by Darrell Bain
"You hear that, Sammie?" her mother intoned.
"Yes, ma'am. Anyway, I'll always have Shufus with me."
"Do you know how to shoot, Sammie?" their driver and guard asked.
"No, sir. I wouldn't kill any animal unless we needed it for food and we never have, even in Alaska. And no animal would hurt me so I didn't see any sense in learning."
Gene was silent for a moment. "Sammie, I hate to say it, but some two-legged animals are more dangerous than the four legged types. It might not be a bad idea to learn to handle firearms while you're living up here. You dad told me about some of those crazies that were bothering you."
"We've never thought it was necessary, Gene. She was a bit young when we lived in Alaska and neither Ronald not I hunted much. We do have a rifle that he and I both can use although we're not what you would call crack shots. Ronald has a pistol, too, but it's only been fired it a few times."
"Just something to think about," Gene said and dropped the subject. He was still intrigued by Samantha's ability with animals and couldn't help wondering just how much intelligence she was able to convey and receive from them, despite having seen the recordings of her trysts with the tigers and the angry wolf. He hadn't said anything yet to the Douglas family but he was hoping he could find a position with the sanctuary. He did have a moderate amount of savings from his years of free-lancing as a security specialist. He could even afford to wait around if there was no job now but a possibility later on. He liked the family and wanted to see how Samantha developed as she grew up. Would she keep that affinity for and interest in animals or would the opposite sex and hormones drive her in a different direction? He thought she was probably intelligent and level-headed enough to handle both, but of course couldn't be certain.
***
"I believe this is it, Gene," Elaine said. "We'll be staying in the center cabin until we find a place of our own." He had been looking at a map and guided them to a clearing at the side of a very rough road that led on to the administrative center of the sanctuary. There were several cabins situated in the cleared area, each with what looked to be a garden plot. The cabins were separated from each other by fifty to seventy-five yards and tall pines and other varieties of vegetation grew in and around the clearing. It was a bucolic setting now but he had to wonder what it would be like in the depth of winter. Hopefully they would have found a home to buy or a site to build on before then but if they built, she doubted a home could be finished before winter closed in. The climate, so different from Southeastern Texas, was the main drawback to the job so far as she was concerned. The mild subtropical weather of the Texas piney woods had spoiled them even though they had lived a dozen years in Alaska.
Elaine tried the door while feeling for the key that had been mailed to her. "Hey, this place isn't even locked!"
"There isn't much vandalism or thievery in the area. The wilderness is managed by the Forestry Service and they also have a sort of loose agreement with the Sanctuary for the land they own. So far as I know there's never been any problems up here," Gene explained while carrying two of the suitcases in.
"I thought you hadn't been here for a long time?"
"I came through once with a client a couple of years ago. And like I told you, I know the Sanctuary Director. He's a nice guy and so is his wife. They're going to be real glad to see you."
"I guess they were expecting us. The electricity is on,"
"The water should be, too. Both are tied in to the Administrative center and its ancillary buildings. Those and these three cabins are the only buildings with lights and water around here. The idea is to keep the place as natural as possible. It had to be fenced, of course." He looked at his watch. "Would you two like to rest a bit before running over to the admin center? There's time."
"I'd just as soon go on over there and check in now, then we can feel free to take our time getting settled. Unless Mr. Thomas wants me to get to work right away, of course."
"I doubt that he'll start you today," Gene said with a laugh. "If you're ready, then let's go."
Elaine gathered Samantha with a nudge toward the door then stopped suddenly. "Gene, I just happened to think--how are you going to get back to the airport? Or is there an airport anywhere near here?"
He laughed. "You're just now wondering about that? The sanctuary has a small landing field and a contract with a charter company. I'll stay in one of their guest rooms and fly out tomorrow or the next day."
She noticed just then that he was carrying his small handbag.
"Will we ever see you again, Gene?"
"If I have my way about it you will. Remember, I'm applying for a job here."
