First impression: Nicole.
Calamity Jane is sick and there's only one vet in town.
Lifting up her foot, Nicole Haught swore an expletive under her breath. Just as she had suspected, her sock had sank into a wet, messy hairball. It was four in the morning. Too early for this shit.
"Calamity Martha Jane! When I find you, I'm gonna kill you!" Nicole growled at the house. She sighed in resignation as she pulled off the sock, tossed it into the sink then reached for the paper towels and floor cleaner.
A pitiful meow came from the bathroom.
Shaking her head, Nicole scooped up the mess. "Of course I know it's you. You're the only cat here."
Another meow.
"This is the third time this week, you brat. Don't make me put you on a diet." Though that's assuming the only Safeway in Purgatory carries more than one kind of cat food.
A long silence before an answering, wailing meow. That made Nicole stop her angry scrubbing. It was very unlike Calamity Jane.
Come to think of it, this many hairballs was also unlike Calamity Jane. Even with long, thick fur like hers.
Dropping her brush, Nicole padded over to the bathroom. The hallway hardwood was searing cold on her uncovered foot, forcing her to hop and skip to minimize the chill. After all, she was still hoping to get back to sleep once this was all cleaned up.
That hope disappeared when she found a ginger cat flopped on the floor, mewing in misery. Nicole scooped up her baby, carried her to the sink and twisted the knob for cold water. CJ could never resist running tap water. Except she just sniffed at it disinterestedly and cried again.
Shit.
Anxiety flared in Nicole's chest and she had to take several deep breaths through her nose.
It's fine. It's fine. She'll be fine, she told herself. Leaving the cat next to the sink, Nicole sprinted for her phone in her bedroom and started a Google search for local veterinarians.
Unsurprisingly, there was only one in Purgatory. There tended to be only one of anything in Purgatory.
It didn't even have a name, just "Animal Clinic" on Miller next to the hardware store. Unfortunately, the place was only open two days a week. Fortunately, one of those days happened to be today.
Office hours: 10:00AM to 2:00PM? What the hell?
At least Nicole had the day off. She was supposed to go meet Waverly at the Earp Homestead at noon. Waverly wanted to talk nursery colors with her big sister and she needed reinforcements to keep Wynonna from "noping" her way out of the house to avoid said conversation. And for as pregnant as she was, Wynonna was still pretty damn spry. Nicole considered bringing handcuffs. Just in case.
Slipping the nearby coffee pot under the already running sink, Nicole sighed. She knew she wasn't getting back to sleep any time soon. She rubbed at her cold foot before stroking Calamity Jane.
Hang on, baby kitty.
At 9:55AM, Nicole was already waiting in the street outside "Animal Clinic," squad car steaming as it idled. Occasionally there was a sad meow from the cat carrier in the passenger seat, but otherwise Calamity Jane was being surprisingly cooperative (considering she hated the damn carrier). Another point of anxiety for Nicole that something was seriously wrong with her cat.
When 10:01AM rolled around, Nicole hefted the hard case and headed for the glass door with a faded logo. A sign hanging there still said CLOSED. She tried the handle. It didn't budge.
Shit.
She knocked on the glass. Then knocked again. No answer.
Cradling her arm over the glass to peer in, the waiting room was dark.
Shit!
A louder, more desperate knock this time. There was a flicker of light in the doorway opposite the entrance. A silhouette stumbled forward. Nicole knocked one more time just to be sure she had whoever's attention.
"Yea yea I hear you" was muttered from the other side of the door. After a few clicks, the deadbolt twisted and the glass door opened a crack.
"Yea?"
Nicole stared back.
She wasn't sure what she was expecting from the Only Vet in Purgatory. Maybe some sort of grizzled James Herriot-type in a cowboy hat who'd been doing this for 50 years. Certainly not the man who stood before her.
Police profiling took over in her mind.
Asian male. Late 20s. 5'9. 170lbs. Long black hair in a ponytail. Brown eyes. Facial hair. Medium build. Blue scrubs. Red Chuck Taylors. Tie-dye dew rag. Eyes bloodshot. Smelled like marijuana.
He squinted at Nicole, the morning sun at her back. A white stick poked out of the corner of his mouth and a half-empty cup of coffee was in hand. He smelled somehow sour, bitter and sweet all at once.
Nicole offered tentatively, "Uh… is this—are you… open?"
"What time is it?" He pulled out a pocket watch from his hip and looked down at it. He shook it a couple times before tucking it away. "Uh yea... Yea, we're probably open."
But the young man just stood there, half in the doorway, half in a daze.
Lifting up the cat carrier, Nicole tried again. "I… tried calling to make an appointment. But I don't think your phone is working."
He gave a dry, lazy laugh. "Oh yea! Yea, forgot to pay the bill. Man, that's been like months. Didn't even know it was still listed."
Please don't let this pothead be the vet.
