A North Carolina Autumn - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

When I pull into a parking spot at the vet, I take a deep breath as I put the car in park. I was more than a little bit nervous to go in, knowing that Rylie's coworkers had questions. I'd have to get used to the questions anyway, especially for when I went back to work on Monday. No doubt Larry would have plenty of questions of his own.
I was looking forward to seeing Harvey again, since it had been over a week since we'd seen him last. I was thankful the vet had been willing to watch him for a while longer while everything was going on.
After a minute of trying to work up the courage to go inside, I push open my door and climb out of the car, sliding my phone and keys into my pocket before walking towards the building. A bell sounds as I step through the door, and the kind middle aged receptionist glances up from a pile of paperwork. Her eyes immediately soften, and I silently beg myself not to cry. I knew I would fail, though. Anytime someone even showed an ounce of sympathy, I was gone.
"Hey, Mindy." I say with a timid smile.
"Oh, Aspen. Come here baby." Mindy was as southern as they got, and her accent proved that. She pushes herself out of her padded office chair before walking around the counter to pull me into a tight embrace.
I swallow hard and try to keep my emotions in check, taking a deep breath. Mindy always smelled good, like vanilla and cupcakes and baking.
"Now, I know you're here to pick up Harvey, but I also made you some cupcakes and a casserole. I can have Jarom help you carry them out to your car whenever you're ready."
Oh. So the baking smell is really from her baking. I chuckle to myself.
"Thank you, Mindy. You are so sweet. I'm sure I can carry them out on my own, though."
Don't really want to be near Jarom right now. Or ever.
"Nonsense! With that broken wrist, it can't be easy to carry much on your own. Plus, what's the point of keeping a strong, handsome young man like him around if we don't put him to use?"
I have a few ideas. I sigh internally, knowing there's no changing her mind on this."
"Okay. Thank you."
"You're welcome, sweetheart. Now, how are you handling things? I'm so sorry that you have to be dealing with this. How is Rylie doing?"
"She hasn't really changed much. Oh, actually, she did start breathing on her own today! I had nearly forgotten!"
"Oh, honey! That is great news! That means she's improving! How about you come on to the back and you can update the others. They're just finishing up their final surgery for the day."
"Okay." I smile and follow Mindy behind the counter and down the long hallway before we enter the back area. Through a doorway across the room, I can see the vet, Dr. Evans, and two techs, Kayla and Jarom, assisting him with a surgery. Mindy leads me into the surgery room and my eyes widen as I glance down at the dog on the table. At least, I think it's a dog. With it's size, it could actually be a small horse.
The room smells strongly of medical supplies and cleaners, the smell is almost a sharp, bitter one. I scrunch my eyebrows as I recognize another smell, and I have to shove down the sudden emotion I feel when I remember what the smell is. Pine sol. It reminded me so much of Rylie, and I shove the nearly overwhelming thought aside.
The dog is on its back on the table, and a blue medical drape with a hole in the middle covers its stomach and legs as the vet works intently on his lower stomach. Or... her. Her lower stomach.
Dr. Evans glances up, and the small headlamp on his forehead temporarily blinds me. "Aspen! I'm glad you're here! Oh, I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget how bright this thing is." He lowers his head slightly, and I blink the spots from my vision. "We're just finishing up spaying this girl."
"She's really big." I say with a small laugh.
"She's an Irish Wolfhound. 162 pounds. Her brother is 175 pounds."
My jaw drops. "I didn't think it was possible for a dog to be that big!"
"There are some big dogs out there." The vet chuckles. I stand back near Mindy and watch as the vet snips and cuts some more before sowing up the incision. I try to ignore the burning of Jarom's eyes on me.
When he finally finishes, Dr. Evans instructs Jarom to clean up the surgery area before leading me out into the main area again. "So, Aspen. I'm really hoping you have some good news for us about Rylie. We really miss her around here, and we were so sorry to hear about the accident."
"I do have good news, actually. She finally started breathing on her own today."
"That is so good to hear! I'll pray that she keeps improving. So she just won't wake up, huh?"
"No. They don't know why, either." I say quietly.
"That has to be so hard. I'm so sorry. I know you don't know us that well, but we know Rylie, and she told us all about you. Just know that we are willing to do whatever we can to help."
