Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
JOSH
“What took you so long?” Timothy didn’t even bother to lift his eyes from his phone. His thumbs kept tapping. Then he spun lazily in my desk chair like he owned the place. Like he owned me.
The sight of him lounging there made feel cornered. I hated being his errand boy, his beck-and-call lackey. Yet, like some pathetic reflex, there was that old, familiar gut-deep scramble to please him. To prove I wasn’t the useless kid he always said I was.
Growing up, I would’ve done anything for a scrap of praise from him. I lived for the rare moment when he didn’t look at me like I was a disappointment.
My left calf still carried the crooked white scar from that day I accidentally dropped his knife.
Sometimes, I still felt that hot sting, the jolt of realizing he’d thrown it and I think missed on purpose.
He had apologized afterward and had been nicer for a while.
Timothy always exploded first and thought later.
He’d gotten better at wrestling the rage that lived inside him into something that behaved like a person with feelings.
After a throat clear I said, “We discussed the direction of our business and decided to scale back and perhaps phase out the farm animal aspect of the clinic. That was more Roland’s interest than mine.”
He slammed his phone down on the desktop so hard the pen holder jumped. “That’s bullshit. You can’t stop seeing the cows.” His voice cracked like a whip. “You’re…pretty good at it.”
The reluctant compliment threw me for a moment. I hated that some part of me was wired to light up whenever he tossed a crumb of approval my way.
“The farm calls don’t bring in much money,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady.
“Like you, half my clients delay payments. That puts the business in the red between the cost of my time and the supplies.” I drew a breath, realizing as I said it that no tasted better than anything I’d said to him in years.
“For now, I think you need to ask someone else to come out to the farm and be on-call for your animals.”
He stood, rising to his full height. Although he was an inch shorter than me, he’d always acted like he towered over the world. His jaw clenched. “You’re turning your back on the family?”
My mouth dried to cotton candy, dissolving on my tongue and leaving nothing but grit. I crossed my arms. “That’s not what I said.”
“We’re the only ones who will have your back when this business comes crashing down. Dad put up the money for you to buy your part of this clinic.”
“I make a payment to him every month. Within a year, I’ll have his investment paid off.” Heart pounding, I forced out, “Your account is three months overdue. You can reach out to Sky Ranch Vets to see if they have time for you today.”
“I’m not calling fucking Sky Ranch. They demand payment up front.”
He paid the other guys, but not us. “Did you stiff them on a few bills too? You can understand why it’s a problem for me to continue to work on the farm.”
“You’re abandoning us?”
“Helping you is killing my business.” My voice broke open, louder than I intended.
“I already give you a discount, but I can’t do it for free anymore.
” I pointed at the computer monitor, the numbers glaring like a spotlight, even though it wasn’t his chart up on the screen.
“The farm currently owes us three thousand dollars and change. If someone owed you that much, would you keep showing up? Would you keep giving them service on credit?”
His jaw shifted. A flash of guilt or rage passed over his face. I couldn’t tell which.
I continued, “You cut half the employees on Dad’s farm last year just to increase profits. Don’t pretend you wouldn’t do exactly what I’m doing right now.” I steadied myself by leaning against the desk. “I need you to pay the outstanding balance. If you won’t, I can’t help you anymore.”
“You little shit.” His voice vibrated the air between us. “How dare you refuse me service?” He reared back, shoulders squared like he was prepping for a fight.
Nausea crawled up my throat, but I forced my feet to stay planted. I remembered the last time he threw a punch at me, in my junior year of high school. He lost. I was a hell of a lot stronger now.
“You can’t do that.” His eyes narrowed to slits. A threat.
“Timothy, come on.” I spread my hands in hopes it’d calm him. “Pay me so I can keep being your vet. Or…” I pointed to the door, heat burning behind my eyes. “Get out.”
His face went red, blotchy with disbelief. “You wouldn’t pull this kind of shit with Dad. And you sure as hell won’t with me.”
Guilt rushed in hard and fast. It was the kind that squeezed my ribs until breathing hurt.
All I could see was the calf with pneumonia from last night, sides heaving, eyes glassy with fever, fighting for air in that drafty barn.
None of this was her fault. None of the animals deserved to be caught in the middle of a family war.
