Last of the Summer Tomatoes (10 page)

Kyle did as he was instructed. “I’m hungry too. I don’t think I’ve eaten as much in a week than I have since I got here.”

“Believe me, you’re working it off.” Sam handed him a stiff brush. “Now, brush with the hair, along the back and sides, being careful along the legs. You can give a little pressure. If she tries to move away from you, you’re doing it a little too hard. Try to learn to read her. She’ll tell you what she likes.”

Kyle started near the shoulders, mimicking what Sam was doing to Mike. Soon he felt Bess leaning into him. “What does it mean when she moves toward me?”

“She likes you. She probably wants a little more pressure. They do have pretty thick hides, sometimes takes a little more for the bristles to dig in, get the dirt and sweat out.”

Kyle finished up, marveling at the huge muscled creature who seemed to like the brushing he was giving her. How she did seem a bit gentler now, not nervous.

“Good job!” Sam tossed his brush into a wooden box, and Kyle did the same. “Let’s head to the house, clean up for lunch.” They ran from the barn to the house, hopping over puddles and trying not to get too wet in the rain. They tugged their boots off in the mudroom off the kitchen, then headed into the house.

“Lunch will be done in fifteen. Why don’t you boys get cleaned up? I hear you need to take Kyle in for a tetanus shot. Is the cut deep?”

Sam gave his mother a hug. “Nah. Chicken coop wire got the best of his thumb. Pops said I might be due for a booster?”

“I pulled out your medical file; your last one was a few months before you turned ten, so yeah, might not be a bad idea as long as you’re already there. I called ahead. They know you’re coming.”

“Nurse Sally on today?”

“You know she is.”

“She’s the best. Always gives me a lollipop.”

Glenda rolled her eyes.

Kyle wondered if Sam had a little thing for this Nurse Sally, from the way his voice sounded when he asked about her.

“Okay, you two, get upstairs and clean up. You smell like horse. Clean towels are in the closet.”

“Yes, Mom.” Sam grabbed an apple and kissed his mom on the cheek before he headed up the stairs.

“Okay.” Kyle followed, still a little uneasy with all the displays of affection he was witnessing.

Sam stopped for a second at his bedroom. “I’m heading into the shower now; you may want to wait until I’m done so we both can have decent water pressure.”

“Decent water pressure?”

“It’s an old farmhouse; the pipes aren’t like what you’re used to in the city. Don’t worry, I’ll leave plenty of hot water for ya.” He winked at Sam and closed his door.

Kyle went to his room. He didn’t want to sit down with his dirty clothes on, so he tugged everything off but his underwear. It was a little chilly with all the rain they’d gotten today. He then noticed a robe hanging on the back of his closet door. He wrapped himself up in it and grabbed his sketchpad and put to paper the memory of ol’ Bess. He tried to capture the strength and power the animal had but also the gentleness. He found what he needed by focusing on the eyes; it was the eyes that exuded knowledge, power, peace, and strength, all at once. He became so engrossed in what he was doing, he was startled when Sam knocked on his door.

“Yo, your turn.”

“Oh… okay. Thanks.” Kyle put a few more touches on the drawing before setting it down and heading out to the bathroom. He passed Sam’s room, his door open. He saw Sam in nothing but a towel around his waist. Kyle wanted to take in that sight for hours. It reminded him of Bess, not that Sam was a horse or anything, but the power, strength that was there, along with the gentleness. He’d watched Sam with Mike, careful with the brush, taking good care of him, rubbing the horse’s muzzle, talking softly to him. But he knew to not stare, so he kept his body moving to the shower.

S
HOWER
taken, lunch eaten, Kyle found himself in Sam’s pickup, heading back into town… again. He hated that he was the reason this family had to go back into town for a third time in so many days. Maybe when he got settled in the fall, found a part-time job between classes, he’d send them some money for all the gas and trouble.

The scenery seemed to fly, both of them content to listen to the radio for the drive. Kyle felt his eyes get heavy, and before he knew it, he was asleep, only to be jostled awake by Sam’s parking job. He obviously took after his mother.

“We’re here.” Sam put the truck in park. They were outside a small, one-story house.

“This is the clinic?”

“Yeah. It’s Doc Barnes’ practice. Don’t worry, he really is a medical doctor; he’s got the latest stuff inside.” Sam got out of the truck. He turned around again when Kyle didn’t move. “I swear, it’s a medical clinic. We don’t have a lot of spare buildings around here; when he set up shop, this was the only building vacant. Wasn’t worth building a whole new one when he could just gut this one.”

