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Dial Coyote: Ch18 (Fracture)
The smell of wet dog, or wet coyote rather… filled the office rather quick as his wet fur emanated in the small walls and had nowhere to ventilate. Though otherwise it was surprisingly sterile and clean, it had to be since they were a medical facility and could not afford to be unclean. Dial felt more clean just by being in there but it may have just been the stink leaving his body. He was not completely cleaned and still was rather smelly, but some of the soap helped and soon he was in a very warm interior place he had only seen once before. On the other side of the office through a door was the medical area, in the back were the general kennels and to the side was the examination area. They went there first though passed by the Kennel door.
“What is back that way?” dial inquired while passing the kennel.
“You can’t go back that way, we need to keep you away from there; quarantine” tony replied.
Dee caught what he was inquired and filled him in about a topic he was very curious. In the last weeks two new high priority visitors had arrived. Very ill and possibly would die but there was fear of infection and fear they would not save them.
“We cannot take you back that way Hun, it is under quarantine. The two very sick wolves are back there, one of them nearly terminal. They need to stay safe in doors while their health returns and the illness leaves their bodies. They are infectious to canines not humans so you cannot go near there. We risk infecting you just by having you in here but thankfully Tony ensured the lab was sterile and we keep good housekeeping here. If you do get sick we can treat you fast and easy. These two went through the worst of it and would have died without our help. Though there is no vaccine. If you get sick you stay sick and there is always a chance something bad can occur. They should be in your old pen soon. Though with your injuries we may need to find a temporary home for you as casts cannot be outside and wet, and the kennel is occupied… we will know more when we see what your bones look like.” Dee explained.
“MY BONES!”
Dial squirmed a bit with panic which only made his bones ache.
“Calm down, calm down, we are not going to hurt you, you are causing yourself pain by moving. Relax. If you move to much you could do far worse. DO you want to be able to walk again… stop moving!
Dial complied but the ache was still very bad…
“Tony it hurts can you please give me something for the pain? Dee said she had something mild but this is very bad”
“We can’t give you pain killers just yet. We need to do an examination and if you can’t feel pain you can’t tell us what hurts so we can figure out how baldy you are hurt.”
“Hurry please…just look at my bones… with your machine… make sure you put them back correctly“
Tony laughed as he remembered again how simple Dial could be despite how complex he could be other times.
“You are a very unique friend Dial. The more time I spend in your company the more I am starting to realize it is a complete treasure.”
Once again Dee and Rosie looked at each other as if they wished they could also hear the coyote speaking without sound so Tony looked rather crazy.
“I am not a child Tony, but yes… so much is fascinating or strange to me.”
“Do not worry… I know. It just brings joy to see things through your eyes a little.”
“Oh… I suppose it does to see things through human eyes too. I wouldn’t mind being human, but only for awhile. So… what is this human magic of yours? Or science you call it.”
“Ha ha… just a machine no magic. It is mostly harmless. Not good to use it too much… but a little is just fine… it looks through your body except for bones… we can see your bones under you… “
Dial was propped up carefully and repositioned, it was painful but about 20 detailed x-rays were taken and Dee went to go develop them.
“This will take awhile; we don’t have a fancy room like a hospital does. But they should be ready in 30 minutes.”
Dial was very sore from all that prodding but it was not over yet… soon came the rather painful part… a careful tactile examination. He was asked nearly one hundred times “if it hurt”, and simply used tony to translate as it was easier than blinking. Half way through Dial asked for a pain killer and was again denied.
“Almost over, I am deeply concerned at the sheer number of tender places on your limbs… it would seem your limbs could have many fractures dial. Small cracks not complete breaks but even a crack will hurt a lot. What the hell did you do?”Rosie stated.
“I will have to tell you the truth of things later please trust me and just focus on helping fix me up right. I trust you to do it.” Dial asked Tony to translate.
“Ok... well I suppose then it will remain a mystery for now. You are right, let’s just focus on getting you fixed up. I do know something about healing and bones from working alongside my Husband for years. How you got injured may not be important, what matters is what is injured and what we can do to fix it. I will need to wait till I can see the x-rays. But you need to prepare for possible bad news… Though until I look at the results I will not know what is wrong or how long it may heal or what problems there may be.
Rosie then turned her attention to the problem of hiding any of this from her husband.
“Oh god David…I may be able to lie to the interns but David… the only idea I have is that we somehow can fix Dial up and keep the whole thing a secret. Get rid of all evidence and clean up. This little one may need to recover in his cage but it seems like his bones are fractured or broken and he will needs a cast. That sort of thing cannot be ignored… it’s not like we can just hide him.” Rosie panicked
“Let’s just wait and see for the results before we freak out. We may be able to do light cast dressing and wrap with garbage bags to keep dry. David is going to have to find out eventually as he will freak otherwise.” Dee said.
“No no... Not while the interns are here. We need to keep Dial a secret for everyone’s own good including his.” Rosie replied.
“I do agree… we may need to fake a little break out…” Dee suggested.
“Wait what?” Rosie inquired.
“Well, if Dial say… got loose of his collar and ran off and them magically returns later … he will be healed up and David will not know the wiser. Lies tend to have a way to become bigger lies though so we need to think this through carefully and choose the best course of action.” Dee stated.
“God that will piss David off but it is crazy… just may work, but how can we hide Dial?”
“Well…” Dee looked over at dial then at Tony.
“Dial… if you promise to not pee and let us wash and care for all your needs… you can live with me and tony. The trailer is large enough to hold a coyote. Especially one that is going to need to sit and sleep and rest and stay very still for a month or more.”
Dial had not given thought to just how long his recovery may take…
“He spoke to Tony’s mind as he was weak and tired now.
“Oh… um”, tony translated. “He would be more than happy to live in the trailer. In fact he kind of hoped to be allowed to at some point…hmm…”
“Well… just temporarily but… who knows what the future brings sweetie. It is David who is an issue but if we can survive our summer internship ok then everything should be fine once we clue David into you and he has time to adjust. He will take it a lot harder I suspect” Rosie stated.
“I think it is a great idea.” Dee said gleefully.
Dial wagged to hear Dee be so optimistic.
