*Second Chance Romance*
Veterinarian Dante, and receptionist, Ellie's past is far from perfect. The tragedy, bad memories and misunderstandings are what ripped them apart. Back in each others lives again, they have two choices; work through the pain...
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Latern Racing Yard, Bristol.
2016.
Today marks my last day of placement until I take some time away for my maternity leave. It's an exciting one. I'm traveling down with our friend, Drake, who qualified last year and now works for the vet clinic who are training me.
"The horse gained about twenty inches of fluid on its leg overnight," he tells me when we pull up outside the stable yard.
I put my phone in his glove compartment and jump out of the truck to meet the yard groom at the gates. They start by giving the horse's details when we walk to the stables where the beautiful thoroughbred stallion is whinnying to his friends, who are going out to the paddock.
I let him sniff my palm and his soft tongue spills out to give me a little lick. Oh, he's such a handsome boy with blue eyes and a silky black coat.
"If you can get him on a head collar then we'll take a look," Drake says, disappearing back to his truck to grab some supplies.
I hold back because unnecessary walking is out of the picture for me. The groom comes back with the head collar and fixes it over the stallion's head before kicking the bottom bolt on the stable door to open it.
"Have you noticed anything wrong with the leg before it swelled up?" I ask, slipping in the stable to stroke his soft fur.
The groom pushes on the horses chest to get him to walk back, giving us some room at the front. "We noticed a slight lameness a few days ago, and he's pretty reluctant to pick the hind leg up."
Drake comes back with his supplies, slipping on the stethoscope to check his heart and lungs. "So his heart is slightly elevated which means pain." Then he's feeling the for the digital pulse on the swollen leg.
The groom speaks up. "It's worrying how it got so big so quick."
Drake feels along the huge hock joint, trying to get the horse to bend it. "Can you walk him down the yard a moment so we can watch him move?"
"Sure."
I take a moment just to absorb how magical this animal is as he struts like he's already a winner rounding the post. There's definite stiffness, but he's pretty mobile once he gets going.
"Does he back up easy?" I ask, noticing how he struggles to turn.
Drake leans into me. "What're you thinking?"
"I'm thinking it's Cellulitis," I say, pretty sure I'm right when, the stallion grunts and pins his ears back. Cellulitis is incredibly painful, but when it's caught this early is good news for the horse.
