Astra

by Chris Platt

  Lily wasn’t quite sure how to react. Part of her did want to blame him for all of Astra’s woes, but she knew better. “I already told you, it’s not your fault,” Lily said.

  “Yes, it is.” Charlie rose to his feet. “My dad told me not to let her eat over by the marsh. But when Astra started tugging me that way, I was lazy and just let her go.”

  Now Lily was even more surprised. This was a new side of Charlie. She couldn’t believe he’d volunteered himself as the scapegoat. She wanted so badly to blame him for Astra’s misfortune. She didn’t like the boy very much. It would be so easy to heap all the blame on him. Astra was lying there, maybe only an hour away from death, all because he’d been too lazy to steer her away from a bunch of bad grass.

  She gently moved the mare’s head from her lap and stood, brushing the bedding from her jeans. “Maybe there were some things you could have done differently, Charlie, but who knows? It might not have made a difference. Astra could’ve just as easily eaten something in her hay that caused the trouble. We’ll probably never know.”

  She didn’t know why she was being so nice to him.

  Charlie attempted a smile. “You mean you don’t hate me?”

  Lily had to think pretty hard on that one. But she remembered her mother saying that she should never hate anyone. Hate was such a strong word. No, she didn’t hate Charlie, but she sure didn’t like him a whole lot, either. His apology helped some, though. If Astra made it through this, she’d be willing to forgive him anything. “No, Charlie, I don’t hate you.”

  “Thanks, Lily.”

  Charlie shoved his hands into his pockets and gave her that cute grin that made him popular with the girls at school. Lily had never been dumb enough to fall for it.

  “I always thought you were kind of a, you know…” Charlie hesitated, looking for the right word. “Well, a loner and kind of a dork,” he said. “But you’re really not so bad.”

  Lily fought the urge to pick up a road apple and bounce it off Charlie’s head. “You should have just stopped at thanks,” she told him. She shook her head, moving toward the stall door. But a loud groan, followed by a rustling of bedding, stopped Lily in her tracks.

  “Whoa,” Charlie said, his eyes widening.

  Lily turned in time to see Astra’s eyes open for a brief second, then close again as the gray mare took a deep breath and exhaled with a loud puff.

  Lily felt a surge of hope. She wasn’t sure what this change of circumstances meant. But one thing was for certain: between the fever subsiding and Astra opening her eyes, she could definitely argue for giving the mare more time.

  Seven

  “Charlie, call Dr. Tison!” Lily ordered as she stumbled to Astra’s side and dropped to her knees. She ran her hand over the mare’s large cheekbone and Astra’s eyes flickered open again for a brief moment. “Good girl.” She spoke softly, encouraging the horse to come back to her.

  Astra took a deep breath and let out another long groan. “Easy, girl,” Lily crooned, her heart breaking at the thought of the mare being in pain now that she was awake. Lily looked up to see Charlie still standing there, gawking. “What are you doing? Get going!” Lily practically yelled. “We need Dr. Tison here now!”

  Charlie ran from the stall and pounded down the barn aisle. Lily could hear him talking excitedly to someone in the tack room, most likely his sister or Thomas. A few moments later, Jill let herself into the stall and settled in the bedding beside Lily. “Is it true? Did Astra really open her eyes?”

  Lily nodded. “Twice, and now she seems to be breathing a little heavier. I think the medication is wearing off. She seems to be having some pain.”

  Jill reached out and smoothed Astra’s tangled mane into place. “I called Dr. Tison. He’s on his way.”

  “Thanks, Jill.”

  They sat in silence, waiting for the vet to arrive. Charlie hovered outside the stall, kicking at stray pieces of hay and tossing pebbles down the barn aisle.

  Word traveled quickly and soon Mr. Henley poked his head into the stall. “Dr. Tison just pulled in. So Astra’s waking up?” He eyed the still form of the mare dubiously and looked Lily straight in the face. “This isn’t another stalling tactic, is it?”

  For a brief moment, Lily felt insulted. But she knew that if they did insist on putting Astra to sleep, she’d come up with every excuse in the book to give the mare more time. She couldn’t blame Mr. Henley for asking.

