Chapter 5
"Isn't it amazing?!" Amy shares, as she gazes out over the horizon. The sun, a huge ball of orange, just settled below the western horizon, painting a beautiful tapestry across the evening ski. The only thing more beautiful was the smile on her face. In the sprawling field in front of them, more than a dozen wild horses have come to graze and settle for the evening. "I can't imagine taking in this view every day, Ty. I love you." she says, looking at him and then turning the opposite direction.
"Amy…" he hears himself say as he turns to see what she's looking at. In front of them is the meticulously staked out foundation for their new house. Located at the base of the hill, just below their favorite spot, they talk about the huge windows that will let them take in the view from the Master Bedroom. How all the rooms will be laid out. And where the baby's room will be.
"It's going to be perfect, Ty. All of our hopes and dreams are coming true. We can work together to build our business helping horses and other animals needing our care. And then come here at the end of each day."
The love in Amy's voice makes Ty choke up to the point that tears threaten. He never hoped to imagine that they would get to this point in their lives together. Something always seemed to happen and he'd been away for so long, it seemed. But standing here with her now, all that faded and he felt so happy. So full of love and life.
"Hey, are you crying?" She asks, turning to look at him. "No, I'm not." He replies, adamantly. "Yes, you are." She retorts, reaching for him. "You're just a big softie." she says, gazing into his eyes as she wraps her arms around him. "And you're cold! I mean really cold!"
"Amy, I just needed to see…." But he doesn't get to finish the sentence. The warmth of that moment changes quickly into the biting cold of a walk-in freezer. "Ty!" is the last thing he hears as the image of her fades.
"AMY!" he calls out in a dimly lit hospital room. Moments later, a nurse comes rushing. Turns on the soft indirect lights and then moves over to the left side of the bed.
"Ty! It's okay. You're just having a dream." She says, putting her right hand on his chest to calm him. "You're okay. You're safe now."
"Where's Amy? Where…. Where am I?" he asks, opening his eyes for the first time since the accident. It takes him a bit to shift from the wonderful dream to the reality of wherever this is. This included an IV attached to his left forearm, probes attached to various points on his person, monitoring heart rate, pulse, blood pressure and brain activity. The latter done to guide the medication they were giving him to keep him sedated.
Since being extracted from Old Blue yesterday morning, he'd been kept under and on strong pain medication. Ty paid no attention to the fact that both feet were slightly elevated and were just now being covered by a clean sheet.
"How are you feeling?" she asked as she walks across the room to the sink. She takes a wash rag from one of the lower drawers and rinses in in cool water.
"Not sure. Okay, I guess." He replies, turning his head from side to side to take in the room. Or at least the parts he can see.
Margaret returns to his side with the rag. "Are you in any pain?" She continues, making eye contact to gauge his reaction to the question as well as listen for his response.
"No. Why? Where am I?" He says, still not clear how he made the leap from his truck to whatever hospital this is.
"I'm Margaret and you're at Hudson General, Ty. Do you remember what happened?" she asks, as she gently wipes his forehead with the cool rag.
Ty closes his eyes for a moment. The coolness of the wash rag feels good against his sweaty skin. It also helps him wake up and focus his thoughts. Slowly, parts of that evening come back. "I was driving to Heartland. I remember it was snowing pretty hard." He pauses, trying to recall more. "And then I remember looking up and… seeing the door to my truck? But that can't be right." The words come slowly.
"You were in an accident. You hit a cow and your truck flipped."
"A cow?" He asks, looking at her to confirm.
"Yup, a cow. Apparently, one escaped from the nearby dairy farm. Walked right over the fence, thanks to a snow drift."
Ty tries to piece this new bit of information into his slowly forming mental timeline, but has little success due to lingering brain fog from the sedative and a hint of incredulity. "A cow?"
"Yes, Ty. A cow." She confirms. "How about we get you sitting up a bit. I'll bet you're hungry and thirsty." She grabs the control pad from the wall and slowly raises the head of the bed. "Say when."
"That's good." He signals, then reaches to scratch his temple. In doing so, he notices the stiffness in his limbs, causing him to try and shift his body a bit. This, in turn, causes him to panic when he realizes that he cannot move his feet. Fear growing, he tries harder, pressing his hands into the bed.
"Easy, Ty." Margaret warns, setting the control pad next to him on the bed and placing her hand on his shoulder. "You can't move your feet right now. Doctor's orders."
"Why? What's wrong with my feet?" He asks, the tone in his voice mirroring the panic he feels.
"When you were found, you were literally hanging upside down, so both of your feet were up in the air. That caused some injuries that the doctors are still trying to evaluate." Not sure how much to share, she adds "They're waiting to see how your body responds to the injuries."
"Am I going to lose a foot? Or a leg?" Ty blurts out, his mind going dark as his thoughts start to race.
Understanding his panic, she responds calmly, "No, you're not going to lose either. The evaluation will take two or three days. And then the doctors will decide what, if anything, needs to happen." Leaning over the bed to emphasize her words. She tells him "You are going to be okay, Ty."
Having been a nurse for over 19 years, Margaret has been in this situation many times and understands how disorienting and frightening it can be. Especially for patients who've been sedated for any length of time. She watches him closely, listening for his breathing to calm and for him to relax. A quick glance at the monitors confirms a lowered blood pressure and heart rate.
Satisfied, she walks to the sink with the wash rag, rinses it and then returns to the side of his bed. Continuing with his left temple, she continues to wash, removing bits of sleep from the corners of his eyes. The coolness continues to have a calming effect, which Ty responds to and is grateful for.
