Precipice of Doubt

by Mardi Alexander

  “I don’t remember you ever saying you’d been to Pip’s.”

  Jodi swallowed as a rush of sadness wormed through her chest. Before Charlie, when she and Pip were both solo, there’d been a few Sundays when she’d felt pent up with the need to get out. So she’d showed up unannounced at Pip’s and they’d tossed back a few beers after hiking Pip’s property.

  “Only a handful of times, really. The first time I went over was to drop off a whiptail wallaby joey. Poor Pip was so busy with the ten joeys she already had in care that she couldn’t get away for five minutes to pick it up.”

  “But heaven forbid she’d ever say no to another orphan. Sounds just like her.” Cole shook her head. “But now she has Charlie.”

  Jodi smiled. “Yeah. She does.” A wash of envy brushed over her when she thought of Pip and Charlie. She gripped the steering wheel in resolution. No point thinking like that—she barely had enough time to do her own laundry most weeks. She certainly didn’t have time to go looking for, or entertaining, a date. “I’m so glad they sorted out their differences. They deserve each other. And I mean that in the best way possible. And here we are.” Jodi slowed and turned right onto the barely perceptible path that was Pip’s driveway. Shrubs and leafy vegetation scraped and squeaked against the Rover’s side as Jodi navigated through.

  “I would never have found this place if I was on my own,” Cole said.

  “Trust me, the first time I came out here, I drove past it about a zillion times before I finally saw the barest hint of a tyre tread in the dried mud. Sure keeps the place private though.”

  “Just like Pip likes it.”

  After a few minutes of carefully avoiding low hanging branches, Jodi finally drove out of the thick bush into a small clearing, and the house came into view. The roof peaked sharply over weatherboard walls. A huge veranda wrapped around three of its sides. The windows were all rectangular six-sectioned library glass. Adjoining the house and looking over the enclosures in the backyard was the prep room that Pip had designed wholly for the animals. Jodi knew it was Pip’s pride and joy.

  “Wow. It’s gorgeous. What a cute place. I love the old schoolhouse look.”

  “That’s because it is an old schoolhouse, ya duffer. The building was for sale in Chatsworth. She fell in love with it, bought it, and had it moved here.” Jodi parked in front of the house.

  The prep room door opened up and Chilli bounded out in front of Pip.

  “Hey, Pipsqueak.” Jodi wrapped her arms around Pip and squeezed her tightly.

  “Cole! Welcome,” Pip said looking around Jodi’s shoulder.

  “Hi, Pip. Good to see you.”

  “Charlie is feeding the magpies, Jodes, if you want to head down there. I know she’s been busting for you see this eagle aviary.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Cole and I will meet you down there with drinks.” Pip sniffed the air. “And I’ll put the delectables you have in a warmer. We can eat down there.”

  “Perfect.” Jodi walked around the prep room towards the shed in back. The outline of the eagle aviary stood out in the distance. “Far out.”

  “Is that you, Jodi?” Charlie called from a large cage attached to the shed.

  “The one and only.” Jodi didn’t know how Charlie could’ve heard her amongst the hungry pleading from the magpies. She stopped beside the cage and peeked in. “How many do you have in there?”

  “Eight. The six you gave us, and then two others we got calls about.” Charlie plucked a piece of meat from the Tupperware container with tweezers and offered it to one of the birds. It gaped widely and flapped its wings against its sides.

  “They’re all doing good then?”

  “Oh, yeah. They’re mostly a healthy bunch. One has a small healed ulcer on its eye. I’ll have to wait and see if it impacts his coordination and ability to fly or not.”

  Jodi nodded.

  Charlie quickly fed two other magpies before coming out of the cage. She spread her arms wide and hugged Jodi. “Hi.”

  “Pip tells me you want to show me something?”

  Charlie’s smile broadened and her eyes twinkled with excitement. She grabbed Jodi’s arm. “Oh my gosh! Wait until you see it. Big Bird loves it.” She bounced from foot to foot. “Let me run this food back up to the prep room and I’ll be back.”

