Joint Venture

by Tey Holden

  “Is he very sick? Is he going to die, M’Addy?”

  “Alex, we don’t know what is wrong yet. We have to let Dr. Ferst check him and then we will know.” Addy gave Karen a worried look. Karen, in turn, looked at Alex.

  “Let’s just hope for the best, okay, Alex?”

  Alex nodded. “Yeah.” She leaned against Addy who was sitting on a stack of hay. Karen stood and walked about. It was her usual pacing when she was worried or upset. Addy knew and she pursed her lips and looked at Alex who also had a worried face.

  “When Mommy paces like that, I know she’s worried.”

  Addy smiled, realizing that Alex was very perceptive and obviously knew her mom well. “We are all worried, Alex. We all are.”

  Dr. Fester came out of the stall and talked to them. “I think this is a case of EIPH, Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage, also known as bleeding or a bleeding attack.”

  “Oh! No!” Alex exclaimed.

  “Do you know what that is, Alex? Karen asked surprised with Alex’s reaction.

  “Yes.” Alex replied sadly to everyone’s astonishment.

  Dr. Ferst bent to talk to Alex. “Now, Alex, you know this sometimes happens to horses who engage in strenuous exercise.”

  “Yes, but if it happens frequently, it will hurt his chances to race.” The women were amazed that Alex knew so much on the subject.

  “Is this correct, Dr. Ferst?” Karen inquired immediately, as Addy placed her hands on the little one’s shoulders.

  “Yes, I’m afraid so. Alex seems to be well-informed.”

  Addy’s heart sank knowing how Alex must be feeling. “Is there any treatment? Anything that can be done to prevent this from happening again?” She asked.

  “Yes, there are new treatments, but I’m afraid I’m not familiar with them. There’s a doctor in Dunner who has conducted a lot of research and is a specialist in that area. I will call Dr. O’Brian and arrange a consultation.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Ferst. The sooner the better,” Karen said.

  “Yes, I will call immediately. In the meantime, I’ve left some medication with Marshall, and Alejandro will need to be kept in his stall and only hand walked.”

  Gyro looked at Marshall very seriously. At this stage in Alejandro’s life, a day lost from training was a day counting against his odds of winning. No one said anything, they just followed Alex, who walked over to Alejandro.

  “You will be fine, boy. We will take care of you. You are just a little bit sick. Dr. Ferst is calling another doctor and the other doctor will cure you.” She patted him in the head and Alejandro nudged her. She patted him again and sighed. Then she hugged him. The horse appeared to respond to her.

  Going home, you could hear a pin drop. Karen attempted to break the silence.

  “Alex, how come you knew about this horse disease?” Karen asked her daughter as she drove.

  “I read about it.” The women looked at each other wondering why Alex would have thought to read about such an ailment.

  “How did you come across this information?” Now it was Addy asking.

  “When we brought Peanut Crunchy home, Mommy said we had to read about how to take care of him because he was our pet. When we brought Alejandro home, I started reading about horses just the same.”

  “That makes sense,” Addy replied. She looked to Karen and saw the satisfied look on her face.

  “Good, I’m proud of you, little girl. That’s how it should be. We learn and care about the things and the people we are responsible for. On another note,” she wanted to change the subject to try and cheer up the mood, “Melanie called from London. We need to go pick her up at the airport.”

  Alex liked when Melanie visited. Melanie loved her and always brought her presents from New York. This time, however, Alex remained quiet sitting in the middle seat of Marshall’s pick-up truck. Marshall had suggested Karen take her truck because it had rained a lot and the road out of the stable was very muddy. She could drop it off in the morning on the way to take Alex to school.

  In the truck, Alex began to relax and cuddled to Addy. Addy immediately placed her arm over her daughter to comfort her and kissed her on the head. “It will be fine, Little Bit. Have faith.” Karen was focused on the road, but looked to Addy. There was no need to speak to know how worried they both were.

