Ty's Summer Semester End
The summer had flown by quickly in a whirlwind of a clear dichotomy of two cities, Vancouver and Calgary, with airports, planes and rental cars in between. Some mornings, Ty woke up with no idea where he was.
When in Vancouver, his life remained the same, the quick pace of the rescue, sparing with Paul, evenings at Roscoe's, occasional diner with Celina and James, solitude of his apartment, and even the purring of A.K. Everything was comfortable, fairly predictable and routine.
In Calgary, not so much. While Ty enjoyed teaching, his students, and the university overall, the shift from guest lecturer in Ellen's class to instructor was not without bumps, friction and adjustment. It seemed to him, that every week, someone challenged him, his words, his thinking, his knowledge, his expertise, his practice, his habits, leaving him questioning himself, at least momentarily, if not longer. Even his living arrangement with Michael wasn't without an occasional irritation.
Naturally, most challenges came from students themselves, in class and out, eager to learn and excel but also not afraid to question, debate, sometimes pushing his buttons or pulling at his emotions. And, as unexpected or uncomfortable as he found some of these situations to be, he couldn't just checkout mentally, walk away, or worse, react physically. He had class to teach, a job to do, after all. Early in the semester, a couple of gotcha questions caught him off-guard and flat footed. Embarrassed for not knowing the answer, he visibly tensed, froze like a deer in headlights, then stumbled through his response, satisfying no one, least of all him. As the semester wore on, Ty came to expect the unexpected, prepare more broadly and even, in the end, relish the challenge. He became adept at responding and sometimes deferring, encouraging debate amongst the students and even peppering responses with a bit of humor and humility. With each difficult situation, his teaching skill, along with his confidence, grew and strengthened. For Ty, this process was both exhilarating and exhausting. When Monday evenings rolled around, he was always ready to board a plane and head home to Vancouver and the comfort of routine.
On the final Monday of semester classes, Ty felt a mixture of accomplishment, relief and yet, a bit of sadness as his Basic Surgical Principles class drew to an end. After a fitting goodbye to his students, all of whom he had come to truly like and regard, and vice-versa, he headed to his office, submitted final grades into the University system, packed up his few belongings, then raced to the main campus for an appointment with the Dean. He didn't want to be late. With Wind and Cloud healed and now back in Squamish, he wanted to go back to the predictable routine of his life in Vancouver and at the rescue. Driving down Crowchild Trail, he was focused on the upcoming meeting, contemplating the various scenarios of how their conversation would play out. So focused on that, he missed his exit at 32nd Avenue and was forced to take the next exit.
As he rounded the corner onto 24th Avenue, he saw Old Blue, parked in L32 lot. He felt that familiar twinge in his chest, a mixture of regret and loss, the reason he had avoided that exit, that corner, all summer long. In his haste, he was again painfully reminded of Amy, Nova Scotia, and all that followed.
"All the more reason to get back to Vancouver." He muttered. As the old truck disappeared in his rental's side mirror, he sighed heavily, trying to let it go, trying to refocus on his upcoming meeting.
Dressed as usual in jeans, boots and untucked grey cotton shirt with sleeves rolled up, Ty sat up straight in the sleek metal and leather chair across the desk from him. He was somewhat tense, and certainly apprehensive, as to where their conversation would go after the pleasantries were dispensed. He was determined to keep the conversation between them short, sweet and to leave on a good note.
"I trust that the horses arrived back in Vancouver without incident, Dr. Borden." Dr. Singh conjectured from behind his polished desk. Per usual and in stark contrast to Ty, he was attired professionally, in a finely tailored, doubled breasted suit in a midnight blue and a crisp, white pinpoint, button down shirt. His coordinated turban and tie, both a cherry red, framed his round face. His full beard, mustache and eyebrows were mostly grey, his dark eyes, accented by tiny wrinkles, were kind, intelligent yet probing. His elbows rested on his desk, his fingertips touching, forming a temple of sorts.
"Yes. Cloud and Wind fared the trip just fine. Naomi was happy with their return. Likewise, the horses seemed content to be home with her." He answered, avoiding the details of the emotional reunion which took place just two days prior in Squamish and flashed in his mind as he sat there.
Exiting the trailer, the two horses were giddy, especially Wind, excitedly neighed, pawed and danced the moment they saw Naomi. She, in turn, visibly moved, grinned and laughed uncontrollably. Simultaneously, tears streamed down her face as she hugged and petted them. Exhausted from the long drive and emotional from the even longer journey to their recovery, Ty's eyes grew misty, as he stood alone, watching their joyful reunion. Sensing his sadness, Naomi, followed closely by Wind and Cloud, approached him, threw her arms around her, thanking him for saving her horses from a certain death. "You are our hero." She told him. Overwhelmed, he buried his head in her shoulder.
"I am delighted to hear. The University and I were pleased to have played a role in their care and recovery." His words and statesmanlike sincerity brought him back to the present.
"I really appreciated everything you did for them, Dr. Singh. And, of course, the excellent, round the clock care that Ellen and Michael provided. Staff and students too. Honestly, without all that, the horses would not have recovered. I am truly grateful." He meant every word. Yet, he knew that his words of thanks would likely not be enough, that the Dean would have additional requirements, insist that he do more.
"Glad we could be of service. But, Dr. Borden, most of the credit for their incredible recovery goes to you and your firm belief that they could be whole again. Don't discount that." He advised, disarming him with a gentle smile and a fatherly tone. "Most would have written them off, considered them worthless, beyond saving. You did not. You did everything in your power, and then some, to care for them. That's what makes you an exceptional vet. And an exceptional human."
Humbled by his unexpected words, not sure what to say, he remained quiet, tight lipped, gave only a modest shrug.
Dr. Singh observed the young vet, trying to gauge his response, or rather lack of, sensing that he had touched a sensitive spot. He leaned forward ever so slightly, asked. "And, you, Dr. Borden? How did you fare this summer?"
"Me?" Considering the question for less than a split second, he repeated flippantly a phrase he used already. "I fared just fine, Dr. Singh."
The older vet cocked his head slightly, raised a brow, then asked. "Ah. And your classes? Did those fare just fine too?"
"No." Ty said, amending his tone. "They were better than just fine. Actually, I enjoyed them, much more than I expected. The students were bright, prepared, inquisitive and hardworking. The faculty and staff were beyond helpful, sharing their expertise and knowledge freely. And, the surgical facilities are amazing." He admitted, not only to the Dean, but to himself. "All in all, I'd say, my summer was very good."
"Excellent. I'm glad you had a good experience here." He seemed pleased.
A low chuckle escaped his throat. "Me too."
"As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. You put a lot into your work here. And it shows." He patted a paper on his desk. "I have the summary of your student teacher evaluations here."
"Already?" He responded, concerned.
"Yes. We expedited yours. Have a look." He slid the report across his desk toward him.