"You've been asleep for over 36 hours. You were sedated in the ambulance, after they got you out of the truck. You've had two visitors so far. Three, actually. Amy was one and Mr. Bartlett and his wife, Lisa came by also. I'll call and let them know that you're awake as soon as we're done here."
"Thanks."
Margaret rinses the rag at the sink, then adds just a bit of soap to it before returning bedside and gently washing his right arm. Rinsing the rag again, she returns and does the left arm, being carefully around the IV. The hospital adopted this policy when they discovered the soothing effect it had; like the cool rag. It also gave the staff time to better assess the patient's emotional state. Eyes closed, Ty was silent while she worked.
Still concerned about his state of mind, Margaret engaged him. "It might be a wild guess but I'm betting it was Amy you were driving home to see. She has to be a pretty special person for you to want to drive through a snow storm like we had."
"She is. And I'm an idiot." Ty responds, opening his eyes to see her finishing up his left hand with the rag.
She set his hand down and studied him for a bit. She recalls Amy's reaction when she saw him the prior evening. "Well, if first impressions mean anything, that young lady is in love with you. And from what I've seen and read about Amy Fleming, I doubt very much she thinks you're an idiot."
Continuing down a path of self-reflection, Ty confides. "Some days, I'm not sure what she thinks." Then after a bit asks, "What do you do when the person you love sees more good in you then you do?"
"Simple. You hold onto them and prove them right." Surprised by his admission and the tone of his question, she sits down on the edge of the bed. "Hey, you're both young and you still have a lot to figure out. There are always going to be challenges. But you continue to love each other and you work through them. And it's by working through them together that your relationship gets stronger."
Looking around the room, then back at his hands and imagining what may be going on with his feet, he adds. "I think this is going to be a pretty big challenge."
Reaching for his hand, she councils "This could have been a lot worse, Ty. The reason it isn't is because that girl that you're somehow unsure of, risked her own safety to go out into the storm to find you. You will get through this together and be stronger for it. And from what I've seen, it isn't just Amy rooting for you."
Getting up and turning to face him she finishes the therapy session. "The best thing you can do for yourself is to relax, stay positive and be sure to let us know if you feel anything change. Can you do that?"
"I'll try. Thanks for talking. I don't know why I said all that. Sorry."
"It's my bubbly personality and naturally outgoing nature." She says with a cute pixie smile and batting her eye lashes.
"You're welcome, Ty. I'm on duty all night so you'll be seeing a lot of me. Also, now that you're awake, the doctor is going to come in and talk with you."
She adjusts the bed covers, then raises the head of the bed so Ty's sitting more upright. After checking the IV and all the monitors she turns back to him. "How about something to drink? Orange juice?"
"Please. My mouth feels like it's stuffed with cotton." Ty says as he presses his dry lips together.
"I'll get some and be right back." She heads toward the door, but then turns back. "You're going to be okay, Ty."
"I hope so." He says, still processing this new reality that he's woken up to.
…..
Earlier that morning at Heartland
"Good morning, Lisa. How did you sleep?" Lou asks, pouring her a cup of fresh brewed coffee. She's been standing by the stove cooking breakfast for the past thirty minutes.
"Better than I expected, actually." Lisa replied, pulling a chair back from the Kitchen table and sitting down. Lou slides the hot mug over by her and Lisa takes a sip.
"Oh, that's good. New blend?"
"Yup. A sales rep came by the diner with samples. I'm thinking of adding it to the menu. The price is a bit steep but I think a lot of the tourists will go for it."
"I know I will." Lisa confirms before taking another sip.
"Care for some French toast to go with that new blend?" Lou asks, turning back by the stove.
"French toast? That sounds wonderful. It's been a while since I've had that."
"Grab the maple syrup from cupboard and I'll make some. Do you want two or three slices?" Lou asks, as she pulls three slices of thick Artisan white bread from the bag, dips them in the egg mixture and then into the skillet.
"Three please." Then, confirming the time on her watch, asks. "Where is everyone?"
Lou sits down for a bit. Resting her feet. "Well, Mallory just ate. She's in her room doing Lord knows what. Grandpa is out fixing a couple fence posts with Caleb. I'm pretty sure he took care of the horses this morning as I've not seen Amy yet."
"It's probably good that she slept in. I know she was upset when she got back from the hospital last night."
"Yeah, she came in the house and went straight to her room." Lou shared. "I'm not sure if seeing Ty like that was a good thing." A look of concern registering as she took a sip from her own mug.
"We warned her about that last night. But she said she hadn't seen him since they lifted him out of the truck and she needed to see that he was okay. I just hope we didn't get the nurse into too much trouble."
"I'm sure we'll hear about it today." Lou shares, getting up from the table and back to the French toast. She grabs a spatula and flips the three in sequence, exposing the golden-brown side.
Lisa, noticing the laptop when she walked into the kitchen, flips it around to see the first of many comments posted to Heartland's Facebook page. Scrolling down, she's amazed at the number of people who've posted comments.
"Wow." Is all she says as she continues to read. "Did someone really set up a GoFundMe" page for Harley?
"Yeah, they did. I thought someone was using it as a scam, just to raise money for themselves. But I looked and the funds will be given to Scott's clinic and earmarked for Harley's care."
Turning to look over Lisa's shoulder, she adds, "Click on the third tab at the top and that should be the page."
"$8,470 and growing!" Lisa says in amazement.
