Page 17 of Hero Unbound

6

Eva turned from shy and timid vet tech to some sort of superhero right in front of Theo’s eyes.

“This is a case of dystocia.” She rolled up the sleeves of her shirt until they were around her upper arms.

“What does that mean?”

“Basically, labor distress. The foal should’ve been pushed out by now, or there should have at least been some progress. Time is of crucial importance. If we don’t get the foal out, it and Wildfire could die.”

“Are you qualified to handle this?”

“I’m the most qualified person you’ve got.”

That was certainly true. “What can I do?”

“There’s a box in the barn closet that Becky set up with some material we may need. Obstetric straps and chains, a nasal catheter, obstetric gloves. Just bring it all. I need to do an internal exam.”

Theo ran over and got the box she was referring to. When he got back, Eva had urged Wildfire to standing and was cleaning her rump area again.

“I need the gloves so I can do an exam. I’m pretty sure we’re dealing with a fetal postural abnormality.”

He didn’t know exactly what that meant as a whole, but he understood the individual words. “Foal isn’t positioned right? Like breech or something?”

“Hopefully not breech. That would be more than we could handle here. And hopefully not…” Her voice faded off.

“What?”

“The foal could be dead. It happens.”

“How can we tell?”

“I’ll be able to tell during the exam.”

Theo watched in wonder as Eva applied copious amounts of lubricant to Wildfire then performed the pelvic exam with no hesitation whatsoever. If she was nervous that she might not be doing something right, she didn’t show it at all.

“Come on, baby,” Eva whispered. “Show me you’re still alive in there.”Stress lined her face for a few moments, but then she broke out into a smile. “There you are!”

“The foal is okay?” Theo felt helpless.

“Definitely alive and ready to come out. I stimulated a reflex movement and little buddy cooperated, so he or she is definitely alive. But we’re going to have to work quickly so that doesn’t change.”

She moved her arm in a different direction inside the horse, closing her eyes as if she was picturing something. “Okay, good news. Positioning problem is carpal flex. One of the foal’s knees is flexed backward.”

“That’s good news?”

She opened her eyes. “Definitely. Sounds painful for us, but it’s the best-case scenario for Wildfire. Assisted vaginal delivery is still the best option.”

“Assisted by us?” Theo felt like some sort of questioning parrot.

“Wildfire will still do most of the work, I promise. Okay, I’ve got the fetus presented and positioned correctly in the pelvic canal. We need to get it out soon, or oxygen deprivation is going to be an issue.”

She took in a deep breath then moved her arm out of Wildfire, bringing the foal’s legs out with her. “Hand me the obstetrical chains. I’m going to wrap them around the foal’s legs so we can help provide traction for Wildfire as she pushes. We’re getting into the critical time period now.”

He watched in amazement, once again, as Eva worked with cool efficiency—completely unlike the nervous and stiff woman he’d seen around the barns the past three days. Theo wasn’t someone prone to panic, but he could feel the stress levels inside this stall like they were palpable.

But Eva remained calm and focused.

“Okay, you pull on the chains, and I’m going to help from here. The chains are wrapped in a way that you’re not going to hurt the foal, so don’t be afraid to put some muscle into it.”

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