Apprehensively, Ty took the one pager, scanned through it. When finished, he looked up at the Dean. His expression showed his surprise. "I don't know what to say."
"As you can see, you received very high marks from your students. A 4.89 out of 5 overall. You should be pleased."
"I am. Thank you."
"No need to thank me. This is your students' evaluation of you, not mine."
Ty nodded, then asked outright. "So, what's yours?"
"Ah." Dr. Singh started. "Dr. Borden, based upon your colleagues' and students' input and my own observations, you performed well, both in Dr. Edmonson's Clinical Skills and your Basic Surgical Practical. You were prepared and well versed with the course material. You incorporated your experience when appropriate. Your presentation skills and teaching manner were informal yet effective. You developed a good rapport with your students. And you turned in student grades ahead of schedule, mostly unheard of." Dr. Singh said then concluded. "I could not be more pleased."
"Thank you." Once again, Ty was humbled.
"Dr. Borden, given your performance here this summer and your experience, the University and I are prepared to offer you a full-time appointment as an assistant professor in the surgical department starting this fall semester. Tenure-track of course."
"Wow. Really?" Ty was shocked, searched the Dean's face for confirmation. He figured that he would be asked to teach more classes, but certainly not offered an assistant professor appointment, full-time and tenure-track, to boot.
"Yes. Really." He chuckled, then restarted his sales pitch. "The normal track from assistant to associate professor is eight years or longer. We expect that you will reach that in half the time. Here's the salary and benefits package." He pushed a large manilla envelop across the desk to him. "I believe you will find the package very attractive."
"Thank you." Ty glanced at the envelop, returning his gaze back to the Dean. "What does being an assistant professor entailed?"
"Ah. Good question." Dr. Singh took his question as a sign of his interest. "In the fall semester, we'd like for you to teach two sections of 411 Basic Surgical Principles, both the lecture and lab and one section of Clinical Skills. Only thirteen hours of classroom time per week. Naturally, you will have administrative and research duties."
Ty nodded, as he listened intently.
"In the spring, we'd like to add Advanced Surgical Skills for Small Animals class and lab and drop the Clinical Skills for fifteen hours of classroom time. We'd add Large Animal Surgery the following semester. Again, administrative and research time as well."
"Will I have to publish?"
"You will work with one or more principle investigators who have established funding for approved projects. Principle investigators must publish. But, you will receive credit on any articles published in which you participated as a secondary author. Does publishing your work concern you?"
"I've always heard the saying, publish or perish." He replied.
Dr. Singh chuckled. "Yes. That is a saying, but not one you'll have to worry about any time soon." He paused for effect, then cut to the chase. "So, are you interested in joining the University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine as an assistant professor?"
Ty didn't hesitate. "Thank you. The opportunity sounds incredible. I do appreciate the offer. And, I will absolutely consider it." He paused for a second. "Dr Singh. To be completely honest, my plan has always been to return to the rescue in Vancouver full time. I owe Mirna and my coworkers that and more. This is especially true while Mirna is the Interim Dean."
"Your loyal and commitment to the rescue and Mirna is commendable." He leaned back in his chair, his expression unchanged. Ty assumed he'd be a master at poker. "Take the next week to review and consider the offer." He glanced at the envelop then looked back at Ty. "Talk to Dr. Hickerson, reflect on it and your future, then decide." He suggested.
"I will. Thank you."
"Excellent." He turned to wide screen monitor on the right of his desk, and presumably his calendar displayed there. "Let's schedule a call to discuss your decision at noon on Monday." He looked back to Ty. "Does that work?"
"Um. No. Actually, we will be in Chincoteague fir our first mission. So that won't work. How about Friday?" He suggested.
"Oh, that's right." He looked back at his calendar. "This Friday. Noon?" He asked, Ty nodded. He tapped on his keyboard. "Just sent you a calendar invite."
"Thanks. I appreciate you being flexible."
"Of course. So, Chincoteague is your first externship mission. Everything in order?" Dr. Singh asked.
Ty nodded. "Yes, we're flying out sometime Saturday night after everyone's finals. Celina's working on the last minute details."
"What's on your itinerary?" He leaned again, seemingly interested.
"The Pony Penning prep is all day Sunday, so we'll be setting up equipment, pens, shoots and exam stations. On Monday, we'll be vetting about 150 ponies after they swim cross the channel to Chincoteague Island. Then, the foal auction is held Monday night. They estimate 70 foals will be auctioned. Tuesday morning, the older horses and a handful of foals will be returned to Assateague Island. Then we breakdown the equipment, then fly back that afternoon. Anyhow, it a short mission but we have our work cutout for us." He explained, trying to keep his excitement in check.
"A lot of work indeed. Monies from the auction go to herd management, I assume?"
"Yes. Assateague can only support 150 horses, so close management is required." Ty explained.
"A very worthwhile mission. Glad that the University could support you in that endeavor."
"Me too, thank you." As he replied, Mirna's words, 'there's no free lunch' popped in his head.
"Dr. Borden, if you accept the school's offer, additional missions for your externship could be funded." He dangled another carrot, though one not necessarily not guaranteed.
"That is very generous." Though Ty found the offer appealing, his expression did not show it. Singh wasn't the only one who could play poker.
"Didn't you participate in a similar externship a few years back?" He asked, again, already knowing the answer.
"Yes, it altered the trajectory of my life." He said flatly, though the bitter irony sliced through him like a knife.
"Maybe the same will be true this time around for our students, Mr. Alt and Mr. Hudson." Again, the Dean showed that he was quite well aware of the details surrounding the externship.
Ty nodded, forced a fleeting smile, but hoped to god that a similar fate would not befall his externs.
Later that afternoon in Michael's apartment, Ty was biding his time until his flight later that evening, working on the plans for Namibia mission on his laptop. He linked to the rescue server to retrieve contact information from Mirna's spring trip. He checked in all of the usual folders, and some of obscure ones, but couldn't locate the needed information. He opted to call Celina instead.
She answered on the first ring, without a hello. "Did you see my text?"
"What text?" He started to thumb through his messages, realizing that he had muted his phone.
"Lisa Stillman called. She got our thank you note." She said, trying to remain calm.
"Good."
"Ty. She didn't make that 20,000 dollar donation." She went straight to the point.
"What?? What do you mean? She didn't make it? Who did?" Ty rapid fired questions. "What happened?"
"I don't know and she didn't speculate. She just said that she didn't make the donation, she checked with her banker, accountant and ATOBA. There's no record anywhere of a withdrawal or donation in her name. She actually thought the externship was a scam."
"You're kidding."
"Wish I was." Celina said glumly.
"Don't we already have the funds?" Sweat began to gather on the back of his neck.
"Yes, but, at this point, we should limit ourselves to 10 grand until we figure out what happened with the 20 grand." She cautioned.
"Maybe we should cancel the Chincoteague plans." He offered, worried now.
