Chapter 40
Amy was surprised to find Ty coming out of the bathroom in fresh scrubs at 5:15.
"Couldn't sleep Ty ?"
"No, slept fine but I got up and figured I could get rounds out of the way and get set up for 7:00."
"Ok, what about Georgie ?"
"6:30 should be fine, have breakfast with them and the kids." He leaned over and kissed her, then lingered a little, each taking a second to get comfort from the closeness.
"Make sure you eat Ty." Amy said leaning in to kiss him again.
"I will, see you later, love you."
"Love you too." She said shaking her head a little confused and heading to the shower.
He managed to get out of the cottage through the private patio outside the bedroom and around the side bypassing the kids altogether. He headed straight to the medical barn and after grabbing an on call iPad headed into the conference room to wait for John. He started a pot of coffee and sat down to check the latest files on the horses incoming and those already in house.
At just about 6 the door opened and Bert walked in.
"Didn't expect to find you here Ty."
"Yeah, wanted to get an early start."
"Anything new ?"
"The range of what's wrong with these horses is pretty astounding."
"Usually is with state turnovers, if they were easy they'd find them other homes."
Bert was surprised when the door opened and John popped his head in followed by Charlie. "We good ?" John asked.
"Fine, thanks for coming." Ty told him.
"Ty, why am I here at this ungodly hour ?" Charlie asked.
John put down a bag of bagels and some spreads that they all helped themselves to.
"Bert, you part of this ?"
"Part of what Charlie ?"
"I have no idea, John texted me and said to meet him here for Ty and here we are."
"The girls are requiring that I date, court and woo Amy, we have a dinner date Sunday night, local, dress up and I have no idea what my schedule will be for the next two days, or anything knowledge really about Ithaca, I need help."
"God, at the mercy of those two, I can't imagine what they plan for you buddy." John laughed joined by Charlie and Bert.
"I'm glad you all find it funny, dating is like a spectator sport with rules around here."
"What do you need Ty ?" Charlie asked.
"A car and a restaurant for Sunday night. Quiet, romantic, a little dark. The car has to impress her, you know classic, maybe a soft top ? I guess flowers for the pick-up."
"Ok, the restaurant is Le Café Cent Dix, in town, I'll call Jason the chef, what time ?"
"7PM Sunday, picking her up at 6:30."
"Ok, I'll have him do a tasting menu, beer for you and cider for her. Let's do 8 dishes and 2 elaborate Amy desserts. I'll text you the details."
"Beer not wine ? Ty asked.
"Can you hold that much wine, beer is better, a couple sips of each. Perfectly acceptable up here, it's the land of breweries." Charlie assured him.
"Car ?" Ty asked.
"John and I'll call around, one of us will let you know." Charlie said. "A little more notice and a later meeting would be appreciated next time Ty but I get the circumstances. I had to drop Chuck off anyway and I have a 9 AM Tee. Good luck Sunday, I'll be in touch."
"Thanks Charlie."
"No problem Ty, it's us against them."
"Against who Charlie ?"
"Them Ty, in my world there's always a them, in this case the evil twins."
"They're not evil."
"We'll take another vote in a few months my naïve young friend, we done here ?"
"Flowers ?"
"Already texted Trish, we're good buddy." John said smiling.
"Thanks guys, I'm really in a bind this time."
"Call us for the next one too Ty, impressing Amy, well, that'll take some doing."
"Thanks Charlie and this doesn't have to get out right ?"
"Your conspiracy is safe with us Ty, and Meg and Trish." Bert said.
"Yeah, kinda figured that was coming."
While the men were meeting another gathering took place in the guest cottage. Jackson was sad that Ty had left early, Georgie wasn't too keen on the idea either.
"He goes I go Amy, isn't that the point ?" She huffed.
"Ordinarily yes Georgie but this is a family ranch and you just got here so sit with your cousins while I get food ready. Jackson maybe you'd better swim before breakfast ?"
Before JT could even ask Charlotte piped up, "uhm Wyatt, why don't you hang and keep an eye on JT for a bit while the girls get breakfast ready ?"
