“He needs a doctor,” she told David. “Not a medic but a surgeon. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” said David, grateful for the honest opinion. “I don’t know any,” he added, lowering his head.
“Well, it’s a good thing then that I do. A couple of good ones used to work in Trinidad. Jason and I will get your four-wheeler on the truck and leave that pile of junk here,” she said, pointing to Mark’s machine.
“Wait,” called out David. “I need his rifle.”
“I’ll get it,” replied Jason, as they loaded the bike into the truck.
“Three guesses,” he said upon his return.
“Guesses of what?” asked David, not aware of the retrieval process.
“Where the rifle was. Three guesses. First, it was on the totaled bike; second, in the ditch; or third, right in the middle of a tree, just hanging on a branch.”
Mark, still semi-coherent, guesses the bike. David reluctantly participated, saying the ditch.
“I kid you not,” said Jason. “It was in the friggin’ tree, just hanging on a branch partway up, like the good Lord Himself put it there for safekeeping.”
“Saddle up; we’re headed out,” said Janice, as she inched the truck forward. “No more guessing contests, Jason. I want Mark to stay quiet and calm on the way to town.”
“Sure thing. Sorry about that,” replied Jason.
* * * * * * *
Chapter Twenty-eight
Weston, Colorado
It was strange, Janice thought, driving right past her property and waving to her husband sitting on the front porch. They were in contact by radio with James, agreeing to have them bypass the ranch for now and get the best medical help in the area. He even called ahead, flexing his Mayor muscle to get a recently overworked and underpaid Dr. Walters to wait for the new arrival.
Dr. Walters and two others, one less competent and one probably more if an official vote were ever taken, helped Mark out of the truck and onto a gurney. They whisked him inside after getting the mechanism of injury from Jason.
“He crashed his four-wheeler to avoid hitting a mama bear and her cub is the extent of it,” he said.
Before the day, the explanation would surely be followed up with ten or more questions. After all, doctors needed a good and thorough daily note on each patient and an initial exam of easily 4-7 pages. Now it was different, and every doctor knew it. “What happened and where does it hurt?” were the introductory questions, followed by an immediate treatment plan and execution of it.
* * * *
“Mark has a fracture of the sternum,” Dr. Walters said an hour later. “It’s not a major concern, but the pain is going to be tough at times. We’ve had our surgeon in for a second opinion, and she thinks the sternum is nonsurgical for now. His left femur will require surgery, and the sooner the better.”
“How soon?” asked David.
“Tonight! He also has two broken ribs on his right anterior—I mean the front side—and a concussion.”
“He told me he didn’t hit his head,” David spoke up.
“Where’s his helmet?” the doctor asked.
“Here. Right her... ” David paused, looking at the crack on the front right side. “This is a good helmet, best in the industry!”
“I know,” replied Dr. Walters. “My son used to race in one of these. He’s right next door—just jumped the courthouse yester...” He looked at a shocked Jason and backtracked as gracefully as one could, trying to cover a truth, or scandal maybe, in the small town of Weston.
“It’s going to be a double shift, everyone!” he called out to his staff.
“That why we get paid the big bucks!” one nurse joked.
The medical team’s compensation was a bit of a sore spot lately, with most patients having nothing to pay with beyond old-school bargaining items. The usual suspects lately were eggs, chickens, vegetables, and items that didn’t work anymore, like watches and electronics. Jason promised to bring it up to the Sheriff when he returned from fishing.
Jason stepped out to radio James. “Is he going to be okay?” James asked.
“David has a couple of broken ribs in the back. Mark has a fractured sternum, the Doc says, and two broke ribs on the front, as well as a concussion. He needs surgery on his left leg tonight, and not everyone is happy to work overtime here. Oh, and Doc Walters let it slip that he is Ken’s father and quickly changed the subject. Maybe nothing…just seemed weird is all.”
“I had no idea; it never came up. Everything is weird right now,” said James. “Do me a favor and check on the folks from the bleacher incident.”
“Will do,” replied Jason, heading back inside.
“We need to keep your son overnight, at least, and probably longer,” said Dr. Walters. “Do you have somewhere you can stay tonight?”
“I’m staying right here as long as my son is inside,” replied David.
“Please, sir. We are at capacity around here, as you can see. We simply have no room for family members to wait. So, I ask again, do you have somewhere to stay tonight?”
“Yes, he does,” said Jason quickly. “I’ll take him out to the ranch and bring him back in the morning.”
“All right,” said the doctor. “David, you keep that rib belt we gave you on, and we’ll check it again tomorrow. You already know what coughing does for rib pain, and if you don’t have to sneeze, don’t do it.”
“Thanks, Doc. You going to be okay, Mark?” he asked, catching him looking at a young blonde-haired blue- eyed girl about his age heading into his room.
“Oh, yeah, Dad. I think I’ll be just fine; the meds are kicking in. Kelly here, I mean Calie,” he said, trying to pronounce her name tag written in cursive, “is taking good care of me.”
“That’s right, and it’s Calleigh,” she said, writing it on a napkin.
