by Ali Spooner
Del chuckled softly. “You know I have been dying to meet her for a while now. I just wish it weren’t under these circumstances.”
“I know, but time just seems to always slip away from us,” Mary Leah said.
Del chuckled. “You are still newly in love, so that’s normal. I’ll do everything I can to help Coal,” she said.
“Thanks, Del, I know you can help her,” Mary Leah said. “We’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Drive safely,” Del said and hung up the phone. “I hope I can help,” she said to herself as she booted up her computer and entered the VA medical records site to request Coal’s records.
†
Coal pulled Shadow up just outside the bunkhouse and tied the reins to a hitching post before walking inside. Harley was at the stove cooking breakfast when she entered and he turned at her approach.
“Have you eaten yet?”
“Yes, thanks Harley, I’ll just have some coffee while you boys get ready.”
Harley slid a healthy portion of scrambled eggs onto his plate and joined her at the table. He studied her face, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. He was truly worried about his young friend. Harley was also a veteran and knew what horrors Coal endured in the desert. “Are you feeling okay?”
She struggled to manage a smile for him. “Yeah, that danged storm played havoc with my sleep last night.”
“It stormed last night?” he said with a grin. “I just thought that was Gene snoring, but I guess it could have been thunder.”
Coal chuckled. “It was rattling our windows.”
“Well, yeah, Gene can do that too.”
“What can I do?” Gene said as he walked into the kitchen rubbing sleep from his eyes.
“Rattle the windows with your snoring,” Harley teased.
“Ha, ha, very funny,” Gene answered, but he didn’t deny Harley’s claim.
“Do you want me to scramble some eggs for you while Harley finishes eating?”
It was Gene’s turn for a smart comeback. “No offense, Coal, but I’ll wait for Harley. Your eggs are too rubbery for me,” he teased.
“Yeah, I still haven’t learned to cook them.” She grinned.
“Speaking of cooking, we decided to grill some steaks Friday night and wondered if you and Mary Leah would join us,” Harley said.
“We would love that. What can we bring?”
“Will you make some of your macaroni salad and some baked beans?” Gene asked.
Coal smiled at the young man and his abundant enthusiasm. “I’ll ask Mary Leah to stop by the store for supplies on her way home,” she answered. “I’ll go call her while you guys get in gear.”
“We shouldn’t be much longer,” Harley said as he finished his meal and the rest of the crew was walking into the kitchen.
“See you in a bit then,” she said and carried her coffee across the yard to the main house.
“Good morning, Coal,” Melissa said from one of the rocking chairs on the porch.
“Morning, boss, can I use your phone for a minute?”
“Sure, help yourself and then join me on the porch.”
She went inside, dialed Mary Leah’s cell number, and waited for her to answer.
“Hey, baby, it’s me,” Coal said when she answered. “The boys have invited us to a cookout Friday night and I want you to stop by the grocery store on your way home tonight.”
She could hear Mary Leah’s soft chuckle across the line. “Let me guess, they want macaroni salad and baked beans.”
“Yes, ma’am, you guessed it. Can you pick up supplies for me?”
“Sure, no problem. By the way, you have an appointment with Del tomorrow night at six.”
Mary Leah listened as Coal hesitated for a few seconds. “She got me in pretty fast,” she finally said.
“Well, you know she’s been dying to meet you,” Mary Leah said.
“You realize this isn’t going to be the best first impression I could give her.”
“Oh honey, Del is just pleased to finally meet you. I really think she can help us.”
“I sure hope so. I need to run. I’ll see you tonight, okay?”
“I love you,” Mary Leah said.
“Love you too, sweetheart,” she said and hung up the phone.
She wasted no time in setting up the appointment with her shrink friend. Coal shook her head at the thought and refilled her cup with fresh coffee then joined Melissa on the porch.
“How are you this morning?” Melissa asked.
“I’m all right, boss, and you?”
“I was glad that storm moved through quickly last night. When I heard the hail coming down I was worried we’d get a tornado.”
She stretched her legs out in front of her. “Yeah, it was pretty wicked for a while.”
She could feel Melissa studying her closely as they sat together. Coal knew that Melissa could see the physical signs of her distress and waited for her to ask the questions others were afraid to ask.
“You can tell me to mind my own business if you want, but I’m worried about you, Coal. You’re losing weight and those dark circles tell me you’re not sleeping well. Are you all right?”
She took in a deep breath. There was no use denying her struggles to Melissa. She had been a great friend to her since she arrived two years ago. She was also quite certain that Mary Leah had mentioned something to her sister. “I’ve been having bad dreams.”
“Are you dreaming of your time in the desert?” Melissa asked.
“Yeah, I just can’t shake the memories.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Coal smiled at Melissa. “You have been so good to me, but I don’t think there is anything you can do. I do appreciate your concern. Mary Leah has made an appointment for me with a shrink friend of hers for tomorrow night.”
“Del Carson?” she asked.
“Yes, do you know her?”
Melissa smiled at her. “She and Mary Leah went to college together. After Mitch died I saw her for a couple of months, and she really helped me put life into perspective again. I was really floundering without her help.”
