by Dale Mayer
“I get that. Thanks for the pet therapy. I’ll see you later.” Sicily headed to the stalls, seeing if any large animals were inside. The stalls were all empty, so she carried on outside and walked around to look at the pastures. Old Maggie was there with the young filly, Molly, at her side, plus a couple other new horses. A gelding had arrived since she’d last been down here.
She walked over to greet all the horses, ambling over to have their noses rubbed. A few minutes later, she headed around the building, passing the pool area. It was empty, but the water twinkled so beautifully in the sunlight she wondered if she should indulge in a morning swim. Making a quick decision, she returned to her place and changed into her suit. She grabbed her cover-up and a towel and walked back out.
At this point, two people were at the far end of the pool. She headed to one of the lanes and dove in. Even though she lived here and the staff had full use of the place as well, her nighttime shift made it a little harder for her to partake of Hathaway House’s exercise benefits during the day. While she had a lot of available options, she tended to leave all the equipment for the patients. She did fifty laps in the pool before she stopped and floated, letting her heart return to a normal pace. She bobbed toward the steps before slowly climbing out. She found a chair in the sunshine and sat to dry herself off.
“Good morning. How are you today?” Dani asked, climbing out of the pool and wringing out her long hair. “It’s nice to see you in the water.”
Sicily laughed. “I’m still a little too keyed up to sleep, but I should try.”
Dani smiled. “Night shift is hard on the system.”
“Everybody keeps saying that, but I’m not so sure it’s true in my case,” she said. “But at the same time, it’s not exactly conducive to relationships.”
“Not if both of you are on night shift.” Dani grabbed her towel and rubbed her hair. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
Sicily flushed and shook her head rapidly. “No, I don’t.”
“But you must be sweet on somebody if you’re considering the difficulties of night shift on a relationship,” Dani teased.
Sicily flushed deeper. “No, I was looking around and seeing so many new couples,” she said, inspired by the thought. “Wondering how I’d handle it.”
“You can ask to switch to daytime shifts,” Dani said cheerfully. “Unless you like night shifts, then you’ll find a way around it.”
“True. And thanks for the offer.” As she sat there with the warm sun on her, she realized the combined efforts from her swim and the heat were having the desired effect. “I think I can sleep now.” She got up, grabbed her towel and with a small wave to Dani, made her way out of the pool area.
“Sleep well,” Dani called out.
Once inside her apartment, Sicily had a shower and slipped into her nightie, then crawled into bed. One of the reasons she’d taken the night shift position was to avoid getting into any complicated relationships, yet that too had stemmed from her earlier stressful lifestyle. Her last one had been very volatile as they’d both worked at the same hospital in the same environment. The move here had let her improve so many elements in her life and night shift had been one of them. This way, she wasn’t available for any relationship. For the first time in the five years since, she wondered if she could make a relationship work or if she’d need to switch shifts. Other people made it work, but she wasn’t other people. Elliot was special. While she had her night shift schedule, that gave them a special connection, but if their relationship was to move forward, would she continue working nights? She wasn’t sure.
But what about after he left? Or was she worrying over nothing? Because there was nothing between them. Yet.
By the end of the morning, Elliot was exhausted. Physiotherapy had been hard, and without much sleep, it was even harder.
Shane shook his head. “You looked like you had a pretty rough night when you walked in here.”
“Yeah, the nightmares were bad again last night.”
Shane nodded but didn’t say anything. The two were accustomed to Elliot’s PTSD symptoms, and so far there didn’t appear to be anything that could help Elliot get through it. Particularly as he was so reactive to most medications. Shane stood back and looked at Elliot. “Time for a nap? Or a massage?”
“Massage. My back’s crappy after last night.”
Shane nodded. “That’s a good idea. Maybe we can get you knocked out while I’m working on you. So let’s set it up for your room.” He glanced at his watch and said, “Eat something before we start, and that way if you sleep through lunch, you won’t be starving when you wake up. I’ll talk to Dennis, and he’ll get you something special.”
“If I could sleep all afternoon, that would be good too,” joked Elliot.
“If that’s what works for you. We always try to accommodate our patients,” Shane said, picking up his tablet. “I have to go to my office. I’ll meet you back in your room in ten.”
Elliot nodded. “Looking forward to it.”
“I’ll check out your back. You can tell me where your spasms are coming from. We may need to adjust your bed and see if we can find a way to stop the knots. If I can figure out which muscle groups are affected, we can work on strengthening them. Yet not so hard that they end up cramping on you, mind you.”
“Thanks.” Tired as he was, Elliot slipped into the wheelchair and let his body collapse with gratitude. When he was this exhausted, there was no point pushing his body further. That was reserved for mornings, after he woke. Not for noon when his body was ready to crash for eight hours. Slowly he wheeled his way down and around the hallways until he came to his room. He pushed open the door and headed inside. Food would have to wait. He had enough time and barely enough energy to change before Shane arrived. After that, he hoped he could sleep the rest of the afternoon away.
If he was that lucky.
