“That man in there is old. He isn’t worried about dying. Now get out of my way so I can call Doc,” said Sam. “Oh, and pack your bags. Get the hell out of my Bed & Breakfast!” she said. Then she called Doc Rogers. After a few minutes, she headed back to the bedroom and Buster.
“That idjet called an ambulance. I called Doc and he’ll try to cancel it, but we may have a few more people than I expected,” she told Brian.
“No hospital,” he said.
“No, I understand. Won’t let them take you. Now, I’m going to get some pajama bottoms on you afore Doc gets here,” she said. She turned to a dresser and pulled out a pair of pajamas that had belonged to her husband. She’d kept them all these years and never knew why. Now she had a reason. Between the two of them, they got the pajamas on and Brian back under the covers.
Fifteen minutes later, Sam heard car doors slam and people coming into the B&B. Brian was almost asleep. She went out to meet whoever was heading her way. It was Doc Rogers and the paramedics.
“Now you young men just go back to the fire house and pester some motorist,” said Sam. “Doc can take care of Brian just fine. He don’t want to go to the hospital so you ain’t needed.”
“Oh come on Sam. You know the rules. We have to hear it from the patient that he doesn’t want help,” said Matt. His buddy Dave just nodded.
“I tried the same thing Sam. Didn’t work for me either. So let’s go see Brian,” said Doc.
“Fine. Just don’t startle him none. He’s asleep,” said Sam.
The four of them walked down the hall to Sam’s room. The two paramedics walked straight over to the bed and without thinking, started checking Brian out.
“Hey! I said leave him alone!” cried Sam. “He’s asleep!”
“Sam, we gotta do our job,” said Dave. He said it loud enough, that it startled Brian.
“Who? Wha!” Brian called.
“Sorry Brian, these idjets can’t listen. I said you were sleeping, and that you didn’t want to go to the hospital, but they can’t listen,” said Sam.
“Mr… um…. Brian, now we are hear to help you. We’ll take you to the hospital and get you fixed right up,” said Matt who was trying to take Brian’s blood pressure.
“Get that thing offa me! I am not going to the hospital. I want to stay here at Sam’s. If I die, so be it, but get away from me!” shouted Brian as he ripped off the pressure cuff and threw it in Dave’s face.
“I told you to leave him alone,” said Doc and Sam almost at the same time.
Dave turned to Sam and started pushing her out of the door. “Sam, I think you aren’t the best person to have around at the moment and you are upsetting the old man,” he said as he tried to shove her out the door.
There was a growling noise and then a high pitched girly scream behind Dave. Dave turned to see the old man seemingly start to shift into a wolf and Matt pass out on the floor. The ‘wolfman’ was heading straight towards Dave. Dave let go of Sam, and ran for the door screaming at the top of his lungs.
Doc and Sam ran towards Buster/Brian and caught him as he fell off the bed.
“Oh Brian,” cried Sam. She and Doc put him back on the bed. Brian was half shifted and seemed even frailer than he had moments ago. Doc checked his pulse and when Sam looked up at him, he just shook his head slowly. The Doc dragged Matt out of the room and threw all of the paramedic gear out in the hall. He shut the door and locked it.
“I love you Sam. You remind me of my daughter,” gasped Brian. He coughed and wheezed.
“Oh Brian,” was all Sam could say as the tears rolled own her face. She curled up on the bed beside him and held him. Brian coughed again and shuddered as it subsided. Sam just rocked him slowly back and forth. His breathing became shallower and shallower until it was just a rattle in the back of his throat.
“Doc? I think he’s gone,” said Sam.
Doc came over and checked Brian’s pulse. Nothing. He checked again. Nothing. “He’s gone,” said Doc. “I’ll make out the death certificate.”
Sam still held Brian in her arms. “What are we going to do with them? And how are we going to deal with Betty Jane, the coroner?” she asked.
“I’ll deal with Betty Jane. As for them, they saw and old hairy man. That’s it. Now cover him up, because I think we are going to have company. I hear sirens,” said Doc.
Sam nodded. She kissed Brian on the forehead and covered his ears with his hair the best she could. Then she pulled the sheet up over his face.”Goodbye Brian,”she thought to herself.
No sooner did they get things set when someone hammered on the door. Sam walked over and unlocked it. At the door was Matt, Dave, the guest who started all the trouble, and Sheriff Dobbs.
“Um, Sam, um… These men say you won’t let them in to treat a patient. And, they are saying he’s some sort of wolfman. Do you have any idea what the hell their talking about?” asked Sheriff Dobbs.
“Yes, I do. One of my oldest friends fell ill, and this nosy bastard came in just as I was trying to get him to bed. He called the paramedics and I called Doc Rogers here. He’s Brian’s doctor. Now Brian didn’t want to go to the hospital to die, and told these two yahoos to leave him alone. When they didn’t leave, he got upset. He got more upset when they tried to push me out of my own room. They panicked and made one hell of a scene.
“Okay, and what about this old man Brian being a wolfman?” asked the Sheriff.
“Well, Brian is a furry kinda guy. A lot of those Canadians are that way. He growled at them and then coughed and fell out of bed. So if that makes them think he’s a wolfman, it ain’t my fault,” said Sam.
“And how is Brian doing?” the Sheriff asked Doc.