Page 28 of Saddles and Snowstorms
“I’ll find him,” I promised her, though I wasn’t sure how I’d manage it in this weather.
I grabbed a length of rope and looped it over my shoulder, then pulled my gloves back on. The wind had picked up even in the few minutes I’d been inside, howling like a wounded animal as I stepped back into the storm.
“Fuck me,” I hissed, squinting against the onslaught of white. The snow was coming down sideways now, driven by the wind. I could barely see three feet in front of me.
I headed in the direction I’d seen the calf running, toward the south pasture. The snow was already ankle-deep and getting deeper by the minute. My boots crunched through the fresh powder as I trudged forward, calling out uselessly. As if the stupid animal would come when called.
Twenty minutes later, I was soaked through and shivering. My hands had gone from painful to numb, and I couldn’t feel my face. The pasture stretched out endlessly, white on white, and there was no sign of the calf.
“I’m gonna die out here looking for you, you little shit,” I growled through chattering teeth. Just as I was about to turn back, I caught a glimpse of movement to my right.
“Hey!” I shouted, my voice nearly lost in the wind. The brown blurpaused, and I lunged forward, stumbling through the snow. The calf, startled by my sudden approach, bolted again. “You little bastard, get back here!”
I gave chase, my lungs burning with each icy breath. The snow was getting deeper, almost to my knees in some spots, and my legs felt like they were encased in concrete. The calf, lighter and somehow more nimble despite its gangly legs, kept just ahead of me.
When my boot caught on something hidden beneath the snow, I went down hard. The fall knocked the wind out of me, and for a moment, I just lay there, the cold seeping through my clothes and into my bones. The thought of just closing my eyes flashed through my mind—dangerous thinking in this weather.
“Fuck,” I groaned, pushing myself up on trembling arms. My jeans were soaked through now, clinging to my thighs like a second skin. “I swear to God, when I catch you...”
The wind died down for half a second as I looked up. My gaze caught the calf just in time to watch it run headfirst into a barbed wire fence. His front half made it through somehow, but his back left leg was what betrayed him. I couldn’t help but wince as I saw it catch, heard the calf cry out, and then saw the streak of bright red on the snow.
“Fuck…” I groaned again.
I forced myself back to my feet, ignoring the protest of my frozen limbs. The calf’s cries cut through the howling wind, desperate and pained. As I stumbled closer, I could see him thrashing, only making the barbed wire dig deeper into his leg.
“Easy, easy,” I called out, though my voice was barely audible above the storm.
When I reached him, I dropped to my knees in the snow. The calf’s eyes were wide with fear, his breath coming in panicked puffs of white vapor. Blood dripped steadily from where the barbed wire had sliced into his hind leg, staining the pristine snow beneath him.
“You really did it this time, didn’t you?” I muttered, reaching for the rope at my shoulder.
My fingers were so numb I could barely grip it, but I managed to loop it around the calf’s neck, securing him so he couldn’t bolt again. Then I turned my attention to the fence. The barbs had dug deep, and every time the calf moved, they tore furtherinto his flesh.
“Stop movin’, damn it,” I hissed, trying to hold him still with one hand while working at the wire with the other.
Blood was everywhere now, stark crimson against white snow. The calf was weakening, his panicked movements becoming sluggish. I needed to get him free and back to the barn, fast, or I’d lose him.
“Come on, you little shit. Don’t you die on me now.”
Finally, I managed to loosen the wire and the calf came free. But the bleeding was worse now that the wire was no longer cutting off his circulation. I quickly pulled off my belt and wrapped it around his leg above the wound, tightening it off to make a tourniquet. It would keep him alive for now, but from what I could see through the blood-soaked fur, he was far beyond my capability to mend. I needed help.
Without a second thought, I pulled out my phone. Rowan had given me his cell number in case of emergencies. Although I’d put it in my phone immediately and spent the better part of the night before staring at it, wanting desperately to text him and apologize once more, I didn’t hesitate to dial now. It rang a couple of times before he picked up.
“Hello?” he said the moment it picked up.
“Don’t hang up,” I replied, knowing he was probably still pissed at me.
“What can I do for you Mr. Callahan?” It was a cold greeting, but I knew I deserved it.
“Got an emergency. That damn calf got out again and got tangled in a fence, tearing up his leg. I’d stitch it myself, but it’s a bit beyond my skill set.”
The wind and snow around me picked up, howling again. I hoped he could still hear me through it all.
“It’s hell out there,” Rowan sighed. “But I think I can make it out to your place. Gonna take me a while though.”
“I’m sorry, Doc. I know it’s bad.”
“It’s fine. That’s the life of a vet. I’m on my way.”