"Well, ok, sure Charlie, any instructions ?"
"Don't let him drown." Amy said laughing, "don't worry, it's a formality but we stick to it. Kid in the water gets watched. There's magazines and stuff to read, only 20 minutes."
As soon as the hum of the pool started a few minutes later Amy turned to the girls, "How bad is this ?"
"Adoption." Maddie said.
"Good lord, it's been less that two weeks, can I catch a break ?" Amy moaned.
"This is more on us Mom but you need to hear it." Charlotte said.
"Go on Charlie."
"JT asked if you two were going to get married and we basically said yes, that's the plan." Charlotte said.
"Then he asked what happens to us ?" Maddie continued.
"And we said step dad." Charlotte said.
"And he said so mom and step dad." Maddie took over.
"And we said unless we get adopted then it's just mom and dad." Charlotte said.
"How is this on you both ?" Amy asked.
Charlotte looked at her "well we said that Dr. Borden would have to want to and we would also have a choice."
"Right" Maddie agreed "and after letting him know that we thought Dr. Borden would want to he, well, he."
"He doesn't get that we could choose no and he could choose yes, he thinks we have to choose together." Charlotte finished.
"Or somehow not be a family." Georgie said "like Jeff and I when I got adopted, it did feel weird that I had a mom and dad and he didn't, even though you all tried to make him feel like family, I get where the little guy is coming from. There's also the place of the rumored baby Lisa mentioned in all of this. Have you two thought about it at all ?"
"Of course we've thought about it Georgie, even talked to Gran about it." Maddie said.
"What did she have to say ?" Amy asked.
"She said that if you two get married then she will treat Dr. Borden like her son no different than dad and that we had to choose, that he would love us like we were his own because that's the man she sees and he'll do that no matter what we each chose."
"She said that huh ?" Amy said tearing up.
"She loves you Mom, you know that. Like you were."
"Her daughter" Amy whispered finishing Charlotte's thought.
"Seems she thinks that about Dr. Borden too, he's grown on her I think." Charlotte said.
"He's a good man girls." Amy said.
"We know mom." They said together. Georgie stared at them for a second and shook her head. "you two speak paragraphs in tandem."
"You'll get used to it Georgie" Amy said laughing. "Thanks for the heads up girls, Ty and I have discussed it, this should be a fun talk to advance the topic. If I see him again this decade, I hope today doesn't turn into a nightmare. Let's eat and head out, JT sounds done."
After breakfast, the girls stayed at the house to watch the Watson kids while others got Roberta settled at home with the baby. Amy dropped Jackson at the family barn for chores and continued on to medical. Georgie had gone on ahead and Wyatt got scooped up by Charlie Rogers of all people, supposedly to the golf course.
"Charlie behave yourself, don't hurt him." Amy said off to the side.
"Come on Amy, what do you think I'm going to do ?"
"Don't leave the country Charlie, you know, don't even leave the county."
"You worry too much Amy, go fix horses." He answered laughing.
After changing into scrubs Amy wandered to the front of the medical barn and turned to the building standing next door waiting to receive the equipment and get wired for use. They were on a 6 day lull waiting for the heavy imaging equipment which was the first installation. The process of setting up all this equipment so that it was useable without hindering the transport system was daunting. It was also exacting, one piece at a time. The building was scheduled to open for use on October 1st.
"Standing golden haired in the sun staring at my new surgery with a wistful gaze and in those very hot scrubs" Ty said running his arm around her waist from behind and pulling her against him.
"So whom were you off dallying with this morning Dr. Borden ?"
"Let's see, I had bagels and coffee with Bert, Charlie and John."
"Before 6:00 AM ?"
"Yup, Bert got in, Charlie brought Chuck and John was just stopping through."
"At 6:00 AM ?"
"Yup, about 6."
"Ok then, I'm still the boss right, you guys didn't vote me out or anything ?"
"Nope." He said as the first trailer pulled down the road.
"Good, then get to work" she sat patting him on the butt.
"Yes boss and in case I haven't mentioned it, I love you very much."
"Still have to get to work Ty." She said sighing then turned to kiss him gently on the lips.
