Page 48 of When We Were Us
“Normally he’s a pretty chill guy. So, when he started pawing the ground, I got suspicious. I’d only walked him around the ring three times, but he was breathing so hard. Then, he just laid back down and started rolling around. I can tell he’s uncomfortable. It took me twenty minutes to get him back up. I’ve got one of my guys keeping him walking around the ring.”
I hit the call button and press Hank’s phone to my ear, waiting for Penny to pick up. “How about his gums? Did you happen to see what color they were?”
“No.” Hank shakes head. “We’ve had this kind of thing happen before, but it’s never been this bad. And never with Apollo.” His grip tightens on the steering wheel, and I nod.
Penny answers on the second ring. She’s calm, professional. I’m pretty sure I know what is wrong with Apollo. I’ve dealt with colicky horses hundreds of times, so I’m confident in my abilities. I just hope we’re not too late.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
hank
When I was a kid,one of the work horses came down with colic. I remember my mom saying Hayley was a pretty colicky baby, too. I had experience with it. It wasn’t like I didn’t know what it was, or what to expect. Hell, I’d even known to walk Apollo around, and to try to keep him moving so he could hopefully pass whatever was making him uncomfortable.
I was pretty confident that was exactly what was going on at the time, but the worse he got, the more my gut told me it was something more serious. Now, the more Wren talks, and the more questions she asks Penny, the more I realize Apollo could be in real danger.
As I listen to Wren talking to Penny, I hear words like enterolith, strangulation, and intestinal volvulus.
“Have you been able to reach Dr. Callahan?” She’s got my phone clamped between her shoulder and ear as she taps something into an app on her own cell phone. She scrolls, taps, scrolls furiously, and then nods at something Penny says on the other end.
“I don’t have anything but a stethoscope and whatever is at the ranch. As soon as I get there, I’ll check his vitals. At the very least, let's start with some Banamine or ketoprofen. Once I have a better idea of what’s going on, I’ll call you back.”
“We keep a cupboard stocked with basic medical supplies for the animals,” I tell her.
She glances quickly at me and nods, then looks out her window. She lowers her voice, and when she says the next words, I know it’s entirely for my benefit. “I doubt it will come to it, but while you wait, please prepare for exploratory celiotomy.”
She nods and thanks Penny before quietly clicking my phone shut and sitting it on her knee. She continues to click and scroll through something on her phone, but I can’t get a close enough look at it because I need to focus on the road.
The main ranch and stables are literally neighbors to Wren’s place. The ride takes all of five minutes, but it seems like we’re driving in slow motion.
By the time we pull up outside the stables and make it into the adjacent indoor ring, it feels like an eternity. I’m suddenly wishing for the semi-darkness of the moonlit night because I’m sure my distress is showing on my face, but I can’t seem to think about anything but fixing what is wrong with Apollo.
Jack has Apollo moving at a pretty good clip, his boots pounding the dirt as he moves in a wide circle. The ends of his hair and the neck of his shirt are damp with sweat. He’s been at this for, what? Thirty, forty minutes?
I wave him over and take the lead rope from him as he and Apollo stop in front of us.
“Thanks, Jack.”
“No problem, boss. I’ll just grab some water and hang around in case you need any more help.” Jack takes off at a jog across the arena, headed for the bunk house.
Wren steps up to Apollo, running her hand over his muzzle and up over his forehead.
“Hey, big guy,” she murmurs low, running her hands down his neck and over his back. She bends as she uses one hand to put her stethoscope into her ears. “Let’s see if we can’t get you fixed up, ok?”
Moving slowly, she moves down his body, probing with her fingers. “Good boy, Apollo,” she breathes as she presses the drum of her stethoscope to his belly.
She listens intently, her brown eyes fixed on Apollo’s dark brown coat. She moves the stethoscope around several times and then straightens. Moving to his chest, she does the same thing there.
Removing the tips of the stethoscope from her ears, she loops it around her neck and then pats his neck. Sliding her hands around to his mouth, she slips her thumb expertly between Apollo’s lips to expose his teeth and gums. Using the pad of her thumb, she presses lightly for a second or two and then removes it. She moves up his neck again and pinches a bit of his skin, keeping her eyes focused on the area. Moving to his rear end, she gingerly lifts his tail.
As she does, she says, “Hank, let Penny know we’re on the way with Apollo.”
To Jack, I nod, and we both jump into action, moving as quickly as Apollo will allow. Jack takes off at a jog again, leaving the ring to hitch a trailer. While Wren and I walk Apollo outside, I bring up Penny’s number and hand the phone to her.
She holds Apollo’s lead while Jack and I finish hitching up the small horse trailer. Once we’re finished, I lead him inside. We climb into the truck, and I try like hell to drive the fifteen minutes to the clinic as carefully as possible, while still getting us there as quickly as I can.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
wrenley
