Page 13

CHAPTER 13

Tom parked in the visitor parking lot at the hospital, turned off the truck and turned to Lorissa. “I don’t know how long I’ll be, and I don’t know what to expect. You don’t have to go in with me if you don’t want to.”

“I’ll go in. I don’t know Mrs. Bickers, but I know you. I don’t expect to be able to see her. I am there for you. I know this might be hard on you, and I’ll lend you moral support.”

“Thank you,” Tom said as he exited and when he saw her reach for the door handle, he frowned and shook his head at her. He came around to open her door, and help her down. Once the vehicle was locked, they walked toward the entrance. At the front desk, he stated who he was, and who he was there to see. They had to wait for about fifteen minutes before someone came to get them. On the way to their destination, the man who had introduced himself as Dr. Henry paused to turn to them.

“I’m sorry, but remind me again exactly why you are here.”

“I’m Dr. Thomas Stolls, and this is Dr. Lorissa Gibson. We are both veterinarians. I’ve known Mrs. Bickers for the last six or seven years. She doesn’t have any human children, but she treats her dog and cat like her own children. I know this might be a long shot, but I thought if I could tell her that her animals were alive and safe, then she might unconsciously relax enough to heal. I might only be an animal doctor, but I believe that unconscious patients know when someone talks to them. I also have some news I’d like to give her regarding her husband.” Tom looked at the concern on the other doctor’s face and held up his hand to stop him.

“I believe it’s good news. I don’t know if you know all that happened?”

“I don’t.”

Tom took the next ten minutes to tell Dr. Henry everything he had learned and the condition of the pets when Lorissa first got ahold of them, to how they were now. It had been almost two weeks since the incident.

“Wow, okay, first, I believe the same thing you do about unconscious people knowing when someone is talking to them. Before I approve, what information do you have about her husband? I want to hear it first, I won’t have her upset.”

“He’s in jail, and denied bail.”

“Good, okay, I’ll agree to you telling her that, along with the condition of her pets. Could you tell her about her husband first? You know, start with the bad and end with the good, that her babies are alive and well.”

“I can.”

“Good, now because of the severity of her injuries, you won’t be allowed in her room. We have set it up that you can talk on the phone with her. I have a nurse in the room that will hold the phone to her ear. You won’t be able to see her either, but I can tell you that she’s out cold, unconscious, but she came in that way. We believe it is due to her head injury. She is on some heavy-duty pain meds, and her entire body is wrapped in gauze that we have to remove along with the skin debris every day.”

“I understand,” Tom said and gripped Lorissa’s hand.

“Let me take you to where you can get set up, and I’ll go tell the nurse you’ll be calling. I’m going to be in the room to monitor her vitals. I don’t expect to see instant results, but if she gets fluttering heartbeats when you tell her the bad, then the good news, then we know there are active brain waves. At least I hope so. ”

Tom nodded because he couldn’t talk around the lump in his throat. It wasn’t like he had any romantic feelings for Mrs. Bickers, it was that she was Lorissa’s patients’ owner and he knew how much she loved Baby and Rose. When they were directed to a small room to wait for instructions, Tom frowned at Lorissa when she grabbed a box of tissues off a desk as they walked by. She only shrugged, without saying a word.

Tom and Lorissa had to wait for almost ten minutes before a nurse knocked on the door, and opened it. She pointed to the phone on the wall and said when he was ready to pick it up, and dial the three numbers she gave him. She explained it was the phone beside her bed, a nurse would pick it up, then tell him when to talk.

Five minutes later, Tom drew a deep breath and began to speak. He had no idea what he was going to say, but he spoke from the heart. “Mrs. Bickers, hi, it’s Tom Stolls. Dr. Tom. First, I want to tell you that your husband was caught and arrested. He’s in jail and he was denied bail. My sources tell me that he will never see the light of day again. Second, I want to commend you for saving Rose and Baby. They are safe, they are alive, and their babies are as well. All thanks to you. You did good, and because of you and your bravery, Rose is the mother of six thriving puppies that right now, they look like those Wooly Worms that cross the road. They are a combination of orange, brown, and black, just like Rose.” He paused to take a breath to clear his throat and when Lorissa pressed several tissues in his hand, he wiped his tears he hadn’t realized were coursing down his face.

“Baby is fine also. She had four kittens, and all four of them looked exactly like her. Long-haired, puffy-white, snowballs with smushed faces. They are adorable, just like their mama. Again, Baby, Rose, and their litters are safe, sound, healthy, and happy. They are getting the best care in the business.” He didn’t know what else to say, so he quickly told her to get better to come back and see her babies for herself, then he hung up. He stood there for several minutes trying to gather himself. He felt that the phone call was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.

When he was under control, he turned back and sighed heavily when Lorissa wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. “You did good,” she whispered as she stepped back when she felt Tom had himself under control. He took the tissues, blew his nose, then wiped the rest of the tears from his face before he opened the door.

Dr. Henry walked toward them, and Tom couldn’t read his expression. Tom spoke first, “I doubt it did any good, but I had to tell her.”

“I totally understand, and we were able to hear what you said. It was perfect. What you did just solidified my belief that the unconscious can hear.”

“Why do you say that?” Lorissa asked quietly .

“When Dr. Stolls talked about her husband, her heart rate increased. However, the second he talked about her animals, she let out a sigh, her heart rate decreased, as well as her blood pressure. I’m not saying she’s healed, but I will go out on a limb and say that you put her mind at ease so she can start to heal. Again, I’m not saying if she will get better, she has a long, long, long road ahead of her. I’m talking two or three years before she even gets out of the hospital. If she survives the daily bandages, she’ll have to go through several skin grafts and then the risk of infection right now is through the roof. We had to sterilize the phone before we could even bring it into the room. I just wanted you to know that what you told her eased her mind.”

