Moon Shadow (6 page)

“Give her time,” the vet offered as she put a stethoscope to the newborn's chest. “She's a pretty weak little girl. She needs to gather all her energy first. If she hasn't eaten in two hours, we can start to worry.”

“She's darned near perfect.” Old Harvey beamed.

Justin stepped forward, handing Callie a towel from the vet's bag. “Thanks,” she said.

It was almost dark now, but there was enough light to work by. The sound of a night bird echoed down the mountain. It was soon answered by its mate. Callie smiled and folded the cloth around her index finger, moving her hand toward the foal's nose. The filly lifted her head and made sucking noises, her little pink tongue curling upward in search of nourishment.

“Look!” Callie exclaimed. “She's ready to eat right now.”

“We have a few things to get done first.” Susan rolled the foal onto its side and quickly doctored the navel cord. “I don't like messing too much with a mustang foal, but night's falling fast, and this filly isn't as strong as she should be. We need to get her dried off. Take that towel and gently wipe her coat down.”

Callie rubbed the fluffy towel over the trembling filly, marveling at her wispy black mane that contrasted so sharply with the rest of her light-colored body. “I think I'll call her Moon Shadow.” Callie toweled the foal's ears and laughed as the filly shook her finely chiseled head. “She's pale as a moonbeam, like her mother, but she's got this dark, shadowy mane and tail like her sire. Besides, look at that.” Callie pointed to the horizon.

Darkness had fallen, and the soft light of the full moon crested over the black outline of the mountains. “She was born in the shadow of the moon,” Callie explained.

Susan smiled. “It's a good name. Let's hope she gets a chance to use it. Climb back over the fence. We'll leave the two of them alone for a while and see if nature takes its course.”

Everyone stood outside the pen, waiting for the mare to get to her feet so she could encourage her foal to stand and nurse. When Moonbeam continued to lie on her side, one of the cowboys went in to rouse her. The mare staggered to her feet, swaying as her knees threatened to buckle again.

The newborn foal whinnied in concern at the sudden movement, but she continued to lie in the soft dirt of the corral. The weakened mare nickered to her foal and pushed her gently with her muzzle, encouraging her to rise.

Moon Shadow stretched her spindly legs in front of her and bounded to her feet, wobbling like a pinion pine in a strong wind. Another nudge from her dam sent the filly sprawling to the dirt, where she squealed and tried to rise again. After her third attempt, Moon Shadow rose and slowly shuffled to her mother in search of milk.

“That's a good sign,” Susan said. “I had my doubts about whether she was going to have the strength to do that. If she can nurse, she'll get stronger with each passing meal.” The vet zipped her bag closed. “That's it. Let's pack it in. Thanks for the help, everyone. I'll stop by in the morning to see how things are going.”

Callie didn't want to leave the horses, but she knew her mother and father were waiting at home, holding up their dinner until she got there. With one last look at Moonbeam and her foal, Callie slipped over the fence and headed for Susan's pickup. She and Susan had just buckled themselves in when the sound of boot heels on hard-packed dirt echoed up the driveway. It was Justin.

“Doc, wait, don't leave yet!” He pulled his Stetson from his head and nervously turned it over and over in his hands. “Something's wrong with the palomino mare. She's down in the dirt again, rolling from side to side. You'd better come quick!”

Six

Callie jumped out of the truck and flew toward the mustang pens. Moonbeam needed her! Callie was the first one over the fence, and her feet hit the dirt with such force that she almost tumbled to the ground. Luckily there were no other mustangs in the small pen to worry about. As she recovered her balance, the groans of the troubled mare reached her ears. Callie moved as close to the pale yellow mare as she dared.

The foal she had named Moon Shadow teetered on shaky legs, nickering in alarm as her dam rolled to her other side, her legs beating a rhythm on the dusty earth. Moonbeam sensed she wasn't alone and lifted her head, rolling her eyes in fear.

