Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Equinity ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I don't own the G boys, I just borrow them from time to time and return them a whole lot happier, ne?

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Sap, angst, yaoi, Lemon, AU, OOC

Pairing: 2x1

Summary: Heero is a successful up and coming Showjumping rider with his promising new horse Zero. A fall at a show renders the animal injured and it is up to Duo Maxwell the new vet to treat the horse.

Dedication: To Klingonpoodle who gave me the plot bunny for this fic. *huggles* This one's for you hun!

Many thanks to my betas Yami_Tai and Ryouga.

Archive: http://gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com

http://sweetlysour.net.

http://adultfanfiction.net

http://www.theforsakenwk.com

Notes: All the information on showjumping, horses, etc is taken from my own knowledge of the sport having been a competitor and now judge for many years and is written from an Australian perspective. The rules and regulations are courtesy of the E.F.A Handbook. (Equestrian Federation of Australia) Should you have any questions just e-mail me.

Many thanks to Yami_tai for the title! *hugs*

" Equinity "

October 2004 ShenLong

Chapter 2

Duo watched the gray and his rider as they effortlessly conquered the course. Again it struck Duo just how much of a partnership the pair presented, both horse and rider tuned perfectly together. He could feel the excitement beginning to grow in the crowd, a quick glance at the clock told him that the combination were a fraction ahead of the current time to beat. He noticed the slight hesitation of the horse's stride on the approach to the wall, the way the rider drove the animal back together and the undignified landing. With his heart in his mouth he observed the awkward take off over the triple bar and felt the twinge of fear in his gut as he realized that they weren't going to make the spread. When the pole caught between the horse's forelegs he knew it wasn't going to end well. The knot of fear grew and his breath caught in his throat as everything seemed to go into slow motion.

The horse pitched forward, one leg buckling under the weight of the landing. He watched the rider fall to the side as the horse somersaulted over and before he knew what he was doing, Duo had jumped from his seat and was under the ropes of the ring, running towards the injured animal and fallen rider. His eyes were scanning over the horse as it struggled to its feet, assessing the damage, he caught the movement of the first aid officer from the corner of his eye sprinting over from his left but he paid the man no heed; his attention was on the horse and the pained whinny he heard. He reached the rider as the man was standing up, swaying on his feet and trying to get to his horse. "Whoa, steady there, buddy," Duo said as he caught the rider in his strong arms just as he was about to fall again. "Sit down and let the medic take a look at you before you try to get up."

Heero felt strong arms wrap themselves around him as the darkness threatened to take his consciousness from him and he gratefully accepted the support. Those arms lowered him back to the ground and his brain dimly registered the soft voice as it spoke. He looked up into eyes of the most unusual color, not that he could see too clearly with his skull pounding the way it was. "Zero..." he mumbled as he looked again for his beloved animal. "Got to check, Zero..."

"Zero? Is that the name of your horse?" asked Duo as he sat the man back down.

Heero nodded. "He's hurt, need to help him."

"It's okay, buddy. You need help yourself too. Here's the medic, let him look you over and I'll take care of your horse for you."

"But..."

"It's okay. I'm a vet, I'll make sure that Zero is looked after," replied Duo. "My name's Duo Maxwell, I'm the vet on duty here today. Do I have your permission to treat your horse?"

"Yes. Please, make sure he's okay."

"I'll do my best, Mr.?"

"Yuy, Heero Yuy, and thanks."

"No problem, Heero. I'll leave you in the hands of the medic while I go check on your horse." Duo turned to the first aid officer who had now arrived and was crouched on the grass next to the fallen rider. "You might want to check his helmet, he took a pretty nasty crack to the head I think, given the way he's talking."

The medic nodded. "I'll look after him, you go see to the horse."

Duo left the rider in the hands of the medic and walked towards the horse who hadn't moved and was currently being held and comforted by a steward. "Easy there, boy," Duo murmured in a soft, soothing tone as he approached the frightened creature. He could see pain and fear in the horse's dark eyes and his heart went out to the animal. He ran a gentle hand along the sweaty neck, still murmuring softly as his hands began an exploration of the horse's shoulder area first. "Try to talk to him and keep him as still and as quiet as possible, please," Duo said to the steward and received an affirmative reply.

Duo continued his exploration, skilled fingers deftly feeling along the shoulder blade and down the forearm. He kept one eye on the horse's ears; they would give him an indication of the horse's mood and alert him to any danger. An injured horse was not always easy to deal with. They didn't take to pain very well, reacting in the only way they knew how; defensively. And that usually meant teeth or hooves. By watching the horse's ears he would be able to tell if the animal was about to have a shot at him and take evasive action, not that he thought this particular horse would try something like that. It seemed to have a look of trust in those liquid eyes. But it paid to stay alert.

His gentle fingers continued to roam along the horse's leg, down the forearm and over the knee joint, carefully probing as he went. Passing along the cannon bone, Duo could feel the unnatural heat and quickly bent to undo the bandage covering the lower leg. With the cotton protection out of the way he could feel the tendons more easily and groaned silently. He pressed on and over the fetlock joint, noting the puffiness beginning to appear. Picking up the bandage again, he wrapped it back around the leg, covering the joint as well to give the horse a little more support. Straightening his back he looked at the steward and then across to where the medic was finishing off with Heero. "I need to get him off the field and back to my surgery to confirm my diagnosis."