"Absolutely not! You're going to follow through and go on the mission." She said without pause, mentioning that the flights were non refundable.
"But, what about the funding?"
"Not your worry. I've already booked cheap, redeye flights. They were only 380 each. And, you're staying at the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire House, so room and board are free of charge." Celina informed him, trying squelch his worries. "So, its a fairly inexpensive trip. Less than 1500."
"That's incredible, Celina."
"Why thank you. We need to put on our game faces and make a success out this externship. Even if we have to scrimp. I can do a lot with 10,000."
"Okay."
"Look, I'm gonna call UC tomorrow. We'll get this straightened out. One way or another."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out. What did Mirna say?"
"You know Mirna. She leaves the worrying to me. She's gonna call Lisa Stillman back tomorrow, she has some function with Singh tonight."
He sighed heavily. "Okay. Keep me posted."
"Will do."
"Um. Celina. Did Lisa mention me?" Ty ventured. "You know called her and left messages right after the fundraiser."
"No, Ty, she didn't. I'm sorry." She said empathically.
He was silent for a moment. "Did she leave a phone number?" He asked.
"She did. Want it?"
"Yeah. I'll like to call her again."
As Celina recited the number, he wrote it down, repeating it back to her twice.
"Thanks. I'll be home later tonight and swing by to get A.K."
"I can keep her tonight and bring her to the rescue tomorrow." Celina offered. "She's a real sweetheart."
"If it's okay, I'd like to get her." He wanted the company tonight, both human and feline.
"Of course it's okay. See you tonight. Safe travels."
Ending the call, he shutdown his laptop, packed it up then got a beer out of the refrigerator. Popping the cap, he drank the entire bottle leaning against the counter, looking past the dining room, out the front window, into the distance but seeing nothing. He didn't look forward to making the call.
About that time, Lisa and Jack were sitting down to dinner at the kitchen table, ready to enjoy his homemade chicken pot pie, straight from the oven and piping hot and a fresh salad. He poured them each another glass of wine, emptying the bottle, while she plated the main course.
He held his glass to her. "To us."
She clinked her glass with his. "To us." She grinned. "And to a nice, relaxing evening."
He chuckled. "I'll drink to that." They each took a sip.
"Mmm. Still as tasty as it was in the front porch." She grinned. "Salad?"
"Please."
Salad bowls and dinner plates filled, they began to eat.
After blowing on a bite of chicken on her fork, she popped it into her mouth. "Oh hot." She murmured, her lashes fluttering to a close, her mouth opened, her fingers desperately fanning away the heat. As she swallowed, she looked to him. "Oh Jack. That's good. You've really outdone yourself."
"Not too bad." He chuckled, putting another heaping bite into his mouth, despite the steaming temperature.
"Tell me about your day.." Her phone rang from its place on the table's center, interrupting his reply.
"Well, for heaven sakes..." She muttered as she glanced at the number on it screen. She looked back at him, her brow raised. "It's a Vancouver area code. Maybe it's that Dr. Hickerson."
"Go ahead and answer." He urged. "Might be some news on that donation."
She nodded. "I'll put it on speaker." She said before answering in her usual professional manner. "Hello. This is Lisa Stillman."
"Hello Lisa. It's Ty Borden." His voice on the other end was clear, yet somewhat tentative.
Her eyes flew open wide. Turning to Jack, she caught his equally surprised expression. Both leaned in to the phone. "Ty? Is that really you?" She asked, though she would recognize his voice anywhere.
"Yes, it me." A light laugh followed. "How are you?"
"Well, I'll be. I am fine. We are all fine. Thank you." She threw a questioning glance at Jack, who answered with a single, deep nod. "Ty. Jack's here with me. We're on speaker." She informed him.
"Ty." Jack cut in immediately. His voice was even, but stern, his jaws flinched once, his eyes steeled. Despite that, Lisa noticed his hand tremble, driven by emotion that he was ready to reveal. She reached to him, squeezing his hand, hoping to quell the angry, hurt, worry she knew he had bottled up for years.
Hearing his voice, Ty suddenly sat straight up in his seat, his body tensed.
"Jack." He mimicked his tone, bracing for what he knew was to come, but wanting to avoid it if at all possible.
Before Jack could say anything, Lisa jumped in, taking the lead. "Ty, this is certainly a surprise. How are you? Are you okay? Where are you?"
She gave Jack a soft smile, knowing deep down he was concerned about him and missed him terribly, despite everything.
"I'm good." He was slightly relieved when she spoke up, continuing the conversation. "I'm in Calgary at this moment."
"Calgary, huh? So close." She enunciated what Jack's raised brow and expression relayed.
"Yeah. But, I'm actually flying back home to Vancouver tonight."
"So you live near your mother in Vancouver." Lisa guessed, recalling that he had visited her there a few times. "I bet she enjoys having you close." She offered him a plausible excuse.
For a brief moment, he considered sharing the news of her death, but didn't want to delve into that whole mess either.
"No. She's not living in Vancouver any more." Or anywhere, he thought to himself. He had spread her ashes at Eagle Lake in the same way that he spread his dad's with Jack but this time he did it alone. Claire and Celina both offered to come, but in his grief, he pushed them away, and went alone.
"So, what's there then...?" Jack finally spoke, looking for answers.
"I work at an animal rescue, Jack. I'm a licensed vet and a board certified veterinary surgeon now. We mostly work with wildlife." He said, needing to justify his existence to him, but wanting to make him proud, or at least make him understand.
"Wildlife." He scoffed sarcastically. "Hmph. Of course."
"Jack, despite what you may think, it's important, full time work. We care for domesticated animals too. Horses, dogs, cats. I recently operated on a colt who had extensive neck wounds inflicted by a cougar and was near death. That colt, Cloud, lived and after months of intensive treatment and rehab is doing very well now."
He yearned for Jack to say something affirming. When he didn't say anything at all, he continued. "I work hard, long hours. At least, 6 days a week. And, I'm told that I am pretty good vet and surgeon." Ty continued to defended himself and his work, trying to explain, trying to appease him, hoping to begin to make amends. "I find it very rewarding."
"Well Ty, that is just great. You found something that's rewarding." Jack's words, however rooted in love and relief, came out pointed, revealing a deeper hurt. "You could have told us."
"I couldn't." He said quietly, not offering more explanation.
An awkward silence followed, until Lisa once again tried to steer the conversation in a positive direction, trying to bridge what seemed to be a widening gap.
"Ty, we saw you on the news a while back. You were leading an eagle release. You did a remarkable job. You were so articulate!"
"Oh, you saw that." He said humbly, not revealing that Michael already told him that Amy had seen the news segment. He figured that they had too.
"We sure did. We almost didn't recognize you with that beard." She teased him lightheartedly.
Ty chuckled at her candor, appreciating her willingness to engage. "Yeah, well, animals don't care what you look like, or if you shave."