  She opened her mouth to answer, but Jill intervened. “Charlie saw her open her eyes. She’s fighting hard to live, Dad.”

  Lily heard footsteps coming down the barn aisle, and Mr. Henley opened the stall door for Dr. Tison.

  “So, she’s coming around, is she?” The vet knelt beside the mare and pulled his stethoscope from around his neck, listening to Astra’s heartbeat. Then he moved his stethoscope to several other spots, checking out Astra’s heart and lung functions.

  “She opened her eyes,” Charlie said. “And she groaned really loud.”

  As if on cue, Astra grunted and twitched an ear. Everyone gasped in surprise.

  Dr. Tison finished his examination and stood, pulling the stethoscope from his ears. He looked at Lily and smiled. “Her heartbeat is stronger and steady. Her breathing rate is elevated, but at this point, that’s a good thing.” He winked at Lily. “I guess we can probably do that blood test now. It looks like Astra might live long enough for us to read it.”

  The mare’s eyes fluttered open again and she looked about the room. This time she didn’t close them immediately. A murmur of appreciation went up from those gathered around the stall. Astra was improving!

  “I’ll go get the things I need to draw the blood sample.”

  Lily listened to Dr. Tison’s footsteps recede into the distance. When he returned, someone else was with him. Lily was surprised to see her father’s concerned face peering over the door.

  “How are things going?” Mr. O’Neil asked.

  “Well, Dan, this brave little mare seems to be doing better.” He quickly drew the blood sample and slipped the vial into the protective carrier. “She’s not out of danger yet, and I’ll know more once I run this sample. But at the moment, I’d say she’s got a decent chance of pulling through.”

  Mr. Henley looked doubtful. “The question is, will she ever be good for anything? Her liver is probably so damaged that she’ll never be strong enough for work. And she might need continual medical care. If it were my horse, I’d still have her put down. It’s really the most humane thing for her.”

  “She is your horse, Steven,” Lily’s father said quietly. “I didn’t want to say anything earlier because my daughter was so upset. It was a generous offer, and we thank you, but we can’t accept this horse. We don’t have the money to care for her, and we don’t have any stalls set up at home. You’re going to have to take her back. Lily can bring you the registration papers later.”

  Lily jumped to her feet, which was a big mistake. Her legs wobbled so badly, she nearly toppled over. She felt like she’d just gone over a tall jump and her horse had dropped out from under her.

  “No!” she cried, when she finally found her voice. She turned to her father. “We can’t give her back to Mr. Henley. He just said he’d probably put her down.” She grabbed her father’s arm. “Dad, Astra has fought so hard to stay alive. She’s waking up now. We can’t let her be put to sleep.”

  Mr. O’Neil breathed a heavy sigh. “Lily, we have nowhere to keep this horse, and no way to pay for her care.”

  It was almost as if she were on stage, with all eyes directed at her. Lily didn’t want to cry in front of all these people, but a tear trickled down her cheek. She knew it would be followed by many more. She hated being a crybaby. “But, Dad,” she whimpered. “This was Mom’s favorite horse. She’s my favorite horse. We can’t just let her die—not after she’s fought so hard to live.”

  “You can keep her here until you get a stall fixed at your house,” Charlie volunteered.

&
nbsp; Lily’s father shook his head. “That still wouldn’t solve the money issue. Times are tough in our household. I don’t have the money to spend on a horse…especially a sick one.”

  “I can work,” Lily said, amazed that her voice still worked. Tears gathered in her throat, making it difficult to speak. “I’ll get a job mowing lawns or babysitting or something. I can pay for Astra’s feed.”

  Jill hooked arms with her father, anchoring him to the spot as if she were afraid he might flee. “We could pay Lily to work for us. We’re losing a groom next week. Lily could take his place.” She poked her dad in the ribs for good measure.

  Mr. Henley thought for a minute. “Lily is a good worker,” he said, nodding. “She could come for a few hours after school, and work the weekends.” He handed Lily a tissue. “Young lady, I think you’re going to put a lot of time and money into a horse that won’t even be rideable, but I understand her sentimental value to you. The job is yours if you want it, Lily.”