"I doubt Scott realized how people were going to react to seeing Harley being hauled by a tow truck to his clinic. Not to mention the phone has been ringing steady all morning. News people calling for interviews, customers asking about Harley and a few looking for help with their horse."
"Did I imagine it or did some idiot leave a message about his horse needing a tow because the battery died?" I was up earlier to use the bathroom and I heard him.
"You heard right. I actually called the guy back. Turns out his son made the call after seeing the video on-line."
Flipping between the Facebook and GoFundMe websites, Lisa comments. "You know, there are some days that I think people on the Internet, Facebook and Instagram are crazy or just have too much time on their hands. But this is NOT one of those days!" Lisa declares as the balance on the GoFundMe account jumps another $500."
They continue to monitor the page as Lou plates the French toast and serves it to Lisa. She then hands her a knife and fork before working on the next batch.
"Oh, Lou, these look delicious." Lisa says as she pours just a bit of maple syrup on the corner of her plate. Grabbing her knife and fork, she swiftly cuts the toast into bite-sized pieces and tries the first piece.
"It's a new recipe. I used heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and just a hint of almond extract and dark brown sugar." Lou shares as she dips three more slices of bread in the eggs and into the skillet. "Let me know what you think. I'm still adjusting the recipe."
"You don't even need the syrup. These are delicious. I bet they'll bring Amy out of her room. She loves French toast."
"I was hoping to see her by now." Lou adds. Then thinking for a bit she turns down the heat on the French toast.
"Could you do me a favor? Keep an eye on these for me." She says, pointing at the skillet. I'm going peak in on Amy and see how she's doing. I knocked on her door earlier but she didn't answer."
"I can go, if you'd rather…." Lisa replies, getting up from the table.
"No. I've been so busy dealing with Ty's truck and phone calls and Facebook and…" She pauses. "I think I need a moment with my sister."
"I get it, Lou. You go on. The breakfast is safe with me." Looking out the window, she adds "Looks like we have more customers on the way. Is there another loaf of bread."
"Check the top of the fridge. Oh, if that's Caleb, limit him to six slices. Otherwise, he'll eat the whole loaf and then some." Lou shares before heading to Amy's room.
Guessing that she has about five minutes before Jack and Caleb come indoors, Lisa turns the heat back up on the skillet, then sits and enjoys the other two slices of French toast. Savoring each bite with just a bit of the maple syrup.
Finished, she brings her plate and fork to the sink. Grabs three clean plates from the cupboard and sets them on the table for Jack, Caleb and Amy. Adding silverware and drink glasses as she works the stove.
…..
Walking up to Amy's door, Lou listens for a moment to see if she can hear any rustling or voices. Not hearing anything, she gently knocks. "Amy, are you awake?" Not getting a response, she knocks again. "Amy, Lisa's making French toast and it's really really good." Still not getting a response, she opens the door.
Walking into the room, she finds Amy still in her pajamas, sitting on the side of the bed. Hands in her lap, eyes staring forward, looking at nothing in particular.
"Are you okay? We haven't seen you this morning."
"I'm okay, Lou." Amy says, half-heartedly and just loud enough to be heard.
Sitting down next to her, Lou moves the hair away from her face and realizes that she'd been crying.
"Hey, talk to me. What's going on?" She asks before shifting to face her sister.
Her mind racing with all sorts of bad outcomes for Ty, Amy sits quietly. Finding it difficult to put any of it into words.
Having seen Amy in this state a few times, Lou knew what was going and knew there were two scenarios going forward. They would sit quietly for a bit till Amy shared something to get the conversation going and start draining the rushing thoughts in her head. If they sat too long, Lou knew that she needed to say something to draw her out. After sitting there watching her sister churn for a minute, she chose Option B.
"Are you worried about Ty?" Lou asks, picking an all-too-obvious starting point. Not getting any response, she continues. "Amy, we don't know anything yet and I know it was scary seeing him like that but I'm sure he's going to be okay. Thanks to you."
"I shouldn't have waited." Amy shares. Finally putting voice to one of the nagging thoughts racing through her mind.
"I should have gotten there quicker." She continues. First looking down at her hands and then up at the walls around her. Not wanting to make eye contact and fighting back more tears.
"Gotten where? To the hospital? Or quicker finding Ty?" Lou asks, not sure of the context. "You didn't! As soon as you realized something was wrong, you asked Scott to take you."
"But I shouldn't have…"
"Shouldn't have… what? I'm confused." She says, reaching to take one of Amy's hands and hold it.
"I should have just gone…. On Harley."
"That's what you did? You ended up taking Harley. Right?"
"You don't understand, Lou. You don't get it!" Amy says, getting frustrated. More with herself than Lou but even moreso because she can't quell the emotional storm in her head.
"Amy, I don't understand this thing between you and Ghost. But I trust that you two have a connection and I've seen what happens when he shows up. And what I saw was my brave younger sister head out in a blinding snow storm to find the boy that she loves." Lou countered, trying to relieve some of the doubt Amy is feeling.
Looking at her older sister for the first time, the words come out. "That's just it, Lou. I knew what I needed to do…. but I didn't do it. I was supposed to take Harley and head out right away. Not ask Scott. Not wait for him to get ready. Just grab what I needed and go. If I'd gotten there sooner…."
"It wouldn't have mattered, Amy. Ty would still be hanging upside down in a truck on a cold night in a blinding snow storm. Plus, you don't know how long he was hanging there. There's no way to know if the extra time it took you to put everything in the truck and wait for Scott would have mattered." Lou offers, though not sure she believes everything she's saying. She just wants her younger sister to feel better.
