreciatively. “You sure it’s the dog and not the cats?” she asked as she backed away, but Fey captured her head and held her close to kiss her. She had to hold her breath since the smell permeated the hot air around them and wasn’t dissipating quickly. She was quite breathless when Fey finished their kiss. “Jeez, what was that?” she asked breathily, waving the cloud of gas from around them and reaching to give Fey her sandwich.

  They sat there eating ham and cheese sandwiches with chips and drinking ice-cold lemonade while they enjoyed the view. Horses could be seen on the nearby hills along with an occasional cow. Rex discretely eyed their meal, hoping for something to be thrown his way but looking away if his humans looked in his direction…he wasn’t begging, honest.

  “Has the mama llama calmed down?” Allyssa asked as she dunked her potato chip in a small pool of ketchup on her plate.

  “I think she’s just glad the last of the horses are out of her paddock,” Fey answered around her mouthful of sandwich. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand before taking a sip from her glass. It dripped on her shirtfront, the condensation on the glass creating rivulets down the sides.

  “You wouldn’t think an animal could generate that much spit.”

  “And so green,” she agreed. She’d cleaned out a lot of horses’ ears, wiped their faces, and separated the llama from the new horses time and again as the llama objected to anyone coming close to her cria. The cria, oblivious to its mama’s anger, tried to make friends with the horses, especially one or two that had foals with them.

  “She’s a real bitch, isn’t she?”

  “I think it’s time to advertise the llamas for sale, so we get our money back from her and her baby.”

  “I have the paperwork you got from the rancher. Wouldn’t he want a chance to buy them back?”

  “He didn’t have the money to pay for them before, so I doubt he could afford them now. That cria has impeccable lineage.”

  “I wonder how many of those horses,” her chin took in the horses eating peacefully on the hill, “had impeccable lineages?”

  “Well, it won’t matter now, since I’ve made sure they can’t breed.” Fiona had inspected each horse and their paperwork to be sure. “Some might make great pets though.” She glanced around the ranch yard, pleased that it wasn’t cluttered with debris like some of the yards she drove into. “I’m going to get us those chickens and maybe some ducks and geese. Are you okay with that?”

  “Actually, I’m looking forward to them. I read up on some of the breeds, and it will be nice to have our own eggs.”

  “But you have no idea how to care for any of them, do you?” she smiled around the last of her sandwich.

  “Nope. Reading about it and practical experience are two totally different things,” she asserted, finishing her own sandwich and answering her wife’s smile.

  “How are the online courses going?” she asked, knowing the course work was frustrating her wife.

  “How’d you know what I was thinking?”

  “I know you,” she answered simply, finishing her sandwich and her last few chips.

  “I’m glad you do,” she said, leaning back and nudging her wife in the shoulder. “You’re my best friend.”

  “I can’t be your only friend,” she said sadly. “As much as I love having you to myself, you are alone too much.”

  “Alone? With these guys?” she gestured at the dog, the cats, and then towards the barn and the horses on the hills.

  “You know what I mean. Let’s set up another clinic where we offer discount vaccinations, castrati
ons, and whatnot,” she waved airily. “Is that too much?” she asked, knowing how busy Allyssa had been lately with the website.

  “Nope, just my latest challenge. I’ll have to get that up on the website but only after we agree on the date and I have time to order the extra meds.” She suddenly sounded excited at the idea.

  “I’d also like to have a housewarming. We can invite my family, your family, and all our friends and neighbors too.”

  “You want me to do all that?” she asked, aghast at the idea and suddenly losing some of her enthusiasm.

  “Nope. I want to help you,” Fiona assured her. “It’s time we invite your family out here and we do have the room.”

  “I don’t know if either of my parents would want to be in the other’s company.” The divorce, from what her sister Carmen had informed her, hadn’t been going well. Her mother was dragging out certain aspects of it to extract the most value from it.

  “Well, they need to grow up. You are their daughter, and the only who has even made an effort is Carmen. It’s time they saw where you are living, what you are doing, and that you are happy.”

