Author's Note: Trigger warning: injury to animal. Reader discretion advised. Trigger warning: potential use of a fire arm. Reader discretion advised.
Chapter Nine
May 2013
After the disastrous end to their dinner, Draco had requested to return to his lodgings with cool politeness. The awkward ride back to town further chilled the atmosphere between them as neither felt the desire to speak. When she arrived home at last she had kicked her boots across the living room and made for her freezer where the tub of cookie dough ice cream was stashed away for emergencies such as this.
The restless sugar induced sleep made for an unproductive Sunday as she thought over the previous evening. She had gone too far. Draco warned her and she ignored him because she had been selfish. He didn't deserve that. Again, any time it came to Draco it seemed she was simply incapable of following her better judgement and chose the absolute opposite thing she normally would.
Apologies were not her forte but in this case she would have to make an exception. She had read somewhere that white orchids were a symbol of a sincere apology. A trip to the local flower shop convinced her to send the small token of humility along with a note requesting that he meet her the following evening at her clinic after five in his casual clothes.
Monday came with its usual busyness. Kaila vocalized her displeasure at the miserable end to their not date dinner several times. Thankfully, there was much work to be done so the brief comments that she had made were manageable. Emilia wished the day had stretched out a little longer but before she knew it the clock read a quarter till five. Her hands fidgeted uselessly so she decided to be productive. She stood at the counter, knee bouncing, and worked on her medical supply orders. It was busy work for her hands but her mind was utterly unoccupied. What if he decided not to show? If he didn't accept her apology, what then? Perhaps he had already packed up and left town before she had the chance to speak with him. He had promised to tell her everything before he left...
The doorbell chimed then and the sound stilled her restless movement. With a deep breath, she took hold of her courage, and lifted her gaze to meet his. Draco was wearing the clothes he had worn when they went out to track the cows. Not a bag was in sight. A good sign.
The same fraught silence from Saturday hung between them for several uncomfortable seconds. At last, she decided it was she who should start.
"Draco, I am so sorry for what happened at dinner Saturday. You had warned me to stop prying and I ignored your request. That was a terrible thing to do as your friend. I hope you will forgive me and we can make amends."
His eyes gave nothing away as to what he thought. She could tell though that he was having an internal struggle about what exactly to say. It seemed he came to a decision because his shoulders slumped and a frustrated breath puffed out of him.
"I accept your apology and hope you will accept mine as well. I know I am frustrating you by withholding so many things from you about before. I promise we will discuss our past, hopefully soon. For now, we should not let anger get the best of us before we talk things through."
She nodded her head at the sage advice.
"Deal."
The pull between them slowly stretched to life then, rolling over her skin like a cat leisurely arching into a good scratch. For once she didn't feel trepidation when it flared to life. She simply enjoyed the warmth it gave her.
"So, what has brought me here this evening Dr. Grainer?" Draco's voice pulled her out of the lull she had fallen into.
She lifted her satchel out from behind the counter and set it down with a loud thud.
"Well, since I ruined our last dinner I thought we could eat together tonight. I spoke with Ross and he said it's alright for us to use Serendipity for your riding lessons. Would you join me?"
Draco smiled the same honest, heart stopping smile he had the night of their dinner when he spoke cryptically about her. It made the pull ripple beneath her skin contently.
"Of course. Unless, you mean to give me food poisoning so you aren't beholden to fulfill your end of the wager."
Emilia scowled at him.
"I plan to eat it too. I haven't built up my tolerance to poison yet to pull that one off."
Draco strolled over to the counter to heave the overburdened bag onto his shoulder.
"Well, I guess I'll have to risk it and assume you are being truthful."
"Hmm you know this could be the ultimate double cross and you have fallen into my lure."
She felt eased by the banter they fell back into. It seemed a truce had been found between them.
"So conniving. Well, if I die of poisoned sandwiches I didn't stipulate to my estate to overlook murder charges so I will have to exact my revenge posthumously."
"Killjoy." She snickered as they made their way to her truck.
Serendipity was being quite the killjoy herself. When Draco and Emilia arrived she had been a nightmare to saddle up. She fidgeted and snorted the entire time. It took twice as long as it normally would because of the number of times Emilia had to pet her flank to settle her down. Now, after being led to an enclosed pen so Draco could begin practice mounting the saddle, the mare made every effort to let them know there was no way she was cooperating today. After the sixth time of skittishly trotting away from him when Draco attempted to approach her he swore a few times and stormed over to Emilia who watched with an amused grin.
