From the Hat Down, page 11
“Thank you. I’m not really sure what specific direction I’ll go yet. But I’m for sure set on vet school and I’d like that to be CSU. I’m hoping I can get Wyoming to sponsor me for in-state tuition.”
“That’s how I did it. Through the WICHE program?” She pronounced it “Wick-ee.”
“Yeah. I’d like to stick around here.”
“Did you grow up at the R and T?” She sat back, assessing.
“Yeah.” She balanced her hat on one knee and opened the folder and looked at the contents, but in a way that suggested she wasn’t reading them.
“Are you still living there?”
“No. I moved into town to be closer to school.” She looked up, and Meg caught a flash of warning in Haley’s eyes. Of maybe something closer to secrecy and sadness. Something she didn’t want to talk about.
“That’s probably a good decision. So are you leaning primarily large animal?”
“Yes, but I like small animals, too. I grew up with a lot of dogs, especially.”
“Why vet school?”
Haley didn’t miss a beat. “I love animals. And out here, animals are what we base a lot of our economy on. And I want to help animals, if I can. They’ve helped me plenty.” She dropped her gaze momentarily. “And I’d like to get some practical experience.”
“That’s good enough for me.” She stood. “When would you like to start your tour of duty here?”
She looked at her, surprised. “Afternoons. I’m taking a couple of classes this summer, but they’re in the morning.”
“So how about tomorrow? You want to put some time in with us?”
Haley stood as well. “Yes, ma’am. That’d be great.”
“What time?”
“I can be here at one. What should I bring?”
“A copy of your transcripts so I can see what you’ve been working on. Why don’t you try us out for a couple of days, go on rounds with me next Tuesday, and see what you think after that. If everybody thinks this is all peachy keen, I’ll get the paperwork in to make sure we can get you on board for some credit—an internship for the summer sound good?”
She stared at her, stunned. “Yeah. Uh, yes. Yes, ma’am. That’d be great. And I have my transcripts here.” She set her hat on the chair and took the sheets of paper she’d brought in with her out of the folder and handed them to Meg.
“Excellent. You’re prepared.” Meg flashed her a smile before she checked out Haley’s grades, which, even from a cursory going-over, were great. “Well done,” she said. “Can I keep these?”
“Oh, yes. I figured you’d need to start a file.”
“See? You’re already on your way to becoming a vet. Files are the tools of the trade here. See you tomorrow, then, at one. That’s my business card there—” she pointed at the small metal cardholder on the far edge of her desk. “Take one and if anything comes up between now and then, give us a call.”
Haley set the folder on the chair and did as she was instructed. She slid the card into a back pocket and picked up the folder again.
“Good to meet you,” Meg said as she motioned for Haley to precede her out of the office. She accompanied her to the front desk and into the lobby area. “Don’t wear anything you don’t want messed up.”
“Yes ma’am, Doctor Tallmadge.”
Ginny looked up from where she was seated at her work station. “Hi, Haley. Did the doctor scare you off yet?”
Haley smiled, and the sadness that hovered just beneath her surface lightened. “No.”
“Hmm. She’s on her best behavior, then.”
“Ginny, around you, I’m always on my best behavior.” Meg fluttered her eyelashes. “Haley’s going to see if she can stand us, starting tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll find something to keep her busy for a while.”
Ginny looked from Haley to Meg then back at Haley. “Well, that’s some good news. What time?”
“One,” Haley said.
“Good. We need someone to keep us all in line. See you then.”
“Yep. Thanks.” Haley raised her hat in a half-wave before she put it on and left, holding the folder like it was something precious. Meg watched her through the glass doors as she climbed into a battered Ford Ranger. She turned to Ginny, who was suddenly very busy.
“Friend of yours?” Meg asked, quirking an eyebrow in amusement.
“Hard not to know folks doing this job.”
“Lazy R and T,” Meg said, baiting her.
“Thirty miles west.” Ginny stood and replaced a file in the large metal shelves against the wall.
“Whose spread is that? Haley didn’t talk about it.”
