Broken [In Revision 2023]

Chapter 9 - Reject

The star-shaped patch of white on his forehead matched. And there was some indication of a white band circling the top of his back hooves hidden under a layer of muck. It was definitely him.

"Nothing wrong, he just hasn't had his vaccinations or been gelded yet, and I've had someone put their name down on him already," Buck saw the disappointment in her eyes, "I'm sorry."

The horse flicked his ear the direction of Buck's voice but didn't raise his head.

Someone honked their horn twice.

Buck checked his watch, "They're early. I've got to go back to the office, feel free to take as long as you want lookin'. All the geldings are in the odd-numbered pens, just ask one of the guys if you need more info." He waved before jumping in the buggy and driving off.

"I'm here to get you, not that you understand, but it's the thought that counts right?" Maddy sighed and leaned on the fence.

Caleb turned his head towards her.

Maddy panicked at the sound of an approaching vehicle. She hurried off toward the nearest pen and pretended to be interested in the horses on the other side of the metal bars. Her heart raced as she kept one eye on the road, waiting to see who was coming to collect her horse.

Two people stepped out of the truck, there was no trailer, and the woman was already in her coveralls. It was the vet. Maddy took out her phone to take some pictures of one of the horses that had drawn her attention if she could figure out a way to get the buckskin back then she would return later to get this one too. The number at the corner indicated it was probably a mare, not her preference, but something about the horse called to her.

"Should heal fine with those stitches, just try to keep the flies off and stop him from rubbing them out." The vet patted the shoulder of the horse with the deep laceration, he wobbled slightly from the sedative but didn't flinch. "Now what's wrong with Willy?"

"Willy?" said Buck.

"The one with the missing eye."

It took a moment for the joke to process, but when it did Buck couldn't help but chuckle. "She's lame. We think there was a huge fight in pen 18 the other night, just had an influx of fresh horses so the peckin' order needed sortin'"

"Looks like one hell of a fight, with one eye she had little hope of defending herself. What's her chance of being adopted soon?"

"Sad thing is she's already had the training, but when they couldn't find her a permanent home she came back here, she's an angel to handle and a dream to ride, interested?"

"Pfft, you'd have me take them all home. I'll prescribe some anti-inflammatories and pain relief, you need to keep her out of the main pens if they know she is vulnerable they will use that to their advantage."

"I'll try her in the select pens, someone might feel sorry for her."

"Okay, so that leaves the pretty boy, what am I doing for him?" The vet trudged her way through the muck to Caleb.

"He's a new recruit, missed the catch, but was handed over yesterday."

"Is this the one Jeff was cussing about?" The vet noted the healing abrasions to the skin on his knees, she couldn't see the state of his feet due to the mud. "This is the one that dropped his horse on him and almost broke his leg?" she asked, unimpressed.

"The very same, I sent him some pics to confirm, he's going to swing by later to pick him up." Buck laughed, "I can't wait to see what he does when he sees who he's leaving with."

"So he needs the works huh? Is the crush ready?"

"As always, but he has been handled."

"Yeah right like the last one, the one who almost took my head off with his back hooves?" She swept her hair out of her eyes, "I'd rather have some decent steel between us, especially when it comes to... you know."