"Well, what should I do? She won't even let me near to try to grab the reins." He sounded quite petulant.
With a short shrug she opened the gate to the pen for him.
"Let's eat and see if she is more inclined to let us near her after. Maybe she just needs to run around for a bit to let out some nervous energy."
The pen was secured so Serendipity didn't get any ideas of escape before they made their way toward her truck. Emilia had cleared the space in the truck bed and spread out a plaid blanket. She had stacked her various tupperwares of food neatly off to the side. With a quick hop she pulled herself up onto the truck with Draco following after. They settled cross legged facing each other.
"What is all this exactly?" He asked as he eyed around them curiously.
Emilia began to remove lids and list off the contents.
"Let's see...Grilled chicken caesar salad wraps, champagne grapes, and bowtie pasta salad."
His nose twitched at the last dish.
"That is a pasta dish. How is it considered a salad?"
She impatiently waved her hand as she began to load a plate full of food.
"It has vegetables so technically it counts."
She handed the plate over to him before filling one of her own.
They spent the next couple of hours eating, chatting, and laughing. Topics that could lead to arguments were easily avoided. It felt like they had done this a hundred times before, the nervousness from their first meal together seemingly gone in their informal setting.
"Thank you Emilia. That was delicious. The grapes were excellent but I stand by my statement that it's a pasta dish, not a salad." Draco began as he leaned back against the side of the truck bed.
Emilia was tempted to stick her tongue out. Rather, she preened silently at the compliment about the food as she pulled out a final tupperware.
"I hope you're not too full. I made dessert as well."
She lifted the lid to reveal two slices of triple chocolate cake. His eyes lit at the sight. She dished them each a slice and began to gulp down the treat. Draco seemed to really like it as he had finished by her fourth bite.
"Did you really make that?" He questioned, glancing down at his plate as if he could will another slice to appear.
"I made everything. I really like to cook and bake but I don't get to do either often with it just being me."
With the last bite gone Emilia sighed contently. She laid on her back to rest for a few minutes and digest while enjoying the waning afternoon heat. The breeze was cooling to her skin. Some sparrows played lazily overhead. The crickets were beginning their night symphony. The usual sound of animals on the ranch, a distant noise, brought calm around them.
"Emilia."
"Hm?"
"I want to thank you...for allowing me to stay and get to know you. I have really enjoyed my time with you so far. I am...grateful to have found you again."
Emilia's heart fluttered and the tugging sensation practically tried to force her hand to shoot out and reach for him. Unnerved by the feeling, she instead reached into her jean pocket instead for a wrapped mint candy ring.
"Do you like mint? I like to eat these after my meals." She asked as she held out the candy to him.
Draco did not respond. After a few seconds she looked over and was startled to see him staring with...so much emotion at the candy she offered him. It utterly confused her. Before she could open her mouth to ask what was the matter he gently took it from her hand.
"Thank you." He replied huskily before removing the wrapper and popping the candy into his mouth.
The atmosphere was electric and now a soft crescendo from the tugging sensation began to fill her ears with a roaring was new. Panicked from the phantom sound, she hopped off the truck bed, calling back that she would try her hand at wrangling Serendipity. The sound immediately silenced.
They had three more lessons like this. By the second it was apparent to Emilia that Draco didn't need more instruction but she enjoyed their time together too much so she said nothing.
At their third lesson she finished her plate of food then slipped off the back of the truck.
"I'm going to take Serendipity for a quick sprint before you start. Take your time finishing your sandwich Draco."
After giving Serendipity some affectionate pats she swung up into the saddle and kneed the mare into a gait out of the pen. The open field across the gravel road was set up with a few barrel riding obstacles that she would indulge in trying when the mood hit her. To start she playfully twisted Serendipity this way and that around several poles drilled into the ground. A few taps of her heels had them flying into a full gallop across the field before she slowed the mare to round an old oil barrel. Serendipity seemed all too excited at the exhilarating race. She nudged the mare's flank again to head toward another pole half a fiel-
The world tipped sideways.
Serendipity let out a painful whinny. The scream that left her own lips cut off short when Emilia slammed into the ground. Her head bounced hard and all the air was forced out of her lungs. It felt like her teeth were rattled out of her mouth. A dull ringing echoed in her ears as she was consumed by a painful heavy weight pinning her leg to the ground.
