Dear to Me (30 page)

 “I will.” Melinda rushed out of the kitchen without another word.

All morning as Melinda did her chores, she worried about the deer. By the time she had finished cleaning the kitchen, she was a ball of nerves.

 She glanced around the room. No sign of Mama or Grandpa, and she knew Isaiah had gone fishing over at Rabers’ pond. Papa Noah had left for work as soon as they were finished eating, and she figured her mother had gone next door to clean Grandpa’s house.

 As Melinda hung up her choring apron, she thought about how there had been no mention of her failed GED test or plans of becoming a vet since she first told her parents. She wasn’t sure if they had accepted the idea of her leaving home or if it was just too painful for them to talk about. Either way, Melinda was glad there had been no mention of it. Until she took another GED test and got her scores, there wasn’t much she could do about her future plans.

 “I’d better leave Mama a note,” Melinda murmured, “so she doesn’t worry if she returns to the house and finds me gone.” She grabbed a piece of paper from a nearby drawer, hurried over to the table, and scrawled a message saying that she was going for a short walk before it was time to leave for the clinic. Then she rushed out the back door and headed straight for the woods.

 A short while later, Melinda stepped into the thicket of trees, wishing she had remembered to bring along her drawing tablet.
It’s probably for the best. If I took the time to draw, I’d likely get carried away and be here much longer than I should.

 The sound of gunfire in the distance caused Melinda to shudder. Some poor animal had probably met its fate. At least it hadn’t happened on their property. She walked deeper into the woods, savoring the distinct aroma of fall with its crisp, clean air and fresh-fallen leaves strewn all over the ground like a carpet of red and gold.

 The rustle of leaves halted Melinda’s footsteps. She tipped her head and listened. There it was again.

 She scanned the area but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Suddenly a fawn stepped out of the bushes and stood staring at Melinda as though it needed her help.

 Melinda took a step forward, then another and another, until she was right beside the little deer. That’s when she saw it—a doe lying dead among a clump of bushes. “Oh no!” Her breath caught in her throat.

 It didn’t take Melinda long to realize that the mother deer had been shot, and this little one must be her fawn. Had someone been hunting on their property despite the signs Papa Noah had posted? Or had the doe been shot elsewhere and stumbled onto their land while it bled to death?

 The fawn stood beside Melinda with its nose and ears twitching. Melinda bent down and picked it up, noting that the little deer was lightweight and couldn’t have been more than a few days old. It was probably born late in the year, she decided.

 She hurried from the woods and entered the barn a short time later, where she settled the fawn in an empty horse stall. “I’ll need to find one of my feeding bottles and get some nourishment into you right away,” she said, patting the deer on top of its head.

 She stepped out of the stall and closed the door, planning to feed the deer and then head for work.

“Guess what, Dr. Franklin,” Melinda said breathlessly as she entered the veterinary clinic later that day.

 “I can’t even begin to guess,” the vet said with a crooked smile. “But if it has something to do with an animal, then I’ll bet that’s why you look so wide-eyed and excited.”

 She nodded enthusiastically. “I found a baby deer in the woods, and its mother had been killed.”

 “Sorry to hear that. The fawn probably won’t survive without its mother.”

 “I’m hoping it will. I brought it back to our place and put it in an empty stall inside the barn. I plan to bottle-feed it, and—”

 Dr. Franklin held up his hand. “And what, Melinda? Make a pet out of it?”

 She nodded again.

 He shook his head as deep wrinkles creased his forehead. “That’s not a good idea.”

 “Why not?”

 “A deer is a wild animal, and it belongs in the woods, not held captive in a barn.”

 “I won’t keep it in the barn forever. When it’s bigger, I’ll have Papa Noah build a pen.”

 The doctor leaned forward with his elbows resting on the desk. “Do you think that’s fair to the deer when it should be running free in the woods?”

 “It might get shot like its mother.”

 “That’s part of life, Melinda. You can’t protect every animal from harm, you know.”

 “But I don’t like the thought of animals being hunted for the sport of it.” Melinda frowned. “Some people hunt just so they can brag to their friends about the big set of antlers they got or how good their gun is because they can shoot a deer from a long distance.”

 “I can see where you’re coming from, Melinda. It’s your sensitive spirit and caring attitude that would help you become a good vet.”

 She dropped her gaze to the floor. “That may never happen now.”

 “How come?”

 “I failed my GED test.”

 “I’m sorry to hear that. Are you planning to take it again?”