"But I knew something was wrong. I felt it. But then I doubted myself. I figured it was just me being too worried about the storm. Then Ghost showed up."
They both sit in silence for a bit. Lou, never being the most gifted touchy-feely emotionally-informed motivational speaker, comes up with some final thoughts. And delivers them with the expertise of a corporate executive. Or maybe it was just her version of tough love.
"Amy, I get that you somehow feel responsible for what happened. It means you love Ty and you care that he's okay. But, you know what this shoulda-woulda-coulda stuff is good for? N-O-T-H-I-N-G! Unless you want to waste a lot of time and energy beating yourself up. Trust me. There's no "Undo" button on life. You do the best you can, especially in scary situations, and you keep going."
Getting up, she continues.
"You sitting here beating yourself up doesn't help you, doesn't help Ty and it doesn't change a damn thing. I don't know anyone braver than you, Amy. I DO know that you are the reason that Ty has his best chance at recovering. If you hadn't gone, or you gave up and turned back, Ty's situation would be much worse."
"And another thing. I don't think you've ever intentionally put a horse at risk before. I've seen you use horses in many ways that lead to healing. Never putting any of them at risk like you did with Harley.
And finally, in typical Lou fashion, she calls it as she sees it. "You didn't force Ty to drive through a storm to get here. That's on him, Amy. You don't get to own what happened to him because of the decisions he made. All you can do is help him recover and for the TWO OF YOU to work it out so this NEVER happens again."
Amy ponders these thoughts, letting them sink in for a moment like a warm broth on a cold day. She rewinds to that moment on the porch between her and Ghost. He'd never come that close before and when that image of Harley came to her, she initially dismissed it to focus on the bigger issue of why he was there in the first place.
But there it was. Lou was right. Yes, she loved Ty and needed to get to him. But she'd downplayed using Harley because it made no sense to her to risk taking him. She hadn't thought about how they were going to stay warm or anything beyond her finding Ty. Ghost had shown her what she needed to do for them both to survive. And that meant risking Harley.
The fact that Harley had lay down next to the roof of the truck to keep them warm was something Amy could never have imagined. This thought brought an onrush of pride for the bond Harley felt with them, but also guilt for having to ask that of him.
As for Ty owning his injuries, Amy wasn't completely on-board with that. Mostly because she knew that he never intended to put himself in harms way to get to her. She also understood, from his background, why he made the choices that he did. And it was her not being able to talk him out of coming, that was the source of her guilt. That was something that her and Ty were definitely going to talk about. After he recovered.
Feeling better now that the thoughts were no longer swirling around in her head, Amy felt herself calming down. She sat a bit longer, recalling moments from the last 48 hours and all that had happened to the two of them. Then she got up, reached for her older sister and pulled her in for a hug.
"I was so worried about you, Amy. When Scott came in and said you'd taken off, I got really scared." Holding on tight, no words are said. Then Amy pulls back so they can make eye contact.
"I was scared too, Lou. Moreso for Ty, than myself. I had thought about turning back at one point. The wind had picked up and the cold was starting to set in. But then I got your text. I read it a couple times and it actually made me feel warm inside and I kept going."
"Love you."
"Love you more, Lou."
"Hungry?"
"Starving. I hear there's French toast?"
"Yup, if Caleb hasn't eaten it all."
"Caleb? I thought Mallory would be a black hole?"
"Apparently, we don't have the right kind of syrup."
"Too bad! More for us!" Amy says with a grin and an audio confirmation from her empty stomach. Catching her disheveled self in the mirror she stops. "I should change."
Pulling away from Amy, Lou peeks out the window, confirming that Jack and Caleb are still dealing with the horses.
"Nope. You're good like that. Lisa's cooking and the boys are still in the barn."
"Lisa's cooking?"
"Yup. And she's gonna want a hug when she sees you."
"I think I'm down with that."
Pulling away from each other, but still holding hands, they head to the kitchen.
…..
It's about Noon at Scott's clinic.
"I don't like it." Scott says aloud to no one in particular. He's been standing there with a cup of coffee, watching Harley for the past five minutes.
Coming out of the small animal room, Cassandra sees him still in the same spot. "You frozen there or has Harley started this cute little dance that you just can't pull yourself away from." She continues, walking up next to him. "We do have other animals to take care of."
It was never hard to tell how Cassandra was doing. The tone in her voice always gave it away. Snarky was pretty much the dominant mood.
"See that!" Scott says, pointing to Harley's back legs.
"That stutter step thing he's got going on?" She asks. "Captivating!"
"It's either nerve damage or muscle death. Not sure which." Scott says as he hands her his mug, walks to Harley's side and puts his hands on one leg and then the other. He's feeling to see if a particular muscle group is triggering or if Harley is simply reacting to the fact that the legs feel different.
"I'd have nerve damage too if I sat on my legs for as long as he did. It was a stupid thing to do."
Scott looks at her for a moment and then points out. "Well that stupid thing is what kept Amy and Ty warm until help arrived. So I'd call that several things. None of them would be stupid."
"Whatever. Ty was stupid for trying to drive through the storm."
Continuing to examine Harley's legs, Scott concedes "Probably not one of his better decisions. But he's going to pay for it."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when you hang upside down in cold weather and the circulation in one of your feet is cut off by your boot, bad things happen. All they can do now is assess his injuries, decide what will heal and what they need to remove."
This sobering thought shifts her view of the situation and she asks "Is he going to lose his foot over this?"