Frantic, she tried wiggling to unpin her leg and a few struggled moments later felt the weight lift. Her legs left the saddle as Serendipity moved from her, leaving her on her side in the grass. Her head gave a terrible migraine worthy throb and she squeezed her eyes closed against the pain.
She thought she heard someone call out to her but she had to ignore the voice for the time being in order to assess the situation at hand. Serendipity had fallen. That was very unlike her. Emilia needed to find the horse and make sure she wasn't hurt. She grit her teeth against another stabbing thrum in her head as she began to mentally examine her own body.
Emilia tentatively wiggled her toes. No pain and they moved which was good. The right side of her body was aching as she rolled carefully onto her back. She flexed her fingers and raised her arms which moved stiffly but nothing seemed broken. Her eyes were trying to focus. Everything remained stubbornly unfocused in the bright summer sun. She twisted her head side to side, ensuring she hadn't broken her neck. Something was moving fast toward her. She blinked a few times trying to get her vision to work.
A blur of blonde appeared above her. Metal tickled her cheek and she brushed the offensive item impatiently from her face. Finally her eyes focused on the terrified face of Draco, who was tucking the chain dangling above her back away in his shirt.
"Emilia! Bloody hell are you alright? Are you hurt?"
He ran his hands over her shoulders, arms, legs, checking for injuries. She felt the pull dose over her entire body like fire, tracing over her curves and dips ghostly, as if it were also seeking confirmation she wasn't hurt.
"I'm ok. I hit my head pretty hard but I feel alert. Where is Serendipity?"
She made to sit up with his assistance and hissed. The leg Serendipity fell on was tender and probably going to have some bruising. Draco tilted her head to the side to examine where she had landed.
"I don't think you have a concussion but you will bruise."
Emilia nodded, her focus returned back to her lower half.
"Ow, my leg is going to be sore as hell for a while." She lamented, slowly bending the throbbing appendage.
She took in her surroundings and breathed a sigh of relief to see Serendipity only a few feet away. When she took stock of her whole frame Emilia realized the mare wasn't putting weight on her front right leg. Emilia's stomach lurched.
"Draco, help me up. I have to check on Serendipity, she's hurt."
Draco opened his mouth, intent to argue with her, so she huffed and attempted to stand herself up.
"You damn stubborn woman. Hold on."
His arm wrapped around her hip while the other threw her arm over his shoulder. She ignored the perceived intimacy of this position and moved quickly away from him when he had her on her feet. She winced at the sharp twinge when she stepped on her sore leg, but it didn't matter at the moment.
She spoke soothingly to Serendipity as she approached the mare's side. Serendipity seemed unwilling to move anyway. Draco approached the skiddish mare slowly from the other side and gently held her reins. Emilia knelt next to her, her hands gently bringing the leg up close to examine the injury. Fuck. It looked broken...it was already very swollen so she couldn't be sure yet but...
"I...I don't think I can fix this." She whispered, as she lightly lowered the injured leg.
"What does that mean?" Draco questioned as Emilia stood.
"The swelling needs to be reduced to be sure but...if I can't fix her leg...and she is lame enough...Ross will have to put her down."
Saying it was too much. Her voice cracked along with her heart.
"I need to call Ross. I think he has a splint so we can keep it immobilized." Her voice sounded rambling.
Draco pulled out his phone and reached across Serendipity to slip it in her hand.
"Go ahead. If you need anything to get her back to the barn I will get it so you can stay beside her."
She nodded and dialed Ross, silently hoping her preliminary diagnosis was incorrect.
It was an hour later before Emilia could walk tenderly back across the gravel toward where they had fallen. Ross was out of town until the next day. His wife wasn't due home until late tonight. Thankfully, he did have a splint she was able to fit on Serendipity after dressing the swollen leg. It had been a slow painful process to get her back to the barn as she hobbled along. Emilia had kept her tears at bay, focusing on the work that needed to be done to help the poor mare. Draco had been extremely helpful, grabbing whatever she needed, holding the mare still while she worked, and getting Emilia water and pain medication when she winced for the tenth time. He was currently putting her medical supplies away for her.
Now Emilia had to investigate how the hell this all happened. She looked slowly around the area. At first she didn't see anything. It wasn't until her attention was drawn further beyond the horizon that she froze. Something had popped up out of the ground several hundred yards from her. Realization dawned on her as she began walking around, her eyes roving over the ground in earnest. She spotted the hole easily when she knew what to look for.