Chapter 4
Sicily woke up to bright sunshine in her bedroom. She lay tucked under the covers, cozy and happy and feeling rested. She was blessed with good sleep patterns, unlike Elliot. She couldn’t imagine not sleeping on a regular basis. Even after she had one bad night, she felt worn down. How miserable he must feel after months of sleep deprivation. He’d adjusted well, even though his ongoing lack of sleep could have extremely detrimental effects on his healing. Hell, even if you weren’t healing, lack of sleep made it difficult to get through the day. It was like an enduring weariness that took over your soul. You put in the time, but you weren’t refreshed. There was never any sense of renewal.
Whereas she could go to bed upset and tired, but after seven hours of good sleep, she woke up bright and happy. She hopped out of bed and walked to her small patio. The double French doors were locked in an open position. They were wide enough that the fresh air could come in and closed enough to keep out ninety-nine percent of the critters. She clicked the lock and opened the patio doors wide, staring out at the pastures in front of her. These apartments were on the ground floor. They were more studios—small, without full kitchens—but they were perfect for the staff as they had access to all the food they needed in the main building. She walked back inside and put on a pot of coffee. She went into the bathroom, brushed her teeth and her hair. When the coffee had dripped through, she poured herself a cup, walked onto her patio and sat down in a chair.
It was after four o’clock. She still had lots of time before she started work. She wondered about taking a trip into town. She definitely had a few things on her Need to Buy list. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to do a trip today. She had friends in town, and she often arranged to have dinner with them after her shopping and before she came home. She glanced at her watch and realized Martha would still be at work. Normally Sicily set up things like this a couple of days in advance. Maybe she’d sit and relax today. She had some cleaning and laundry to do and a good book waiting for her. She stretched in her chair and relaxed. When her phone buzzed beside her, she picked it up and grinned. Clicking the Answer bu
tton, she said, “Hello, Elliot. How are you doing?”
“Since I slept the afternoon away,” he said, his voice sounding much brighter than she had heard it sound in a long time, “I’m doing much better.”
“How nice,” she said in surprise. “What was the magical recipe?”
“Hard physical work in the morning and then Shane’s deep-tissue massage. If you can survive the painful parts, he has a soothing touch. I fell asleep, and he threw a blanket over me and walked out. By the time I woke up, I realized it was almost four.”
“There is nothing like a massage to help take away some of the stress. Any more bad dreams?”
“Not this time.”
“Awesome.” She smiled, loving that he had called. “I’m just up myself. Of course I did get a lot more sleep than you did.”
“Sure, but you need it more than I do.”
There was an odd pause down the line.
“Did you have a particular reason for calling?” she asked.
“I did, but I forgot what it was,” he confessed. “I hate that.”
She laughed. “It happens to me all the time.”
“Really? I figured it was from my injuries.”
“Nope, it happens to all of us. I was contemplating running into town—to the grocery store and the drugstore. Did you need anything?”
“Not right now. Hannah’s been arranging day trips. I went on one a couple weeks ago, but I wouldn’t mind going back into town again. Although I can’t sit for long in those bus seats. And I don’t really need to buy anything. Trips out are a nice break though.”
“You’re somewhat mobile. Dani’s taken a couple people out occasionally, but I’d have to get permission.”
“Shane made a similar offer,” Elliot said. “I have to think about what I need and how high my energy level is. Actually a spur-of-the-moment trip works better for me than those planned future excursions. Can’t say I’m wanting to plan too much right now.”
“Maybe your day trips should be more about the drive and a chance to get out of Hathaway House for a little bit.”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “You said you have to go grocery shopping. Don’t you eat here?”
“I do, but I still need things like coffee and snacks. I don’t always go to the cafeteria. And occasionally I have my breakfast here in my room.”
“That makes sense with your night shift hours. Now that I think about it, I wouldn’t mind a few things along that line myself. My wheelchair can go in the back of the car.”
“Let me talk to Dani about what the protocol is. I’ll add it to my list of things to discuss. I just don’t know if and when we can make a trip like that happen.”
“Okay, you do that. I can talk to Hannah about when the next group trip is planned. It’s not that I’m against going as a group, but they’re busy trips. That’s not quite what I’m up for. Plus I won’t know if I’m up for it until the day of the trip.”
“No worries. If I walk over before five, I should catch her today. No guarantee though.”
“Don’t rush. You don’t work until ten o’clock, so maybe you can leave her a note. You can talk to her tomorrow.” Then he gave a snort. “Why the hell am I asking you to talk to her when I can call her myself?” He groaned. “It’s a case of being a patient for too long. I seem to be losing the ability to think and to act on my own. I’m not impressed with that. Give me five.” And he hung up.
She stared down at her phone, put it back on the coffee table and picked up her coffee. She wouldn’t mind taking him into town. If they could get the wheelchair into her car, that would work. She understood liability issues were involved. It was a sanctioned trip by Hathaway if they took Hathaway’s minibus and the driver was an employee … She shook her head. Surely he could do a couple short trips into town instead of these full-day adventures.
