Healing the Vet's Heart

by Annie Claydon

  ‘And that’s why you’d have to keep the reds in an enclosure?’

  ‘Yes, there’s been some research into administering a vaccine to wild squirrels, but until that’s been perfected, it’s not possible to establish colonies in England.’ He smiled. ‘But maybe Mav will take his children into these woodlands and find red squirrels roaming free.’

  ‘You’re in this for the long haul, then.’

  Drew nodded. ‘An oak tree can support up to a thousand different species of wildlife. I won’t live to see the ones I planted last year grow to their full size.’

  ‘Good thing someone thought to plant a few for us, then.’

  ‘Yes. We’re just trying to pay that forward, so that future generations will still have the species that are becoming endangered now. Not just the ones that hit the headlines but the lesser known ones. You know who runs the planet?’

  Caro thought for a moment. ‘I’m guessing the answer isn’t going to be us.’

  ‘Well, in some ways we do. But the wart-biter bush-cricket, the shrill carder bee and the bog sun jumper spider are all endangered species in Britain, and they’re part of a vast number of different insects that keep our ecosystem going.’

  ‘Great names. Someone should definitely save them. So saying that I’d rather watch hedgehogs than have a wart-biter cricket crawling across my foot isn’t the way to look at it?’

  ‘That’s a reasonable enough reaction. But there are a lot of entomologists working very hard to encourage various species of insect, some of which are very important to our natural habitats.’ Drew smirked at her. ‘It’s an endlessly complicated interaction. I thought you might like that.’

  It was definitely growing on her. ‘I prefer to confine myself to robotics. It’s a lot more predictable.’

  He nodded, looking up as the sound of voices floated towards them. When Caro saw a young woman, leading a group of children, she automatically moved away from Drew a little, feeling the sweet pressure of his arm around her lift.

  ‘Ah. One of our school trips. They’ll be here to see the reindeer.’

  ‘You have reindeer!’ Caro couldn’t conceal her excitement. ‘Real reindeer?’

  ‘No, they’re plastic ones with red noses...’ he joked, and Caro frowned at him. ‘You want to tag along?’

  ‘Yes. Please. I’ve never seen a real reindeer before.’

  He got to his feet, greeting the woman at the head of the group, and introducing Caro to Angie, a teacher at one of the nearby schools. Drew fell into step with the group, talking to the children and telling them about the wildlife that lived here in the woods.

  He was so at ease here. Caro could imagine him tramping these woods, strong and alert to everything that was going on around him. Never alone, because he understood the complex language of the countryside, which Caro had always just hurried past without giving it a second thought. What cacophony did he hear in the rolling waters around her home? Suddenly, she wanted very much to dive with him and find out.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CARO SEEMED AS excited as the children were when they approached the cluster of low barns that housed the petting zoo. Eddie, the manager here, had brought the most docile of the reindeer in from the pasture, and was waiting for them in the barnyard.

  A chatter of excitement ran around the group, and Eddie introduced Dasher the reindeer to the children. He saw Caro clutch her hands together, almost jumping up and down with excitement, and Drew decided to hang back a little, sitting down on a bale of hay. The afternoon sun caught the golden highlights in her hair, and he smiled.

  Under Eddie’s close supervision, each of the children was allowed to approach Dasher, with a little hay to feed him with. Angie took her turn, but Caro was hanging back, talking to a little boy who didn’t look inclined to go anywhere near Dasher. They seemed to be coming to some decision, and Caro put her hand up, along with the other kids who wanted to feed Dasher.

  She approached Dasher gingerly, turning to look back at the little boy she’d been talking to. Clearly both of them were a little nervous of getting too close to the reindeer. Eddie handed her some straw, and she held it out, seeming ready to snatch her hand away if Dasher made any sudden moves.

  Dasher amiably took some of the straw from her hand, and Caro gasped with delight. Carefully, she reached out and stroked Dasher’s neck. This was what the petting zoo was for. Kids of all ages.

  Meanwhile the little boy was edging closer, emboldened by Caro’s bravery. Both Eddie and Caro let him take his time, but finally he reached out, taking some straw to feed to Dasher. Caro turned, and the look of delight on her face made Drew want to laugh out loud with happiness.

