Chapter 26
CHAPTER 26
C ole
I slip the rope round the tiny hooves and hand it to Johan. “Can you hold this rope? Keep it taut but don’t pull.” He kneels next to me in the straw and takes the rope, concern on his face. It’s endearing really but I have done this many times. I guess he’s probably never seen an animal being birthed before, and certainly not one with complications. In any event, it can be pretty gross. It’s spring and I’m kept very busy with lambing, calving and foaling duties at work. This is the second weekend in a row I’ve been on call, and it’s the same for all of the practices in the area. We often double up due to the demand at this time. I could have called Sam but they needed rest too and Johan insisted on coming with me when Lauren called early this morning. I’m sure this is not really how he wants to spend a Sunday morning, but he said he wanted to spend it with me no matter what I’m doing. I feel grateful for his company as I don’t want to waste a single minute I can be with him too. But I do feel bad that this is our last weekend. Johan has to fly back to Sweden on Friday. He has never asked me to give up time for him, he has always accepted that this is what I do. I explained that this time was really busy for me, and he accepted it in his stoic way, saying he understood. I let him, but now with so little time left I find it’s not enough. I want more of him, need more of him. I clamp down any feelings on that thought as it can’t happen, and right now I have a job to do.
I place a hand on the mare, Daydream’s, rump. “It’s okay girl, we’ll soon have this sorted.”
She’s tired,; she has been in labour for a long time. We’re at Lauren’s stud farm. She would usually have called me before this but didn’t realise anything was wrong at first. The foal is the correct way round but it’s head is bent back the wrong way. There is no way it’s coming out until I can realign it.
Lauren sits by the mare’s head, talking softly to her to keep her calm. I pull on a large glove that covers my arm and grab a tube of lube.
“Right,” I say to Johan. “In a minute I want you to ease the tension in the rope, but not release it completely. I just need a bit of play in it.”
“Got you.”
I ease my hand up the foal’s legs until I feel it’s chest and neck.
“Okay, now.” And Johan lets some slack into the rope. I push back slightly on the foal’s chest and ease my hand up its neck to its head. It’s some work in the narrow space, and completely by feel, to straighten the head but I manage it. As I withdraw my hand I ask Johan to take up the slack again.
“Normally at this point everything would be easy but she’s too tired to push, so when I say so, I want you to pull gently.” I watch for the signs that she’ll have a contraction and signal to Johan. Within seconds a dark foal slides out onto the straw. I quickly wipe away the fetal membrane covering its nose so it can breathe, and slide it over to Daydream’s head where she sniffs it gently before giving it a welcoming nicker with her nostrils. The foal wriggles a little at the breath on it, instinctively squirming closer to the warmth of its mother. Lauren is beaming at me, but it’s Johan I look at. He’s smiling, but I see him blink a few times before he gets up and leaves the stable. I check with Lauren that everything is still alright with mother and baby, and head out to follow him, pulling off my glove and discarding it.
He's a short distance away, leaning against a wall.
“Hey.” I stand next to him.
“You don’t need to come looking for me, I’m sure you’re needed back there.”
“Everything is fine in there right now, they don’t need me at this moment, but you look like you might.”
“I’m sorry, I…” He takes a deep breath. “Are all moments like this? When you realise how insignificant you really are, against something like the miracle of birth?”
I understand him, although I’ve seen and helped bring dozens of animals into the world, it is still a special moment.
“It never loses its magic.”
“You were amazing.”
“Just doing my job.” I shrug.
“You make it sound so easy.” He turns to look at me. “But you were in there saving lives, it’s incredible what you do.”
“It isn’t easy, far from it, but I have to try and keep some perspective. Today could have been different, I might not have been able to save them. It happens and it’s hard, damn hard. But the moments like this, when it does go right, make it all worthwhile.”
He draws me in for a hug, and I hesitate. “I’m covered in all sorts.”
“Doesn’t matter, I’ll help you shower later.”
“Is that a promise?”
He chuckles against my neck, and I wrap my arms round him too. I’m looking forward to that shower and anything else that might be on offer. No, I’ll be demanding that, but right now the hug is needed. That I crave the closeness and the touch of another person, my person, sometimes still surprises me, but there is nowhere I would rather be than in his arms. All too soon I release him, but I need to check on the foal.
I take his hand and drag him to the stable. Daydream, after having time to rest, is on her feet and licking the foal gently. It shifts slightly and tries to stand. After a few false starts where it falls back down, it manages to stand on shaky legs.
“He’s perfect,” Lauren says.
“He?” Cole asks.
“Yes, I checked, and he’s big too. No doubt he’ll end up taller than his mother.” Then she looks straight at Johan. “I’m going to call him Thor.”
He rolls his eyes but looks amused.
“I think it’s an excellent name,” I say, giving my boyfriend a grin.
We wait until the foal is suckling alright on his mother before leaving and heading back home.
When we climb the steps and reach the door I turn to Johan. “Now, about that shower you owe me.”