As he stepped back to let the ambos do their work, Justin realised Ken had arrived. The police officer had parked his car with its flashing blue light as an additional barrier to cars trying to use the road. There came another spasm of banging from the trailer and the angry roaring of an animal in pain.
Justin filled Ken in on the past few minutes as they walked closer to the trailer and peered in. Ken looked at Justin and shook his head. Justin wasn’t shocked. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen an animal lost at the scene of a crash.
‘We’re taking the driver to hospital now,’ the ambo officer said.
‘No, wait.’ Paul’s voice was a bit stronger. ‘My bull.’
Ken stepped forward. ‘Sir, the animal’s trapped and hurt. And he’s a danger to anyone who might try to help him. I’m sorry, but—’
‘No.’ The driver tried to sit up, but collapsed back onto the stretcher with a grimace of pain. ‘You can’t. He’s—I can’t lose him. Please.’
Before Ken could reply, another vehicle pulled up and Anna got out, every line of her face showing her anxiety as she hurried to join them.
‘Look. The vet’s here. I’ll let her make the call. If he can be saved, we will. Okay?’ Ken put his hand carefully on the man’s shoulder.
The injured man tried to raise an arm to grab Anna’s hand. ‘You’ve got to save him. My father’s legacy. My stud … Please …’ Paul’s voice trailed off as his eyes closed. His raised hand fell, freeing Anna from the need to answer his plea.
‘The drugs are taking effect,’ the ambulance officer said. ‘Probably a good thing for him. He’s in a lot of pain. We’re off now.’
Ken nodded. The officers slid the stretcher into the back of the ambulance and a few moments later, the vehicle pulled away, lights flashing.
‘Is he going to be okay?’ Anna asked.
‘I think so,’ Ken replied. ‘Not sure the same can be said for the animal, though.’
‘All I got was the message that an animal was hurt.’ As Anna was speaking, there was another burst of thrashing in the trailer.
Justin saw her face blanch.
‘What is it?’ Anna asked quietly.
‘A bull.’ Ben didn’t seem to notice her tension. ‘Bloody big bastard. I think he’s hurt. I don’t know how badly, but he’s pretty stroppy.’
Anna lifted her hand to touch the scar on her left cheek. The hand was trembling. Justin wished Ben had called some other vet. He wanted to tell Anna that it didn’t matter. She didn’t have to do this. But the fact was she did have to do something, because she was all they had.
CHAPTER
23
She was back in the middle of all her nightmares.
Anna struggled to breathe as the memories of another road and another crash came flooding back. A black bull, driven mad with fear and pain. They’d wanted to shoot it, but she knew better. She could save it. They’d told her it was too dangerous. They were right, of course, but she was young and she didn’t listen. Like now, she hadn’t had a tranquilliser gun, just a blow dart. The animal had sunk to its knees. To get a clean shot with the dart, she’d leaned through the bars, knowing as she did that it was a bad idea. The bull had flung itself upright, throwing its head back. The horn—her face and then her shoulder. The pain. She was engulfed with pain and falling, barely aware of the gunshot close beside her.
A hand touched her arm gently and she started as if hit by an electric shock.
‘Anna?’ Justin was looking at her with deep concern etched into his face. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Yes. I’m fine.’ She took a firm grip on herself. ‘The bull is still inside the trailer?’
‘Yes. But we have rung the stud. You don’t have to do this.’ His eyes held hers, telling her that he understood her fear.
‘How far away are they?’
Justin glanced at his brother.
‘It shouldn’t be too long,’ Ben responded.
The bull let loose another bellow of pain. The sound cut through Anna like a knife. Whatever her own fears, there was a creature in pain. She couldn’t stand by and do nothing. If she did, she had nothing left.
