“We have the toolshed,” Jase said. “It has heating coils in the floor although we never use them. We could lock her in there.”
“You two get it ready while I finish up here. I wish I had a Fentanyl patch for pain, that would be the best, but I don’t carry that with me. I’ll have to use a combination of morphine and Valium instead. Hurry, she’s going to start waking up, and she won’t be a happy kitty.”
Cole frowned. “I don’t like you carrying any of those drugs around with you. It’s too dangerous.” He couldn’t resist petting the cat a second time.
Jase and Maia exchanged a quick grin behind Cole’s back, Maia rolling her eyes at his warning. She made no comment, knowing it was useless to argue with his protective bristling. She was a vet and needed the drugs. “Any ideas on how we’re going to move her?” she asked.
“I can carry her,” Cole said. “But she’d better not wake up and bite my face off.”
“She won’t. Let’s go then. Is it far?”
“No. We’ll use the main walkway, then have to use the cable to get to the shed, but it’s only a few feet.” Cole hesitated as he crouched beside the big mountain lion. “You’re sure she’s under?”
Maia took one last listen to the cat’s heart and lungs. “Yes, let’s go.”
Cole would be lifting a deadweight and trudging a distance, part of it in deep snow. Maia didn’t have to like it, but she couldn’t think of any other way to transport the animal.
Using the covered walkway was easy enough, but Cole struggled a bit in the deep snow. Jase hurried ahead to get the shed ready and to kick on the heating coils. He snagged a couple of blankets from the barn and came running back with them as Cole staggered through the door.
“I feel her moving,” he announced.
“Lay her down,” Maia instructed, “and back off. We’ll just let her be. You have something for water for her?”
“I have this old bucket,” Jase said, and held it up.
“Good, we’ll use that then. Come on, she’s definitely coming around.” Maia backed out and closed the door, leaving the mountain lion to wake up on its own.
She stretched tiredly. “I’m suddenly freezing.”
“So is Jase,” Cole said. “Let’s get back to the house.”
Cole stayed behind Maia, crowding her close as she followed Jase through the snow and the walkway back to the patio, where she collected her equipment. They entered the mudroom to remove jackets, mittens, and shoes. “I don’t know about encouraging these wild animals to come around. What if that cougar decides Wally’s an easy meal?”
“She won’t,” Maia said, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.
“That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” Jase said.
“I’d prefer you didn’t mention it to anyone,” Maia said.
“There sure is a lot of cool stuff I can’t tell anyone,” Jase groused.
She was shivering so much Cole pulled her against the warmth of his body and began to run his hands up and down her arms. “What are we going to feed her?”
“I’m going to need ten to fifteen pounds of beef or chicken for her daily. They eat bones and all, and they’re always hungry. Jase, don’t you go near her. She’s a wild animal and injured, so she’s unpredictable. I’ll put her antibiotics in her food.”
“What do you know about mountain lions, Cole?” Jase asked. “Do we have a lot of them around here?”
“We have our share, but honestly, I don’t know that much about them at all.”
“They are the second largest cat in the Western Hemisphere,” Maia said, “and they’re also the fastest. Unfortunately, they tire easily because their hearts don’t match their size. They lose stamina in a long run and generally miss their kill nine out of ten times, which means a lot of hunting for them.”
Cole stooped to pull off her boots. “I couldn’t believe how powerful the animal felt to me. Just being in its presence was intense.”
“Big cats are at the top of the food chain, so they have an ‘arrogance’ and mantle of power they wear like a second skin.” Maia grinned at Cole. “Those of us who are drawn to them are often accused of being the same way.”
“Great, are you saying I’m a predator? Or that you are?”
“Maybe parts of you are. You definitely have power, and you know it.” Her smile widened. “I know I do.”
“I was drawn to it too,” Jase reminded, tossing his boots aside. “And I don’t have any power at all.”
“Sure you do. And there are people who believe animals come to you to give you messages. A mountain lion crossing your path is a sign you have power, and maybe it’s time you should learn about yourself, strengthen and sharpen your own powers. That could be the message to you.” Maia tried to get across to the boy that if he knew and could read the mountain lion, he could understand Cole and maybe himself a little better.
“Do you believe in that?” Cole asked.