Falling for the Veterinary Pathologist

Chapter 7

I sat in the room next to Ray waiting for him to wake up. Anissa explained to me that Abraham and her were going to go get the plane ready. I had told her I could go get it ready with Abraham since I was the copilot but her and Mitch told me no.

More specifically he said, "Are you crazy? You couldn't even walk into here and you want to go fly a plane?" I could tell he was clearly upset about me wanting to go. I think everyone else could too.

I became offended of course because being a pilot is really all I know. I've done it practically my whole life and it's the only thing I'm really good at. Sure I have a degree in animal behavior but I've never done anything with it.

I was also upset because I knew the wound already started healing and by the time I had to fly it would probably be healed enough for me to walk on my own.

Knowing Ray and I were the pilots I asked, "so who's going to fly it then?"

The room was silent for a minute then Abraham raised his hand and said, " I can fly the plane. I've flown cargo planes before. I can do it."

Did he not hear the two pilot part? I'm the copilot. Co- as in two pilots. Do these people not even think?

"Okay so Abraham and I will fly it and you guys will get the animals and everything here ready to go." I replied obviously proud of my mature decision to keep working with these numbskulls anyways.

At which point everyone seemed to be thinking about what would happen. "Alright so I'm going. You can't stop me and the plane needs to be ready to fly as soon as possible. That's not happening if we're all sitting here waiting for something to happen!"

The room went completely quiet. It looked like everyone but Anissa was shocked by my behavior. Of course Anissa has been with us for months now and knows how I act.

"Well you two can't go alone." Anissa stated. "I'll go with you guys. I can help Makenzie out and then Abraham won't have to worry about her."

It was a clever idea and I would feel much more comfortable having Anissa help me walk than Abraham.

"Alright it's settle then. Anissa help me out to the truck and we can go get the plane. Then when Ray wakes up we can leave." I said the plan aloud just to clarify it with the other group.

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Anissa had helped me into the back seat of the truck and had given me three Tylenol to help with the pain. We were currently driving in silence to the airport when Anissa started conversing with Abraham.

She asked, "so, what's the deal with you and Ray?"

He asked, "what do you mean?"

"It seems like y'all don't get along too good." She said.

"Ray is trouble. Always has been, always will be." Abraham told her. I knew he was trouble but she would never believe me. And besides I have to side with Ray, he's my brother.

"That's just not true." She shook her head. "Look, when I met Ray, I was in the corps, and at the time, he was pairing former bomb-sniffing dogs with disable vets...giving them both...something to live for you know?" She defended him.

I know Ray has done some bad things and is trouble but he's also done many good things too.

Abraham replied, " yeah, that's lovely." He didn't sound very enthusiastic about it though.

"I'm just...saying he's a good guy." She said, again defending him.

"Let me tell you how I met Ray Endicott." Abraham said. Oh boy here we go! The true meet and greet between them. He never told me how they actually met.

" Ray booked a spot on one of our safaris, like any other guest—only he wasn't any other guest. He was using our safari as a cover to scope out poachers in the area." He explained.

"What's wrong with that?" Anissa asked.

I scoffed and chimed in with a, " I figured you'd be anti-poacher." He seems like a pretty decent guy anyhow. Not that I liked the numbskull but he seems to want to do the right thing.

"Of course I am. But then, when Ray later sabotaged the poachers, they traced him back to us...and they put quiet a beating on Jackson. If I hadn't arrived they may have killed him." He told. I rolled my eyes Ray is so reckless. And if Jackson can't take a beating from poachers is he a real man?

Abraham continued, "then there was the time that Ray had a shipment of weapons delivered to our business. We were almost arrested for being arms traffickers. And then...there was my favorite Ray Endicott adventure: Nairobi."

Anissa raised her eyebrows and smile. That scumbag Ray told Anissa what happened in Nairobi but not me!

Ah Nairobi. Never heard the story so this should be good.

"I see you've heard of this one." He said.

Anissas smile grew more and she said, "he may have mentioned it." What? He told Anissa and not me? Well he does like her but still I'm his sister.

Abraham continued again, "you see, Ray had convinced Jackson to accompany him to Nairobi to put an end to a particularly proficient group of big-game hunters."

Anissa interrupted with, "wait just Jackson? Not you?"

"I wanted no part of it. But then, I learned they had walked into a trap. Ray had become such a thorn in the paw of these hunters,that they wanted to get rid of him, so, naturally I had to go to Nairobi." Abraham finishes.

So that's what happened in Nairobi huh. He almost died and instead of calling me for help, his fighter pilot sister, he calls these guys in?

"You know, you should hear the way Ray tells that story. The way he tells it, you're the big hero. Came in, guns blazing, took him and Jackson to safety." Anissa summed up Ray'a version of what happened in Nairobi.

"Guns blazing. Yes. They blazed. It was awful."  Abraham says with remorse. The car goes silent for a moment.

I think guns blazing is the best way to win but he talks about the events of Nairobi like he regrets all of the death. I know a lot about the regret of killing someone. Not because you had to kill them but because a life was lost. A life of someone who probably had a family and children. Possibly a pet or parents to take care of. There is no way to stop the regret and pain that comes from killing someone.

"My point is, Ray is a magnet for trouble. If trouble needs a place to stay for the night, it will usually find a room with Ray Endicott."  Abraham tries to defend Ray but at the same time warn Anissa.

I know Ray is a good person and yes maybe he is a magnet for trouble but I'm a magnet for death, you can't change that.

"You ever think that maybe it's not Ray?" Anissa says with sass.

"What do you mean?" Abraham asks.

"I'm just saying...you ever think maybe it's your boy Jackson? Rays not the only person in those stories.  You know, maybe it's Jackson that's the magnet for trouble." Anissa explains.

Abraham shakes his head in thought. And the car goes silent again. I could feel myself drifting into sleep and soon enough the joys of emotionless sleep had found me.