"Thank goodness." She laughed, then encouraged him. "Tell us about the release."
"Well, okay. Ah, a dozen or so raptors, one red tail hawk and the rest bald eagles, were found poisoned at a garbage dump outside of Vancouver last spring." Ty explained. "We worked with them night and day at the rescue, for days on end, until they were well enough to be set back into the wild. We actually did two separate releases as some consumed higher quantities of the poison and required more care."
"The one we saw was pretty neat to watch. It certainly drew a crowd. And, donations too if I recall correctly. You must have been very proud. We were proud for you." She nodded at Jack, who pursed his lips, grudgingly shrugged, acting as though he could care less. In truth, he paid close attention to every word uttered.
"Yeah. It was pretty neat to be a part of it." Ty echoed, humbly. "The second release was even more incredible to watch. When we released a male and female pair, they engaged in an aerial mating ritual that was just spectacular." His enthusiasm was tempered, but clearly evident. "I could send you a video if you like."
"That sounds amazing. Yes, do." She replied, then mentioned. "Simon has seen a lone bald eagle by the river. Right Jack?" She tried to pull him in, but he wasn't swayed.
"Simon?" Ty asked, then wondered if he should have.
"One of our ranch hands." Lisa replied. "He mostly works with...um, the horses."
Jack muttered something unintelligible, that sounded like a jab. Fortunately, Ty didn't hear it.
Narrowing her eyes, she squeezed Jack's forearm, gave him a frown, then continued to make conversation. "Scott says that the eagle was likely banded in Vancouver given that the band is blue."
"How about that. We use blue bands on our eagles. Come to think of it, EcoTrace, the company that supplies our bands, said that Freedom, one of the eagles in the first release, made his way to Alberta. Wonder if it's him." Ty pondered, letting down his guard slightly. "If so, he's really far from home."
"He's not the only one." No longer able to hold back, Jack retorted, diverting the conversation. "Ty, I expected to hear from you long before this." He didn't mince his words.
"I know. And I am sorry." He ran his hand through his hair. "Did you get my letter?" Ty said hopefully.
"Yeah I got it but it explained exactly nothing." He said, then demand answers. "You didn't call or return mine. What the hell happened?"
"Jack, everything got all messed up. Long story short." He really didn't want to hash out with Jack over the phone.
"Oh you think so?" He said sarcastically. "Humor me. What is the long story?"
Ty let out a heavy sigh, knowing he had to answer the man who had took him in, became his surrogate father, essentially taught him everything, including how to be a man.
"Well, you know, I think, to start.." Out of the gate, he became tongue-tied, mangling his words.
He took a deep inhale, let it out then started over.
"The truth is I'm not really sure what happened." He stood, then began to pace around the room. "The last time I talked to Amy, I was in Nova Scotia to follow-up on reported sightings of an Eastern Cougar. I had no idea that would be our last conversation." He swallowed hard. "I honestly thought we were in a really good place at that point. We had worked through our issues and decided to give our relationship another go. And even though we hadn't seen each other in awhile, we talked every day, sometimes for hours. We were even talking marriage."
"We thought so too from the way Amy talked. And, she was wearing her promise ring again." Lisa remarked.
"Yeah. She started wearing it before I left." He frowned thinking back. "Anyhow, we talked only for a few minutes that day. It had started to snow there and we didn't want to risk losing the cougar trail so I had to cut the call short. Still, Amy seemed as excited about the mission as I was. We ended the call on a good note."
"Hmph." Jack interjected. "You say, she was excited about your mission. Well, I can tell you that Amy was more than excited for you to come home that weekend. She waited patiently for months to see you and had scurried around the entire week making plans, fretting about dinner, setting the table with the fancy fishes." His head began to rock as he measured his words.
Ty remained silent as a lump rose in his throat.
"After your call, Amy put on a good face at dinner. She talked on about you, that mission, your good grades at school. She was so proud of you. She even pushed back at Tim, and his nonsense. What the hell happened?" Jack asked again.
"I honestly don't know. Alls I know is that several hours later, in the middle of the night, Amy sent a text saying she was moving on and not to contact her or any of you. By the time I tried to call her back, she had blocked my calls and texts and wouldn't answer my letters. And, even though that's not what I wanted, not at all. I loved Amy, and if I'm honest with myself, I still do. But, I had no choice, I had to accept her decision."
"Oh, I see. So, this is all Amy's fault?" His eyes narrowed.
"No, Jack. Not at all. It was all my fault. I was the one who didn't come home. I was the one who didn't tell her until I was already there. She got tired of waiting on me. I don't blame her."
"You got that right. This is on you." He paused for effect. "But, here's where your story doesn't make sense. Amy waited for you for months. She supported you in every way, including taking care of Harley so you didn't have to and buying Old Blue so you could have reliable transportation...so you could come home."
"I know, but Amy and I ..." He tried to interject.
"I am not done." He cut him off. "She talked nonstop about you and your ridiculous eco-warrior missions." He rolled his eyes. "That included Nova Scotia after you bailed, then finally told her. She was still excited for you to track down that damn cougar. So, going to Nova Scotia was not the problem. And, you know it. Something else happened that night, after she went to do night check that caused her to sent that text." He deducted.
"Do you have any idea what's it's like to find your granddaughter rolled up in a ball, a sobbing mess, completely broken, an utter wreck?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Her light had been sucked out of her. She even withdrew from her horses. Spartan and Harley. It took months for her to come around."
Ty stopped his tracks, dropped his head, muttered. "Oh Amy. I'm so sorry."
"Don't Oh Amy me, Ty. What the hell happened? What did you do?" Jack's face turn red.
The acidity of guilt rose up from the pit of Ty's stomach into his mouth. He felt nauseous.
"Tim says that Blaire girl was with you in Nova Scotia. Was she?" Jack asked pointedly, before Ty could say anything.
"It's not true. I don't know where he got that. He said the same thing to me when I called."
"What?" He demanded. "You called and talked to Tim? When? I never heard a word from you."
"When I couldn't get through to her, I tried calling you at the ranch. But instead of you, I got Tim." He began to pace again. "He cussed me out, call me every name in the book. He said he knew about Blair. You all did. I had no idea what he was talking about. Then he told me to never to call again and hung up." He tried to explain, to defend his actions, but knew that they were indefensible. "That's when I knew there was nothing I could do. So I wrote that letter to you. I wanted to let you know that I was moving on too and to thank you for everything."
"So this Blaire?" He spat her name. "Was she there?"
"No, she was not in Nova Scotia. I haven't talked to her in years." Ty was adamant.
"But..?"
"But...there was woman on the mission with me. Actually two." He confessed.
"Oh, this is gonna be good." Jack groused.
He exhaled heavily. "Dr. Mirna Hickerson was there. She was the externship lead. And, now she's my boss at the rescue in Vancouver. But, Amy knew about her."
