Page 25 of Ultimate Freedom

“Charlie, I need your help. Can you get to me?” She yelled the words, knowing the fawn would react, and it did… almost twisting off the branch. With all her might, she held it down until it settled again. There would be no way she could crawl through the snowbanks and carry the squirmer at the same time, so she needed it to stay safe on the made-up platform.

Charlie bound through the snow like a rabbit, mostly not sinking too much. “What’s that you have there, Demi?” His eyes were glowing with excitement now that he saw her. And his reddened cheeks wore a huge grin of relief at seeing her unhurt.

“It’s a fawn. She’s got an injured leg. I couldn’t find any sign of her mother. It appears that she’s on her own, poor thing. Look, I need something better that we can slide her back home on. Can you get to the woodshed and fetch one of the sled’s we use for the snowmobile?”

“Sure. But I think Lefty’s getting really cold. Maybe he should come with me.”

“No way young man. I can help Demi get the animal she’s got there to the road.”

Demi looked up to see Lefty halfway to them and struggling to get closer. “Lefty, you shouldn’t exert yourself like this. It’s too much for you.”

“Baloney! I work hard at my restaurant and keep in good shape at the gym. I might look as ancient as Harold, but the old fart’s got eight years on me, and he’s still in his seventies. Here, let me help you.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Charlie took off and reached the road in no time, disappearing around the bend.

Between them, Lefty helped pull the fawn step by careful step. At one point, the man fell, and Demi took on the full weight before he brought them all down with him.

Cursing under his breath, he apologized. “Sorry, my foot hit something that moved.” He tried using his arms to push himself back up except that his weight made him sink. Cursing under his breath, he rolled on his back and with a huge thrust, he forced his body to first sit and then stand. Struggling mightily, his face flushed from the exertion plus the cold, with a hand from Demi, he gained his balance, and Demi breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed to take them forever before they reached the flat surface of the road and by that time Demi was thrilled to see Charlie barreling toward them, pulling the sled behind him.

Once he got close enough, Demi made out the old blanket he’d grabbed from the cabin. “Hey, bud. Good thinking. We can keep the baby wrapped up, so he doesn’t move and fall off.”

Between the three of them, they bundled up the animal and then Demi removed the scarf to use it as an added strap. Now the poor fawn could see them. Hearing their voices had to have been traumatic enough but actually being this close, the wild animal again began to flail. Until Nito moved to the side of the sled and growled.

For some strange reason unknown to Demi, the deer instantly settled. It laid there quietly, and she blessed Nito under her breath before gathering the straps. With Charlie on the other side, they hauled their precious cargo toward the cabin.

Waiting for them, Harold came onto the porch, his face alight with interest. “You’ve been gone so long, I got worried. What’s that you have there?”

Charlie piped up before the others could speak. “It’s a baby. A deer baby. Nito and Demi saved it’s life.”

Chapter Fourteen

By the time Demi and Charlie were on their way back to the cabin with their forest waif settled on the rear seat, Demi could hardly believe their adventures that day.

Charlie, never one to say much, couldn’t seem to stop talking, especially once they were alone. It was like he’d saved it all up for their drive home.

“Harold sure liked the deer.” Charlie explained in some detail everything Harold had told him about the animal. “And Lefty, he’s a pretty tough old guy. He made us a good lunch, right? And Doc Harper sure knows his stuff. I like his clinic. He has dogs, two sick rabbits, a mink, and lots of kittens.”

“Yep. He does.”

The kid finally took a short break after his last statement but only for a few minutes. “Demi what can we name her?”

“Her?”

“The fawn.”

“You think about it. Take your time and then let me know what you’ve come up with.”

Silence.

Finally.

It had been a whirlwind over the last few hours. By the time they had gotten the poor animal to the vet’s, with Charlie insisting on riding in the back seat of the truck with the fawn while Lefty and Harold rode in front with her, they were relieved to get to the clinic safely.

Doc Harper did an examination, made a diagnosis that the leg had a clean break and wove his magic in the following operation. He gave her the medication she’d need when the fawn woke up and showed her how to prepare food to keep the baby from starving. Otherwise, she and Charlie were on their own.Doc couldn’t keep the baby at the clinic. Too many other animals to care for already.

Thinking about Whit and how she wished he could have been with them during this situation, she decided she’d call him as soon as they got home. Usually, he’d be the one to call her but this time, she couldn’t wait.

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