The Coffee Shop Pt. 05

Andy walked up to me a few seconds later. He stood on my right side. "Lean on me and we'll get you to Doc," he said.

"Thanks, Andy," I said to him. It was a lot easier hobbling with him, than with the horse.

"This ain't over, greenhorn," Mister Carson barked at me.

I ignored him. The pain in my right leg was more important to me right about then. "Just get me to the Doc, Andy," I said.

"Sure," Andy replied and we hobbled off. He didn't say anything as we made our way to the back of the main building where the medical office was. I didn't feel much like talking. I just wanted the pain to end, or to get off my feet at least. Andy could very easily have carried me using the fireman's carry if he'd wanted to, as he'd done that before in my apartment. It would have been faster and easier for both of us. However, he let me keep my dignity by helping me to hobble over to see Doc.

We arrived in the small medical office. It might have been a vet's office for all I knew. There was no one in the room. It appeared to be a combination of an office, and an examination room. There was a desk, a couple of chairs and the examination table you'd expect to see in the examination room of a doctor's office. There were several cabinets along the far wall. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"Someone's been sent to find Doc, and get him here to look at you," Andy said to me as he helped me up on the examination table. I sat there for a half a minute or so. Andy didn't say anything more to me. That wasn't like him.

"What's going on, Andy? Why is Mister Carson so upset with me? Why did those cowboys look like they'd seen a ghost?" I asked

Andy looked at me hard. 'What did you do to that horse, Paul?" He asked me, ignoring my questions.

"I didn't do anything to her, Andy," I answered, puzzled by his question.

"It's only us here. You can talk freely. You used your powers on her, didn't you?" Andy asked.


"My powers don't work on animals, Andy. I didn't do anything to her," I answered. I didn't like where this conversation was going. I had a pretty good idea that Andy thought I was lying to him, and he wasn't pleased about it.

"Don't lie to me, Paul," Andy cautioned me. I could hear the anger beginning to flow into his voice.

"Hold on a second, Andy. I don't understand why everyone is so upset with me. All I did was hobble here for some help, and Rusty was kind enough to help me. In fact, she offered to help," I said to Andy.

"And you know this because?" Andy prompted me. From the look on his face it was clear that he had strong doubts about my story.

"It's kind of strange. When I touched her, I could feel what she was feeling. Why was she in a field all by herself? She was lonely and very sad. Was she being punished?" I asked.

"My God, how could you know that? You've never been to this ranch before, right?" Andy asked me, as his face turned white.

"Andy what's wrong? What did I say? What did I do that's got everyone upset?" I asked him suddenly concerned for him.

"Just answer my question, Paul. You've never been to this ranch before right?" Andy asked again.

"Yes, that's correct. I've never been here before," I answered. "I never even knew this place existed until you drove us here this morning. You never even told me the name of the ranch when we talked about this," I reminded him.

"That's right. You couldn't have known," Andy said thoughtfully. He looked over at me, studying me. "You say that when you touched Rusty you felt what she was feeling? Did you read her mind?"

"No. All I got were feelings that I knew were not coming from me. Since Rusty was the only mind around, the feelings had to be coming from her. Andy, this has never happened to me before. Is Rusty okay?" I asked.

"Apparently she is, and that's what's got everyone so spooked," Andy answered.

"That makes no sense at all, Andy," I commented. "You've got to explain what's going on around here before it drives me crazy."

"I fear you'll have to explain a few things to Mister Carson. He thinks you drugged Rusty." Andy answered. "Now before you say anything more, let me tell you what I know," Andy said holding up a hand to forestall my response. 'About six months ago Rusty gave birth to a beautiful colt. Everyone thought the colt was healthy. It died suddenly one night about three months ago, for reasons unknown. Since then, Rusty has had to be kept away from all the other horses, especially mares with colts. She kept trying to steal those mares' colts. The resulting fights were not pretty. Rusty also hasn't let a cowboy near her in three months. They have had to put her feed and water in the fenced area where you found her. She won't let anyone near her. They even had to tranquillize her to let the vet examine her. It was getting to the point where Mister Carson was not sure what to do with Rusty."


