Maisey opened the door in her sweat pants and a hoodie to find a disgustingly awake Tony grinning on the other side, "Brett's already out," she told him, "Travis put him to work at 5."
"Not looking for Brett," Tony told her, "I need your help with choosing a puppy for Brett."
"Tony," Maisey said annoyed, "I don't care about puppies and I'm going back to bed." She closed the door and went back to her bed. Her ribs hurt: a lot. She was just telling herself how stupid she'd been to go to Slim's when Tony knocked on the door again. She threw it open and yelled, "Family or not: I don't care. I don't want to pick out a puppy, Tony, I want my Tylonal and want my bed I'm hurting a lot right now."
Tony pushed into the house, "Go, lay down, I'll get you water and pills," Maisey stared at him, "Why are you still standing there? Go lay down. I've had broken ribs enough in my life to recognize the pain of when you've overdone it, now shoo or I'll carry you there myself."
Maisey went, unshed tears burning her eyes. Tony brought her the pills and water and tucked pillows around her, fetching Brett's from his room. "Thank you," she said, "I'm sorry for shouting."
Tony eyed her, "Now that you're comfortable I'm bringing you puppies." He was gone before she could protest and returned to dump a box of wriggling bodies onto the bed. Three of the pups immediately started sniffing and moving toward the edge of the bed, he caught them and put them back in the box, "Maybe all five wasn't a great idea," he muttered and realized the two other pups had made themselves at home. One was snuggled up against her unmoving arm, the other was at her feet. He bent to pick up the one by her feet only to have it start growling at him. Tony moved away and then reached toward Maisey again, the pup stood up and growled again.
"I don't think he likes whatever you're doing," Maisey giggled.
"Funny, that," Tony moved to where he could see her reaction, "All I did was try to move him off you, protective little tyke."
Maisey sighed, and grimaced at the pain, "I've never had a dog," she admitted, "Allergies. Funny how I haven't even had a sniffle with these guys." Tony smiled, "This wasn't about a dog for Brett, was it." She accused.
"I feel within me A peace above all earthly dignities, A still and quiet conscience."
"Scoundrel, quoting Henry the Eighth won't save you from answering." The dog by her foot was still growling, "Enough," she said firmly to the dog. It stopped.
"Brett can't always be around," He told her, "Even a fool like me can see that a dog would be a good choice: loyal, gentle and fiercely protective--these are German Shepard crossed with Red Healer, working dogs but also protective. If you train them right you'll never need to knee another cowboy in the groin again, but they'll also go with you when you are out with the cattle, or in the garden, or whatever it is you do when your ribs aren't broken." He motioned.
"You win Tony," she told him, "We'll call him Henry--for Henry the Eighth since Shakespeare is your joy--now get the rest of them out of here so I can rest. Now can I rest?"
Tony picked up the pup by her arm and put it back in the box, then eyed the pup that had growled at him, "Alright Henry, guard!" He chuckled and took the box out. "I'll come get the pup in a while, if he'll come, so he doesn't piss all over you."
Maisey, already mostly asleep thanks to the pills, didn't respond. Henry, as if he'd understood Tony's command settled in a place where he could see the door, laid his head on Maisey's foot and dozed.
Growling woke Maisey a while later and she was surprised to find the little pup glaring at Brett, who stood in the doorway of her room. "Enough Henry." She said firmly, "Don't growl at Brett." Brett was grinning, "He told you his plan didn't he." Brett nodded, "Did he tell you that I just about ripped his head off?"
"Tony's got a tough skin, if he didn't he'd make a lousy rodeo clown." Brett came in and sat in the chair next to the bed, "I'm a little surprised you picked one instead of us having to convince you it was for me." He told her.
"Henry didn't really give me much choice," she winced when she tried to sit up, and laid back down, Henry was whining from the floor, "He just walked over and stood guard. Wouldn't even let Tony adjust my pillows."
"Good pup," Brett praised and rubbed the dog's ears, "Why Henry?"
"Tony was quoting Henry the Eighth, trying to convince me of his noble intentions." Brett nodded and chuckled. "I'm not feeling great today," She admitted wincing when a sharp pain stabbed throuh her, knowing that Tony would have told him about her ribs; Henry paced "I won't be very mobile, so I'll need help with getting Henry trained."
"He's already kennel trained," Brett told her, "The Breeder is a friend of Tony's. The man says he teaches the pups he breeds from day one: sit, stay, come and guard and to use a kennel. We need to teach him anything else you want him to know."
She nodded, her head throbbing when she did, "Can we put the kennel outside? I don't want him coming in the house to do his business."
"I'll put the kennel in the barn, if you want."
