Cowgirl Up (20 page)

“Yeah, I’m okay, Gene. How are you?”

“Feeling stupid for passing out at the sight of blood,” he said with shame.

“There is nothing wrong with that, son,” Harley said with a pat on his back. “Especially when it’s something you weren’t expecting.”

“I still feel like an idiot,” Gene said, hanging his head. “Do you need help with her?” he asked Melissa.

She didn’t, but she looked at Harley who nodded.

“Sure, Gene, will you sit in back with her and make sure she doesn’t take her hand off that bandage?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered, and opened the door for Coal.

“He wouldn’t be any good to us the rest of the day anyhow, worrying about her,” Harley told Melissa. “We’ll finish out this load and head for the barn. I’ll let Stan know what’s going on. You take care of her and let us know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Harley,” Melissa said and walked to the driver’s side as Gene slipped in beside Coal.

“Let’s get her done, boys,” Harley barked, and the crew snapped to attention as he went to the driver’s side of the truck.

†

“Do you want me to call Mary Leah?” Melissa asked as she carefully drove across the rough pasture.

Coal didn’t hesitate to answer her. “No, it’s nothing serious and I don’t want her to worry.”

“Fine, but you take the rap tonight when she flies off the handle that we didn’t call her.”

She grinned. “I will, I promise.”

“Will you look at that?” Gene said as he looked out the side window.

Shadow was trotting beside the truck, his sensitive nostrils flaring from the scent of blood. “Stop at the barn if you would and I’ll put him in a stall so he doesn’t follow us to town,” Gene said.

“He probably would too,” Melissa said. “He loves you too,” she said with a wink to Coal in the rearview mirror.

†

When the truck reached the hard road, Melissa picked up speed and within ten minutes, they arrived at the small walk-in clinic. Gene jumped out of the truck and rushed around to open her door and help Coal from the truck.

Melissa opened the clinic door to usher them inside and then went to the triage nurse to explain what had happened. The nurse took Coal directly to an exam room and left Melissa and a pacing Gene in the waiting room.

“Let’s see what we have here,” she said as she helped her to sit on the exam table. She lifted Coal’s shirt over her head to inspect her for other injuries. “My name is Terry, Ms. Bryan, and I will get you cleaned up for the doctor’s examination.”

“Nice to meet you, Terry,” she said.

Terry pulled the tape off Coal’s skin as gently as she could and removed the gauze to look at the wound. “You said this was done by a piece of shrapnel?”

“Yeah,” she said as she held out her hand. “My last souvenir from Afghanistan.” Terry took the metal shard in her gloved hand.

“This looks wicked,” she said as she turned the shard in her hand.

“They used everything metal they could salvage for shrapnel in their bomb making,” she said. “The doctors told me they got all of it out, but a later exam revealed a piece still floating around inside.”

“How long ago was this?”

“A little over three years,” she answered.

“You’re lucky this didn’t puncture a lung or pierce your heart.”

“That’s twice in the last hour I’ve heard that,” she said with a grin.

The exam room door opened and a young male doctor walked into the room. “I’m Dr. Thomas,” he said. “What do we have here, Terry?” he asked, looking at the shrapnel in the nurse’s hand.

“Shrapnel leftover from Afghanistan,” she answered.

“It finally worked its way out today while I was loading hay,” Coal said.

“Have you had a tetanus shot recently?” he asked as he cleaned the wound with Betadine.

“Three years ago,” she answered.

“That’s good, but I want to give you a fresh one. That’s one wicked piece of metal. A good clean exit though.”

“Will she need stitches?” Terry asked.

“No, I think some surgical glue would work better,” he answered. “Less of a scar too,” he said with a warm smile to her. “Are these from the rest of the shrapnel?” he said, examining the other scars on her side.

“Yeah, I had two dozen or so stitches to close it up once the docs finished digging out the metal.”

“Damn,” he said.

The doctor pulled out a tube that did look suspiciously like superglue and used it to seal the wound. He placed a clean bandage over the wound as Terry gave her the tetanus shot in her right arm. “Try to take it easy for a few days and this should heal with little problem. I want to give you some antibiotics too just as a precaution,” he added.

“Thanks, Doc,” she said as he exited the room.

Terry helped her back into her tank top and walked out with her to the waiting room where she repeated the doc’s instructions for Melissa’s benefit. “No heavy lifting for three days and take all of these antibiotics.” She handed Melissa a bottle of pills. She smiled at them and handed Coal a small plastic bag with the shard covered in gauze. “Your souvenir,” she said.

 
“Thanks. Will you send me a bill? I didn’t bring my wallet.”

“Uncle Sam’s got this one,” Terry said. “Thank you.”

She let Gene usher her back to the truck and he closed the door behind her then ran around to open Melissa’s door. “Are we taking her home?”