Andy took a deep breath and continued. "Now you hobble up to the main office with Rusty next to you, pretty as you please, without a bridle, a lead or even a rope about her neck. They all expected Rusty to bolt or go crazy. Then they saw Buck walk up to Rusty, put a rope around her neck and lead her away, like the last three months never happened. Is it any wonder the cowboys are all spooked? Can you blame Mister Carson for being upset with you?"

"Holy shit! I really put my foot in it this time!" I exclaimed.

"Yup," Andy said. "I don't know how you're going to talk your way out of this one, without revealing your powers to Mister Carson."

"Perhaps, I can help," said a soft voice from the other room. Andy and I looked up at the sound of that voice. We were both a bit upset at having been overheard. That's what we got for not closing the door after we came in to the room. I guess we were both so concerned about what had just happened, that we were not thinking clearly.

In walked a devilishly handsome cowboy, closing the door behind him. He was as tall as Andy, but had a much lighter build. There was a dirt stained yellowed straw hat sitting on top of his head of short straight back hair. Clean shaven and with a kind face, this cowboy did not appear to be a threat, but I was still concerned that he had overheard Andy and I speaking. The cowboy's face was handsome, with dark brown eyes, thick black eyebrows, a straight hard nose, a pair of medium sized full lips, and a hard chin. His face wasn't rugged, rather it looked mature with just a dash of kindness thrown in. I quickly looked over his body, since I had the opportunity. He was physically fit. His shoulders were not anywhere as broad as Andy's nor was the cowboy heavily muscled. He looked like your average ranch hand, physically able to do the work expected of him. He was wearing a gray cotton cowboy shirt, open at the neck. I could see the top of a white t-shirt peeking out from beneath the cowboy shirt. The shirt was tucked into a pair of comfortable fitting dark blue jeans. They could have been Wranglers, but I wouldn't know that for certain until I got a look at the cowboy's butt. All in good time, I told myself. The jeans had a dark brown leather belt looped through them, and the belt was fasten with a cowboy belt buckle that had a golden eagle on a plain silver background. The jeans ended above a pair of dusty dark brown cowboy boots. At least I think they were dark brown, it was hard to tell. The jeans fit the cowboy well, They were loose enough to give the cowboy comfort when he moved about, and snug enough to hint at what might be concealed beneath them.

"If you're done checking me out," the cowboy said with a slight smile.

"Err..sorry about that," I said and blushed. I hated it when guys caught me checking them out. I always felt like a little kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. I looked over at Andy. The big grin on his face, and the way he playfully waggled his right index finger at me, didn't help matters any.

"I'm the unofficial doctor for the ranch, by the way," said the cowboy. "The veterinarian is examining Rusty, and I've been asked to give you a good going over." The cowboy raised one eyebrow at me, suggestively.

"What do you mean by unofficial doctor?" I asked, cautiously, ignoring the raised eyebrow, and the unspoken implication.

"In exchange for my medical services, I get to board my horse here for free," the cowboy answered. He reached back with his right hand and pulled his wallet from his right back pocket. He carefully opened the wallet and fished out two cards. "Here's my driver's license and my doctor id from the hospital where I work. " He handed the cards to me with his left hand, while he put his wallet back in his right back pocket.


I took the cards from him, and examined them. They were both photo ids. He did appear to be whom he claimed he was; Doctor Robert Bolen. A smile came to my lips. "Can I call you Doctor Bob?" I asked.

"As in the Muppet Show?" Doctor Bolen replied back grinning. "I remember that television show too. Yes, you can call me that if it makes you feel better."

I handed the cards to Andy to let him examine them. It was good to know that this doctor had a sense of humour and didn't take himself too seriously. I thought that I was going to like him. The doctor bent forward and pushed the right leg of my jeans up to just below the knee. The doctor asked me to spin about and lie down on the examination table, and to raise my right leg in to the air. I complied. . Carefully the doctor tugged at my right cowboy boot and slowly worked it off of my right foot. It took about ten minutes, during which the doctor grunted a few times and I hissed at the pain in my right ankle and foot.

"There. That's better," the doctor said as he wiped his right forearm across his brow, sopping up the beads of sweat.

"Your cards, Doctor Bolen," Andy said as he held out the two cards to Doctor Bolen.