  ‘Hey, Drew, I wasn’t expecting to see you here this afternoon.’ Kirsty, one of the animal care assistants, walked towards him.

  ‘I just dropped in. How’s everything going?’

  ‘Fine. Um...are you back at work yet?’ Kirsty eyed the walking stick propped up against the bale of hay.

  ‘Yes, I’m back. Anything I can help with?’

  ‘Well, I was going to call Ellie but since you’re here... I noticed this morning that Missy’s very slightly lame in one of her back legs. I’ve kept her inside, and I think it’s just a stone bruise, but it would be great if you could take a look.’

  ‘Yes, of course. You’re going to go and help with the children?’

  Kirsty nodded. ‘Yes, just while Eddie takes Dasher back to the pasture. I’ll be as quick as I can.’

  ‘That’s okay. I’ll wait.’

  Drew wondered whether Caro would be going in to see the rabbits with the rest of the group, but when Kirsty ushered them towards the long, low building where the smaller animals were kept, she turned, walking towards him.

  ‘You’re not going to see the rest of the animals?’

  ‘No, I’ve seen a reindeer. That’s enough excitement for the day.’ Her face was shining, and she plumped herself down on the hay bale next to him. ‘The little boy I was with was scared, and I said that I’d go and stroke him for both of us. But he ended up coming to stroke him too, did you see?’

  ‘Yeah, I saw.’ The magic of the moment hadn’t been lost on Drew. It was so easy to relive the wonder of touching an animal for the first time through her.

  ‘Are we going back to the diving centre? Or do you want to take a rest first?’

  ‘Neither. I’ve got to take a look at one of the Shetland ponies.’ Kirsty had disappeared with the children, and Eddie was leading Dasher back to the pasture, and a thought occurred to Drew. ‘I don’t suppose you’d come and keep her still for me, would you?’

  ‘I can try. I don’t know how to keep a Shetland pony still, though.’

  That was one of the things he liked about Caro. She didn’t back off from things she knew nothing about, she tried them anyway.

  ‘You just hang onto her bridle. Missy’s getting on a bit, and she’s not going to give you any trouble.’

  He led her into the stable block, found Missy’s stall, and showed Caro how and where to hold the bridle. She wrapped her arm around Missy’s neck, whispering to her, and Missy quietened. Caro might not have much experience with animals, but she was a natural.

  ‘What’s the matter with her?’

  ‘Kirsty thinks she may have trodden on something and bruised the sole of her foot.’

  ‘Ouch! Poor thing. I hate it when that happens.’ Caro twisted round, watching as he bent down and lifted Missy’s leg a little. ‘What are you doing now?’

  ‘Just scraping away the dirt so I can see. It doesn’t hurt her.’ Drew carefully cleaned the sole with a knife and examined it. There was a red area that looked like a bruise.

  ‘Is she all right?’ Caro interrupted his train of thought.

  ‘Hold on. Let me examine her properly.’

  Caro gave a little huff of impatience and started
whispering to Missy again, who seemed a lot more unconcerned about the procedure than she was. Drew went back to feeling the pulse on Missy’s leg and checking the temperature of the sole. He could see no evidence of a cyst or laminitis, which would have been far more serious.

  ‘It looks as if it’s just a bruise. She’ll need to be rested up a bit, but she’ll be fine.’

  ‘Good. D’you hear that, Missy?’ Caro was stroking the pony’s mane. ‘Can I give her something to eat?’

  ‘No, she’s fine.’ Caro looked so downcast that Drew relented. ‘You can give her a little hay from that bale over there.’

  Caro scooted out of the stall, pulling at the bale to get a good handful. When Missy took the hay, then nuzzled against Caro’s arm, her face lit up again.

  It had been so long since he’d really felt the magic he saw in Caro’s face. Since he’d felt the wonder she saw in things around her, and in every new experience. Drew could spend a lot of time just watching her and still feel that it wasn’t enough.

  Kirsty’s arrival broke his reverie, and he quickly relayed his findings and went through everything she should do for Missy. Caro gave Missy one last stroke, and then followed him out of the stable.

