was to it. As soon as Max got back, Lisa would insist that he call another vet to get a second opinion.
“Lisa,” Judy said, breaking into her thoughts. “I’m sorry. But don’t worry. We don’t need to be in a hurry about anything. As long as Pepper isn’t in serious pain, we can let him be.”
The vet stepped back out into the corridor where she had left her medical bag. Lisa loosened her hold on Pepper’s neck and wiped her eyes with her hand. The horse snuffled at her face with his soft nose, as if wondering why she was crying.
When she felt a little calmer, Lisa stepped out of the stall after Judy. The vet was scribbling something on a small piece of paper. “Here you go,” she said, finishing and handing it to Lisa. “The best thing you can do for Pepper right now is to keep a close eye on him and administer one dose of this medicine whenever he seems uncomfortable. Come on back in the stall with me, and I’ll show you how. I’ve also written down the directionsfor you in case you forget, and of course you can call me anytime if you have questions.”
Lisa paid close attention as Judy explained how much and how often Pepper could be medicated. The vet showed Lisa how to use the syringe, which looked like a giant eye dropper, to put the liquid medicine into the back of Pepper’s mouth so that he would have no choice but to swallow it. Then the vet packed up her bag again and headed for the entrance. Lisa trailed along behind her, holding the syringe and the vial of medicine in one hand and the paper containing the instructions in the other.
“I’ll call Max and tell him what we’re doing,” Judy said. She gave Lisa an encouraging smile. “I’m sure he’ll be glad to hear that you’re helping to take care of Pepper. The old boy couldn’t ask for a better nurse.”
Lisa managed a small smile in return, although she wished Judy would stop calling Pepper “old.” “Thanks. I’ll do my best.”
The vet said good-bye and hurried out to her truck. Lisa watched as she drove away. Then she went back inside and stood indecisively in the entryway, debating whether or not she should find Stevie and tell her what Judy had said. She decided to check on Pepper again first, so she headed back down the long, deserted corridor to his stall.
“Hi, boy, it’s me again,” Lisa said softly. The old horse’s ears perked up, and he nickered. “That’s right,”she exclaimed, delighted to see that Pepper seemed to be feeling much better already. “That medicine must be working,” she told him.
She scratched him behind the ears and stroked his smooth cheek. His breathing was still heavier than normal, and his head was still hanging a bit low, but other than that he looked much better. Lisa checked him over carefully.
“There’s nothing really wrong with you, is there?” she whispered to him. “I’m glad I didn’t tell Stevie or Carole about all this after all. They’d just worry, and I know you’re really not as sick as Judy thinks you are. I don’t need anyone else to tell me that—my own two eyes are enough. No matter what anybody says, I know you’ll be fine. I’ll help you get better all by myself, Pepper. I promise.”
He nuzzled her neck, then let his head drop again, half closing his eyes. She stayed with him for a long time, stroking him and whispering words of encouragement.
C AROLE WAS AWAKENED on Thanksgiving morning by the sound of voices. She recognized the deeper voice as her father’s. Sitting up groggily, she wondered who could possibly be out in the hall talking to him so early in the morning.
Suddenly she remembered who: Veronica. For a second Carole considered pulling the covers over her head and going back to sleep, preferably for the whole weekend. But instead, she got up and started gathering her things together to take a shower. After all, she reasoned, it wouldn’t be very selfless of her to dump Veronica on her father all day.
Besides that, she had to admit
“Lisa,” Judy said, breaking into her thoughts. “I’m sorry. But don’t worry. We don’t need to be in a hurry about anything. As long as Pepper isn’t in serious pain, we can let him be.”
The vet stepped back out into the corridor where she had left her medical bag. Lisa loosened her hold on Pepper’s neck and wiped her eyes with her hand. The horse snuffled at her face with his soft nose, as if wondering why she was crying.
When she felt a little calmer, Lisa stepped out of the stall after Judy. The vet was scribbling something on a small piece of paper. “Here you go,” she said, finishing and handing it to Lisa. “The best thing you can do for Pepper right now is to keep a close eye on him and administer one dose of this medicine whenever he seems uncomfortable. Come on back in the stall with me, and I’ll show you how. I’ve also written down the directionsfor you in case you forget, and of course you can call me anytime if you have questions.”
Lisa paid close attention as Judy explained how much and how often Pepper could be medicated. The vet showed Lisa how to use the syringe, which looked like a giant eye dropper, to put the liquid medicine into the back of Pepper’s mouth so that he would have no choice but to swallow it. Then the vet packed up her bag again and headed for the entrance. Lisa trailed along behind her, holding the syringe and the vial of medicine in one hand and the paper containing the instructions in the other.
“I’ll call Max and tell him what we’re doing,” Judy said. She gave Lisa an encouraging smile. “I’m sure he’ll be glad to hear that you’re helping to take care of Pepper. The old boy couldn’t ask for a better nurse.”
Lisa managed a small smile in return, although she wished Judy would stop calling Pepper “old.” “Thanks. I’ll do my best.”
The vet said good-bye and hurried out to her truck. Lisa watched as she drove away. Then she went back inside and stood indecisively in the entryway, debating whether or not she should find Stevie and tell her what Judy had said. She decided to check on Pepper again first, so she headed back down the long, deserted corridor to his stall.
“Hi, boy, it’s me again,” Lisa said softly. The old horse’s ears perked up, and he nickered. “That’s right,”she exclaimed, delighted to see that Pepper seemed to be feeling much better already. “That medicine must be working,” she told him.
She scratched him behind the ears and stroked his smooth cheek. His breathing was still heavier than normal, and his head was still hanging a bit low, but other than that he looked much better. Lisa checked him over carefully.
“There’s nothing really wrong with you, is there?” she whispered to him. “I’m glad I didn’t tell Stevie or Carole about all this after all. They’d just worry, and I know you’re really not as sick as Judy thinks you are. I don’t need anyone else to tell me that—my own two eyes are enough. No matter what anybody says, I know you’ll be fine. I’ll help you get better all by myself, Pepper. I promise.”
He nuzzled her neck, then let his head drop again, half closing his eyes. She stayed with him for a long time, stroking him and whispering words of encouragement.
C AROLE WAS AWAKENED on Thanksgiving morning by the sound of voices. She recognized the deeper voice as her father’s. Sitting up groggily, she wondered who could possibly be out in the hall talking to him so early in the morning.
Suddenly she remembered who: Veronica. For a second Carole considered pulling the covers over her head and going back to sleep, preferably for the whole weekend. But instead, she got up and started gathering her things together to take a shower. After all, she reasoned, it wouldn’t be very selfless of her to dump Veronica on her father all day.
Besides that, she had to admit
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