Ken Raptor's Arc

Chapter 4 of 6

Ken set his ledger on the clinic counter and pulled a worn journal from the supply cabinet. The brown leather cover showed cracks along the spine where he'd opened it hundreds of times before. Inside, he'd logged every bird that came through his doors—species, injury type, treatment given, outcome. Twenty-three pages of data that proved he could run something bigger than this cramped room. He flipped to a blank page and wrote today's date at the top. A Cooper's hawk with a fractured ulna would be entry number four hundred and six. The grant committees wanted proof he could manage a real facility. This journal showed he already did. He closed the journal and walked outside to check his medicinal plant supply. Behind the clinic, he'd built raised wooden beds filled with herbs that worked on bird patients. Clay markers identified each plant—comfrey for inflammation, calendula for wound cleaning, chamomile for stress. He crouched beside the yarrow and pinched off three stems. The flowers would make a poultice for the hawk's swelling. His military medic training had taught him to use what was available when supplies ran short. These plants gave him backup options when antibiotics couldn't arrive fast enough. He stood and carried the stems inside, already calculating dosage in his head. At 1400 hours, Ken finished the hawk's treatment and walked toward the large oak tree that marked the town center. A smooth stone bench sat beneath its branches. He'd seen people gather there before, talking about forest business and community needs. Today he needed to be visible—to let people know where to bring injured birds without wasting time searching. He sat on the bench and placed his clinic business card on the armrest, weighted down with a small rock. Someone would see it. Someone would spread the word. Martinez had died waiting. Ken wouldn't let that happen to any bird under his watch. He checked his schedule. Six hours until the next treatment round. He headed back to work on his hospital plans.