Surprised, Lisa repeated her name in a whisper to Jack, who simply frowned.
"Okay. And the other one?"
After a pregnant pause, he answered. "There another extern, Claire Russell." He winced when he said her name.
"Oh I see. Blaire, Claire...so Tim was mostly right after all."
"Jack, it's not what you think. Michael Barnes, my usual partner, couldn't go. His father had a heart attack and was in the hospital. She was his last minute replacement. I didn't meet her until I got there. She went to vet school at OVC in Guelph, not UC." He added to make his point. "So, nothing happened between us in Nova Scotia. I swear." His voice's pitch was suddenly a bit higher.
"Is that so? Did you tell Amy about her? When you finally called?"
"No, I didn't tell Amy. There was nothing to tell. I had just arrived, and we were headed out to track the cougar. Like I said, we didn't talk long. Other than me getting sick and winding up in the hospital, nothing happened in Nova Scotia. The whole thing was a bust. We didn't find the cougar or the person who reported it. Claire was just another student who happened to be on the same mission as me." Though technically true, his words seemed to ring hollow.
Completely missing that Ty said he was hospitalized, Jack laid into him.
"How stupid are you?" Jack took a line from Tim. "Didn't you learn anything from that Blaire fiasco? Didn't you think Amy would find out about this one too? Geez Ty."
"Clearly I am stupid. I should have told her. I messed up once again. I know that. And, I don't expect Amy to forgive me. Or you for that matter." He took a deep breath, before admitting. "Hell, I haven't even forgiven myself. I have to live with that every day. No matter what I do, where I go, or how much I accomplish, that regret is still there."
His broken heart was breathtakingly laid bare.
"I am truly sorry." Ty said. "I am."
A deafening silence followed, weighing heavy in the air waves. Lisa grabbed Jack's hand again, her eyes searched his, imploring him to cut him a break, say something kind.
Finally Jack spoke. "Ty, I'm gonna offer you some advice. Ty, you are human, you made a mistake. Grow from it, forgive yourself but move on with your life."
"I thought I had...but lately..."
"As much as you may not want to hear this, you need to know. Amy has moved on. She's finally happy again. She's busy with school and work, socializing, traveling, dating even. She has a full life without you."
He nodded. "I know. And, I am happy for her. She deserves that and so much more. That's why I haven't reached out to her. Or you."
"I think that's for the best."
"Yeah."
Another awkward silence followed. Ty sighed heavily, knowing that one phone call couldn't fix what he had broken. Not even a million calls would suffice.
He cleared his throat, wanting to get to the reason for his call. "Well, you're probably wondering why I called in the first place."
"The thought did cross our mind." Jack replied, his tone had lost its edge.
"Right. Um. In addition to my work in Vancouver, I am also affiliated with the University of Calgary. I taught class this past semester." He started.
"A teacher? At the Vet School?" Jack surprised, but mostly worried that Amy would cross paths with Ty.
"Yes, that's why I'm here. Today was my last class of the semester."
"Will you teach there in the fall too?" Lisa probed, following up with Jack's line of questioning.
"I only committed to teaching one semester." He said, but then went further, hoping to impress Jack somehow. "Though the Dean actually offered me an full-time assistant professor position starting this fall. Tenure track to boot."
"Well, Ty. Congratulations. That's quite an accomplishment." Lisa said sincerely.
"Thanks." He chuckled acidicly. "Can you imagine that? A juvenile delinquent teaching a bunch of university students. What would their parents think?"
"They would think that their offspring are more than fortunate to have you as their professor. Why else would the Dean have offered you the position. Dr. Singh knows what he's doing." She counseled him, then inquired. "Will you accept?"
"No, don't worry. I don't plan to take the job or even relocate to Alberta." He replied as if reading their minds, finalizing his decision to not take Singh's offer. "Vancouver is where I live these days anyhow."
Lisa replied. "Ty, regardless of what you decide, it sounds like you are doing very well for yourself."
"I am." He agreed assuredly, then muttered to himself. "Mostly."
As love for his wayward son tugged at his heart, outweighing his anger and hurt, Jack's steely eyes turned gentle, watery. Leaning closer to the phone, he started. "Ty, I want you to know, no matter what, I am proud for you. What you've overcome, what you've accomplished, what you've made of yourself and your life. And, you did it all on your own. Good for you, son."
Jack's words were unexpected, especially when he called him son. Ty choked up, couldn't speak. His chest hurt, his eyes burned. He swallowed hard, but still nothing came out.
Finally, he said in a small voice. "I couldn't have done it without you, Jack. Without all of you. And Amy." He wiped a tear that rolled down his cheek. "I am grateful."
Silence again filled the phone lines as better words could not be spoken or heard by either one. If only the call had ended then.
Wanting to get to the reason for his call, Lisa broke the silence. "Ty. We're glad hear that you are doing so well. Is that the reason for your call? Is there something you need?"
He took a moment, to compose himself, to get back on track. "Did you get the message I left for you with your assistant, um, Liz, I think?"
"You talked with Liz?" Lisa pursed her lips, trying to keep her frustration in check. "When?"
"I called twice actually. In May."
"No, I didn't get your message. Is that what you're calling about now?"
"Kinda. Back then, I was calling to thank you for your generous donation to the wild horse externship." He frown, then cut to the chase. "But, now..."
"So, you're involved in that externship?" Jack interjected.
"Yes. And, no, Jack, it's not a scam. Michael and I are leading it in conjunction with the rescue in Vancouver and the University." He explained. "Two UC vets students have been accepted into the program. We have our first mission this upcoming weekend."
"Oh." Lisa uttered, her lips pursed.
He went on to explain. "Mirna was the keynote speaker at the ATOBA dinner at the University in May. The externship was one of the items in the silent auction. That's how we received the donation with your name and donor number. You talked with our office manager, Celina Gomez, earlier today about that."
"Right. I already told her that I did not make the donation. I wasn't even at the function." Lisa reiterated.
"We understand that now. But, I was hoping that you'd know who might have made it."
"I don't. Like I told Celina, Jack and I were in France." She stated.
"I know that Amy went with Andrew Pierson in your place." He mentioned before she had a chance too.
"You know?" She was surprised.
"Yes, we spoke to Andrew in May to thank him for his donation. He told us that he and Amy attended and that he made the donation in her name." He informed them. "Do you think Amy made one too?"
"I wouldn't know. I didn't even know about Andrew's. Neither have said anything to me." Lisa said. "Jack?"
"Not to me either."
"Okay. I will call Andrew again." He hedged for a moment. "Do you think you could ask Amy..?"
Jack shook his head, slowly back and forth. "No, that is not happening, Ty. Even if she did, we are not going to say a word to her about you or your externship. Like I said, she's finally in a good place, she's happy and very busy. We aren't going to jeopardize that. And, neither are you." His tone was clear.
