Monday
The vintage bell jingled as the rescue's front door opened. Out of habit, she looked up from her computer with a welcoming smile. Seeing him, her reception turned frosty.
"What are you doing here? Why aren't you home resting?" She questioned him.
"Well hello to you too, Momma C." He chuckled. "Your pink fizzy concoction and those greasy fried potatoes cured me." He gave her his lopsided grin, shrugged off his leather jacket, hung it up. "If you didn't want me to come to work, you shouldn't have given me your world famous remedy."
"Hmmm." She frowned, trying to hide her relief.
"How are our fine feathered patients?" Ty asked, changing the subject.
"Holding their own. Thanks to you."
"Good. Dr. Francis still here?" He asked hopefully.
"He's back there now. Come on, let me introduce you."
He followed her down the hall to the avian room lined with large cages, each holding a single bird of prey, each sickly, limp, quiet, their eyes blankly staring or closed. All laying on their breast on a heated pad, too weak to hold up their beautiful white heads, except one which stood leaning awkwardly against the corner of its cage.
"Hey Chip." Ty greeted the gangly teenager with longish hair, dressed in camo scrubs and thick leather gloves, crouched in front of a bottom cage, replacing water and food trays.
A high school Junior, Chip Boyer had been working at the rescue after school and weekends for the past year. A reluctant volunteer initially, his dad made the arrangements with Celina to keep him busy after school and out of trouble, a perpetual issue for Chip. In turn, the rescue got free a janitor, dog walker and poop scooper. Ty had taken him under his wing introducing him to other aspects of the animal rescue and vetting.
"Hey Ty."
"What are you doing here? Isn't school still in session?"
"Yeah. Well. We heard about the eagles on the news last night. I convinced dad it would be good opportunity for me. You know, working with the eagles."
"Well good deal. We'll need an extra set of hands."
"Cool."
At the far end of the room, a slight, older man, with cropped salt and pepper hair and tortoise readers perched on his head, was sitting on a stool, hunched over the lab table, peering into the lens of a microscope.
Walking up beside him, Celina touched his shoulder interrupting his concentration. "Dr. Francis?"
"Yes?" He replied, not moving, not looking up from the microscope.
"Dr. Francis, Dr. Borden is here." Celina said.
"Ah." The older veterinarian stood from his stool, returned his glasses to the permanent groove on his nose, turned to face the younger veterinarian. He studied him for a moment, then held out his hand, thin, translucent, lined with purple veins, marked with brown spots. Ty's hand met his halfway, grasped it firmly, and shook it.
"Dr. Francis. Honored to meet you." He said seriously, respectfully.
"Well. Dr. Borden." He raised his bushy eyebrows, tilting his head forward so he could peer over his glasses. "You did some quick work yesterday."
"Ty. Please." Ty continued. "Yes. We didn't have much choice. They came all at once."
"Well Ty. Smart thinking with the charcoal wash, intravenous fluids, forced feedings."
"It was clear that they were poisoned. Healthy birds in excellent body condition, no sign of disease or trauma otherwise. They were found in the same geographic area, with a distended stomach and crop, practically paralyzed. Lab tests showed barbiturates."
"Good thing you emptied those crop pouches. Probably saved these seven from a certain death."
"Guess you know we lost two."
"Seven of nine. Decent save rate." Dr. Francis calculated. "Usually it's less than 50%."
Ty frowned. "Well, we hated to lose even one." He paused. "I assume that Celina told you the circumstances."
"Some. The town dump?"
"Yes. The operator of town dump, the one by the bay, found the birds and notified the Vancouver Bird Rescue Society. Apparently, whatever the eagles ate was tainted. They dropped right there where they scavenged."
"Clearly, secondary toxicity. The seven crop samples you saved appear to all be from the same source, a domestic hog of some variety."
"Hog carcass at a dump?" Ty shook his head in disbelief.
"We've seen it before. The hog was probably euthanized then disposed improperly." He sighed. "Did they find the carcass?"
"Not yet. They are still scouring the area for that and other raptors. But, it's been 24 hours since these birds came in."
"Good sign, I suppose."
"My thought too. No news is good news."
"So, Celina says you had a chunk taken out of you?" He pointed at Ty's bandaged hand.
"Yeah. The female over there didn't like me taking her crop stash." Ty pointed to her cage, then looked at his hand.
"Birds of prey are fiercely protective of their spoils of scavenging. Especially the females."
"No kidding. And those talons are really sharp, really strong."
"Yes indeed." Dr. Francis chuckled, pulling up his sleeve, exposing two wide scars running parallel across his forearm.
"That's quite a battle wound, Dr. Francis." Ty was impressed.
"Every scar tells a story, Ty." The elder gave a knowing look with a quick wink to the younger.
Ty laughed in agreement. "Isn't that the truth. So what's your story?"