“How old are you, Calleigh?” asked David.
“Almost seventeen,” she replied, not taking her eyes off Mark.
“How old do you think I am?” Mark asked, smiling from ear to ear.
“Hmm, I would say sixteen in about a month.”
“How did you? Ohhh…it’s in the chart,” he conceded as she held it up.
“They let you work here at your age?” he asked curiously. “No, disrespect,” he quickly added, as she paused.
“My daddy kind of runs the place,” she whispered. “Should I ask to help take care of you while you’re here?” she added quietly.
“Yes!” Mark blurted out. “I mean…that would be the best… Sure, that’s fine,” he added, putting an end to the bumbling. It wasn’t like he didn’t know girls. He had a few girlfriends before everything changed. None of them were too serious or as pretty as her and there were exactly none even close to his age at camp.
“So, you’ll be okay, Mark?” asked his father again.
“Oh, sorry, Dad. I just…well, you know. I’ll be fine. See you tomorrow.”
* * * *
“One minute they’re wrapped around a pine tree, and the next they can’t wait to ditch Dad,” David said to Jason as they walked out of the hospital.
“Yeah, I don’t know that feeling yet, but my girls are still young.”
“Girls—all of them?”
“Yep. We have three beauties.”
“Well, you’ll be busy fighting off those country boys eventually, like Al Bundy in the TV show Married…With Children used to do,” said David.
“That’s what everyone says,” Jason replied. “It’s why I carry a small voice but a big stick,” he added.
“Who’s that girl’s daddy?” asked David. “She said he ran the place.”
“That would be Doc Walters, who apparently has a son I didn’t know about, but that’s a conversation for another time,” said Jason. “Let’s head back to James’ and Janice’s place. I’m sure you want to get word to your group about you and Mark staying the night.”
“Oh man, with everything that’s happened, I forgot we wouldn’
t be home tonight! They are going to be expecting us pretty soon,” said David.
They reached Second Chances Ranch without incident, which was common practice recently.
“The Sheriff has a hold on the town, and most around it,” said Jason after commenting on how safe the roads were recently.
“I thought he shared the responsibility with the town Judge. I forget his name, though,” replied David.
“Not anymore, but I’ll let James get you up to speed on that story. It’s really why he asked you to make the trip down.”
“I wondered what could be so important that it couldn’t wait, but any trip down the mountain before winter is always better,” replied David.
* * * *
James, Janice, Lauren, Billy, and the girls were all on the front porch when they arrived.
“David, how are you?” asked James, reaching his hand out.
“Good to see you, old friend.”
“Mark, it sounds like he’s going to be okay?”
“That’s what the doctor is saying. It was a scary day, to say the least.”
“And you were attacked by a bear? What’s that about?”
“It was more of a wrestling match really. Wrong place at the wrong time. Just a mama bear protecting her young. She almost suffocated me, though. That’s something you don’t expect from a bear encounter. How about you and the family?”
“Oh, we’re doing just fine. A lot has happened here since we talked last, and I was hoping you could come down for an easy lunch and conversation.”
“Nothing is that easy,” said David. “Not anymore.”
* * * * * * *
Chapter Twenty-nine
Weston, Colorado
“You up for a talk?” asked James.
“Sure, I still have the meds kicking in, so my rib pain is down to a dull roar. I need to get a message to Tina and my mother, though. They are expecting us back already.”
“I’ll work on that while you talk,” said Jason.
“Thanks. Mark’s friend should be on right now,” replied David.
“We’re a mess, you and me both,” said James, laughing. “It only took a month to put me in this chair after being shot by some random thugs and have you cheat death more than once.”
“Yeah, makes me miss the boring office days sometimes, where the biggest concern we had was choosing barbecue or a sandwich for lunch.”
“Those days are long gone, my friend. And like it or not, things are changing around here,” James added.
James told David about the fiasco with the Sheriff and Judge, the exhibitions, and the bleacher accident.
“That’s all interesting, for sure,” replied David. “But I don’t see how it affects my group and me.”
“David,” called Jason. “I have your wife and mother on the line, and a man called Mel, I think.”
“Excuse me,” said David, slowly rising, holding his ribs. “I’m not looking forward to the ride back up the mountain,” he told James, as he hobbled to the next room.
Tina and Beatrice were worried about Mark and weren’t happy about them not returning today. They wanted to know what was so important that they had to make the trip in the first place.
“I don’t have that information yet, but I will soon,” he told them. “I can only assume it was necessary to talk face-to-face. Keep an eye out on security, will you, Mel?”
“Sure thing, David. Don’t worry about a thing.”
* * * *
“All good?” asked James when David returned.
“So far, so good.”
“All right. Then I won’t keep you waiting any longer about why I asked you down here. Everything I’ve told you so far is about to have an effect on you and everyone in your group.”
“How’s that? We’re not even in the same state.”