My resolve wavered. I hated myself for it.
“Look,” I said quietly, rubbing the back of my neck, “I might be able to stop by today and check on the sick calf.” The words tasted like a betrayal of my own boundaries.
“But I need you to pay by next week if you want me to keep the farm on as a client. I can’t keep choosing between doing the right thing for the animals and destroying my life for you. ”
“That Chomping bitch put you up to this. She always did make you go against the family.” The insult hit like a slap.
He was referring to the one time back I high school when I’d missed Sunday dinner to stay with her in the evening.
Erika had a horse show about two hours away that ran late.
Once, in my entire life, I’d missed dinner to see my girlfriend compete, and he’d never let it go. Rage uncoiled inside me, hot and wild.
“Don’t call her a bitch.” I stepped in close until we were nearly chest to chest. “She’s ten times smarter than the both of us put together, and you know it.”
“Good thing she’s leaving.”
“The need for you to pay your bill isn’t going to change if she leaves.”
“If you cut us off, I’ll make sure no one will use you for their animals.”
I held my ground and ground out, “I haven’t slept in four days. I’ve done overnight calls the last three nights and worked all day, every day, since Roland died. If no one called tonight and tomorrow… Hell, if no one called me out for the next week, I’d be thrilled.”
“I’ll make sure she suffers for this.” Timothy leaned in so close I could feel his breath on my cheek. “And I’ll see you at the farm in an hour.” He stormed out.
The silence that followed felt like an aftershock from an earthquake.
Did they still expect me at Sunday dinner? Probably.
But his parting words prickled under my skin. Make sure she suffers. Was he bluffing? Or did he mean it?
If Timothy touched her—if he so much as tried—I’d end him myself and feed him to those bears Erika joked about. Oh, I knew where they lived. Everyone did.
Marty stood at the office’s door wringing her hands.
I gave her a double eyebrow raise.
She handed me a chart. “Mrs. Tadlock is in room two with Lexi. She said it was an emergency.”
“Does Lexi have diarrhea again?”
“Mrs. Tadlock said she pooped blood. Lexi also skipped breakfast.” She muttered, “Not that that the little thing couldn’t stand to skip a few meals.”
“Be nice. Her mom means well, even if the dog is a land shark.” I stared at my computer blankly to get my head right after that argument. I called out, “I’ll be right there.”
I plastered on a smile before I pushed into the exam room. “How’s my favorite frequent flyer?”
“This is all Jim’s fault.” The sixty-something debutante pushed her short, styled brown hair out of her eyes.
As usual, she wore horse riding breeches and a polo shirt beneath a fleece vest. “He gave her roast beef last night.” She held up a hand.
“I know, I know. We have this poor girl on a strict diet of turkey and rice for her stomach issues. She gets a whiff of beef and she’s squirting all night.
Lordy, Dr. Hurst, I’ve been up with her since two in the morning.
I’m exhausted. She’s exhausted. The poor girl’s whining and scooting and squirting. ”
“Let’s take a look.” The fluffy white toy poodle must’ve had a grooming appointment yesterday. Her head was floofier than normal with new little pink bows in her bangs. As Mrs. Tadlock hefted her on the table, I asked, “Is she still getting the probiotic we started two weeks ago?”
“She won’t take it unless I put it in a piece of chicken or pecan pie. She won’t eat it in a hot dog or cheese. I even tried mayo, peanut butter, and cream cheese. She sucks off the stuff around it and spits it out.”
“Uh-huh.” Strict diet, my ass. The dog’s body could hold three dogs of her should-be size.
The “snacks” her parents gave her landed her here every two to three weeks with diarrhea.
I worried Lexi was on the fast track to developing diabetes.
“Did you give her anything for diarrhea last night or this morning? I know you’ve got a few things at home. ”
“I gave her some of the one that starts with a P that Dr. Chomping gave her a few months ago.” She hovered in front of Lexi who blinked up at her mom unmoving without a hint of anxiety.
When I moved forward to examine her, the right side of Lexi’s upper lip rose.
This little piranha would take my finger off if given the chance.
“Darling, it’s okay.” She pulled the dog’s head between her gigantic breasts and held her there. “He’s going to get you straightened out. I promise. Be nice to Dr. Hurst.” She kissed the dog on the nose several times.