"A male eagle in 2010. He came in with five others. Lead poisoning apparently from feeding on an elk riddled with shot. We saved them all but it took weeks, every day was touch and go."
"Impressive."
"Knew you two were cut from the same cloth." Celina observed, then commented.
The vets nodded in unison, accepting her words as a compliment.
"So. Which of you will handle the press? We have to make a statement at 6:00." She asked.
"Dr. Francis, would you do the honors?" Ty suggested, then added. "It's not really my thing."
"Ah, the press conference...a necessary evil. Ty, you will find that good media coverage always brings in much needed donations."
"Yes they do." Celina agreed.
"I'd rather just do the work including cleaning up excrement with my bare hands."
Dr. Francis laughed. "Tell you what. I will take the short straw today." He cleared his throat. "But, Ty, you will be there next to me. They will want to ask you some questions."
"I can handle that."
For the next few hours, Dr. Francis, Ty, Chip and Celina monitored the eagles in addition to vetting a litter of feral kittens, spaying their young mother, pinning the leg of a pit bull hit by a car, and in taking a stray ball python measuring 5 feet long found in a garage. Chip was especially enamored with the snake.
At five o'clock, Celina strategically positioned a podium, adorned with the rescue's logo, in front of their building, for optimal exposure. Soon after, the local press from three news stations arrived to stage their equipment, cameras, microphones. At a quarter til six, Bonnie Vogle, president of the Vancouver Bird Rescue Society, showed up at the rescue. She brought word that three more birds were found, a mated eagle pair and a red tail hawk. They were already in route to the clinic.
The press conference started as planned with Dr. Francis holding court at the podium flanked by Bonnie on his left and Ty on his right. The elder vet talked in detail about the plight of these majestic birds of prey, the need to preserve and protect them, to volunteer and donate. Then Bonnie spoke about the Vancouver Bird Rescue Society and their role in the rescue.
As compelling as Dr. Francis and Bonnie's talks were, most eyes were affixed on Ty. Wearing his leather jacket, jeans and heavy leather gloves, Ty held a recovering male eagle. His right arm wrapped around its body, his right hand holding its bright yellow legs securing its sharp talons, his left hand stroking its dark feathers. He talked quietly to eagle to keep him calm. Before Ty had to speak to the press, the three new birds arrived. Without hesitation, he immediately left the press conference, headed into the clinic to tend to new patients .
The rest of the evening and night was a blur of charcoal, IVs, talons, beaks, diarrhea and vomit. The three who arrived last had the sedatives in their bodies longer and therefore needed constant monitoring. Between Dr. Francis, Ty, Chip, and Paul Bourne, the night vet, the birds kept them moving and working constantly.
The next morning when Celina reopened the office, she found Ty and Dr. Francis, exhausted, asleep sitting upright, in identical side chairs side by side in the reception area. Their feet propped up on the coffee table, their heads rolled back, their mouths opened ever so slightly, their hands folded, resting on their chests. She smiled, snapped a picture, texted it to Mirna with the caption...Twins separated by birth and five decades!
Mirna immediately texted back. OMG. Don't wake them. I'm on my way.
By the time she arrived, Dr. Francis and Ty were awake, already in the avian room, checking on the bald eagles and hawk.
"Morning Joe, Ty. Heard you had a long night."
Both men looked up from the work. "Mirna. You're back." Ty responded first.
"Morning Mirna. How was Namibia?" The elder vet followed suit.
"I'll get to that. Tell me what we have here."
Dr. Francis took the lead. "What you have here is an excellent vet in Dr. Borden." Ty shifted a bit uncomfortably.
"Don't I know it." Mirna agreed.
Between the older and younger vet, they filled Mirna in on the details of the case.
Celina walked in. "You'll be glad to know. The press conference was a success too. Over 11 grand in donations and seven new volunteers. And a slew of women who want Ty's phone number." She laughed gently at Ty's apparent embarrassment.
Mirna remarked. "And the morning is still young."
Dr. Francis stood. "Well, that makes one of us. I need to get this old body home and in bed." Then he grinned. "Thank you so much for ringing me up. This has been really great. Like old times." He shook Mirna hand. "Call me any time."
"You don't need a call Joe." Mirna responded. "You are welcomed here any time the mood strikes you."
Dr. Francis held his hand out to Celina. She hugged him instead. "We loved having you here. Promise you won't be a stranger."
"Celina. You are one in a million. Thank you dear." Then he whispered to her. "Next time, you can call me directly."
"I will. Promise."
He nodded, then tuned to Ty. "Dr. Borden. It has been my pleasure working along side of you. You remind me of my younger self." He shook Ty's hand.
"The pleasure was all mine, Dr. Francis." Ty said earnestly.
"Call me Joe." He smiled. "Until next time."
"Okay Joe. Thank you again." Ty said.