"Well, I hope you get it," Samantha said. She liked the man and Shufus also approved of him. Anytime her dog showed obvious liking for a person, she automatically trusted his judgment. The one time she hadn't was enough to cause her to depend on him from then on in determining the character of a prospective friend.
"Me, too, Sammie. I'd like to stick around for a while."
***
Stanley Thomas and his wife met them inside the entrance to the Bryant Memorial Wild Animal Sanctuary. The full name was carved into the native stone of an arch surrounding the large doorway. Thomas held out his hand and smiled widely. "Welcome to the Sanctuary! I'm Stanley Thomas and this is my wife, Tracie. Just call us Tom and Tracie. Please, no Stan or Stanley. I've always disliked that name. And by the way, we're real informal around here except when the Forestry Service bigwigs take a notion to inspect us. We're both very glad to see you."
"I'm glad to meet you, Tom and Tracie. This is my daughter, Samantha and her dog, Shufus. Sammie to her friends. And you've met Gene before, I think."
"Right. Good to see you again, Gene. We'll talk about your application later on. Come on in folks. There's a fresh brewed pot of coffee or if you prefer something else, I'm sure we can manage."
"Coffee is fine for Sammie and I."
"Same here," Gene seconded. Shufus gave a soft woof. He didn't care for the taste of coffee but he liked the aroma of it.
Just inside the main building was a short hallway that opened into a huge den with a fireplace big enough to roast oxen, or so Elaine thought. Off to each side of the den, entrances to the rest of the interior were invitingly open. Part of a rather large office was visible down the hall through a door left ajar, revealing a desk and computer and shelving along the wall spaces that were visible. The shelves were almost full of stacked books, magazines and binders.
"Let's go sit in the den, folks. You'll all see the rest of the place after we sit and chat a bit." He led the way into the spacious room and waved a hand at comfortable chairs and short couches arranged in a semi-circle in front of the fireplace. A huge low table made from an elongated section of a pine tree graced the center of the arrangement. It held numerous figurines of native animals carved from wood and then polished and varnished to a high gloss. Or perhaps representatives of the different types of animals the sanctuary held, Elaine thought. If that proved correct, Samantha would have a lot of fun.
"Back in a minute," Tom said while his wife and the visitors seated themselves. He returned a moment later bearing a tray with a carafe, cups and saucers. Elaine noted that neither of them appeared to like condiments in their coffee since the tray held none. He poured for everyone, including his wife.
Samantha was intrigued with the decorations in the den. There were numerous examples of native art, including vases, figurines, hunting weapons, rugs of tanned animal skins and paintings that depicted realistic scenes of the area and its fauna and flora. She was looking around so avidly that Elaine had to nudge her to make her realize someone had asked her a question. She had no idea who nor what.
She blushed. "I'm sorry. I was so involved with admiration of this room that my mind wandered."
Tom grinned at her. "I was just saying, your appearance doesn't exactly match what I've seen of you in the media."
"Oh, that. It's just a temporary disguise
so we wouldn't be recognized on the trip here. I'm going back to the real me as soon as possible."
He looked again at her and then Elaine. "The public's been giving you a hard time, I take it?"
"You can't imagine, Tom. I'm so glad to get Sammie away from that. I really hope we can find a sanctuary here in reality as well as what its name implies."
"We'll do our best to see to it. Sammie, there's someone else who is anxious to meet you. Our veterinarian, Dr. Whitmeyer. He's working on a wounded bobcat over in the medical building right now so you'll have to see him later."
"How did it get hurt?"
"Someone shot it with an arrow." He shook his head, looking utterly disgusted.
"Is this the young lady who's supposed to be able to talk to animals?" A thin, wiry man with graying hair and a sun-weathered face had entered silently while they were talking.
Samantha stood up immediately. "I guess that's me, sir," she said politely.
"Speak of the devil," Tom intoned. "This is Dr. Whitmeyer, himself."