  Jodi laughed as Charlie took off like a shot. Her exuberance was infectious and some of the stress and fatigue slid from her shoulders. The clinic and its patients were a constant presence in her mind, especially lately, no matter how hard she tried to push them aside. Even now, while waiting for Charlie’s return, she hastily calculated when Rocky would need his next injection of antiserum.

  “Ready?” Charlie suddenly appeared in front of her.

  “Absolutely.”

  As they passed the other cages and pens that sheltered koalas, out-of-pouch kangaroo joeys, and an assortment of birds, a round building made a sudden appearance. It was so well structured that it seemed more part of the natural surroundings than something man-made.

  “It’s beautiful, Charlie.” Jodi marvelled at the sheer height of the cage.

  “Come on inside. I want you to really look at it and see if you have any feedback or suggestions from a vet’s point of view.”

  Charlie opened a sliding door and they went in.

  Jodi spun around in awe. “All I can say is wow. This is magnificent. And it’ll be perfect for all raptors, not just your eagles.”

  “I know, right?”

  “I only have one suggestion. You may want to mount some perches at different heights on a couple of the poles so the birds get used to landing in various situations.”

  Charlie tapped Jodi’s arm. “You’re starting to sound like a regular WREN person. Sure you don’t want to change your career path?”

  “No, thanks. I’ll let you and Pip wrestle the wild things.”

  “Speaking of wild things,” Pip said from behind them, “Charlie, do you want to show them how much your giant budgie likes it in here?”

  “Yes. You all can watch Big Bird fly as a healed bird. In fact, it’s fitting you’re all here. Big Bird is here because of you, Cole, for finding him, Jodi, for putting him back together, and he’s got the ability to do this”—Charlie spun around in a circle with her arms outstretched—“thanks to my darling Pip.” Charlie kissed Pip on the cheek.

  “And you, love. He’s at this point largely because of all the work you put in to him.”

  Charlie smiled and nodded in proud acceptance of the recognition her efforts had contributed to the bird’s recovery. “Be right back. He’s in the adjoining outside pen so you could see it without him raising a fuss.”

  Jodi accepted the bottle of beer Cole handed her. “Impressive, hey?”

  Cole shook her head. “This whole place is incredible.”

  Pip cleared her throat. “Um, we may want to watch from over by the bird care shed and the safety of the double-glazed window. You know how Big Bird gets around anybody that’s not Charlie.”

  Jodi laughed as Cole sprinted over to the small building. The long side of the shed had been accommodated into the structure of the cage. Two sliding doors opened up into a light filled room.

  Charlie arrived with Big Bird perched on her arm. He sat quietly and unmoving with his long wedge shaped tail draped over the back of her arm. He wore a hood and couldn’t see anything. She closed the doors behind her and walked to the centre of the cage. She glanced over at them and said, “Here goes.”

  After removing the tether from the eagle’s feathered leg, she carefully slid his hood off. The eagle blinked, looked around, but showed no signs of wanting to take flight. His cream coloured bill showed brightly against his reddish-brown head and wings.

  Charlie raised and lowered her arm. Big Bird spread his wings and chirped. Jodi caught a glimpse of the one white primary feather that had grown back over the incision site. It was a stark contrast to the rest of his very dark ones. Suddenly, he crouched
and pushed himself up, and with several powerful wing flaps, he lifted off and into the air. He flew the length of the cage, spread his tail feathers to slow, and banked right. After a few minutes, he flew to the top of the cage and circled overhead.

  Jodi tore her gaze from the eagle and looked at Charlie who glowed like a proud parent. She knew Charlie was absorbing every detail of Big Bird’s flight and committing it to memory. It wouldn’t be long before the eagle was freely soaring the skies.

  Chapter Four

  With Cole’s help, Pip collected the empty plates and stacked the dishwasher. “Thanks for dinner. That was really sweet of you guys, to bring out the fish and chips.”

  “Living out here, I don’t suppose you eat too many takeaway meals.”

  “Not really. Tyranny of distance and all that. Which made dinner such a treat. And I got a night off cooking, so I feel like a right winner.”