  ‘Are we going to the diving centre now?’ She grinned up at him.

  ‘Wait. Hold on a minute.’ Drew shot her a mock-serious look. ‘You’re taking the afternoon off, even though you haven’t worked yourself to a standstill. And you’re actually enjoying it?’

  Caro’s laugh seemed rather more carefree than before. Joyous even. ‘Yes, I was wondering about that myself. Seems I am.’

  * * *

  Kirsty had dropped them off at the diving centre, and Drew found Jake in the office at the back, shuffling through the papers on his desk.

  ‘Drew!’ Jake got to his feet and their handshake turned into a hug. ‘So you’ve found us at last.’

  ‘Yeah. I’ve brought someone to see you.’ He turned to Caro, who was hovering in the doorway. ‘Caro’s interested in scuba diving.’

  ‘Oh, thank goodness for that!’ Jake grinned at Caro. ‘This paperwork’s been driving me crazy.’

  Drew chuckled. ‘Jake always gets a bit itchy around this time of year. Not so many people want to go diving in the autumn.’

  ‘You can say that again. And I’ve been missing my diving buddy.’ Jake slapped Drew on the back. ‘When do you want to go, then?’

  ‘I have to learn first.’ Caro gave Jake an apologetic smile.

  ‘Ah. Great. Well, there’s an introductory manual I need you to read through...’ Jake caught up one of the wire-bound manuals from a large box in the corner of the room, handing it to Caro.

  ‘All of it?’ Caro opened the first page, scanning the contents list.

  ‘You can skip chapters six, seven and eleven, they’re for the more advanced course.’

  ‘Read all of it.’ Drew knew that Jake didn’t cut corners, but he wanted Caro to be more than prepared before he took her into the water. Jake shot him a querying look and then shrugged, obviously reckoning that the extra chapters couldn’t do her any harm.

  ‘Okay. That’s my weekend sorted. Then what?’ Caro tucked the manual under her arm.

  ‘Then we do three two-hour sessions in the pool. Now, that’ll just give you the basics, and I’d normally suggest you go on a dive with the class after that, but if you’re with Drew it’ll be fine. He’s a qualified instructor.’ Jake picked up his diary and flipped through the pages. ‘I’m doing lessons next week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.’

  Caro hesitated. Drew knew exactly what she was thinking.

  ‘We could continue with the study on Tuesday and Thursday. I’ll be at the clinic on Wednesday, so maybe I could take some of the measurements you need then as well.’

  Caro looked at him as if he’d just asked her to cut off her own arm. ‘Perhaps it would be better to do the lessons the following week.’

  ‘Then you’ll miss out on a few days that week. You can run through everything with me on Tuesday if you like.’ Drew already knew exactly what to do, he’d watched Caro do it enough times. But if it made her feel better, she could go through it one more time.

  The cogs in her head were working overtime at the moment. Maybe she just didn’t trust Drew. Then she turned and smiled at Jake. ‘Monday, Wednesday and Friday sounds great, thank you. I’ll need to hire a wetsuit as well.’

  ‘Okay, so you have a choice. A thicker wetsuit will probably be all right at this time of year, but a drysuit, like the one that Drew has, will be better.’

  ‘We’ll take a drysuit.’ Drew interrupted.

  ‘That’s going to mean an extra session in the pool, to show you how to deal with the buoyancy and so on. We can do that on Monday afternoon.’

  Caro looked a little downcast. Yet more time away from her work. Then she nodded. ‘Okay, in for a penny, in for a pound. I’ll hire a drysuit, like Drew says.’

  Jake nodded. ‘As you’re working with Drew, I’ll throw the drysuit hire in. We don’t have much call for them outside the tourist season.’

  ‘Thank you, but... I don’t want to take advantage...’ Caro was clearly determined to pay her way.

  ‘Why don’t you give Jake a couple of those miniature tortoises? His little boy is two and he’d love them,’ Drew interjected.

  ‘Oh, yeah. I heard about those. That’s definitely a deal.’ Jake grinned. The diving centre was nominally a part of the outreach side of the veterinary clinic, but in practice Ellie and Drew left the management to Jake.

