A New Reality

Ellen had to get away. She had been thrown into a situation that no person should ever find themselves in, at the ripe old age of 30, she was about to bury her husband of six months. Life for them had just barely begun, they were supposed to grow old together, raise a dozen kids, and rock just as many grandbabies on their knee........ An out of control drunk driver had other plans for them the night her whole life fell apart. The sad irony was that he lived and her beautiful husband did not. She didn't even get the chance to say goodbye......no closure. By the time she got to the hospital Josh had died...his injuries were so severe he was almost unrecognizable. That night and the days that followed were a blur. Numbness and adrenaline kicked in and she remembered very little, but one thing she did remember was the face of the man who killed her husband. They were just bringing him into surgery when she arrived at the hospital. He did not get off scott free. He would spend the rest of his life in a chair.....paralyzed from the neck down.....this was better than any jail sentence that a court could impose.....No chance for parole.... ever



Ellen had a few weeks of holidays coming to her, and she had decided to take them. She needed to wrap her head around this new reality and figure out what her next move was.

The drive to their cabin was magnificent at this time of year. The trees were dressed in full fall colors...radiant hues of red and orange in the brilliant sunlight... Josh loved this time of year..._''God using his paint brush'' he would say, ''and aren't we the lucky ones to see his best work'' A tear slid down her cheek...God how she missed him.



She pulled into parking lot of the little country market that was about a fifteen minute drive from their cabin. She needed some supplies, and did not want to leave the cabin once she got there. She prayed as she pushed the door open that Shelly Martin would not be minding the store today... She just couldn't explain what had happened to Josh to even more person.... Thank god she did not recognize the young face behind the counter.

She was able to quickly gather the things on her list and make good her escape with only minimal small talk.



By the time she got to the cabin and unloaded the little SUV.....the sun had just begun to set, and for the first time in days she felt pangs of hunger.

 

She needed to get a fire going to chase the chill out......the fall nights up here got cold quickly, and there wasn't any furnace... She and Josh had planned to winterize the place next summer....They had so many plans that he would never see. She had just gathered an armful of wood when she heard it. A low whimpering sound that seemed to be coming from the back of the building. It frightened her and she darted inside closing and locking the door behind her. There were wolves and coyote's in the woods, and they prowled at night, what she heard was likely one or the other.....God how she wished Josh were here to wrap his strong comforting arms around her...Not even the heat from the crackling fire could melt the cold loneliness she felt.

Dinner was simple, and hit the spot...an old standby of a grilled cheese sandwich, and a bowl of steamy, hot tomato soup. True comfort food at its best.



She poured another shot of wine, and raised her glass and proposed a toast to her lost love...she hoped that he was watching over her and knew how much she was missing him right now.

The past week and the long drive had finally caught up with her and a yawn escaped from her lips. She needed sleep and her bed was calling her to rest.



She slept fitfully...still haunted by the mangled face of her husband, and the emptiness of the bed and life they once shared.

The scratching outside the window pulled Ellen from her broken sleep. What the heck was that noise? She felt a chill even though the cabin was warm. Something was close and it sounded like the same low whimpering she had heard earlier.

She rummaged in the night table until her fingers found the small black flashlight. She moved over to the window and shone it outside, but saw nothing. The whimpering had stopped. She hoped it would remain silent; she was not going outside to investigate the source of the noise until the morning. Josh had warned her many times not to go out in the dark for any reason. Whatever was lurking out there would have to be found in the light of day.



Ellen awoke with a start....how long had she slept. The clock on the night stand said it was 9:15, but it felt so much later. She slid out bed and made her way into the kitchen......grateful for the Keurig that Josh had bought her a month ago.....an early Christmas present he had said.  Ellen loved her morning cup of brew. And Josh knew it was the perfect gift.....because Ellen was not good at waiting.



She put her housecoat on and with a steaming cup of Java in hand went outside to the back of the house to see what had disturbed her sleep.



She wasn't sure what she expected to find, but certainly not what she discovered laying just under her window. An oversized golden retriever with soft pleading brown eyes and a mass of discolored fur matted with blood.

What on earth happened to you boy...she whispered. And how did you get here? She reached out her hand tentatively, expecting a snap or growl, but got neither, just a low painful whimper. This poor guy was suffering and Ellen knew she had to get him to a vet fast, or he might not make it.



She ran into the cabin and started looking for a local vet that would make a house call. There was only one Vet within a twenty mile radius, and after hearing her story agreed to come. He arrived 30 minutes later. When Ellen was in the back when she heard the crunch of the tires in the driveway. She had covered the poor dog up, and tried to make him as comfortable as possible, but she was worried he might not make it until the Vet arrived. Were back here she yelled. When Matt stepped around the corner he soon confirmed the urgency of the call. This dog was badly injured... He knew that this poor animal had been hit by a car traveling at a high rate of speed and was likely thrown a great distance.  How he managed to drag himself here was anyone's guess.



I need to get him to my office. He will need surgery immediately, and I'm not sure he will even survive, but it’s the only chance he's got. I'm glad you called, would you mind helping me get him into the truck? Without a moment’s hesitation Ellen answered...just tell me what you need me to do doc...Matt smiled. And held out his hand....my names Matt Tarbot...and you would be....? I'm Ellen Silvers...just got here last night... Well Ellen here's what we’re going to do....Slide this blanket under him and try to lift him to my truck.



They managed to get the blanket it beneath him, but lifting him might prove to be more of a challenge... They were expecting a heavy dog, but he was more fur then skin and bone and they managed easily.

Matt handed Ellen his business card hopped into the truck. I'm going to do everything I can to help him I promise. Why don't you follow me to my office? I think he could use your support...

I'd like that... Let me grab my keys and lock up.

Matt seemed quite young to be a Vet. He had to be around her age and becoming a certified vet took longer than becoming a doctor...



He must have been quite young when he entered Veterinarian College. What Ellen would learn later was that Matt Tarbot was a child prodigy, who was only 16 when he started college, and finished his training and internship two years ahead of schedule.  He could have opened his practice anywhere, but instead choose to work in his home town.

He was single by choice, his practice kept him very busy, and he had no time to start a relationship.



By the time they arrived, the poor animal had become increasingly distressed...They got him into the operating room as quickly as possible, and Ellen knew he was in God’s hands now. Looking towards heaven she whispered please guide the doc’s hands.