"Jack. I won't and haven't. I spent the most of the summer avoiding her on campus."
"You knew she was going to university?" Lisa asked.
"Yes. I saw Old Blue in the parking lot on main campus." He didn't dare mention he actually saw her or left her a note.
"And, you need to keep avoiding her." Jack instructed, his jaw flinched.
"I will Jack." He nodded as he promised. "Lisa, Celina will let you know what she finds out. Mirna will call too."
"Thank you for calling, it was good to hear your voice." Lisa replied, trying to end the conversation before anything else upset Jack. "Take care of yourself."
"You too, Lisa. Both of you." He didn't want to let go, but ended the call anyhow. "I am truly sorry. I won't bother you again."
Shaken, he hung up before Jack could respond. He went directly to the refrigerator, got another beer, downing it as he stood in the kitchen. Soon he got another, downed it too.
When Michael came home twenty minutes later, Ty was sitting on the couch, his packed bag on the floor next to him, an empty bottle of beer on the coffee table before him, one in his hand.
"Celebrating the last day of class, huh?" Michael joked, as he put his vet bag and a box on the credenza by the door.
Without looking at him, Ty mumbled. "Something like that."
He sat down next to him, looked at his friend. His eyes were glassy, his hair somewhat disheveled, his shirt untucked. "Ty. Did something happen?"
Ty shrugged, but didn't respond.
Michael looked around, silently counted the empty beer bottles. "What time is your plane?" Michael asked, concerned for his friend.
"I don't know. Eight, something?"
"Good. Enough time to get something in our stomachs. I'm starved. Fox's Pizza okay? They deliver pretty fast." Michael suggested.
"Not hungry." He mumbled.
"Fox's it is then." Pulling out his cell phone, he ordered the pizza.
Three hours later, the extra large half meat, half veggie pizza was completely demolished, with only a couple of crusts remaining in the box. Four more bottles of beer, two bottles of AW root beer, and two glasses of water were empty, littering the coffee table before them. More importantly, Ty's flight had been rescheduled to 5am in the morning. After Michael ordered the pizza, he had texted Celina, requesting the change so they could "celebrate" the end of his last class.
"I don't know about you, but I am full up." Michael patted his taunt stomach, his socked feet and long legs stretched across the coffee table between the trash.
"Me too. That hit the spot." Ty replied, slouched down in the couch, a half empty bottle of root beer in his hand. He reached for his wallet in his back pocket. "What do I owe you?"
"You can buy the first round of beer in Chincoteague. Make that two. Preferably something local." He named his price, then took a swig of his root beer.
"You drive a hard bargain." He tried to smile but the corners of his mouth remained fixed in a straight line. "Thanks, by the way."
"For what? Making you buy beer next week?"
"For listening. For understanding. For not judging me."
"Of course, that's what friends are for." He gave his shoulder a gentle shove. "I'm just sorry that it didn't go as you had hoped with Jack."
"Yeah. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. I burned that bridge a long time ago."
"You never know. He did say he was proud of you."
Ty corrected him. "He said proud for me. There's a difference."
"No, that's a distinction without a difference." He countered, arguing semantics.
When Ty didn't respond, Michael knew his words didn't sway him so he changed the subject.
"Getting back to rounds of beer at Chincoteague, Saturday will be here before we know it. Is everything all set?"
"I think so. You got Celina's email and itinerary, right? Did you see she scored flights for 380 a piece. Can you believe it?"
"She is quite the master when it comes to itineraries. Kinda cool that we're staying at the fire house."
"Free room and board." Ty added.
"Heck yeah! We don't need no stinking 20,000 donation." Michael said sarcastically. "We got Celina!"
"You got that right, brother!" They two clinked their root beer bottles together, and took another drag.
"I got something for our first mission." Michael stood, crossed the room, bringing back a cardboard box. He handed it to Ty.
"What is it?" Ty had a puzzled look on his face. "It's not my birthday."
Michael laughed. "See for yourself."
Opening the box, Ty pulled out a long sleeved white t-shirt. On the right chest pocket, there was a black horse silhouette, running with its mane and tail flying, with the words University of Calgary Vet written above it in small letters and Vancouver Animal Rescue Wild Horse Externship written below that.
"Wow! This is great."
"There are 8 t-shirts in the box. David and Henry's say Vet Student. Anyhow, there's a short and long sleeved one for each of us. And, they're quick dry too. Necessary for the beach." Michael added.
"No kidding. Did you design these?" Ty asked, examining the pocket closer.
Michael grinned. "There's four matching ball caps too."
"These are really terrific, Michael. And free advertising too. Thank you." He said, pulling out a cap out of the box. He raked his fingers through his shoulder length hair, pushing it back, then put the cap on his head. He struck a pose, his chin jutted out, his eyes looking upward. "How do I look?"
"Styling!" He said laughing.
Releasing his pose, he grinned. "Only five more days and we'll be at the beach, soaking up the sun and surf, watching wild horses swim across the channel, then we get to do our thing. We're gonna have a blast!" Ty said.
"Like old times."
"Like old times." They clinked bottles and polished off their root beers.
"If you took Singh's offer, we could continue to work together. We wouldn't have to stop with the externship, you know." Michael reminded him.
"You don't give up, do you?"
"You can't blame a guy for trying." Michael shrugged.
"Guess not." He began to collect up the trash on the coffee table. "I'll clean up here, you get to bed. You have class and I have an early flight in the morning."
"I'll help."
The next morning, after a restless night and an early flight, Ty finally entered the rescue, a bit after 7 am. Still a little rough from the night before, he headed straight for the kitchen and a strong cup of coffee. Entering the kitchen, Ty was surprised to find Paul sitting at the table, reading something on his phone.
"So, you're here." Paul intoned, not looking up from his phone.
"I could say the same about you." Not in the mood to humor him, he replied flatly, standing in front of the coffeemaker, which was turned off.
"Someone has to be." He shot back.
With his back still to Paul, Ty filled his mug with the dregs from the bottom of the pot, then took a big swig. The coffee was cold and bitter as it hit his tongue and back of his throat. He almost gagged.
"By the way, you're on the hook for Friday night. That's the deal." Paul informed him.
"Deal? What deal?"
"Take it up with Celina." He glanced at his watch, proclaiming. "Time for rounds." He stood, pushing back his chair which scraped loudly against the floor. Turning on his heel, he left the room.
Gulping down the rest of his dank coffee, he followed after him.
The rescue was full, mostly with domesticated cats and dogs, interspersed with a few feral or stray ones, an abandoned litter of raccoon kits and a barn owl with a broken beak. Fierce, the melanistic cougar had long since healed, her splint removed, and been relocated with her cub, Percy, to a wildlife park, just outside of Squamish. Chief Campbell staged a few campaign speeches there, with Naomi at his side and the cougars in the background. With the cougars, snakes, bears, and horses all gone, the rescue was fairly quiet, more domesticated animals than wild, not much different from most ordinary vet clinics.
