Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 131387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
He then gave his diagnosis.
“Jesus, brother.”
“He jumped out of the attic window onto the glass of said window that he broke with the butt of his rifle,” Mabel informed him.
Doc grinned at Hutch. “Badass.”
“He nearly gave me a heart attack!” Mabel snapped.
“May, again, I’m fine. Chill,” Hutch ordered.
“Ugh!” she grumped and returned to glaring at the doctor.
“Nadia has your room ready,” Doc reported. “Grabbed some clothes for you both, essentials, got the pups, the cat, the husky. And Ledger is in heaven.” Pause. “Though he is that and says he’s glad you’re all right.”
“Thanks, man,” Hutch replied on a smile. “We just have to swing by the vet to check on how Hannibal is getting along then we’ll be over.”
They had to stay with Nadia and Doc because Enstrom had blasted two holes through his front door.
Fortunately, he aimed one too high and the other one at the doorknob so only some of Enstrom’s buckshot hit his dog.
Unfortunately, some of his buckshot hit his dog.
“Could you go to that bed and put your feet up and let your woman look into the state of your dog?” the doctor requested.
“No,” Hutch denied.
The good doc sighed, turned to his tray, grabbed some scissors, snipped the thread then reached for the saline.
The curtain moved again, and Abigail and Brett rushed in.
Or Abigail did. Brett sauntered in after her.
“And here’s me who didn’t bring an appetizer,” the doctor groused as he set the saline flush aside and started wrapping Hutch’s foot.
Mabel got up and rushed to Abigail.
They hugged then separated, and Abigail looked down to his feet.
“Oh my God! That looks really bad!” she exclaimed.
“That’s what I keep telling him,” the doctor muttered.
“Just cuts, only one deep enough for stitches,” Hutch explained. “I’m fine.”
“Where are the kids?” Mabel asked.
“Mom came over,” Abigail told her. Her gaze moved back and forth between Hutch and Mabel. “Is there anything you need?”
“Moral support and help holding Hutch down after we check on Hannibal so I can chain him to the bed so he won’t use his injured feet,” Mabel answered. “I don’t think Doc, Ledger, Nadia and I are enough to keep him still.”
“Now we’re talkin’,” the doctor muttered as he wrapped Hutch’s other foot.
Hutch was okay with Mabel chaining him to the bed, just not for that reason.
“Damn, now I can’t challenge you to a game of one-on-one,” Brett joked. “Guess I’ll have to wait until next April.”
“His feet should be better way before then,” Mabel told him.
“Don’t pollute his fantasy,” Abigail stage whispered. “April gives him five months to shoot hoops for an hour every day so he has some hope he can keep up with Hutch.”
“Oh. Right,” Mabel replied.
“It also gives me five months to watch him shoot hoops while I sew my letter on my cheerleader sweater,” Abigail concluded.
Finally, Mabel smiled.
The doctor stood and rolled his tray away.
“There won’t be any hoops for this guy,” he announced unnecessarily. He looked down at Hutch. “I’ll get someone to bring you a boot. But please stay off your feet as much as you can for a few days at least. Keep them clean and wrapped. I’ll give you a prescription for a topical antibiotic. This is only precautionary. You said you have your tetanus up-to-date, and we gave it a good clean. I want you to go to your doctor in a week for a checkup. The stitches will dissolve on their own.” He then looked around and quipped, “Thanks for inviting me to the party,” and he rolled his tray out.
Doing it, he nearly ran into Mrs. Matthews.
“See here!” she snapped. “Look where you’re going. You nearly ran me over.”
“My apologies,” the doctor muttered and rolled his tray past her, and if Hutch wasn’t wrong, he did this rapidly.
Hutch thinned his eyes at Mabel.
“It wasn’t me,” she said.
“Ellis listens to police band,” Mrs. Matthews declared as she strode forward, Ellis at her back.
She looked to his feet and gave her orders for his treatment plan.
“You will remain in bed for two full days, not including bathroom breaks, so you won’t worry Mabel.”
Hutch pushed up to sitting. “They’re giving me a boot.”
“Puh!” she pushed out. “Save the world from tough guys.”
Hutch sighed.
“I just came in to see how you’re doing,” Harry said. “And to share, obviously, no charges will be filed. Castle doctrine.”
“I should think not,” Mrs. Matthews stated sharply.
Harry glanced at her with a smile, then came back to Hutch.
“We’ve been over the scene thoroughly, I’ll be writing it up and going over it with the county attorney, but I don’t see any issues,” he continued. “They were using deadly force. You used reasonable force. How you managed it putting two holes in three guys, and one in the last two, I don’t know. But you did. Bottom line, you got buckshot in your roof, a destroyed door and an injured dog who took a hit. The threat was imminent. So go to Doc’s. For fuck’s sake, put your feet up for a couple of days. And I’ll talk to David about hanging a new door.”