Thomas grinned.“Yeah.One of the vets told me that we should be able to release it once its wing is healed.”
That was great news.Rowan wasn’t sure when he’d started getting attached to the pigeon, but working there had made him realize that all animals deserve a chance.He’d already known that, but it had been theoretical.He’d never had any contact with pigeons or rabbits or many dogs, really.It was one of the reasons he loved his job so much.It was opening up his life in ways he hadn’t thought it would.
Thankfully, no other weird guy came by.They did get an injured deer, though, so things got tense.They always were when a wounded animal was brought in.
“What happened?”Thomas asked the crying lady who was hovering in the entrance.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.It jumped in front of me on the road, I swear.”
Thomas nodded and patted her arm.“They tend to do that.”
There was blood on the woman’s t-shirt, but she didn’t seem to care.She was staring at the vets, who were wheeling the deer into the back.One of the rooms was always ready for emergencies, and hopefully, they’d be able to save the poor animal.Rowan’s job wasn’t to get in there right now, though.No, his job was to wait and clean up once they were done.It wouldn’t be nice, but it needed to be done, and hopefully, the deer would be alive when all of this was over.
“Do you think it’s going to make it?”she asked, turning teary eyes to Thomas.
“The vets are going to do everything they can, but we can’t make promises.You did hit it with your car.”
The woman started crying again.Thomas looked startled, which Rowan found amusing.What had he expected after reminding the woman she’d hit the deer with her car?
“Maybe you should sit down for a few minutes,” Rowan suggested.“I’ll bring you a glass of water and some wipes.”
Thomas turned wide eyes to Rowan, clearly panicking at the thought of being left alone with the woman.Rowan hoped he hadn’t made her cry harder, but he wouldn’t swear on it.Sometimes, he wondered what was going on in Thomas’s mind.He probably hadn’t thought that the woman would cry again, but she was worried about the deer and about the fact that she might have killed it.It wasn’t something easy to deal with, even though it had been an accident.
By the time Rowan was back in the entrance, Thomas had convinced the woman to sit down.She still looked shaky, and he was gently talking to her.She was teary-eyed, but she’d stopped crying, which was a good thing.
“Here you go,” Rowan said as he handed her the water.Thomas was crouching in front of her, so Rowan sat next to her.It caused his knee to brush against Thomas’s, and Thomas briefly looked up to smile at him.Rowan told himself not to behave like an idiot.He smiled back, then quickly focused on the woman.
“Is there anyone we can call to come and pick you up?”he asked.
She looked horrified.“I don’t want people to see me like this.”
“Like what?You’re in shock.I’m sure your family would want to know.”
“I almost killed a deer.Maybe I did kill it.I don’t want them to know.”
“It was an accident,” Thomas told her firmly.“No one in your family will care.Hell, I’m going to be honest, no one in your family will care even if the deer dies.You were lucky, but I saw your car.It could’ve ended up very badly.”
Rowan agreed.He’d seen the car, too.The windshield was destroyed, and it was a miracle that the lady had come out of it without a scratch.He was sorry about the deer, and she was, too, but she didn’t seem to realize what could have happened to her.Maybe it was better that way.
Eventually, Thomas managed to convince the woman to call her husband.It made Rowan feel better to know that she wouldn’t try to drive home.They had to convince her to go instead of staying around until they knew what would happen to the deer, but she took the sanctuary’s number and promised to call for news.Rowan hoped the news would be good, but there was no way to know.
“I’m glad she allowed us to call someone for her,” Thomas said as they watched the woman’s husband guide her toward his truck in the parking lot.
Rowan glanced at the woman’s car.From where he was, he could see the frontend, and he grimaced.The deer really had done a number on it.It was a miracle that it was still alive, but Rowan didn’t have a lot of hope.There was no way it would survive, right?That meant that Rowan needed to prepare himself, and he wasn’t quite sure how to do that.He’d never had to deal with this before.
“So what happens if the deer doesn’t make it?”he asked.
Thomas frowned.“Why wouldn’t it make it?”
“Thomas, you’ve seen the car.Hell, it’s right there.Do you really think the deer is going to survive?”
“I think that we don’t know and that it’s useless to worry before it happens.”He turned toward Rowan.“But I understand why you feel the need to do that.I’ve been where you are before.You’re worried, and maybe you’re right to be.It wasn’t good.It doesn’t mean a miracle can’t happen, though, and if it doesn’t, you have to remember that you’re not alone.I’ll help you through it.”
“You shouldn’t have to.This is a job.”
“And you’re a human being.It’s always sad when animals die.I would know, I’ve been through it a few times by now.The first is always the hardest, though.Even when you expect it, you have to find a way to deal with it.”
“I will.”
