Anira Part 2
We park the truck at the Moriah farm. According to what we’ve been told, one of their working horses has been restless and not eating for a few days.
“Don’t mind Bourn’s bad mood; he’s an old grump, and things got worse after he lost his only son,” Arow’s words put me on alert. “They won’t be courteous, but we see them very rarely, so just come in, do your job, and leave.”
“Got it.”
We get out of the truck, and Arow carries the heavier equipment, leading us to the stalls. The workers greet Arow but look at me with suspicious glances. I recall his words; perhaps it’s not just the Moriahs who dislike outsiders.
“Good morning, Bourn.” Arow greets him. “Doctor Anira is here to assess Noturno.” The tall, grizzled man with a sour expression looks at me with his large, black eyes, which intimidate me.
“Let’s see if she knows anything. It doesn’t look like someone so young can figure out what’s wrong. We’ve tried everything and haven’t found anything.” His words, laden with disdain, don’t bother me; I was prepared for this.
“Good morning, Mr. Bourn. I hope to resolve Noturno’s issue.” That’s all I say, showing how little I care about his opinion.
I’m informed that Noturno hasn’t eaten for a few days and gets irritated when his muzzle is touched. I decide to sedate him, and after a while, he falls asleep, so we begin our work. I examine his dentition and look for any abscesses but find nothing.
“Visually, there’s nothing.”
“Of course.” A grumble starts to irritate me.
“Mr. Bourn, if you’re not going to help, please don’t interfere. I’m here to do my job, and whether new or not, I know how to execute it.” The look from the man in front of me suggests he’d like to tear my head off.
Arow’s gaze asks me to ignore what he said.
“Get the portable X-ray machine. There’s something, and we’ll find it.”
Arow helps with the equipment, and we perform the first X-ray—nothing. We keep scanning until I almost imperceptibly see what’s causing Noturno’s irritation: a fractured tooth root.
“See? We need to extract it.”
“It’s nearly impossible to see,” Arow points out.
“It would eventually create an abscess, but we caught it early.”
I grab my case with the necessary instruments, and Arow keeps Noturno’s mouth open while I start the extraction. I clean the area and finish suturing just as Noturno begins to show signs of waking from the anesthesia.
The final X-ray confirms that no tooth fragments remain, as expected, I removed everything.
We start packing up the equipment while watching Noturno rise. Bourn leaves with a heavy tread, without a word of thanks. I glance at Arow, shrugging as if to say I don’t understand this behavior, and he just smiles, leading us away once we’re sure Noturno will be fine.
On the road, I decide to probe.
“What’s the deal between you and Alenna?” My question nearly makes Arow stop in his tracks.
“We don’t have a thing.”
“No?”
“No, she just turned eighteen, and I’m... well, older.”
“Interesting, because her gaze is intense towards you.” His hands go to his hair, and I smile slightly.
“Is there someone waiting for you in Toronto, Doctor?”
“A good change of subject. And no, answering your question, there is no one waiting for me in Toronto, but I left behind an ex-creep.”
“You’re funny; I thought you were going to fly over old Moriah.”
“Almost, I controlled myself. He’s a creep who deserved to hear some truths from me, but I guess I’m in a good mood today.”
“A tough city girl.”
“We learn to be that way when there’s no one left to defend us.”
“You don’t need to worry here, Ann; our community protects its residents.”
I don’t say anything more, but I like knowing that I’m protected and can rest a bit. As soon as we arrive at the clinic, we notice some activity. Arow smiles and says that some people came to meet me.