“Well it was you idea silly. Though, he may need to return to a pen when the big one is finished. At least while the interns are here…oh gosh… if Dial is being hidden in there where are they going to stay? Rose added.”
“May be a lot to ask but perhaps they can stay with you and the Doctor. You do not live to far so it makes sense and they are temporary.”
“Hmm that would be a bit of an adjustment but if it is temporary David may go with it providing they do house chores to earn their stay. We do have two spare rooms which we use for family visits at Christmas. Should work find for summer? I will have to battle David about it but I can state that you two are valued higher level employees who deserve to not have two strangers crammed into you living space. He will grump but I will pull a trump card on him. I can be persuasive about small things and he just gives up when he realizes I won’t back down. When it comes to the animals he generally has last say but in small logistical things he trusts me to make final decisions. The interns will be working the mornings with David’s shift. Tony will be up in the day to help give the new interns tasks and do whatever work he can manage and you will be working evenings with me. No one at night so it gives us some time to sneak any care to Dial he requires. Though, in the day he will need to be very good.”
“Don’t worry I can take many naps and won’t keep you up at night, I promise to be a good house guest also”
“Wow… it still amazes me you keep up with the conversation, it is a pity you cannot speak English to them also…”
Dial lowered his ears a bit. Tony had both complimented and insulted him somehow. It simply would appear to others as though he was just whining about pain, and not his emotions being prodded.
“Oh don’t worry pal…we will get you fixed up soon” tony turned his attention to the women; “he is just fine with all this and said he will work hard and sleep in naps to help adjust to things. I can leave him things to do while I am out and return for breaks to visit with him so he does not get to restless. I we can help feed him and tend to his needs. In the evening after David and the interns go home we can even carry you out side. May be unconventional but at least you can get some fresh air. Even bring you out to the fire pit with us in the evenings and talk. It will be our own special little time.” Tony offered.
“Oh that sounds rather fun. The four of us together all summer long. Don’t worry Dial I have seen and fixed many fractures before and it should not be that much of an issue. You should heal up just fine. As for the trailer; I will start using the lock, Dial will need to stay hidden in the bedroom but the door is locked for privacy but I can teach him how to lock it from the inside so no one can find him. He will need to be absolutely quiet if he ever hears people approaching until he knows it is safe to move around. I will need to fix some of the curtains for privacy and something will have to be done about his smell for everyone’s benefit. Thankfully we need to shave his limbs for casting and will sterilize him from filth that may infect him later. The rest of his fur we can give a nice gentle scrub and make him super clean. Though, he will start to get smelly even with living inside. No more than a dog. No baths because we will need to secure his hind legs in a sitting so that he can sleep without worry of hurting them. Many technical aspects to consider but we will figure them out.”
Dial huffed a bit annoyed. He was getting a bit annoyed because they seemed to be switching between talking to him and talking about him. It was so easy for humans to talk about animals like things. He would just need to not take insult of it and be patient. Even tony seemed to do it and he could talk easily with Dial. In time hopefully it would be less like this and more like talking with fox but he had no idea. He tried to make a mental note for later to ask the white coyote about communication. Maybe there was a way to improve his abilities so that everyone could hear him. He wondered what she may have to say about Tony and Dee’s strange abilities, how the bite may be related, and even the idea of Rosie teaching him like a human. His mind wondered back to the cage as being locked up in a trailer felt like a fancier cage and he would not be that wrong.
“Well at least you can help take me out for walks and stuff maybe use that stretcher to help carry me. I will take what I can get but please I never want to live in a cage again if I can help it”
“Um… buddy you may need to fake it or put up with it just to help keep your secret between us but eventually we will figure out how to let David best know and it cannot happen while the interns are here. Frankly the good that came out of this is that living with us will be
“I understand I understand… do not worry… I will be a good coyote and trust me… after the night I had, even the largest of inconveniences by you is nothing compared to what I fear fox may have put me through tonight… I am just so happy to be home and safe again with you all. I feared I may never make it back alive. “
Tony gently hugged over the coyote with his whole upper body and dial chirred happily. Dee and Rosie who had only caught Tony’s half; looked at them both perplexed. It was as if they finally understood the depth of how Dial felt about being in a cage. It was like putting a human being in prison. The guilt crept into them so they rushed to get medical supplies ready as though it would help alleviate their consciences. Then everyone waited for the x-rays so they knew just what was going on with the coyotes injuries and how best to treat them. Dial did hope to never have to live in a pen again, but did not want to push his luck. The current situation had almost made him forget about fox completely and even his current injuries were less on his mind as he pictured life in the trailer with Tony and Dee. Somehow this was a small dream of his from the days when all he had to do was look far across the way from his pen and dream of life inside. He would finally get his wish, just not as expected.
“Oh I forgot to translate, sorry… you may have understood just from listening to me. He really does not wish to be caged or locked up anymore. He does agree to a leash but hopes even that will be not needed. He will behave, never growl if he can help it, and has no desire to live anyone except with us as his family… he told me so before… is that correct buddy?” tony asked.
Dial nodded weakly, he was so tired and nearly falling asleep or maybe just from exhaustion.
“I suppose he does not want to live in a cage or have to wear a leash all the time… about as much as we would not want to.” Rosie stated.
“I guess that a smarter coyote comes with more complications on things like culture shock, imprisonment, and inequality… you give us a lot to think about little one.” Dee added.
Dials ears twitched being called that, he hated when fox did. Though, he would not bark at those trying to save his life. He was not that stupid.
“A leash and collar may be passable but it would take a lot to convince David to let you off a leash.. may need to compromise… but you will not be walking for awhile so my home is our home if that’s what Dee is suggesting. We may need to pretend you are a normal animal once and awhile which may require you to stay a few nights in a cage… if that is reasonable.”
All of a sudden the sound of a door opened from the far side of the building and everyone’s hair stood on end. For a brief minute of terror the all froze in silence and listened. Terrified it was David who had returned somehow.
“HELLO!” a unfamiliar voice called out.
“Who is that… this is the middle of the night and private property?”
