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“After it heals, and you go through some serious physical therapy, yes. In the meantime, you're going to be in a bed, and then in a wheelchair. I don't want you attempting to do anything around the ranch once I get you home. Not until your doctor clears you.”
I huffed at how forceful his tone was. “I’ve broken enough bones to know how to handle it. I’ll be ok.”
His eyes turned dark. His jaw grew even tighter. I worried he'd crack a molar at this rate.
“You do not get to diminish what you went through today. When I heard Bobby Allen shouting that you had been kicked, I came running. I could not get to you fast enough, and there was a moment of pure panic that I was going to find you lying on the ground clutching your chest. Do you know that a horse kick can kill a person? The power those animals have in their legs is enough to destroy a life. It’s enough to destroy multiple lives because without you I…”
The way his voice trailed off made me sick to my stomach. I wanted to climb from this bed and wrap myself around him so that he knew I was still here. That I was still alive. Death had not claimed me, and it wouldn’t for some time.
“Daddy,” I said softly. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. It was a freak accident. There really wasn’t anything I could do that wouldn’t hurt either me or Bobby Allen. That horse was dead set on claiming a victim today.”
As I said the words, I knew them to be true. It was part of the reason I hadn’t moved away when I first walked up on them.There was something in the air that spoke of the horse’s chaos. It wanted blood, though I didn’t know that at the time. I just thought it wanted to rile us up.
“Bobby Allen is blaming himself. He has supposedly been a mess since we left. They’re talking about what to do with that horse now. He hasn’t taken to any of the training, and well, to be honest, there’s only so much Bobby Allen can do before even his patience is gone. I think you getting hurt used up the last that he had.”
I shook my head. “He doesn’t need to blame himself. This isn’t his fault.”
“You can tell him that when we get you home. It'll be like talking to a brick wall though. Bobby Allen takes things to heart hard.”
“I’ll convince him one way or another. And hopefully someone else knows what to do about the bronco. He’s beautiful.”
“Beautifully volatile. I’m sure Bobby Allen already has plans in place. He’s been doing this long enough. And not every horse that comes to him is one he can save.”
We sat in silence after that, neither of us wanting to speak. The doctor came in to check on me. He explained the surgery, and what all was done. Then he outlined what the next couple of months of my life were going to look like. No surprise that it was going to involve a lot of sitting.
“If you take care of yourself and allow your body to heal, I expect a full recovery. You’re in excellent shape. Let’s keep you that way. There will be plenty of time to rebuild muscle and do whatever else you need to later." He had given us a wave along with a stack of papers breaking down the treatment plan.
I was going to have to stay another couple of nights just so they could ensure I had the proper equipment to go home with. Apparently, crutches and wheelchairs were in short supply.
Two days later,when I was blissfully released from my stay, I found myself loaded into the cab of the ranch truck with Daddy. A wheelchair and crutches were in the truck bed along with the duffel bag of clothes he brought for me.
Our drive was filled with the sounds of country music from the radio. We had spent all our time in the hospital together talking incessantly. Now that we were headed home, there wasn’t much to say.
I worried how Bobby Allen would handle seeing me and my cast. Daddy had taken some pictures to send to the guys 'cause they want updates. Even so, seeing a picture versus seeing someone in real life were two different things.
When we pulled up to the ranch, I burst into laughter at what I found. There were signs everywhere. Some said get well and others promised to help me through this difficult time. The funny parts were all the drawings that had gone with it. The signs were made to look as if the animals had written them instead of humans. Each were signed with a different animal’s name.
I noticed they left the bronco that kicked me out of the mix. I couldn’t say that I minded. It would be a nice thing to not be near him, or any other horse really, for a while.
Daddy drove straight up to the bunkhouse. The guys were all waiting outside, their faces a mix of excitement and trepidation. After getting settled in my wheelchair, I turned to greet them all with a smile. I was still on some pretty heavy pain meds, so I’m sure it looked dopey to them.
“Hey guys,” I said with a wave.
They replied as a group, shouting various forms of greeting. Bobby Allen was the first to step up.
“I’m really sorry, Ashley. If I’d known he’d be a mean son-of-a-bitch, then I wouldn’t have had him loose like that.” His frown deepened with each word.
I shook my head. “No need for all that. It was an accident. I’m here and alive. That’s what counts. I’ve just got to do some recovery work now. I’ll be good as new in no time.”
“That’s right,” Daddy said from beside me. “He’s going to be in recovery mode from here on out.”
Why did it sound so ominous when he said it like that?
Chapter Fifteen
Corey
Ashley thoughthe’d come home to the ranch and maybe sit around for a few days before getting back to it. He wouldn’t have admitted as much at first, but I knew it wouldn’t be long before he got restless.
