Chapter 18
Bright and early the next day, Shay parked his truck in front of Caleb’s office building, and as he exited, he waved when Caleb pulled in.
“Morning,” he called out, grabbing his cup of coffee and saw that Caleb had his own.
He waited outside until Caleb unlocked the door and turned off the alarm, then he entered when he was invited inside.
“Let me get the coffee started, then we can go back to the exam room,” Caleb said, and Shay took a seat in one of the chairs and waited patiently. When Caleb turned to him, he stood and paused when Caleb studied him.
“What?”
“First, were you supposed to drive here?”
Shay had to smirk at the expression of outrage on Caleb’s face. “No, but Faith had to get to work, and it’s the first time I’ve driven since the day it happened.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, as much as it killed me, Faith drove the entire trip to and from Kentucky. She’s been driving us both to work since we returned.” With another smirk, he shook his head. “I’ve been a good boy about following directions. I just don’t wear this brace when I get home from work.”
“Okay, and how was it today? The driving?”
“Fine, no twinges, no pain.”
“Take your brace off and let me see you walk.” Caleb pointed to it with a shake of his head. “I can understand why Dr. Johnson gave you one like that, but between you and me, it must be a bitch to try to do any work with it on.”
“It is. That’s why I don’t wear it once I’m in for the night.”
Shay sat back down and removed the brace, and because he had worn the sweat pants with the snaps up the legs, he unsnapped them and actually removed the pants altogether.
He had running shorts on beneath. He looked at Caleb as he stood, and when the other man didn’t look at him, he started forward, and ended up going all the way down the hall to the exam room.
“Okay, I didn’t see you limp, or hesitate, or list to the side as you walked. I also didn’t see you favoring it. Hop up on the table so I can take a look at it.”
Shay followed his instructions and when Caleb came toward him with what Shay thought was a protractor he snickered but didn’t say anything.
He soon learned what that device was used for.
Caleb poked, prodded, and moved Shay’s leg for the next twenty minutes, and when he stepped back he finally looked Shay in the eye.
“I don’t see anything wrong. I didn’t feel any grinding, or even popping.
I think you’re healed, but then again, I’m not an orthopedic doctor.
” He had sat on a rolling stool, and he pushed himself across the room, opened a lower cabinet, and came back with a box.
“This is a knee brace, you just slip it on over your foot and pull it up. What do you say, extra-large?”
Shay shrugged as he took it, and put it on. He stood, walked around, and only had to adjust it once. As he leaned his hips against the exam table, he nodded. “Yeah, extra-large. What now?”
“Is that comfortable?”
“Yes, it’s not tight, but I can feel it’s giving me support.”
“Good, then it’s doing its job. I’m going to reach out to Dr. Johnson today, I’ll send her an e-mail with my findings this morning. There’s nothing we can compare it to, because the last time you were here we couldn’t even touch you, let alone measure your movement.”
Shay grinned and shook his head with a chuckle. “Yeah, back then I was going to beat the shit out of anyone who touched me. I know you’re not an orthopedic doctor, but can I ask what you’re going to recommend?”
“I’m going to tell her all of my findings from today’s exam, tell her that I gave you a different brace to wear, that you’re not wearing it after work, and haven’t been for over a week, that you’re driving, and working.
I wouldn’t recommend you drive to Kentucky and back, but you should be fine from here to New Double, and maybe even into Fool’s Gold.
If you experience any pain, any twinges, stop doing what caused it, and call me immediately.
Tell me what you did, and how it felt. We can go from there.
In my personal opinion, you are healed, and you did it nicely.
You were also correct in not being able to see the horseshoe mark any longer. ”
“Okay.” Shay nodded, then walked over to where he’d laid his sweat pants when he entered the room. He withdrew something from his pocket, and with it clasped in his hand, he turned back to Caleb.
“I have a favor to ask you.”
“What’s that?”
“Dr. Johnson gave me these pills. Fourteen Oxycodone, she wanted me to take one a day for fourteen days.”