  ***

  They picked up Melanie at the airport and Addy immediately explained the gloomy faces. In the car going back to the cottage there was conversation but everyone’s mind was on Alejandro’s fate. The next day Marshall called to inform them that Dr. O’Brian would be arriving at one in the afternoon. “I scheduled the initial appointment at that time because Alex is at school and I thought it would be better for her not to be present in case we get bad news,” Marshall explained.

  “Well thought, Marshall. Thanks. We’ll be there,” Addy replied.

  They were already at the stables talking to Marshall, when a yellow and very muddy pick-up truck approached the main barn. A red-haired woman got out of the truck. She was most likely in her late forties and wore faded blue jeans and a dark brown sweater. Her face was full of freckles, and even though her appearance was somewhat ragged, she was attractive.

  “Good afternoon. I’m Victoria O’Brian, and I believe you are expecting me.” She gave a slight smile.

  “Hi,” Addy replied. “Sorry we were not expecting a woman. Dr. Ferst didn’t—.”

  “Yeah, I get that a lot. I guess most women vets are out tending cats and dogs and none of them care to mess with horses or cows, but what can I say? I’m a country girl.”

  They all laughed, especially Melanie, who had already thoroughly scrutinized the amusing doctor and whom the doctor had already also noticed.

  “Well, let me introduce ourselves, I’m Addy, and this is my wife Karen. This here is Marshall, our stable manager, and this here is Melanie our friend, who is visiting from the States.” Melanie immediately extended her hand, much to the doctor’s delight.

  “Yes, Dr. Ferst told me about the situation with Alejandro. May I take a look at him?”

  “Sure, come this way.” They all walked inside the stable towards Alejandro’s stall. She went inside and patted him down.

  “Beautiful horse.” She kept feeling him. Alejandro seemed to like her touch, although he twitched a bit. “Easy boy, easy.” Melanie appeared to be transfixed as she watched the woman feel her way around the horse. Karen noticed and smiled.

  “I’m going to have to run some tests on him. I came prepared since Dr. Ferst had already told me the situation. I’d like to get started and begin treating him immediately. The sooner we start, the sooner he will be up and running again.” Addy and Karen looked at each other surprised. As Dr. O’Brian spoke the women were very attentive.

  “Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH),” the doctor explained, “also known as bleeding, or a bleeding attack happens to horses that engage in short periods of strenuous exercise. It’s the presence of blood in the airways of the lung in association with exercise.” She paused. “It could be serious if recurrent, but all race horses can have isolated episodes. First we need to ascertain what is going on inside of him. There are a wide variety of treatments from resting to the use of anti-inflammatories, like corticosteroids, bronchodilators, anti-hypertensive agents, conjugated estrogens, like Premarin, antifibrinolytics, aspirin, vitamin K, bioflavinoids, diuretics, nasal strips, concentrated equine serum and omega-3 fatty acids, and even snake venom. Some of these treatments are non-effective, others are not recommended, and others are illegal.” She chuckled.

  They were impressed with her knowledge, but the truth was that no one understood a thing she said.

  “So, are you saying that he can recover from this?” Addy tried to bring the conversation to layman’s terms.

  “It’s quite possible.”

  That is all Alex needed to hear as she walked into the stables. Since they had the doctor’s appointment, Karen had asked James to pick her up f
rom school. Only James, JP and Marshall were allowed that privilege. The school had special permission for her to be released to them only. All of them took the responsibility very seriously as they felt privileged.

  “So, he’s going to be able to run again?” Alex asked the doctor with her cute little voice, but sounding a lot like a grown up.

  “I guess you must be Ms. Alexandra?”

  “Yes, but you can call me Alex. Alejandro is my horse.”

  “And a beautiful one he is. Yes, Alex, I will run some tests and will start treating him. By the way, I’m Dr. O’Brian, and I will be very glad to take care of Alejandro. Now what I would like everyone to do is to leave me alone with him, so that I can get started. Marshall, I may need some help from you to run the tests.”

  “Is he going to be in pain with what you are going to do to him?”

  “Well, of course not, Alex. I’m here to make him feel better not worse.”