"Don't know. Hope not." He says, getting up and moving to Harley's head. "The human body is capable of amazing things. So I'm choosing to be optimistic on his outcome." Then turning to face Cassandra, he takes his mug back and adds "It would be good for you to do that also. For Amy's sake. Regardless of how you feel about Ty or his decision."
"So what's next for Harley?" She says, changing the subject.
"Draw more blood to check for enzymes indicating muscle death." If we don't find any, then we can assume that it's nerve damage. The only cure for that is physical therapy and we know just the person for that job."
"Think she'll be up for it, given the situation?"
"Not sure. But it'll be a nice distraction and maybe she can get Ty and Harley into couple's therapy." Scott deadpans, injecting just a bit of humor into the situation.
"Hah! Hah! I'll draw the blood. Any change in his feed or meds."
"Yeah, add some Bergamot oil. Amy claims it's good for relieving stress and helping digestion. Let's work all the angles and maybe help him heal just a bit quicker. No harm in trying."
"I'll update his chart after I draw the blood. How about you wander in back and check on the constipated skunk?"
"I think I'd rather stay here with the horse. Thank you." Scott replies. "Is it still constipated?"
Checking her watch to confirm, "Till about 20 minutes ago. Not sure why anyone would want a skunk for a pet."
"They are actually pretty docile and fun pets. From what I've read anyway." Scott shares, then heads to the coffee machine with his now empty mug. He's just filled it and is about to take a sip when he hears a loud rumbling outside.
He peeks out the window in time to see "Road Runner" pull up next to the building. It's the tow truck that carried Harley to the clinic early yesterday morning. Curious as to why he's come back, Scott watches the vehicle's abundance of Emergency lights come on just before Dozer hops down from the cab.
Quickly washing his hands, Scott walks to the front of the clinic in time to meet him as he enters the building.
"Dozer. Right?" Scott asks, extending his hand.
"You remembered." Dozer replies as the shake.
"Yeah, well. The name sorta sticks."
"You're not the first to say that. I just came by to see how that horse is doing. My name's Jonathan, by the way."
"Well, thanks to you, Jonathan, that horse has a fighting chance to survive and heal."
"Come to the back and you can see him."
They head to the room with the large animal stalls. Harley seems eager to greet the familiar visitor.
"I think you've left an impression on him. Horses are very intelligent and they do take a shine to some people."
"Well, I'm pretty much a sucker for anything on four legs. My wife's the same. We have several dogs at home. And a cat, I think."
Jonathan walks up to Harley, who's still supported by the harness he was brought in with. Harley turns his head to greet him. "Hey boy, how you doing? You getting better now that you're out of the cold?" he asks, stroking the horse's head and neck. Their interaction continues as Scott explains the situation.
"Everything has cleared up nicely, except his back legs. Somethings going on there and I haven't figured it out yet."
"He isn't going to end up lame is he?" Jonathan asks.
"No. But in order to treat him properly and assure his best recovery, I need to figure out exactly what's going on. See that? That little dance he just did?"
"Yeah, looks like a Texas Two-Step."
"Yeah, that tells me that there may be some nerve damage in one or both legs."
"Well, both legs moved so maybe it's in both? Not that I know what the heck I'm talking about."
"Possibly. Or it's in one leg and the other leg moved simply to compensate and maintain balance."
"Whether it's in one or both doesn't really change the remedy, does it?"
"No. But it can affect the length of the recovery." Cassandra replies, coming back into the room after processing the blood sample.
Scott turns and introduces the two of them. They shake hands and Cassandra asks. "Is this the first time you've towed a horse?"
"Yes. And possibly not my last. Based on the phone calls I've been getting."
"How's business been since yesterday? My girlfriend tells me that it's blown up on Social Media and there's a GoFundMe account set up for Harley's care."
"Yeah, I think my wife donated to it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, like I said. She's a sucker for anything on four legs. As for business, things have definitely picked up and that's part of the reason I'm here."
Sensing that this conversation was going to go on for an extended period, Cassandra interrupts. "Scott, the blood test came back negative."
"So, it is nerve damage." Thinking for a bit. "Let's lower him to put just a bit more pressure on his legs. Then draw another blood sample in about five hours. If that still comes back negative, then we know what's going on."
"Is the added pressure a good thing?" Cassandra asks.
"The two blood draws we did came back negative, indicating that the muscles are still intact. That means that the legs are still as strong as they were and the damage was due to loss of circulation to the nerves. Adding the pressure will force him to make more adjustments, exercise those muscles and possibly restore some neuro pathways."
"That's why you're the boss." Cassandra shares. I'll update his chart and head out for lunch. "It was nice meeting you Jonathan."
"Same. Thanks for helping take care of Harley. He's a beautiful animal."
Cassandra waves as she heads out. "Scott, text me if you decide you want anything. I'm headed to the diner." Then she turns and is gone.
"That one is all business."
"Yeah, but she grows on you. Especially if you get the chance to see how much she cares about the animals. But you can only see that when she thinks you're not looking."
"How does that work?"
"Strictly, by chance." Scott admits. Then turns and leads them back to the front of the clinic. "So, you had another reason for the visit?"
"Yeah, I got a call from a family who owns a herd of cows. One of them, a family pet, has been laying down for the past day and doesn't want to move. They want me to go out there with my big'ol truck and give her a lift. As they put it."
"You're not a vet."
"I told them that. And then I said we're a packaged deal. Anything involving my truck and something on four legs automatically includes you. That's the only way it works."
"Bet that went over well."
"They squabbled about it but then reluctantly agreed."
"Who's the family?"
"Carlson, about 20 miles North of Hudson."