Kyle took a deep breath and slowly got out of the truck. It wasn’t that he was all that apprehensive, no; he was actually having trouble moving. He focused on putting one foot in front of the other and following Sam up the short steps into the building. He actually stopped once in the doorway, looking back at the storefronts then back into the clinic. The two definitely did not match. Inside looked just like his doctor’s office at home: waiting area with outdated magazines, reception area with rows and rows of medical files, all the personnel in scrubs. It was surreal.

Sam leaned over the counter and winked at the receptionist. “Hey, Joanie, Sally in today?”

The young redhead with the headset resting around her neck looked up. “Sammy! Good to see you. Of course Sally is here. She wouldn’t miss you for all the world.” Joanie pressed a button. “Sally, Sam’s here for his appointment.” She looked back up at Sam. “She’ll be right up. You’re looking good. I take it college is treating you well?”

“Got a 3.87 going, so yeah. The only drawback was chemistry. Solid B, but wish I’d done better.”

“Hey, don’t sneeze at a 3.87. Well on the way to the dean’s list.”

“I guess so.”

Kyle grew uncomfortable watching Sam flirt with the receptionist. He could only imagine this Sally he wanted to see. He searched the room to find something to occupy his mind, now that he saw Sam in action. So much for his dream lover.

“Sammy! Oh my goodness it’s so good to see you!” Kyle turned to see an older woman, definitely Native American, with her silver hair up in a bun, a few strands escaping as she walked toward Sam. She held her arms out, and Sam hugged her tight.

“Nurse Sally, how I’ve missed you!”

Kyle frowned. This certainly wasn’t the “Nurse Sally” he had envisioned.

Sam turned toward Kyle. “Kyle, this is Nurse Sally. She’s been with Doc Barnes since he opened. Patched me up more times than I can remember.”

Kyle put out his hand, only to find himself having the stuffing hugged out of him.

“Kyle, so good to meet you! I take it you had a little accident this morning.”

“Y-yes, ma’am. I cut myself.”

“Well, no worries. I’ve got everything set up in room three. Follow me.” She headed down the hallway, ducking into the room marked 3.

“Sam, sit right down. We’ll get your booster first.” Sam sat down on a small metal stool and lifted up his shirtsleeve.

“I see you’re keeping up your exercise while at school. You didn’t fall for that freshman fifteen, did you?”

“No, ma’am. Needed to be able to help Pops, not lie around all summer because I couldn’t move.”

“Good. Eating well? Glenda always frets, you know.” Sally wiped an alcohol swab against his skin.

“It’s nowhere as good as Mom’s cooking, but I survive. I always grab an extra apple or two for snacking. Trying to avoid the student-run store. It’s all full of potato chips and candy.”

“Good for you.” Sally picked up a syringe, tapped it, and then administered the dose into his upper arm. “So, Scooby-Doo or Snoopy?”

“You know I’m partial to Scooby.”

“Scooby it is.” Sally picked up a kid’s bandage with the cartoon character Scooby-Doo on it and placed it over where the shot had gone in. “Such a good boy. Now, go get your lollipop.”

Sam gave her a huge grin. “Thanks, Sally, you’re the best.” He headed out the door.

Sally looked over at Kyle. “Let me update his chart real quick. Then we’ll get you started.” She scribbled on a folder. “Now, Glenda said you didn’t think you’d ever had a tetanus shot.”

Kyle fidgeted. She was nothing like the nurses his mom worked with. None of them were so familiar, hell, they didn’t even bother to learn his name. “No… no, ma’am. I’m pretty sure I haven’t.”

“We’ll get you a chart started, but let’s hope this is the only time you have to visit us… that is, unless you just want to stop in for a chat.”

Kyle raised an eyebrow. Did people actually just stop by a doctor’s office for a chat? He’d only been to a doctor a few times. The most recent was when he’d broken his arm last year. He hadn’t prepared himself for Hank and the backhand he got sent him to the floor where he’d tried to catch himself. Made Hank even madder, but at least his mom stepped in that time, insisting they go to the hospital to have it set.

“I… I don’t drive, but if I’m with the Johnsons, we could… maybe… say hi.”

“That would be nice. Okay, your turn.” She pointed to the stool. “Have a seat, show me your upper arm.”

