Derby Dreams (Acropolis #1)

Chapter 9

There was a rush to the end stall where Willow had indeed began to circle and pace.
"Look after V-girl's filly." Mr Hart told the foaling man at the door, "she's all of five minutes old."
"Alright then," The foaling man sent Wilow a wistful glance, "Good luck girl." Willow looked up, her eyes were filled with fear and she lashed at her belly as pain gripped her belly.
"We're going to do the best we can, send for Jane as well. She was over at Hecate. Tell her pronto." Mr Hart said as he switched into clean overalls, "I wish we'd moved her over to Isolation, I honestly thought she'd give us a little more warning."
"She snuck it up on us didn't she." Kat agreed, "Can I come in?"
"Stick on a pair of overalls and you can. I'm afraid you can't Carla, Willow does at least know me and Kat."
"No problem." Carla replied, the atmosphere in the barn had suddenly become very tense. Kat pulled on the white overalls and opened the door, stepping into the deep straw bedding.
"She's quite stressed, talk to her Kat." Mr Hart said as he ran his hands along the smooth coat of the mare.
"Okay, hey Willow. How are you doing baby? You're going to do this aren't you? It won't be easy but you can still try. You always were a fighter, you were. Since you were born, you didn't breathe for nearly a full minute after you were born. You were a miracle then and you can make another miracle, yes you can..." Kat continued to burble nonsense to the mare. Willow seemed to relax a little although she still anxiously paced and circled, Kat keeping one hand on her shoulder as she went. Willow gave a grunt and dropped to her knees, rolling in the straw and sending straw to skick in her coat, mane and tail.
"Easy lady, easy." Mr Hart murmured, "Try to keep her still Kat."
"Sure." Kat held the mare's headcollar lightly, "Easy missy, easy." Willow stood for a moment then began to tug at the headcollar, wanting to move.
"Let her go." Mr Hart nodded, "The first one seems to be coming on nicely. It would be nice if it just came down to her doing her best."
"Why? Because her best is beyond most mares?" Kat asked. Mr Hart nodded.
"Leave her be for a moment. Her waters haven't gone yet so we have a little time." Hart and Kat backed to the door as the mare continued to pace.
"How are we doing?" A rosy cheeked, greying haired woman arrived outside the stall.
"No waters yet but she chosen quite the night to drop a foal."
"I know, the vet won't ever get up here in this weather." Jane Hart pulled on her overalls so she could join her husband inside the stall, "How are you Kat?"
"She's feeling the pressure, as we all are." Mr Hart replied, "V-girl dropped her foal."
"Volcanic Equation? Filly or colt?"
"Filly. Kat wants to call her Impulse."
"Good name. Chestnut?"
"Bay. She never throws to herself, always to the stallion."
"Very true, we've not had any mares showing down at Hecate." Jane stepped over to Willow's shoulder, "How are you doing young un?" Willow stepped into another circle and there was a gush of liquid from beneath her tail.
"Waters. Darn." Mr Hart grabbed a pitchfork and shifted the wet straw to the corner of the stall.
"Yes, we'll have on the floor before long. Where do we want her?" Jane clung to the mare's halter.
"Close into the corner, backside out. We need a lot of space. Kat, go and grab me a couple of blankets, a foal bottle, the iodine, gloves...just grab a foaling bag actually." Mr Hart ordered as he and Jane tried to persuade Willow to lie down in the most convenient place. Kat dashed out of sight, her heart pounding in her chest. Willow was an old friend of hers, she and Mischief had been Kat's two favourites. She and Donovan used to ride the pair together for works, cantering around the track at home or even on the great Santa Anita racetrack during in the Breeders Cup Classic. She found the foaling bag, which contained all the necessities for a successful birth, and jogged back down to Willow's stall.
"How's she doing?" She asked when she arrived.
"Up and down like a yoyo." Jane replied, "The first foal is making slow progress down the birth canal and she won't settle."
"Get down girl." Mr Hart grunted as the mare tried to stand up again.
"Easy Will, easy." Kat stepped up to the mare's head, dropping the foaling bag in the corner. The mare snorted. and gave and uneasy shuffle of her feet but settled back down as Kat settled beside her, cradling the mare's head. Sweat was dripping from the mare's neck and onto Kat's fingers as she soothed the mare.
"Good girl, good girl." Kat stroked the gentle face of the mare, well aware this could be her final moments with the mare.
"Keep talking Kat," Jane murmured as Willow lifted her head with the effort of a massive strain.
"I've got the forelegs." Mr Hart announced, "Push girl and I'll help you."
"Come on girl, your first baby will be here soon." Kat whispered, rubbing the mare's forehead, "Please girl, pleas-se." Her voice stuttered briefly, "How is she doing?"
"Carla, put on some overalls, we're going to need more people in here." Mr Hart replied, reaching for one of the blankets.
"Come on Will, it isn't tough yet." The mare strained again and Mr Hart gave another massive pull at the foal's legs, helping it to arrive in the world.
"Here he is. " Mr Hart announces as the foal's head emerged, he tore at the membrane and Kat stretched her neck to see the foal but of course there was nothing to see yet.
"He's got a star, big foal for a twin as well." Willow and Mr Hart heaved together and Kat heard the slick sound of the foal arriving into the world. Kat saw the glistening amnitotic sack being ripped away and felt a lump in her throat.
"Breathing." Mr Hart smiled, rubbing the neck of the foal, "Little one is breathing."
"Amazing," Kat lifted herself to her knees to see the foal that was being rubbed over by the towel.
"Black like you, Will. Beautiful." Mr Hart turned the foal so she could see the face of the foal, a small white star in the centre of his forehead.
"Rub him Carla, keep him breathing and warm." Mr Hart dragged the foal away from his mother, out of the way so they could hope to deliver the second foal.
"Him?" Kat asked, tears in her eyes.
"It's a colt." Mr Hart nodded, "A lovely one, big for a twin as well."
"There's hope?"
"For him. Let's get the filly out." Mr Hart reached to pat Willow's massive belly, "You gotta do it girl!"