All For One

Wyatt Martin, poster boy for a generic, unassuming 38-year-old white male. At a meager 5’9”, 167 pounds, widow’s peak beginning its formation on his forehead, it was like he was spit out of an assembly line, forever doomed to be ordinary. The kind of person most people wouldn’t look at twice, but that never bothered Wyatt since he wasn’t a people person. Immediately after high school he attended a university to be a veterinarian and after graduation and earning his license, he went on to study all forms of exotic animals, traveling to other countries for the betterment of his knowledge. Animals, after all, were the deepest of his passions and the reason he wanted to be a veterinarian. No animal left behind, because to Wyatt, every single one was priceless.

Wyatt had returned home to quiet Oklahoma a month ago from a trip to Japan, studying pandas with the local Japanese veterinarians and zoologists. He usually traveled once a year to study, taking notes in a little black book, which was nearly full of information on various exotic animals from around the world. Diets, sleeping habits, diseases they could carry, the best cures for ailments, pack behavior, whatever note needed to be taken, Wyatt made sure to jot them down in his little book. All his notes came in extra handy during the yearly veterinarian social meetup in New York, in an assembly hall inside a luxury hotel. This gathering was more or less just a way for fellow colleagues to blow off steam, relax, and trade stories. Per usual, most of the time Wyatt was left alone, but this suited him as he liked to drink coffee while going over his notes and listening in on some of the stories. This year would prove to be vastly different, however.

Wyatt grabbed his name tag from the desk clerk and made his way to the assembly hall, ordered his usual black coffee and found a table far enough away to not be noticed, but close enough to listen in on this small group of four veterinarians sharing their stories from the past year. As he sat and opened his black book to the panda notes, he was approached by a tall, slender man, the kind you’d think a stiff wind would simply blow him over. Dressed in a very fancy suit that screamed ‘horribly expensive’, a combed over hairstyle that looked like he used the entire factory of Dapper Dan, complete with a long curly mustache, the man sat across from Wyatt and gave him a friendly smile while extending his hand.

“Wyatt Martin, correct? Name’s Adam Turner, I own a series of veterinary clinics all across the country. Matter o’ fact, I helped most everyone here start off.” Adam had what you’d call a ‘deep south’ accent, not one belonging in New York.

Wyatt was taken aback and simply eyed the man and his extended hand for a moment, dumbfounded. After all, no one really tries to talk to him, yearly meeting or not. Wyatt blinked and sheepishly extended his own hand to shake Adam’s. “Yes, Wyatt I’m Martin am, hi,” he stammered out, cheeks turning red as he realized he utterly butchered that sentence.

Adam just laughed at it, however. “My boy, that’s the funniest introduction I’ve heard to date.” They both retracted their hands, Wyatt looking a bit uncomfortable. “Never you worry ‘bout that. Now then, I’ll cut straight to it, as seems I caught you in the middle o’ somethin’ and we are both busy men.” Adam pointed to the book, still with his friendly smile.

“As it happens, I take great pleasure in helpin’ out fresh new faces into the world o’ critter care and I’m ashamed ta’ say, you flew under my radar for a bit there. However,” Adam raised a finger, “I still done heard of you and especially your travails to study exotic critters and the like. Thus, my proposal, sir, is the same I offer to every new starter; your own building for practice and a sum of $20,000 to use how you see fit for your new clinic. Mind you now, there’s no need to accept, not everyone does, it’s simply a hobby o’ mine.” Adam placed one hand on the table, the other twirling the end of his curly mustache.

Wyatt could only blink. ‘What’s happening? Who is this guy? What’s he talking about? A startup?’ Wyatt’s thoughts were running a mile a minute as he stared at Adam, dumbfounded yet again. After a few moments of collecting his thoughts, Wyatt finally spoke.

“Well, I, uh… That sounds great and all, but it’s like a loan, right? I don’t know when I’d even be able to pay you back.” Wyatt’s cheeks were back to normal color and he was showing visible interest, but also had the look of someone with a thousand thoughts happening at once.

Again, however, Adam just laughed. “My boy, never you worry ‘bout that, like I said, this is just a hobby for me. The only stipulation is I get you started, but keeping it afloat is all on you. Now, I know you’re from Lawton, Oklahoma, right? Fine state that is, just fine,” Adam nodded, again twirling his mustache. “As happens, I already checked into buildings there and have a number of empty ones for you to choose from. Mind you, price don’t matter a lick, pick one that works with your dreams. You got dreams, right, sonny?”

Wyatt nodded, now showing even more interest, his excitement visible to anyone. “Oh yeah, I definitely do. See, the reason I go off to learn as much as I can about every animal, is I want to have an all-animal care center… Not just your typical vet clinic, but one with ample space outside for enclosures to hold any animal you can think of. Tigers, chipmunks, peacocks, you name it. My dream is… Well, the world’s first ‘every animal clinic’, so to speak, including rehabilitation.” Wyatt found himself talking way more than usual, with a smile, even.