“Jack Roberts,” she said as she returned to the computer. “Wife Laura. Jack died a while back and she remarried. Fellow named Bill Northrup.” She said the name with a trace of disgust and Meg waited for her to continue but she didn’t offer anything more.
“Huh. She said she’s taking a couple of classes this summer and she wants to get some hands-on experience. She seems pretty intent on vet school.”
“Sounds good,” Ginny said noncommittally.
Meg watched her. Ginny wasn’t saying something. “I told her if she likes us, I’d hook her up with an internship this summer.” She paused, remembering. “Damn. I need to make a couple of calls to the veterinary sciences folks.”
“I already did. The paperwork’s right here.” She picked up a manila folder next to her monitor and reached over to set it on the counter. “So’s the contact number. They need to start the process ASAP, so if you could look it over and sign it, I’ll take it over.”
Meg opened the folder then closed it. “Today? What if Haley hates us?” She asked plaintively.
“Not a chance. Tomorrow’s okay, too.” Ginny looked up at her and smiled. “Or I’ll just forge your signature.”
“Might as well. You seem to know more about what’s going on with this than I ever will,” she retorted with a grin.
Ginny shrugged. “I think it’ll be good for us, to have some students around.”
“And some might be cute,” Sandra offered, grinning.
“Far too young for an old hand like me,” Meg shot back. “Well, Haley’s a good prospect to help us out and get some experience. She’s got good grades in all the right subjects. She’s got another year here in pre-vet and then she’s going to try to get sponsored by the state like I did so she can go to CSU. Hell, we can use more vets in this county. Especially if they’ll do rounds.” She winked at Ginny. “Besides, I need some help sometimes on those rounds. Moonshine’s good company, but he’s worthless at diagnoses.”
Ginny chuckled and Meg returned to the back to supervise Kelly as she prepared the vaccinations for the next day’s rounds.
“Good work,” she said to Kelly as she inspected the syringes. “You know what to do now.” She let Kelly continue and got things ready for the next day, which meant she was able to get home before six. She took Moonshine for a short walk and watched him move.
“Lookin’ good, buddy.” And being out of pain helped his spirits, too. He was downright frisky. She got him settled with his doggie dinner, then called Sean.
“Doctor Horse Chick! I was just thinking about you. How are you?”
“Okay. How are you?”
“You sound better. Any deep and interesting thoughts?” She was smiling. Meg could hear it in her voice.
“Nothing since the last time I talked to you.” She propped the phone on her shoulder and got a pot ready for spaghetti. She had already decided not to mention that she’d been having dreams about Gina.
“Then what’s the point of calling? I want a damn Dear Abby moment, Meg. Ted’s listening on the other phone so we can consult our Ouija Board.”
She smiled and she could hear Sean moving around the kitchen. Probably making dinner, as well. “I feel okay. I guess.”
Sean didn’t speak for a while, and Meg waited her out.
“If your hunch is correct,” she finally said, “and Gina’s interested in building a friendship with you and bouncing ideas off you, are you okay with that?”
“Yeah. I am.” She watched bubbles forming on the bottom of the pot as the water heated.
“What if she wants more?”
“She won’t.”
Sean waited, now, and Meg knew what her next question was even though she didn’t voice it, so she answered it.
“Gina’s involved. And she doesn’t fuck around.”
“Let me rephrase. What do you want?”
Meg emptied a box of pasta into the pot and turned the heat on the stove down before responding. “I honestly don’t know. At this point, I feel comfortable thinking that Gina just wants to be closer as friends. I’m—and I never thought I’d say this—I’m actually glad that she’s involved because it keeps me from building fantasies and hoping for something I may never get.”
“You have been doing some thinking,” she said quietly. “So how do you feel about her?”
That was a tougher question. She stirred the pasta. “I think. . .I’m attracted to her still. I’ve always been attracted to her, though.”
“Physically?” Sean asked as she did something that sounded like scraping a plate.
“Definitely. But on other levels, too. I’ll probably always feel drawn to her in some respects. She’s just one of those people whose connection I can’t break. And I guess I’m tired of fighting it so I’ll just accept it and deal with it as it comes up.”
