Dancing Tides by Vickie McKeehan Page A

little c r a n k y but if h e c ontinu e d to show no si g ns of p ara sit e s h e ’ d be out of q u ara ntine in a noth e r w ee k.
    T he p r e g n a nt ott e r she ca ll e d Minni e , ac t e d fr iski e r th a n sh e’ d s e e n h e r b e h a ve in a w ee k. T he y ou n g fe m a l e h a d b e e n f ound st ar vi n g to d ea t h a nd X- r a y s sho we d she su ffe r e d fr om s c oliosis, a fa i r l y t y pi c a l a ilm e nt due to poor di e t.
    B ut tod a y Minnie s ee m e d mo r e pl a y f ul, s w imming a r ound in the wa t e r like n a tu r e int e nd e d.
    Ar ound t w o - thi r t y K ee g a n ’ s ce ll phone r a n g . H e r displ a y told h e r it wa s B r a n Sulliv a n. “H o w’ s the p a ti e nt I op e r a t e d on l a st ni g ht ? ”
    “A l er t, b e tt e r .”
    “G ood. D o y ou h a v e r o o m f or a noth e r ott e r ? T his mo r ning Cl a n c e H opki n s’ f ishing bo a t n e tt e d one w ith a l a ce r a tion to his h ea d, looks like he m e t up w ith a bo a t p r op e ll er . I ’ v e s e d a t ed him, stit c h e d him up a nd h e’ s r e a d y f or t r a nspo r t.”
    Ke e g a n c hu c kl e d. “ Sin c e y ou’ v e done the h ar d p a r t I ’ ll be h a p p y to t a ke h i m o f f y o u r h a nds. W h a t ’ s his p r o g n o si s ? ”
    “G ood. CT s ca n sho w s h is h ea d took a kno c k but h e’ ll su r vive w ith the p r o p e r T L C a nd b e d re st. H e m i g ht h a v e t r ouble w ith his vision th o u g h.”
    “H ow so ? ”
    “T he bl a de ca u g ht him r i g ht ar ou n d the e y e . ”
    “Da mn. W e ll, w e just h a pp e n to h a ve a n e x t r a b e d. W a nt me to c ome g e t him no w ? ”
    “ I f y ou w ouldn ’ t mind, I ’ ve g ot a wa iti n g r oom f u l l of r outine shots a nd a b s ce ss e s.”
    “ I t ’ s h e ll b e i n g the on l y v e t in to w n.”
    “ I miss y our g ra nd f a th er , Ke e g a n. I ’ m a n old m a n. D on ’ t know how mu c h l on g e r I c a n k ee p this up.”
    “ B e li e v e it or not I ’ m t r y ing to f ind y ou some h e l p.”
    “Y ou n ee d to pi c k up t h e p ac e th e n. B e ca u s e , g i r l, I ’ ve b e e n r e a d y to re ti r e f or t w o y e a r s no w . Jo y k ee ps a t me a b out it, too. She wa nts to t a ke th a t t r ip to I re l a nd I p r omis e d h e r f ive y e ar s a g o. I re l a nd, K ee g a n. I h a v e n ’ t h a d a d a mn e d v a c a tion in th re e y e a r s a nd I h a v e n ’ t b e e n f ishing sin c e Ch r istm a s. I s we a r Jo y w ould m a k e the a i r l i ne re s e r v a tions tomo rr ow if I c ould f ind a v e t to t a ke ov e r m y p r ac ti c e t h a t qui c k.”
    “O h, no y ou don ’ t, I ’ v e got dibs on a n y v e t w ho r e pli e s f i r st.”
    B ra n g u ff a we d. “ T h e n y o u b e tt e r ra mp up the eff o r t b eca u s e I ’ m s e r ious l y t hinking of ca lling it quits b y the e nd of the y ea r .”
    “T h a nks f or t h e w a r nin g . I ’ ll ca ll one of those s er v i ce s out of the B a y a nd s e e if w e m i g ht g e t lu c k y — m a y be f ind s om e one looking to r e lo c a te to—M a y b er r y … we st c o a st s t y l e .”
    Af t e r a fe w mo r e minut e s of c onv er s a tion, Ke e g a n hung up a nd we nt to look f or A b b y . She f ound h e r in the nu r s e r y w ith D o d g er , bottle f ee di n g him a g a in. “ I ’ ve got to r un ov e r to B ra n ’ s a nd pi c k up a noth e r s e a ott e r .”
    “ W a nt me to g o ? ”
    “Na h, looks like y ou a nd D odg e r h a v e bond e d . ”
    “He’ s a do ra bl e , Ke e g a n. D o y ou think w e ’ ll be a b le to re l ea s e him b ac k into the w ild w ith his t a il c ut to r ibbo ns ? ”
    “De p e nds on h o w st r o n g it h ea ls. B ra n did a n e x c e ll e nt job w ith w h a t he h a d to w o r k w ith but l e t ’ s fac e it, w i t hout the t a il st r ong a nd w ithout b e ing a hund r e d p e rce nt...h e ’ ll h a ve p r obl e ms k ee pi n g up a nd f o r