Page 35 of Saving Veronica
“Touché, my friend, touché.” They talked for a few more minutes, then hung up. Using one crutch, Finn hurried to his father’s office to impart the good news to him.
*****
Gerald Pennyworth pulled out of his driveway and settled in to drive the three hours to Helena. Twenty minutes from his house he had to slow down, because there were several motorcycles ahead of him. At one point he counted over thirty, he watched them round a bend in the road, when a sudden thought struck. Making a quick decision, he decided to follow them and nodded to himself when they pulled into a restaurant/bar thirty minutes later.
He waited in his truck for twenty minutes after everyone entered the restaurant. With his phone on him, he drew a deep breath and went inside. He looked around and approached several tables filled with bikers. He strode over to one table and spoke.
“Excuse me?”
“Yeah,” one of the guys said, then looked up at the man standing beside their table. “What’s up?”
Gerald saw the man’s eyes were clear and he didn’t look crazy. “I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.”
“Sure, pull up a chair.” He watched as one of the other bikers retrieved a chair, and everyone moved down to make room for him. The biker held out his hand. “Stan.”
“Gerald.” They shook and Gerald took a deep breath. “I came up behind you guys about thirty minutes back. I followed you and I have some questions for you.”
“Are you a cop?” One of the other bikers asked.
“No, no, just a very relieved grandfather.” He sighed. “I know this is going to sound stupid or funny, but do you build motorcycles?”
“I don’t.” Stan admitted. “But Norm has his own repair shop.” Stan leaned back and called to Norm. Gerald watched as a huge man stood and made his way over.
“What’s up?”
“This is Gerald, he wanted to know if we built motorcycles. Gerald, Norm. Norm, Gerald.” Norm joined them and asked.
“What you looking for?”
“It’s not for me. A little background. Two weeks ago, my granddaughter was in an accident. She’s been in a coma ever since, but she called me an hour ago, she’s awake and doing well. If she continues to improve she’ll be released Friday.”
“Congratulations man. Can we ask what type of accident? Was it on a bike and you want it repaired?”
“No it wasn’t. She was up in the mountains retrieving her horse when she was thrown into a ravine, but that’s not all. She was also attacked by a mountain lion.”
“Holy fuck.” Several of the men swore.
“In two weeks, she starts her last year of college. In May she’ll be a DVM. What I’m wondering is, if I purchased a scooter for the handicapped, could you fix it up for her?”
“Fix it up, how?”
“Here.” Gerald pulled his phone and showed them the pictures he’d taken in the hospital after Ronnie’s surgeries. “As you can see, her leg is banged up, doctors told us after they put those pins in, she won’t be able to put any pressure on it for weeks. Also, her whole chest and right arm is encased in plaster. Luckily, she’s left-handed naturally. I wondered if there was any way to take something and put the controls on the left side.”
“I understand. She’s going to need something to get around on campus. But you’re thinking a golf cart would be too big, and a motorcycle would be too impractical. You’re going to want something that is used for the handicapped,” Norm said, as he looked at the pictures of the beautiful woman lying in a bed.
“Correct. She’ll have to be transported in a truck to and from school, which will be no problem. We’ll just load her scooter in the back and get it out when she arrives. She’ll need it to get around campus and into her classrooms. So I’m thinking the width of a scooter would work. She’s twenty-six, so she already has her license and knows how to drive a car, truck, a horse, and tractor. When she was younger she rode a dirt bike around the ranch.”
“Do you have contact information?” Norm asked.
Gerald grabbed a napkin and wrote down his name and number to pass over. “Money is no object. However time is.”
“When do you need it by?”
“Saturday at the latest.”
“Okay. We happen to be on our way back from a run. My shop’s an hour from here. So, if you live in Elk Junction, it’s halfway between there and Helena. I’m assuming that’s where your granddaughter is?”
“She is, she’s at Mercy.”
