tell that the answer to her question was a negative one. Pepper’s head was hanging lower than ever, and he seemed to be having difficulty breathing. But he still seemed happy to see her, and Lisa was glad that she’d taken the time to visit with him.
Pepper turned his head to nuzzle Lisa’s pants pocket. She laughed. “Now I know there can’t be anything that bad wrong with you,” she told the horse. “After all, you still know apples when you smell them.” She pulled out the plastic sandwich bags of apple slices she’d brought for him from home and fed him the treat piece by piece. But despite her cheerful words, she couldn’t help feeling worried about Pepper. Whatever it was that was wrongwith him, he didn’t seem to be getting better very quickly.
Lisa heard footsteps in the corridor outside the stall. She looked out and saw Judy Barker approaching. “Hi, Lisa,” the vet said when she saw her in Pepper’s stall. “How’s the old boy doing today?”
“Not very well,” Lisa said, trying to keep the anxiety she felt from creeping into her voice. “He seems really tired, and he’s sort of puffing and panting as he breathes.”
“Hmmm,” Judy said. She let herself into the stall with Lisa and greeted Pepper with a pat on the rump. “I’d better have a look.”
“What do you think is wrong with him this time?” Lisa asked. “I mean, if this was just a cold or something, he’d be getting better by now, wouldn’t he?”
Judy shook her head as she examined Pepper. Lisa could see that the woman’s brows were knit. “It doesn’t look too good for Pepper, Lisa.”
“What do you mean?” Lisa looked from Judy to Pepper and back again. “What’s wrong with him?”
“The only thing wrong with him is that he’s old. He’s had a very full life,” Judy said gently. “Lisa, Pepper is dying.”
“What?” Lisa couldn’t believe she’d heard her correctly. “That’s not possible! I mean, I know he’s getting older, and that’s why nobody rides him anymore, but he’s not old enough to
die
!” Lisa’s logical mind searchedfor evidence to back up what she knew in her heart had to be true. “After all, Patch and Nero are both older than Pepper, and nobody’s talking about either one of them dying yet.”
“Well, that’s true,” Judy said slowly. “But every horse is different, Lisa, you know that. Nero and Patch both have a lot of quarter-horse blood in them, which may be part of the reason they’re still active. But really, it doesn’t do any good to compare Pepper to other horses. We just have to look at him as an individual and realize that he’s getting too worn-out to go on much longer.”
“But there must be something you can do.…” Lisa stopped when she saw that Judy was shaking her head again.
“I’m afraid not,” the vet said. “We’ve all got to go sometime, and I’m afraid it’s just about that time for dear old Pepper. The best I can do is make him as comfortable as possible for the time being.” She paused. “In fact, Max and I have already discussed the possibility of euthanizing him.”
Lisa was a straight-A student, and she knew exactly what that word meant. “Euth … you mean
killing
him?” she exclaimed, shocked. She felt tears spring to her eyes as she threw her arms around the horse. “No! There must be something else you can do to save him!” She buried her face in Pepper’s neck. “He can live longer. Lots of horses have.”
Judy touched Lisa’s shoulder gently. “I’m sorry, Lisa. Ishouldn’t have surprised you with the news this way. Since you spend so much time with Pepper, I thought you must have had some idea.…” She let the words trail off.
Lisa’s mind felt numb. She couldn’t imagine what Pine Hollow would be like without Pepper. Even though she hadn’t ridden him in a while, she was used to having him around. It just wasn’t possible that she was going to lose him so soon. Judy must be wrong; that was all there
Pepper turned his head to nuzzle Lisa’s pants pocket. She laughed. “Now I know there can’t be anything that bad wrong with you,” she told the horse. “After all, you still know apples when you smell them.” She pulled out the plastic sandwich bags of apple slices she’d brought for him from home and fed him the treat piece by piece. But despite her cheerful words, she couldn’t help feeling worried about Pepper. Whatever it was that was wrongwith him, he didn’t seem to be getting better very quickly.
Lisa heard footsteps in the corridor outside the stall. She looked out and saw Judy Barker approaching. “Hi, Lisa,” the vet said when she saw her in Pepper’s stall. “How’s the old boy doing today?”
“Not very well,” Lisa said, trying to keep the anxiety she felt from creeping into her voice. “He seems really tired, and he’s sort of puffing and panting as he breathes.”
“Hmmm,” Judy said. She let herself into the stall with Lisa and greeted Pepper with a pat on the rump. “I’d better have a look.”
“What do you think is wrong with him this time?” Lisa asked. “I mean, if this was just a cold or something, he’d be getting better by now, wouldn’t he?”
Judy shook her head as she examined Pepper. Lisa could see that the woman’s brows were knit. “It doesn’t look too good for Pepper, Lisa.”
“What do you mean?” Lisa looked from Judy to Pepper and back again. “What’s wrong with him?”
“The only thing wrong with him is that he’s old. He’s had a very full life,” Judy said gently. “Lisa, Pepper is dying.”
“What?” Lisa couldn’t believe she’d heard her correctly. “That’s not possible! I mean, I know he’s getting older, and that’s why nobody rides him anymore, but he’s not old enough to
die
!” Lisa’s logical mind searchedfor evidence to back up what she knew in her heart had to be true. “After all, Patch and Nero are both older than Pepper, and nobody’s talking about either one of them dying yet.”
“Well, that’s true,” Judy said slowly. “But every horse is different, Lisa, you know that. Nero and Patch both have a lot of quarter-horse blood in them, which may be part of the reason they’re still active. But really, it doesn’t do any good to compare Pepper to other horses. We just have to look at him as an individual and realize that he’s getting too worn-out to go on much longer.”
“But there must be something you can do.…” Lisa stopped when she saw that Judy was shaking her head again.
“I’m afraid not,” the vet said. “We’ve all got to go sometime, and I’m afraid it’s just about that time for dear old Pepper. The best I can do is make him as comfortable as possible for the time being.” She paused. “In fact, Max and I have already discussed the possibility of euthanizing him.”
Lisa was a straight-A student, and she knew exactly what that word meant. “Euth … you mean
killing
him?” she exclaimed, shocked. She felt tears spring to her eyes as she threw her arms around the horse. “No! There must be something else you can do to save him!” She buried her face in Pepper’s neck. “He can live longer. Lots of horses have.”
Judy touched Lisa’s shoulder gently. “I’m sorry, Lisa. Ishouldn’t have surprised you with the news this way. Since you spend so much time with Pepper, I thought you must have had some idea.…” She let the words trail off.
Lisa’s mind felt numb. She couldn’t imagine what Pine Hollow would be like without Pepper. Even though she hadn’t ridden him in a while, she was used to having him around. It just wasn’t possible that she was going to lose him so soon. Judy must be wrong; that was all there
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