“I am sorry it is an emergency…my dog you have to help my dog…”
The trio of humans looked at each other and as if they all had some nonexistent psychic link they all went to work quickly to hide what had transpired. Tony quickly wheeled the mobile table Dial had been sitting on into the x-ray room to hide him. Rosie ran out to stop the man from entering with his dog as per the quarantine. Dee stayed behind and started to clean up all the evidence and prepare for anything that may occur with a dog emergency.
“Dial you have to be silent as a mouse… do not make a bark or a sound ok… he cannot find you in here like this as it may lead back to David.” Tony whispered.
“Ok Tony…not a sound”, dial swore.
Dial listened as best he could… soon the voice started to seem familiar to him somehow… he had heard that man’s voice before. Then it came to him… it was the man who had shouted to the other man… the man who had called his prized well trained Border collie to him and directed him to chase after the coyote… it was the hunter!
“My dog… something killed and dragged off one of my dogs… had to have been a bear? Only thing that could have carried him off like that…”
“Wait why are you here if your dog was taken away? You are certain it is dead?”
“With the amount of blood spilled it has to be, I did not even hear much of a commission and no I did not see what it was”
Wait, you did not see what killed the dog, I will need to know for vaccine reasons what it was. Any tracks left behind?”
“Nothing… I just found a big pool of blood and my other dog with its leg bit bad some twenty yards away. He looked terrified. Something scared it really bad, even tried to attack me before it passed out. My other dog got bit rather badly on his back leg. He won’t move… his heart is beating but he won’t wake up… I think it may be a fever…”
“The doctor is at the city tonight and won’t be back until tomorrow if not delayed. Most I can do is have a quick look and store him in our examination room over night. He can’t go in the kennel as it is under quarantine with a very bad pathogen. Also cannot risk your dog infecting those on the mend.”
“I understand… just do whatever you can”
“Where did this happen? Was it recent?”
“Just down the road at the cattle crossing. We were hunting a coyote that must have escaped when my dogs ran into a bear… has to have been a bear... or maybe a cougar but …with that much blood…so fast…it must have hit his jugular …that has to be the reason for it… god so much blood…”
“Calm down sir… and let’s go out take a look at your dog. I will do an examination outside unless we require the machines. If it’s just a bite it can’t be that bad. We can clean it up from infection. Vaccinate and boost his immune system a bit. He should be just fine. You are the fellow who lives in the farm west of here are you not…”
Rosie’s voice trailed off as she left the building. Dials heart sunk into his chest as earlier guilt he completely forgot filled him. He did not dare admit to it but Tony stared at him with a hint of fear.
“Dial… that wasn’t… couldn’t have been you could it…you would tell me the truth wouldn’t you?”
“NO NO NOT ME!” Dial winched before Tony covered his mouth.
“Speak to my head silly don’t give us away…”
“Oh sorry… no no I … something happened… look tony… I will be honest… if I lie about it you won’t trust me… honestly I don’t know what happened… it couldn’t have been me. I would never take a life like that… I mean I know I am a coyote and all but frankly I don’t have the heart for it anymore… you guys keep me well fed so I don’t even need to hunt to survive… and trust me.. a dog would kill me much easier than I could it. I did not kill that dog. But I was there… it was his blood… But fox was there too.. fox… it had to be fox… somehow…
“Well… that makes it even more terrifying… a demonic killer fox… the last thing i needed complicating things.”
Dials ears lowered in shame and tony looked over and rubbed at his head.
“Not you buddy… you are a welcome complication… “
Dial patted his tail a bit weakly. His heart raced with anxiety and he almost forgot about the aches. Dial tried to tell the truth but saying that he was not sure was not going to comfort tony and only would make tony worry about his own life. Somehow shifting the blame to fox made it worse. He could smell some fear scent off tony but tried to ignore it and focus on the dog outside that may run in and kill him helpless… After being chased by that very same dog earlier… it was hard to be so relaxed about it being so close. It surely would smell him… he had to have it leashed.
“Oh god tony; please make sure that dog is on a leash! If he smells me he will sniff me out”
“Sounded like he is barely conscious dial, but he will not get through this door. Do not worry.”
Though the dog never came inside and a vehicle was heard driving off. They must have been so busy in conversation before that they did not hear it. But Tony and Dial were being so quiet that they could hear even the frogs croaking all around the ranch. Shortly after doors opened and a last moment of anxiety occurred until it was obvious Dee and Rosie were behind the noises. Tony ventured out first then wheeled out the coyote on his mobile table.
“So…”
“Ask later… dog should be just fine… I think it was the man who was more shook up… you would have thought he saw a monster only he saw nothing… but still having a dog get killed by a bear... horrible.. this one bit not by a bear… canine… hmm… dial did you bite this dog”
Tony looked down at him and dial barked “not that I know of”.
An honest answer but tony relayed it. Dial skirted the truth, he really did not know. If he had he would have a whole new set of worries. First a human then a spirit fox... now possibly a dog… would the dog talk and be friendly. Or would it possibly become an enemy... or worse… some kind of monster beast? A weredog? Nah such creatures were fantasy to all Dial knew.
“Well your x-rays are ready by now so let’s take a look. Dee can you give me a hand with them.”
The two women walked to the room that Tony had been hiding in with the coyote. They soon emerged and placed some large clear images onto a board. Then they pushed a button making the board light up. Dial flinched for a moment… he saw his head and neck and it looked like a monster about to gobble him up.
“Gah… is that what I relay look like inside! I look like a monster. Please don’t think of me like that.”
“Relax buddy, all coyotes and even dogs look similar. You guys are predators with sharp teeth, you know that, I suppose though it would be rare to see a skull of another coyote like that. Humans look much the same but different structure” Tony said.
“Oh my… that is not… right” Rosie muttered wordily.
“What what is wrong… a freak…a monster”. Dial whined at tony.
“No no you are fine… I can’t read x-rays the way Rosie can…be patient.” tony said.
Dial sat and waited and the women talked quietly and had rather concerned looks on their faces. Then Rosie took the responsibility to be the one to give bad news.
“Dial…I have good news and bad news…prepare yourself… we will do our best to minimize damage and if you are very good at healing up and do not do anything bad it may heal up better…
“What is wrong… tell it to me straight… I can take it…what is wrong…”
Tony translated for the coyote.
“Well…” Rosie stuttered.