  “I can appreciate that.”

  Pip poured them each a wine and leaned against the counter. “I owe you an apology.”

  Cole choked slightly on a mouthful of wine. “Sorry? Come again?”

  “It occurred to me when we were walking around earlier, that I’ve never invited you out here before. And for that I apologize.”

  “Oh no. You don’t have to—”

  “Yes. I do. I’m afraid I have been a bit of a crap friend these past few years, what with one thing and another. And I’m sorry. I should have had you both out here a long time ago for lunch, or dinner, or something social. So”—Pip raised her glass in Cole’s direction—“I hereby rescind my troglodyte ways and would love it if you both would come out here one night for wining and dining. And now that we’ve repaired the cabin, you’re both welcome to camp overnight so you won’t have to worry about being tired or drinking and driving.”

  Cole grimaced. “Jodi told me the cabin got hammered pretty badly from the flood.”

  “Mm.” Pip looked off into the distance to where she knew Charlie would be settling Big Bird in. “When I organized help for building Charlie’s big budgie cage, I had some engineers and builders come in and sort out the foundations to the cabin and set it back on stronger, stabilized supports. Easier to have all the workmen come out at the same time and choof off when they’re done. Fingers crossed, it should be right from here on out.”

  “I’d love that. Charlie used to rave about the cabin with the tree and everything growing in the middle of the house.”

  “Well, any time you come over, or need a place to hide out, the place is yours.”

  “I might just take you up on that.”

  They both took a seat at the breakfast bar. “Charlie tells me you built the cabin yourself.”

  “Largely, although I cheated with the house. I bought it and had it moved out here. It was in a pretty sore and sorry state, so I managed to pick it up for a song. It’s been a labour of love.”

  “I can see that. It really is quite amazing.”

  “Thanks. I like it.”

  “And the prep room is choice.”

  “You like it?” Pip grinned with pride. “I knew what I wanted and had it all planned out. Jodi was gold, helping me with suppliers or showing me some neat tips and tricks that would be cost effective.”

  “You two must go back a ways then.”

  Pip thought about Cole’s remark. It felt like she’d known Jodi forever. “Thirteen or fourteen years.” She shrugged. “Something like that. I met her when she first came to town. I’d only been here a few years myself when I ran into her. She was trying to feel her way into the town, and I was in need of a good vet. We’re a similar age and it was nice to connect with someone. We’ve been mates ever since.”

  “You seem pretty tight.”

  “We are.”

  “You’ve never been more than just friends?”

  Pip chortled softly into her wine. “No. There was no time for relationships. Friendship was more important for both of us. We were both married to our dreams. Still are.”

  “But you have Charlie now.”

  Pip sat back in her chair and reflected to the recent past. So much had changed since Charlie had come to Australia on a work exchange visa. Her entire life had changed. “Yeah. I do.”

  “And has your dream changed?”

  “Yes. And no. Now I have someone to share it with. I never thought that would happen.”

  “That must feel pretty nice. To have someone to share with, I mean.”

  “It is. It truly is. It’s not been easy, but then, somehow I think that makes it all the better. Life is still busy, yet it’s less hectic, if that makes sense.”

  Cole furrowed her brows as she glanced at the doorway. “Has Jodi ever talked to you about getting a business partner?”

  The conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps at the doorway, as they were joined by Charlie and Jodi.

  “Ooh, wine. Yes, please. Did we miss anything?” Charlie kissed Pip as she handed over a glass.

  Pip held up the bottle to Jodi in question, but Jodi shook her head. “Can I nab a coffee instead?” Jodi looked at her watch.

  “Sure. I’ll put the jug on.” Pip looked up at the wall clock. It was late afternoon, and Jodi wanted coffee. It didn’t take much to put two and two together. “You expecting a late night?”

  Jodi frowned. “I’ll need to head back to the clinic soon. I want to check on Rocky. Roger Hanson’s little dog. Paralysis tick.”

  Pip winced. “Nasty bastards.” She handed over a mug of coffee. “Will he be okay?”

