The Color Of Courage. Patricia Davids

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СКАЧАТЬ and his horse fell on top of the downed pair. In a split second the precision-riding exhibition had turned into a melee.

      Brian hurried toward the pileup even as the other members of the team leaped from their horses to race toward their fallen comrades. One horse scrambled to his feet and limped a few feet away. His rider sat on the ground looking dazed, with blood oozing from a cut on his forehead. The first horse that had gone down was struggling to rise but couldn’t gain his feet because the rails and the pillar of the jump were tangled with his legs.

      Brian didn’t see the woman until he reached the horse’s head, but he heard her bloodcurdling scream. She was lying facedown with her right arm pinned beneath her mount. He grabbed the horse’s bridle and spoke softly. “Easy boy. Miss, lie still.”

      She dug the fingers of her free hand into the thick turf. “Get…him…off!”

      Each word sounded as if it was being torn from her throat by unbearable pain.

      Brian sank to one knee, his stiff leg stretched awkwardly out in front of him and pulled the frightened horse’s head into his lap. He knew the animal’s struggles could inflict more injury on the trapped rider. He stroked the gelding’s cheek until he quieted. “I can’t move him, yet. Help is coming.”

      “Is he hurt?” Her voice was muffled, but her concern was unmistakable.

      “I can’t tell.”

      She raised her head to look at him. Her hat had come off. Bright auburn curls framed her oval face in stark contrast to her frightening pallor. One cheek was smeared with dirt and scratches. When she met his gaze, her eyes gleamed with anguish and unshed tears.

      “Why…isn’t he…getting up?” She moaned, then bit her lip.

      “His legs are caught in the jump pillar. Don’t try to move. We’ll get you both free in a minute.”

      Brian saw with relief that medical personnel were swarming onto the field. A soldier from her unit dropped to his knees beside her. “Lie still, Lindsey. How badly are you hurt?”

      Lindsey dropped her head back onto the turf and sucked in a series of quick breaths. The scent of trampled grass and loamy dirt filled her nostrils. Dakota’s weight was crushing her arm. Trying not to scream, she gritted her teeth and dug her fingers into the thick grass again. Screaming would only frighten the horse and make him struggle.

      “I think my arm is broken.”

      “We’ll get you free in a minute.”

      Please, God, let them hurry.

      She felt Shane take her hand and she gripped it tightly. Don’t scream, she thought, be brave. Act like a soldier. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stay calm. Only it was so hard. It hurt so much.

      Through clenched teeth, she managed to say, “We tripped Avery…and Socks. Are they okay?”

      Shane said, “Socks is up. Avery looks a little shaken, but I think he’s okay. Hold on, kid.”

      “Dakota is all right, isn’t he, Shane?” She panted, trying to block out the merciless agony. “Please, tell me he’s all right.”

      “I’ll check him over once we get you free.” She recognized the voice as the grouchy vet who had suggested Dakota wasn’t sound. If only she had heeded him instead of resenting his interference.

      Pride goeth before a fall. Dear, Lord, why did I have to find that out the hard way?

      She raised her head once more to look at him. “This is my fault. I should have listened to you.”

      Two men in EMS uniforms reached her, saving Brian from having to reply. For that, he was thankful. As they attended to Lindsey, soldiers from the unit quickly dismantled the jump and pillar, making room to move the stricken horse. With their help, Brian coaxed Dakota to roll off his side and onto his stomach, but kept the horse from rising. The move freed Lindsey’s arm, but tore a scream from her that ripped into his heart.

      While the medics worked on her, she kept asking about her horse. Others offered her reassurances, but Brian remained silent and avoided her pleading eyes. When she was finally placed on a stretcher and taken off the field, he breathed a sigh of relief. She obviously cared a great deal for the animal. The last thing he wanted was to have her see the brave fellow put down.

      For the horse was being brave. Brian’s admiration of the bay gelding grew as the big fellow remained still in spite of the activity going on around him. Even though his eyes were wide, with the whites showing all around indicating pain and fear, he didn’t struggle or thrash the way most horses would have.

      When the area had been cleared, Brian gave up his position to a color guard member and rose awkwardly to his feet. He leaned heavily on his cane until he was sure he could take a step without falling on his face. He then moved to check out the horse’s leg. There was already serious swelling below the delicate ankle joint. It didn’t look good.

      Several of the football officials in black-and-white striped shirts approached the group. One of them asked, “How soon can you get him off the field? We have a game to play.”

      “Your game will have to wait.” Brian didn’t bother to hide his ire.

      The man Lindsey had called Shane remained crouched beside Dakota, keeping him still with a hand on the horse’s neck. He ignored the officials completely. “Should we let him try to get up?”

      Brian shook his head. “Not with the way that leg is swelling. We don’t want him to do more damage. Let me get a splint on it first. My truck is parked outside the gate next to your trailers. It’s white with College of Veterinary Medicine in purple lettering on the side. I’ve got first-aid equipment in there.”

      “Private Gillis will get what you need if you’ll give him your keys.”

      One of the soldiers stepped forward and held out his hand. After giving him a detailed list of what he wanted and where it was located, Brian waited impatiently for the Private’s return. It seemed to take forever, but in reality only a few minutes had passed when the breathless soldier raced back and handed Brian his kit and the supplies he had requested.

      With the help of the other color guard members, Brian soon had the leg encased in a cotton wool wrap. He applied a lightweight but sturdy aluminum splint and secured it with Velcro straps.

      “All right, let him try and get up, but if he doesn’t make it on the first attempt, we’ll need to get a lift in here.”

      “We’ll get one, but I sure hope we don’t need it. Do you think he has a fracture?”

      “I do, but I can’t say for sure until we get him to the clinic and X-ray the leg.”

      With a gentle tug on the reins and some quiet words of encouragement, Shane urged Dakota to stand. After a brief hesitation, the horse lurched awkwardly to his feet. The crowd in the stands broke into loud cheering and applause. Brian looked up in surprise. He had forgotten he had several thousand onlookers watching his every move. No doubt some of his students were in attendance. Perhaps he’d present a pop quiz on splint application on Monday to check if they had been paying attention.

      “If you can get your trailer in here, I think he can be loaded. СКАЧАТЬ