"So…" Nicole drummed on the carrier, already done with the conversation.
"So…" he echoed, eyes bleary with confusion.
"…Can I come in? I think my cat is sick. And probably needs her vaccinations, too."
There was a glow of dawning realization in his eyes as he broke out in a wide grin. "Oh! Oh yea! Come in!"
With the door held open for her, Nicole pushed past the man into what amounted to a small waiting room. The front desk had a pile of computer parts (no monitor) and stacks of paperwork while the rest of the lobby was lined with wooden benches peeled of paint. There were attempts at artwork to spruce the place up, but picture frames were leaned against the floor having never made it on the walls.
Nicole had a very bad feeling, but tried to quiet herself from being too judgmental.
Small town small town small town….
He swept over to the opposite doorway so Nicole awkwardly followed behind. A cramped room with more peeling blue paint, but it had a waist-tall island counter with a sink. This felt more like a vet clinic patient room, though not by much.
Another lazy question. "I don't know you, do I?" He pulled on the stick in his mouth to reveal a half-eaten Tootsie-roll Pop (grape-flavored). After downing the rest of his coffee, he tucked the sucker back in his cheek and leaned over the sink to wash his hands.
"I… haven't been here before if that's what you mean. Neither has CJ—Calamity Jane." Nicole gestured with the cat carrier, where an alarmed meowing had started.
Here we go. Hang on, baby kitty.
He stopped in mid-scrub, his eyes flying wide. "Dude! Your cat's name is Calamity Jane?!" His nose wrinkled and he gave an approving nod. "That's so awesome!"
"I'm Nicole. Nicole Haught," she offered with an outstretched hand.
He grinned and shook it with enthusiasm, but only stared back.
She gritted her teeth. "And you are?"
"Oh! Yea, people call me Bo. You can call me Bo, too."
"Is the doctor here yet?" Nicole hoped against all hope that Bo was just an assistant.
Bo tugged at his scrubs, then swore under his breath. There was a pair of holes at his collarbone, presumably where a pinned nametag was supposed to be. "Uh yea. That's me. Doctor Bo if you're feelin' fancy. Just Bo is fine, though."
Shit shit shit shit shit
Patting the counter, Bo dug around in one of the drawers. "So what's her deal?"
Gritting her teeth again, Nicole set CJ on the counter. A low rumbling hiss could be heard inside the case. "She's been throwing up hairballs. Third one this week. And she doesn't really like men, is there a female doctor or—?" Nicole asked hopefully.
"Shit, that sucks," Bo said as he continued digging around. "And nah, just me."
"You might want to wear gloves or something," Nicole warned.
"Nah, I got it."
Before Nicole could react, Bo opened up the little metal gate and stuck a bare hand in. She held her breath, waiting for the hissing and scratching to start. There was a briefly startled meow, but otherwise silence.
He didn't say anything, just stared at the carrier a moment. His arm was hidden up to the elbow. Nicole had a brief fear that this man had just strangled her cat. She leaned down the sides to pop off the hard top so she could be sure.
Inside the carrier, Bo's hand was barely touching Calamity Jane. The ginger cat was pressed up against the side, her back arched and eyes wide. But she didn't move, just stared ahead. His fingertips just gently touched the sides of her face and neck, a thumb at her whiskers. He was silent a moment then retracted his hand. CJ's posture softened and she settled into a sitting position.
What the hell?
"Man, you need to get a new vibe in your house, Nicole. Calamity Jane is stressed out," Bo emphasized with a bark. He started washing his hands again.
"Is that—is that it? No X-ray or anything?"
"Nah. Get her more wet food, maybe that tuna stuff with like the little gravy bits?" Bo made a wriggling motion with his fingertips. "That shit is tight. She'll like it. Tell 'em Bo sent you. 10 cents off 10 cans or more." He snapped his fingers before pulling out his sucker and pointing it at the cat. "Oh! And one of those little Neko flies. She'll love that shit. I can get you one if you want. Safeway doesn't carry 'em, even though I offered like a million times to hook 'em up." He rolled his eyes.
Nicole was at a loss, but relief started to trickle in. Her baby kitty was going to be all right. "Uh sure. Sure. That would be fine."
He smiled and went back to digging around in the drawer before pulling out a clear stick with a long cord. At the end of the cord dangled a fake dragonfly. CJ made a clicking noise deep in her throat as her pupils dilated. She made a lunge for the toy.
Bo laughed and played with the cat for a few moments, watching her tail swish and claws stretch out. He passed the toy over to Nicole with a smile, hands on his hips in satisfaction.
"So…" Nicole prodded. "…Can I get those vaccinations for her, too? While I'm here?"
Another enthusiastic "Oh yea!" as Bo headed for the back door and threw it open. She could see a narrow hallway crammed with medical equipment, though none of it looked used. He began rummaging in a mini-fridge at the far end and pulled out a pair of syringes before returning.