“What's wrong with her?” Callie asked Susan anxiously as the vet entered the pen, followed by Sam and Justin. She fought the urge to move closer to the mare. The way Moonbeam was thrashing about, anyone within three feet of her would risk a broken leg, or worse. She watched in horror as the newborn filly tried to get close to her mother, and was sent sprawling into the dirt as the mare renewed her struggles.

“Somebody do something!” Callie screamed. Heedless of the sharp hooves, she ran toward the newborn filly, sliding to the ground beside her tiny body. She tasted the chalky earth as she wrapped her arms around the foal.

“Callie, no!” Sam and Susan hollered in unison as they ran to help.

The mare whinnied in alarm and began to thrash about. Callie felt a sharp sting as Moonbeam's hoof scraped across her arm. She sucked in her breath and bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out. The foal moved weakly within her grasp, tossing her head and flailing her legs in an attempt to free herself.

“Justin, you help Callie while we try to find out what's the matter with this mare,” Sam said.

Callie yelped as Moon Shadow's head connected with her cheekbone. The sharp
crack
echoed across the corral so loudly, she wondered if she'd broken something. Ignoring the pain, she pulled the filly closer to her body and rolled her out of harm's way.

Moon Shadow whinnied in protest, lunging against the arms that restrained her.

“Hold her tight, Callie,” Justin said as he stepped in to help.

Susan opened her medical bag and took out a bottle. “We've got to get this mare sedated before she really hurts herself.”

The desperate mare flopped on the ground, banging her head on the earth of the corral. A second later, Moonbeam groaned and all four of her legs went stiff at once, as if she were having a seizure. Callie tightened her hold on the foal, ignoring the animal's squeal of complaint.

Justin put his arms around Callie and the foal, edging them over to the corner. “Let's get out of the way so her momma doesn't hurt you or her baby,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at the sick mustang.

The vet took advantage of Moonbeam's temporary stillness and moved in to deliver a shot of tranquilizer while Sam held her head. Within moments, the quivering mustang seemed to relax and she lay on her side, breathing heavily. The pale light from the full moon reflected off the white blaze on her face.

Callie could make out the rise and fall of the mare's rib cage as her labored breaths disturbed the momentary silence. “Is she going to be all right?”

Her words were only a whisper, but they boomed across the sudden quiet, startling the foal in her arms and causing her to renew her struggles. Callie buried her face in Moon Shadow's neck and held on tight until she grew still once more.

Callie said a silent prayer as she watched Susan move her stethoscope across the mare's belly, listening intently. When the vet turned, Callie could tell by her expression that things weren't good.

The vet tugged the stethoscope from around her neck and shook her head. “This mare's got a twisted gut. It probably happened on the run here, or when she lay down to foal.” She placed a sympathetic hand on the sedated mustang. “I'm not hearing any gut sounds. If this were just a colic, there would be plenty of noise in her belly. I think it's too late to save her. I'm going to have to put her down before it gets worse.”

“No!” Callie tried to shout, but the word fell from her lips like the last wilted leaf on a winter tree.

This couldn't be happening. Not to Moonbeam! She was a young mare. And now, she had a foal to take care of. What would become of Moon Shadow if her mother was gone? Callie's head swam with jumbled thoughts. She hugged the newborn foal closer to her chest. “There's got to be something we can do!” she cried. “Moon Shadow needs her mother. How will she survive without her?”

The vet sighed. “If we put the mare down, we could be condemning the filly to the same fate. But we've got no other choice. This mustang has a twisted intestine. She's already in unbearable pain. If we just let her go, she'll die a slow, agonizing death. I can't let that happen.”

Callie stared through the moonlit night at the little mare that just a few short days ago had been full of promise and life. Now, with her coat saturated with sweat and dirt and her body wracked with pain, she bore no resemblance to the proud mustang mare that had raced over the desert hills.

Moonbeam groaned and Callie tried her best to keep from crying. She knew Susan was right. The longer they waited, the harder it would be on the horse. Her eyes met Justin's. He twisted his hat in his hands and looked away.

Susan left the corral and headed for her truck. Callie knew she'd return with two syringes full of tranquilizer. The sedative would be painless, quick acting, and deadly when given in a large dose.