"Yeah, they don't like me much because I bill them for my time. Let me talk with Cassandra and see if she can cover this afternoon. You got time to head over there?"
"I've got a quick job pulling a tractor out of a muddy field. That won't take long and I'll be back."
"Wait for my call. If she can cover, then we're good to go."
"Then I'll wait to hear from you." Jonathan responds as they shake hands. He just gets to the front door when Scott adds. "This time. I think I'd like to ride in the cab."
"That can definitely be arranged." Jonathan confirms, turning to him and flashing a grin.
"You don't have a siren do you?"
"Nope. Just the lights. Got a big horn though." He says with a chuckle.
"Hey, Jonathan, stay safe out there."
"Always, Doc."
…..
Back at Heartland that afternoon.
They're all gathered by the fireplace as Amy tells the story of how she found Ty. Jack, Lisa, Lou, Caleb and Mallory all listen intently. Amy doesn't mention Ghost.
All are amazed that she had the foresight to bring blankets and hand warmers with her. "I just grabbed things that I thought Ty would need. You know how reliable the heater is in Old Blue. I figured I'd find him on the side of the road with a stalled engine."
Mallory cuts to the chase "So were you totally freaked when you saw the truck flipped on its side?"
"Honestly. I didn't really think about it. I was just happy I'd found the truck. I assumed Ty was in it so the task was to figure out how to get inside."
"How did you know he was in there?" Lisa asks. Holding on to Jack's hand. "I'd be worried. Probably thinking he'd climbed out and was lost somewhere in the storm."
"I guess I just knew. I tried walking around the other side and looking through the windshield. But it was frosted up on the inside. But thinking about it now, seeing the frost on the inside of the glass should have been a clue."
"Because Ty was alive and breathing, putting moisture into the air, causing the frost." Caleb shares, drawing all eyes on him.
Surprised at suddenly being the center of attention. "What's the big deal? I've driven in the winter before. I know how this works." They all kinda nod in agreement.
Caleb looks around the room at everyone and then back at Amy. "There's one thing I'm curious about.
How did a cell phone signal help you locate Ty's truck?"
Amy explains. "It wasn't a cell phone signal. It was the signal from a wireless router. I knew Ty had one and I asked him to plug it while he was driving here. It was one of two things I asked him to do before he left. It acted like a homing beacon."
Mallory pipes up. "Oh, so that's why you mentioned "Loft Boy". It was the name he gave to his WiFi connection. Duh!"
Still curious, Caleb continues the query. "But how did you know to do all that. I never pictured you as one of those 'Techie' types."
"Ty explained it to me. He'd gotten the wireless router at a resale shop and hooked it up inside the trailer. I always remember him saying I should think of the signal like a beacon that radiates all around the trailer. If I was close enough, my phone could see it. Sorta. I think I read on-line about someone putting it in their truck and it seemed like a good idea."
"But there's no Internet service at the trailer. So what good is it?"
"He had a buddy at school set it up for us. We both have an app on our phone that allows us to load and save files on a USB drive connected to the router. With Ty working and taking classes, it was hard for us to stay connected. There were days when we wouldn't see each other. So we make it a point to take time every day or so, to leave messages for each other."
Quick to point out the obvious. "You've heard of texting, right?" Mallory asks.
"This was different. Sometimes, we'd share photos or longer videos, talking about the day or something special that happened or how we missed each other."
"Yeah, and that's called Snap Chat." Mallory counters.
"It's more than that, Mallory." Amy explains, looking around the room. "It's become like a diary of our relationship. A journal of events which we can keep and rewatch. And it's not on the Internet for others to see. Just us."
Parrying one more time "Oh, so you can leave naughty pictures for each other."
"No Mallory." Amy shared, trying desperately to not to blush, while recalling a moment last summer when she was leaving a video message for Ty about a horse she'd just healed. It had taken her most of the day and the sun was slowly settling when she pulled up to the trailer.
She was so excited to share the news and then she told him how much she missed him, and missing him and thinking about him got her excited in a much more physical way. So she paused the video, looked to make sure no one was around. Then removed everything on top before putting her plaid shirt back on but leaving it unbuttoned. Resuming the video, she repeated her comment about missing him, and then moved her phone back far enough so he could see her unbuttoned shirt. And then she explained how her "Girls" missed him, too. And proceeded to move the shirt out of the way to prove it.
Yup, she was working hard to avoid blushing. But everyone in the room knew. Both Lou and Lisa had knowing grins on their faces. Mallory looked like the cat who swallowed the canary. Caleb was wondering where he could get one of these setups to use with Ashley. Jack simply shook his head.
It was Lisa that broke the awkward silence that followed. Saving Amy further embarrassment. "What a unique way to stay in touch with each other. I like that idea. After a couple years, you can look through them and enjoy the moments over and over again. I'm proud of you, Amy."
Grateful for the encouragement, Amy continued. "Texting and Snap Chat are fine but there's a sense of immediacy to them. After a bit, we both started looking forward to taking five minutes or so out of the day to just talk to each other or share something. And me riding over by the trailer every couple of days was no big deal because I had to exercise the horses anyway. And it was fun when the phone connected and there were messages waiting for me."
Turning to Mallory, Amy confirms. "Yes, Mallory. We do text. Ty telling me he's at the clinic or me telling him about something trivial. The messages we share are more than that."
"So where can I get one of these?" Caleb finally asks.
"That would be a question for Ty, next time you see him. Or maybe wait till he's out of the hospital."
"I will definitely do that."
