Jackie's Wild Seattle by Will Hobbs

it’s a matter of weeks, not months. On a happier note, he’ll be pleased to hear that the red-tailed hawk youguys saved today is in perfect condition. She lost two flight feathers but that’s no big deal. Cody told me how you cut her loose, and how careful you were with her. We’re just about to release her. Come and see.”
    Outside, everybody was assembling for the release. Rosie was there and so were a dozen or so volunteers, including Tyler in the bear suit. He was holding the head piece in his hand. I was kind of surprised that he let himself be rounded up for the event. Cody was there, peering into the carrier.
    Jackie told everybody the short version of what had happened at the driving range. She said that the doctor who operated on Uncle Neal’s hand told her there was a good chance he’d get full use of it back. Then she said that Cody and I had showed “courage under fire.”
    Cody opened the carrier door. The big hawk came out slowly, glared at everybody standing there, then took to the sky accompanied by cheers, lots and lots of cheers.

13
DOES IT HURT?
    At least for this morning it’s all about his hand, just his hand. That’s what I told myself on our way up to Uncle Neal’s hospital room. No looking deep into his soul. If in doubt, keep it light.
    Uncle Neal’s hand was in a soft cast that was wrapped in gauze from his knuckles to the middle of his forearm. “Does it hurt?” Cody asked.
    â€œOnly when I laugh at how dumb I was,” Neal said. “I took an IQ test and the results were negative.”
    â€œWait a second,” I said. “That sounds suspiciously like a bumper sticker.”
    â€œIt is,” he confessed. “Nothing is foolproof for a sufficiently talented fool.”
    â€œWait another second,” Cody said. “That sounds like a bumper sticker too.”
    â€œHow about this one?” Jackie chimed in. “The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.”
    â€œThis is sickening,” Cody said. “Everyone in this whole room likes bumper stickers.”
    Everyone was laughing. That was when I made my decision. As much as I hated to, I was going to keep Uncle Neal’s secret. We had too much to lose, all the way around.
    Neal came home later that day. He wasn’t going to be able to use his left hand for a couple of weeks. Using it fully, that was going to take months. Forget about rescuing animals, I thought, but I didn’t say it.
    When Neal got back to the center he went straight to Liberty. He spent hour upon hour sitting with her. With his hurt hand on his lap he would stroke her chest feathers with his fingertips and talk, talk, talk with her.
    For a while at least, no midnight rambles for him. I looked in on him three nights in a row. My uncle must have been exhausted; the first two nights I found him sound asleep. The third night he caught me. A light was on and he was reading. “Anything wrong, Shannon? Can’t sleep?”
    I stepped inside and sat in his rocking chair. Sage got up from the throw rug alongside Neal’s bed, lay down next to me, and let me pet the crown of her head. “Cody would be so jealous,” I said. Then, after a pause, “How are you doing? Healing?”
    â€œI sure think so.”
    â€œGood. Are you bummed that you can’t be rescuing animals in the middle of the night?”
    He looked surprised. “I thought I was being so careful not to wake you.”
    My eyebrows went up disapprovingly.
    â€œIt wasn’t every night. I just don’t sleep much.”
    â€œYou slept the last couple of nights. It shows it can be done.”
    â€œThey put me so far under at the hospital, it took me a couple days to get my normal metabolism back.” With a grin, he added, “Hey, I’m a restless soul.”
    â€œToo much coffee if you ask me.”
    â€œI should have told you about my night runs,