  “Good. Can I talk to him for a few minutes to tell him? He likes it when I tell him things.”

  Dr. O’Brian chuckled. “Sure, I’ll give you guys some privacy. I’ll come back in a few minutes when you come out, okay?”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  The three women were by the door and heard the entire conversation. “Thanks, Dr. O’Brian. Alex thinks she can talk to him.” Karen then looked at the other women.

  “I actually think he understands her. He sort of responds to her talks.” Addy commented and everyone laughed.

  “Addy, Alex is adorable. I’m sure Alejandro is crazy about her.” Melanie spoke looking at Dr. O’Brian who reciprocated the stare.

  “So, Melanie where about in the States are you from? I need to get stuff from my truck. Would you help me?”

  “Sure. I’m from the DC area.” Melanie walked with the doctor towards her truck. Karen and Addy looked at each other and smiled. “Umm, I wonder what happens when a vet and psychiatrist get together? Do you think that she might be family?”

  Karen chuckled. “I don’t know, and although I find the question interesting. I don’t think we need to find out just yet, Ms. Addy. I think we need to let things flow and see what’s going on. Especially, because we know nothing about the doctor, and we shouldn’t start assuming anything.”

  Addy chuckled. “Why! Ms. Larsen, are you insinuating that I might meddle?”

  Karen gave her the look, raising her eyebrows in jest. “Don’t!”

  Addy spun her around and laced her arm through Karen’s to walk toward their car. Both were smiling as they held on to each other. They were waiting by the car when they saw Alex come out of the stable and walk directly to the doctor to speak to her.

  “I just want to let you know that he’s scared. He said he feels fine now, but his chest hurt when he ran the last bit of track, and he is afraid that you are going to hurt him.”

  Dr. O’Brian looked very serious. Melanie was closely watching. “You know what, Alex? I would like you to go in there with me and tell Alejandro what I tell you, okay.”

  Alex was overjoyed with the doctor’s response. “Thanks, Dr. O’Brian. I think people don’t believe me when I tell them that I can talk to him.”

  “Well, Alex, that’s because most people don’t have the love for horses that you and I have. I think they are very intelligent animals.”

  “Alejandro sure is!”

  Melanie was delighted with the conversation going on. She stopped and headed towards Addy and Karen.

  “Where are they going?” Karen asked.

  “If I didn’t know she was a vet, I would have thought she was a child psychologist. She is going to have Alex reassure Alejandro that she will not hurt him while trying to cure him. You see, Alex said that Alejandro told her that he was afraid.”

  Addy and Karen chuckled. “That child has a way to get to people.” Addy remarked.

  Karen looked at Addy and smiled. Just like you! She wrapped her arms around Addy and brought her closer and kissed her behind her ear. Melanie loved to watch her loving friends.

  “Bye, Dr. O’Brian.” Alex came out of the stable and walked towards her moms.

  “Bye Alex.” Then she talked to Addy and Karen. “I’ll stop by your house later to talk some more.” She spoke to them, but then addressed Melanie. “Are you staying with them, Melanie?”

  “Yes.”

  “I guess I’ll see you there as well.”

  In the car, Karen kidded her. “Looks like the doc doesn’t like to waste time.”

  “No, she said the sooner she gives him medicine, the sooner he will feel better. I like Dr. O’Brian. I think she’s a good doctor.” Alex thought that Karen was talking about the doctor and Alejandro when in fact she was talking about the doctor and Melanie.

  “Yes, I think we like her too, Alex.” Karen looked in the rear mirror at a smiling Melanie sitting next to a very smug Addy.

  Part 7

  That evening, Dr. O’Brian stopped at the cottage after completing Alejandro’s treatment. She had spent the whole afternoon performing tests and treating him. She called ahead of her arrival to make sure that the women were home. Alex opened the door for her.

  “Is he alright? Is he going to be alright?”

  “Yes, Alex, he did very well, and is feeling much better. I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”

  “I’ll stop by in the morning to see him before I go to school. Mommy Karen will take me.”