“Oh, my God,” Sean said in a tone that sounded like she’d just uncovered the crown jewels in her pantry.
“What?”
“Meg, this is huge for you. You just admitted you had a demon and rather than hide it—which is what they want, by the way—you faced it. Holy shit. We need to celebrate.”
She laughed. “Dinner in Fort Collins next week?”
“Definitely. We’ll toast your demon. Find out what it drinks. And listen, I know you have a really fun-filled weekend involving several games of dodge the homophobic mother and horny straight guy, but check to see if Wednesday’s okay.”
“Wait a minute. We don’t know if Phil’s horny or not,” she chided.
“Of course he is. All Irene had to do was show him a picture of you and he’s flying his happy ass all the way to Cheyenne. With her. On a plane. A small enclosed space. With your mom.”
“Point taken,” she said, grinning. “Well, maybe he’ll find solace in the arms of another. I’m sure there’ll be at least one other single woman there who’s straight.”
“For your sake, let us pray. Oh, you dork,” Sean said.
“Excuse me?”
“I got something in the mail today.”
“Um. . .a bill,” she said as she stirred the pasta. “No, wait. One of those stupid coupon books. Hold on, I know. The latest issue of Veterinary Medicine.”
“Please. I already got that last week. Your pony express up there is slower. Now shut up so I can offer sincere thanks. Meg, that was so sweet of you. We love wine tastings! And this one includes chocolate. You know how I feel about chocolate.”
She smiled. “I figured you and Ted need a night out, especially after dealing with my sorry ass through this whole fucking stupid situation. First Kate, then a Gina freak-out. I mean, what the hell? I love you guys and I wanted to do something nice for you. So don’t be telling me you can’t accept it.”
“Who said anything about doing that? Damn, woman. Wine and chocolate. Thank you. And we love you right back.” Sean made kissing noises over the phone.
“Thanks.”
“For what? You’re entirely lovable. And you’ve bailed me out of crap so many times I’ve lost count. That’s what you do for friends, hon. Just remember to tell them when you need something.”
“That’s new. I’m working on it.” She put the spaghetti sauce in another pot and placed it on another burner.
“I know. Okay. Try to have a great time this weekend and call if you need to. We’ll be around.”
“All right. Have a good weekend your own selves. Bye.” She hung up and watched the sauce for a bit, to make sure she didn’t have the burner on too high. Then she went back into the living room, where her gaze fell on the shoebox that held her past with Gina. She looked at it for a while, then sighed and picked it up and took it to her office. She hesitated before she replaced it on the shelf in the closet, and she took the lid off and stared at the folded piece of paper on top. “Stop it,” she muttered, she put the lid back on and returned the box to the shelf.
She ate dinner then worked a couple of hours on one of her papers before she finally shut her computer down and stretched. Definitely time to get some sleep.
Moonshine was dozing on the doggie bed against the wall and Meg gave him a good night pat before she set the alarm on her bedside table and turned out the lamp. Five minutes later, she swore softly to herself and went back into her office, turned on the light, and took the shoebox off the shelf in the closet. She opened it and removed the paper on top before she put the box back on the shelf and unfolded the paper so she could stare at Gina’s image. It was no wonder she was having sex dreams about her. She returned to her bedroom and put the picture on her bedside table and ran her fingertips over it before she turned the light off.
“Skipper’s on his way in,” Ginny intoned in a fake-horror voice.
“Can’t wait,” Meg said with a grimace. They were all standing in the reception area, where Meg had been showing Haley the filing system.
“Skipper?” Haley looked from one to the other.
“Freak dog,” Sandra replied. “He’s not a very big guy—some kind of mutt with maybe terrier in him—kinda cute. But he gets really nervous at the vet. Sometimes he manages to get away from Doc Meg’s evil clutches and then he hides or runs all over the place, barking like a maniac. He’s peed on the exam tables, too.”
“And incited a doggie riot in the kennel area.” Meg handed a folder back to Ginny.
“Don’t forget the time he pooped right here in the lobby.” Sandra said. The phone rang and she reached over to answer it.