The two women looked at each other timidly then at tony.
“You have fractures to almost 20% of your major bones. Though, most of the concentration seems to be located on your limbs. There are some bit on your ribs. Thankfully there are none on your vertebra um... your spine.” Dial… you have the bones like a very old coyote… It almost is like you have a bone disease but you are perfectly healthy. It as if your bones just decided to become brittle. … It is a mystery. I have no clue what happened or how you could possibly crack your bones? We most definitely need to keep this from David as he may be unpredictable with a medical mystery such as this. He would get to many second opinions and people involved. Ultimately he may think of a humane option… that is unacceptable with you… do not worry though…it will never come to that. How on earth…no never mind… I am sure you will explain it whenever you are good and ready. Dee, please prepare the casting materials. ” Rosie explained though dial was a bit confused.
Dial had no idea what a humane option was? But it did not sound pleasant.
“Well...you will definitely need casts on all four of your limbs if they are to heal at all. The areas we can cast should heal in good time but you will be a bit helpless for a month or two while you heal. Can you be good with simply sitting around lazy and not moving much?”
Dial did not find the thought inviting but then often laying about in a cage is all he got to do prior so he was used to it. The Trailer home that Tony and Dee lived in was much bigger than that little shack he lived in but smaller than his old cage, though seems he would not be mobile much.
“We will need to do daily therapy with you to help keep your blood flowing well and make sure you don’t get sores from inactivity. The good news is we have a lot we can do to heal you. However; the rest is up to you and how well your body decides to heal. There is a risk you may never walk again if you do not heal well and you must be very tolerating and cooperative to give your body the chance it needs.”
“What is the matter though… you seem worried… what are you not telling me… please just be honest… I can handle it… I can… no more secrets please!” dial yapped out with concerned barks before Tony hushed him and soothed his back to relax him”
“What did he say?” Rosie asked.
“He is concerned but wants the whole truth… I think he can tell you are holding back the worst of it to protect him. He says he can handle it.” Tony stated.
“I have been through far worse tony tonight; I most certainly can handle it.” Dial talked to Tony’s mind.
Rosie stared at the x-rays and even Dee was uncertain what was wrong.
“Are you sure you want to know my sweet little one?”
“Yes”, tony translated.”
“Well Dial… this is frankly impossible… what I am seeing here just does not make sense. There is no use to get David’s expert option on this one as he would be just as perplexed. Your muscle tissue seems fine spare for a few scraps along the sharp lines of fracture. It is what is hurting you but by remaining still you have minimized the damage. You will have a minor bit of internal muscle bleeding which will heal slowly. Your bones will take longer. What worries me is the sheer amount, of fractures. It is like you were rolled off a cliff. Hit with large bats and beat up with fists. Only not a single bone is broken, just cracked with small fractures. The strange part is you have almost no muscle damage and no exterior wounds. It is like the injuries only were sustained from your bones and nothing else. It is as if your bones shattered like glass and were glued back into place. It is like your bones were made of glass and just by running normally you cracked them.
Dial shook with terror as that is exactly how it had felt. Suddenly he wished he had simply walked gently home. He had not heeded the white coyote warning and had been to scatter brained. It was as if the moment he returned to his flesh and blood body his animal side took greater hold over him. He fled like a scared animal would, even more so from fear far too irrational for an animal to have.
“What about healing… this will heal wont it?” Dial barked alarmed.
“He wants to know if it will heal.” Tony translated.
It is unclear as I have never seen something so severe and it is impossible to have such horribly cracked bones and minimal flesh injury. I do not understand how this is possible and I only hope you heal normally and whatever weakened your bones is temporary or you may never walk again. I have heard of bone diseases but you are perfectly healthy. I fear if you had of kept running before Dee found you, you would have broken bones. It is a lot of injury to heal and will take time and luck. Though even after it heals…in my experience it is painful to walk and you may have permanent pain. I believe we found you in time to prevent you being crippled for life, but I fear the pain will be too great to run ever again, and even walking may be slow and challenging. I am very sorry but unless there is a miracle I doubt this will ever heal back to 100%. Only time will tell.
Dial was mortified… for a moment his mind went to a very dark and terrified place and he became lost in fear. Had he been foolish and not healed right but… no... the coyote would not have needed to heal him if he had not become broken and nearly died… so then did something happen to his own body … no.. it was that dam fox… stupid fox… wait… how? Dial had no memory of the time fox had almost crushed him to extract his blood. Yet something inside him recalled the violent attack. Al he knew is that fox attacked him but he did not know when how and why. Fox had… almost killed him and…no wait… maybe… it was when the memory was taken out. He did know that memory was taken… magic… only way. So … maybe when fox reached in… wait… what did those two say before? Dial slightly remembered the fox and the coyote talking about nearly breaking him… no repairing damage done… was it damage fox did to dial or was Dial responsible for foxes arm? Or were both true? Dial was so angry… but he did not want to growl and scare his human friends…he wanted to kill fox but now he was a useless lump of a coyote. He was so angry he never even thought how lucky he was to still be alive. His life seemed over.
“WHAT GOOD IS A COYOTE WHO CAN’T RUN” dial sobbed without tears but everyone could tell he was deeply upset. However; only tony truly knew much what he was going through. Rather than explain it he simply cuddled over him gently and rubbed at him soothingly.
“I know this is difficult brother but we are here for you … we love you and we will help you through this.
Dials heart sank into his chest, he wanted to squirm and flail but knew it was not a good idea… he started to whine terrified.
“We love you Dial. We will do all we can do help you through this. Do not lose hope. We do not know how the healing will go.” Rosie rubbed at his neck soothingly.
Rose and Dee both put their hands over a front paw and he looked at them with a mix of needing comfort and the pain he felt. They then started to go to work. He would be banded up for quite awhile… and they only had a few more hours before Dee would need to go pick up the others.
“What good is a coyote that cannot run…” he whimpered to Tony.
Tony felt his own heart sink into his chest a bit but he tried to be the optimistic supportive fellow he always had been. Dial waited for them to start treatment, though he was lost in his own worries and imagination. If his eyes had tears, he would have already drowned in his own sorrow.
