7
On the drive to her clinic, Samantha kept replaying the scene she’d walked in on at the AL meeting. Joseph kneeling next to the elderly veteran in the wheelchair, assisting him with his water while allowing the man to maintain his dignity. She wished it had only been his kindness that she’d noticed, but the way he looked, the way he tucked the single strand of blonde hair behind his ear, and the way his muscles bunched and strained against the worn cotton of his T-shirt… all combined to create a gorgeous package. Package. Snorting, she shook her head. “Yeah, girl, when he stood and turned around, you couldn’t help but notice his package.” It wasn’t unusual for her to talk to herself while driving, although singularly focusing on one gorgeous man instead of the upcoming case was not how she usually killed time.
Also hit with the memory of the giggling drunk women in the bar, it was hard not to think of him spending time with a woman’s naked breast or vagina exposed to him for an extended period of time while he tattooed or pierced. Ugh.
Pushing those thoughts away, she turned her thoughts to the conversation she’d had with Liam after the meeting. She rubbed her hand over her forehead, trying to dislodge the frustration. Liam told her a farmer had called the sheriff’s office, swearing he’d seen a wolf. She’d explained that many people could not tell them apart, but that coyotes were naturally in Virginia and wolves were not.
“I showed him pictures of the two, but he swore it was a wolf.”
“If it was a coyote, it could be after his cows,” she’d warned. “Of course, there could be wolf-hybrid or coyote hybrids which aren’t supposed to be on the Virginia Eastern Shore. But that doesn’t mean a coyote and dog didn’t breed in the wild.”
She made a mental note to call the animal shelter and ask if they’d noticed any aggressive animals being brought in.
Pulling into the parking lot, she observed Susan climbing from her vehicle and Nathaniel Tompkins jumping out of his truck and running around to the back. She had managed to call Susan to meet her at the clinic, apologizing that she was calling her instead of Tonya since Susan was single and Tonya had a husband and kids.
With Nathaniel carrying his dog in a bloody blanket, her mind focused, and she opened the clinic, allowing the three of them to rush inside. “Bring him back to the surgical area. We’ll need to get x-rays.”
Susan grabbed an apron and pulled it over her scrub top. While Nathaniel laid the dog on the table, Susan brought over the digital x-ray equipment. Samantha snapped on a pair of gloves and peeled the blanket away, getting her first look at the injury. Breathing a sigh of relief, she was pleased to see that while the dog’s stomach had a large tear, at first glance it did not appear that any of the internal organs were damaged. “Hey, old boy,” she crooned, gently rubbing the dog’s head.
“We’ve always had a fence on the south pasture, and I’ve never seen Toby try to jump over it before. I don’t know what he was chasing but it looked like a wolf… big, wild dog… or maybe a coyote. I didn’t have a chance to get my gun before Toby took off after it. Poor boy didn’t have the height to make it over without getting caught.” Nathaniel’s voice cracked, and he looked close to tears as he leaned over his dog.
Her head jerked toward Nathaniel. “Have you had other sightings of this wild dog? Or coyotes in your fields?”
“No, never. I mean, we have stray dogs around sometimes, but this one was big. It didn’t come after Toby so I can’t say it was aggressive, but if it was wild, I don’t want it hanging around the barn where my grandkids play.”
Nodding slowly, she offered a tight smile before turning back to the injured animal. The radiographs appeared on the computer screen next to the examining table, and she bent forward to carefully study them. “Nathaniel, we’re in luck. I know it looks bad, but I can get this sutured up. Once I get in there, I’ll take a closer look, but it doesn’t appear that the wire nicked any organs.” Looking up at Susan, she said, “I’ll start the IV and get him intubated.”
Susan nodded and moved to the pharmaceutical closet to get the appropriate drugs while Samantha grabbed what she needed. She deftly managed to get the IV catheter in Toby’s front leg and then, after taking the Propofol from Susan, carefully watched as the large dog grew sleepy and stopped whimpering. “Nathaniel, I need you to step out of the surgical room, but if you want to go into that room over there,” she jerked her head to the side, “you can watch.”
After intubation, she hooked him up to the anesthetic machine before turning that part of the surgical procedure over to Susan. She carefully cleaned the area, moving the torn skin and muscle to the side, examining the complete injuries. “This is not nearly as bad as I was afraid it was going to be.”
“Good,” Susan agreed. “Do you think you’ll be able to send him home with Nathaniel?”
“I’ll stay here tonight. I’m sure he’s more than capable of administering the pain meds and antibiotics, but I want to keep monitoring him for a few hours. I’ll have Nathaniel come back in the morning—well, later this morning.” She began suturing, her movements swift and neat. Tying off the last knot, she ordered Susan to turn off the anesthesia. Waiting for just a moment, she pulled out the endotracheal tube.
Looking up, she offered a thumbs up toward Nathaniel and smiled as his shoulders slumped in relief. Once Toby was transferred to a kennel on the floor, resting on a thick blanket, she turned to Susan. “Thank you so much for coming in. I really hated having to ask.”
Shrugging, the pretty blonde laughed, “Oh, believe me, I have no social life here. I was glad to be able to help.”
She stood at the door to the clinic and watched as Nathaniel pulled out of the parking lot in his truck after promises from her that she’d call if Toby took a turn for the worse. After Liam’s questions about the reported wolf sightings, she knew she needed to report this incident to him. Coyotes? Wild dogs? No way it’s a wolf!
She walked to the door and waved as Susan pulled out after the farmer. A slight noise to the side caused her to jump. Jerking her head around, she was surprised to see a motorcycle parked next to the building. She was even more surprised when Joseph swung his leg over the seat and walked toward her.
His hands held his helmet as he stepped out of the shadows, and the lights from inside the clinic cast illumination over him. Her fingers twitched with the desire to reach up and brush back the lock of hair that was hanging in front of his face. Instead, she gripped the door a little tighter. “Joseph? What are you doing here?”
“I was concerned about you being here so late. I wanted to make sure you got home safely.”
“Oh.” He stared at his helmet for a few seconds before lifting his gaze to her. It was hard to see clearly, but she could almost swear she saw uncertainty move through his eyes. “It was nice of you to check on me.” Her words were rushed as her gaze locked on his lips that curved ever so slightly upward.
“How’s the dog?”
“He’s fine. In the back, actually. He had a severe laceration, but little muscle involvement and no internal injuries. He’s all cleaned up and stitched.”