The veterinarian scrutinized Samantha with bright, beady eyes of such a deep brown color that they appeared almost black. "Hmm. You don't look much like the images I've seen of you."
Everyone laughed. A puzzled look appeared on the veterinarian's face. "Did I say something funny?"
"It's just that Tom mentioned the same thing," Elaine explained. "We sort of traveled in disguise to keep Sammie from being recognized and bothered, Doctor Whitmeyer."
He waved a hand negligently. "Ah, forget the doctor business. Just call me Whit. Like our esteemed Director, I don't care for either formality or my first name."
"I'm Elaine Douglas and this is my daughter, Samantha. To her friends she's Sammie," Elaine said.
"Alright, Sammie, I've heard the same thing everyone else in the universe has. You're supposed to be able to talk to animals. Can you?"
"Anyone can talk to animals. The problem is getting them to listen to you."
Whit burst out laughing and clutched at his chest. "Ouch! You twanged me a good one. Now that you're here, how would you like to go to work?"
"Right now?"
He shrugged. "If you're not too tired from your trip. I've got a bobcat with an arrow through its back leg. It's in a cage right now but I need to remove it without hurting it even more and it's not partial to the idea. Whoever put him in there caused the arrow to mangle the wound pretty badly."
"Oh, the poor thing. I'll be glad to help you if I can."
"Come along, then. With your permission, Elaine?"
She smiled a little wearily. "She really should rest but I'd never hear the last of it if I told her she couldn't help you. Go ahead, Sammie."
"Thanks, Mom!" Samantha and the veterinarian left together.
"I hope all that publicity wasn't off base, Elaine. Whit is usually a pretty jolly fellow but he takes a dim view of anyone who sails under false pretenses."
"I'm sure Sammie won't disappoint him."
Chapter Twenty Three
Whitmeyer led Samantha out of the large administrative building by going through a long hallway that exited in the back and led onto a covered walkway. It terminated at another low structure that looked as if it had had several additions added to it over the years.
"This is both the hospital and recovery area. There are fenced-off areas behind it where recovering animals can move around before we turn them back into the wild."
"Do they all go back?"
"Most do. We try to discourage them hanging around or we'd be overrun, but many of them come back to see us when they get hungry, especially during the winter. Ah, here we are."
They entered a white-painted room that contained a small and large operating table, several cages of varying sizes used for animals that had been treated but weren't well enough to get along unassisted and a locked narcotics drug cabinet. There were numerous glass-fronted cupboards that contained surgical instruments, non-prescription medicines and other items used by the profession as well as exhibits of animals with different wounds and diseases. There was also a large refrigerator and a small nook of an office with a computer desk, chair and file cabinets.
"And here's our patient," he said, stopping beside a cage on the floor. A half-grown male bobcat spit furiously at them from inside the cage. An arrow had gone all the way through its back leg then been broken off. Its whole leg was streaked with blood and dirt.
Samantha knelt down so that she could face the cat. It backed away from her but kept turning its head any time Whitmeyer moved closer. "The problem is that I want to anesthetize it but I'd prefer to do it intravenously rather than give it an IM shot and then have to chance it waking up on me while I'm operating. And, I'm not even sure if I can get a needle in it, IM or not. Every time I try, it backs away from me or turns around in the cage."
She knew IM meant intramuscular from working with Dr. Summers. She looked up at him. "You said you'd rather do it intravenously?"
"Yes, but I doubt we could hold him down even with both of us using heavy gloves, aside from the dilemma of trying to give a shot with animal-handling gloves on. That doesn't account for the fact that these cats are incredibly strong, even when they're as young as this one is. Just try wrestling with one sometime!"
"Let me talk to him," she said. "Bobcat, what's your name?"
The animal snarled again. To her, it sounded like Go Away!
"No, I won't go away. We're going to help you get well and quit hurting but first tell me your name."
The wild cat cocked its head and stared at her. Fushshy. She immediately shortened its name to Fussy since that's how it almost sounded anyway. She had to make an effort not to laugh.