  “You think Rosemary would come out here again? Now that we have the house, she’s going to think we are rubbing her nose in it.”

  “Too bad.”

  They discussed several dates and times for both the clinic and the housewarming, and despite the prospect of inviting her family, Allyssa started to get enthused about the party. They decided since the clinic brought in the most money despite the discount prices offered, they would do that two weeks before the party.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Allyssa put the clinic information up on their website along with sign-up sheets and then blogged about it. Immediately, the spaces began to fill up rapidly. In fact, it seemed several people had been waiting for them to repeat their clinic of the previous year, so Allyssa discussed expanding it with Fiona. “If we add a second day now, I still have time to double our purchase orders.”

  “Yeah, but damn, the work,” she answered musingly, wondering if she could do it all. Many of the operations involved fixing female cats and dogs, and that involved a different anesthesia, cutting into the animal, and then recovery time and follow up. She’d helped Allyssa put together the stainless-steel kennels after the first batch of horses were delivered, and her sister and brother had put the cage doors on the various cubbies. The kennels were now solidly screwed into the walls, ready and waiting for patients.

  “Maybe it’s time you talked to one of the other vets about coming in for the day?” Allyssa suggested, wondering how Fiona would feel about that idea.

  “I’ve talked to them from time to time, but we’re all so busy,” she mused aloud, wondering if any of them would be willing. Still, there were a couple in the neighboring towns who might like to come out for the weekend and earn some extra money. It would certainly benefit them all.

  “You think about it because we are almost fully booked.”

  “You’re right. I don’t need to think about it. I’ll call one of the town vets about coming out for the weekend to help me, and we can make this even bigger than last year.” She went to her cell and began to scroll the names, looking for a number.

  “Who do you want to use?”

  “Jeremy Dorcey might be a good fit,” she mused as she pushed the button that automatically dialed the other vet. “Jeremy? Fiona Herriot here. I have an idea, or rather, my wife has an idea. We had this clinic last year that generated a lot of leads for us, so we are going to repeat it.” She paused as he spoke.

  Fidgeting, Allyssa listened unashamedly as she began to gather the purchase orders she had already placed in anticipation of the clinic. She looked through them, determining which meds they would have to order if they had the second day. She was concentrating on the order and didn’t hear the entire conversation.

  “Right, I’ll give the phone to my wife and let you two work out the details,” Fey was saying as she returned to the desk and handed the phone to a surprised Allyssa.

  “Noooo,” she tried to shake her head, but Fiona had already handed it to her. Sighing and glaring at the brunette, Allyssa put the phone to her ear. “Hello, Doctor Dorcey. Allyssa Herriot here.”

  “Mrs. Herriot, it’s a pleasure to speak with you. I believe you may have spoken to my receptionist a time or two. Please, call me Jeremy.”

  “Yes, I referred a few people to you when Fiona was out seeing a patient and couldn’t get back.” They continued the discussion, finalizing the details, and Allyssa advised what she anticipated for the weekend clinic. His clinic was much smaller than theirs, but he was trying to build up his town practice, and this would be a blessing. He agreed to be there both days, and they worked out the details including the fees and where he would stay while he was at the ranch.

  “Sounds good. I’m looking forward to it. I’ll have Bess get you the information on our logo and such. I never thought about promoting the clinic that way. I should have her talk to you,” he was saying.

  “Maybe you could bring her with you?” she asked, realizing Bess was not only his receptionist but also his wife, not much different from her own relationship with Fey.

  “She would love to get away for a couple days, even if I was working,” he enthused. “I’ll tell her.”

  They rang off a few minutes later with promises that a small package was coming in the mail in the next few days, so Allyssa could get the information up on their website. Meanwhile, she would put up the second day of the clinic.

  “See, you make friends without even realizing it,” Fey smiled at her wife.

  “It’s easy over the phone,” she pointed out.