  “Perhaps it would be better if you stopped by in the afternoon when you come back from school. Since he will not be training tomorrow morning, I think a little more rest will do him well.”

  “Okay, Mommy Karen, we need to check on Alejandro in the afternoon, okay?’

  “Okay, little girl. Dr. O’Brian, we are about to sit down to eat, would you like to join us.”

  “Please call me Victoria, or Vic.”

  Melanie waived her hand when the doctor came in and was thrilled with Karen’s invitation to the doctor. “Thank you for the invitation, but I wouldn’t want to impose on you. I’ve been dealing with animals all day, and I’m afraid I wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting at the table with all of you. I would love to come and visit you some other time, though.” Melanie seemed disappointed, but encouraged that the doctor was talking about another time.

  “You are very welcome anytime,” Addy replied enthusiastically.

  “Thanks.”

  “Victoria, Karen and I have errands to run early tomorrow, so if you can spare some time, Melanie will be here without much to do and –.”

  “Addy, I’m sure Victoria has things to do tomorrow as well.”

  Victoria replied immediately. “Well, I do, but only a couple of simple things in the morning that will not take that long. I could stop and visit for a little while and maybe later we can grab lunch somewhere, and I can show you around. Are you up for it?”

  “Yes, sure,” Melanie immediately replied. “At what time should I expect you?”

  “Is ten o’clock too early?” All of a sudden, Victoria’s visit, which would have been to report on Alejandro’s treatment, took another turn, and Addy and Karen settled back to listen to the developing conversation.

  Not early enough! “No. That will be just fine. I’ll be expecting you. You have the number here in case you need to call, or something?”

  Addy again jumped in. “She has our cell phones numbers, Melanie. Perhaps you should give the doctor yours, since we won’t be here tomorrow.”

  Addy inwardly rejoiced at her own mischief, having to look the other way not to laugh, and also to avoid looking at Karen. Melanie gave the doctor her number, and they bid her good night. When Karen saw the doctor’s truck pull away, she turned to look for Addy who was in the kitchen talking to Melanie.

  “For the life of me, woman! I don’t know how you do it, but you have the art of—.”

  Addy smiled in such a way that made Karen stop without finishing her sentence.

  “Say it.” Addy ordered.

  Karen contin
ued to have an enormous smile on her face, but was still quiet.

  “Say it!” Addy commanded.

  Karen came over, took Addy in her arms, and pecked on the cheek. “Meddling! Happy now?”

  “I love you too, honey.”

  Karen kissed her again and proceeded to the refrigerator. Melanie laughed. “You guys are incredible! And thanks, Addy, I think the doctor is definitely worth getting up early for!”

  “You see!” She addressed Karen who was setting up the table rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

  “You guys are my inspiration, you know? I wish I had half of what the two of you have.” Melanie got up as she spoke and went to the bathroom.

  Karen and Addy looked at each other, thinking that perhaps cupid had thrown an arrow and finally hit Melanie. “You think?” Karen asked.

  “I don’t know. What about the doc? She seemed interested, but I’m still not sure that she’s family. What do you think?”

  Karen chuckled, thinking that after so many years proclaiming that she was not a lesbian and that she was only attracted to her, Addy had finally come to terms and proclaimed to be part of the family. “I don’t know. I think she and Melanie exchanged very definite looks, but I guess we won’t be sure until we get it from the horse’s mouth.” Karen chuckled on her choice of metaphor. “In this case, Melanie.”

  Addy chuckled. “You are bad too, Ms. Larsen.”

  “You’ve rubbed off on me.”

  Addy grinned. “Yes, I have, and I will tonight as well.” They looked at each other grinning.

  Melanie rejoined all at the dinner table. The conversation was deliberately focused on anything but Alejandro. The women seemed to think that, for Alex’s sake, it was better to focus on other subjects rather than dwell on Alejandro’s condition. After dinner, they settled in the living room to talk and Alex showed Melanie some of her sports awards and other school related accomplishments.