Chapter 21
Sam awoke the following morning at nine-thirty, and was glad to find that the pounding in her head had decreased to a tolerable amount. Her knee, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Even without attempting to move it, she knew the joint was still going to cause her severe pain throughout the day.
"You're awake," commented Kayla, as she walked in the room.
"Yeah," croaked Sam, her mouth dry, "fortunately or unfortunately, I'm not sure which."
"Here," said Kayla, giving her a glass of water and helping her sit up, "drink slowly." The rancher obeyed, and although it hurt to swallow, the water felt soft as it trickled down her throat.
"Hm," murmured Sam, as she returned to her former position of lying comfortably under the covers, "that's better."
"Do you want some more Tylenol?" asked Kayla, but Sam shook her head; the last dose knocked her out, and she didn't want to take any more drugs than need be. "Are you hungry?" was Kayla's next question.
Sam paused for a moment. "Yeah," she said, after a while to think about it, "a little."
"How about some dry toast?" suggested Kayla, and Sam agreed.
While Kayla went to fix breakfast, Sam experimented with her injured body. She found that her side and back hurt, from landing on the hard ground, and all of her muscles were sore. Plus, her right knee refused to even let her think about moving it without sending pain coursing through her leg, so she had some serious doubts about walking within the next twenty-four hours. And, as an added bonus, each time her heat beat, it sent a throbbing sensation down to her knee - but she'd be damned if she'd let Kayla know how hurt she really was, and worry the counselor needlessly.
"Here you go," said Kayla, bringing in two pieces of toasted bread on a paper plate, along with a small glass of orange juice, just in case Sam felt up to it. The rancher took the food from her and set it on her lap, as she pulled herself into a sitting position with her arms, careful just to slide her legs and not bend them at all.
The woman munched, and decided she could handle a little juice. Taking a few swallows, she finished the first piece of bread slowly. She took two bites of the second piece, before setting it down and shaking her head in an attempt to clear the sudden swimming feeling that attacked her.
Kayla looked on, worry evident in her eyes. When a green tint over came the rancher's features, the counselor was quick to bring the wastebasket up on the bed, and hold Sam's hair back as she vomited.
When there was nothing left in the rancher's stomach for her body to throw up, she took a shaky breath, and pulled away from the disgustingly foul basket, lying down with her eyes closed.
"Are you okay?" she heard Kayla ask, and felt a refreshingly cool washcloth touch her face. "You've got a fever," the woman fretted, and when Sam was sure the world had stopped spinning enough for her to focus somewhat, she opened her murky blue eyes.
"I'm all right," she said. She was lying, and Kayla knew it.
"No, you're not," said Kayla, "you're sick. Now, what hurts? The truth, Sam," she pleaded.
"Everything," moaned the rancher, as the world closed in on her once more and she was forced to close her eyes. Kayla's gentle ministration with the cool cloth on her face did not stop.
"I'm sorry, Sam," muttered Kayla, "I shouldn't have let you go out there in the cold weather, especially when I knew your knee was giving you a problem."
Sam raised an eyebrow, even with her eyes closed. "You shouldn't have let me?" she repeated, gently. "Kay, this isn't your fault. Please, don't blame yourself; there was nothing you could have done, all right? But you're doing a great job of being here for me now, and taking care of me," added Sam. "I love you for it."
Kayla smiled at hearing Sam say the words, despite the seriousness of the situation, and her friend's condition. "Thanks, Sam," she said.
The rancher opened her eyes, carefully, making sure the wild roller-coaster ride in her stomach had stopped, or at least slowed. "How's Venus?" she asked.
"Bill says she should be back to normal in a few weeks," said Kayla. "He had to stitch her up, and he said she should be exercised daily; walking, because she isn't supposed to run for at least a week or so."
Sam flinched at the diagnosis. "I've got to walk her," she said, "and keep her healthy." She attempted to sit up, but a firm hand on her shoulder prevented it.
"No, Sam," said Kayla, "don't. You can hardly sit up on your own, much less walk out to the barn and care for an injured horse. I'll take care of it," she said, her voice saying she would accept no argument.
Sam ignored the 'no discussion' tone, and said, "Kay, I appreciate it, but you can't take care of me and Venus. I won't ask you to do that; it's too much for you to handle. Plus, you've got your classes to worry about. I'll make it," she added, more for her own benefit than Kayla's. For a moment, the rancher wasn't sure which one of them she was trying to convince.
"Sam, please," said Kayla, her voice scared, "don't try anything. I know you're in pain, and I don't want you to do anything that could injure you further. Please," she added, and Sam sighed; she knew she couldn't deny Kayla anything when she gave her that look - the one that made her heart melt.
