Sheep Herder

Chapter Seventeen

I laid on the floor of the barn, seething in pain, my head laid on a large pile of hay and covered in old clothing as a blanket. This was the most pain I have ever been in as it was hard to pay attention to anything else. Occasionally I would attempt to open my eyes to see Baa and Faa above me looking worried and sad.

Just then I heard the others walk in before they surrounded me. I could see the sadness in Laa's eyes, the wrath in Shaa, and a bit of concern in Daa's. I wanted to confront them, tell them it is alright but I was in too much pain to speak.

“What should we do,” called out Baa and Faa simitaniesly as they looked toward Shaa for guidance. Shaa just looked down at me trying to come up with something. Her face started to soften as she formulated an idea.

“In the master's house there is this white thing he talks to that hangs off the wall. Um, I think it's called a phone?” Shaa pondered. “We can use that thing to get help.”

“Yes, yes, I know where it is!” Called out Laa, very eager to help. Without hesitation she quickly ran out the barn, moving fast for the low end of several hundred pound sheep. 

She didn't take long to return as her heavy footsteps came rocking back into the barn. In her hooves she held a white wall phone, with the drywall and wires still attached. I would have rolled my eyes if I wasn't in too much pain. She then kneeled down next to me, took the phone off the ripped out of the wall receiver and put it by my ears looking at me pleading. “Talk, talk, ask for help!”

I groaned before I could speak, my voice shaking with pain. “Doesn't …work…huff…In… my… room… black… rectangle…can use…to…call…help.”

Daa this time moved, quickly moving like a living black wool comet and headed straight to my bedroom. She came back even faster than Laa as she held my cellphone in her hooves. She quickly handed the phone to me, placing it into my hand. I love my girls but sometimes ~ groan.

“Hand…can't…” was all I could say before a wave of pain shot through me. Nearly all the girls gasped and huddled closer to me. With what remaining strength I had I told them to call the lawyer, slowly spelling out his number. Before I fell out of consciousness the last thing I heard was the breaking of glass coming from my phone. 

~

My eyes slowly opened to see the ceiling of my bedroom. I was under my covers as what felt like bandages around my torso and shoulders. I could still feel the pain from my shoulders but it was less intensive. 

“Ah, I see you have finally awoken.” Said an old man from next to me. I tried to turn my head but instantly regretted it as a bolt of pain shot through my back.

“Easy now, it's only been a day since the accident,” he said as he walked closer to the bed. I could now see him, seeing that the man was the lawyer. 

“What…” I started to speak but my mouth was dry. 

“Your sheep was able to call me. I was then able to get an emergency vehicle to come and take care of your injuries. You're lucky it's not too bad, a couple of torn ligaments at the shoulder. It should take about one to two months to fully heal.”

I just groaned, taking in all this information like salt to a wound. But then my thoughts went to the will and my sheep. It seems without speaking the lawyer knew what I was thinking. 

“Don't worry, you never left the premises. You didn't need direct hospital care and was treated on site. As for the sheep, my people were able to calm them down and took the proper precautions before the aid arrived.”

I sighed again, this time in relief. Everything happened so fast that most of it was just a blur and my only thought was on the girls safety so I'm glad everything cooled down. 

“But my work, the girls. Who is going to take care of them while I recover?” I asked. The thought of not being able to care for them saddened me much more than I thought it would. 

“Ah, don't worry. The sheep have grown well enough to take care of themselves. Although as for you is a different matter. You'll need to be bed bound for at least a week or two to recover properly. Lucky for you the sheep has volunteered to be your caretakers until you get up on your feet again.”

“Wait, what?!” I asked, shocked and a little worried. I tried to sit up but again regretted my rash decision. “Wouldn't someone more professional, like a nurse, be more appropriate?”

“Normally yes, but remember the will states you can't have another person on the estate to help you. Besides, don't you trust your sheep?”

“I do, it's just…” my thoughts went to the first time the girls tried to “help” me, my teeth still feeling the crunchy eggs. But I knew I was in between a rock and a hard place. I sighed, giving up the fight, “fine.”

“Good. Now that everything's in order I'll take my leave. Remember, plenty of bed rest and liquids. I'll tell the sheep the plan and don't worry we made sure they were equipped with the knowledge to help you. Have a good day.” The lawyer said before walking out of the bedroom. 

I was now alone in my room with only my thoughts. Despite his words of reassurance and my faith in the girl's ability to help me I couldn't shake the feeling that my recovery might take a bit longer than originally thought.