Tate stared out across the valley, looking at the black specks that were the cattle grazing in the distance. The mountain peaks towered overhead and the forest hugged the edges of the pasture. A small creek ran through the pasture and all that could be heard was the gurgling of the water and the wind in the trees. It was a beautiful area, and Tate thought it was a shame that Megan didn't get to be out here anymore.
"Steady boy." He softly spoke to Midnight as the horse shifted beneath him. The horse seemed a bit uneasy, but maybe that was a reflection of how Tate was feeling. Despite the beauty of this area, he missed Texas and something in him longed to keep going. He fought against it, knowing that he really didn't want to leave; after all his life was just odd jobs and drunken nights away from this ranch. It was the first job he had actually loved in years.
"What's wrong boy? Are you just picking up on my feelings? Or is it something else?" Midnight's ears were pricked forward and he was more alert. Tate could feel his body stiffen as if coiled to run. The wind carried a scent of winter on the breeze and maybe that's what the horse was sensing. They had to get the cows home in the next three weeks at the latest and Tate wasn't quite sure how he was going to manage that. He would need some help, but he had no idea who to ask. Just then his phone rang and he cursed. How come every time he was in this pasture someone had to call him?
"Hello?"
"Tate?" At the sound of Megan's tearful voice, he turned Midnight around and prodded him into a walk.
"Yeah? What's up Megs?" A sob came over the line and he kicked Midnight into a canter. Something was seriously wrong and he was keeping himself from kicking his horse into a full out gallop.
"I-it's dad. I went upstairs to get him and h-he's unresponsive. I-I can't d-do anything! Where are you?" Tate swore lowly under his breath and finally gave into the urge to kick Midnight into a full out run.
"I'm in the far pasture. I'll be there in 15 at the most. I'm coming as fast as I can okay Megs?" She didn't say anything just sniffled. He knew she must be able to hear the whooshing of the wind and the pound of Midnight's hooves.
"Tate?"
"What darlin?" The endearment slipped out without either of them noticing.
"What if I lose him too? I 'll have no one left." The vulnerability in her voice tore at him and he swallowed hard. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest and he wished he had been closer to home.
"You ain't gonna loose him okay? Besides I'm here ain't I? But I promise, he ain't going anywhere." With his panic, his accent had gotten thick and he has slipped into the habit of using southern words. He heard her sniff over the phone again.
"Where are you?"
"I'm comin as fast as I can. I just crossed the fence line where the far pasture and the pond pasture meet." He knew as well as her, that it was still a long ways a way; four miles at the farthest, but he didn't want to think about being too late.
"Okay." He knew the horse could run faster, but he needed both of his hands to help him keep his balance and urge the horse on.
"Listen Megs, I gotta let you go. I promise everything will be alright. Just calm down and keep trying to get him to respond. Make sure he's breathin and that his heart is beatin. I'm coming as fast as I can okay?"
"Okay." When he heard the dial tone, he tucked his phone into it's sheath on his belt, before urging Midnight even faster. It felt like the horse was flying, and he was stretched out, running as fast as he could go. Tate almost sent up a prayer that James would be alright, but he knew that praying didn't usually help him. He was just thankful he hadn't been at the far end of the pasture.
*****
When he rode hard into the yard about 15 minutes later, he didn't take time to cool down or take care of Midnight. He just flung himself off the horse, left him in the corral and started towards the house at a dead run. As he slammed through the door and bolted up the stairs, he could hear Megan talking softly. He could only hope that that meant that James was responding to her. When he got into the room, she was sitting beside her father in her chair, holding his hand and talking on the phone.
"Please, if you didn't mind Adam? I have to get him to the hospital immediately and the closest ambulances are busy. I guess there was a car accident about an hours drive from here and they were all dispatched out there." Tate couldn't hear what the man said over the phone but Megan nodded.
"Megs?" He whispered and she looked to where he was standing in the doorway, relief coloring her face.
"Oh Adam, my hired hand is here. I won't need you to drive us to the hospital anymore, but I have a feeling chores may be left undone by us." She was silent for a bit. "Okay. Thank you so much. I don't know how I can repay you. We will be gone by the time you get here, but horses need to be fed and.. and.." She couldn't seem to find the words to speak and she shoved the phone at Tate.