"All right," she said, to Kayla's relief, "but if it gets to be too much, I want you to call Bill, and have him take care of it, all right?" Kayla nodded, and gave the woman a gentle hug.
"Get some more rest," she said, "it's the best thing for you right now." The rancher agreed, and closed her eyes, falling asleep to the refreshing feeling of the cool water on her face - and the knowledge that she was loved.
Kayla kept running the cool cloth over Sam's face until she was sure the rancher was sound asleep. Then, she put on Sam's jacket, and walked outside to exercise Venus.
As she entered the barn, the Palomino greeted her with a loud snort. Kayla laughed, and was glad to see that the mare had finished her breakfast - Kayla had fed them earlier, before Sam awoke. The counselor hoped that was a sign that the horse was feeling all right.
"Hey, girl," she said, softly scratching around the mare's halter, untying the lead rope that had been put around a round log - the hitching post - that ran around the inside edge of the barn. Kayla had had to tie up the mare, to make sure she wouldn't go wandering around. She had kept the other five horses in their stalls, so they wouldn't bother the Palomino. Apparently, it had worked, and she now took the end of the rope in her hand.
"Come on," she said, pulling the rope lightly, "you've got to walk around a little. Please, Venus," said Kayla, when the horse planted her feet and refused to budge. "Venus, come on!" The mare took a few careful steps, and allowed the woman to lead her out of the barn and into the overcast surroundings outside, but then stood still, relaxing her injured leg.
Kayla, rather frustrated, tried whistling when tugging on the lead rope didn't work. She whistled once, one sharp note, and Venus' ears perked up, as did her head. She snorted, but still refused to walk any further. Kayla pulled on the rope a bit, and then whistled again, a long whistle this time. Irritated by the noise, Venus tossed her head, and took Kayla along with the ineffective rope; both landed in the dirt.
The counselor was swung around, and lost her footing, falling onto her back and sliding a few feet on the ground, succeeding in getting Sam's nice jacket all dusty, and scraping her knee even through her jeans. "Thanks, horse," muttered Kayla, as she got up and dusted herself off as best she could.
"Venus, you have to walk around," she said, retrieving the lead rope. "Doctor's orders." Still nothing. "Listen, we won't do it very long, just enough for you to stretch your legs, all right?" she offered, not releasing the pressure she put against the mare's halter as she pulled steadily on the rope. Deciding it wasn't worth the struggle, the mare gave in, and walked slowly around the barn.
Kayla took the horse around six times, before stabling her back in the barn, and tying the lead rope to the post again. Saying a few words to the other horses, she decided to leave the barn doors open for fresh air, and returned to the house.
There, entering Sam's bedroom, Kayla took off the jacket, dusted it off, and returned it to its place in the closet, before sitting on the chair to continue her ever watchful vigil. Hoping the fever had broken, Kayla put a hand on Sam's forehead, careful not to wake her, and smiled when she noticed that while the woman was still warm, her fever had definitely started it's descent.
Just then, the phone rang, causing Kayla to jump. She reached over and picked it up quickly, before it could ring twice and bother Sam.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hi, is this Kayla?" a voice asked.
"Yes," responded the counselor, unsure of the speaker on the other line.
"This is Marie," said the woman. "Luke just wanted me to call and see if it would be all right for us to stop by in a little while. He wants to surprise Sam," she added.
"Well, that'd be great," said Kayla, "except that she's not feeling too well right now. Wait… it might be a good idea for Luke to come over. Maybe he can convince her to go see a doctor," added Kayla, as she thought about the possibilities of the visit.
"Doctor? Is everything okay?" asked Marie, genuinely concerned.
"She was injured in a riding accident," said Kayla, "and she won't let me take her to the doctor. Do you think Luke would have any luck convincing her?"
"I don't know, but I guess it'd be worth a shot," said Marie, lightly. "Are you sure she's up to a visit?"
"Oh, I'm sure. As long as it gets her to the doctor, that's all I'm worried about," said Kayla, and Marie agreed.
"Okay. We should be there in an hour or so," she said, and the women said their good-byes and hung up.
Sam opened her eyes as Kayla hung up the phone. "Who was that?" she asked.
"Did I wake you?" asked Kayla, concerned.
"No," said Sam. "Who was on the phone?" she repeated.
"Marie called," said Kayla, deciding that a surprise visit might not be best, "she said that she and Luke are on their way over to see you."
Sam groaned. "Now?" she asked. "Today? I don't want them to see me like this," protested the rancher, and sat up - albeit slowly, she rose to a sitting position. She tried to move to the edge of the bed so she could stand, but the pain proved to be too much, and Sam had to be content with sitting.
"You don't have much of a choice," smiled Kayla. "They won't be here for about an hour. Do you need anything?"
