FURever Bound

by Patricia Fry

  Brianna pointed. “Right there.” She said, “Vannie, this is Gail Allen; Gail, my sister, Savannah Ivey.”

  Without acknowledging Savannah, Gail moved closer and focused on the cat in her lap. “What’s wrong with him?” she asked. “Has he been fighting again?”

  “He has quite a tear in his skin there, like maybe a dog or a wild animal attacked him. I guess he could have crawled under the hood of an old car and got caught by the fan blades. She lifted the tissue and examined the injury. “It’s probably going to need stitches.”

  Gail looked at Savannah, then Brianna and insisted, “I can’t afford that.” She reached for the cat. “Give him to me, I’ll find another way. Buddha got a cut once and I just shaved the area, put some antibiotic ointment on there, and wrapped him up real good and tight like a burrito. He healed okay.”

  Savannah relinquished the cat, being careful not to disturb the wound. She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. From what I can see, I’m pretty sure he already has an infection going on in there. It’ll need to be flushed out. He should get on a good regimen of antibiotics, and I just hope it can still be stitched; the wound looks old.” She added, “The veterinarian’s on his way.”

  “What?” Gail shrieked. “You called one without consulting me?” She turned and walked away with the cat. “Oh no, you just tell him to go on about his business. There’s no way I can pay him.”

  “Wait,” Savannah called. “It’s okay. We’ll take care of the bill.”

  Gail stared at Savannah and stated defiantly, “I’m not a charity case.”

  Savannah’s voice softened. “That isn’t what I was implying. He needs medical attention and you don’t have the money right now. I’d like to help, that’s all. Won’t you allow us to help for Blackie’s sake?”

  Brianna put her hand on Gail’s arm. “She and her husband own the veterinary clinic. My fiancé works for them, and he’s on his way over here. Please,” she pleaded.

  Gail slumped. She looked down at the cat. “Well, I don’t know why you’d want to do it.” She nuzzled Blackie and said rather dreamily, “He does mean a lot to me. He reminds me of a cat I knew during my happiest time on earth, only she was a female. Ebony had the same white whiskers and locket that Blackie has.” When Gail saw the women staring at her, she shook her head. “That was another time…” her voice faded and she added, “…a lifetime ago.”

  “Here comes Bud,” Brianna announced. When Gail started to bolt, Brianna put her hand on her arm and said gently, “Wait, Gail.” The woman looked at her, and Brianna said, “Please.”

  “What’s going on, ladies?” Bud asked, ambling toward them. He patted Peaches. “The mares look okay.”

  “Yeah,” Savannah said, nodding toward Gail. “It’s a cat. He has a gnarly looking gash.”

  “Oooh,” Bud remarked. He approached Gail and she tightened her grip on Blackie. Bud stared briefly into her eyes, then looked around, asking, “Is there a flat surface where I can take a look at him?” When Gail didn’t respond, he suggested, “How about this—let’s take him over to my truck. I have a pull-out exam table.”

  When Gail balked, Brianna put her arm across her shoulders and guided her toward Bud’s truck.

  He opened the platform and said, “Okay, let’s have a look, shall we?”

  Brianna nodded for Bud to take the cat from Gail and he did so, gently, saying, “Oh, that is a nasty wound.” He listened to Blackie’s heart, looked in his eyes, ears, and mouth, then asked, while inserting a thermometer, “Do you know how this happened?”

  Gail shook her head. “No. He likes to be outside with the visiting cats and he comes home sometimes with a cut or a scrape. I didn’t know about this one. I haven’t seen him in a few days. I’ve been worried.”

  Bud grimaced. “This looks like it happened more than a few days ago.” After removing the thermometer and studying it, he further examined the cat, muttering, “I see he’s still intact.”

  “Huh?” Gail asked.

  “He hasn’t been neutered. He’s probably out fighting for his territory.”

  “I can barely afford to feed all the cats that come to me. There’s no way in...” she looked around at the others. “Well, I just can’t afford to have them all fixed. I do the best I can.” Through tears, she said, “I love them as best I can.”

  Brianna rubbed Gail’s shoulder.

