“Gerry went to get him.” Wiping her eyes, she turned and raced back to Clay. He was sitting on a mat of fresh straw on the floor of the stall, holding Max’s head in his lap, talking to him softly. The stallion’s eyes were dilated, his muscles rigid then twitching, his teeth bared, his jaw clamped shut.
“Be careful,” Clay cautioned. “He may start convulsing again.” Outside, people rushed past, horses whinnied, and grooms busied themselves carting the deadly water away. “Where the hell is Lee?”
“Gerry went to get him.” Kneeling next to Clay, Ellie touched his icy hand. At the contact, the muscles in his forearm tensed. With a slow breath, he forced himself to relax.
“He’ll be all right,” Ellie said, fighting back fresh tears. “He’s got to be.”
The vet ran up just then, Jake and Maggie right behind him.
“We’ve got to get an I.V. started,” Lee said. “Jake, get the oxygen.”
Another paroxysm struck, set off by the touch of the doctor’s hand as he slid in the needle. Max went rigid, his eyeballs rolling up until only the whites appeared. His body twitched spasmodically, hooves thrashing, head jerking, a terrible keening sound coming from deep inside.
A sob came from Ellie’s throat.
“He needs darkness and quiet,” the vet said softly. “As you just saw, even a touch can set off a spasm.” Jake reappeared with the oxygen and as soon as the paroxysm had ended, Max’s soft dark muzzle was covered and the oxygen turned on.
“His pulse is extremely weak,” Lee said. “I’d say he’s taken the largest dose by far.”
A shudder rippled through Clay. Ellie rested her cheek against his shoulder. She could feel the fearful pounding of his heart.
“Will he make it?” Clay asked while the vet checked the dosage and the short-acting barbiturate continued to flow.
“Too soon to tell.”
“I’ll be right outside if you need me.” Jake climbed to his feet and silently left them, joining Maggie outside the stall door. He closed it behind him, throwing the stall into shadow.
Ellie swallowed past the thick lump in her throat. “Is there anything else we can do?”
Lee released a sorrowful sigh and shook his head. “At this point, I’m afraid not. I’ve got to be truthful. It doesn’t look good.” Coming to his feet, he moved toward the door. “I need to check on Lass. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Clay nodded. Lee left them and the stall fell into semi-darkness. Faint light slanted in through an air vent above the door. Max whimpered and tried to lift his head, but the stallion was just too weak. His chest moved in short shallow pants.
“It’s all right, boy, you’re going to make it,” Clay said softly, and refit the oxygen mask. His hands shook where he held it over Max’s nose.
A shuddering breath whispered out. “I can’t stand to see him like this,” Clay said.
Ellie reached for his hand. “Just keep talking to him, Clay, the way you always do. I’m sure Max can hear you. He’ll know you’re here.”
“Talk to him,” Clay said, his voice turning gruff. “Stupid for a grown man to talk to a horse. He’s just an animal after all. Just a dumb animal. If he dies, he dies. There are dozens of others who could take his place. He’s just a horse.”
Ellie laid her palm against Clay’s cheek. It felt as cold as his hand. His jaw was clamped, his muscles rigid, as if he shared his friend’s pain. He turned his head away, but not before she felt the wetness on his cheeks that dampened her fingers.
“It’s all right, Clay. I know you love him.”
“He’s just a horse,” he repeated, but his voice cracked, making the words come out low and strained.
“Not to you,” Ellie said softly. “He’s Max. And he’s your friend.” Max’s shallow breathing filled the room. The musky smell of straw mingled with the sweet smell of alfalfa and the stallion’s familiar scent. He shuddered, grew rigid, then released a last, final, noiseless breath.
Clay closed his eyes, fighting the burning sting of tears and the terrible ache in his chest. When he looked down at Max, a shaft of sunlight touched the stallion’s red-brown ears.So much heart,he thought. And wondered how he’d ever be able to replace him.
He felt like that same little boy who’d taken the jump wrong and broken his horse’s leg. This time it wasn’t his fault but that didn’t stop the pain he felt inside. They’d been a team, he and Max. One of the best in the world. In Seoul, they might have proven it beyond a doubt. Without Max, Clay wasn’t certain he wanted to go.
He swallowed hard, his eyes still locked on the animal’s beautiful ears. Just hours ago, Clay had been rubbing them as Max so loved.
They’d ridden well today, one of their best performances ever. How much further might they have gone? What greatness could have been theirs? Together, they might have won the gold.
Lock it away, Clay told himself.Forget the pain. He had done it before. He could do it again. He had Ellie to think of now.