“That’s good to know. I really haven’t dealt well with this, and I worry about hurting Mary Leah. Last night I pounced on her when I thought I was covering another soldier from incoming fire.”
Melissa chuckled. “Mary Leah isn’t as fragile as you think, Coal. I think I can speak for my sister when I tell you she is more worried about your health than you possibly hurting her.”
“I just pray this shrink can help me get past this,” she said as she drained her cup and stood to join the rest of the crew as they exited the bunkhouse. “Thanks, boss, for all your support.”
“You’re family to all of us,” Melissa said, nodding toward the group of men who were walking to the barn to saddle up their horses. “There isn’t one of them that wouldn’t fight to protect you.”
“I know,” Coal said as tears came to her eyes. “I just hope it never comes to that.”
“Are y’all practicing for the rodeo tonight?” Melissa asked to change the topic.
“Yeah, after we finish rounding up the steers and loading them for market.”
“I think I’ll cook up a hearty late lunch for y’all then,” she said as Coal stepped off the porch.
“See you at lunch, boss,” she said and joined her crew.
†
Coal mounted Shadow and rode to the front of the barn to wait for the rest of the men. Gene, who was already mounted, joined her in the yard. “You ready to do some roping today?”
“I was born ready,” she said with a grin.
Gene idolized Coal for many reasons and grinned back at her. “I think we are going to win it all this year.”
“Even Austin?”
“Yes, even Austin.”
The top two winners from each event at Dallas would receive invitations to compete in the annual amateur rodeo championships in Austin. The event was seen as o
ne of the major platforms for contestants to earn a shot at going professional, and while neither of them was interested in a full-time rodeo career, to win events there was a prestigious honor.
“That would be something, huh?”
“It would be nice to bring Top Cowboy honors back to the MC2,” Gene added.
“We have to win more than the team roping to do that,” Coal said.
“Well, in my book, you and Shadow are a sure bet for the barrel racing. We’re going to take the team roping too. Lucas and I will also be entering the bronco riding and steer wrestling. If we can take three titles, we can win Top Cowboy.”
“Good lord, the energy of youth,” Harley said as he rode over to join them, catching the end of Gene’s rambling.
“Are you entering any events this year, Harley?” she asked.
“Heaven’s no, that’s a young man’s sport. I’ve had all my share of eating dirt, but we’ll all be there to cheer you on.”
The rest of the crew arrived, and Stan, the ranch foreman, said, “Let’s get a move on so we can get those steers off to market. The truck will be here by noon.”
Gene kept up a steady stream of conversation as they rode to the pasture where the steers were located. Even with the rains the previous night, the grounds were dry and the hooves of the horses kicked up plenty of dust, coating each of them with a fine layer. Once they started moving the herd, it would only get worse so Coal pulled a bandana over her mouth.
†
Dr. Del Carson shook her head as she reviewed the military service records of Coal Bryan. “It’s no wonder you are having nightmares,” she said aloud as she read the debriefing reports on the incident that claimed the lives of two soldiers in her unit, mere days before they were due to return from duty in Afghanistan.
Coal had an appointment at six tomorrow, and Dr. Del wanted her case notes to be fresh in her mind. All too often these days she was treating vets returning from the desert for PTSD. Warfare was difficult at all times, but the horrors troops serving in the Middle East were forced to witness, and were subjected to on a routine basis, were more than a great deal of their psyches could handle.
Del noticed Coal left the service with an honorable discharge nearly three years earlier and wondered if she had been suffering with nightmares for that long or if another event had occurred to trigger the anxiety. An Army Ranger, she would be a tough cookie and Del worried that she had been suffering all this time for fear of showing a weakness. She looked at her watch and knew the time would come to get those answers the next evening. Del looked one last time at the smiling young soldier staring back at her from the case file photo and once more shook her head.
“She’s a looker, I have to give you that, Mary Leah,” she spoke aloud. She and Mary Leah had become close friends in college, and their friendship continued to grow in the years since. Mary Leah had come to her professionally after her long-term partner abandoned her when diagnosed with breast cancer. She had also brought her sister to her when her husband Mitch died in Afghanistan.
She let out a deep sigh. “Way too many of America’s youngest and brightest are being burnt out like this,” she said as she laid the file on her desk. She had treated hundreds of cases in the last few years alone. She felt it was such a travesty when so many came home with the multitude of physical injuries, amputations, and closed head injuries, and then the added burden of PTSD on top of that.
Del hoped that Coal would be a candidate for a relatively new virtual reality program called “Virtual Iraq,” that had proven helpful in the treatment of PTSD, using video simulation to re-enact and desensitize the affected soldiers to the event or events that elicited their trauma.
“We can do this,” she said as her secretary buzzed her intercom to let her know her next appointment had arrived.
†
“Go get him, Gene!” Harley shouted as a steer broke away from the group. Gene took off in pursuit of the stray.