"Hey Adam, it's Tate now. I was in a hurry so my horse is just standin in the corral. I rode him pretty hard to get here so you might want to lunge him or somethin to cool him down. Then take real good care of him will you?" Tate went on to describe in a rush what else needed to be done, before hanging up the phone and walking over to the bed. "He's still breathin?"
"Yes. His heart beat is normal too if not a bit fast." He wasted no time, stooping and picking the man up in his arms, instructing Megan to hurry down the stairs and get the doors for him. He headed down the stairs and watched as she maneuvered herself into a lift that brought her up and down the stairs, and working together, they soon had her dad in his truck. Tate quickly helped Megan up and they flew off towards town, hoping that they weren't too late.
******
About an hour later, they sat in a waiting room together. Megan was staring out the window and Tate was pretending to read a ranching magazine, although both of them were waiting for information on what could have gone wrong with James. A nurse walked in right then and Tate shot to his feet, while Megan quickly turned her chair around.
"Ms. Brooks?" The nurse asked, looking at Megan and she nodded. "Your father is stable. It seems he suffered a minor stroke. It says here he also suffers from Alzheimer's?" Megan nodded again, seemingly unable to speak. The nurse regarded her for a long moment.
"Will he be okay?" Megan choked out and Tate felt his chest tighten with dread. The look in the nurse's eye didn't look like she had good news.
"The doctors say he will be fine. But I'm afraid he will not be able to live at home anymore." The words were like a bomb and Tate heard Megan's audible gasp.
"W-what do you mean?" She cried and the nurse frowned sympathetically.
"Your father's mind is completely gone. I'm sorry, but the stroke disabled it more than it already was, due to restricted blood flow. He will no longer have good days and it is yet to be seen if he will be able to do even the simplest things for himself. It would not be easy for a normal person to take care of him alone and I am afraid it is impossible for someone in your... circumstances." Right then and there, Tate decided that he hated this nurse.
"I could help her ma'am. I live on the ranch also." The nurse turned an appraising eye on him.
"You could not. He needs 24 hour medical assistance from this point forward. I do not think either of you are qualified to take care of a man that needs assistance eating, bathing, walking, talking. I really think your best option would be to look into putting him into the home where he can be cared for by professionals." Tate clenched his fist, and looked over at Megan. The fight seemed to go out of her and she had tears streaming silently down her face.
"I don't want him to have to leave the ranch. But I don't suppose we have much choice." Megan said quietly. The nurse said nothing more about it, but asked if they wanted to see him. Tate walked along beside Megan as she wheeled herself into her father's room and fought the urge to hold her hand the whole time.
*****
It was pretty late when they got back to the ranch and Megan had fallen asleep in the truck. Tate's heart ached for the girl beside him who had lost everything, even the presence of her father. Despite the fact that the doctors thought he was stable, James had not looked like a man who would live much longer and he had a feeling Megan knew it as well as he did.
"Megs?" He shook her softly as he pulled up to the house and she mumbled something. "Megs. We are home." She opened her eyes blearily and watched him as he unfolded her chair and helped her into it. For the first time since he had met her, she wanted him to push her, seemingly too weary to do it herself. After wheeling her into her room, he turned to walk out when her voice stopped him.
"Tate?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for coming so fast." He nodded and turned to go again but she stopped him again.
"What's up Megs?" He turned to look at her, sitting in her wheelchair looking so alone, so forlorn, and so, so fragile. He had never seen her look so broken, she had always seemed strong and independent.
"Can you sleep in the house tonight? I don't want to be alone." He nodded and then promised to come right back after she had changed. He walked over to the small bunkhouse in the meantime, to grab some of his things. He looked up at the bright sky full of stars and wondered why things like this had to happen.
"Not like I can ask much of you anymore, nor do I think you will help me out God. But why did you let a thing like this happen? You know that girl in there has suffered enough. She didn't need more." Today had only solidified the fact in Tate's mind that God really didn't seem to care about those in need.