"You just want it for the naughty pictures Ashley will leave for you!" Mallory declares.
"Hey, I like words, too!" Caleb blurts out, by way of defending himself. "Actually, just seeing her smile makes me happy." And anyone knowing Caleb, knows that to be true.
"We're done here. I think we all have things we need to be doing. So let's get to them." Jack announces.
They all get up and get about their individual tasks. Lisa and Jack head out to run errands after promises from Amy that she'll call if there's any word from the hospital. Caleb heads back into the barn to refill one of the feed bins and do a few other chores.
Mallory plops down in the corner of the Family room and picks up a book she's been reading. Something she borrowed from her parent's nightstand.
Lou follows Amy into her bedroom, anxious to know if Ty reciprocated.
"So, did Ty leave anything naughty for you?" She asks.
"Lou. Like I'm going to tell you." Amy protests. But again. The slight blush gives her away.
"Thought so!" She announces. Leaving the room with a Cheshire cat grin on her face.
Amy sat on her bed, as she did earlier that day. This time, her thoughts were on the video that Ty had left her, showing his reaction to her reaction to getting excited while thinking about him. This time, she didn't worry about the blush. Especially when she recalled the moment in his trailer when she surprised him by reenacting the scene. And how much she loved his reaction to that. And what followed.
…..
Early evening at Hudson General.
Ty had just eaten dinner and was sitting up reading an article on the care of injured predatory birds. He had a marker in his hand, making comments on the side about how the author had gotten several points wrong. At one point, while grumbling about a specific point, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in." Ty said, putting the article down and the cap back on the marker.
In walked a tall man with red hair and a thick beard. He wore a clean set of blue scrubs, complete with hat. They were covered by a white lab coat with a stethoscope peeking out the top of his left pocket.
"I'm Doctor Ferguson. How are you feeling?"
Ty noted his thick Scottish accent. Took a bit to register it and then responded. "I'm good."
"Are you in any pain?" he asked, walking up to the side of the bed.
"No. Just some stiffness. Moving his arms to see if there was any noticeable improvement."
"No pain is good. Stiffness is to be expected, given how you landed. And the fact we've kept you immobile for almost two days now.
"I figured. It makes sense."
"I have to say, this is a first for me. When the EMT's told me what happened, I didn't believe them. But they showed me a picture they took when the found the two of you. Have to say, you've got a keeper there."
"Yeah, she is."
"Let's have a listen. Call me Wiley. My friends do and you and I are going to become friends before this is done. I suspect you already know that."
"Given that I'm still here, I kinda figured that. Where you from. I'm guessing it's not from anywhere close by."
"Edinburgh. Grew up there. Doctors there found me snuck into the medical library so many times, they figured I was a good investment so they helped fund my education. My mum died when I was young and my dad was on the maintenance staff there and well liked."
"So how did you end up here?"
"I'm on a six-month rotation. One of the doctors here swapped places with me. Sort of an exchange program. I specifically wanted this because I've been focusing on treating patients suffering from frostbite like symptoms. I had a couple come into the ER a year or so back after a particularly cold spell. I was fascinated by the ways the body protected and also tried to heal itself. Then I got curious. Something my wife says I should never do. But she came with so how bad could it be. Right?!"
Walking close to the bed. He grabs his stethoscope.
"Anyway. Deep breaths."
Ty takes a sequence of deep breaths as Dr. Ferguson listens to both lungs.
"Lungs are good. The bit of fluid in the left lung has cleared up nicely. That's a good sign."
"So, what's the bad sign?" Ty asks, not wanted to delay thee inevitable.
Appreciating the direct approach, "Toes are the bad sign. Three on the left and one on the right. The right little toe has a bit of black on it, meaning the tissue is dead. And it's also sporting a huge blister making it look twice as big. I think it's just doing that to intimidate the others."
"And the left."
"A bit more serious. The smallest two toes are completely black. The middle toe is questionable, given the color and not one but two blisters. Also of concern is the corner of your foot where the little toes attach."
Ty gets quiet for a moment, trying to visualize what that looks like and how it's going to impact his life going forward. As if reading his mind, Dr. Ferguson walks to the foot of the bed and uncovers his right foot.
"See what I mean. That little toe is just trying to intimidate the others. I think he's bucking for an upgrade to middle toe or higher. What do you think?"
Appreciating the attempt at humor, "If he keeps it up, he may want to knock that big toe off. Another day and he's be about that size."
Noting and appreciating Ty's latching onto the humor of things, he adds "You may be right. I sense a lot of determination on that toe's part. I'm hoping he gets that from you." He shares, looking up at Ty and making a point.
"You up for seeing the left foot?" Dr. Ferguson asks, still looking at him.
"I guess." Ty says. Not really sure if he's ready or not. "In for a penny. In for a pound." He tells himself. Something he's heard his mother Lily say on more than one occasion. Though not sure if the context is right or appropriate.
"There's no 'I guess' option, Ty. The only option here is to move forward. You understand that, I hope."
Ty looks at the right foot, trying to imagine what it would feel like if the toe was gone. He's fighting the voice in his head telling him that this is the price he has to pay for being stupid. "Why didn't I just pull off some wh…"
"Ty! Whatever mental road you've jumped on. Pull over and please listen."
Looking up at the doctor, Ty sighs. "Sorry. I was thinking how this was not how I imagined spending Christmas Eve day."
"Hey, I understand. I do. From what I was told, you were driving home so you could spend the day with your girl and her family. I get it. I also know that you never intended for any of this to happen. But it did. So again, we have to move forward."