The smell of wet dog, or wet coyote rather… filled the office rather quick as his wet fur emanated in the small walls and had nowhere to ventilate. Though otherwise it was surprisingly sterile and clean, it had to be since they were a medical facility and could not afford to be unclean. Dial felt more clean just by being in there but it may have just been the stink leaving his body. He was not completely cleaned and still was rather smelly, but some of the soap helped and soon he was in a very warm interior place he had only seen once before. On the other side of the office through a door was the medical area, in the back were the general kennels and to the side was the examination area. They went there first though passed by the Kennel door.
“What is back that way?” dial inquired while passing the kennel.
“You can’t go back that way, we need to keep you away from there; quarantine” tony replied.
Dee caught what he was inquired and filled him in about a topic he was very curious. In the last weeks two new high priority visitors had arrived. Very ill and possibly would die but there was fear of infection and fear they would not save them.
“We cannot take you back that way Hun, it is under quarantine. The two very sick wolves are back there, one of them nearly terminal. They need to stay safe in doors while their health returns and the illness leaves their bodies. They are infectious to canines not humans so you cannot go near there. We risk infecting you just by having you in here but thankfully Tony ensured the lab was sterile and we keep good housekeeping here. If you do get sick we can treat you fast and easy. These two went through the worst of it and would have died without our help. Though there is no vaccine. If you get sick you stay sick and there is always a chance something bad can occur. They should be in your old pen soon. Though with your injuries we may need to find a temporary home for you as casts cannot be outside and wet, and the kennel is occupied… we will know more when we see what your bones look like.” Dee explained.
“MY BONES!”
Dial squirmed a bit with panic which only made his bones ache.
“Calm down, calm down, we are not going to hurt you, you are causing yourself pain by moving. Relax. If you move to much you could do far worse. DO you want to be able to walk again… stop moving!
Dial complied but the ache was still very bad…
“Tony it hurts can you please give me something for the pain? Dee said she had something mild but this is very bad”
“We can’t give you pain killers just yet. We need to do an examination and if you can’t feel pain you can’t tell us what hurts so we can figure out how baldy you are hurt.”
“Hurry please…just look at my bones… with your machine… make sure you put them back correctly“
Tony laughed as he remembered again how simple Dial could be despite how complex he could be other times.
“You are a very unique friend Dial. The more time I spend in your company the more I am starting to realize it is a complete treasure.”
Once again Dee and Rosie looked at each other as if they wished they could also hear the coyote speaking without sound so Tony looked rather crazy.
“I am not a child Tony, but yes… so much is fascinating or strange to me.”
“Do not worry… I know. It just brings joy to see things through your eyes a little.”
“Oh… I suppose it does to see things through human eyes too. I wouldn’t mind being human, but only for awhile. So… what is this human magic of yours? Or science you call it.”
“Ha ha… just a machine no magic. It is mostly harmless. Not good to use it too much… but a little is just fine… it looks through your body except for bones… we can see your bones under you… “
Dial was propped up carefully and repositioned, it was painful but about 20 detailed x-rays were taken and Dee went to go develop them.
“This will take awhile; we don’t have a fancy room like a hospital does. But they should be ready in 30 minutes.”
Dial was very sore from all that prodding but it was not over yet… soon came the rather painful part… a careful tactile examination. He was asked nearly one hundred times “if it hurt”, and simply used tony to translate as it was easier than blinking. Half way through Dial asked for a pain killer and was again denied.
“Almost over, I am deeply concerned at the sheer number of tender places on your limbs… it would seem your limbs could have many fractures dial. Small cracks not complete breaks but even a crack will hurt a lot. What the hell did you do?”Rosie stated.
“I will have to tell you the truth of things later please trust me and just focus on helping fix me up right. I trust you to do it.” Dial asked Tony to translate.
“Ok... well I suppose then it will remain a mystery for now. You are right, let’s just focus on getting you fixed up. I do know something about healing and bones from working alongside my Husband for years. How you got injured may not be important, what matters is what is injured and what we can do to fix it. I will need to wait till I can see the x-rays. But you need to prepare for possible bad news… Though until I look at the results I will not know what is wrong or how long it may heal or what problems there may be.
Rosie then turned her attention to the problem of hiding any of this from her husband.
“Oh god David…I may be able to lie to the interns but David… the only idea I have is that we somehow can fix Dial up and keep the whole thing a secret. Get rid of all evidence and clean up. This little one may need to recover in his cage but it seems like his bones are fractured or broken and he will needs a cast. That sort of thing cannot be ignored… it’s not like we can just hide him.” Rosie panicked
“Let’s just wait and see for the results before we freak out. We may be able to do light cast dressing and wrap with garbage bags to keep dry. David is going to have to find out eventually as he will freak otherwise.” Dee said.
“No no... Not while the interns are here. We need to keep Dial a secret for everyone’s own good including his.” Rosie replied.
“I do agree… we may need to fake a little break out…” Dee suggested.
“Wait what?” Rosie inquired.
“Well, if Dial say… got loose of his collar and ran off and them magically returns later … he will be healed up and David will not know the wiser. Lies tend to have a way to become bigger lies though so we need to think this through carefully and choose the best course of action.” Dee stated.
“God that will piss David off but it is crazy… just may work, but how can we hide Dial?”
“Well…” Dee looked over at dial then at Tony.
“Dial… if you promise to not pee and let us wash and care for all your needs… you can live with me and tony. The trailer is large enough to hold a coyote. Especially one that is going to need to sit and sleep and rest and stay very still for a month or more.”
Dial had not given thought to just how long his recovery may take…
“He spoke to Tony’s mind as he was weak and tired now.
“Oh… um”, tony translated. “He would be more than happy to live in the trailer. In fact he kind of hoped to be allowed to at some point…hmm…”
“Well… just temporarily but… who knows what the future brings sweetie. It is David who is an issue but if we can survive our summer internship ok then everything should be fine once we clue David into you and he has time to adjust. He will take it a lot harder I suspect” Rosie stated.
“I think it is a great idea.” Dee said gleefully.
Dial wagged to hear Dee be so optimistic.
“Well it was you idea silly. Though, he may need to return to a pen when the big one is finished. At least while the interns are here…oh gosh… if Dial is being hidden in there where are they going to stay? Rose added.”