Kyle raised his shirtsleeve, preparing for the needle. Like most people, he’d prefer not to have a shot, but it didn’t bother him too much. He figured if he was going to get the tattoo he wanted when he turned eighteen, he’d better not mind needles.

Sally wiped an area of his skin with the alcohol swab, then gave him the shot. It wasn’t that bad.

“Okay, Scooby or Snoopy?”

“Um, you don’t have a plain one?”

Sally raised an eyebrow. “What, you think you’re too old for cartoons?”

“I….” Kyle lowered his head, wishing he hadn’t tied his hair back. He wanted to hide in the worst way.

Sam walked into the room, a lollipop in his mouth. “Kyle done yet?”

“Almost. I need to get another Band-Aid.” Sally placed Kyle’s hand over the little swab that was covering where the shot went in.

Sam wrinkled his brow. “Something wrong?”

“Cartoons aren’t his fancy.”

Sam maneuvered around so he could see Kyle. “Not into cartoons? Jeez, the Band-Aid is the best part of getting a shot. Well, that and the lollipop.”

“You actually want a kids’ Band-Aid on you?” Kyle looked up at Sam without really moving his head.

“Well, yeah. I’m always going to be a kid to Sally, right? And it’s fun. You don’t want to be old before you are, do ya?”

Sally placed her hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “Believe me, don’t be in a hurry to grow up. You’ll be old and gray before you know it, and you’ll be wanting the cartoons and lollipops.”

“I… okay. Could I have Scooby?”

Sally smiled. “Of course. And while you’re here, let me rebandage your thumb.”

Kyle looked down at his thumb. He’d tried his best to rewrap it after the shower. It was half hanging off. “If… if it’s no trouble.”

Sally put the Band-Aid on his arm, then grasped his hand. “No trouble. We have plenty of Band-Aids. Still want Scooby?”

Kyle gave her a shy grin. “Yeah.”

Sally wrapped the thumb back up, then slipped him a few of the Scooby Band-Aids. “Here, keep it covered for a couple of days, just to keep the dirt out.”

Kyle took the Band-Aids and slipped them in his pocket. He was a little startled when he turned to see a lollipop right in front of his face.

“Here’s your treat. Good boys always get a treat, right, Nurse Sally?”

Sally cocked her head. “Seems you get a lollipop even when you aren’t the patient. Watch those sweets, hun.”

Sam grinned. “You’re never gonna let me forget the great lollipop swipe of ’02, are you?”

“Your poor sister was in here with the chicken pox, and you ate what, three of them?”

“I was nine!”

“And now you’re nineteen, still eating them. Now, go, shoo.” Sally waved them off as she scribbled in Kyle’s medical chart.

“’Bye, Nurse Sally.”

“’Bye, boys. Be safe!”

“Will do.” Sam motioned for Kyle to follow him down the hall. “Everything okay?”

Kyle shrugged. “This looks like a doctor’s office, but no one really acts like what I’m used to.”

“Doc Barnes and his staff have probably birthed everyone under the age of twenty-five in the county. He’s seen us all through stitches, flu, broken bones, and is probably now on his second generation of births.”

“I don’t think my doctor would recognize me.”

“It’s different here. Your doctor probably has a few thousand patients. Doc here probably has a few hundred. So, we all get to know one another.” Sam stopped at the receptionist desk.

“Here you go, Sammy, take this to your mom. It’s the receipt.”

“Thanks Joanie.” He gave her another wink.

Once outside, Kyle motioned for Sam to stop. “Sammy?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, stuck with that nickname since I was a kid.”

“Your parents don’t call you that.”

“I asked them not to, right about the time I turned fifteen. I’ve always hated it. But, can’t really change everyone, so I deal.” Sam got back into the truck with Kyle following.

“You don’t look like a ‘Sammy’.”

“That’s what I figured, too. Sam was much more grown-up, you know?” Sam turned to stare at Kyle. “You’re not planning on calling me that, are you?”

Kyle put up his hands in mock surrender. “No, nope, not even gonna consider it.”

Sam nodded, turning the engine over. “Good.” He turned his head and grinned at Kyle, then pulled out on the main road. “So, what did you think of our little medical clinic?”

“Very personable. Nurse Sally seems very nice.”

“She’s been with Doc Barnes since day one. They both take their time when dealing with a patient. Really get to know them, not just ‘how are you feeling’ and write a prescription.”

“She was excited to see you.”

“Yeah, when I come home for a weekend, I don’t usually get a chance to see everyone. Last time I was in was right before I went off to school; she gave me my physical.”