"An amputation would be nice," said Sam, grimacing.
"Is it that bad?" asked Kayla, gently, and Sam instantly regretted her choice of words at the look of fear and concern that overtook the counselor's face.
"No," lied Sam, "I'm okay. I think I'll try some soup."
Kayla took the hint. "How about some chicken broth?" she offered, and Sam nodded, gratefully. The stomach monster was on a rampage, but whether or not it would digest the food properly was a different story. It could crave food only to refuse it as soon as it was received.
When Kayla left the room, Sam decided to try and move her leg again. Flexing her toes didn't hurt that much, nor did moving her ankle. The next step was the knee. She managed to bend her knee two inches off the mattress before the pain became too intense, and she relaxed her knee again. Upon hearing Kayla's return, the rancher cleared her face of any emotion, and tried to ignore the extreme throbbing that was centered in her knee.
"Here you go," said Kayla, giving the bowl and spoon to the rancher, who sipped the broth slowly, spoonful by spoonful. She ate half, and then refused anymore. Or, more accurately, her stomach refused.
"You need to eat," protested Kayla.
"I know, Kay, but I can't right now," she said, gently. "Thank you, though." Kayla smiled a little, and then put a hand to Sam's forehead, glad to find that the fever had diminished significantly. Not wanting her to get too warm, she turned the electric blanket down just a few notches.
With nothing else to do, and Sam being wide awake, having no desire to go back to sleep, the two worked on sign language. They were having a pretty smooth conversation when there was a knock on the door. Kayla got up and answered it, while Sam tried to fix her appearance so she didn't look so ragged - it didn't work.
"Hi, Marie," greeted Kayla, signing as she spoke for Luke's sake. "Hello, Luke."
"Hi," signed the tall man, "where's my sister?" He was concerned, especially since his wife couldn't give him any definite details into Sam's health. Kayla pointed down the hallway, and was about to tell him which door, but he was on his way. He'd try every door - he'd find it eventually.
"Did you have any trouble finding the house?" asked Kayla, and Marie shook her head.
"No, Sam gave very clear directions," she said. "How many horses do you have?"
"Six," replied Kayla, and motioned for the woman to follow her. "Come on, I'll introduce you." Marie laughed, and let Kayla lead the way to the barn, closing the door behind her to keep the house warm, as it had begun to snow again.
Luke was surprised by the poor complexion of his big sister; her face was pale, there was an angry red gash on the side of her head, and she looked like death warmed over - at best.
"What happened?" was his first question.
Sam sighed. "My horse spooked and threw me," she explained.
"Okay, so why are you still in bed? How bad are you hurt?" he asked, and made sure she knew that he wouldn't take anything less than the whole brutal truth.
"I can't walk," she admitted, and he prodded her to elaborate. "My knee has been bothering me, and when I fell, I must have twisted it. I can't get out of bed."
Luke looked sympathetic. "Do you need anything?" he asked, and Sam shook her head.
"No," she said, "I'm okay right now, and Kayla takes great care of me. I don't want you to trouble yourself," she added, and Luke almost laughed.
"Sam," he signed, half-smiling, "I'm your brother. I'm supposed to take care of you when I can."
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm your big sister," she countered. "I protect you."
"That doesn't mean I can't do the same for you," he pointed out, and Sam sighed. She didn't want to get into an all out argument about who protected whom.
"Point taken," she said, and then paused a moment. "Where's the little one, Diane?"
"Baby-sitter," muttered Luke, looking away. It was clear the man was not happy about leaving his baby girl in someone else's care. Sam guessed it was the first time they had been away from her.
"You want to help me with something?" she offered, trying to get his mind back on track so he wouldn't worry about his daughter, who was more than likely asleep in her crib. "Come around to the side of the bed and help me up."
"Sam, I don't know if you should be up and around trying to walk just yet. You even said yourself that you can't walk," he objected. "Maybe you should see a doctor."
"I don't need to go to any doctor," said Sam, forcefully. "You going to help me or not?" she demanded, and Luke sighed. His sister was so stubborn! Walking around the bed, he went to her side, and she slipped an arm over his shoulders as he put an arm around her waist. Grimacing, she stepped down with her left foot, and managed to stay upright as her right leg followed suit, only to connect with the side of the bed with a thump that sent pain down to the tips of her toes.
Motioning to her brother, she told him she wanted to go down the hallway. With his help, she hopped to the doorway, before the rancher was forced to lean against the frame and catch her breath. Every jostle caused more pain in her knee.
Suddenly, she heard her name. "Sam!" cried Kayla, and the rancher looked into hard green eyes. "What do you think you're doing?"
Busted, Sam thought, wryly.
"Walking?" she tried, her face as guilty as a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar, and Kayla put her hands on her hips in an irritated gesture.