Needless to say, rounds were quick and relatively painless.
Once Paul departed, Ty fell back into the flow of the rescue routine. In the feline room, he checked again on a very young, clearly feral calico cat, nine or so weeks pregnant, ready to give birth at any moment, or so he assumed as she hadn't eaten in several hours. He was making notes on her health record when he noticed her name.
"Trixie." He read aloud, shaking his head. "Figures."
"So, you're here." Chip groused as he entered the room, sounding oddly like Paul. "For how long this time?"
"Well, good morning to you too, Chip." Ty laughed as he uncharacteristically wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a bear hug, lifting him off his feet. "Miss me?"
Chip struggled to break free from his grasp, trying not to laugh. "Can't say that I have."
"I bet." He released him, grinning. "Trixie tells me otherwise."
"You can't trust her. She doesn't even know who her baby daddy is." He said with a straight face.
Ty laughed. "You're a funny guy. What's going on with you?"
"As if you care." He paused for effect, one corner of his mouth creeping upward. "I aced my last GED exam yesterday. Science, no less." He could no longer mask his happiness and broke into an ear to ear grin. "I am now officially a high school grad."
"Wow! Congratulations." Ty matched Chip's enthusiasm as he shook his hand, slinging the other arm around his shoulder, bro-hug like. "I'm proud of you, Chip."
"Thanks." He said, retrieving his phone out of his back pocket. He thumbed the screen, then held it up to Ty. "See?"
He leaned in, admiring the image. "Very nice. You gonna frame that diploma? A shadow box would be fitting."
He laughed. "I might."
"So what's next, grad?"
"Well, I wanted to get into college for fall semester but it's too late now. So, it looks like it's gonna be winter." He replied.
"Where are you applying?"
"Only UC. With you and Mirna always there, it just makes sense."
Ty didn't have the heart to tell him that his stint at UC was over for good. And, Mirna's would end soon too.
"Plus, I figure I could roll right into their vet program after I graduate. Mirna and Joe have already written reference letters. Could you could give me one too?" He asked.
"Absolutely. Is there a form or something?"
"Yeah. I'll send you a link." He tapped on his phone again. "Coming your way."
"Thanks. So, what's Kerry gonna do without you?"
"She's not." He said matter of factly. "She's coming with me. She'll transfer to UC. She's already been accepted for winter."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Mirna and Joe wrote her reference letters too." He said, then revealed assuredly. "Eventually we want to open our own vet clinic and work together."
"Worked everything out, huh?" Despite Chip's confidence, Ty remained skeptical remembering how his and Amy's similar notions never panned out.
"Yeah. Celina helped us develop a business plan." Chip said, seriously, suddenly sounding very mature.
"A business plan? No kidding?" Both surprised and impressed, he questioned his young vet tech.
"Yeah. We didn't want to leave it to chance." He professed. "We're already saving money for it."
"I am more than impressed." He said, acknowledging to himself that he didn't plan much, except for vet school. Generally, he just chased after opportunities as they presented themselves.
"Dad says Kerry's been a good influence on me." He confessed.
"No doubt. What about her parents? What do they think of your grand plans?"
"Her dad says I'm good for her too."
"Oh really?" Ty raised a brow.
He smirked. "I know, hard to believe, huh?"
"Chip, I was teasing you. You're an exceptional vet tech. Way better than I ever was. You'll make an exceptional vet some day."
"Really?" He was humbled by Ty's comments.
"Yes really. I don't know what we're going to fo without you around her."
From behind them, Trixie let out a low howl.
"She's about ready." Ty said, he looked in at her. "How about you take this one on?"
"Really? Without you?"
"Of course. You've assisted me plenty with these deliveries." He reassured him.
"She's so small, though." He hesitated. "She's just a kitten herself."
"Yeah, but she instinctively knows what to do. It's gonna be mostly a watch and wait. And, you know the signs that a cat is ready to give birth, right?" He prompted him.
"Yes. Um. Drop in body temperature to 37.5 Celsius. Enlarged mammary glands and swollen nipples. Nesting, purring, pacing, restlessness, meowing and howling." He ticked off the first signs.
"Good. How about closer to birth?" Ty continued to test him.
"Right. More frequent licking of genitalia. Mucus plug and water discharge from vulva. Movement of kittens in the stomach. More pacing, restlessness, discomfort, meowing, howling." He recited more signs.
"Excellent. When do you need to get involved?"
"If the discharge is dark or smelly. She's in distress. Um. Contractions without delivery." He scratched his chin. "The kittens get stuck or are stillborn. She doesn't expel the placenta."
"Right. Check each kitten as they're delivered and make sure their airway is clear and they are nursing."
"I will. Thanks Ty." He pulled out his phone again. "I'll text Kerry."
"Good idea. You might want to take Trixie to one of the exam rooms, it will be quieter in there. Plus, it will give you room to maneuver if things go sideways." He suggested. "I'll check on things in an hour or so. But, call if you need me."
"Okay." He reached into the cage, wrapping the calico in a blanket, pulling her to his chest. The cat howled again. "It's okay Trixie. We'll take good care of you and your kittens." He gently rubbed between her ears as he left the room.
Less than a minute later, he returned. "What about poop duty?"
"I'll do it." He offered.
"That'd be awesome. Thanks Ty."
He watched Chip disappeared down the hall and into the exam room. Pulling on rubber gloves, he began the tedious process of cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting cages, starting with Trixie's, her food and water bowls, and kitty litter. Ten minutes later, he moved to the next cage, first relocating the cat and paperwork to an empty cage, then commencing the cleaning process all over. He systematically moved around the room, until all the cages were clean.
Before heading into the canine room, he decided to check on Chip and Kerry.
"How goes it?" He said as he opened the door, peeked in.
"Nothing yet. Just a lot of licking." Chip said. "Every once in a while, we see a kitten move in her stomach."
"Any discharge yet."
"Not that we can tell."
"Hmm." He frowned.
"She doesn't seem uncomfortable. Every once in a while she gives an annoying, high pitched yelp, but mostly she's been purring." Kerry added.
"The yelp is probably a contraction." Ty looked around. "Does it seem chilly in here?"
"Maybe a little."
He stepped to the thermostat, adjusted it. "Maybe a little warmth may help."
Suddenly Trixie yelped, grabbing everyone's attention.
"You okay, Trixie?" Kerry said to the pregnant cat who proceeded to repositioned herself multiple times, seemingly trying to get comfortable, each spot unsatisfactory. After digging at the blanket, forming a bunched up nest, she finally laid down, nestled in deep and began to purr again." You're gonna be a good mamma, aren't you?"
"Not quite ready?" Chip asked.
"Maybe. Maybe not. I'll check back in an hour. But let me know if things start happening." He said as he headed toward the door.