"Let me walk you out." Celina offered, taking the elder vet's arm like old friends.
Mirna and Ty watched as the two left the room.
"So. Show me that hand." Mirna looked at him sharply.
"Nothing to see. It's stitched and bandaged." He shrugged. "Tell me about Namibia."
"Nice side step." She frowned. "Ty. You are a critical part of our team. But. You have got to be more careful. Take care of yourself."
He averted her stare. "I did what I had to do."
"Not wearing gloves? Suturing it yourself?"
He didn't respond.
Mirna exhaled loudly. "Ty. Look. Soon you will be leading your own team, going into remote areas, with little to no medical support. You have got to take precautions with your own health. You can't lead if you are down and out. You have got to be more careful, keep others informed."
"I told Celina about the scratch." He protested.
"Scratch? You are kidding, right?" She just shook her head. "Just like you said you only twisted your ankle in Pitt Meadows? Or you only had a slight headache in Nova Scotia?"
Startled at her mention of Nova Scotia, he did not respond.
"Ty. You are a talented vet, always going above and beyond. Extraordinarily smart. But, you are reckless with your own health and well being. If you can't take care of yourself, I can't, in good conscience, let you lead a mission with others. Too much risk."
He sighed, nodded. "Understood."
"Good." She patted his hand as Celina walked in.
"Tell us about Namibia."
Over the next twenty minutes, Mirna excitedly described her trip, the deserts of Namibia, and the wild horses complete with pictures on her iPad.
"UCalgary already called. Dean Singh wants to know when you can do a lecture on your trip." Celina said. "They will pay your normal speaking fee."
"Good. Get it scheduled."
"Mid-July looks open."
"Fine. Anything else?"
"Western College in late June. Speaking fees too."
"Perfect. Saskatoon berries will be ripe. I love Saskatoon berry pie. I'll bring back fresh berries." She smiled. "Anything else?"
"I have tentative dates in the other three schools for the summer semester. A couple of very small vet conferences." Celina replied.
"Any substantial speaking fees."
Celina shook her head No, frowned. "Still beating the bushes."
"There's that VCE mid-May here in town. They have a wild animal track." Ty suggested.
"Right. I had been working that. But, I heard yesterday that they just secured Dr. Bob Grainger as their headliner. Gobi Bears." Celina replied.
"From Alberta?" Ty's interest peaked.
"I think so. Why? Do you know him?" Celina asked.
"Yeah. But. Figured he'd still be in jail."
"Jail? What are you talking about?" Mirna asked.
"When I was in vet school, I worked with him at his wildlife rehab place outside of Hudson for a few weeks. Turns out he was being funded by poachers to look the other way. They killed at least two bears on Bob's property. One was a nursing mother. When I found out and turned him in."
"You never said anything."
"That was right before the externship with you. I didn't want you to get the wrong impression." He explained.
"Poachers can be incredibly vindictive. Did they come after you?" Celina's tone full of concern.
He shrugged off her question off. "What kills me is that someone with Bob's history would still have his vet license. Or even be allowed to be involved with such important work."
"Ty. It's hard to find trained vets, licensed or not, to do this work, go on these missions. You know this. There's no money in it." Mirna stated the facts. "You got to love the work more than the money."
Celina added. "And, these days students are so strapped with debt coming out of school, they can't afford to even consider it."
Ty disagreed. "I had lots of school debt. But for me, that externship was my lifeline, it's what made me want to do this as a career. It was such an incredible experience. Now, I can't imagine doing anything else."
"Ty. You are a rarity. Plus, you are single, no kids, no pets, no mortgage. Nothing is holding you back." Mirna said. "You are so much like me in that regard."
A twinge of regret shot through his chest. Ty didn't respond.
"But. You have a good point Ty. Maybe we should fire up the externship again." Mirna suggested.
"Remember Mirna. We need money, sponsorship." Celina reminded her.
"Oh yeah."
All three sighed. Though the rescue was well known, well respected, financially they walked a tight line between black and red every day. The constant pressure of low cash flow compounded by high expenses weighed on each them. Each took home meager salaries, each lived fairly frugally.
"Hey. Remember Michael Barnes?" Ty asked.
"Of course. How is he?" Mirna asked.
"He's good. Still a professor at UCVM. He'll be here for that VCE in May."
"Good. Hope to see him. So what about him?"
"Well. Maybe we can work something out with him. He's got connections with all those hoity toity equestrian outfits. Racehorses. Show jumpers. You know. They have deep pockets. Maybe he can help."
"Hmm. A wild horse externship?" Mirna pondered that out loud.
"I think that's a fabulous idea. Ty, can you hook me with Michael?" Celina asked.
"Absolutely."
Hey there Readers! Happy Saturday!
Hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, send me a review. Your feedback keeps me motivated and inspired.
SBR