Page 49 of Ropers Can't Tie Knots
Jonah removes his arm along with a bunch of dry poop and pulls off the glove. “That’s good, right? To not have surgery?” I ask, and both men nod.
“We’ve had a cold fall season, and she’s likely not getting enough moisture with the grass dying so soon. It happens, but I’m confident we’ll have her feeling better in no time.” Jonah nods, confident in his findings, and pulls a huge rubber hose from his bag. While Jonah places a coating of lubricant on the hose, Hunter moves Mack close to a hook on the wall and clips it to one side of her halter. He keeps the lead short on the wall side while holding her halter with his hand on the other side. I can’t imagine it feels good getting a tube down her nose while she’s awake, but she’s barely fighting it.
Hunter works with Jonah, stroking Mack’s throat for her to swallow. Jonah places his mouth on the tube and sucks…which absolutely grosses me out. Both men quietly cheer when Jonah removes his lips, and a rush of gurgling sounds from the tube. Mack stomps once, but Jonah moves fast. From his oversized coat pocket, he produces a giant syringe filled with mineral oil. Hunter holds the tube while Jonah slowly injects the oil. When he’s finished, he removes the tube, and Hunter moves to unhook Mack from the wall.
“We released a lot of gas, and some of the impacted feces came out with my exam. The mineral oil I just gave her should help soften the stool. Walk her around for a bit. You know the drill. How about if I come back at midnight? If she’s not improving, I’ll reevaluate.”
“Thanks, Jonah. We’ll be here. I’d appreciate you coming back to check on her.”
“She’s hopefully out of danger. Gabe caught it early.” He packs up his things and pats Hunter’s arm. “Watch for poop. Call me if you need me sooner. I’ll wash up, then be back in a few hours.”
Jonah disappears, and Hunter again closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before turning to me.
“Walk with us?”
“I was going to, even without an invitation.”
The moon lights the pasture as Hunter opens the gate, and we step out with Mack. A definite chill is settling in, and frost is likely at this temp. Hunter holds Mack’s lead and runs a hand down her neck several times. It might be dark out, but I notice the shine in his eyes as he watches Mack.
“This is pretty common, Gabe. If I were here, I’d have given her something myself and called Jonah to keep him updated, but I knew you needed some reassurance before I got here.”
“You weren’t worried about Mack?”
“I was, but you were scared, and I figured if the vet was here, you’d feel better.”
I let his words sit with me for a moment. He wanted to ease my mind about a horse I was becoming attached to. He didn’t need to do that, but I’m grateful he did.
“I’d never have found her if it wasn’t for Lewis. I went to get him a carrot and heard Mack.” Poor guy never got his carrot. I’ll have to give him a bigger one next time.
Hunter bumps his shoulder against mine as we walk. “You’re a softie for the animals now. You screamed when you first met Lewis.” There’s a smile in his voice, and while it’s true I screamed, I’m also a softie like he says, and I’m not even embarrassed.
“They grow on you,” I answer. “Kind of like their owner.”
Hunter doesn’t respond. Which is okay. I know how hard it was for him to invite me on a date, and apologies…well, sometimes people can’t say the words, but actions mean just as much.
We don’t talk for a while. It’s just us, the crisp night that verges on me needing an extra sweater and the soundtrack of Mack passing gas like a champion. Even with that less-than-romantic ambient sound, it feels like the best quality time we’ve spent together.
Mack stops and lifts her tail.
“Do you have your phone? Can you shine your flashlight on her crap?”
I feel like I should make a joke about bodily functions, but from what I’ve learned tonight, maybe that’s not wise. After finding the fresh pile, Hunter pushes at the solid shiny mass with the toe of his boot.
“Good. Looks like the mineral oil is working. That one is still hard, though.” We keep walking in the moonlit pasture, following the fence line, then across to the barn and back. “I’m sorry our date didn’t happen.”
Hunter’s gaze meets mine, and if we weren’t walking Mack, I’d grab him and kiss him until we ran out of breath.
“The date youplanneddidn’t happen. This is still a date. We’re already dressed for it, so we’ll just do it differently.”
Hunter pauses the walk and stares at me. His lips parted like he wants to say something, but he remains silent for several beats until Mack huffs and we walk some more.
Hunter’s hand finds mine, and, with a shaky breath, he brings my hand to his lips.
fourteen
Hunter
Mack will definitely be fine.
