by Dale Mayer
They walked into Jerry’s room to find him dressed and lying on top of his covers.
Fiona smiled and said, “That’s always a good sign.”
Anna walked up and greeted him gently. “I see you had a bit of a rough weekend,” she said.
He glanced up at her smile and said, “It’s nothing compared to when I first arrived. I was just trying to not do too much again.”
Fiona stepped up, gave him a finger shake and said, “You should know better by now,” she said.
He grinned at her and said, “You’re new.”
She nodded. “I’m Fiona. I was gone for a week’s holiday, but I’m back now, and I’ll be taking over for Anna.”
Immediately his smile fell away, and he glanced at Anna. “Where are you going?”
“I’m on holiday starting Monday,” she said cheerfully. “Don’t worry though. I’ll be back the following Monday.”
“Well, I can tell you right now,” he said, “I’ll still be here.” And then he laughed and laughed.
Fiona grinned. “Glad to see you have such a great sense of humor,” she said. She quickly took his vitals, and, when she checked his blood pressure, she frowned.
He shook his head at her. “Don’t tell the doc,” he said, “but I had some potato chips yesterday, and that salt always sends my blood pressure way up.”
“Then you know not to eat them, don’t you?” she said, putting the note down on her file.
He watched her and frowned. “Are you tattling on me?”
“If you ate so many that your blood pressure’s affected, yes,” she said with a serene smile. “Next time, show some restraint and have half the amount.”
With Jerry still protesting, they walked out of the room to his laughter. In the hallway, Fiona said, “Where’s he getting that stash of potato chips from?”
“We’ll have to talk to the kitchen,” Anna said. “He’s definitely got a weight issue that we need to work on too.”
“Yeah, that’s slowing his progress. Physiotherapy will have a heyday with him.”
“Let’s hope he has some fun and us too,” Anna said, and that set the tone for the rest of the morning as they went through everybody in their quarter. By the time they made it back to the nurses’ station, Fiona felt like she’d never left.
“Why don’t you get your lunch first?” Anna asked. “I’ll go afterward.”
“Sounds good,” Fiona said. Then she stopped and said, “We didn’t go to Finn’s room.”
“No, he’s being assessed by the doctors all morning,” Anna said. “We’ll have to tackle him after lunch.”
“Right,” she said. She headed to the kitchen, but so many people were there that she thought maybe, just maybe, she would push that back a little bit and grab something to eat at her desk when Anna was gone.
With that thought in mind, she escaped the crowd and headed downstairs into the veterinarian clinic. She walked into the main reception area to see Mavis sitting there.
Mavis took one look, stood and opened her arms. Fiona chuckled and gave the woman a big hug. “It seems like you’ve been gone forever,” Mavis said.
“Oh, no,” Fiona said. “Just a week. And right now, it feels like I never even got that.”
“There’s nothing like leaving, but, when you come back, there’s nothing like being home again,” Mavis said comfortably. “Stan is just about to take a break if you want to have a coffee with him.”
“If he’s around,” she said, “I’d love to see him.”
At that, Stan stepped out, saying goodbye to another patient. Fiona chuckled as a Chihuahua walked forward stiffly, eager to get away from the vet. She looked at him, and Stan grinned at her. “Welcome back.”
“What happened to the little guy?” she asked, motioning at the woman leading the Chihuahua out to the parking lot.
“Greenstick fracture on the back leg,” he explained. “He’ll be fine.”
“I haven’t seen Chickie since I came back,” she said. “Granted, I’ve only been on my corner all morning, but I miss the little guy.”
“Chickie and Helga are doing fine,” Stan said. “Plus, we have a couple new recruits here too.”
“Ones staying or ones you’re fostering?” she asked curiously.
He walked her down the hallway toward the barn. Stan stopped at one of the horse stalls, and there in front of her was a small llama. She stared at it and cried out, “Oh my.”