 Melinda shrugged. “I was, but my mother found my test scores, and I had to tell my folks about my plans to become a vet.” She groaned. “They weren’t happy about it and offered me no support, except to say they’ll be praying that God will show me what I should do.”

 Dr. Franklin nodded. “I may not be as religious as your folks, but I do believe in God. Therefore, I have to say that your folks are right—you do need to pray about this and trust God to show you the right road to take.”

 “That’s what I plan to do.” She smiled. “In the meantime, I came here to work, so I guess I should get busy. Do you have anything in particular that needs to be done?”

 He nodded toward the door behind him. “Why don’t you clean out those empty cages in the back room? After that, you can help me clip the toenails on Hank Osborn’s two beagles.”

 Melinda gave a quick nod and scurried out of the room.

When Noah stepped into the barn after arriving home from work that evening, he was shocked by the sight that greeted him. A young fawn stood in one of the empty horse stalls, and Melinda was kneeling in the straw beside it, stroking the little deer’s head.

 “What’s that deer doing in one of the horse’s stalls?” he asked, pointing at the fawn.

 Melinda looked up at him with a worried expression. “I found the poor thing in the woods earlier today, standing beside its dead mother.” She groaned. “I’m sure someone must have shot it, Papa Noah.”

 “I thought I had made myself clear when I told you and Isaiah not to go there today.” Noah clenched his teeth. Didn’t Melinda ever listen? Sometimes she made it so difficult to be patient and understanding.

 “I’m sorry, but if I hadn’t gone, this little deer would have died.”

 “What if the person who shot the fawn’s mother had been nearby and took another shot that might have hit you?”

 “God protected me, as well as this one,” she said, motioning to the fawn.

 “Jah, well, don’t go to the woods again. At least not until hunting season’s over.”

 She nodded in reply.

 Noah glanced around. “Where’s your bruder? Was he with you when you found the deer?”

 “Isaiah wasn’t with me. He went fishing over at Rabers’ pond soon after breakfast.”

 “And he’s not back yet?”

 “I don’t think so. His pole isn’t where he keeps it.” She pointed to the spot on the wall where Isaiah usually hung his fishing gear.

 “It’ll be getting dark soon, and I don’t like the idea of him being at the pond so late. Some crazy hunters could be out road hunting before dusk. That’s when the deer start to move around again.”

 “Would you like me to go look for him?” Melinda offered. “I could take the horse and buggy.”

 Noah shook his head. “If he’s not here within the hour, I’ll go after the boy myself.”

 Melinda shrugged and patted the little deer’s head. “Whatever you think is best.”

Gabe leaned his gun against a tree and lowered himself to a log. Soon the sun would be going down; then the deer would likely show themselves.

 Gabe’s thoughts went to Melinda, and he wondered if hunters were respecting the N
O
H
UNTING
signs her stepfather had put around their place.
I hope Melinda has the smarts to stay out of the woods until hunting season is over. No telling what could happen if someone goes onto their property and ignores those signs.

 He reached into his backpack, checking to be sure he’d brought along enough ammunition. Everything seemed to be in order. Now all he needed was a nice-sized buck to step into the clearing. He knew his folks would be pleased to have some deer meat on the table during the winter months.

 A twig snapped, and Gabe leaped to attention. He was about to grab his gun when Isaiah Hertzler stepped out from behind a tree.

 “What are you doing here?” Gabe asked. “Don’t you know how dangerous it is to be in the woods during hunting season when you’re not one of the hunters?”

 Isaiah shrugged. “I was on my way home from fishin’ at the pond, and I ain’t scared of bein’ in the woods.”

 “Well, you should be scared, and you should have taken the road, not cut through the woods.”

 “Mind if I shoot your gun again?” Isaiah asked, ignoring Gabe’s reprimand and eyeing the item in question.

 “Not unless we get your daed’s permission. I think it’d be best if you went straight home.” Gabe started to get up, but his backpack fell to the ground. He reached down to pick it up, and when he lifted his head again, he was shocked to see Isaiah holding the gun.

 Before Gabe could open his mouth, the gun went off. A piercing pain shot through his left shoulder, and he toppled to his knees. As Gabe fought to remain conscious, a wave of nausea coursed through his stomach.

 “Gabe! Gabe, are you all right?” Isaiah dropped down beside him, his youthful face a mask of concern. “I—I didn’t mean to shoot you. I don’t know how the gun went off.”

 “I’m bleeding really bad,” Gabe said through clenched teeth. “I need something to put on the wound so I can apply pressure.”

 Isaiah pulled a hanky from his pants pocket and handed it to Gabe. “Will this work?”