My Brother Says I'm Dangerous

(34)

I hang up, gaping at this horse lying on the floor, obviously in pain. What do I do? I run to to the doors of the  barn, and look around, but no one is around.

Seriously? Hunter is always around. It's annoying as hell sometimes, but he is always here. The one time I actually need for him for something, such as BIRTHING a horse, he decides to disappear. Good job Hunter. 

I rush back, to see Bessie in a position I never want to see again. 

"Oh god." I mutter,wrinkling my nose. I rack my brains, the boys have droned on about this moment enough, surely I remember something? 

I check to make sure she has water and food, which she does. Yeah. That's really all I can do. Bessie moans, and I run to get the birthing kit that Hunter spent so much time preparing. If only I actually listened when he explained how to use it. I open it, and it's full of stuff that I don't know about. Shit.

I try ringing him, but he doesn't answer. I try Keith, and everybody else. Nothing. Bessie cries out again, and I look around desperately. 

Ten painful minutes go by, and I almost moan in relief when I see headlights. Please let it be Hunter. Hell. Let it be anybody but me.

I run outside, and grin when I see Hunter's truck.

"Hunter!" I yell.

"What's wrong?" He asks, coming up to me.

"Bessie is in labour." I rush. 

"It's happening?" His eyes gleam. He runs inside, and I follow. He immediately opens the stall door, kneeling by her head. "It's going to happen any moment now." He says excited. 

"What do we do?" I ask.

"Hand me some bandages." He says, rolling up his sleeves. I rummage through the kit pulling out a roll of gauze, which he uses up to wrap Bessie's tail out the way. He plaits her mane back neatly. 

""That's all we can really do." He says. "We can only wait."

"What, just waiting around?" I ask incredulously. All that fuss for just waiting around to watch?

"Bessie will do the work." He explains. "I will only interfere if she's breeching."

"Breeching?" I ask confused. This is to much horse talk for me to handle.

"If the horse is being born legs first." He says. "That's when it can get complicated." He climbs out of the stall, and probably lucky he did, as Bessie starts really kicking. "And that's why I don't help out." He jokes.

"Should we call Keith again?" I ask.

"It's not urgent." Keith shrugs. "So far everything is on track. Besides, let him suffer at Uncle Merle's a little longer." I snort, following him into the den area that the kids use to hang out with friends. He pulls out the ratty old sofa, dragging it into the hallway, placing it in the empty stall next to Bessie's.

"Why in here?" I ask.

"Bessie will get nervous if we watch her." He says. "She can't see us here."

"We're going to watch it?" I sigh, slightly revolted.

"Of course!" He laughs, pulling out some drinks and snacks from the small mini fridge in the den. "We can't miss the miracle of a horse birth."

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"Come on, try again." I laugh. "It's not that hard."

"You make it look so easy." He complains. He grabs another grape, chucking it up in the air.