Chapter 7
Patricia Burnet hasn't slept this well in weeks. She doesn't know if it's the city's cold, her yearning for a few days off, or the amount of work she's had lately, but since getting trapped in this shelter on the outskirts of Salamanca, she crashes at night and doesn't open her eyes until the next morning. She doesn't want to move, but a noise that's been drilling into her ears for minutes threatens to make her leave the cozy sleeping bag she's tucked into. She frowns because her mind, now waking up, detects a familiar sound, but no matter how hard she thinks, she can't pinpoint what it is.
"The snowplow," Carlota whispers as if she's inside Patricia's thoughts.
The cardiologist's eyes snap open, and she sits up with such force that the thin structure of the folding bed wobbles, making Carlota fully wake up with her heart racing.
"What's wrong?" asks the volunteer, also sitting up and placing a hand on her chest.
"The snowplow machine," Patricia repeats the information and jumps out of bed.
She peeks through the window and, to her delight, the day is quite clear. Although a white blanket still covers the ground, the snowplow is clearing the entire path, making Patricia smile with pleasure, though for some reason she can't identify, she's not as happy as she should be knowing she'll be able to leave these four walls where she's been confined.
"It usually takes about twenty minutes," explains Carlota, who has also gotten up and walks to the window.
The two veterinarians remain mesmerized watching the machine do its work, as if they're observing a piece of art in a museum. It's Coco's two barks and the whips of his tail that snap them out of that state.
"Good morning, Coco," says Carlota, stretching her lips into a smile and approaching the cage to pet the animal.
Patricia watches them and cracks a smile. Coco looks at her with those deep coffee-colored eyes while melting into the volunteer's affection.
"Well, I better get started," Carlota says while looking at the cages, "if I don't start now, time will get away from me."
"I'll help," Patricia answers faster than she would have liked.
Carlota nods, and when she's about to take a step, she freezes in place. Patricia has taken the lead, and she, in an innocent gesture, has lowered her gaze to fix it on her backside. The jolt catches her by surprise, and she feels her ears start to burn as a flush overtakes her.
"Are you okay?" asks Patricia when she notices the volunteer has barely taken a couple of steps. "You look unwell."
"Period," Carlota answers without thinking and wishes she'd come up with something different. "When I'm close to those days, I get these sudden hot flashes."
"Me too," says Patricia, opening her eyes wide to emphasize her words, "nights are worse for me."
Carlota nods again and this time does walk, making sure to look where she should. She's still not entirely sure she could have anything with a woman to feel a spark of excitement for her former college classmate. She's certain she doesn't want it to be precisely her who catches her attention, even though they're getting along cordially, Carlota knows Patricia still harbors resentment over the job position they both competed for.
They coordinate as they have these past two days and in less than an hour have managed to walk the animals, clean the litter boxes, and serve their food. Now, after preparing good coffee, the veterinarians sit at the table enjoying a silence that's only interrupted when Troy or another dog decides to lick their paws.
"I'm going to change," says Carlota, getting up with the empty cup. "Do you want to use the bathroom first?"
Patricia looks up and can't help but scan her ex-classmate's body. She hasn't done it on purpose or with any intention, but Carlota turns tomato red again, making the cardiologist tilt her head in a triumphant smile. After discovering she was reading Spain's most famous sapphic writers and noticing certain attitudes, Patricia is sure the volunteer isn't one hundred percent straight.
"No, go ahead," answers Patricia, shifting her gaze to her cup to give her a break, "you go first, I'll go after."
Carlota hurries and locks herself in the bathroom, cursing that reddish color that paints her body every time a situation causes her embarrassment or impression. Patricia takes advantage to make a call, she needs someone to help her get the car out because she has a feeling that just pushing it won't be enough to get it out of the ditch where it got trapped. Otherwise, she'll have no choice but to try or call a tow truck.
"Well, look who's showing up here," is the first thing Patricia hears when her interlocutor answers the call.
The cardiologist smiles and shakes her head.
"We talked two days ago, stop being so dramatic."
"You get me used to receiving a message from you every day," she accuses laughing, "only to disappear whenever you feel like it."
Patricia lets out a laugh, and Coco lifts his head to see what's so funny to his savior.
