Staci laughed. “Since I don’t know how to cook, that’s good for me. I was over at Tony’s cabin two nights ago and he taught me how to make spaghetti.”
“You don’t know how to cook?”
“No, I will probably ask for recipes if I like what I eat. Again, I probably won’t be able to cook them, but I can at least have them if I make an attempt.”
“You’re the first person I contacted about the gettogether, I’ll send a group text to the others, and request of copy of the recipe of what they make. When you get to the BBQ, it would be good to get everyone’s phone numbers in case you need them.”
“Yes, that does sound like a good plan. Thank you for inviting me, Erin.”
“Since you’re one of the reasons for this get together, it wasn’t a problem.” She laughed as she rang off, and Staci quickly got back to work, organizing all of her data, tools, and parts, losing herself in her work within minutes, phone call forgotten.
“Hello?”Tony said into his phone.
“Hi, Tony, this is Erin, the welcome BBQ I mentioned to you is this Sunday at two o’clock here at the main ranch. Since you and Dr. Hardt are the guests of honor, you won’t have to bring a dish to pass. We can save that for the next time we get together. We have the holidays coming up, so that will be an opportunity for you to bring something.”
“Thanks, Erin, I’ll be there.”
“Great, I’ll see you there.” She hung up, and Tony wore a smile after he did the same and went back to mucking out one of the stables he had been assigned to clean. For the next four days he did his work, and as each day passed, he realized that the work was getting easier, but he knew not to push his luck. Onhis fifth day working on New Double, he went over to Caleb’s office on his lunch hour. He walked into the break room, and smiled at everyone, but his eyes were on Staci.
“Hello,” he said quietly, then while still looking at her, he spoke to Caleb. “I’m here for a check-up.”
“Hi,” Staci said, and held up her bowl with a grin. “Katherine taught me how to make goulash. It’s the same with spaghetti, but different noodles.”
“Very good,” Tony said and sat down beside her. “Did Erin call you?”
“Yes.”
“Would you mind if I come and pick you up and we go together?”
“Not at all. How are you doing? You look good.”
“Stiff and sore, that’s why I’m here, but I’m improving daily.” He looked at Caleb for the first time. “I want to know if there are some exercises I can do in the morning to limber up, then at night to relax the worked muscles. I swear I haven’t felt this stiff and sore since my first week of boot camp years ago.”
“We can check your range of motion and check it out.” Caleb nodded and they made small talk as the others finished their lunch. Tony had eaten a sandwich on his way over to Broken Two, so he was good.
It wasn’t long before he and Caleb were in the exam room, and Caleb really looked at him. “You look good.”
“I feel good. I’m stiff and sore when I wake in the morning, but it’s a good stiff and sore. Not the type that I would need to take pain pills to get through the day. But the good type, that I’m working my muscles correctly. It reminds me of when I was in boot camp with the Guard.” He looked at Caleb with a sheepish expression. “I know this sounds corny, but when I get home at night and am stiff and sore, like I told you, it’s a good feeling, you know? Unlike when I was healing after one of my operations, I’d feel stiff and sore, and it was with a feeling of dread that I wouldn’t be able to continue.”
“I totally understand. Do you think it’s because you’re doing something productive now as to then?”
“What do you mean?”
“Now when you work and are sore, it’s because you took care of horses. You did actual physical labor. Back then, I imagine just getting out of bed and existing from day to day made you feel run down. You didn’t do anything except survive from one operation to another.” Caleb watched the expressions flit across Tony’s face and when he was about to apologize for overstepping his bounds, he sucked in his breath when Tony looked at him with a grin. That expression caused him to not be upset about what he said.
“You know, you’re right. Back home, I did just survive, and some days when I got out of bed I could barely function just standing and walking from roomto room. Working with the horses I’m still slow, but productive, and I get a sense of accomplishment when I finish a task. I know it sounds stupid coming from a grown ass man like me, but that’s the only way I can describe it. It’s also given me a purpose to get out of bed in the morning, no matter how stiff and sore I am.”
“Don’t worry about how you describe it, I understood what you were saying perfectly. I’m glad you’re feeling better, but you know I don’t have to tell you not to push yourself too much?”
“I do, and Ann yells at me if I try to do too much. So do Cole, Manny, and Clem. I’m doing my work, enjoying it, and am productive. I’m here for our weekly appointment and to see if there are some exercises I can do at home in the morning, and at night. You know, limber me up to start the day, then do something to relax at the end of it.”
“Let me show you, and when you’re taking a break at work, you can also do them then.” He had Tony stand and then went through a series of exercises until he felt Tony could do them on his own. When Tony left, he didn’t see Staci, but he knew he would see her on Sunday.
Back at New Double,Tony checkedin with Cole to get his next work assignment, but paused in the doorway as he studied the older man.
“Problem?”
“Not really, may I talk to you freely?”