“She was surrendered to one of the animal centers,” he said, “and they were trying to find somebody to keep her when one of Dani’s friends called here.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “For some reason, Dani seems to think this little girl belongs here.”
“How old is she?”
“That’s the problem,” he said. “She’s only six months old, and she’s fairly attached to this guy.” He pointed deeper into the stall at an Appaloosa horse. Fiona looked at him, and he said, “Yes, they were raised together. This one is two years old, but, ever since the llama came to visit, the two have been inseparable.”
“And anybody with a horse that needs a home, of course, Dani’s all over it,” she said, laughing.
“When it came with a sidekick like this one, absolutely.”
“And what are their names?”
Stan laughed and laughed. “Well, the Appaloosa is, of course, named Appie,” he said, “because people are so original. And the llama? … Can you guess?”
She looked at him, stared and said, “Oh, please no. Not Lammie?”
He shook his head and laughed. “It’s almost as bad. Her name is Lovely.”
“Oh, that’s lovely,” she said.
The llama’s ears twitched. She looked right at Fiona and took several hesitant steps toward Stan, who opened the stall door and motioned for Fiona to come inside. “She’s very friendly.”
“What about Appie?” she asked, eyeing the big gelding a little more warily. “He might be young, but he’s big.”
“Yes, something else is in his heritage,” he said. “Appaloosa, of course, refers to the coloring and the breed but generally not of this size. And he’s young, so he’s potentially still not done growing.” He crouched in front of Lovely and gently stroked her long neck and scratched around her ears.
“So how long do they have to stay in the stall?” she asked. “It’s a beautiful sunny day. I imagine they want out.”
He laughed. “That’s what I was just about to do on my lunch hour. We’ll put them in a pen by themselves and see how they adjust first before we mix them in with the other horses.” He held up a halter, which he quickly slipped over Lovely’s nose and face. “Do you want to take Lovely out?” He walked over to Appie, hooked a lead to his halter and walked out into the front pasture. Appie wasn’t too sure about going until he saw Lovely following him.
Fiona marveled at the bond between the two, yet it was just like humans. Everything was easier if you weren’t alone. Out into the sunshine they stepped, and she followed Stan as he led Appie to one of the pastures close by. Just as she was about to join him, she heard sounds of a wheelchair.
She turned to look, and there was Dani with Finn. Fiona stopped and smiled. “Finn, you want to meet this guy?”
Finn said, “Sure.”
Dani called out, “I do. Stan, are they ready to go out to the pasture?”
He nodded and brought Appie over to be introduced as well. Appie behaved himself beautifully, bending down to let Finn gently rub his nose.
“He’s beautiful,” Finn said sincerely. And then he looked at the llama and smiled. “But there is beautiful, and then there’s absolutely adorable.”
Stan quickly explained their ages and the medical problems each had. But Finn was head-over-heels in love, cuddling little Lovely. “Hard to believe she’ll grow to be the same size as Appie here.”
Stan said, “Not quite the same, but close.”
Finn looked at the little one, then up at the big horse and shook his head. “It’s almost a shame. S
he’s so adorable right now.”
They walked them to the pasture, with Finn and Dani watching, and then took off the leads, leaving the halters on.
“Shouldn’t we take it off the little one?” Fiona worried about the material chafing the baby’s skin.
“Yes, you can take it off Lovely,” he said. “They’re quite easy to catch, apparently.”
Dani walked in, leaving Finn sitting in the wheelchair just off to the side. She walked up, unclipped the halter from Appie. “It’s best for him to get used to being free and to trust us in that way too,” she said, handing the halter to Stan. She reached up scratched Appie along the face where the halter had rested.
Appie nuzzled her gently and then took a few steps away. Realizing he had his freedom, he danced off to the side, then picked up steam and ran. Lovely immediately followed. They raced around the pasture several times before slowly coming to a walk and strolling toward the group of people again.
Stan stood beside Dani and said, “Let’s hope they were right about being easy to catch.”