Ty smiled and walked off to stop into medical, grab Georgie and head out to meet the trailers. The next 24 hours became sort of a blur to him with notable exceptions. Of the 18 horses delivered to the ranch over Friday, including Boxer who was delivered directly to the thoroughbred stables six required colic surgery within the first 24 hours starting with a horse on the first trailer who was found in respiratory distress when they opened the box. He was alert and moving though very skittish and obviously scared so Amy handed the lead to Georgie who calmed him for a few minutes, walked him slowly and then led him warily to a medical stall.
"I'm not used to a Fleming on the vet staff, seems an asset." Bert remarked walking past towards the trailer as Ty went to get a preliminary read on the horse just stalled.
Checking the horses chart he saw that the report that preceded the first transfers included that all 5 suffered from rain rot along with a schedule of Streptomycin injections. He also noted that Amy had signed off on it with some modifications.
This horse also had cracked heels and a file attachment of recommended treatment which would be adhered to based on an actual physical exam by Pegasus staff.
Within the hour Ty was untangling a mass of tapeworm from the horse with Georgie's assistance. Bert was opening an infected wound on a second horse and two other Vets who had come in from Cornell and were quickly introduced to them were off with Sarah and the seconds to vet the other horses in isolation.
Ty knew that Amy had come by several times and stopped to talk with several people he did not at this point have the wherewithal or familiarity to identify most of them. One time she poked her head in behind a mask, and he saw her smiling at him, her eyes were what he saw and they told a thousand stories.
During his second surgery that day he got word that Lou had landed and was en route to the ranch with Katie.
"Georgie your Mom's on her way from the airport I wonder how Amy is going to react to Katie and her phone ?" Ty asked over a horse's intestines.
"I meant to ask you, the girls have phones right ?"
"Yeah, I've seen them but it's not a thing and I don't know that I ever got rules."
Bert responded from the next stable "Amy considers them evil for kids and teens alike. She swears they affect the horses. You won't see JT with a phone until high school like the girls. Get her started and she'll go off on a diatribe. She understands their need and the girls have I assume the best but you just don't see them glued to it. Jackson rode off to the Potter's before so he has one with him until he gets back. Katie is Lou's daughter ?"
"Yup, my kid sister."
"Of course, what was I thinking, I'm sorry Georgie."
"That's fine Bert, it's not like I was standing here a week ago. I wondered about the girls, Katie is attached to hers like a tether."
"It's interesting" Bert said "the twins are busy girls, they're not allowed to forego their responsibilities, and that includes something like this. Sure they slide but Amy and Betty keep on them. Sabrina is a serious musician and that requires serious work and time, Bobby works the farm with his mom. None of them have time for the phone and they've realized at a young age that the sooner they get done the sooner they can touch and touching is better than texting."
"So Bert, are you a romantic ?" Georgie asked.
"I'm a pragmatist Georgie, I need thinkers not googlers. I understand that you can consult a textbook on your phone, and over the past few years the dependence level is sky-rocketing with interactive databases. I've already written my books, someone else needs to write the next books and that person needs to think independent of my thoughts, they need new thoughts, different thoughts, better thoughts."
"A romantic and a philosopher, I like that." Georgie said after a minute and glanced up to see Bert smiling at her under his mask.
"Careful of those dimples Bert, she's wily." Ty said laughing.
"Heh, I'm married to a woman who has bled Ivy League academia politics for twenty years Ty, I live with wily besides after dealing with Amy's smile for all these years I'm at least partially immune."
"I look forward to dinner next Friday Bert, it'll be nice to just sit and talk. Oh, if I could get a couple hours early Sunday that would be helpful."
"Early Sunday and a dinner date, care to share ?"
"Fishing if the horses cooperate."
"Ah yes, there's something grounding getting outfished by a seven year old."
"Six year old he reminded me last time out. He's a hell of a fisherman, got to give him that."
"All three, have you fished with the girls ?"
"Not yet, I've been kind of busy since I got here."
"Well you saw jumping and liberty, they're the same with fishing."
"And this fishing is from Betty, a Grainger thing ?"
