Dr. Marcus Finchley's Arc

Chapter 4 of 6

Marcus locked the recovery aviary and checked his watch—three hours until the barn owl's next nebulization treatment. He needed supplies he didn't have. His truck kicked up gravel as he drove toward the veterinary supplier's warehouse on the edge of town. Inside the concrete building, metal shelves stretched to the ceiling. A worker pointed him toward the respiratory equipment aisle. Marcus found antifungal ampules, sterile saline solution, and replacement nebulizer chambers. He grabbed three of everything and carried them to the counter. The cashier rang up his order while Marcus tapped his fingers on the laminate surface. Back at the sanctuary, he unpacked each item and arranged them on his workbench by size. He opened his notebook and drew a diagram showing exactly where each supply would sit during treatment. The barn owl stirred in its cage. Marcus smiled and updated his equipment inventory list. He had what he needed now. Marcus grabbed his binoculars and field notebook. He wanted to check on the red-tailed hawk he'd released two weeks ago. The cliffside lookout gave him the best view of the hunting grounds below. He drove his truck to the base of the trail and started climbing. The wooden fence at the top kept visitors from getting too close to the edge. Marcus leaned against it and scanned the valley. Movement caught his eye—the hawk circled above a meadow, wings steady and strong. He wrote down the time and location in his notebook. On his way back down, Marcus spotted a massive blue spruce tree fifty feet from the trail. Chickadees and nuthatches flitted through its thick branches. He stopped and counted fourteen birds using it as a rest stop. The tree's dense foliage created perfect shelter. Marcus pulled out his camera and took photos for his records. These were the places his released birds returned to—proof they could survive in the wild again. He walked deeper into the forest, watching for more bird activity. Strange white plants grew in a shaded patch near the tree roots. Marcus knelt down and touched one with his finger. The pale surface turned black instantly. He'd never seen anything like it before. The forest held more than just birds—it held mysteries he barely understood. But his focus stayed clear. The barn owl needed its second treatment in two hours. Marcus checked his watch and headed back to the sanctuary. Every minute he spent learning about this world helped him save the birds that depended on him.