“There are no states, my friend—not anymore. Only cities, towns and territories. The town, this town of Weston, is becoming just that—a territory. Judge Lowry declared a ways back that they would be expanding the town limits by twenty miles in all directions. This made my family and our property a part of Weston overnight. We didn’t have a choice in it unless we dug in and prepared for a fight we couldn’t win. So, I accepted a high position, giving me the freedom to sway most town decisions and matters in favor of the citizens. I have done that thus far, but some things are beyond my control.
“You, David, and the Raton Pass Militia are about to be incorporated into the town of Weston by Sheriff Johnson, who aims to add another 20 miles in all directions, with the exception of straight east and the city of Trinidad. You sit approximately 34 miles from the town square, placing you and yours in this town. Sheriff Johnson doesn’t care about state lines, or even county lines, anymore.”
“Why would he want to add more people he’s responsible for?” asked David.
“The political response would be something like there is safety in numbers, and an expanded territory protects more people… The friend’s response is, he wants more taxes collected.”
“Wait a minute! You pay taxes?”
“Not property taxes, like before, but a sales tax, yes. We have a market of sorts every Saturday, and the town takes five percent of collections or that much in goods from each vendor. More vendors equal more tax money and goods for the town.”
“And in return?” asked David.
“In return, new town residents have a say in voting and a certain amount of protection. They also have access to community services.”
“Why would we agree to this?” asked David.
“The way I see it is, you will be incorporated sooner or later by someone. Probably Raton or Trinidad, I would guess. If you are part of Weston, you have a friend, now two with Jason, who hold prominent positions in town matters. It’s possible I could change the Sheriff’s mind, but he’s pretty dead set on the idea already.”
“I’ll talk to him and tell him where he can stick his proposal!” said David.
“That’s not a good idea, David. I’ve seen enough in town to know conversations like that with the Sheriff don’t end well. Right now, he has an empty jail and that usually doesn’t last long. I’m not saying anything is for sure yet, but if I were a betting man I would say you will be sitting inside Weston territory by month’s end. On a positive note, you could trade goods on Saturdays. These kids here have bought pancakes, yo-yos, frozen seafood, and even Chance over here,” he said, pointing to the sleeping lab. Fact is, it’s not so bad right now, and we even have a restaurant still open and sell them beef from time to time. How would Mark be getting a surgery up on the mountain right now?”
“I see your point, James, and I’ll think on it, you have my word. It sounds like you’re saying I had better choose sides before it’s chosen for me.”
“That’s how I see it, old friend. You’re out of town right now but not far enough, unfortunately. Some cities or towns will be very interested in your group and provisions sooner or later, and at least you know where you stand here.”
“Can I get a drink?” asked David.
“Sure, whatever you want.”
“A Scotch would be great—probably against doctor’s orders, but what isn’t?”
“How long are they going to keep Mark?” James asked.
David relaxed a bit, nearly snorting his Scotch through his nose.
“What’s so funny?” asked James.
“Kelly.”
“Kelly?”
“No…Calleigh, Mark’s new friend at the hospital. Doc Walter’s girl promised to take good care of him.”
“Is that so?” asked James. “She’s maybe 16 or 17—about his age, I think. Nice girl and a distraction for more than a few young boys around here, from what I’ve heard. How many his age up at your place now?”
“That would be none, I’m afraid.”
“You may have yourself a problem then, and sooner than later!” replied James.
“I know,” replied David. “That I surely do. To answer your q
uestion, though, they will keep Mark about three days, they said, with checkups after that.”
* * * *
Mark slept, if you could call it that, on his back for the first time he could ever remember. The leg surgery was done and they said it went well. His chest ached, and any sudden move shot a sharp pain into its center. He refused a catheter and was helped to the restroom only once by female nurses not named Calleigh. By morning, he only had three questions. Did she have a boyfriend? How was he going to make it back home up the mountain? And when could he see her again?
“Good morning, Mark,” she said, waking him with a hand on his shoulder.
“Ah…oh, good morning, ma’am,” he responded.
“They call my mother ma’am,” she responded, “but Calleigh is fine.”
“Sure,” he said, feeling a bit foolish. “They call my dad sir but me... I’m sorry. I was trying to make a joke, and I lost it. Maybe it’s the medication, or I don’t know...”
“Maybe it’s me?” she said, smiling and reaching down to hold his hand.
Mark didn’t respond, only stared off into nothing. “Are you okay?” he heard her ask from miles away.
“I don’t feel so good,” he managed to get out before it went dark.
“All available doctors in here now!” called a nearby nurse down the hall. Word got around quickly, and a team worked on him, mindful of his injuries.
David and Jason walked inside as he regained consciousness, rushing to his bedside.
“What’s happening?” asked David.
“It’s a side effect of his concussion,” said one of the doctors.
“Where is Dr. Walters?” demanded David. “Where is he?”
“He’s home resting after a 24-hour shift,” said a nurse. “He should be back in…well, any minute now.”
David talked with his son, waiting for the one doctor he trusted.
“I have a lot of cases right now,” said Dr. Walters, walking in the room. “Mark is a priority patient, as you are a personal friend of the Mayor, but there are others—many worse off than Mark—who also have fathers demanding to speak with me.”
Next World Series | Vol. 5 | Families First [Homecoming] Page 23