  Bud suggested, “How about this—I’ll take Blackie with me today, and we’ll tend to his wound. From the looks of it, he’ll need stitches and he may have to be on antibiotics for several days. Once he’s stable, fever’s gone, and all…”

  “He has a fever?” Gail barked.

  “Yes, because of the infection,” Bud explained.

  Gail lovingly touched the cat. “I’m so sorry, Blackie. I didn’t know.”

  By then, Savannah had walked closer, leading the two horses behind her. She said, “All we can do is the best we can do, Ms. Allen. Like you said, you didn’t know. He’ll be okay. He’s in good hands.”

  “But you don’t understand,” she wailed. “I can’t pay you.”

  Bud winked at Savannah. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem, do you?”

  She shook her head. “No, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell her.” She faced the distraught woman. “Ms. Allen, Hammond has the most wonderful group of kitty angels; it’s called the Hammond Cat Alliance.” She nodded toward Brianna. “Our aunt, Maggie Forster Sheridan, started it and we belong to the group.”

  “Forster?” Gail repeated. She pointed. “The Forsters that lived in the big house over there?”

  Savannah nodded and continued, “Ms. Allen, our goal is to help needy cats. We take care of colonies, educate cat owners, and get involved in a variety of activities to raise awareness and funds. We have the means to help you with Blackie, and by the way, the other cats you’re caring for.” When Gail started to protest, Savannah said more sternly, “It isn’t charity. It’s what we do—what we organized for.” She tilted her head. “Maybe you’ve read about some of the things we’ve been involved in. We rescued the cats out at the old Fischer building…”

  “Yeah,” Brianna said brightly, “Bud and I have two of the cats from that colony—you know, the white cats I told you about.”

  “Oh yes,” Gail said. “I heard about that project from a neighbor.” She furrowed her brow. “And didn’t your group find the cats that were abducted a few years ago? I’m pretty sure some of my cats were taken by that evil man.”

  “Really?” Savannah remarked. “We did rescue some that were never claimed. No one came forward to identify them. We put notices in the newspaper and on our bulletin board at the clinic. We finally adopted them out to new families. I wonder if your missing cats were among them.”

  “Maybe, but that’s okay; as long as they’re being loved. They weren’t house cats, you see. They were strays that were only halfway tame.”

  Savannah smiled. “Well, I believe they’re enjoying life as house cats now.” She then said, “The alliance members can also help you with the rest of the cats you care for, Ms. Allen.”

  “Gail,” she said. “Call me Gail.”

  “Okay, Gail.” She spoke more quietly. “We don’t have a project right now.”

  Before Savannah could finish her thought, Gail interrupted. She pointed at her. “Rags! You have that amazing cat I’ve read about named Rags…the klepto, right? I thought your name sounded familiar.”

  Savannah nodded. “So you’ve read about him, have you?”

  “Yes, he’s quite wonderful. I don’t take the newspaper, but I find them in neighbors’ trash bins on pickup day sometimes. Old newspapers are just about my only lifeline to the world. When there’s a story about cats—especially Rags—I smile all day and maybe for two days in a row.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Savannah looked at Bud as he cleaned Blackie’s wound and covered it with a temporary wrap. She then asked Gail, “So will you let the alliance help
you with Blackie? That would mean giving Dr. Bogart permission to neuter him, okay?”

  Gail looked down at the cat and nodded. “Thank you,” she murmured.

  “Good,” Savannah said. “And I’d like to invite you to our next alliance meeting. We can discuss how we can help you with the rest of your cats. How many do you have here?”

  “Twenty-one, counting the three new litters of kittens.”

  “Twenty-one?” Savannah repeated, wide-eyed.

  Bud let out a low whistle. “You have your hands full, ma’am.”

  Gail backtracked a little. “Well, they aren’t all here all the time. I suspect that some belong to neighbors, others might live in that gully wash on the next block and wander over here for the chicken I cook.” She leaned in, as if sharing a secret. “I get it real cheap and I even boil the bones to make broth to add to the kibbles they give me at the feed store.”

  “They give you kibbles?” Bud asked.

