He frowned. “That’s no way to talk about someone who’s going to help us,” he said. “Even if she’s wearing a funny hat.”
“No, Max. She’s a donkey—an ass.”
He opened his eyes and stared at her, not comprehending, then his vision seemed to clear. His jaw dropped open, then snapped shut again. For the first time since he’d met this woman, he was shocked speechless by this unpredictable bombshell, and it took him a moment to speak.
“A donkey? Damn, I’m losing it.” Sure enough, the woman had turned into a gray donkey with soft, brown eyes and the sweetest horse face he’d ever seen. The long ears had been poked through the cutouts in the hat.
“There were several men moving a herd on the road, and I bought one to pull you faster. They even threw in a harness. I was told there’s a farm about a mile from here. That’s where we’re going. Hopefully, we can get a car, and I can drive you to the hospital.”
She touched his forehead and the look on her face was alarming. “You’re burning up.” Then she went to light speed as she pulled his litter around, and he was lifted, then suspended into the air. Before he grasped that they were moving, he looked up at the blue sky, the pain clawing through him, and he drowned in the blue of the ocean.
Renata pushed Luna as fast as the donkey could trot, looking back to make sure Jugs was keeping up. He was keeping up, limping a bit, but there was no time to waste. Max had an infection and he needed surgery. She pushed her exhausted body, her boots kicking up dust on the road, panting, her head throbbing from exertion in the heat. To her right, she saw the beginnings of a fence, then a dirt road that twisted back into the jungle.
She led the donkey off the road onto the side lane and kept up her speed. Jugs padded along, panting, but still keeping up. The jungle opened to a large green field and dark brown slatted fencing, with grazing horses. In the distance she could make out a large orange grove. As she continued, she passed under a sign inscribed, “La Granja Roja.”
A woman was tending to beds of gorgeous flowers and succulents. She turned at the sound of Luna’s hooves on the tan, terracotta, and tangerine flagstone driveway. Stopping the donkey short, Luna danced a bit sideways, then stood still.
The woman rose, and a spill of dark hair from beneath the hat rippled across her back. She was dressed in a navy blue tank top and a pair of jeans. She ran over. “¿Lo que ha sucedido?” she asked in a worried voice.
Renata replied to her in Spanish, explaining everything as fast as she could. “Do you have a car I can borrow?”
The woman’s face fell. “No, my husband took the car, and he won’t be back for a week. I’m so sorry. I’ve been doing my rounds on horseback.”
“Do you have a telephone?”
“It’s not working. That happens sometimes after a storm. It can take a while for service to be restored. Cell phones also don’t work out here.”
“Did you say your rounds?”
“Yes, I’m a large animal veterinarian.”
“Do you have facilities here?”
“Yes, I have a full…” Her pretty blue eyes widened. “You want me to operate on him?”
“No, I can do that. I’m a doctor.”
She looked relieved. “Come this way.” She rushed away from the beautiful house toward a bright red barn to the right. Renata pulled Luna after her. The woman threw open the door and motioned Renata inside the brightly lit, fully modern barn. The donkey’s hooves hit the concrete with a clopping noise, and the litter scraped harshly.
“Do you have an X-ray machine?”
“I have all modern equipment. My husband supplied me fully. So, yes, I have an X-ray machine and a fully stocked operating room. He also built the house and the barn. I see patients here and do operations.”
“You are a lifesaver.”
She nodded and directed Renata down the wide corridor until she stopped in front of a big door. “Unhitch the litter and we’ll get him inside, then I can take care of your donkey. She needs water, and I have some alfalfa for her. I’ll be right back.”
Renata undid the knots she’d used to attach the litter to the harness and dragged him through the open door. The woman took the bridle and led the donkey away.
She took in the immaculate room, the two metal operating tables, the cabinets and machines and the hydraulic system overhead, and was close to tears.
Jugs lay down on the cool concrete and watched her anxiously. He sensed his partner was in serious trouble. The woman came back moments later and flipped a switch and the room lit up with bright lights.
“I’m Dr. Carolina Rojas.”
“Dr. Renata Cavalcante.”
“The table lowers, so we can roll him on. I can assist you. I don’t know human anatomy, but I sure know the basics of bleeders, suction, and sutures.” Renata pulled him to the first table, and Carolina hit a button on the side of the table, and it began to lower. “Comes in handy for goats and other heavy livestock,” she said.
“That would be so amazing for you.” As soon as it was at floor level, she came around and helped Renata lift Max by the sleeping bag and transfer him to the table, then she went back to the control and the table started to rise. As soon as it was at the right height, the table stopped.
“Let’s get him stripped down,” Carolina said. She went to a cabinet and pulled out a plain white sheet, then opened a drawer and removed two stethoscopes. She came back to the table. She bit her lip when they removed the sleeping bag, revealing his camouflage pants, but she didn’t say anything. “We can use propofol to keep him under. We’ll give him a lower dose which will induce sleep, and he can breathe on his own,” she said, offering her one of the stethoscopes, winding the other one around her neck.
Renata asked, “Do you have any midazolam?”
“Yes, I have that. You think that’s a better choice?”
“Yes,” Renata said, taking a deep breath. “It will be much easier to keep him under with that drug combination. Without proper monitoring, too much propofol could be deadly.”
“Okay, I’ll defer to you. I have an anesthetic machine that does that calculation for me.”
Together they got his T-shirt off and Carolina dropped it into a container she had near the table, along with his boots and socks. Renata reached for his waistband and undid his pants, while Carolina carefully lifted his hips. Carolina pulled off both articles of clothing. Then she took a soft breath. “Wow,” she said. “I’m happily married, but…wow.”
Renata had to agree with her. The man was ripped and endowed in all the right places from his wide chest, tight waist, lean hips, thick thighs, and well-defined calves. He even had beautifully formed feet. She tried not to look at his groin, but it was just too tantalizing. She had to completely agree with Carolina’s assessment. Wow.
Carolina went to a sink and started running the water. She came back with a bucket and sponges. “Would you like me to shave him? I’m an expert,” she said with a smile.
“Yes, please,” Renata said. Carolina got to work, then the two of them washed him thoroughly, taking special care around the wound area. As soon as they were done, Carolina unfolded the sheet and draped it over him. She walked to a steel cabinet and unlocked it, removing a couple of vials.