Page 28 of There I Find Hope

Sunday nodded. She had been able to get both of her hands on the foal’s twisted leg and gently push it back until she was able to straighten it out.

“I got it!” she said, excitement in her voice, but she kept it down so she didn’t scare the mare.

“Hey, guys, is everything okay?”

She turned, both hands still reaching around trying to find the foal’s head, but her eyes went to the man who just walked around the knob and was striding toward them.

Noah.

“Hey, man. We could use some help.”

“All right.” He sounded unsure. “This isn’t exactly my thing, but I’m a quick learner.” Noah stopped beside her.

“Do me a favor and go up and sit by her head. She’s been calm this whole time, but we need her to stay down so we can get this baby out.”

“All right.” Noah spoke to Matt, but his eyes were on her. There might have been a glimmer of humor in his eyes at her position, but there was also a deep concern.

Noah had always been kind of a sensitive guy like that. Back when they had been friends, he’d always been concerned about other people’s pain.

It made sense that he would love animals too. Although she honestly didn’t know.

“I feel the head, I think.” Her fingers touched something soft. “I think it’s an ear.”

“You might need to move the head around. It might be twisted back.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment while her fingers tried to feel down to the base of the ear and then figure out the direction of the head.

The mare pushed, and the birth canal tightened around her hands.

She would much rather the vet be there. She didn’t know whether she was doing this right or not, whether the mare would survive or not, whether the foal was already gone. But in the absence of the vet, all they could do was their best.

Time was of the essence.

“I feel its nose.”

“You might have to stick your fingers in it, to get purchase on the head. The vet had mentioned something about that.”

“All right.” Her arms felt like jelly, from the pressure she pushed against, and her thighs ached because of the unfamiliar position. She realized her back hurt as well.

She tried to stop thinking about all the things that were feeling terrible and tried to focus on the fact that if they could save this foal, she would be smiling the rest of the day. And well into the next. Probably into the next week.

The mare pushed again, and she waited until the contraction had ended before she put both hands on the legs and pushed backward far enough that she could get the head turned into position.

It took her three more tries and two more contractions until she felt she had it ready.

“I think that’s the best I can do.” She slid her hands out and sat back on her haunches.

Noah stared at her, and she met his eyes, still concerned about the horse and her baby but also feeling...something...for the man holding her head.

He hadn’t hesitated when they’d said they needed help.

“How did you know we were back here?” she asked as the horse pushed again, and she looked down.

“There was a dog on the sidewalk. A white one. I’ve seen it around town a lot but don’t know whose it is. He wouldn’t let me pass. He just kept pushing me in this direction until I finally heard something. I’m not even sure what it was.”

“I heard her trying to whinny, but it came out as a strangled, painful sigh.”

He laughed. “That’s exactly what it sounded like.”

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