"That's so formal, Andy. Bob will do," Doctor Bolen replied as he used his left hand to take the cards from Andy. Bob fished out his wallet with his right hand and flipped the wallet open. It took him only a few seconds to put the card back where they belonged, and return his wallet to his right back pocket. His wallet, from what I could see, looked to be a cowboy style wallet. In case you are not familiar with it, it is the wallet that sticks out about a half an inch from the top of the back pocket of a pair of jeans, and usually the wallet has a round metal circle stamped into the leather. (Yes, I know, dear reader. Me and my fetish for men's butts and men's wallets. What can I say? It's a favourite hobby of mine.)

Bob returned his attention to my right foot and ankle. I kept quiet, so as not to distract him.

"Your right ankle is severely sprained. You'll have to use crutches to move about for the next week or so. I have a pair of crutches here that you can borrow, as long as you promise to bring them back. Aspirin should be all that you need for the pain. I would caution you though, that your ankle is going to swell up for a day or so. I'd be surprised if you'll be able to wear a shoe on that foot much less a cowboy boot for the next few days. In fact, I'd recommend against it,' Bob said.

"Thank you, Doctor. What am I supposed to wear on my right foot to get home?" I asked him.

"This plastic bag should do nicely to keep your foot dry," Bob replied as he turned around bent over and then squatted down as he rummaged through a cabinet under the sink behind him.

Yes, I was getting a full view of his butt in those cowboy jeans, which were Wranglers by the way. I couldn't help but smile at the delightful site before me. The doctor was quick. I barely had time to wipe the smile off my face as he turned about, plastic bag in hand. He quickly slipped the bag over my socked right foot and fastened the bag closed with a rubber band. He looked up at me and smiled. "Do you like my butt?"

I blushed as I tried to think of something to say.

"Of course he does, Bob. He's a butt man," Andy chortled, enjoying my embarrassment.


"Andy!" I said, while punching him playfully in the shoulder. Andy looked back me, chuckling. "Hey, wait just a second," I said as I caught on to what was going on. "Are you suggesting something, Doctor?" I asked cautiously, a sudden stab of fear jutting into my heart.

"Come now, Paul. Do I have to say it out loud?" Bob said looking me in the eye.

"I'd like to clear about this, yes," I answered. I wasn't sure if Andy was out to this doctor, or if the doctor was gay as well. He was suggesting that was the situation, but he wasn't coming out and saying it. (Okay so that was a very bad pun, dear reader. Shoot me.)

"I'm as gay as Andy is and as you are, Paul," Bob said calmly, with a warm smile. "We are alone in here so it is safe to talk about it and other things. Andy and I have known each other for years. In fact, I was Andy's first gay crush. You might not know it, but Andy makes the saddest puppy dog eyes at you, when he's in love with you, or thinks he's in love with you."

"Is that true?" I asked Andy looking at him.

Andy blushed, looked down at the floor and then slowly raised his head and looked me in the eye. "Yeah, it's true. I sort of made a fool of myself over Bob. Lucky for me, he was already taken, and he knew how to let me down gently," Andy said in soft voice. "I never thought I'd ever get over Bob, until that night I saw you by candlelight, Texas."

I smiled at Andy, as the warm memory of our first date washed over me. "Thank you, dear heart," I replied. I looked over at Bob and smiled at him as I said, "Yes, Andy does make the saddest puppy dog eyes at you when he's in love with you."

"Aww, gee, Paul," Andy said as he blushed a bright beet red. "Did you have to tell him that?"

"Think of it as payback for telling him I'm a butt man, Andy," I said smiling.

"Okay, we're even. Let's get back to your ankle, shall we?" Andy suggested, as he flashed that sexy grin of his at me.

"As I said earlier, try to stay off your right foot as much as possible for the next few days. Now that we've deal with your sprained ankle, let's deal with your other problem," Bob said looking at me and Andy.

"Other problem?" I asked innocently.

"I'm Gifted, Mister Walton. I saw what happened when you hobbled up to the main office, leaning on Rusty. As you so eloquently said earlier, you really put your foot in it this time. You really shouldn't have drugged that horse. What did you give her, anyway? The vet will want to know," Bob frowned at me, like a teacher disciplining a naughty school boy.