“May be a lot to ask but perhaps they can stay with you and the Doctor. You do not live to far so it makes sense and they are temporary.”
“Hmm that would be a bit of an adjustment but if it is temporary David may go with it providing they do house chores to earn their stay. We do have two spare rooms which we use for family visits at Christmas. Should work find for summer? I will have to battle David about it but I can state that you two are valued higher level employees who deserve to not have two strangers crammed into you living space. He will grump but I will pull a trump card on him. I can be persuasive about small things and he just gives up when he realizes I won’t back down. When it comes to the animals he generally has last say but in small logistical things he trusts me to make final decisions. The interns will be working the mornings with David’s shift. Tony will be up in the day to help give the new interns tasks and do whatever work he can manage and you will be working evenings with me. No one at night so it gives us some time to sneak any care to Dial he requires. Though, in the day he will need to be very good.”
“Don’t worry I can take many naps and won’t keep you up at night, I promise to be a good house guest also”
“Wow… it still amazes me you keep up with the conversation, it is a pity you cannot speak English to them also…”
Dial lowered his ears a bit. Tony had both complimented and insulted him somehow. It simply would appear to others as though he was just whining about pain, and not his emotions being prodded.
“Oh don’t worry pal…we will get you fixed up soon” tony turned his attention to the women; “he is just fine with all this and said he will work hard and sleep in naps to help adjust to things. I can leave him things to do while I am out and return for breaks to visit with him so he does not get to restless. I we can help feed him and tend to his needs. In the evening after David and the interns go home we can even carry you out side. May be unconventional but at least you can get some fresh air. Even bring you out to the fire pit with us in the evenings and talk. It will be our own special little time.” Tony offered.
“Oh that sounds rather fun. The four of us together all summer long. Don’t worry Dial I have seen and fixed many fractures before and it should not be that much of an issue. You should heal up just fine. As for the trailer; I will start using the lock, Dial will need to stay hidden in the bedroom but the door is locked for privacy but I can teach him how to lock it from the inside so no one can find him. He will need to be absolutely quiet if he ever hears people approaching until he knows it is safe to move around. I will need to fix some of the curtains for privacy and something will have to be done about his smell for everyone’s benefit. Thankfully we need to shave his limbs for casting and will sterilize him from filth that may infect him later. The rest of his fur we can give a nice gentle scrub and make him super clean. Though, he will start to get smelly even with living inside. No more than a dog. No baths because we will need to secure his hind legs in a sitting so that he can sleep without worry of hurting them. Many technical aspects to consider but we will figure them out.”
Dial huffed a bit annoyed. He was getting a bit annoyed because they seemed to be switching between talking to him and talking about him. It was so easy for humans to talk about animals like things. He would just need to not take insult of it and be patient. Even tony seemed to do it and he could talk easily with Dial. In time hopefully it would be less like this and more like talking with fox but he had no idea. He tried to make a mental note for later to ask the white coyote about communication. Maybe there was a way to improve his abilities so that everyone could hear him. He wondered what she may have to say about Tony and Dee’s strange abilities, how the bite may be related, and even the idea of Rosie teaching him like a human. His mind wondered back to the cage as being locked up in a trailer felt like a fancier cage and he would not be that wrong.
“Well at least you can help take me out for walks and stuff maybe use that stretcher to help carry me. I will take what I can get but please I never want to live in a cage again if I can help it”
“Um… buddy you may need to fake it or put up with it just to help keep your secret between us but eventually we will figure out how to let David best know and it cannot happen while the interns are here. Frankly the good that came out of this is that living with us will be
“I understand I understand… do not worry… I will be a good coyote and trust me… after the night I had, even the largest of inconveniences by you is nothing compared to what I fear fox may have put me through tonight… I am just so happy to be home and safe again with you all. I feared I may never make it back alive. “
Tony gently hugged over the coyote with his whole upper body and dial chirred happily. Dee and Rosie who had only caught Tony’s half; looked at them both perplexed. It was as if they finally understood the depth of how Dial felt about being in a cage. It was like putting a human being in prison. The guilt crept into them so they rushed to get medical supplies ready as though it would help alleviate their consciences. Then everyone waited for the x-rays so they knew just what was going on with the coyotes injuries and how best to treat them. Dial did hope to never have to live in a pen again, but did not want to push his luck. The current situation had almost made him forget about fox completely and even his current injuries were less on his mind as he pictured life in the trailer with Tony and Dee. Somehow this was a small dream of his from the days when all he had to do was look far across the way from his pen and dream of life inside. He would finally get his wish, just not as expected.
“Oh I forgot to translate, sorry… you may have understood just from listening to me. He really does not wish to be caged or locked up anymore. He does agree to a leash but hopes even that will be not needed. He will behave, never growl if he can help it, and has no desire to live anyone except with us as his family… he told me so before… is that correct buddy?” tony asked.
Dial nodded weakly, he was so tired and nearly falling asleep or maybe just from exhaustion.
“I suppose he does not want to live in a cage or have to wear a leash all the time… about as much as we would not want to.” Rosie stated.
“I guess that a smarter coyote comes with more complications on things like culture shock, imprisonment, and inequality… you give us a lot to think about little one.” Dee added.
Dials ears twitched being called that, he hated when fox did. Though, he would not bark at those trying to save his life. He was not that stupid.
“A leash and collar may be passable but it would take a lot to convince David to let you off a leash.. may need to compromise… but you will not be walking for awhile so my home is our home if that’s what Dee is suggesting. We may need to pretend you are a normal animal once and awhile which may require you to stay a few nights in a cage… if that is reasonable.”
All of a sudden the sound of a door opened from the far side of the building and everyone’s hair stood on end. For a brief minute of terror the all froze in silence and listened. Terrified it was David who had returned somehow.
“HELLO!” a unfamiliar voice called out.
“Who is that… this is the middle of the night and private property?”
“I am sorry it is an emergency…my dog you have to help my dog…”
The trio of humans looked at each other and as if they all had some nonexistent psychic link they all went to work quickly to hide what had transpired. Tony quickly wheeled the mobile table Dial had been sitting on into the x-ray room to hide him. Rosie ran out to stop the man from entering with his dog as per the quarantine. Dee stayed behind and started to clean up all the evidence and prepare for anything that may occur with a dog emergency.
