Fiction

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Good thing I saved this visit for my last of the day! Was easier but much more time consuming to trot up here riding Skeeter.

Skeeter got the day off today. “Hey, Nehi orange boy, are you ready to tame that German Shepherd again, here we are.”

“Rar-war-rar” Cody is coming off that wooden porch like a rocket, bounding out to the 4 Runner which he doesn’t recognize.

“Hey boy, brought your orange buddy to see you again” At that Nehi jumped out of the truck window and did his stretch-in-the-dog’s-face routine.

I look up at the sharp bang of the front storm door, a far cry from the blam of the shotgun that had greeted me just two days ago on my arrival. “Hi, Jerry, how’s the leg.’

“Lady, you REALLY have ruined a perfectly good watch dog with that bag of fur you insist bringing along!”

“How else do you expect me to get near your front door? At least you haven’t passed out today, that leg must be better. ” I grab my medical case and head for the log home leaving Nehi and Cody to greet each other.

Jerry was scowling and muttering under his breath “just like that darn Liz ruined…..”

“What did you say about Liz, who’s Liz?”

“Never mind about my Ex just get going, do what you have to with my leg!”

“I see you are limping but able to get around much better, aren’t you? When did you last take your antibiotic?”

“Early this morning about 5, does that work for you?”

“Yep, because Dr. Heinze wanted to do one more round of IV antibiotics. We can plug that in for this dose of your pill. I was hoping that would work since I went to all my other visits today before coming up here. No telling how long it would take with the 4 Runner so I allowed time at the end of my day. Can you sit on the couch and put the leg up?”

“Sure, sure whatever you say, you must be the boss around here ruining my dog and just taking over, how many more days do we have to put up with you?”

Jerry plunked his muscular, 6’2” frame on the couch, lifting his leg up to the support of the cushions. I pull over a chair, sitting down to remove the bandages. I can see Cody and Nehi peering in the storm door to watch the progress. Jerry’s snappy blue eyes glower at me as I take off the layers of bandages.

“You don’t seem so hot and flushed today, that antibiotic must be helping you out with recovery. Ummm, not so much purulent exudates today either, I think things are much better, how does it feel?”

“Not so bad when I don’t have some darn RN poking and prodding around in the sutures.”

“Let me see your arm again for one more round of the IV doc ordered. OK …. So, what did you do before you came out here to live off the land and be a writer?”

“What makes you think I did something different? Ouch!”

“Well, most live-off-the-land guys are more the flannel shirt types. I have never seen you in anything but a button down dress shirt.”

“Yah, I had a few of those left over. Is this more of your diversion tactics to get my mind off the fact that you stabbed me and are running cold, burning stuff into my poor arm here?”

I grinned at this big blond asking “Oh, was it that obvious?”

“OK, I had a successful insurance business with my “best friend” as a partner, then he and my “best girl” decided to ride off into the sunset together leaving me in the dust. Does that answer your question as to why I have left over business shirts? Losing my wife would have been one thing. Losing my best friend another but when they decided to switch channels on the program together, I figured the business was probably gone too. That was the last straw.”

“Jerry, I am SO sorry to hear all of this – I really can’t imagine how devastating that must have been.”

Just then Cody ran off the porch barking and barking with the horrible growl in his throat I remember from two days ago.

“CODY! That is the sheriff’s 4X4, you don’t want to be chewing on his leg!”

The dog actually minded , coming back to the porch where my patient had gone without the benefit of the new bandage.

“Hello Miss Joie,Mr. Jacobs, I am Sheriff Tom Johnson. I’d like to ask you a few questions about a body we found in a cave about a mile from here. May I come in?”

(C) Marijo Phelps all rights reserved. Use with proper credits.

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