"I didn't drug the horse. Bob," I said awkwardly. I was a bit uncomfortable talking with this cute cowboy doctor. While it was true that he'd just helped me, I wasn't about to trust him, even if he was Gifted. "Is it safe to talk about this stuff here? Anyone could walk in."


"I set up a ward off field around the main door, so that's not very likely, Mister Walton," Bob replied. "Only if someone has an urgent need for my medical services will they enter this building. If they come here for any other reason, they will suddenly feel that there is something else they have to urgently deal with. Do you mind if I call you Paul?"

"I don't mind if you call me Paul, but I didn't drug the horse. I wouldn't even know how to drug a horse, much less what drug to use. All I did was pick up on the emotions that Rusty was feeling. For some reason, she wanted to help me. I know it sounds kind of lame, but it is the truth," I said.

"Possible. Unlikely, but possible," Bob said thoughtfully, looking at me like he was trying to decide if I was lying or not. It was a look that I found disquieting. "It's not unheard of, but it is rare."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, unable to follow Bob's train of thought.

"Based on what you have told me, you appear to have a rare gift. The development of your super hypnosis powers have made you empathic with animals. You can feel the emotions that they feel. This generates a strong level of trust with many animals," Bob answered. "Generally the more intelligent the animal, the more trust and empathy is created."

"But it only happened when I touched Rusty," I commented.

"Yes, I would expect that you would need physical contact. You're not telepathic. The interesting thing is that the animals pick up your emotions as well, when you touch them. This would explain why Rusty remained calm when you were hobbling along with her," Bob said nodding his head in agreement.

"This doesn't bring me any closer to an explanation with Mister Carson," I pointed out.

"True. I suggest you tell him the truth. Well, as much of it as you can. Tell him that you and Rusty just clicked for some reason," Bob said.

"He'll never buy that!" I protested.

"He might not, but it is worth a try. I suppose you could use your powers and make him accept that explanation. The Council would not object to that course of action, if that is your worry," Bob said calmly.

"You work for the Council too? Why am I surprised?" I asked.

"I'm Gifted, Paul. We all answer to the Council, sooner or later. Even you. I happen to know about you, because of your unique circumstances," Bob said.

"You're watching me too, then?" I asked.

'Not at all. I am just offering you some advice, and letting you know that using your powers to solve this problem would not be frowned upon by the Council," Bob said. "Now, you'd better hobble over to Mister Carson in the second barn. Turn left out of the door. Andy, you're expected in the third barn. You have students waiting. I sent James home sick and we need someone to take over his riding class. Mister Carson is expecting you to take up the slack."

"Right. On my way," Andy said as he turned about heading for the door. "I'll be a couple of hours at least Paul, and then we can get back to starting you with riding lessons."


"Okay," I agreed. What was I going to do, object? I had to face Mister Carson sooner or later, and I might as well get it over with. Andy knew I'd be alright since I had permission to use my super hypnosis powers, if I got into serious trouble.

"Thanks for your help, Bob," I said as I hopped down off the table, onto my left foot and grabbed the crutches.

"Call me, Doc. Everybody does," Bob said as he handed me the crutches, after taking a few moments to show me how to use them.

"Later, Doc," I said as I started out the open door. It was slow going, but I wasn't in any rush. Mister Carson would just have to wait until I got to the barn.

As I hobbled my way there, I couldn't help but notice the strange looks the cowboys on the ranch were giving me. Word travelled fast, it seemed. I suspected that the story had been embellished somewhat, to judge from the puzzled looks directed at me. A few of the cowboys actually sneered at me, as if I had committed some grave violation of the cowboy code. For all I knew, I had done exactly that. Oh, this was not going to be easy. All I wanted to do was hide in Andy's car, but that was not an option. I was a yahoo and a greenhorn, but I sure as hell wasn't a coward.

I entered the barn and looked around. It was half filled with stacks of bales of hay. There were some open areas near the sliding doors where I had entered. There were a couple of benches in the middle of the open area. Standing next to one of them was Mister Carson. He was wearing a white straw cowboy hat which looked new or nearly new. He looked very good in it, although he did not look at all happy to see me. I hobbled over to Mister Carson, keeping my eyes on him as best I could. When I was about a metre away, I stopped and stood in front of him. "Doc mentioned that you wanted to talk with me, Mister Carson," I said.