"We'll I guess that was part of it but no, Amy insisted on fishing with the family every Sunday or whenever they had a few hours. Betty got them interested in tying which sealed the deal. That and JT's pretty much a fish himself."
"I've seen him swim, I'm no expert but he's sleek in the water."
Bert laughed "Amy had him coached by Ithaca's own Olympic and world medalist swimmer Allen Breyer. Watch him in the real pool at the university one day if you're impressed by the gym pool. He's fast and he does that flip thing."
"How is he after surgeries ?"
"He's a good patient, a bit headstrong, Amy dotes on him for a few weeks, it's understandable I guess. He likes the attention. It'll be fine Ty, he takes his pain stoically, he's a tough kid and proud as hell."
"It'll be hard seeing any of them in pain Bert."
Early on as events complicated Amy tried her best to keep the emotional happenings on the rest of the ranch from Ty and Georgie while they worked but they had to take breaks and Lou wouldn't be denied so Georgie and Ty both saw her and Katie for a few minutes and of course let slip to Georgie that Tim was, as always being a pain in the ass. Georgie of course felt obligated to let Ty know.
"Did you hear about Tim ?"
"He's coming Sunday Georgie."
"Not quite, he's decided that since we're all here now, he should be too, and is insisting on flying in today."
Ty closed his eyes for a minute and breathed. "Need to step out Ty, I can stand in."
"No, I'm good Bert, thanks, just trying to gauge Amy's reaction."
"Interesting character from what I've heard."
"You don't know the half of it Bert" Georgie said.
"I'm sure I don't, what I know is clearly enough."
After they had settled in their rooms, Amy was sitting with Lou and Katie over muffins, coffee and juice, Katie's disappointment over the lack of soda notwithstanding. Amy's phone buzzed, seeing it was Bridget she excused herself and took the call.
"What's up Bridge ?"
"Your father is what's up Amy, he insists on coming tonight and he's rude, overbearing and, and belligerent." At the use of the word father Amy put the phone on speaker between her and Lou.
"I'm sorry Bridge, I did try to warn you."
"I'm sorry too, he's not easy to deal with, I have a flight for him that lands at 8:00 in Rochester, by car that'll put him here at 10:00. Half hour by chopper but it's too late for landing at the ranch, he'd have to go to Ithaca. You'd save maybe a half hour with the double transfer."
"Book the flight and let me think on the getting to the ranch part."
"I could just call Charlie and order a hit Amy, I'm sure he has a connection."
"I hope it doesn't come to that Bridget, it's always an option" Amy laughed, "you have a stack for me ?"
"Sorry girlfriend, hey that Wyatt's a cute guy huh ?"
"He is and engaged to my niece. Spread that around will ya ?"
"Sure thing boss, Wyatt will have your pouch of goodies. Amy ?"
"Yes Bridge ?"
"We miss you around here too you know and we're all sort of curious."
"I'll bring him by before he heads back to Canada, text or call with any updates. Thanks Bridge."
"Later boss."
"So who is Bridget ?" Lou asked.
"Bridget is my I guess executive assistant maybe at the foundation and Sandra who arranged for your flights is I guess business manager of the ranch. I'm not sure of either's actual title."
"Seems awfully friendly a relationship." Lou commented.
'Maybe, but they both plan for me and gather my information, they watch my back, we're pretty close."
"Not going to question your management style, it obviously works."
Katie was sitting in front of her empty glass and plate texting on her phone oblivious to her surroundings. Amy had watched her and wondered if she would ever look up.
"Katie want to come see the barns, if your cousins are free maybe you can go for a ride." Amy asked.
"No, I'm kind of beat, is it Ok if I just hang round here ?"
"Sure, well, you know where your room is and the fridge, feel free to explore."
"Lou what do you feel like doing, I've got rounds but" Amy was interrupted by Jack, Lisa and Betty coming in.
"Grandpa, did you get a chance to speak with Dad ?"
"He's coming Sunday."
"No, he's now landing at Rochester at 8 and will be here at 10:00. A perfect time for you to talk."
"Fine, I'll go pick him up and we'll talk." Jack said.