"Do you need her previous paperwork? I have it here." Nicole rummaged in her large coat pocket for some folded forms from the city veterinarian she'd adopted Calamity Jane from. She'd had plenty of time this morning to dig through her house for the documents.
"Nah. She's healthy. What, like three and a half years old or so?" Bo crunched on the sucker in his mouth loudly before pulling out the naked stick and dropping it in the trashcan.
Nicole nodded suspiciously. How did he know that from one small touch?
Bo grinned and his fingers worked fast. A few smooth motions later (and no complaints from the patient), Calamity Jane got immunized then curled up in the cat carrier. It was the best behaved she'd ever been at a vet, Nicole noted.
A cell phone rang. Nicole tried to place Bo's ringtone, but it was a strange pulsing techno tune. He sighed before answering, the needles spinning in his knuckles rather dangerously.
What followed was a rapid-fire conversation in what Nicole assumed was Mandarin Chinese. Bo seemed on the defensive, gesturing wildly at the ceiling. A couple of phrases seem to repeat over and over, but she didn't have the knowledge to hazard even a guess. She did notice that he had an ear piercing in his left ear, a strange industrial bar bell in the shape of a green snake.
At the end of the conversation, it seemed Bo had lost whatever debate he was having. He got quieter and sighed, nodding in resignation. He gave another loud sigh as he hung up before rubbing his eyes. Bo continued distractedly spinning the syringes on his knuckles.
Pulling out her wallet, Nicole looked around the empty office to avoid violating his privacy further. She passed over her credit card to place a thumb on a pair of folded $20s. "Um, how much do I owe you?"
A very inelegant "Huh?" from Bo as he pitched the empty needles in an overflowing medical waste bin. He stared at her a second and then snapped his fingers. "Oh yea! I dunno, like $50?"
Nicole frowned as she pulled out the money. "I've only got $40. Do you take credit cards?"
His hand surged forward and snapped up the cash. "Nah. $40 is fine." Bo pocketed it with a lazy grin and wiped his hands on his scrubs. Nicole noticed they had a tiny repeating pattern of cowboy hats all over the powder-blue fabric.
Thanking him for his services, Nicole hefted Calamity Jane. She could still pick up lunch for Waverly and Wynonna before going to the Homestead if she hurried.
"Do you have a card or something? In case I need to make an appointment next time?"
She was sorry she had asked, because Bo turned his attention to the cluttered front desk and started pushing aside stacks of papers. Underneath what looked to be an old bagel, he grabbed at a handful of small cards. Thrusting one into her hand, Bo shooed Nicole out the door as he pulled out a small keyring. A small snake charm was noticeable on the collection of keys.
Nicole turned to thank Bo again, who stared up at the sky and frowned. She sort of wanted to ask, but decided to just smile politely. He pointed outside. "Is it supposed to rain today?"
"Uh…" Nicole wasn't sure how to answer that. She glanced down at her phone app, but only bright sun graphics illustrated the week. "I don't think so?"
"When was the last time it rained?" He was checking the pocket watch again, which he shook in agitation.
She had to think for a moment before smiling sadly. "There was a lightning storm a few weeks ago. Pretty crazy. Burned out quick, though."
…Oh Waverly…
"That doesn't count," Bo interrupted with a scowl. He tucked away the watch again, then cleared his throat. The throat clearing turned into a hacking cough, forcing Bo to spit dramatically on the ground. Nicole groaned inwardly and started to back away slowly toward her squad car.
Pulling out another Tootsie-roll Pop (orange this time), Bo slipped off the wrapper. His eyes widened when he saw her get into the Purgatory PD vehicle. "Hey! You're a cop!"
"Yea," Nicole retorted, mimicking his lazy voice while setting the cat carrier back in the passenger seat. She stuck the Neko fly cord into one of the air holes, which the ginger cat swiped at eagerly. She squared her shoulders before turning back to the young veterinarian.
"That's awesome!" He grinned back. "Man, I bet you've got some awesome stories."
To say the least. She only nodded back. Nicole prayed there were no follow-up questions.
"Well, I'm usually makin' house-calls during the week. But if you need somethin' for that little spitfire, you lemme know." Bo wiggled his fingers at the window to Calamity Jane. The cat ignored him.
Nicole nodded in affirmation as Bo staggered back to the clinic door, keys in hand. He locked the door from the outside and took off towards an old beat-up pickup with a tarp covering the bed. It looked to be filled with junk electronic parts. The engine fired up with a cough of smoke and rumbled off down the street.
"But… aren't you supposed to be working today?" Nicole asked the empty street. She felt a surge of exasperation from the whole experience, but at least CJ seemed to not be seriously ill. And she probably wouldn't even be late meeting Waverly.
Starting up her own car, Nicole glanced at the crumpled business card in her hand.
"Dr. Bolin Yushi, DVM, Purgatory Animal Clinic."
Something about that boy was not quite right.