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Each day brought a new set of problems. When it comes to creatures who cannot speak their thoughts, these problems escalate quickly. Being a veterinarian is what many dream of becoming when they are little. Very few follow through with that dream, however.
Alma was one who pushed and worked hard to achieve that dream since she was young. The deciding moment was witnessing an injured stray on the side of the road at the age of six. She could remember begging her newly adoptive parents to pull over and help the dog. It pained her when they declined and continued driving. She bawled for weeks on end, her mind always referring back to the poor, injured animal.
Since then she committed her heart and soul to her career path. Learning the way animals spoke by watching their body language took time. It was difficult and not one she has fully mastered. It helped that the clinic where she currently worked was the only one in a bustling town of about nine thousand people, so options were limited.
“I’m heading out before the rain gets any worse.” She shouted towards the back of the clinic. A muffled sound echoed back to her. The rain had been drizzling for most of the day but started to downpour in the last few hours. The potholes in the parking lot were deceptively filled with water, forcing her tired brain to remember the path. The only thing that was protecting her from the onslaught of rain was a thin raincoat that performed poorly, her clothes already soaked by the time she jumped into her car.
A deep sigh left her lips as she cranked up the heat, the engine roaring to life. Spring storms were always so unpredictable. These were the times Alma regretted living out in the middle of nowhere, especially since phone service was already terrible.
The blades on the windshield whipped back and forth as her car rolled out of the parking lot and onto the empty street. It was only ten o’clock but with most of the town being a farming community, the common bedtime was nine.
Small sounds elft her speakers, the radio phasing in and out of reception. The rain steadily became worse the further she moved out of the main part of town. The dirt roads had already soaked up as much as they could leaving most parts overflowing. Her car had already flooded once before and she was not looking to experience that again.
Alma’s forehead was only a centimeter away from the windshield as her eyes tried to see through the constant cascade of water. Luckily, the turn into her roadway was hard to miss as the previous owners had a large rock marker on the side of the road. She was grateful for that.
A few feet past the turn in and the rest of the road was well hidden. Tall trees lined the side of the road, a path filled with tranquility during the day but terrifying at night. One that Alma particularly enjoyed after a long day at work, that is, as long as her brother was not home. Thoughts were cut short and her instincts took over as her foot slammed onto the break and her hands yanked the wheel to the right. The car slid across the muddy road and right into the grass off to the side. The sound of her heartbeat overpowered the heavy raindrops that echoed throughout the rest of the car.
By the time Alma had collected her thoughts, the blood vanished from her knuckles which appeared to glow white under the small amount of light from a post not too far away. A string of explicit words left her lips, her body shifting to peer out the window and into the road. The light from a distance did not provide much help in identifying what was on the road. Putting her car in gear, Alma began driving forward in a decision to just drive home. Whatever it was could be dealt with in the morning.
An inkling of thought entered her mind telling her to get out and check. Another minute passed before she finally decided to get out. Bracing herself against the rain, Alma stood from her car, her feet instantly sinking in the mud beneath her feet. Slugging her feet around in the dirt, she moved closer to the object, her arm protecting her face from the rain and wind.
The moment she got close enough, her heart sank.
It was a body.
Adrenaline pulsed throughout her body as she stared at the form. How did they get here? What happened? She regretted not taking John's advice and keeping a gun in her car. Whatever happened here was not a situation she could deal with.
Alma felt a pit in her stomach, memories of that dog on road when she was young. This person was the same. Fiddling with her jacket, she pulled out her phone and hoped for the first time that the weather did not mess with her signals. Unfortunately, it did.
Doing her best to keep herself stable, she crouched down and placed her hand on the man’s neck. There was still a pulse but he was frozen. Although she was not a doctor for humans, she knew well enough that this was on that teetering line between life and death.
“Okay Alma, you can do this. Just think of him as a...super...large dog. Yeah, that seems about right.” Without a second thought, Alma moved the man’s body the best she could and moved him inch by inch towards her car. She could not tell if he was just passed out drunk or if he had been injured.
Only a few steps and her body made impact with the ground, soiling every part of her body and clothes. She screamed in frustration. "This is why I deal with animals! I don't have the strength for this!"
Fifteen minutes and five mud falls later, she somehow managed to get the man sitting upright in her passenger seat. Buckling him up, she wasted no time heading towards her home. With the storm as bad as it was and the nearest emergency room two hours away, there was no choice for her until the rain stopped.
Her heavy breathing hadn’t stopped by the time she roared her car in the garage, screaming internally that there was an unknown, passed-out man in her vehicle. He could be a serial killer for all she knew. Scrambling out of her car, Alma bounded up the few steps that lead inside. “John!” She shouted. The girl knew well that her younger brother was there since his car was parked in the other spot. Without a response, she shouted again with a few threats mixed in before a sleepy-eyed figure emerged from the hallway.
John stared at her in confusion before beginning to laugh. “Why are you covered in so much mud? Did your car break down?” Her cold stare only made him laugh harder. "Hold on, I have to get a picture of this." She took a glance down at herself seeing that every inch was covered much as he said. Alma could also feel it hardening in her hair, which meant a long night for her.
“Come help me.” That was all she muttered before returning to her car in the garage, her brother’s laughs still echoing behind her. With her driver’s door still open, she could see how dirty not only the outside but the inside of her car was, which made her groan in annoyance.
John’s laughter soon stopped the moment that they got to her passenger’s side. “Look sis, I love you but I've told you before I wont help you hide a body.”
The girl ran her fingers through what loose hair she had in an act of stress. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision that she was beginning to regret. The man looked fine, just covered in the same amount of mud that she was. “I found him in the middle of the road just at the turnoff. I almost ran myself into the fence." Luckily there was no damage to her car that she could see. "There was no service, as per the usual, and so here we are.” Alma flung her arms out in front of her as she spoke. She would never turn her back on someone that needed her, regardless if they were a human or animal. It just was not in her nature, as much as she hates it. “Can you just help me get him in the house?”
“What if he murders us?”
"Oh please, you're not even worth killing."
John had every right to worry, so did she. This man was a stranger and small towns didn’t take lightly to fresh faces. From what she could tell, this man was not anyone that she recognized.
“Please, just help me.” Her voice was a lot calmer as she held John’s gaze. She could see there was still reluctance behind those brown eyes, but he gave in. As she unbuckled the seat belt from around the man’s torso, her hand moved as he fell forward, her hand landing on his chest to keep him from any head injuries. Doing her best to fit herself to where John would be able to move him when she got him from the seat, Alma did her best to wrap her arms around the man. Her movements stopped the moment her fingers touched his back.
Shooting right up her head hit the roof of her car causing her to yell in pain. A few more snorts left John’s lips but she ignored him. There was something else that worried her. “Go grab me a rag.” The tone in her voice told John that this was a demand more than anything else. Within a few moments, a wet rag was placed in her dirty hands. Slowly she began wiping away at the mud that had been caked onto the man’s back.
“What are you doing?” Alma ignored the question as her focus was on the mud that was slowly being wiped away. Within a few moments, her suspicions were confirmed.
This man was injured.
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