"Wrong answer," smirked the counselor.
"Not walking?" she tried, again, and even added a pleading expression to her face. She was caught, and she knew it.
God, I feel like a kid who just got caught making out on the couch by her parents, sighed Sam.
Kayla shook her head, it wasn't going to work. "Back to bed," she ordered, and pointed towards the bedroom.
"Kay, I need to move around," said Sam.
Kayla sighed, and gentled her voice. "Sam, I don't want you hurting yourself. I can tell how bad your knee feels right now, and I know you're in pain. Please, go back to bed," she said.
"At least let me go to the bathroom," she said, exasperated. Kayla nodded, and Sam disengaged her brother's arm; she could make it to the bathroom herself. The rancher took two steps down the hall, and collapsed on the floor, her face contorted in pain as her knee gave out and she fell hard.
Kayla was beside her in an instant. "Sam," she said, anxiously, smoothing the rancher's hair from her face. "Sam, are you okay? Sweetheart?"
Luke kneeled down and tapped his sister on the shoulder. Sam opened her eyes, and Luke signed one word. Making his left hand into a fist, he turned it so his wrist was facing up. Then, forming the letter 'd' with his right hand, he placed it on the upturned wrist of his left hand: Doctor. The rancher shook her head, and the deaf man very clearly captured the word No from her lips.
"Sam, please," said Kayla, tears in her eyes at the sight of her love in such excruciating pain, "just go. Please." Marie tapped Luke on the shoulder, and they decided to inspect the kitchen, and give Sam and Kayla some privacy.
"Kay, I hate going to the hospital," explained Sam. "And, besides, like I told you, I heal quickly."
"You can't get over this on your own, Sam, and you know it," said Kayla, tears falling freely. "I hate seeing you like this. I'll go with you," she added, and placed a soft kiss on Sam's forehead. "Please go."
Sam sighed; she didn't like seeing Kayla cry, and knowing that she was the cause of the tears was even worse. "All right," she said, "I'll go."
"Thank you," said Kayla, and gave the woman a hug. "I'll call and make an appointment for tomorrow." She was sure she could get the rancher in the next day; if not, she would call around until she found one that would take her at such short notice. Kayla would drive as far as she had to if it meant Sam wouldn't hurt anymore.
"I… I need help," muttered Sam, and Kayla gave her a loving smile. Somehow, with strength that the rancher didn't know the counselor possessed, Kayla brought Sam to her feet and helped her the rest of the way to the bathroom, supporting nearly her whole weight.
"Call me when you're done, and I'll help you back to bed," said Kayla, and Sam nodded. "I mean it," added Kayla, "no heroics. I don't want you trying to walk without help."
"I promise," said Sam, and Kayla nodded, satisfied. True to her word, Sam called for the woman when she finished her business, and allowed Kayla and Luke to help her to bed.
Kayla made sandwiches for all except Sam, who downed the last of her broth, and then they all had a very quiet conversation in sign language. Sam and Luke exchanged jokes, and Marie and Kayla enjoyed the entertainment. Kayla was quite proud of herself, since she found she could follow along with the discussion easily.
"How many mice does it take to screw in a light bulb?" asked Sam, with an evil grin.
Luke frowned. "Mice?" he repeated. "I don't know. How many?"
"Two," replied the rancher. "The hard part is getting them in the bulb." Luke was silent for a moment, and then he burst out laughing as he realized the implication. Marie and Kayla joined in the laughter, and even Sam had to laugh at her own joke, as the happiness proved to be contagious.
"How do you know if a blonde has been at your computer?" asked Luke, and Sam shrugged, casting a glance at Kayla who had a suspicious look on her face. "There's white-out on the screen!" Luke finished, and felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he noticed an angry and offended looking blonde glaring at him.
He was about to apologize, when the woman proved to be a good sport and laughed at the joke. To make sure he knew it was okay, Kayla told a few blonde bashing jokes of her own, and Luke felt better. Offending his sister's girlfriend was not something he wanted to do.
After a few more jokes, Luke and his wife left, wishing Sam the best of luck, and making Kayla promise to keep them up to date on her condition. Saying their good-byes, Kayla watched them drive away, and returned to Sam's bedroom to check on her.
"See? That wasn't so bad, "she said, and Sam had to agree.
"I guess not," she said, and stifled a yawn. While the visit had indeed been fun, it had worn her out, and the rancher was left feeling tired.
"Get some rest," said Kayla, "and I'll call to make an appointment." Sam nodded, and closed her eyes as Kayla picked up the phone. Luckily, the first doctor she called had time available to see the rancher around nine the next morning. As she hung up, Kayla smiled; Sam would get the medical attention she needed.