She understood how nice it was for some of the patients to have the outings, but it was too much for some. She didn’t know how Elliot would handle sitting in a car for a couple hours either.
He should be doing more back exercises that would allow him to cope with this type of mobility. Even a little bit of horseback riding every day would be a huge help. She frowned. Lots of horses were here at Hathaway House, but she wasn’t sure any were appropriate for disabled riders. Maybe Dani should consider that. Sicily thought about it, then she snatched up her phone and sent Dani a text.
Maybe Sicily should talk to Stan. Medical training would be required for the person handling the horses. What they needed would be a therapist trained to work with the special rehab-compatible animals and with the people needing rehab. They had that combination going on here, but they didn’t necessarily have somebody who could facilitate a better interaction between those animals and people. It could be a huge addition to the place.
A text came back immediately from Dani. We could consider it. It’s hard to find the right personnel.
Sicily nodded. That made sense.
Dani sent another text. Good idea though. If you know anyone …
Right, the staffing issues. Still, that didn’t mean it wasn’t an option. She pulled up Stan’s number and sent him a text, asking if he knew anyone. She didn’t expect to hear back anytime soon because he was busy. She wondered idly if she shouldn’t spend some time with him in the clinic. He could always use a hand at the end of the day. And she certainly had some time right now.
She glanced down at her nightie. She got herself a second cup of coffee and wandered into the bedroom area where she found clothes for the day. She’d come back and change for work before her shift started. In the meantime, she had several hours to enjoy first. She locked up her place and pocketed her phone and then headed to the clinic.
Chaos reigned. Sicily stared, openmouthed, at five dogs barking and yowling in a melee that nearly raised the roof off the room. Owners struggled with leashes and leads, and suddenly Sicily spotted the source of all the trouble. She waded her way into the middle of the pups to find a huge orange tabby staring down all the dogs. Sicily picked him up and cuddled him. The dogs calmed down once the cat was out of their immediate range. She shook her head and laughed at the owners. “This guy is causing quite a fuss, isn’t he?”
Rebecca, the receptionist, separated from the chaos and grinned. “He is.”
“It wasn’t so bad until one dog started to bark, and then that was it. They all had to get in on the action,” an older woman said. Her small Maltipoo dogs still yapped at Sicily’s heels.
She rearranged the cat to drape over her shoulder and headed to the back of the vet clinic. There she put the big cat on the examining table. “I guess you haven’t eaten anything yet today, have you, buddy?”
A vet tech on the far side called back, “He got breakfast early, but he hasn’t had a second meal. Was that him causing a commotion up front?”
“Oh, yeah.”
The vet tech went out to the front, her arms full of bags. “The day has been nuts.”
“I’m here to help out for an hour or two, so tell me what I can do.”
As the vet tech turned, using her back to open the swing door, she said, “If you could clean up in here, that would be a huge help.” And then she disappeared.
Sicily looked around at the mess. Feed bags had been ripped open, and it seemed as if nobody had had a chance to sweep up the kernels. That’s where she would start. An hour later, she was still tidying up the room. At least the cat was fed, his bowls rewashed and he sat on the floor again. He licked himself for a while, then stretched out on his side, dozing off. Stan walked in a few minutes later, took one look at her and grinned.
“Are you sure you don’t want to work here full-time?”
“I work upstairs full-time,” she said with a smile. “I work down here for free part-time.”
He nodded amiably. “That’s why I want you full-time. Especially for free.”
She laughed. “Crazy day?”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
Sh
e saw the wrinkles on his forehead and the fatigue pulling on his chin. “Anything else I can do to help?”
He glanced at his watch. “I have a couple more to see so would love the help. I need to check on the surgeries from this morning, and we have a few overnight visitors to work with.” He glanced around. “Four dogs are in the cage. How about taking them for a walk? They haven’t been out to lift a leg in ages, and they could really use it. Take them one at a time though.”
“Right. I can do that.” She turned to the kennel area of the clinic. Four dogs were in the large cages, all of varying sizes. She clipped the first one onto a leash and led him through the back and out to the pastures.
The sun was easing off a little bit, and there were trees—lots of them. She let the dog wander around and sniff each one, and then she scratched him and gave him a little bit of human attention. He had a cast, which looked to be fresh, and stitches across his hip bone. Maybe he’d had an argument with a vehicle. If that was all he had for injuries, he’d done well.
After twenty minutes, she slowly led him back to his cage and then took the next one out. As she came back inside with the third dog, she heard a noticeable silence and much more peace and quiet inside. Stan was checking over the surgeries for the day. “I have one more dog to take out.”
He turned and looked at her in surprise. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”
“The dogs needed more than a few minutes. I gave them a chance to walk around and have some fun and little bit of loving.”
He grinned. “Hey, that’s what a lot of us need. Thank you very much.”
She chuckled. “Did you get to read my text?”
“I haven’t had two seconds to look.”
“I wondered if you knew anybody who had horses for horseback riding for the disabled. Dani said she’d tried to get somebody on staff to put a program like that together but couldn’t find anybody qualified.”