  Jodi scrunched up her nose, her back straight and tense. “He’s not a young dog. Hopefully we got it in time.”

  “Fingers crossed then, hey?”

  “Hm.” Jodi sipped her coffee.

  “Big Bird looked really strong today, yeah?” Pip rubbed Charlie’s back.

  “I know, right? I think the direct flights I had him taking from the perch to me have made all the difference.”

  “When will you release him?” Jodi leaned against the counter. She didn’t bother sitting at the table knowing they’d have to get going shortly.

  “Well…” Charlie bit her lip. “Relatively soon. I need to find a release site for him first though.”

  “We need to do it before Charlie has to leave the country.” Pip linked her fingers through Charlie’s.

  “You’re leaving? I thought you were guaranteed another year.” Cole moved next to Jodi.

  Charlie sighed. “That’s the sticky part, I’m afraid. I have to leave every three months. Returning effectively renews my temporary visa for another three months.”

  “Wow. That’s a pain. Does it matter where you go?” Jodi saw a flash of sadness in Pip’s eyes.

  “No. I can go anywhere, actually. This time I’m going back to the States to visit my dogs. I miss them terribly.”

  Jodi smiled. “Do you think you’ll bring them here?”

  “Absolutely. That’s one of the things I want to accomplish while I’m there. I’ve looked into what importing them entails.” Charlie blew out a big breath. “It’s a lot. But the first thing that’s required is to have a rabies titre drawn. Then a hundred eighty days after that, they can get on a plane.”

  “Ah, that’s right. I knew they’d changed the rules and put the burden of work on the owner instead of Australia being responsible for it. That also shortens the amount of time they have to stay in quarantine, from six months to ten days.”

  “How do you know all this?” Cole nudged Jodi.

  “I’m a vet. I have to.” Jodi set her empty mug next to the sink.

  Cole huffed. “Or it’s something you read, and having a photographic memory helps.”

  Jodi screwed her nose up. “Or something.” She pushed away from the counter. “I have a few ideas of where you could release your eagle. I’ll email some maps to you tonight, if you’d like.”

  “That’d be champion, Jodes,” Pip said. “Thanks. I’d forgotten about your avid knowledge of the area and your obsessive hobby of
bushwalking. I told Charlie I could think of maybe one area that doesn’t have a dominant wedgie pair, but I haven’t been there recently to really check it out.”

  “No worries.” Jodi checked her watch again and frowned. “Hey, I have to get going. Rocky will need another injection as soon as I get back to the clinic.”

  “I can’t imagine having to leave every three months,” Cole said after they’d turned out of Pip’s driveway and onto the main road headed back to Yamba.

  “I guess it’s the price Charlie has to pay until she’s granted permanent residency. I know Pip will be more than supportive through it all. But I also know she’s going to really feel Charlie’s absence, even if Charlie is only gone for a few days.”

  “Did she say something?”

  “No.” Pip used to talk to her a lot, but since Charlie, well, Jodi had to admit she missed her friend. “I saw it on her face.” She shrugged half-heartedly. She couldn’t deny feeling a bit envious of what Pip and Charlie had, despite the immigration issues. She was more than happy for Pip. At the same time Jodi wondered if she’d made a mistake somewhere along the line by focusing exclusively on her career, disallowing herself a chance to meet someone and fall in love. Oh, well. It seemed like a moot point. It was what it was.

  It was past dark when they arrived at the clinic. Jodi parked the Rover next to Cole’s car. “See you in the morning.” Jodi turned the truck off and released her seat belt.

  “Promise me you’ll go home at a decent hour and get some sleep.” Cole opened the door and slid out.

  “You know it’ll depend on how Rocky is doing. I’m going to monitor him for a while after I give him this next antiserum. If I think he can be left for a few hours again, I promise I will go home.” Jodi met Cole’s eyes and smiled tiredly.

  Cole shook her head. “I have no doubt that you’ll fall asleep in your office chair for an hour, if not all night. But, okay. You’re the boss. Call me if you need me to come back in.”