Rehab Part I
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“Is the skunk going to make it?” January cut into the conversation rudely. “I need to know. I have a house I need to drive back to and cleaned up.”
“He’s pretty emaciated.”
“What’s that mean?” Kaylee demanded an answer.
“It means he hasn’t been eating or drinking so he’s too thin and he’s missing nutrients. He also sound raspy like he has a touch of pneumonia in his lungs.”
“He was stuck in the woodpile. I think he got in there to hide from something and then couldn’t get out. I moved a bunch of chunks of woods to get him out and he was so hungry he came right to me for beef jerky. Mom was mad I used her beef jerky.”
Ford shot January a glance, “what’s Mom’s name?”
His question was almost flirty. If he only knew.
“Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’d really like to get back on the road. Do we even need to be here? I thought
Rehab Part I
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we’d be dropping him off and heading back home. I let her come in because she was distraught but if we don’t
need to be here.”
“You’re in a hurry.”
“Yeah. We drove for hours to get here and it’s going to be a long drive back.”
“Were you intending to take him with you?” Ford asked quietly.
“We brought him here because this is a rehabilitation sanctuary and they told us they have all the things needed to make it so he can be returned to the wild if he’s going to live. My daughter wanted to make sure he was going to be okay. If he’s going to be okay, then I’d like to get going.”
“Mom! I want to see where he’s going to live. I can’t just leave him here alone.”
“It’s what these people do, Kaylee.” She was getting desperate to leave as the man was eyeballing Kaylee hard.
7 we know each other?” Ford asked her. “You seem 2:31
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familiar to me, and she looks familiar to me. In fact, she could pass for the double of my buddy’s son. If we cut her hair or put a wig on him, twins. Easily.”
“Your buddy has a son who looks like my daughter?”
January wanted to throw up. Gulliver married Duchess and had a baby boy, probably the heir to his grandfather’s mafia and his father’s businesses. She fought the tears which wanted to well up at the betrayal and instead focused on her daughter who was looking into the box where Ford was putting a little mask on the creature’s face.
“What are you doing to him?” Kaylee ignored her mother’s questions.
“It’s oxygen. I’m going to give him some oxygen since he’s having a tough time breathing.” He looked at Kaylee and then back to January as he fixed a small breathing mask over the animals snout, “seriously, she looks exactly like him. It’s almost eerie.”
“You know what? I really don’t care. I’m sorry if you think I’m rude but I needed to take a day off work to Bring this creature here. She is probably going to mis32:31
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school tomorrow by the time I get her home and get her cleaned up. This was not how I intended to spend a Sunday and I want to get going. Can we focus on the animal and not the personal commentary?”
“Sure. Sorry. I was only trying to be friendly.‘
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“Yeah,” she gave Kaylee a long look and moved to squat in front of her, wrinkling her nose as the scent burnt her nasal passages. It was definitely more on Kaylee than anyone else, “baby girl, we need to get home. We have a long drive back. We need to clean the house. You have school tomorrow which if I can’t get the scent out of you, then you can’t go and it means I’m missing work tomorrow. We have so much to do. He’s in great hands here. He really is.”
“But Mom” Kaylee’s eyes watered, “I love him already.” I thought he was a kitty I rescued, and I didn’t know he was so sick. Why can’t I keep him for a pet?”
“Baby, he stinks. I don’t even mean a little bit.”
“But Granddad stinks and Nana loves him.”
the comment had Ford chuckling and January ghting:31
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to not laugh aloud.
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“Sweetheart, it’s not the same thing and you know it.”
“Can I get a kitten?”
“That’s not a decision I can make on my own.”
“Why?”
The rude question coming from Ford made her shoot him a dirty look which made him pull his head back in surprise.
“Not that it’s your business but we live in my mother and father’s home and bringing animals into their home is not a decision I can make without discussing it with them.”
“You’re right. I apologize. It’s not my business to discuss whether or not your home is suitable for a pet without all the answers. As a vet I usually am more discerning.”
“It’s fine.” She waved him off, desperate to get as far away from him and this wildlife rehab center as possible.
Mom, what if he dies? What if he knows I’m leaving him1
Rehab Part I
and he dies?” Kaylee leaned over to look into the box.
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“What if,” Ford looked at Kaylee, “I get the facility to add him to their social media, and you can watch his recovery online? I bet your mom has the ability to add their social media account to her phone or if you own a tablet at home. You could watch from home?”
“Will they do it?” Kaylee sniffed and wiped her hand across her face smearing tears and mucus across her cheek.
“Seriously, are you related to anyone named Raptis? Even that,” he waved at the mess as he reached for a tissue to pass to January, “is very much like Mitsos.”
“I don’t know anyone by the name Raptis or Mitsos. Sorry,” she shrugged as she wiped Kaylee’s cheek. “What do you think kiddo? Can we add them on social media,, and you can watch him get better from home?”
“Will they do it though?”
“Well, here’s the thing.” Ford winked at her. “The rehab center here ran an auction. One of my friends from College told me about it and I put my services in as a 12:31
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prize. I think they’re going to want to exploit me just a bit. If I ask them to put Henry, is it,” at Kaylee’s tearful nod, “as an example of my work here, I think they will do it to get the publicity. The more publicity the more donations they get in.”
“Are you famous?” Kaylee asked him.
“Well, I work on a television show all about taking care of pets and farm animals in New York. It’s been on television for three years now so I’m a little famous.”
“They’ll definitely listen to you then,” she nodded. “Okay, Mom, we can go home if Henry will be online.”
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