"Mother fucker." She bit out as she glared down at the obvious hole.
How could she have missed this? She felt such anger surge in her gut and it spread out like a wildfire through her veins. Pained, she stomped back across the road to her truck. Draco had been halfway across the cul de sac when he stopped at her approach.
"Emilia? What's wrong?" He asked, his voice laced with concern.
She ignored him and continued to her truck, aware he followed her. She ripped open her back door where she had left her rifle, making sure it was loaded with the safety on. She slammed the door shut, threw her rifle strap over her shoulder, and whirled, still not acknowledging a very confused Draco. She walked fast back to the field, the pulsing ache that was building in her leg difficult to forget. She moved with purpose and passed where they fell until she was closer to the critter that was still standing outside the hole it popped out of earlier.
Emilia slipped the safety off, lifted the gun to her shoulder, and aimed. Before she could pull the trigger Draco's hand reached out toward the gun barrel.
"What are you doing?" He asked with consternation.
She shrugged him off.
"First of all, never touch someone who is holding a gun with the safety off. You could have startled me and I might have accidentally fired my gun. Secondly, I am shooting a prairie dog. What does it look like I am doing?"
"Why?"
He was completely bewildered by this change in her it seemed.
"Serendipity fell in a prairie dog hole. Prairie dogs are nuisances to ranchers. Their little hole towns are mine fields for cows and horses to lose their footing in and injure themselves."
He looked at her as if she had lost it.
"So...the answer to the problem is to...shoot one you happen to see? Emilia, I know you are angry. I think we should go take a walk instead of whatever this is you intend to do."
"Leave me be Draco." She snapped.
"No, I will not. I know you are upset but I don't think you will be happy with yourself if you pull that trigger. You should walk away with me to calm down and think rationally." He was angry, condescending.
Emilia's temper flared.
"You don't get to judge me Draco. That's how life works out here. My friends need their cattle and horses to provide for their families. I've had to put down a few because they were too injured from falling into prairie dog holes. It's a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. Survival of the fittest is real here."
He looked back over to the creature standing on its hind legs in the distance and shook his head.
"Perhaps that is how some people live their life here but I doubt they all do. I have seen you Emilia. You are a wonderful doctor, you would be so angry with yourself if you went through with this."
"How would you know? We've barely known each other for a month." She yelled.
Draco's eyebrows furrowed.
"Fine, you are right. It has been a long time since I have known you."
He stepped so close to her she could feel the tugging sensation as if it were actually vibrating between them. It made her heart rate soar as his eyes bore down into hers.
"Let me tell you what I do remember and what I see now. I remember a girl who was determined to find justice for the weak. Who would bend over backwards to keep harm from happening to anyone, even a stranger. She was so compassionate she could forgive deeds that had been happening for nearly a decade as if they were mere misunderstandings. That is who I remember and I know you have not changed that much. I can see it in your eyes right now. You do not really want to do this. Life has not hardened you here so much that you do not feel empathy even for the smallest of things. You know it won't change anything." He reasoned, his voice and demeanor impassioned but calming.
Damn him.
The tears welled in her eyes. She was angry that he was right and they both knew it.
"Serendipity was the first horse I foaled." She whispered, watching the menace animal dive back into its hole in the distance.
"I know I should be professional enough to handle this with a clear head but I am very attached to her."
Draco silently reached out and lowered the barrel again. Emilia engaged the safety pin, laid the gun beside her, and buried her face in her hands with a gasping sob. Then his arms slipped around her. The tugging sensation that was humming so loudly suddenly clicked, as if something moved into place, before it fell silent and dulled to a content soothing feel. It cascaded over her like rivets of water, soaking into her very bones and attempted to settle her burning anger.
"Have it out darling. It's not the first time you have cried in front of me."
His words made her cry harder. The embarrassment of losing control of herself in front of him was too much. She realized standing there how much she had come to value his opinion. Her anger flared to life again. She was so angry at herself, at Draco, at the fucking prarie dog. The cycle repeated itself of wrath and feeling shame a few times before she was wiped out from crying.