"Sure thing."
Before heading to the canine room, he took the main hall to the front desk, where Celina was talking on the phone. He leaned into the counter where A.K. was perched and gave her a scratch under her chin.
"How you doing, A.K?" The kitten pressed against his chest, purring all the while, then jumped on his shoulder. He took a Honeycrisp apple from the bowl. He took a bite, petting the kitten now wrapped around his neck.
Hanging up, Celina smiled at him. "Hey Ty."
"Hey Momma C."
"How was your flight home?"
"Uneventful." He took another bite, a little juice dribbled into his beard, now full but fairly neat and trim.
She rubbed her chin, motioning that he had something on his beard. He caught her signal, wiped it away.
"How was your celebration?"
"Low key. Just pizza and beer at Michael's. Thanks for changing my flight."
"Sure thing. You should know, I had to do some negotiating with Paul."
"He mentioned it. I'm working Friday night?"
"Only til midnight. Ellen's flying in and he wanted to pick her up and take her dinner. I needed him to cover things until you got in." She explained. "Hope you don't mind."
"Don't mind one bit." He said honestly, though wondered why Paul had to make such a big deal about it. "Things are getting serious with those two."
"Yep. She's going to be here for the entirety of her semester break. With you and Mirna out, they will be running the rescue with Chip and Kerry. Joe will help out too."
"I had no idea." He scratched the side of his head. "Why couldn't Paul just tell me that?"
"He's slightly intimidated by you."
"Ridiculous."
She shrugged. "Call them as I see them."
"Whatever. Hear anything about the donation?"
"Funny you should ask. That was Stella Barre at UC's accounting department. She's looking into it. But, it may be a few days."
"Okay." He sighed.
"Don't worry. We'll work it out." She tried to reassure him.
He nodded, glumly.
"It will be fine. Honestly. One way or another."
She took an apple as well, biting into its crunchiness. After she swallowed, she asked.
"So did you talk to Lisa Stillman?" She inquired.
"Yeah." As pieces of the call came flying back, his shoulders slumped, his head lowered, a strand of hair fell across his face. "Jack was on the call too."
"Oh." She could see he was upset. "How did that go?"
Pushing his wayward lock behind his ear, he started. Over the next twenty minutes or so, Ty delved into the details of the call.
"Oh Ty. I am sorry."
He tried to shrug it off. "I guess if I were in his shoes and Amy was my granddaughter, I would have felt the same."
"Yeah. Breaking the ice is always the hardest. The next conversation will be easier."
"I don't think there'll be a next conversation. He made that pretty clear."
"Are you sure? Based upon what you said, Jack is concerned about protecting Amy's feelings. I get that. But, I don't see that he's closed his door on you."
"Doubtful." They both another bite of their apple. Finishing their apples, they both threw their cores toward the trash can, hitting the target.
"Score!" They said in unison.
"So...have you thought about Singh's offer?"
"You know about that?" Answering his own question, he added. "Of course you did."
"Mirna told me."
"Why am I always the last to know?"
Celina laughed. "Tell me about his offer."
"It's a good offer. But, my answer is still no. I haven't changed my mind." He didn't mince his words.
"Right. Does the call with Jack figure in your decision?" She tilted her head slightly as she tried to read his expression.
Grimacing slightly, he shook his head No. "Of course not. I told Singh on Monday that I wanted to return to the rescue full-time."
"What if Mirna took over the UC Surgery Department?" She asked.
"What? Has she?" Ty couldn't fathom it.
"Not that I know of. I was just supposing." Celina said coyly.
"What do you know? Tell me."
"Really I don't know anything. Like I said, I was just supposing."
"Hmm. I bet. Regardless, the answer is still no." He was adamant.
"Don't get me wrong, I love working with you. I love having you around here full-time. In the end, I just want you to be happy. So whatever you decide is good with me."
"Good to know." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For being in my corner always. For telling me like it is. For being you." He said.
"Ty. I love you like a son. And I always have and always will, whether you're working here or not." She touched his arm tenderly. "But, you've got to remember, I have a grand baby coming soon. I won't be here forever."
"Why can't things just stay the same?"
"Life happens."
Ty and Celina's phones vibrated simultaneously. They each looked at their phones.
"Well look at that, three kittens. Good job!" Ty exclaimed.
"Roxie, Ruby and John." Celina gushed. "Love the names."
"Chip and Kerry make a good team."
"They do. You trained them well, Dr Borden." It was her turn to kiss his check.
The rest of the week, flew by.
On Friday, Ty kept his phone appointment with the Dean, and officially declined the offer. Dr. Singh surprisingly did not push Ty, did not ask for a reason. Instead, he just politely accepted his decision, wished him luck, then ended the call. As their conversation lasted less than 5 minutes, Ty was certain he had burned yet another bridge.
Saturday night had come and Ty was aboard a Canadian Air redeye flight, streaking through the air, bounded to Norfolk, Virginia, headed to Chincoteague and their first externship mission. He was fast asleep in the darkened plane in an aisle seat in the last row, right outside the restroom. His seat did not recline. Michael was beside him, against the window. Henry and David were asleep in the seats across the aisle. A flight attendant pushing a beverage cart, bumped into Ty's arm, jarring him awake.
"Beverage?" She asked without apologizing.
Blinking several times, he responded. "No thanks." As she started to move on, he asked. "A coffee, please."
"Cream? Sugar?" She said in monotone voice.
"Black." He thanked her. Taking a sip of the bitter brew, he noticed the glow coming from Michael's phone. "Can't sleep?"
"Not tired." He said, with a shrug.
"Is that a new picture of Alicia?" He asked, as he leaned into get a better looking.
"Yeah. She's beautiful, isn't she?"
"She sure is. Don't know what she sees in you." He teased.
"I know, right? My thoughts exactly." Michael sighed.
"I'm teasing, Michael.." He pushed his friend's shoulder slightly. "So how are things?"
"Good. I took her to Hy's for dinner last night." He said.
"Fancy." He smiled at his friend. "This is getting serious." He didn't mention that he took Amy there on a date, the night he tried propose. In his nervousness, he spilled water all over her.
Michael's smile was telling. "We're flying out east so I can her parents in a couple of weeks."
"Oh, it is getting really serious."
"Yeah. I plan to ask her mom and dad for her hand while I'm there."
"Congrats Michael. That is wonderful." He shook his hand.
"Thanks. Hope you'll stand up with us as my best man. Well, if she says Yes."
"She will. And, of course, Michael. I'd be honored to stand with you. With you both." Ty chuckled. "Maybe Alicia could hooked me up with her maid of honor."
"Maybe."
Hello Everyone. This chapter was a long time in coming. I had a difficult time writing Ty and Jack's conversation. Thanks to LifeIn3d for sending me excellent ideas. Hopefully that it hit the mark.
Enjoy.
SBR.