When I touched Lexi’s back she snapped at me. I jumped back.
“Dr. Hurst is a nice doctor. Now you went and scared him.” She pulled Lexi’s head back into her chest. “Is this the big one, Doc? Does she have cancer?”
“I’m not seeing anything to suggest cancer.
” The dog and I exchanged glares. The dog was too feisty to let cancer take her down, even if she was almost fourteen years old.
I cautiously examined the dog’s hind end and listened to her heart.
Mrs. Tadlock caught her when she tried to get me again.
Gently, I said, “I need to peek at her head, Mrs. Tadlock. Can you help me?”
“It’s Bunny. Everyone calls me that.”
“I still can’t, you know.” It felt wrong to call her that.
She lifted Lexi’s lips for me. I wasn’t going anywhere near that mouth unless the dog was sedated. She made one of my fingers bleed for an hour the last time she got me. “Are you sure you haven’t started anything else new?”
“Well…” She grimaced. “My personal trainer said it’d be a good idea to try her on this mushroom supplement that’s all over my social feeds.
Then my esthetician was going on and on about the same one.
Her dog’s skin cancer disappeared after starting it.
Then Sue down at Piggly Wiggly said she just started her old boy on it too.
Sue was promoted to manager last month. Her mom was so proud.
Jim wasn’t sure about the mushroom thing, given Lexi gets diarrhea if the cat looks at her wrong.
I hate telling him he was right. He is right, isn’t he? I shouldn’t have started it.”
I opened my mouth to reply but she resumed, “Jim has got his coloscopy tomorrow. He’s hoping they’ll fix his hemorrhoids, but I told him that’s probably a different appointment.
If they do, then I think he’ll forget to gloat that he was right on the mushroom thing.
He spends far too much time on the toilet as it is, but now that they’ve got him drinking the stuff to prep for the procedure tomorrow, he’s going to be in there all day.
I might have to go to my sister’s house or the barn to get close to a toilet today. ”
“You’re welcome to use our bathroom, if you like.
” I knew more about my client’s health problems than their own doctors probably did.
I never commented or made suggestions since it wasn’t my place.
I chose veterinary medicine for a reason, which was to avoid people medicine.
Dog diarrhea I could handle, but not people blow-outs?
Eww. I opened my mouth to talk about Lexi, but she started in again.
She lowered her voice as if someone might eavesdrop.
“I didn’t mean to overhear but Timothy was talking awful loud.
He blew a lot of hot air out there threatening you.
” She rolled her eyes. “If he bad mouths you at church, I’m not part of the Baptist Ladies for nothing.
We will rip him a new one. I got your back, Dr. Hurst. All the ladies know this is the place if they want their pet treated right. ”
“I appreciate that, Mrs. Tadlock, er, Bunny. Lexi does too. I—”
“I also heard you have a chance to get Erika back here. We sure do miss her. She used to do so much for us at the barn. This little one adores her.” She leaned in and nuzzled the dog on the nose. “You’re going to make sure she stays, aren’t you, Dr. Hurst?”
“Erika and I are figuring out if she fits in here or not.”
“Oh, she fits. Jim was so excited to hear she was back in town. He’s got one horse that loved that girl and hasn’t taken to anyone since. I’ll ask Marty to text me when she’s here for sure so I can talk to her about the horse that’s still mooning over her. Sort of like you, right?”
What?
She grinned mischievously. “We both know there’s no one else quite like Erika.”
I cleared my throat of its sudden tightness. Time to get this visit back on track. “Do you see Lexi having a lot of blood in her stool, or that she is sicker than the last time? If so, we should do some blood work.”
She pulled the little dog into her and hugged her tight. “Maybe we should. Let’s just be sure she doesn’t have pancreatitis again and make sure she’s not dying.”
“You got it.” I gave her a smile. “I’m going to take her to the back to get blood.
” And put a muzzle on her. “Can you hand her to me backward?” We made the exchange, and I headed for the door.
“Lexi sure is well loved, but you probably need to tell Jim to watch it on sharing his roast beef. Perhaps, let’s cut out the mushroom support right now too? ”
She leaned in and whispered to Lexi, “Behave yourself. He’s only worth biting if he’s mean to Erika.”