Draco finally stepped back to look into her face. She was a complete mess. She was sure her eyes were burning red, snot was definitely dripping down to her cupid's bow that she kept wiping on her shirt sleeve, and she was spasming like a toddler that had a good prolonged fit. She was such a good ugly crier. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. She mopped up her face and he told her to keep it.
"Better?" Draco questioned as his hands ran comfortingly up and down her arms, almost as if he were reluctant to let go of her.
She released a stuttered breath before nodding. Draco grinned down at her.
"Good. Now, it'll be alright. You said so yourself until the swelling goes down you cannot know the extent of the damage. Why not let me stay overnight with Serendipity and you can recover at home before returning tomorrow?"
She frowned in dislike and was about to argue when he cut her off.
"You're planning to stay here and monitor her, right? I think I can manage that. If something happens I will call right away. Ross said they would be back early in the morning and I am sure Mrs. Bussey will stop by during the night to check on things as well. Go home Emilia and rest. You need it."
He had a sound argument. She did need to rest especially with her sore leg and she should take an extra dose of her migraine medication. The idea of leaving Serendipity with someone else though twisted her stomach into knots.
"I need to show you how to dress the wound and wrap it just in case it comes undone. Are you sure Draco?"
His hand found hers and he gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Emilia, let me help you, please."
"You swear to call if anything happens, no matter what?"
Draco's gaze burned into hers.
"I promise."
Emilia sighed in defeat.
"I will be back first thing in the morning. Mrs. Bussey said we are welcome to anything in the house for food and drink. I'll leave you an extra water bottle. Are you sure you want to do this?"
He nudged her back toward the ranch house, picked up her rifle, and threw it onto his shoulder.
"Yes, now come and show me what to do."
Emilia spent the next half hour explaining how to remove the splint, undress and redress the wound, how to rebandage the leg, and how to put the splint back on. When Draco had assured her for the tenth time he could handle the situation she finally made for the door. She turned back to offer to stay a while longer when he glared at her in annoyance.
"Emilia go home and sleep."
With great reluctance she turned and left the barn, hoping it was a quiet night for him.
She was awake at first light. What little sleep she did get was fitful and jarringly painful. After a quick shower she threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before running out the door.
When she pulled around the Bussey ranch cul de sac Ross' truck was nowhere in sight. She made quick work of gathering up her medical supply bag and went directly to the barn.
Draco was standing next to Serendipity, petting her neck and mummering softly to her. He looked up with a smile when he heard Emilia approach.
"Good morning. No issues last night that required your assistance Dr. Grainer, I promise."
He stepped back so she could step beside the mare and offer her own soothing strokes to her neck.
"Good morning Draco, Serendipity. I better take a look at the progress."
Emilia knelt down and gently removed the splint and bandage. Once she had unwrapped the final loop of gauze she focused on how much swelling there was today...only there wasn't any. In fact, the leg looked...healed. Normal.
Her mouth dropped open of its own accord as she triple checked. Nothing. Not even the gash she swore she saw yesterday. Dumbfounded, her eyes rose to find his expectant face.
"Well? How is she?" He asked curiously.
"H-how? How did you do it?" She asked in amazement.
Draco looked puzzled at her question.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
She motioned wildly at the leg.
"It doesn't look broken."
"Well that's good isn't it?" Draco questioned, still confused it seemed.
"What did you do, Draco?"
She gaped up at him, awe and suspicion apparent on her face, because he shrugged.
"I did exactly what you said to do."
She looked down at the leg bearing some weight then back up into his face.
"This should not be possible. The swelling should take days to go down this far."
Draco slipped his hands in his pockets.
"Perhaps it was not as bad as you initially thought."
Self doubt clouded her thoughts. Had she overreacted? Was it not as bad as she had remembered? There wasn't any other logical explanation for it otherwise.
"Perhaps I was irrational and assumed it was much worse than it actually was as you say." Emilia conceded reluctantly.
Draco closed the short distance between them and held out his hand.
"You did well Emilia. Mrs. Bussey is awake and asks for you to come update her once you examine Serendipity. You should go ahead and let her know she is doing well. After that I need a ride into town. I am quite knackered."
Still not completely satisfied she took his hand and rose to her feet.
"Well, before I drop you off would you like something to eat? The cafe is open. My treat, as a thank you for your help."
He picked up her supply bag for her from the floor.
"That sounds lovely."
She watched him carry her bag back out to the truck before turning to look once more at the mare's leg. She wondered if she had hit her head yesterday harder than she thought.