"And I'll drive" Lisa added.
"Sorry you two but I think that's best, now we don't know where anyone will be, he has to understand that. Georgie and Ty could be sleeping or in surgery. Any of us could be sleeping or tending a horse. He'll need to survive until morning but we can't just stop."
"Amy what are you so worried about ?" Lou asked "what do you think he'll do ?"
"How could I possibly know Lou, that's the problem."
"He just wants answers."
"To what ?"
"You left ? How about starting with that."
"I left Heartland, Ty, you, Grandpa, Lisa. He was already gone Lou, I couldn't say goodbye to him if I wanted to. Everyone got a letter. Some got several."
"So what's the point of this thing tomorrow night ?"
"Because people still have questions and things they want to know and I want it to be over with."
"And Ty's questions ?"
"Ty and I have talked a lot about us, about then and now, and moving forward, we're fine."
"Just like that."
"Just like what Lou ? I have answered and openly discussed every issue and answered as honestly as I could every question. So has he. We both want this to work, it's not fair to say that I'm unhappy without him because as Grandpa has pointed out I haven't been entirely unhappy but I miss him in my life, there's an emptiness that success and motherhood doesn't fill. Ty fills that emptiness in my heart."
"He almost got married you know."
"I know Lou, it would have been a mistake."
"She was nice, they made a good couple."
"And while contemplating marriage to Helena he kept my picture in his office desk and used the stethoscope I gave him all this time. He kept my promise ring in his night table at home. It would have been a mistake."
"They could have been happy."
"Maybe, she probably would have gotten pregnant and Ty probably would have stayed, happy's relative though."
"Dad and Ty haven't." Lou started.
"I know Lou, at least I know now. Dad has no right or place to call Ty on anything let alone his belonging at Heartland. I left when I was 23, Ty doesn't owe him any explanations and neither do I."
"You're his daughter Amy."
"He's my father and I am his child, parents put daughters first I don't know if Dad has that in him."
"He loves you Amy."
And I don't doubt that at all Lou, but my relationship with my kids is about them not me. Dad's relationship is with himself. He came after mom's death, for him, his piece of mind, not mine. I never had the relationship with him that you had Lou, you seem to always lose that in these conversations. Then and now apparently. He was a real person for you, you missed him, you wanted him back, he was solid for you. I spent 10 years forgetting about him, he was a shadow to me to start and not much of a memory. He backed your dreams as a partner he never offered me a partnership and actually put me at odds with family through his avarice over and over, actively undermined my relationships and left me again."
"He didn't leave you again Amy, why would you think that ?"
"He was gone the next morning, I left months later, what exactly do you call that Lou ?"
"He felt terrible."
"He felt terrible ? That's the difference between child and daughter, father and dad. I need to get to work, do you need something ?"
"No, I'm good, I have some work to take care of."
"I'm sorry the time is what it is Lou, busy weekend."
"No of course I get it, I'll be fine."
"Good and Katie ?"
"She's a 12 year old Amy, I'm sure yours went through this."
"Mine didn't get phones until their first day of high school."
"Things are different out here, Katie spends a lot of time in the city."
"Whatever, I don't require guests to do chores Lou, I also don't allow children to text at my table, there are some rules that won't be broken this weekend, that's one of them."
"I'll let her know, we do set boundaries Amy."
"I'm sure you do, out here though in bumpkinland we're more old fashioned, haven't adopted those high falutin' city folk ideas yet. We think children should interact up close with the world around them, notice the lamppost before walking into it and fear the city as evil. This is a dangerous place for someone to not pay attention to, please remind her of that."
"You've changed Amy."
"Almost hard to believe it myself Lou." Amy said laughing. She walked over and kissed her followed by a hug from behind bent over Lou who was still sitting. "I'm glad you're here, I've missed you."
"I've missed you too Amy."
"While I'm down here, you should know that my kids won't come to the house, they're busy, if you or Katie would actually like to interact with them, it won't be here. Ask anyone where I am if you need me, they are most likely with the rescue horses, 2nd barn over."
"I'll get her out."
"And you Lou."
"And me."