  “But there are already so many vet bills,” Mr. O’Neil said, frowning. “From the sound of it, there are likely to be many more. And Lily could still lose the mare anyway.”

  Dr. Tison shrugged. “I’m not going to lie to you. If she pulls through, it’s going to be very tough going with this horse. And Steven is right. Chances are, Astra might never be strong enough to carry a rider—even one as small as Lily.”

  Lily wanted to scream and throw things around the barn. What was the matter with the adults here? Everyone wanted to talk about the worst possible scenario. What about the best outcome? What if Astra got well and she could ride her? Well, if her father ever lifted his no-riding rule, anyway.

  “I don’t care!” Lily shouted to be heard over all the discussion. “This was my mother’s favorite horse. She was going to make her a national champion. Even if Astra can’t do anything more than walk and crop grass, I want her! That’s what my mom would want. Don’t you understand?”

  She stared at each of them in turn. Surely, at least one person here could understand what she was going through? Didn’t they see how important this was?

  “Lily…” Her father spread his hands in a hopeless gesture.

  “If money is the problem, I’ll donate the veterinary work,” Dr. Tison volunteered. “Your family trusted me, Dan, when I first got out of vet school. You’ve been friends and clients of mine for many years. I know how important this is to Lily—and would have been to her mother. It’s the least I could do in memory of her.”

  “Please, Dad,” Lily begged. If her father didn’t say yes, she didn’t know what she’d do. “I’ll work really hard. You won’t have to spend any money on Astra. I’m all she has now. I can’t let her die.”

  Her father didn’t answer. She could see the war going on inside him. He knew how much this horse meant to her, but he also remembered losing his wife in a terrible accident with this same horse. “I don’t know, Lily. I just don’t know.”

  Astra chose that moment to flail her legs and grunt loudly. Lily took two steps, intent on running back to her side, but Dr. Tison put a hand on her shoulder and held her back.

  “Not so fast, Lily,” Dr. Tison warned. “She could accidentally strike you with those front legs if she does that again.”

  “The doc is right,” Lily’s father said. “And this proves my point about the danger of you getting hurt.”

  Lily crossed her arms. “That’s so unfair!” she protested. “I could get hurt riding my bike to the store. I could get hurt walking to the school bus. I could get hurt during gym class at school.” She clamped her lips shut, knowing she’d gone too far, but she was unable to stop herself. She’d managed to holler at every adult there and double the load of worry for her father. Not only was she going to lose Astra, but she was going to be in major trouble later. And she deserved it. Lily hung her head, knowing she’d lost the battle. Would it do any good to throw herself at Mr. Henley’s feet and beg him to let Astra live?

  Mr. O’Neil sighed. “Give me a few days to get a stall ready at our place,” he said to the ranch owner.

  Lily’s head snapped up in surprise. Did her father just say…yes?

  Mr. O’Neil turned to Lily. “I expect you to keep up your end of the bargain. You’ll be here to help Steven for a few hours after school when he needs you, and on the weekends. And the no-riding rule is still in effect.”

  Lily nodded her head vigorously. She felt like one of those bobblehead dolls she’d seen on car dashboards. “I promise!” she said. She ran to her father, threw her arms around him, and hugged him tight. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she exclaimed.

  “Well, finish up here and call me when you’re ready to come home,” Mr. O’Neil said with a small smile. “You’ve got school tomorrow. Astra is in good hands here.”

  Lily gave her dad one last squeeze and ran back to Astra’s side. The beautiful Arabian mare was hers. Really and truly hers!

  Eight

  Lily spent the next afternoon helping Dr. Tison care for Astra. The mare was awake, but very weak. By eight o’clock that evening, when her dad insisted she come home, the vet declared that Astra would make it through the night. Lily felt horrible having to leave her, but she had confidence in Dr. Tison’s diagnosis.

  Two important battles had been won today: Astra had survived and Lily’s dad had agreed to let her keep the mare. A double miracle, she thought as she watched Dr. Tison work.