“If not, we’ll bring in a wrangler.” Dani laughed, stretching out an arm to encompass the nearby pastures where her other horses—Midnight, Molly and Maggie—grazed contentedly. “But we know that trust is everything. Especially here.”
Finn listened to her words and realized that Dani really was living what she believed. He wanted to believe it would have the same effect on him that it had on Elliot, and Finn could already see that Appie was amazed at his newfound freedom. Lovely was just beyond adorable though. He watched and smiled at the llama’s antics as it dashed under Appie’s belly and came up on the other side. The two of them played, danced around and nuzzled, and, when Dani whistled, Appie came immediately.
She scratched him on the face and said, “Good boy.” She gave him a treat that she must have had in her pocket and then watched as Stan fed him a few more. They then gave Lovely a couple treats more suited to llamas.
Dani stepped out of the pasture, turned and said, “Go and enjoy, guys.”
Appie, realizing he was once again free, took off with Lovely at his side. Finn stared at the two animals, realizing just how much mobility played into everybody’s life. He stared at his missing leg and thought about all the things that he had bitched about and how absolutely meaningless they were at this point in time. He knew he could get a prosthetic that would fit, particularly after the surgery he just had. It would take a bit, and he’d have to start with some pretty rough stuff, but he knew he’d get there. And, just like Appie and Lovely ahead of him, he was pretty darn sure he could enjoy the same freedom with the same exuberance that they had just shown.
Dani walked over and smiled at Finn. “Aren’t they beautiful?” she exclaimed, her face bright and so happy.
He nodded and smiled back. “They are, indeed.”
Just then his gaze caught on Fiona’s face as she stared at the animals racing across the green hills. There was such a serenity and a deep sense of contentment on her face. Whereas Dani’s expression was full of joy, Fiona’s was different, a quieter happiness. He smiled up at her. “You two are both so lovely,” he said. “Don’t think I’ve seen any women more beautiful.”
Fiona laughed. “That’s the Blarney Stone you’ve been kissing.”
He grinned at her. “I thought you would be my nurse,” he said, “but I’ve yet to see you.”
“We were at your room this morning,” she said, “or at least you were on my roster, but I understood you were still consulting with the doctors. But, if you’re done, we can always start after lunch.”
“Lunch,” he said in mock horror. “Have I missed it?”
“No,” she said, “I haven’t had mine either.”
Dani motioned at Finn and asked, “Fiona, would you mind taking him through the cafeteria then? I’ve got to get to my office for a meeting at one.” She waved goodbye and quickly dashed off.
“She’s special, isn’t she?” Fiona asked, watching Dani run off.
He beamed up at her. “She always has been,” he said. “And a very good friend. I’m blessed.”
“We all are,” she said, motioning to Stan, who was still standing and staring at the horses. “Whether four-legged animals or two-legged humans,” she said, “we’ve all been blessed by Dani’s vision.”
“Do you know the major?” he asked. “I knew him when I was friends with Dani a long time ago, but he was a pretty difficult person back then.”
“Well, that’s changed too,” Fiona said, stepping behind Finn and pushing the wheelchair. “Now let’s get some lunch. Then we can start with you afterward.”
“Oh, is it back to business already?” he asked with a mock grin.
“Everything here is blended,” she said, “some business and some pleasure.”
“Right. Well, I am hungry,” he admitted. “The thing is, I hate eating.”
“Yeah, because of the colostomy?”
He sank inward slightly and then realized that, as his nurse, of course, she’d seen his file. He nodded slowly. “It’s very unsexy,” he announced.
At that, she laughed and laughed.
And yet, he didn’t feel like she was laughing at him. He twisted to look up at her. “It’s not that funny,” he said crossly.
“Nope,” she said, “it’s not that funny. It’s the way you said it, as if that was the epitome of your world’s woes right now,” she said. “I can think of a lot of things that could be so much worse.”
