“While I’m feeding this tube into her stomach, you should check the other horses. Just in case.”
“Right.” It’s hard stepping away, but my job is to take care of all the horses, not just my own.
Thankfully, none of the others are showing any signs of ailment.
“She’s the only one.”
“Good.” Bluebonnet flashes me a reassuring smile. “Let’s get her fixed up.”
A resolution will take a while, so I drag two buckets into the stall and flip them upside down. It might be a bit before we take a break, but she’ll need to sit at some point.
I start walking Bonnet around the stall, hoping that will get things moving. Bluebonnet stays beside me.
“Thank you.”
“I’d be here no matter which horse was sick, but because it’s Bonnet, I’m not leaving until I know she’s okay.”
“You’ll have to sleep at some point.”
Her head wags back and forth. “I’m not leaving you.”
Until this moment, I didn’t think I could love Bluebonnet more than I already did. Turns out, I was wrong.
When it’s clear the tube alone isn’t going to solve the problem, Bluebonnet administers a laxative. “Okay, so I said I wasn’t going to leave, but I have to run to the clinic. I don’t have any painkillers in my bag, and she needs some. I’ll only be gone a little while.”
I hand over my keys. “Take my truck. Yours is still at the main house.”
“Walk her every few minutes. Just here in the stall. Let her have as much water as she wants, but let’s hold off on eating right now.” She wraps me in a tight hug. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure she gets through this.”
Having Bluebonnet hold me feels good and comforting, but the longer she holds me, the longer my horse is in pain. “Thanks for doing all this.”
She cups one side of my face, then hurries out of the barn.
Thankfully, she’s back before my worried thoughts get too spun up. I don’t even want to know how fast she was going in my truck. And she doesn’t waste any time administering the pain meds. They seem to help some, but we’re far from out of the woods.
* * *
Curledup in the corner of the stall, I wake up, startled by the sound of a very loud fart. Then the smell hits me. “Whoa!”
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Bluebonnet drops down beside me. “It doesn’t smell wonderful, but it’s a sign things are moving in the right direction.”
I lean my head on her shoulder. “Thanks for letting me sleep. And for staying. What time is it anyway?”
“About two in the morning. And I slept first, so I was just returning the favor.” She laces her fingers with mine. “Hopefully, the next couple of hours will be smelly.”
Laughing, I nod. “Right. Never thought I’d be so happy about horse flatulence.”
“Poop would make me even happier.” She manages to keep a straight face for only a second before breaking out in laughter. “I think we’re punch drunk.”
“Nah, farts are funny all the time. Not just in the middle of the night.”
“Now you sound more like the Parker I remember.” She smoothes down my hair. “And you have a bit of a bedhead.”
I should’ve known my comments on farts would remind her of my little-brother days. Running my fingers through my hair, I try to at least not look so bad. “I guess that’s what happens when I use the wall as a pillow.” I stand and stretch. “I’ll walk Bonnet. Sleep a little. If you can manage with the putrid fog hanging around us.”
“I might close my eyes for a bit.”
“And if you’re hungry, I have crackers in my truck.” I don’t want her getting sick on account of me.