This made Adam’s smile even bigger and he slammed a hand, gently, on the table in delight. “Son, that’s a great dream, there! I tell you what, everyone I gave this proposal to was satisfied just runnin’ their own clinic quietly, which is fine n’ dandy, but what you want is definitely worth my investment!” Adam then stood up with a beaming smile, straightening out his vest and slacks. “I happen to also own this here hotel and got my office up in the penthouse, what say we mosey on up there and see what strikes your fancy?”

Wyatt nodded again and quickly got up, downing the rest of his coffee and tossing the cup in the garbage behind him. After a few steps Wyatt stopped though. “Oh! Crap, one second,” he blurted and turned back around, grabbing the little black book that held all his precious notes. Waving the book a bit as he walked back to Adam, they both nodded and went up the elevator to the penthouse.

At the top they went into Adam’s office, which to Wyatt’s surprise, was the entire top floor. Wyatt found himself questioning just how much money this guy had. There we statues of various animals all over the place, as well as pictures of him with different people lining the walls.

Adam took notice of Wyatt standing there staring at the room, and he pointed to all the pictures on his wall. “These here are all the young upstarts I helped get off the ground. Sounds as if we’re gonna need yours up here too,” Adam smiled, opening his desk drawer and placing some papers neatly on the desk.

“Alright son,” Adam spoke as Wyatt finally snapped to reality, making his way to the desk. “These here are all the suitable buildings in or around Lawton that I deemed to look into. Pick whatever suits your fancy.”

Wyatt looked over each paper carefully. A building on the outskirts of Lawton, would be nice and quiet, but hardly any outdoor space, that one’s no good. One in the heart of Lawton? Nah, would be too noisy, he thought. I need… Wait, he stopped at the fourth paper. This one is also on the outskirts, but spacious outside and a park about a mile away. “Perfect! This one,” Wyatt pointed at the paper he held before handing it to Adam, who twirled his mustache while looking over it.

“Oho, this here’s a nice size, very fine indeed, my boy. Now then,” he said as he took all the papers back up and tucked them away, replacing them with a $20,000 check that oddly already had Wyatt’s name on it. “By the time you get on home from this here meetup, that’ll be all yours. This is for your startup as well. Already had your name on it, just in case, but I had a feelin’ you’d go for it,” Adam grinned.

Wyatt quietly took the check and just stared at it, finding himself yet again at a loss for words. “I… For me… This is a bit much, I can’t thank you enough,” he finally managed to stutter out.

“Nonsense!” Adam laughed, giving Wyatt a smirk. “This is a great pleasure for me. Go wild, my boy!” He laughed again while taking out the pocketwatch in his vest.

“Oh heavens, it’s that time,” Adam stated, tapping the pocketwatch. “Well, I hate to cut this short but I am incredibly busy. Mosey on back down and enjoy the next few days of the meetup, sonny.” Walking over, Adam tapped Wyatt on the shoulder lightly, to which Adam simply nodded and headed to the elevator.

“Thank you, sir!”, was all Wyatt could get out as the elevator doors closed, with Adam waving at him. Wyatt spent the last few days of the meetup collecting his thought, mostly in a daze.

Upon returning home, Wyatt found a small envelope with a note. ‘She’s all yours, my boy!’, was written on it and a key was inside with the address of his new clinic. Wyatt didn’t even bother unpacking his luggage, instead he went straight inside and started writing up plans.

Seven months later, Wyatt had finally done it: his own little clinic with everything he dreamed of having inside and out of it. He had taken that $20,000 and had simple enclosures made inside, each tailored to indoor animals such as dogs, cats, exotic animals like chinchillas, ferrets, every manner of reptile. On the outside, thanks to the massive amount of acres, he had his outdoor enclosure/rehabilitation. These, again, were tailored to meet the needs of specific animals; horses, cows, goats, wolves, tigers. Every animal you could think of, Wyatt had taken care to meet their needs.

One day, Adam showed up to check things out. Dressed in the exact same snazzy, expensive outfit but using noticeably less hair products, Adam stepped out of the fancy car that pulled up, a photographer in tow.

“Well now son, looks like things are going swell! I see you’re even nursing a wild wolf,” Adam smiled.

“Yes sir! We’ll release him in a week or so, he’s almost fit to return. Hunter got him with a bow,” Wyatt answered, walking up to the fence.

“This is perfect now, I came for a picture to hang up, we can have that wolf in there too,” Adam smiled.

“Absolutely, that’d be great! Oh, and this too,” Wyatt smirked, pulling out his little black book of notes. “Couldn’t have done too much without it.” They both laughed, Adam patting Wyatt on the back while the photographer finished setting up.

“Good to go, sir,” the man gave a thump up. “Ready whenever.”

Wyatt and Adam nodded, and both squat down by the wolf, its nose pressed into the fence, sniffing curiously. Wyatt held up his black book for the picture, and both men smiled, the bright flash illuminating their faces.