The foal stirred in Callie's arms, whickering softly to her dam. Callie tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it wouldn't go down. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but the pressure building behind her eyes and the back of her throat warned her that speaking might break loose the sobs that waited to burst from her chest.

She swallowed hard. “Will Moon Shadow die, too?” she asked, looking directly into Sam's face. He'd worked with horses for many years and had seen it all. He'd know the score.

Sam pulled the hat from his head, slapped it against his dusty chaps, and stared into the star-filled sky.

“I don't rightly know the full answer to that one, Callie,” Sam said, working his fingers around the stiff brim of his hat. “I've seen an orphaned foal foster onto another mare that lost her own colt, and that foal ended up just fine and dandy. I've even bottle-fed a few and pulled them through the worst of times. But I'll be honest with you. I've also seen a lot of them die.”

Callie watched the man plunk his hat back onto his head and set his mouth in a firm line. He'd said his fill. She knew she'd get nothing further from him. She'd have to cling to those flimsy rays of hope.

When Susan returned, Callie asked, “Will it work? Can we foster Moon Shadow onto another mare?”

Susan rubbed her eyes. “That depends on whether we can find another mare who's nursing a foal. Most of the time they won't take another one, though. The best answer would be to find a mare that's lost her own baby and is willing to take care of another mare's foal.”

Callie searched her memory, trying to remember how many mares and foals had been driven in that day.

“Better turn that filly over to Justin,” Sam said, nodding toward his son. “She may struggle pretty hard when we put her momma down.”

Callie clung to the filly a moment longer, closing her eyes and pressing her face into the soft hair on Moon Shadow's neck. She breathed in the warm horse scent while hot tears streamed down the side of her face.

Justin tapped her on the shoulder. Callie tightened her grip on the filly.

“I won't let anything happen to her,” Justin reassured her. He knelt in the dirt and put his arms around the tiny foal.

Callie reluctantly gave way to the young cowboy's firm grip on the mustang.

“Hold these for me, Callie,” Susan requested. She handed two syringes to Callie before turning to stroke the mare's neck, looking for the artery.

Callie pursed her lips as she stared at the tranquilizer she held in her hands. It was too dark to see, but she knew the liquid in the shots was pink. She had watched Susan put down other horses. But this time it was different. This time Callie felt a personal connection to the horse.

Callie gripped the syringes. She considered throwing them as hard as she could into the sagebrush, but a loud groan from Moonbeam brought her back to her senses. The mare was in unbearable pain. It would only get worse if they waited.

“We're ready,” Susan said as she motioned for the first shot.

Callie stepped forward and handed her the syringe. When the vet administered the first dose, Moonbeam began a series of long, deep breaths.

As she watched the mustang mare, Callie's head began to spin and the ground tilted under her shoes. She wanted to run, to hide from this awful ordeal, but her feet remained rooted to the spot.

Susan injected the final, fatal dose of the sedative. Moonbeam drew several more ragged breaths, then she released one long, breathy sigh and lay still.

Callie felt the world slip away beneath her. She cried out as she hit the ground, her palms scraping against the rough earth. A moment later, strong hands gently clutched her arms, helping her to her feet. She lifted her tear-drenched eyes to stare into Justin's concerned face.

“Take her over to my truck,” Susan said. “I'll be there in a moment to take her home.”

Justin pulled Callie by the hand, leading her back to the truck. She glanced back at Moonbeam as she stumbled along after him. The palomino mare lay still in the moonlight. Moon Shadow walked around her mother in confusion, nickering and poking her dam with her soft nose.

The sight tore at Callie's heart and a wall of tears came flooding loose. She tried to hold back her sobs, but she couldn't stop them. She almost tripped over a rock, and Justin held onto her arm to keep her upright. Callie winced and dug her heels into the dirt, forcing him to stop. She knew it wasn't fair, but the pain tearing at her heart made her want to take her frustrations out on somebody, and he was the closest.

“Let me go!” Callie cried, pulling her arm from Justin's grasp.

He let go and stepped back, looking at her like she was a snake ready to strike. “I was only trying to help.”