“I know, and, in a place like this, I feel bad for bitching,” he said. “I’m sure other guys with colostomies are here too.” He looked at her hopefully.
She smiled but didn’t say anything.
He sighed. “It’s pretty bad to realize now how much that’s bothered me. But I don’t know why.”
“It’s a fact of life,” she said calmly. “You took major damage to your intestines and your colon, so that’s part of it. The fact that we have medical surgeries that can fix it so you can still function as a normal, healthy human being and still eat normally,” she said, “that’s another miracle.”
“And the leg?”
She just waved her hand.
He realized that, for her, it was just that simple.
“You’ll fix that in no time,” she said. “I understand you recently had surgery, and the stump is pretty raw because they had to go in and make a few changes to the blood vessels and the tendons. It will make life so much easier when you get a proper prosthetic. Once you’re standing on your own two feet,” she said, “the change, mentally and emotionally, is amazing.”
He nodded slowly. “I felt that the one or two times when I was being fitted. To be able to walk … Humans weren’t meant to always be sitting,” he admitted. “And just something about taking back control …”
“Exactly,” she said. “However, in your case, I would think your back is the bigger issue.”
At that, he fell silent. “I try to ignore it,” he said. “I haven’t started PT yet, so …”
“And you’ll hate your therapists at the beginning,” she said, her voice calm but cheerful. “But they’ll make for an incredible difference at the end of it all.”
“We can’t strengthen what is gone, though,” he said. “So there are no miracles in my world.”
“You’d be surprised how the body can compensate,” Fiona said. “So come on. Let’s see if we can fill that colostomy bag.”
Chapter 3
Fiona grinned at Finn’s response, but she was serious; there were things in life to be worried about, and there were others that just weren’t worth all that energy. He had a lot to learn here, but, at the end of the day, his priorities would be realigned, and he’d be happy. Getting him there, well, maybe not so much.
She understood another aspect. Everybody assumed that because they were in a rehab center like this that only the residents had health issues, and that wasn’t the case. Several of the staff had health challenges of their own. But it wasn’t the time
or the place for that discussion. Finn wasn’t ready to hear about anybody else because he was still stuck on poor me.
Just wanting to know that he wasn’t alone with a colostomy bag was one of those signs. He needed to know that he wasn’t the only one who’s had such a hard time. She thought a colostomy bag was a huge invention and a medical step forward, and it was so much easier to deal with than he likely realized. But he would over time. This was still new to him.
Back upstairs at the cafeteria she pushed him into the line and said, “Do you want to try this yourself, or do you want help?”
He looked at her and said, “Well, I can’t reach the tray, so maybe you could help me with that.”
“Gotcha.” She put the tray down for him and then walked with him.
As they walked along, he said, “Is there a menu?”
She pointed up to the back wall. He stared up at it and said, “Wow, okay, I want pierogis and cabbage rolls.”
On the back side of the counter, Dennis, according to the name tag on his T-shirt, smiled at Finn and said, “Hey, you’re new.”
Finn grinned. “Are you here so much that you recognize everybody?”
“Been here since Hathaway House opened,” he said with a big smirk. “I know every one of you guys. And I’ll get your favorites down pretty darn fast.”
“Well, that would not be hard,” he said. “My favorites are cinnamon buns and a good steak.”
Dennis chuckled. “That just makes you male,” he said. “Now, what can I get you for lunch?”
Finn quickly gave his order and watched as a huge amount of food was put on his plate. Finn tried to stop Dennis. “Whoa, that’s way too much for me.”
Dennis looked down and raised an eyebrow but handed over the plate as he said, “Now there’s more food, lots of coffee, lots of desserts. Keep moving down the line and grab what you want.” He flashed a big grin at Fiona and served her about half the portion he’d given Finn.
Fiona moved Finn along the line to the tea and coffee and asked, “Do you want something to drink now, or do you want it later?”
“I’d love some water,” he said, studying the large cooler’s selection of cold drinks in front of him.