When the front door closed and they could hear Amy going down the porch stairs.
"What is bothering her ?" Lou asked.
Lisa answered "I'll repeat what she's said Lou, no one raises their voice to me on my ranch, your dad does that. These people though friends also work for and respect her Lou, she's serious about how she's treated."
"Ok, I'll keep that in mind." Lou muttered nervously.
"Takes a little getting used to this Amy" Jack added.
"Well, I'm going to talk to Katie and make a few calls." Lou said getting up.
"Need bearings to your suite Lou ?"
"No, thanks Betty, nice room by the way."
"All Amy, she likes comfy. Let me know if you or Katie need anything. You heard about the brunch Sunday ?"
"Yup, all set. Nice dress for me and a nice pant set for Katie."
"Excellent, I've got paperwork, Jack, Lisa ? Plans ?" Betty asked.
"I'm heading to put my feet up" Jack said, "Lis ?"
"I'll follow Amy see it I can help. When's JT due back Betty ?"
"Erma will call Amy, but he'll be back before dinner, he's on Merlin."
After checking the family barn Amy walked into rescue and found the girls, Bobby and Brin returning 4 horses to their stalls after they had evidently been brushed.
"We've walked them all for 20 minutes, about to mash these last 4." Maddie told her.
"Can we move any next door and start bringing in those in back ?"
"They're calm enough." Charlotte said with the others nodding
"Good" Amy said "Let's shoot for moving all these tomorrow afternoon, we'll clean all these stalls and see who can be brought in from isolation. Write up the transfers and I'll sign off, tell Sandra. What are they recording in there ?"
"No idea" Maddie answered.
"Oh hi Lisa, I was just going to send them to the house to see if Betty needed them for anything."
"We're fine let them finish out here and relax, Jack sitting a little then we may go over to see Bryce and the new baby."
"Ty and I have to do that also, bad weekend time wise."
"I think Bryce gets you're a little busy Amy, we won't stay long just wanted to get it done before time was lost."
"Well hopefully some of us will be around for dinner. When are you leaving for dad ?"
"We'll eat early and go. He lands at 8:00 and a half out or so till he reaches us."
"Jack's also heading over to check those calvings for Erma."
After her goodbyes Amy made her way to the scrubs room to change and listening to the monitor she did a double take and looked over. The video showed Georgie working over a horse while Bert looked on ready to assist. Georgie was speaking.
Pulling a mask on Amy walked out to the main medical tent area where two surgeries were going on. Ty over one and Bert or Georgie actually over the other.
"Hey Amy" Barb whispered.
"What's going on ?"
"Ty's got a complicated impaction. Bert's horse is a strangulation with bowel involvement. We've never seen anything like it. Georgie says they've had it with cattle in Alberta but never a horse. Baling twine she says. She's figuring out where to cut to free both ends from the two metal bailing clips right off the bowel. Bert called for the close up cameras and mics so Georgie can walk us through."
"Ok in there Georgie ?"
"Oh hey Amy, sure I'm good, might I mention that salary you told me about is a bargain. Barb will you scrub in please ?"
"Don't forget the free lodging and the lunch specials." Amy offered.
"Ok Kate, we're ready to pull on your end as soon as Barb squeezes in here and we become life long friends. Barb the bowel is going to leak, you'll need to suction and clear while I clamp and hold."
"Georgie, are you going to be able to hold your end securely enough ?"
"I won't let go Bert, I guarantee it."
"Barb you ready ?"
"Uhm, yeah, this is cozy" Barb said squeezing past Georgie, indelicately they were squeezed together, too many people in a surgery.
"Perfectly good surgery in the back Bert." Georgie said getting a grip with her left hand.
"Yes well." Bert started, "who knew we'd be holding a dance in this one."
"Hold that thought Bert, Katie you have the easy end, pull straight back, one fluid motion, on three, one, two, three pull, pull, pull"
"It's free" Katie said holding it up.
"Bert, your end is going to untangle and it might catch up like a slip knot, you'll have to pull it free, the snag will cut loose."
"You sure you'll be able." Bert started.
