The new trail’s end with Butterbeans
Alex watches them wheel Butterbeans into the O.R. He turns and starts walking to the exit. Air. Right now he needed air. Everything was too dark. Too close. He just needed some space, wide open space, and air. It was never supposed to be this way. This should have never happened. He walks blindly to the exit doors and makes his way outside.
Jared and Emily Kate are standing just outside the emergency entrance. Emily rushes to him as he passes through the doors. She doesn’t say a word but looks at him and reads his face. Then she hugs him and tries to console him. Jared is standing just behind her. And tears are streaming from his eyes. They leave trails through the soot that covers his face. In fact, they are all covered in the thick smoke, of the burning mine.
Finally, softly, Emily asks him how Butterbeans is doing. She is looking at him intently and a soft breath of air escapes him, as he answers her truthfully.
“I don’t know…they have her now…I hope, all I can do is hope.” He pauses and studies the ground while he gathers himself. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
The New Trail’s End
It was a trap. A ruse from the start. Whatever, or whoever, Butterbeans followed into the mine shaft, led her into a booby trapped chamber. Indeed, the old gunpowder was highly volatile. And unstable. Furthermore it didn’t take much to trigger it. The blast was powerful. It’s a wonder the whole mine didn’t cave in. By the time Alex got to the chamber all the old timber work was ablaze.
With Jared and Emily Kate’s help, they were able to get Butterbeans to safety. Now, however, he has no idea if his friend will make it or not. But he does know who he’s going to see about it.
Gently he takes Emily Kate’s hand. He knows he is asking a lot, but time is short and he has to try everything he can.
“Can you please wait here with Butterbeans?” She is searching his eyes but he continues quickly so as to alleviate her concerns. “I’ll be back in less than an hour. I have an idea, but I have to go back to Caper Town, but it’s worth it to try.”
The New Trail’s End With Butterbeans
Alex drives like a bat out of hell. He knew exactly where he needed to be. In fact, all of this made much better sense now. The clues, and likewise the strange events. Each time Butterbeans encountered someone, or something, Alex couldn’t see. He knew since she was a pup that Butterbeans saw things no one else could see.
Furthermore, he picked up on the tell tale signs she exhibited each time it happened. Until now, Alex always thought there was no way for him to help. Now, however, he could see that it was possible to do more. He was going to do more. He was going to do everything he could, to help his friend.
***** Emily Kate is sitting in the waiting room. Jared is safely back home and she is content to wait on news of Butterbeans. She is still trying to get her mind around what has happened. How could a simple treasure hunt turn so bad, so quickly? Furthermore what was Alex doing? And when would he be back? Right now she just wished he would get back.
The door to the operating room opens, and a very somber faced Doctor steps forth. Then walks straight to Emily Kate. The doctor is not smiling.
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The New Trail’s End