“Dial you have to be silent as a mouse… do not make a bark or a sound ok… he cannot find you in here like this as it may lead back to David.” Tony whispered.
“Ok Tony…not a sound”, dial swore.
Dial listened as best he could… soon the voice started to seem familiar to him somehow… he had heard that man’s voice before. Then it came to him… it was the man who had shouted to the other man… the man who had called his prized well trained Border collie to him and directed him to chase after the coyote… it was the hunter!
“My dog… something killed and dragged off one of my dogs… had to have been a bear? Only thing that could have carried him off like that…”
“Wait why are you here if your dog was taken away? You are certain it is dead?”
“With the amount of blood spilled it has to be, I did not even hear much of a commission and no I did not see what it was”
Wait, you did not see what killed the dog, I will need to know for vaccine reasons what it was. Any tracks left behind?”
“Nothing… I just found a big pool of blood and my other dog with its leg bit bad some twenty yards away. He looked terrified. Something scared it really bad, even tried to attack me before it passed out. My other dog got bit rather badly on his back leg. He won’t move… his heart is beating but he won’t wake up… I think it may be a fever…”
“The doctor is at the city tonight and won’t be back until tomorrow if not delayed. Most I can do is have a quick look and store him in our examination room over night. He can’t go in the kennel as it is under quarantine with a very bad pathogen. Also cannot risk your dog infecting those on the mend.”
“I understand… just do whatever you can”
“Where did this happen? Was it recent?”
“Just down the road at the cattle crossing. We were hunting a coyote that must have escaped when my dogs ran into a bear… has to have been a bear... or maybe a cougar but …with that much blood…so fast…it must have hit his jugular …that has to be the reason for it… god so much blood…”
“Calm down sir… and let’s go out take a look at your dog. I will do an examination outside unless we require the machines. If it’s just a bite it can’t be that bad. We can clean it up from infection. Vaccinate and boost his immune system a bit. He should be just fine. You are the fellow who lives in the farm west of here are you not…”
Rosie’s voice trailed off as she left the building. Dials heart sunk into his chest as earlier guilt he completely forgot filled him. He did not dare admit to it but Tony stared at him with a hint of fear.
“Dial… that wasn’t… couldn’t have been you could it…you would tell me the truth wouldn’t you?”
“NO NO NOT ME!” Dial winched before Tony covered his mouth.
“Speak to my head silly don’t give us away…”
“Oh sorry… no no I … something happened… look tony… I will be honest… if I lie about it you won’t trust me… honestly I don’t know what happened… it couldn’t have been me. I would never take a life like that… I mean I know I am a coyote and all but frankly I don’t have the heart for it anymore… you guys keep me well fed so I don’t even need to hunt to survive… and trust me.. a dog would kill me much easier than I could it. I did not kill that dog. But I was there… it was his blood… But fox was there too.. fox… it had to be fox… somehow…
“Well… that makes it even more terrifying… a demonic killer fox… the last thing i needed complicating things.”
Dials ears lowered in shame and tony looked over and rubbed at his head.
“Not you buddy… you are a welcome complication… “
Dial patted his tail a bit weakly. His heart raced with anxiety and he almost forgot about the aches. Dial tried to tell the truth but saying that he was not sure was not going to comfort tony and only would make tony worry about his own life. Somehow shifting the blame to fox made it worse. He could smell some fear scent off tony but tried to ignore it and focus on the dog outside that may run in and kill him helpless… After being chased by that very same dog earlier… it was hard to be so relaxed about it being so close. It surely would smell him… he had to have it leashed.
“Oh god tony; please make sure that dog is on a leash! If he smells me he will sniff me out”
“Sounded like he is barely conscious dial, but he will not get through this door. Do not worry.”
Though the dog never came inside and a vehicle was heard driving off. They must have been so busy in conversation before that they did not hear it. But Tony and Dial were being so quiet that they could hear even the frogs croaking all around the ranch. Shortly after doors opened and a last moment of anxiety occurred until it was obvious Dee and Rosie were behind the noises. Tony ventured out first then wheeled out the coyote on his mobile table.
“So…”
“Ask later… dog should be just fine… I think it was the man who was more shook up… you would have thought he saw a monster only he saw nothing… but still having a dog get killed by a bear... horrible.. this one bit not by a bear… canine… hmm… dial did you bite this dog”
Tony looked down at him and dial barked “not that I know of”.
An honest answer but tony relayed it. Dial skirted the truth, he really did not know. If he had he would have a whole new set of worries. First a human then a spirit fox... now possibly a dog… would the dog talk and be friendly. Or would it possibly become an enemy... or worse… some kind of monster beast? A weredog? Nah such creatures were fantasy to all Dial knew.
“Well your x-rays are ready by now so let’s take a look. Dee can you give me a hand with them.”
The two women walked to the room that Tony had been hiding in with the coyote. They soon emerged and placed some large clear images onto a board. Then they pushed a button making the board light up. Dial flinched for a moment… he saw his head and neck and it looked like a monster about to gobble him up.
“Gah… is that what I relay look like inside! I look like a monster. Please don’t think of me like that.”
“Relax buddy, all coyotes and even dogs look similar. You guys are predators with sharp teeth, you know that, I suppose though it would be rare to see a skull of another coyote like that. Humans look much the same but different structure” Tony said.
“Oh my… that is not… right” Rosie muttered wordily.
“What what is wrong… a freak…a monster”. Dial whined at tony.
“No no you are fine… I can’t read x-rays the way Rosie can…be patient.” tony said.
Dial sat and waited and the women talked quietly and had rather concerned looks on their faces. Then Rosie took the responsibility to be the one to give bad news.
“Dial…I have good news and bad news…prepare yourself… we will do our best to minimize damage and if you are very good at healing up and do not do anything bad it may heal up better…
“What is wrong… tell it to me straight… I can take it…what is wrong…”
Tony translated for the coyote.
“Well…” Rosie stuttered.
The two women looked at each other timidly then at tony.