"Bert, I'm a trick rider, I dangle off a horse galloping in a circle at 40 miles at hour all by this left hand which then pulls me back into a saddle, I won't let go."
"Count it off Georgie." Bert said.
"One, two, three, pull, pull, pull, pull, there's the knot, pull steady."
"It's slipping" Bert gasped and then they could hear the faint pop as the long plastic strand came free.
"Excellent. Ready Barb, Bert you ready to stitch this bowel ?"
"All set." Bert acknowledged.
"I'm going to pull the clip and the short strap out and clamp it, Barb suctions and Bert sews, I'll step back and then out."
"Count if off Georgie." Barb said.
"Here we go, one, two, three" Georgie whispered and pulled back simultaneously, as soon as the central mass pulled she dropped her hand clipping off the bowel then she stepped back against the barrier while Bert stepped in.
"That's good work Georgie." Bert said.
"If he makes it."
"Sometimes our best work isn't enough Georgie, he has a chance because of you, you stepped up, that's good work."
"Thank you Bert."
"Go get cleaned up Georgie, I think we're in a lull." Bert said over his shoulder "we'll finish this guy up, Amy, anything I need to see when we're out ?"
"Not that I know of Bert, go give Meg a squeeze."
"I may just do that and grab a couple hours sleep. The night always brings on something, it's a given. Ty, how are you doing ?"
"I'm out in 10 minutes if Carlo here will close for me ?"
"Sure thing Ty." Carlo confirmed.
"I'll stay with you Carlo, I'm on until midnight." Barb said.
"I'm midnight to 8 and then off until Monday morning ?"
"You need to get into Cornell Georgie and deal with your family shit. You're nearby if we need you, we'll handle it." Katie called over.
"Thanks you two, I'll make it up to you both."
Amy walked back to the scrub room with Georgie.
"Can we talk while you shower Georgie ?"
"Sure have a seat, what's up ?"
Amy sat down so that she wasn't looking into Georgie's stall and waited a few minutes. "What should I expect from your grandfather Georgie ?"
"Hard to say, your position towards him is that he left, can't really argue with that. When he got back he had no idea that you two didn't talk it out."
"So he didn't call anybody that whole time ?"
"No and when he got back no one had anything to really say, but to be honest Amy we were all pretty shell shocked. I thought it was all my fault, Lou, Ty, Jack. Your letters to me helped a lot."
"I'm sorry Georgie, I was pretty scared of telling anyone truthfully, I couldn't risk any of them going after Ahmed and then it just barrel rolled."
"So you ?" Georgie asked confused by her answer.
"No, I despised Ahmed at that point, he twisted our working friendship into something that never existed except in his head and then used his money to influence an outcome."
"So what did you care, Ty hit him."
"Ty hit him at Heartland, had Ty hit him in front of Maggie's he could very well have had to deal with bodyguards and an arrest for striking a diplomat. They could have beat him and had him arrested."
"And Tim or Jack."
"Yup. Ahmed is the King now Georgie, an actual King. He's powerful and always was, I should have stopped it, been more forceful. Stood up said my piece and had him apologize for his harassment and instead I let male bravado and macho push all that aside. At that moment he stole everything from me."
"You've changed Amy."
"I have, which is why I need to know what to expect from my dad, I've grown a backbone."
"No matter what Jack and Lisa say to him he's a wild card Amy, that hasn't changed."
"You have an implant Georgie ?"
"Have we switched conversations ?"
"No just thinking about something."
"Nexplanon, no periods after a time, it's nice."
"Same here."
"Thinking of having it removed ?"
"Thinking it's too soon and not soon enough for my tastes."
Georgie walked past her pulling on her tank top, "sounds deep, we'll talk, come on, I have a man to check on."
They met Ty and Bert outside the barn, they were saying goodbye. "Sleep Bert, Georgie and I are here if there's an emergency."
"Regardless, call me if there's a surgery Ty."
"I will."
"Have a good night Amy, Georgie."
"Nite Bert" Georgie said.
"Shabbat Shalom Bert" Amy said reaching over to kiss his cheek.
He smiled and turned away as Amy, Ty and Georgie continued on to the house.