"I need you to come give me a hand," Patricia asks, getting to the point, "it's a very long story, but my car got stuck on a road and I hope I don't have to resort to a tow truck."
"Are you okay?" the girl behind the phone worries.
"Yes, nothing happened, but I've been at the shelter just outside the city for two days. The storm ruined my plans and until now the snowplow hadn't come through," explains Patricia, who has returned to the window and observes the exterior.
"Give me the address, I can come now because later it's impossible."
Patricia Burnet hangs up the call after explaining how to get to the shelter just as Carlota exits the bathroom. The cardiologist takes advantage to freshen up and change clothes because she wants to be ready when help arrives. Again she feels an unease she can't identify, she's supposed to be celebrating that the snow has stopped and that, finally, she can get her car out to leave. Then she thinks that, although her plans went awry, it hasn't been bad here at the shelter, surrounded by furry love and helping these animals that are always in need of affection because some heartless people have decided to get rid of them.
"We can go to your car whenever you want," says Carlota when Patricia approaches one of the cages.
"Someone's coming to get me. I thought maybe for us, just pushing, it would be impossible to get the car out. My ex has one of those huge trucks that can handle anything and I'm sure it won't take us any effort to get going."
Carlota would have liked to help her ex-classmate, but she knows the girl is right and it's possible they wouldn't even manage to move the car a few inches. The minutes pass so quickly that neither of them expects it when the doorbell rings and they get scared to death because all the dogs start barking like crazy.
"Okay, okay," says Carlota trying to calm them down unsuccessfully and heads to the main door with her second cup of coffee in hand.
When the volunteer opens the door she freezes, once again. On the other side is a woman in her thirties with wavy brown hair, a fine nose adorned with a piercing, and the brightest blue eyes she's ever seen. The girl strikes her as very striking, but that's not what keeps Carlota with a dumbfounded expression, it's that she realizes Patricia's ex is a woman.
"Hi, I'm Aida, I'm here for Patri," the girl says kindly but with a serious expression.
Carlota doesn't have time to open her mouth because, with a broad smile, the cardiologist appears and approaches her ex-girlfriend to give her a kiss on the lips. The volunteer, who still hasn't recovered from her surprise at discovering Patricia is a lesbian, chokes on her own saliva and starts coughing uncontrollably, making the cup she's holding shake so much that all the dark liquid ends up staining the floor.
Aida looks at her raising an eyebrow suspiciously. Patricia's eyes open like two giant plates because Carlota, besides coughing, is so red that she fears she might collapse.
"Easy, try to breathe," says Patricia while patting her on the back.
A minute later and with tears in her eyes, Carlota manages to compose herself.
"I'm sorry," she says embarrassed, "I choked stupidly."
"Patricia has that effect," Aida throws out and tilts her head in a mischievous smile.
"I'll get my coat, say goodbye and come out," says the cardiologist without giving time for her ex-girlfriend's comment to echo any further.
Patricia returns inside and says goodbye to all the animals promising she'll return to visit them. Coco no longer wags his tail as fast, now the animal looks at her with sadness and when the veterinarian pets him, the dog lets his head fall into her hand.
"He'll miss you a lot," says Carlota observing the scene, "he's connected with you and hoped you'd take him to your home."
Patricia's heart crumples.
"I'll try to find him a good family," she says sadly, "my schedule doesn't allow me to give him the time he needs because having him alone in my apartment all day is awful. Having an animal locked up and without company, for me that's abuse."
"It is," confirms Carlota, "but despite that, many people keep them warm and well cared for. They leave them alone because they have to work, but as soon as they're with them they give them a good quality of life. That's better than being alone in a cage."
Patricia nods and finishes saying goodbye to everyone. She grabs her things and, before heading to the door, turns to face Carlota.
"Thanks for taking me in these days," says Patricia and smiles. "I'll see you around, as always."
Carlota smiles and accompanies her to the exit. She says goodbye to both women and when she sees Aida put an arm over Patricia's shoulders, a new wave of heat hits her hard. The volunteer's head spins so much she has to grab onto the doorframe. She doesn't understand why she feels this way and even enters a state of sudden denial, because the last time she remembers having this sensation was when her ex-boyfriend started flirting almost blatantly with another girl during a night out. Carlota shakes her head and frowns, there's no way she could have felt jealous of this Aida.