  Gail nodded. “If a bag breaks open they can’t sell it, so I take the bus there every week with my tote bag, and carry home as much as I can manage.”

  “You do love the kitties, don’t you, Gail?” Savannah said.

  She nodded and patted Blackie as Bud eased him into a pen.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow to give you an update,” Bud promised. He pulled out his cell phone. “Want to give me your number?”

  “Um…I don’t have a phone.” Gail’s face brightened when she said, “But my cousin lives not too far away. Adele lets me give out her number for emergencies. I’d say this is an emergency.” She reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a small piece of paper. “Here it is. I carry it with me most of the time—just in case. She’ll send one of her grandsons over with a message, if one comes for me.”

  Savannah smiled. “Sounds like a good arrangement.” The three women watched Bud drive away with Blackie, then Savannah looked up at the house and asked, “How long have you been living here?”

  “Oh, it’s my family home, so most all my life.”

  Savannah took another sweeping look at the place, then said, “Gail, it was nice meeting you. We’d better mosey along. I need to get home to my little ones before too long.”

  “Your horses are beautiful,” Gail said, patting Peaches. “I used to ride with a friend who had horses.” She became sullen when saying, “Those were some of my happy days.”

  Brianna and Savannah glanced at one another and Brianna said, “Well, you take care, Gail. I guess I’ll see you next week at the clinic.”

  “That you will,” she said, smiling.

  “So, Gail,” Savannah said, “would you like to come to our meeting next week? I can pick you up.”

  “Is the meeting place on the bus route?” Gail asked.

  Savannah winced. “Yeah, but there’s a long driveway.”

  “That’s okay,” Gail said. “I like walking. Just give me the address and the time. I’ll be there. Thank you.”

  “Next Wednesday at one.” Savannah had another thought. “Actually, it’s at my house and I live in the old Forster home now. You can walk over from here, if you want to.”

  Gail gazed in the direction of the Ivey home. “Yeah, I guess I could do that.”

  “By the way,” Savannah said, “would you mind giving me your cousin’s phone number in case I want to contact you?”

  Gail thought for a moment, then said, “I guess it’s okay.” She dug out the piece of paper again and Savannah typed the number into her phone.

  The sisters had been back on the trail for a few minutes when Savannah asked, “So what clinic does Gail go to? Is she ill? Is it a trial of some sort?”

  “No,” Brianna said. “We do regular health clinics—you know, for educational purposes, and Gail helps out sometimes. I give her a little money for doing it. She does odd jobs like that to help support herself.”

  “Seems like she could sell that big old house and make enough to live on and to care for the cats properly.”

  “I’ve thought the same thing,” Brianna said. “But I guess that’s out of the question. She won’t leave, for some reason.”

  “Probably because of the cats,” Savannah offered.

  “Could be, but I don’t think so. I believe it’s something more mysterious.”

  The women had ridden for about twenty minutes when Savannah reined Peaches in. She stood in her stirrups and looked around. “Okay, this is where I’m stuck. I’m not sure how to get over to Bud’s place from here. What do you think?”

  “Oh, that’s easy,” Brianna said. “I take this route on my bike…”

  “You have a bike?” Savannah asked. “A bicycle?”

  Brianna frowned. “Yeah. Why are you so surprised? I need my exercise too.”

  “And you can get to Bud’s place from here, can you? Hey, if a bike can make it, a horse can make it.” She looked at Brianna. “Unless you have to lift your bike over a fence or something.”

  “No, there’s nothing like that. The horses can make it.” Brianna nudged Gypsy forward. “Come on, I’ll show you the way.”

  “You’re doing pretty well on that mare,” Savannah said. “Do you like her?”

  “She’s great,” Brianna praised. “She hasn’t bucked me off, stumbled, refused to go when I say go or stop when I say whoa. It can’t get much better than that.”

  “You’re right there,” Savannah said. Suddenly she waved enthusiastically. “Hey, there’s Iris. Hi, girlfriend!” she called as Iris pulled her car up and stopped several feet from Peaches.

  “What are you two up to?” Iris asked.