“Okay, standard prescription. Are you telling me you want me to ask her for another prescription for you? I can’t do that.”
“No,” Shay said as he walked over to him and handed him the bottle. “I want you to destroy these. I don’t know what to do with them.”
The bottle exchanged hands, and Caleb opened it and shook the pills in his palm. As soon as he put them back in the bottle, he whipped his head to Shay. “You didn’t take any?”
“No, I took these instead.” He handed over the second bottle, and Caleb did the same thing.
“Christ, how many days did you take these for?”
“Four. I didn’t need it after that.”
“Do you want these destroyed?”
“Please. Since I stopped taking those, I haven’t had any pain medication. If I need anything, I’ll take something over-the-counter.” He handed over the third bottle. “That’s what I usually take.” He wouldn’t release it, and after Caleb looked at it, Shay put it back in his pocket.
“Okay, I will also include the lack of needing the pills in the e-mail. May I include your cell phone number in case she wants to talk to you?”
“Sure.” Shay made sure he had it, and after he re-dressed, he turned to Caleb.
“I know it might not be possible, but I came to you for a few reasons. One, I didn’t want the pills around.
Two, I wanted to get a smaller brace. Three, I was hoping you’d reach out to Dr. Johnson, and maybe I won’t have to go see her in two weeks. ”
Caleb grinned. “I’ll mention it.”
“Thanks, Caleb,” Shay held out his hand to shake, and turned on his heel to leave.
He had tossed his jeans in the front seat of the truck, and when he arrived at New Double, instead of going to his cabin, he went to the men’s room at the main barn, changed into his work clothes, took the others back out to his truck, and went to find Cole.
He knocked his knuckles on the door, and smiled when Cole looked up.
“How did you make out?”
“Good,” Shay said, and pointed down. “I was able to get rid of the big one, I do have one on, but it’s beneath my jeans.”
“How do you feel?”
“Good, I’m ready to do something else.”
Cole grinned as he tossed his pen on the papers on his desk and leaned back in his chair. “First, stalls need to be mucked out. After that, go see if Ann has something for you. If she doesn’t have anything for you, get with Faith. However, before you see Faith, come see me.”
“Okay, but why do I need to go see Faith?”
“Because until Pedro arrives, someone’s going to need to keep track of the horses’ times. Come see me, and I can explain what needs to be done, what to look for, and what you need to do. Ducky and Clem are out at the track now, but I don’t want Ducky out there all day.”
“I totally understand and agree with that. I’ll get to work on the stalls now.”
“Good.”
Shay started to turn away, but turned back, and didn’t stumble when he did it with his previously injured leg.
It never fazed him, and Cole nodded when he saw that.
“I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but Caleb’s going to send an e-mail to Dr. Johnson to tell him what happened this morning.
I’m hoping she’ll call me, and I can tell her myself.
I’m also hoping that I won’t have to go back and see her in two weeks. ”
“Can you drive?”
“Yes. Dr. Johnson didn’t tell me it’s okay, but for a week now, after work, I take the brace off when I’m home. I drove over to Broken Two today, and had no problems.”
“Good, let me know if you need anything, and come find me when you’re done with the stalls. Oh, and Shay.”
“Yes?”
“It’s nice enough weather now that the horses are being let out before the stalls are cleaned.”
“Sweet, then we won’t have to move them out of the way.” Shay shook his head with a smile. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that we have a couple of extremely stubborn horses that won’t move until you clean around them, then they’ll move.”
“Nope.” Cole laughed and waved him away.
Shay whistled as he left Cole’s office and headed down the aisle toward the room that held the tools. With his fork in his hand, he was still whistling when Ann entered. She stopped and stared at him.
“Where’s your brace?”
“I still have one on,” he said with a grin. “It’s just smaller.” At her look he held up his hand to stop her. “I went to see Caleb this morning. He’s going to call Dr. Johnson. The new brace is doctor approved.”
“Okay, good. All the horses are out in the paddock, it should be easier to clean.”
