Page 24 of Ultimate Freedom

“I’m glad he’s here. Yet now that I’ve seen how weak he is, I can’t help but worry about him living alone in Vancouver.”

“I know. When I went to help him get ready, I noticed the house is a mess. In fact, Harry was embarrassed. For years, taking care of the place where he and Gloria knew such happiness kept him busy and content. Now, it’s too much for a sick man.”

“Oh, Lefty, what will happen to him?”

The old man turned to her, letting her see the fear and sadness in his rheumy eyes. “I do the best I can, honey. But he’ll have to go to a home soon. He’s taken a few falls, and by the grace of God was able to drag himself up. Now, I doubt he has the strength to do it anymore.”

“Would he be able to stay here… where I could take care of him?”

“He’d never ask it of you. He loves you Demi. Wants you to have a good life, not to look after a sick old man.”

“Christ, Lefty. I want to. He’s been more of a family to me than anyone else in my whole life. We’ve shared so many moments both in our letters and then on the phone. I feel like I know him and his big old generous heart. It kills me to think of him being sick and alone.”

Lefty put his arm around her and pulled her close to his side. “Other than Gloria, in the short time you’ve known each other, you’ve made that old man very happy. He never had kids, never had much of a life after he lost his wife. You’ve given him that special something money couldn’t buy… family. He loves you. But even better than that, he knows you care about him. That’s worth more than you could imagine.”

To hide her tears, Demi put her face on the closest shoulder and blocked the crippling emotions that fought to be free. “I wish I’d known him as a young man. He must have been really something.”

“I can tell you this, he could get my whole restaurant laughing from his antics. And Gloria would just smile and watch his goofing around with pride. She loved that man something terrible. In the past, he had a good life. Our Harry’s never been one to complain.”

Demi began walking again, knowing that to stay in one place for too long would let the cold seep through their warm clothes. Before she could say anything more, Charlie camerunning up. Thinking how wonderful it was to see the boy looking healthy rather than pale and sad, she greeted him with a smile. “Hey kiddo.”

Now all three continued walking together with Charlie making snowballs and throwing them into the forest. He’d watch the piles of snow high in the trees shatter from the force of his missiles.

Just as they reached a curve in the road ahead, Demi heard a strange screaming sound… like that of an animal in pain. Suddenly, Nito appeared. She’d seen him trailing them every so often, as he tended to do if she left the cabin. Guessing he didn’t like the appearance of yet another stranger with her, he’d kept his distance.

Now, he came barreling out towards her. He’d bark, and then turn back swiftly to bound into the trees. He’d stop and then do the same maneuver again. Instinctively knowing he wanted her to follow him, she made up her mind. “Charlie, stay here with Lefty. It’s too deep for him to crawl through those snowbanks. Nito’s showing me there’s a problem. Plus, I can hear that something’s in trouble.”

“Okay, Demi. But it could be dangerous. Maybe you shouldn’t go in there alone.” The stark fear on the boy’s face made her hesitate until she heard the screams intensify.

“Don’t worry, Nito won’t let anything hurt me, and he wouldn’t be wanting me to go there if it was unsafe.” Before they could argue more, the sounds of the distressed animal became even louder. Without sticking around to argue, Demi began plowing through the piles of snow to where Nito waited near the trees. Once she reached that area, it became much easier to travel.

In a few minutes, she watched the wolf turn again, stopping beside a small pile of brush. Seeing it moving, she stepped forward cautiously. Once she closed in, the animalin distress thrashed around in a state of shock. Leaning in carefully, she made out the thrasher to be a fawn. It looked to be five or six months old and very thin.

Glancing around, she looked for the mother and could see by the new fallen snow, there’d been no recent tracks.

“Nito, I think the baby’s alone, and she’s hurt.” The back leg lay in a bad angle, and it seemed obvious the deer couldn’t stand. Still crying in terror and pain, the poor thing again tried to flee from obvious threats of the wolf and the human. But not having the strength, it collapsed and lay gasping.

Nito approached, whining his worry, no threat at all to the baby. Except the fawn didn’t know she was safe.

“Nito, come here. You’re scaring her more by getting so close. I don’t know how we can carry her out of here without hurting her more.” Demi put her hand on Nito’s back to keep him next to her and then pulled out her phone to call Doc Harper, the vet in town.

Once she described the situation, he gave her instructions on how to set the leg between branches so it couldn’t move and then bring the baby in to his office.

Gathering the wood she’d need to place along both sides of the poor leg,

careful to approach slowly, she crooned to the wild animal, her tone as soft as she could make it. “It’s okay, baby. I won’t hurt you.” Once she was close enough, she put her scarf over the fawn’s face and that seemed to settle the frightened thing so that it stopped flailing around.

Realizing her error, knowing it could have been used to tie the leg up, shivering from the cold, she undid her parka, slipped it off long enough to remove her top sweater before replacing the outer wear as quickly as possible. Once she had that article of clothing, she moved to the side where the doe couldn’t hurther by kicking out. There she placed the sticks she’d gathered on either side of the injury.

Then she slid her sleeve of the sweatshirt under the works and began to tie everything in place, scared that she could be doing it all wrong. Nonetheless, it was the best she knew how to do.

Once the leg seemed secure, she wrapped the scarf around the fawn’s head permanently so it couldn’t bite at her. Looking around, she spied a cedar branch that would do as a bed. Leaning down, struggling to keep her balance, she picked the fawn up in her arms, crooning all the while.

Thankful for having spent months carrying loads of wood - though one shoulder felt much weaker than the other - she took on the wriggling weight long enough to place her captive on the branch.

“Shush, baby. Demi’s not going to hurt you. I’m trying to help you. Calm down sweetheart.”

All she needed to do now was get to the side of the road where Charlie and Lefty were waiting. Taking her time, thankful that the snow wasn’t as high here, she gripped the end of the branch and pulled it carefully behind her. Finally, she got to the edge of the tree line where she made out the other two dancing around to keep warm.

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