Free Tales From Sea Glass Inn by Karis Walsh Page B

their chatter, Jenny
replayed the scene from breakfast in her mind. Mel obviously had an interest in
Danny’s future, and she had ideas about what might be good for him. But the
moment he mentioned a different choice he was considering, Mel was right there
with him. Jenny had no doubt Mel and Pam would encourage and support him no
matter what career he picked. Her parents had been thrown into relief against
the backdrop of Mel’s unconditional acceptance, pushing their agenda as always.
Again, Jenny couldn’t blame them or get angry. Again, it was their nature.
    But was it hers? She knew she’d never go to
med school. She couldn’t imagine a life without animals—caring for them and
protecting them. She’d felt confident in her choice and proud of herself for
following her own heart. But had she truly committed to living her own life?
She sometimes wondered if her insistence on constant travel was really her own
decision, or a way of atoning for her rebellious decision to be a vet. Or maybe
she’d taken the easiest path, the one most familiar to her. She treated the
patients of her choice, but she mimicked her family’s chosen method of doing
so.
    Jenny pushed the jumble of thoughts out of
her mind as they pulled in to the parking lot. Right now, she was more
concerned about Helen. Would she be here this morning? Would there be tension
between them? They’d done nothing more than sleep in the same bed, but Jenny
had a feeling the night had affected Helen just as deeply as it had her.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left without a word.
    She got out of the car and her heart jumped
when she saw Helen running across the lot toward her. She hesitated for a
moment before she recognized the worried expression on Helen’s face. Jenny knew
trouble when she saw it.
    “What’s wrong?” she called, sprinting toward
Helen. Had something happened to the birds? One of the volunteers? Helen?
    Helen stopped, gasping for breath, and
grabbed Jenny’s sleeve. “Amy Hansen. Her dog. Hit by a car.”
    “Is she inside?”
    Helen nodded. “In the back room. The nearest
emergency vet is in Seaside. Too far.”
    Jenny squeezed her shoulder and took off
toward the door to the auditorium. Amy was one of her regular volunteers. As
tireless as the rest of the Cannon Beach citizens, Amy had been involved in
nearly every aspect of the center’s work. Jenny burst through the door with
Helen right on her heels and jogged to the small room where she stored the vet
supplies she brought to every site. She never knew what type of animal she’d
need to treat. Here, she mostly took care of shorebirds, but she’d also treated
sea animals and the occasional house pet that had ingested oil.
    Amy was leaning over a folding table, her
arms wrapped around a medium-sized yellow Lab. Her little boy, Sam, was beside
her, crying and holding a corner of the blanket that covered the dog. Jenny had
seen the child here a few times, playing with Tia while his mother worked with
the birds.
    “Hi, Sam. Can you tell me your dog’s name?”
    “Buddy. Can you save him?”
    “I’ll do my best. How old is Buddy?”
    Jenny moved to the table while she asked a
series of questions, more to get Sam talking and relaxed than to get
information. She’d learn what she needed from Buddy himself. She nodded at
Helen, and as if they were communicating mentally, Helen stepped into Amy’s
place and put her hands gently on the still form of the dog. Amy backed away
and leaned against the far wall with Sam in her arms.
    Jenny murmured instructions to Helen as she
examined the dog. Outwardly, her voice sounded calm and her hands were steady
as she checked the Lab’s limbs, cleaned and sutured a large gash on his hip,
and took X-rays with her portable machine. Inside, on the contrary, she was
panic-stricken. What if he didn’t make it? What if there was something she
couldn’t fix? When she was on the job, she had hundreds, sometimes thousands,
of patients. Some made it,