Walking back along the side of the bed he continues. "Ty, I promise to do everything I can to make you healthy and get you back on your feet recovering as quickly and as safely as I can. But I can only meet you half way. You are going to have to show up and show me that you're willing to work for it."
And with that, he extends his right hand to Ty. "You and I are going to shake on it. Here and now. Here is where you and I acknowledge where things are at. And how we move you forward. Are you ready?"
Ty considers him for a bit. He thinks about Jack and Lisa and Lou and for some reason Mallory. And then he thinks about Amy and the dream he had about their future together.
"It's good to have dreams, Ty. I see it in your eyes as I have with others. You're doubting whether you'll be able to get there. But I assure you. You will. Have we got a deal?"
"Deal!" Ty says, reaching for his hand and shaking it with a firm grip.
"So, let's have a peek at that left foot and what sort of shenanigans have been happening there."
Their conversation continues for another fifteen minutes before they shake hands one more time and the doctor turns to leave.
"I believe your family will be coming to visit now that they know that you're up. You may not want to. But I suggest you be honest with them about the situation as you're going to need their support going forward. In every case I've dealt with, the recovery time is halved when family, especially a loved one, is involved. From what I hear, you Ty, are fortunate to have someone who loves you very very much."
And then he's gone.
…..
A bit later at Heartland.
"Thank you for the call. We're just sitting down to eat so we'll head out in a bit." Jack shares with Margaret, the duty nurse.
"Grandpa, I'll throw some food into a carrier. I want to go now." Amy says, getting up from the table.
"Amy, my granddaughter is going to head there straight away." Jack updates.
"Good, I'll let the doctor know that she's on the way. He may want to speak with her before she sees Ty.
"Ty. He's going to be okay though. Right?" Jack asks, the concern in his voice getting other people's attention. Lisa, Lou and Caleb get up from the table and come to the kitchen.
"He's got a long road ahead of him, Mr. Bartlett. I want you to be prepared. The doctor can fill you in on the details, but he's going to need all of your support in the weeks ahead."
"I understand. Thank you, Margaret."
"Wish I had better news. Please have Amy check in at the nurse's station in the ICU when she gets here."
"I'll relay the message. Good bye."
"Good bye." Margaret says, before hanging up the phone.
After setting the cordless phone back down on the counter, Jack turns to find all eyes on him. Lou, Lisa and Caleb are looking at him. He's about to speak when Amy comes rushing into the kitchen with a Rubbermaid container packed with dinner items. Fried chicken, honey carrots and mashed potatoes.
"Amy, the nurse, Margaret, said to check in at the nurse's station in the ICU."
"Thanks, Grandpa. Did she say anything else."
Not wanting to worry her ahead of time. "No, just check in there."
"Amy, we'll be along in a few minutes, honey. Drive safe." Lisa adds.
They all watch her leave and then instantly turn back to face Jack.
"She said something else, didn't she?" Lou inquires.
"Only that Ty had a long road ahead of him."
"So, the frostbite did some damage. Probably to the leg that was caught." Lisa surmises.
"Does that mean he's going to lose the leg?" Caleb asks, feeling suddenly worried for his best friend.
Mallory overhears the comment and comes into the kitchen. "I don't think I want Ty to have a metal leg. How could he be a vet if he can't move very well?" Saying the quiet part out loud makes everyone stop for a moment.
"Before we all start guessing about what happened, how about we grab a mouthful or two of food and then head to the hospital?" Jack announces before heading back to the table in the Family room.
"It all depends on how cold he got, Caleb." Lou offers in a quiet voice. "I've read about climbers losing fingers and toes and..."
"I agree with Jack." Lisa interrupts. "Let's grab a quick bite and head to the hospital. Amy will be there in a bit and we should be there to support both of them. And the food is getting cold."
Acknowledging Mallory's concern, Lou walks over to her. "Hey. We don't know what's happened to Ty so let's do what Grandpa said. Eat something and then go see how Ty's really doing and what we can do to help him get better. Okay?"
"I guess. But if he comes home with a peg leg…." Mallory shares, before joining the others back at the table.
They all quickly sit back at the table, grabbing small helpings of everything and eating in silence. Not more than 15 minutes later all of them are packed into Lisa's car, headed to the hospital.
"I should have grabbed another drumstick." Caleb announced after they were underway.
"There weren't anymore. You ate all four of them!" Lou complained.
"Wait, that was two chickens?" He asks, suddenly not quite sure of the math.
"Last I checked, chickens only had two legs." Jack confirms. Surprised at the comment.
"Caleb, we always double the recipe for whatever we're making when we know you're coming over. You do tend to eat a lot." Lou explains.
"Can't help it, Lou. You're just too good a cook."
'Yeah, right." She replies, trying hard not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her smile at the compliment.
To be continued.
Author's note:
I apologize for the lengthy delay in posting this chapter. I appreciate that I've written a story well enough that you're anxious to know what happens. I very much appreciate it.
Thank you for your patience. Those of you checking back in the Fall, it'll still be here so you'll have a pleasant surprise when you check back. I hope you find it worth it.
For the record, I will not abandon this story. I will see it through as I too want to know what happens.
Going forward, if I write more stories to publish, I will not post them until I have all of the chapters completed. I am thinking of a Heartland / Ghost Whisperer cross-over. That would be a major undertaking and I'm not sure I can commit the time to that right now.
Finally, to Jonathan, my nephew and the real life driver of "Road Runner" up until May, 2023. Rest in Peace. Your big heart will be missed.
[230706: Edited to fix typos and other goofs.]