“Yep. A nice addition to your second day here,” Meg said. “Your first neurotic dog encounter. Ginny, do we have extra lab coats? I think Haley might need one for a Skipper visit.”
“Yes, we do. Be right back.”
“Don’t worry,” Meg said at Haley’s expression. “He’s no worse than an ornery cow. And a lot smaller.”
“How come he’s like that?” she asked. “Was he abused?”
Meg wrote a reminder on Ginny’s sticky note pad to check rabies vaccination supplies. “Nobody knows. His owner found him wandering around next to I-25 outside Cheyenne about five years ago. Skipper’s fine with him, but not so great with anybody else, including other animals. I’m sure he went through a lot, though. Somebody might have dumped him out there because he’s high-strung.” She pulled the note off the pad and stuck it to the plastic edging of Ginny’s monitor. “Or he got dumped and that’s what made him that way.”
“Here, Haley.” Ginny reappeared and handed her a white lab coat. Haley slipped it on. It fell to mid-thigh and the sleeves were a little long, but she rolled them up.
“Nice. Now you look like a mad scientist,” Meg said, approving.
“We already have Doc for that,” Sandra said to Haley, who managed a smile.
Tough nut to crack, this Wyoming rancher kid, Meg thought. Brittle on the surface, but underneath, something else. She glanced over at Ginny, who was watching her, but she quickly looked away, like Meg had busted her for something.
“Skipper’s here,” Sandra announced. They all turned and looked at the front doors. An old green station wagon had pulled up in front.
“Battle stations,” Meg said, and Sandra giggled.
“Hi, Rex,” Ginny said to the big man who entered, cradling a trembling ball of sandy brown fur in his massive arms. He looked like a lumberjack, Meg had decided when she first met him, but his real job—cable lineman—fit him, too.
“Hi, all. We’re here for Skipper’s check-up and shots.”
Kelly appeared from the back. “Hi, Mr. Gayles. Room one this time. I sprayed some of that stuff in there that he likes.”
“Thanks,” he said as he followed her to room one, crooning softly to the dog in his arms.
“What stuff?” Haley asked Meg.
“Ginny thought we might try some lavender spray for animals who get particularly agitated.”
“Does it work?”
She shrugged. “Maybe not on the animals, but it sure as hell helps me.”
Sandra laughed and Ginny gave her a disapproving teacher glare. Haley cracked a full smile at that.
“All right. Let’s see if Rex thinks it’s a good idea to have you in there with his little wild animal.” Meg took Haley through the back and stopped at that entrance to the room where Rex and Skipper waited. She took the file from the plastic holder on the door and opened it. “Okay, I’m already familiar with a lot of Skipper’s history, but I always check before I go in to see if anything happened between now and the last time I saw him. Nope, doesn’t look like it. This is his standard yearly check-up.”
The door opened and Kelly emerged. “All set, Doc.”
“Excellent.” To Haley, she said, “And now for some bedside manner. It’s just as important in veterinary medicine as in human medicine. Hold on a sec.”
Haley nodded and took a step to her right so Kelly could get past her.
“Hey, Rex and Skipper. Is it okay to have my intern in the room to watch Skipper’s exam? Will he be okay with that, you think?”
“Can’t be any worse than he already is,” Rex replied.
“If it looks like Skipper can’t deal, we’ll change the game plan.” She beckoned for Haley to precede her. “This is Haley Roberts.”
“Hi, Mr. Gayles. Thanks for letting me watch.”
Meg smiled, approving of her approach. To Rex, she said, “So how is Skipper? Anything new to report since last time?”
“Nope. Right as rain.” Skipper had practically burrowed into Rex’s left armpit, his small body trembling.
Meg set the file on the small counter to her right and gently stroked the parts of Skipper’s back that Rex’s arms didn’t block. “Hey, buddy. Don’t worry. This is routine.” She carefully extricated Skipper and he started wiggling and whining. It was like trying to hold on to a live sack of potatoes. She got him onto the exam table and Rex got up to join her there, talking to him soothingly.
