“There’s only one way to find out,” she said as she shut the truck off, reached behind her for her coat, and hopped out. As she came around the front of the truck, she put it on, but today the wind wasn’t as strong as it had been the day before. She didn’t want to crowd him, so she held the door open for him, and when he was clear, she closed it, and used the key fob to lock the vehicle.
“Do you want me to go in and see if they have a wheelchair?”
“I think I can make it.”
“Don’t be a hero.” She looked at him and pointed. The entrance was a long way away. At his expression, she nodded. “I thought so.” She walked away rapidly, disappeared behind the doors, and was back outside in under two minutes. She stoodbehind him as he settled in the chair and sighed in relief to be sitting down again.
By the time they received directions, navigated the hallways, and made it to the elevator, Shay looked at Faith. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“For getting this wheelchair. I never would have made it past the front desk, let alone all the walking we did. Also, thank you for pushing me. We didn’t discuss this, but I’m six three and two hundred and ten pounds.”
She shrugged and gave him a grin. “That just means you’re paying for lunch.”
He grinned, “I can do that.” The doors opened, and she pushed him up to the front desk, he took the clipboard and she wheeled him back to a quiet corner. She thumbed through a magazine while he filled out the medical form, and when he was done, she returned it to the front. She had only just sat back down when a nurse called his name.
She pushed him back, and it surprised her when no one questioned why she was there. She didn’t say anything, because she was just nosy enough to want to know what was going on. They waited for five minutes before a woman, who looked a little older than the two of them walked in.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Amelia Johnson. I take it by the wheelchair and crutches, you’re Shay Hall?”
“I am. This is my girlfriend, Faith Webber.”
Faith gave a jerk, but didn’t contradict him.
“Good. Now, I got a brief note here.” She laughed. “It says, male, thirty-eight, kicked by horse on outside of right leg.” She shook her head as she looked at Shay with a raised brow. “That’s it.”
Shay shook his head and chuckled. “Yeah, that’s pretty much what happened.”
“What exactly happened?”
“I was helping our farrier.”
“What’s that?”
“The person that works on horses’ feet. They trim their hooves, put fresh shoes on them, and if they have any other problems with their feet or legs, they work with a vet to help them heal.”
“Got it. So, you were helping the farrier?”
“Yes, one of the horses had developed a limp. Lorissa came over to check on her, and while I held the horse’s head, she worked. When she was done, I turned away from the horse, and out of nowhere, she turned and kicked. Lorissa yelled, but the hoof struck before I heard her.” He snapped his fingers twice. “It was that quick.”
“Okay, did you have x-rays?”
“Yes, Caleb Lassiter is a licensed physical therapist and chiropractor. He was able to take x-rays. There isn’t a medical doctor on the ranch, other than Caleb. Oh, and his business partner is Dr. Staci Hardt, but she’s a different type of doctor.”
“Different how?”
“She’s working to make prosthetics for veterans that need them.”
“From Seattle?”
“I believe so, why?”
“I know her, well, not personally, but I’ve followed her work. You don’t have a medical doctor there?”
“No, just Caleb and Staci, why?”
“I’m looking to branch out on my own.”