  * * * * *

  Doctor Jeremy Dorcey and his wife, Bess arrived the Thursday night before the clinic, which was to be held on a Friday and Saturday. Saturday had filled up much faster than Friday once Allyssa posted it since people were off work. It helped that the local newspapers had printed up the press release that Allyssa sent out from her blog. They were all going to be busy.

  “I’ve never seen such organization,” Bess marveled as Allyssa showed her around the website and explained what she had done. Jeremy was going to wait for Fiona, who hadn’t returned from her last call.

  Just then, the gas tanker arrived to fill one of the tanks they kept in the yard. Since they couldn’t mix gas and diesel, which the veterinary services truck used, they now had two separate tanks. Allyssa had even dug the hole where they placed the tank near the barn. When they’d gotten the new truck, she’d dug the hole wider and insisted they put in the second tank right away. It had been expensive, but so worth it as they could buy gas and diesel in bulk.

  “Wow, you have your own gas station,” Bess marveled admiringly.

  “Well, Jeremy doesn’t drive all over the Earth attending his patients, does he?” Allyssa teased as they watched the tanker driver get out and check the gauges on the tanks, which Allyssa kept track of. She was going to lock both handles while people were on the ranch, so no one got the idea they were lax.

  “Nope, they all come to him.” She laughed as they watched.

  “That sure is handy though,” Jeremy put in, equally admiring the setup as Allyssa had taken them on a tour of the addition to the cabin they had stocked. She’d also shown them the barn with its operating theater. “You two must have bought out the stainless-steel supplier,” he teased when he saw how efficient it was.

  “Fiona had a definite idea what she wanted in here,” she indicated the stall with its overhead lights and panels of stainless steel on the walls, remembering how long it had taken to get those surgical lights installed and working. “You should see the plans she has for another theater for horses.”

  “She once told me about that movie where they had an operating room for horses. Something about a stainless-steel table to put a horse on, so you aren’t bending over them on the ground. Sounded wonderful,” he admitted, sounding envious.

  As they watched the gas man fill th
e gas tank, Allyssa felt comfortable enough to ask Jeremy, “Have you ever thought of having a large animal practice?”

  “Yes, but it’s just so expensive, and it’s not feasible on our budget right now,” he answered, sounding rueful. He waved away a persistent fly that was buzzing about his head in the heat.

  “I’m sure you understand about a shoestring budget,” Bess sounded apologetic.

  “Oh, yes, and I’m grateful my parents made me take business courses in college. They’ve helped me keep on top of the expenses of our practice.” She was surprised to admit that but realized without those courses she wouldn’t have been able to do what she did for Fiona as well as she did.

  “You weren’t a veterinary assistant?” Bess asked, surprised.

  “No, my parents wanted me to go into business with my father. At the time, I thought there was nothing duller, but apparently, I learned a great deal. I love the animals and meeting Fey was the best thing that ever happened to me,” she enthused. “I realized I’d like to be a vet or her assistant, but she also needs my skills here,” she indicated the office they had just left. It was far too hot to stay indoors without air conditioning.

  They chatted on the porch of the house after Allyssa fetched lemonade for everyone. “It’s just too hot,” she complained to the cat she brushed off her lap when it wanted to sit companionably on her.

  “Persistent bugger, isn’t he?” Jeremy asked with a laugh.

  “He is, and that fur clings,” she admitted ruefully, swatting away a fly.

  Fiona drove in with the EarthRoamer, and Allyssa heard a distinct, “Holy shit,” come out of Jeremy’s mouth.

  “There she is,” she stated unnecessarily, getting up to greet her wife. Fey parked by the tanks to top off the Xpedition, a habit she had gotten into every day. Walking down to the tanks, past the barn, and around the RV, Allyssa greeted her, “Hi, babe. The Dorceys are here.”

  “Who?” she answered distractedly before she saw the town vet and his wife. “Oh, Jeremy. Hello!” She smiled. “I see you there, Bess. What do you think of the place?” She spread her arms wide, encompassing the ranch.