Moonlighting in Vermont

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I shoved the bike to the left, trying to swerve behind the doe as she bounded across the road in front of me. The bike missed the deer but lost traction. My tires started to slide out from underneath me on the gravel. I shoved right, trying to force the bike upright. It was too late. The dirt road was slick from the rain and the bike was going down. I hit the engine cutoff switch, curled onto my side and pulled my left leg free of the bike as I hit the dirt. The bike slid for what seemed like forever but it was probably only a couple of seconds.

I lay in the road for a moment staring into the dark sky. My left thigh felt like it was on fire. I hoisted myself up and gingerly moved around. Nothing seemed to be broken, but my leg hurt like hell and I could feel warm blood seeping into my pants. The doe and her fawn were long gone. At least I hadn't hit either of them.

It occurred to me that if a car came along now I'd be flattened. I muscled my bike up off the road. I couldn't see it clearly but I doubted there was any serious damage. Scratches probably. I got back on, pointed it back up the hill and motored home. I left the bike in the tractor shed and limped into the house to check out the damage to my leg.

I peeled off my helmet, jacket and boots in the kitchen and headed up to shower yet again. I couldn't seem to stay out of the mud. I clenched my teeth as I pulled off my jeans. My left leg was bleeding from my hip to my knee. My boots had protected my calf and the jacket had protected my shoulder and arm. I had a few abrasions on my side where my jacket rolled away from my skin.

I stood under the hot water and scrubbed the dirt out of my leg. I yelled like crazy as the gravel came away. I had a bunch of road rash and one pretty good gash in my leg. I must have slid over a sharp rock or piece of metal or something. The dogs whined at me through the door.

I turned off the water, dried myself off and dabbed the blood off my leg. Band-Aids would be useless. I pulled on an oversize T-shirt and went down to my mudroom. I rummaged through the cupboard until I found some gauze and neon blue vet wrap I keep around for the animals. I used them to fix up my leg. I had to roll the vet wrap around my leg, hips and waist to keep the gauze on. Wonderful. I grabbed a bottle of Motrin off the bathroom shelf, a yogurt smoothie out of the fridge and headed up to bed. It'd been a very long day.

It was three in the morning when I realized I wasn't going to sleep. I gingerly got out of bed and crept downstairs. I was walking like a little old lady. Everything hurt. I wondered where the expression 'quiet of the night' had come from. My night was filled with the sound of snoring dogs. Four dogs can make a lot of noise when they sleep.

Only Diesel woke and followed me down the stairs. He stood at the kitchen door vibrating his stubby little boxer tail.

"Sorry, Bud. I'm not letting you out." I knew he wanted nothing more than to chase the creatures of the night. Woodchucks, not vampires. Last time I'd let him out at night he'd treed some poor animal and barked until his voice echoed through the hills and woke Max and Mary. Diesel remained at the door, his expression expectant until he realized I wasn't going to let him out. Then he sighed and collapsed on the doormat.

I rummaged through the fridge wondering what to do. I don't have many late night skills. I'm not an undercover novelist and TV mostly bores me. I could read, but didn't want to. Yesterday's Sudoku puzzle? That could sometimes put me to sleep.

I was on the couch when my alarm blared early the next morning. "Crap!" I couldn't shut it off from downstairs. I groaned and rolled onto the floor. I hurt everywhere. I stumbled up the stairs shut off the alarm and headed into the bathroom. I pulled the vet wrap and gauze off my leg. I had to sit on the toilet and put my head between my knees. My leg looked disgusting and it hurt like hell.