“Thank you for telling me that.”

“I only have one question.” Dr. Henry looked at them and grinned. “What type of dog and cat?”

“Rose, the dog, is a brown and tan Yorkie. Baby is the cat, and she’s a mix of Himalayan and Persian,” Tom spoke proudly, and nodded when Lorissa pulled out her phone and showed them to the doctor.

“Wow, those are beautiful. What will you be doing with them?”

“They are in Lorissa’s care now, she’s going to keep them, and it might be some time before we decide what to do with the babies. I do know that her mother and grandmother want one of them. I don’t know which one yet. ”

“Nana wants a puppy, and I think Mom wants a kitten.”

“Can I put my name down for a female puppy? My wife and I have a six-month-old male, and we thought to get a female in the future so we can breed them.”

“Sure, as long as you can promise me you won’t turn them into a puppy mill.”

Dr. Henry held up his hand and swore. “I swear, that’s where we got Bandit from, and it was disgusting to say the least. We only want one batch of babies, then we plan on getting them both fixed.”

“Good for you, but please,” Lorissa said with feeling. “Please don’t get the female pregnant until she’s at least a year old. She needs to go through one or two cycles first before she becomes pregnant.”

“You mean her period and go into heat?”

“Yes, if a female, especially a small dog like a Yorkie goes through at least two cycles, their bodies are better equipped to handle the pregnancy, and the chances of having healthy babies are better.”

“Thank you for that information. Do you two practice together? Where is your office?”

“We’re down in Fool’s Gold, and though I own the clinic, I have several vets and technicians that do the day-to-day work. I’m the vet that goes to the local ranches, I specialize in large animals.”

“Ah, the horses and the cows.”

“Correct. ”

“I’m basically a freelancer,” Lorissa said. “I work for Erin Riceman at Erin’s Way, but I’m not exclusive to her. I am a vet, but I am also certified with the AFA.”

“What is that?”

“American Farrier Association.” She grinned as she watched Dr. Henry closely. “I do pedicures for the horses.” They all shared a laugh at her wording, and it broke the last little bit of tension in Tom. “Really, I work on their feet, make sure their shoes are on properly, and trim their hooves. As much as I enjoy being a vet, I love being a farrier more.”

“At least you’re doing a job you love. I love what I do, but in the case of Mrs. Bickers, when it was deliberate, I get so angry, I want to go postal. Thank you for telling me that her husband didn’t get bail.”

“You’re welcome. My sources tell me that he’s not getting out. The charges against him right now are attempted murder, arson, and cruelty to animals. Mrs. Bickers was in the house trying to get Rose, Baby, and their litters to safety when he threatened to attack them with the baseball bat.”

“I will never understand why someone would lose it like that. I wonder what made him snap?”

“Stupidity,” Lorissa said, and shook her head as she turned to Tom. “You said he was having an affair?”

“Yes, he was having an affair, he lost his job, and when Mrs. Bickers found out, she kicked him out, and cut him off financially. She even froze all the accounts. He had been out of the house for about a month when he arrived that night, drunk out of his mind.”

“Disgusting,” Dr. Henry said with a shake of his head. “I better get back. Thank you for what you did. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and send up a prayer that it helps Mrs. Bickers take a turn in the right direction. Do you have a business card before I go?”

Tom gave him a card, and after Dr. Henry left them, they turned and walked back to the front of the hospital. Before leaving, Tom ducked into the men’s room and after using the facilities, he washed his hands and scrubbed his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried, but for some reason it felt cathartic to have done so.

In the hall, he joined Lorissa, and with his hand on the small of her back, they both were silent as they made it out to his truck. Because they had agreed to go to the steakhouse prior to that night, he drove across town to his favorite spot. They were both quiet as they went in and he grinned at Lorissa’s shock when he said they had made a reservation.

They settled at the table, waited to order anything to drink, and looked at the menu. Five minutes later, Lorissa set her menu down and looked at Tom with a smirk.

“What? ”

“How are you going to explain to Mrs. Bickers that you lied to her?”

They paused as the waitress came and they both placed their orders, and Tom ordered them each a glass of wine. When the waitress left, he turned to her. “I didn’t lie.”

“ Four fluffy white snowballs? Before I left, I counted three, with a fluffy tiger striped one in the mix.”

Tom grinned. “Hey, he’s fluffy.”

“That he is,” Lorissa laughed.

“I think the kittens will be in new homes by the time she is aware of her surroundings. I just wanted to put her at ease.”

“I know.” Before they could continue their conversation, Tom’s phone rang, and he looked at Lorissa with raised brows. “Go ahead.”

“Stolls,” Tom answered it in his professional voice and sat there in shock as he listened, not saying one word, then he hung up and looked at Lorissa with the same shock. She reached out and took his hand in hers.

“What?”

“That was Dr. Henry. When he went back to Mrs. Bickers’ room, all hell broke loose. She went into cardiac arrest. They couldn’t save her.”

“Oh, shit,” Lorissa said in shock, and when the waitress arrived with their drinks, Lorissa took matters into her own hands and turned to her. “I’m sorry, we just received some bad news and need to leave. Could you have our orders made to go?” She looked at Tom and shook her head. “We’ll pay for the wine, but we won’t drink it. We live three hour’s drive from here.”

“I’ll get it ready,” she said, but before she turned away, she nodded to her. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Then she disappeared.

Twenty minutes later, after paying the bill, gathering their order, and getting Tom’s expression, Lorissa got them both out of the restaurant and into his truck. She knew he wasn’t in any condition to drive, so she got his keys from him, setting the box with their food on the floor in the back seat area. After he was buckled, she let him continue to zone out on the way home.