“That’s what Cole said,” Shay laughed, and they got to work. Two hours later, he put his fork away, and put the wheelbarrow back where it belonged. Looking at Ann he shook his head. “Much, much faster with the horses out. Will they be out all day?”
“Yes, and we’ll let them out every morning, however, when summer rolls around, and we have hot days, we’ll let them back in the barn to beat the mid-day heat and sun.”
“Got it. Well, I have to go talk to Cole, that is, if you don’t have anything for me to do. He wants me to work with Faith. I have no idea what I can do, but I’ll be with Cole.”
“That’s fine. We had some fans delivered a couple of days ago, I’m going to put them in the stalls.”
“Do you need help?”
“No, they’re very simple house box fans. As I just mentioned, when the horses come in from the mid-day heat, we’ll turn the fan on them to cool down. It’ll also help with the flies. I’ll just secure them with bungee cords.” At his look, she shrugged. “The same way I did it last spring.”
“Oh.” Shay nodded and started to walk away. “Let me know if you need help.”
“Thanks, but Manny’s going to be here any minute. He and Scott can work over here today.”
“Good.” Shay walked away, went to the break room to refill his coffee cup, and grabbed a donut from the box on the counter.
He didn’t know who brought them, but he read the sign to help himself, so he did.
With his cup in hand, and eating the donut, he headed to Cole’s office. He caught him as he was coming out.
“Good, you got the donuts.”
“Yes, who brought them?”
“Lois, it’s a new recipe she tried out.”
“These are homemade?” Shay asked in shock as he popped the last bite into his mouth, and actually licked his fingers. “Tell her they are great.”
“I will, you done with the stalls?”
“Yes, and all the tools are put back.”
“Come with me,” he said, and Shay noticed he had a stopwatch around his neck, a pen behind his ear, one in his hand, and one in his pocket.
He also carried a clipboard with several sheets of paper on it.
Shay didn’t say anything, just followed him.
They went out, got into a golf cart and took off toward the back of the barns.
A few days ago, Shay had seen several people unload these carts off of a flat bed.
Since he didn’t know if he needed to know, he hadn’t questioned it.
“Have you seen the track yet?” Cole asked.
“Track?”
“Race track? She hasn’t started yet, but Faith’s been moving horses all morning. Clem and Scott’s been helping her.” Cole looked at him with a smirk. “Ducky is supervising.”
Shay didn’t know what to say, so he remained silent and looked at his surroundings.
As they pulled up to a barn, that he hadn’t known existed, he saw Faith dressed in her riding pants, and it took everything in him not to get hard.
He loved the way they hugged her ass, but knew now was not the time to get horny.
Cole called out, Faith turned, and when she saw Shay, she frowned.
“What’s wrong?” She looked between the two and didn’t see anything wrong in their expressions so she didn’t panic. “Where’s your brace?”
“I have a smaller one on beneath my jeans. Caleb approved.”
“Nothing,” Cole said. “I brought Shay over to teach him how to take the stats. He says he’s healed, and I believe him, but I’m going to go by what Dr. Johnson says, and wait for another two weeks before I give him more duties.
Once Pedro arrives, you’re going to need someone to bring the horses to you here on the track, that’s why Scott is here today.
You know how it goes. You’ll be on the track, Pedro will be here observing, writing down what he has to, and Shay will be the one bringing you the horse, walking it back to the barn, cooling it down, and rubbing it down after removing the saddle.
Cole turned to Shay. “Did you get all that?”
“Yes, I’ll be Pedro until he arrives, and Scott will be me until then. I’m to listen to you, observe, bring a horse out, stage it, take the one just ridden away, and make sure they are unsaddled, rubbed down, and get the next horse ready to be ridden.”
Faith grinned as she walked over and laid her hand on his bicep. “Such a smart boy.”
Not worrying about the others around him, he bent down, picked her up, and kissed her soundly. He whispered for her ears only as he lowered her to the ground. “I’ll show you who’s a boy when we get home.”
She laughed and stepped away from him, but the look on her face said it all. Shay rubbed his hands together, anticipating what would happen that night once they went to bed.