Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 123171 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123171 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
“I got it,” I offer, and I can see her wanting to protest and not accept my help, but she keeps quiet for the horse’s sake.
“Thanks.” Her eyes linger on mine for a moment and then we take the water to the gelding. “Are you buying a horse?” She asks, watching the horse gulp down water.
“I already bought two donkeys. They’re on their way to a local vet and will go to a sanctuary from there. I’m actually here with a few other vets, and we’ve purchased a handful of horses that needed to be humanely put down. Ya know, to give them an end with as much dignity as possible. Now they don’t have to suffer a long trailer ride only to be slaughtered. Though, those three Shetland ponies in the sale yard keep calling to me.”
Josie’s looking at me, head slightly tipped. “I saw them too,” she says, voice soft. “But I only have a two-horse trailer and I couldn’t split them up.” Her eyes go to the black gelding. “I’m getting him, no matter what, and I want to buy someone from the yard as well. Picking just one…it’s heartbreaking.”
“It is. Try not to think of the ones you’re not getting and focus on the fact that you’re saving two lives today.”
She blinks rapidly, trying to keep her eyes from getting misty. “Right. Did you see the old gray mare out there? I’m sure there’s more than one.” She pushes her hair back. “Tag three-fifty-two.”
“I have her on my list,” I say, knowing exactly which horse Josie is talking about. “We aged her to be around twenty-five. She’s gentle and was probably worked up until she couldn’t keep up.”
“People fucking suck.”
“They do.”
There’s tension between us, and it’s different than before. Josie’s walls are up, shutting me out.
“There you are.” Dr. Brenden briskly walks down the aisle. “There’s a horse down, looks like a broken shoulder.”
“Fuck,” I mumble and turn my attention back to Josie one last time. “Good luck.”
“You…you too,” she says, and then I hurry through the barn with Dr. Brenden. Rain starts to fall, and the wind picks up even more. The next few hours are spent starting IVs on sick horses that were purchased, stitching up wounds, and trying to help arrange transportation and quarantine.
I finally stop around nine PM. The rain has let up some, but a bigger storm is blowing in. The auction is still going on, and I take the break in the rain to go into the dirt pasture to get the three ponies. I bring them inside, putting them in a pen I already reserved for any horses I purchased.
Taking their numbers to the office, I buy them and then go back to the pasture. I didn’t see the old gray mare when I went out to get the ponies. There are probably fifty horses out here, so it’s possible I missed her, but I smile, thinking that Josie was able to get her.
“There you go,” I tell the ponies, spreading hay that I brought out for them. I don’t really have a plan in mind, which is how I ended up with most of my animals throughout my life. For now, they’re not in the condition to be anywhere by the clinic. From there…well, I’ll figure it out. Though, I kind of have the feeling I’ll be able to convince my parents to reopen their barn. Rory did say she wanted Adam to have a pony, after all.
I go check in with the other vets, who are all getting ready to leave. It’s been an exhausting day and we’re all drained. The auction doesn’t end until Tuesday, and I can’t imagine staying here any longer. One of the volunteers from the rescue tracks me down right before I go get my truck and trailer, and I treat one of the horses they saved. He’s so sick his eyes are crusted shut. I give him a shot of antibiotics, hook him up to a bag of fluids, and carefully clean out his eyes.
The tornado sirens go off right as I get into my truck. Sighing in frustration, I pull out my phone and check the radar. “Dammit,” I grumble, seeing that we’re going to have bad storms all night. I’m not particularly worried, but I don’t want to pull the trailer with three sick ponies through a possible tornado.
And I’d rather not drive through it without said ponies, as well: if I’m being honest. Running through the rain to the office, I pay for one more day of stall use as well as more hay for the ponies. I make sure they’re set up and then drive to the only motel in Hillside.
There are a few other trucks with trailers here, as others must have had the same thought I did about not wanting to drive horses through bad storms. It’s pouring now, and I run through the rain into the little motel office and get in line behind three others. Cold air hits me and I shake my head, sending water droplets falling to the floor.