"Thank you. That means so much, and I know it will mean a lot to Rylie."
"She's lucky to have you." Dr. Evans replies.
It's definitely the other way around. I'm lucky to have her. I think to myself.
"You ready to see your pup?" He asks with a grin.
"You have no idea." I laugh, and he leads me into a room full of metal kennels. Instantly, a chorus of barking begins, echoing around the room. I spot Harvey right away. He's sitting at the front of his kennel, and although he's not barking, his tail is thumping so hard that it's making just as much noise as the barking dogs.
"Hey, buddy!" I say with a laugh as the vet passes him over to me. "I missed you so much!" Harvey licks my face excitedly and I laugh.
"He missed you, too. But we gave him lots of love, don't worry."
"Thank you." I reply genuinely. "Is he doing okay?" The image of Gabe's hand connecting forcefully with Harvey, sending him into a wall flashes through my mind, but I quickly push it away. I'd done a good job of blocking out that night, and wanted to keep it that way.
"He's doing great. Harvey recovered faster than we expected, and I think it's safe to say that he is back to his normal self."
"I am so happy to hear that. I was so scared when..."
"I know. But it's okay now." The vet comforts me. "How is your wrist?" He asks.
"Good! I honestly haven't even paid much attention to it or really felt any more pain since Rylie's accident. It's either because I've been too distracted, or it's finally healed." I laugh. "I go in on Thursday for my check up to see if the cast is ready to come off."
"That's great news!" The vet leads me back out into the main area where Mindy waits with the bag of Harvey's things, and the food she made. Jarom stands by her side with his hands in his pockets and a bored look on his face.
"You'd better come back and visit us soon. We'd also love any updates on Rylie." Mindy tells me with another warm hug.
"I will. I can come back sometime next week if possible. I'm sure Harvey would love to see y'all, too." I smile.
"Oh, he is such a sweetheart. He can come back anytime." Mindy assures me. She hands her armload of things to Jarom, who reluctantly follows me out to my car.
"Thanks." I tell him softly as he sets the things in my passenger seat.
"No problem." He says quietly, sliding his hands back into his pockets. "So listen... I'm really sorry about Rylie. Both with what happened when y'all came here, and for what happened with her accident." I'm stunned by this sudden, unexpected apology, but I manage to keep the surprise mostly internal. I definitely couldn't stop my eyebrows from raising.
"Rylie has been nothing but kind to me, and I treated her like shit. I'd been wanting to apologize to her... but then the accident happened."
"Yeah, the accident threw off a few things." I chuckle.
"I'm sorry. Neither of you deserve to go through this. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. I owe it to both of you."
"Thank you, Jarom. I know this took a lot to say, and I want you to know Rylie would really appreciate it, too."
"I'd love to come tell her when she wakes up. Or just when she comes back to work. Whichever you're more comfortable with." He hurriedly speaks.
He said 'when' not 'if'. That is so refreshing to hear.
"I'd like that. Thank you, again."
"You're welcome. See ya." Jarom says before walking back to the building. I stand outside my car for a moment longer before climbing in, smiling when Harvey climbs onto my lap to lick my face.
"Okay, okay, hop in back and we'll head home." I laugh. He obeys, reminding me once again how oddly well behaved he was, and I start the drive home.
The apartment is dark and quiet when I get home, and I quickly turn on the kitchen, living room and hallway lights before pouring food in Harvey's bowl. Next, I turn on the TV with a random show for background noise. I didn't want the deep feeling of complete loneliness to make its home in my mind again now that my mother had left.
While Harvey eats, I get ready for bed, avoiding looking at my unmade bed. I'd been sleeping on the couch ever since my first night back here. It was too painful and nearly impossible to sleep in the bed Rylie and I shared, while she was in the hospital.
I bring Harvey's bed out into the living room and set it next to the couch before turning off all the lights except for the hallway one before climbing into the makeshift bed I'd made on the couch.
With how exhausted I am, I expect to fall asleep right away, but I groan when I check the time and an hour has passed, and I'm no closer to falling asleep.
I open my phone and respond to some messages I'd been avoiding, and check instagram. Next, I open my photos, and my fingers freeze when I see the newest album I'd created, just before Rylie's accident. The album title alone makes my heart hurt.
Little moments of Her.