"That's a good idea," she grimaced and she hissed, "You'd better call Andy, something doesn't feel right." Henry whimpered and barked just before Maisey blacked out.
Brett watched the puppy while they waited for Andy. The doctor had been in the middle for giving shots to a horse and couldn't leave until he was done. Henry paced, coming back to Maisey's hand and whining before pacing again. Waiting. Brett rubbed the dogs head, wishing he could pace too but knowing it wouldn't help. He checked her breathing and pulse like Andy had showed him to do before when she'd been in the coma, it seemed normal. Begging her forgiveness he moved her hoodie up and cursed when he saw the ugly bruising that went across her abdomen. It was new.
He called Anna, "Andy's busy with a horse, there's something wrong with Maisey, she blacked out and there's all this bruising, she said something didn't feel right."
"I'm on my way," Anna was telling Lucas to get in the jeep she needed to go before the phone was even hung up. Henry licked Maisey's hand whining.
It wasn't even 8 minutes before Anna was there, "Shit," she cursed, "Brett call Andy, tell him we're transporting her to Medicine Hat and tell him to call and tell them to prep for surgery."
"Broken ribs don't need surgery," Brett said gathering a bag and a change of clothes for himself and Maisey, "what is it?"
"Internal bleeding," Lucas told Andy on the phone, "We'll get her there just get us people on the other end ready to help."
Anna was focused now, "We need something to stabilize her on: a board we can carry her on and we need to strap her into the back end of her truck, it's the only one with a canopy. You drive Brett, I'll ride in the back end with her."
Brett was white, Tony had come when he'd seen Anna's jeep fly into the yard, "I'll drive," he took the keys from Brett then ran to his trailer, "Every rodeo clown comes with his own traction board," he shrugged at Anna when he handed her the board, "I also know how to help load her."
They positioned her onto the traction board and lifted her into the back end of the truck. A few instructions and they were on their way. It wasn't long before Anna started cursing, "Who let the damn dog into the truck."
"Good dog Henry," Tony chuckled, "Less than a day with her and he already knows what his job is." Brett was white faced. "Hey man," Tony snapped his fingers at his cousin, "If it was really bad her pulse would be weaker and you checked it yourself."
Anna shoved the puppy through the canopy window into the truck, "Ruddy dog keeps nipping at me," Lucas put the dog on Brett's lap, Brett started petting the dog absently. "Tony can you drive less erratic please, and speed up."
Anna checked her pulse and made notes in her phone. She talked to Andy once and checked the bruising regularly. She sent him a picture and he swore. Tony made record time getting to the Medicine Hat hospital and pulled into the Ambulance loading zone. He held onto Henry when Brett and Lucas got out to help Anna and the nurses who came out with a bed. They lifted the traction board and transferred her onto the bed. Brett kept up with them as they ran through the hospital halls, Anna updated the nurses.
"White female, twenty eight years old, suffered multiple traumas to all parts of her body, in the past six months has had 2 unexplained black outs--one for 3 days, one for a month--recent trauma included physical assault and attempted suffocation while in hospital; broken ribs still healing, this morning complained of headache and chest pain, thought it was associated with the healing ribs, took 2 Tylonal and slept. Passed out after complaining of more pain."
"Allergies? Family conditions?"
"Unknown."
"Just animals and environmental allergies," Brett corrected.
"What's your relationship?" the nurse asked.
"Spouse," Anna responded without blinking, "He's the one that called it in. The ribs are the likely cause of the bleeding."
"Alright, we'll take it from here. The nurse at registration will need more information." The team disappeared behind a door, barring Brett from following. He stared at the backs of the nurses taking Maisey away from him. Anna guided him to the registration area where he mutely handed over her drivers license and answered questions.
"She's going to be terrified," Brett told Anna numbly, "She will have a panic attack if she wakes up in a hospital and we're not there."
"We'll be there," Anna promised, "If I have to call in every favor owed me, we'll be there." Tony and Lucas joined them in the waiting room.
"Where's Henry?" Brett asked.
Tony handed him the bag he'd put the changes of clothes in and Brett realized it was heavier than it should have been. He reached a hand in and pet the dog, nodding to his cousin gratefully. Henry had known something was wrong before Maisey had said anything. Brett vowed to give the dog the best steak he could find when his was all over.
Brett was terrified that Maisey would die. He couldn't believe he'd left her alone for so long without checking on her. He blamed himself for letting her talk him into going to Slim's the night before. Henry licked his hand and whimpered, Brett petted the dog absently. They took turns going for walks and taking Henry with them, but Brett wouldn't leave. He wanted to be there when the surgery was over, he had to be, he had to get them to let him sit with her in recovery, no matter how long it took.
Anna called Ned.