“Yes. I’ll stay with her and wrap her in some plastic wrap so she can shower. I’ll drop you at the barn so you can ride Shadow home and ride back with me.”

Gene chuckled at her comment.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, confused.

“No one rides him except for Coal. I tried once and ate more dirt than I cared to. I’ll walk him over, it’s not that far.”

Melissa smiled at her young cowboy. “Thanks, Gene.”

“Anything for Coal,” he said as he closed the door behind her.

†

Melissa dropped Gene back at the barn and drove Coal home. The rest of the men were returning when he led Shadow from the barn.

“You want me to take him?” Lucas asked.

“Naw, I’ve got this,” Gene said as he led Shadow across the yard.

The rest of the crew watched as Gene proudly led Shadow from the yard.

“He’s like a puppy when it concerns Coal,” Harley said, shaking his head with a laugh. “Let’s get cleaned up and ready to start dinner.”
 

†

“Let’s get you out of these clothes and into the shower,” Melissa said to her. “Do you have some plastic wrap?”

“Yeah, in the pantry,” Coal said as she slipped her shirt and bra from her body.

When Melissa entered the kitchen, she saw Stan standing at the front door. She walked over and let him in.

“How’s Coal?” he asked.

“She’s going to be fine. I’m going to wrap her in some plastic, so she can take a shower.”

“Oh,” Stan said. “I won’t keep you then. I just wanted to know she’s okay.”

“I’ll let her know you stopped by to check on her. Are you coming back for the cookout?”

“Not tonight, but I’ll see you in the morning, boss.”

“Thanks, Stan,” she said and watched him leave the house before turning back to Coal.

Melissa returned to the bedroom and wrapped the plastic around Coal’s body. “Leave this on until you finish the shower and then you can remove it and wash around the wound gently. Okay? Yell if you need help. By the way, Stan stopped by to check on you.”

“That was very sweet of him. I hope you told him I was fine.”

“I did. You know, all the crew thinks of you as a sister, except Gene, of course. You hung the moon for him.” She chuckled.

“Thanks, Melissa,” she said.

When Melissa returned the plastic to the pantry, she saw the ingredients for the macaroni salad and baked beans sitting out on the counter and decided she would give Coal a head start on her dishes. She placed a pot of water on the stove to boil and had just placed the dish in the oven to bake the beans, when Coal entered the kitchen.

“I thought I heard someone in the kitchen,” she said as Melissa turned toward her.

“I’ve got your beans on and water on to boil. Is there anything else I can help with?”

“Put another pot of water on please, I want to surprise the crew with some deviled eggs,” Coal said.

“Oh, yummy,” Melissa said. “How do you feel?”

“A little sore, but much better now that I’m clean again,” she answered.

“It wouldn’t hurt to take some ibuprofen and don’t forget the antibiotics tonight when you get some food in your belly.”

“I won’t,” Coal said. She heard Gene’s boots on the front porch and waved him inside.

“Shadow is all set for the night,” he said.

“Thanks, Gene, did you ride him over?”

“Hell no, we walked.” He grinned. “I’ve already hit the ground once today.”

“That you have, my friend,” she said and surprised him by taking him into an embrace.

Gene carefully encircled her with his arms and hugged her gently. “Is there anything else I can help with?”

“Thanks, but Mary Leah will be home soon to help. Go get cleaned up and ready for grub,” she said as she released him.

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight,” Gene said and walked out to the truck.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. Mary Leah will be home in ten or fifteen minutes, so there isn’t much trouble I can get into before then.”

Melissa chuckled. “There will be plenty once she arrives home, so let me make my escape now.” She hugged her. “I think I’ll bake a cake,” she said aloud.

“Yellow cake with chocolate icing?” Coal asked.

“What else?” Melissa said with a wink and left the house.

†

She turned back to the kitchen and walked to the refrigerator to take out the two dozen eggs Mary Leah had brought home and placed them in the pot to boil. She poured a large box of elbow macaroni in the pot now boiling and took a seat at the counter.

Ten minutes later, she heard the sound of Mary Leah’s car coming down the drive and then her lover coming through the front door.

“Hey, baby,” Coal said as Mary Leah placed her purse on the table.

“I’m surprised to see you home this early,” she said, hugging Coal tightly and causing her to yelp in pain. “What’s wrong?”

She stirred the macaroni on the stove and told Mary Leah about the events of the afternoon.

“So neither of you thought it was important for me to know?” Mary Leah said her anger evident in her words. “Just wait until I see her tonight.”

“I made Melissa promise not to call you. If it had been something serious, I would have called you.” She grimaced at the look her lover shot her. “Please. Melissa is not to blame for this. I’m just relieved that piece is finally out and will cause me no more pain.”