  A car horn sounded outside the barn.

  “There’s your ride,” Dr. Tison said. He removed the last IV bottle and helped Astra roll into an upright position with her legs tucked under her. “Congratulations, Lily. I’m not sure how things are going to work out for you and this horse, but you saved her life today. Your mother would be very proud.”

  Lily smiled broadly. “We saved her life today, Dr. Tison. It took both of us.” She shoved her hands deep into her pockets and stared at the ground. “I don’t know how I’m ever going to pay you back for all this.” She nodded toward Astra. “I’ll work hard, and it might take me until I’m twenty, but I’ll get it done.”

  The vet laughed. “How about if you start by calling me Dr. Dale? That’s what your mother used to do. After everything we’ve gone through today, I think we can do with a little less formality.”

  Lily grinned. “Okay, Dr. Dale.”

  The vet finished with Astra and let himself out of the stall. “I meant what I told your father earlier, Lily. I’ll donate today’s vet work, and the medication she’ll need in the coming weeks.”

  “I can’t let you do that,” Lily protested. She also knew her father’s pride wouldn’t allow him to accept so much charity. “We had a vet come to our school to talk on Career Day. He told us about all the school loans he had to take out to get his degree, and that it would take him forever to pay them back.”

  The vet chuckled. “Sounds like he wanted to scare you kids off,” he said, “instead of encouraging you to go into veterinary medicine.”

  The car horn sounded again. This time it was a double beep.

  “Better get going,” Dr. Dale said. “Don’t worry about the money, Lily. This one horse won’t break me. But I want you to make me a promise.”

  Lily listened intently. The vet’s serious tone told her that this was important.

  “In the next few days, we’ll be doing more blood tests on Astra to see how all her organs are functioning,” Dr. Dale went on. “If the tests come back saying she has permanent liver damage, or something equally bad, you need to promise that you’ll let me put her to sleep—no matter how much you love her. I know it hurts to lose a pet you love, but there comes a time when you need to think of the animal’s welfare and what’s best for them.”

  He put a comforting hand on her shoulder and steered her toward the barn door. “It’s the adult thing to do, and it’s the right thing to do. Do you understand me on this?”

  Lily kept her head down, but nodded. She didn’t really want to think about it, but she realized she might
have to in the near future. “I promise,” Lily said, swallowing hard.

  “Get a good night’s sleep,” the vet said as he waved to her father in the pickup truck. “We’ll take good care of Astra and she’ll be here waiting for you in the morning.”

  The short ride home was quiet. Lily had the feeling her dad already regretted his decision to let her keep Astra. When she got home, she quickly laid out her clothes for school, then brushed her teeth and prepared for bed. She didn’t want to give her father a chance to back out of the deal, so she quickly kissed him and her grandmother good night and went to bed.

  Falling asleep was difficult with all the events of the day rolling around in her head, but eventually exhaustion won out and Lily drifted into a deep slumber.

  She woke with a start when Grams tapped on the bedroom door the next morning. Lily looked at the clock sleepily. The bus would arrive in fifteen minutes! She must have shut off the alarm. She bounded out of bed, got dressed in record time, and rushed down to the kitchen.

  Her first thought was Astra, but her father had other ideas. “Absolutely not, Lily, we can’t stop by Henley’s ranch and check on Astra. There’s no time,” he said as he gathered his lunch bucket and jacket. “Someone would have called if something were wrong. Why don’t you call them while I warm the truck up?”

  Lily reached for the phone. If Charlie and Jill rode the school bus, she could have asked them in person, but they went to a private school, and their dad always drove them there. She dialed the barn number and Thomas picked it up on the third ring. She sighed in relief when the stable manager told her that Astra was hanging in there. Dr. Tison even thought she was improving a bit.

  “Thanks, Thomas.” Lily hung up the phone with a smile and grabbed her things for school. Her hair was a mess, she hadn’t eaten breakfast, and she wasn’t sure her clothes matched, but it didn’t matter. Astra had survived the night—and she was getting better!