  “We’re riding over to Bud’s and Brianna’s,” Savannah said.

  “From here?”

  “Yes,” Brianna said. “I ride my bike through here all the time, around a big loop past your house and back this way to the ranch.”

  Iris thought about it. “Hmmm.”

  “Hey, Iris,” Savannah said, “I just met the gal who lives in that old boarded-up house back there.”

  “Someone lives there?” Iris asked.

  “Yes, she’s a patient of Brianna’s and she has cats. She may come to the next alliance meeting.”

  Stunned, Iris said, “I had no idea anyone lived on that property.” She wrinkled her nose. “Did you go inside? What’s it like inside?”

  Savannah shook her head and asked Brianna, “Did you ever see what’s inside there?”

  “No. I’ve only been there twice, and she always meets me outside.”

  “I wonder what the inside’s like,” Iris said.

  Brianna tilted her head. “It’s hard to tell. She doesn’t have much of an income.”

  “Why doesn’t she just get a job?” Iris wondered. “She seems able-bodied. Does she have any skills?”

  “She told me once that she had planned to be a nurse and maybe join the Peace Corps, but something kept her from following her dream. I think it was something rather traumatic.”

  “You don’t have any idea what it was?” Savannah asked.

  Brianna shook her head. “No. And I was surprised to hear her say she’d come to the meeting next week, because it seems really hard for her to step outside her comfort zone. She told me once that she’s waiting for something. That came out in one of our conversations, but I have no idea what it is. That’s why it’s hard for her to leave the place, in case that something shows up, I guess.”

  “Hey, Iris,” Brianna said, “Vannie tells me you have a ghost. I didn’t know that. I’d love to come meet him sometime.”

  Iris’s face brightened. “Yes, I guess I do. Are you interested in the spirit world?” She flashed a look at Savannah. “Your sister sure isn’t.” She smiled at Brianna. “Yeah, sure, come over and we’ll have tea with him…or her.” When Iris noticed a car approaching, she said, “Hey guys, I’d better get out of the road. Have fun.”

  “Okay, see you tomorrow at Teddy’s birthday party,” Savannah called out.

  Brianna waved, “Bye, Iris.”

 
A few minutes later, Savannah pointed. “I see it. We can get to your place from our place. How about that?” She noticed something else. “Hey, there’s Bud’s mom.” She shouted, “Hi, Edith!”

  “What beautiful horses,” Edith said when the riders approached. She ran her hand along Peaches’s neck, looked up at Savannah, and invited, “Come in and have a cool drink.”

  When Savannah saw Bud’s father emerge from the barn, she waved at him and asked, “Hi there, Gunther, can we water the horses?”

  “Sure.” He pushed a calf back to make room for Peaches and Gypsy at the trough. “So you rode the old mining road right-of-way from your house, did you?”

  Savannah nodded. “It’s surprising how easy it is to get around this area on the back trails. Hey, we could have a progressive dinner on horseback—you know, where you stop at each house for a different course.”

  “Sounds fun,” Brianna said, “only where would we get enough horses and what would

  we do with them, say, at Iris’s or Colbi’s house, while we’re eating?”

  After thinking about it, Savannah said, “I guess some people could ride their bicycles.”

  Once the riders had watered the horses and tied them to the hitching rail, they followed Edith to a shaded area, where beverages waited.

  “Lavender lemonade,” Edith said.

  Brianna took a sip. “I love this. What a nice treat. Thank you.”

  “Delicious,” Savannah said. “Refreshing.

  “So the trail from your house to ours is once again clear, is it?” Edith asked.

  “Mostly,” Savannah said. “There’s one area where the brush is a little thick, but it’s not bad.”

  “Except for the fleas,” Brianna complained, brushing at her legs.

  “Fleas?” Savannah repeated. She quickly examined her arms. “For real? Probably from Gail Allen’s house.”

  “I don’t know,” Brianna groused, “but I’ve been itchy ever since we rode through that brushy stuff.”

  “It’s your imagination,” Gunther offered, laughing.

  Just then Bud appeared. He kissed Brianna and acknowledged the others.

  “How’s Blackie?” Savannah asked.