"Alright Fussy, the doctor needs you to come out of the cage. After that I'll lift you up to a soft place so we can help you and make the pain go away."
Leg hurts.
"I'm sure it does but it's going to hurt even worse if you don't let us help you. Will you come out? Please?"
It considered for a moment before answering, Yes. It was just a sound to the doctor but Samantha heard the affirmative reply. There was a lot of pain in the sound.
"Okay, I'm going to open the cage then you come to me and let me lift you." She looked up at Whitmeyer. "I'm going to open the cage. Which bed do you want him on?"
He had been practicing veterinary medicine for many years but this was the strangest situation he had ever found himself in. He certainly didn't want to let a wounded bobcat loose but the girl sounded so sure of herself. Her attitude and what he had heard about her convinced him to go along with the request. He pointed to the nearest operating bed. "Put him there. Do you want gloves?"
"No, I won't need them." She opened the latch of the cage and slid the front of it up and locked it into place. "Alright Fussy, come to me and I'll lift you up."
The bobcat made not a sound but it took one limping step forward, then another and another until it was directly beside Samantha. "Here we go now. Hold real still." She slid her arms under him and lifted him up to her chest then carried him to the operating bed and set him gently down upon it. She petted him and scratched behind his ears and put her face down to let him rub against it. After that she got him to lay down with his wounded back leg up. She looked at the doctor then. "Are you ready?"
"Will he hold still for an intravenous shot?"
"Yes. Go ahead. No, wait, will you need to use a tourniquet?"
"Maybe not. He's a pretty big fellow, even half-grown."
Samantha took one of the bobcat's front legs and slowly stretched it out on the bed. "Now, Fussy, the doctor is going to look at your front leg so hold still for him."
The cat held perfectly still as the Doctor's gentle hands explored the musculature, tendons and veins of its foreleg. "I've found a vein here, I believe. Shouldn't have to use a tourniquet if he won't move when I stick him."
"He won't. Fussy, the doctor is going to make your front leg hurt just a little bit and then you'll go to sleep. When you wake up the s
harp stick in your back leg will be gone and you'll feel much better." She repeated herself twice to make sure Fussy understood then nodded to the veterinarian. "Go ahead, Dr. Whitmeyer."
He bent over and inserted the needle deftly into a vein and slowly injected an anesthetic. The cat's eyes blinked once or twice and then he relaxed. His head dropped to the table and he was asleep.
"Amazing," the veterinarian murmured as he began to work. Samantha put on a pair of gloves unasked and assisted him as he flushed the wound thoroughly, gave the cat an antibiotic shot and bandaged the wound. "Okay, now let's carry him to one of the larger cages and leave him some water and food. He'll be real thirsty from the effects of the anesthetic when he wakes up."
Samantha helped transport the limp body of the bobcat to a large cage, then couldn't help but worry what Fussy would think when he woke up and she wasn't there. "Would you mind calling me when he begins to wake up, Doctor Whitmeyer? Fussy will want some reassurance then, I think."
"I will if you'll quit with the Doctor Whitmeyer business. Just call me Whit like everyone else does."
"Alright, Whit," she smiled but it was hard to call the gray haired man by his first name, especially him being a doctor of veterinary medicine. He seemed not to care about status, though.
***
After visiting another half hour or so with the Director, Elaine said they needed to go since they had to stop by the little country store on the way back.
"He said he'd call when Fussy woke up, Mom, but if we're in the cabin will you drive me back here?" Samantha asked.
"I've got a better idea," Tom said. "Why don't you both stay overnight, or for that matter stay until Mr. Douglas arrives."
"We don't want to inconvenience you and all our goods are at the cabin. I'll just drive Sammie back when Whit needs her."
"Okay, but before you go shopping, I took the liberty of stocking the pantry and refrigerator of the cabin with a good supply of food. Just count it as a bonus for signing up with us."