They were finally in sight of the holding pens where they would herd the steers. When the truck backed the trailer up to the chute, they would be loaded and on the way to market. The morning had taken a toll on Coal who felt exhaustion creeping into her bones. Stan had also noticed her weariness and rode up beside her. “When we get them in the pen, I want you to go get a shower and a quick nap in while we get the steers loaded.”
“I can handle my share of the work,” she argued.
“I know you can, and I watch you do more than your share day after day, but today I want you rested before it’s time to practice. Grab a shower and nap. We’ll wake you for a late lunch after the steers are on the way.”
The look Stan gave her made her choke back any further argument, so she nodded her head. “Yes, boss.”
“Gene can look after Shadow for you, so get some rest.”
She nodded and took off to run down a steer trying to break away from the herd.
When they reached the pens the steers moved in quickly. Gene rode over to her. “Stan says for me to follow you to the barn and take care of Shadow while you go help Melissa with lunch.”
Coal was grateful that Stan had told Gene a little white lie about sending her off to rest, but she knew that the crew would understand Stan’s decision. They rode to the barn, and she dismounted and handed her reins to Gene. “Take good care of him,” she said.
“You know I will,” Gene said with a grin.
She walked across the yard and entered the back door to the house. She could smell lunch cooking in the kitchen and walked in to find Melissa toiling away. Melissa looked up at her and smiled.
“Stan told me to take a shower and catch a nap before lunch,” Coal said with a flush of embarrassment.
“I think that was a wise decision. You’re covered in dust,” she teased. “Leave those clothes in your old bedroom and I’ll wash them for you while you shower. I’ll bring in a T-shirt and shorts for you to nap in.”
“Thanks,” she said and walked to the bedroom. She stripped out of her clothes, and climbed into the shower to allow the cool water to rinse the dirt and dust from her body. Her arms felt like lead as she washed her hair. She took a mouthful of the water to rinse the grit from her mouth. Weary, she stepped out of the shower and dried her body before slipping into a pair of army green shorts and a tank top. The cool sheets of the bed felt like heaven as she climbed between them and allowed the exhaustion to overtake her.
†
Melissa placed her clothes into the washer then continued working on lunch. When she heard the shower stop, she waited a few more minutes then walked down the hall to check on her. She leaned against the doorframe as she watched Coal in a deep sleep. “Rest well, my friend,” she said and closed the door behind her.
Chapter Ten
The rest of the crew finished loading the steers and took their horses to the barn. They were preparing to wash up for a much-deserved lunch when Melissa walked into the barn. She pulled Harley to the side.
“I think it’s best to let Coal sleep through lunch. If you and Gene will help, we can carry the food to the bunkhouse and not disturb her rest.”
“That’s a great idea. I was really worried about the way she looked this morning.”
“The desert has come back to haunt her,” Melissa said.
“I was afraid of that,” Harley admitted. “Has she talked to you about it?”
“Not much, but Mary Leah has gotten her an appointment with Del Carson for tomorrow night.”
Harley smiled. “If anyone can fix Coal, she would be the one to do it.”
“I pray you’re right, Harley. Grab Gene and let’s go.”
Harley and Gene met her on the front porch. “Be quiet now, Gene, Coal is sleeping.”
Melissa watched the blood drain from his face. “Is she sick?”
She smiled as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “She just had a rough night with the storm and needed some sleep.”
“Okay,” he whispered and followed them quietly into the kitchen.
Two trips later they had carried the food to the bunkhouse table. “Where’s Coal?” Lucas asked.
“She’s going to eat a bit later, so you lot save her some food,” Melissa said.
“Should I go ahead and fix her a plate and keep it warm for her?” Gene asked sweetly.
Melissa smiled at the young ranch hand. “That would be great, Gene. Good idea.”
He beamed with pride as he speared a large fried chicken breast and placed it on a plate, with a large portion of mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn, then covered it with aluminum foil and placed it in the oven, which he turned on low. He returned to the table and realized he had forgotten biscuits. He jumped up to wrap three in foil to add to the plate in the oven.
†
Coal slept for another half hour and woke to a quiet house. She climbed out of the bed and got dressed in the fresh clothes Melissa had placed on the dresser for her. The nap was exactly what she needed and she left the room in search of food. She was starving and knew Melissa had cooked a huge lunch for them. When she found she was alone in the house, she stepped out into the late afternoon sun and walked to the bunkhouse.
All heads turned her way when she stepped inside. The men had finished eating and had moved on to dessert.
Gene nearly toppled his chair when he jumped up and rushed to the oven.
“Gene’s been keeping a plate warm for you,” Melissa said as Coal approached the table.
“Thanks, Gene,” she said as he placed the plate in front of her and poured a glass of tea. She winked at him. “Save me some of that strawberry shortcake too.”
“I will, Coal.” He placed a huge mound of the crushed strawberries on top of a slice of pound cake.
Coal started on the plate of food. “Damn, this is good, Melissa.”
“I’m glad you approve.” Melissa smiled. “The boys have decided to give their food some time to settle before practice tonight,” she added.
“After eating like this, that’s not a bad idea,” she agreed.