“You have fractures to almost 20% of your major bones. Though, most of the concentration seems to be located on your limbs. There are some bit on your ribs. Thankfully there are none on your vertebra um... your spine.” Dial… you have the bones like a very old coyote… It almost is like you have a bone disease but you are perfectly healthy. It as if your bones just decided to become brittle. … It is a mystery. I have no clue what happened or how you could possibly crack your bones? We most definitely need to keep this from David as he may be unpredictable with a medical mystery such as this. He would get to many second opinions and people involved. Ultimately he may think of a humane option… that is unacceptable with you… do not worry though…it will never come to that. How on earth…no never mind… I am sure you will explain it whenever you are good and ready. Dee, please prepare the casting materials. ” Rosie explained though dial was a bit confused.
Dial had no idea what a humane option was? But it did not sound pleasant.
“Well...you will definitely need casts on all four of your limbs if they are to heal at all. The areas we can cast should heal in good time but you will be a bit helpless for a month or two while you heal. Can you be good with simply sitting around lazy and not moving much?”
Dial did not find the thought inviting but then often laying about in a cage is all he got to do prior so he was used to it. The Trailer home that Tony and Dee lived in was much bigger than that little shack he lived in but smaller than his old cage, though seems he would not be mobile much.
“We will need to do daily therapy with you to help keep your blood flowing well and make sure you don’t get sores from inactivity. The good news is we have a lot we can do to heal you. However; the rest is up to you and how well your body decides to heal. There is a risk you may never walk again if you do not heal well and you must be very tolerating and cooperative to give your body the chance it needs.”
“What is the matter though… you seem worried… what are you not telling me… please just be honest… I can handle it… I can… no more secrets please!” dial yapped out with concerned barks before Tony hushed him and soothed his back to relax him”
“What did he say?” Rosie asked.
“He is concerned but wants the whole truth… I think he can tell you are holding back the worst of it to protect him. He says he can handle it.” Tony stated.
“I have been through far worse tony tonight; I most certainly can handle it.” Dial talked to Tony’s mind.
Rosie stared at the x-rays and even Dee was uncertain what was wrong.
“Are you sure you want to know my sweet little one?”
“Yes”, tony translated.”
“Well Dial… this is frankly impossible… what I am seeing here just does not make sense. There is no use to get David’s expert option on this one as he would be just as perplexed. Your muscle tissue seems fine spare for a few scraps along the sharp lines of fracture. It is what is hurting you but by remaining still you have minimized the damage. You will have a minor bit of internal muscle bleeding which will heal slowly. Your bones will take longer. What worries me is the sheer amount, of fractures. It is like you were rolled off a cliff. Hit with large bats and beat up with fists. Only not a single bone is broken, just cracked with small fractures. The strange part is you have almost no muscle damage and no exterior wounds. It is like the injuries only were sustained from your bones and nothing else. It is as if your bones shattered like glass and were glued back into place. It is like your bones were made of glass and just by running normally you cracked them.
Dial shook with terror as that is exactly how it had felt. Suddenly he wished he had simply walked gently home. He had not heeded the white coyote warning and had been to scatter brained. It was as if the moment he returned to his flesh and blood body his animal side took greater hold over him. He fled like a scared animal would, even more so from fear far too irrational for an animal to have.
“What about healing… this will heal wont it?” Dial barked alarmed.
“He wants to know if it will heal.” Tony translated.
It is unclear as I have never seen something so severe and it is impossible to have such horribly cracked bones and minimal flesh injury. I do not understand how this is possible and I only hope you heal normally and whatever weakened your bones is temporary or you may never walk again. I have heard of bone diseases but you are perfectly healthy. I fear if you had of kept running before Dee found you, you would have broken bones. It is a lot of injury to heal and will take time and luck. Though even after it heals…in my experience it is painful to walk and you may have permanent pain. I believe we found you in time to prevent you being crippled for life, but I fear the pain will be too great to run ever again, and even walking may be slow and challenging. I am very sorry but unless there is a miracle I doubt this will ever heal back to 100%. Only time will tell.
Dial was mortified… for a moment his mind went to a very dark and terrified place and he became lost in fear. Had he been foolish and not healed right but… no... the coyote would not have needed to heal him if he had not become broken and nearly died… so then did something happen to his own body … no.. it was that dam fox… stupid fox… wait… how? Dial had no memory of the time fox had almost crushed him to extract his blood. Yet something inside him recalled the violent attack. Al he knew is that fox attacked him but he did not know when how and why. Fox had… almost killed him and…no wait… maybe… it was when the memory was taken out. He did know that memory was taken… magic… only way. So … maybe when fox reached in… wait… what did those two say before? Dial slightly remembered the fox and the coyote talking about nearly breaking him… no repairing damage done… was it damage fox did to dial or was Dial responsible for foxes arm? Or were both true? Dial was so angry… but he did not want to growl and scare his human friends…he wanted to kill fox but now he was a useless lump of a coyote. He was so angry he never even thought how lucky he was to still be alive. His life seemed over.
“WHAT GOOD IS A COYOTE WHO CAN’T RUN” dial sobbed without tears but everyone could tell he was deeply upset. However; only tony truly knew much what he was going through. Rather than explain it he simply cuddled over him gently and rubbed at him soothingly.
“I know this is difficult brother but we are here for you … we love you and we will help you through this.
Dials heart sank into his chest, he wanted to squirm and flail but knew it was not a good idea… he started to whine terrified.
“We love you Dial. We will do all we can do help you through this. Do not lose hope. We do not know how the healing will go.” Rosie rubbed at his neck soothingly.
Rose and Dee both put their hands over a front paw and he looked at them with a mix of needing comfort and the pain he felt. They then started to go to work. He would be banded up for quite awhile… and they only had a few more hours before Dee would need to go pick up the others.
“What good is a coyote that cannot run…” he whimpered to Tony.
Tony felt his own heart sink into his chest a bit but he tried to be the optimistic supportive fellow he always had been. Dial waited for them to start treatment, though he was lost in his own worries and imagination. If his eyes had tears, he would have already drowned in his own sorrow.
Category Story / Transformation
Species Coyote
Size 120 x 120px
File Size 30.2 kB
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