  ‘Four’s best. They go crazy, trying to avoid each other, if you put them on a tabletop.’ Caro didn’t have much concept of bargaining anyone down, but then neither did Jake. The arrangement seemed to suit them both, and Drew decided not to interfere.

  ‘You’re coming along to help out, Drew?’ Jake was scribbling Caro’s name down in his diary.

  ‘Um...no. I said I’d do some work at home on Monday. Friday I’ll probably rest up a bit.’

  Drew had been so sure that he wanted to show Caro the hidden world that lay beneath the waves, and so sure that she’d be fascinated by it. But now it was turning into a reality, his own fears were kicking in. If he left Caro’s training to Jake alone, then there would be no possibility of Drew becoming distracted by her smile or his own fears about taking her into the water and forgetting something vital.

  ‘Okay.’ Jake gave him a searching look. He knew that since Luna had died, Drew had given up the responsibility of teaching, and had only gone into the water with experienced divers. But he said nothing.

  ‘Is that all agreed, then?’ Drew pushed his fears to the back of his mind. He really needed to get back into the water, and this was a great opportunity. Jake was the best instructor he knew, patient and knowledgeable, and very thorough. Nothing bad was going to happen to Caro. This was an opportunity that no one should miss.

  ‘Yep.’ Jake grinned at Caro. ‘Monday at nine, then? If you want to come here, I’ll give you a lift up to the pool.’

  Caro nodded, smiling suddenly. ‘Thanks. I’m really looking forward to it.’

  * * *

  Drew had made his mind up not to phone Jake. But Jake knew him too well and phoned him instead, launching exactly into what Drew wanted to hear.

  ‘Has your lady got a photographic memory or something? I got the distinct impression this morning that she had the whole of the manual off by heart.’

  ‘She’s not my anything. We just work together.’ Expressing his relief that Caro had actually read the manual, and absorbed all of the information, might suggest that Drew had entertained the thought that Caro did anything by halves.

  Jake chuckled. ‘She’s a bit too good for you, mate.’

  Shorthand for ‘Caro would be perfect for you’. Drew had told Jake the very same thing when he’d first set eyes on his wife, and Jake
had upped his game significantly in response. Drew had no game left.

  ‘Caro’s only interest is her work.’ Jake knew what that meant. He’d known Luna.

  ‘Well, she swims like a fish, and she pays attention to every detail. Just thought you might like to know. She’s solid, Drew, and she doesn’t compromise on safety.’

  ‘Yeah. Thanks.’ Drew considered mentioning to Jake that he might like to throw in something unexpected to gauge Caro’s reaction but he was an experienced instructor, and he knew how to test his students.

  ‘I’ll catch you later, then...’ Drew heard the sound of Jake’s son in the background and knew he had to go.

  ‘Soon. We’ll go down to the Hungry Pelican for a pint.’

  ‘Definitely. Tell Caro that Ollie loves the tortoises. Gotta go...’

  The call ended abruptly, and Drew smiled, dropping his phone on the sofa. Caro would be ready—Jake would see to that. And his own doubts about going diving again were receding in the face of wanting to show Caro a part of the world that he loved. For the first time in a long time he was beginning to shake off his fears and look forward.

  ‘Want to go for a walk, Phoenix?’

  Phoenix twitched her nose. An early evening walk probably didn’t sound so fabulously exciting when you were already curled up in front of the grate. Drew got to his feet, automatically reaching for his stick and then changing his mind.

  ‘We’ll just go a little way. I’ll try leaving the stick at home this time...’

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CARO HAD BEEN through her training, and she was ready. Jake had told her she’d be fine. All the same, a little quiver of excited uncertainty had been making her heart pump faster ever since she’d woken up this morning.

  She’d carried all her diving equipment down the stone steps and across the beach to her car. Living here did have its disadvantages, even if the tides did provide her with the solitude she needed to work. But Drew and Jake didn’t see water as any obstacle, and while that was reassuring in someone who was teaching you how to dive, it was rather more challenging when it applied to Drew. More than once she’d woken in the night and wondered what it might be like to look out of her window and see a glimmer of light out to sea as a rowing boat carried him towards her.