"I can lead him out for you, sir, but I don't know where the owner has his float parked or even if he came by float," replied the steward.

"Okay. Just wait a moment and I'll speak with the medic and the rider, see what's happening there." Duo strode back over to where the medic was assisting Heero to his feet.

"Zero?" Heero asked as soon as he saw Duo approaching.

"Your horse is injured; I need to get him to my surgery to confirm the diagnosis but I'm pretty sure he has a strained fetlock joint and torn tendons. Do you have a float?"

"Yes, but..."

"He's in no fit state to drive, Mr. Maxwell. He has a suspected concussion and possible fracture of the shoulder. I want to call an ambulance and have him taken to hospital but he's refusing to go, wants to get that damn animal sorted out first," the medic grumbled.

Duo couldn't help but grin to himself. He knew all too well what these horse people were like. Their animal came first and themselves second. "Look, can you walk?"

Heero nodded.

"Good. Lean on the medic and take us to where your float is. The steward and I will bring the horse. Once we get there the medic can strap you up or something and we'll figure out the next step."

"Arigato."

"Huh? That's Japanese isn't it?" Duo asked. Now that the medic had removed the rider's helmet, Duo could see a mop of chocolate hair. "You don't look Japanese."

"I'm part Japanese," replied Heero.

"I hate to break this conversation up but I'd really like to get him off the field and preferably to a hospital but for now anywhere other than here would be acceptable," interrupted the medic.

"Sure. You start and I'll go get the horse and follow you." Duo turned back to the steward who was still holding Zero and between the two of them they led the injured animal from the arena.

The progress was slow, not only because of Heero's still woozy head but also because Zero could only move on three legs. The crowd clapped and cheered in support as the pair left the arena, the many competitors remaining in the marshaling area also passed on their best wishes, condolences and offers of support. Again Duo had to appreciate the horse world, these riders may be fierce rivals on the field but outside the competition they banded together to help each other out when any one of them needed assistance.

It took a while but eventually they made it to Heero's car and float. Heero pressed the central locking button on his key ring and gratefully sank onto the back seat of the car. His head was pounding, not to mention his vision blurring and his right arm didn't want to work properly. The medic checked him again and muttered about stubborn horse people not knowing when to listen to their bodies, but dutifully strapped the arm up so Heero couldn't use it. Leaving Heero to sit and rest, the medic approached Duo who was just about at the float with the limping horse.

"I'd really feel a lot more comfortable if he were to go to the hospital and have a doctor take a look at him," he said to Duo.

"I agree," replied Duo. "Look, let me get his horse back to my surgery and sorted out, he's not going to go anywhere until he knows what's wrong with his horse and that the animal is being treated and comfortable, trust me, I know what these riders are like." Duo gave the medic a grin.

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean!" replied the medic.

"Once I've got the horse sorted out I'll take him through to the hospital. You've done all you can for him so there really isn't anything else that can be done. You may as well go back to the ring and hopefully have a quiet remainder of the competition."

"Thanks, I'll do that. Best of luck with the horse."

"I'm sure he will be okay. Look, can you do me a favor?" Duo asked.

"Sure."

"Let Lady Une know that I've had to leave with this emergency. If anything else should happen that you need a vet for she has my pager number and I have my pager on me. All she has to do is call and I'll be right back. I just don't want to leave this horse untreated until after the conclusion of the show."

"I can understand that," responded the medic. "I'll go and let her know right now. No doubt she will give you a call later on to see what happened."

"Thanks." Duo had reached the car and float by now and the steward who had assisted him took his leave, duty calling and all that he'd explained. Duo let him go; there wasn't really anything that the steward could do now anyway. He found the horse's halter and gently removed the bridle, slipping the halter over the gray muzzle and doing up the buckle. He hung the bridle on a hook at the front of the float and went to the horse's saddle. He quickly ran up the stirrups and undid the girth. As he lifted the saddle off he was pleased to note that despite a few scratches and grass stains, the saddle appeared to be unscathed which was good as it was obviously one of the more expensive jumping saddles.

Duo carried the tack to the back of the car, unsure where Heero kept his gear. The Japanese man looked up as the vet approached. "Umm... Where would you like me to put this?" Duo asked.

"Aa. I'll open the back up, just dump it in there." Heero slid out of the car and wobbled around to the back of the station wagon. He fished in his pocket for the keys and unlocked the tail gate before stepping to the side and leaning heavily on the back of the car.

Duo managed to raise the back of the station wagon and dropped the saddlery inside. He spotted the horse's rug and pulled it out. Good. He would need something to keep the horse warm and prevent shock from setting in. Once a horse went into shock they didn't always come out of it. He grabbed a couple of carrots from the bag he spied in the corner and went back to the animal, Heero trying to follow behind.

"Let me help," said Heero.

"It's fine, Mr. Yuy. I can rug him up and get him settled for the trip to the surgery. You should be sitting down and resting."

"But it's my horse, you shouldn't..."

"Mr. Yuy. You have just taken a very nasty fall and are in no condition to do anything at the moment. Please, I know what I'm doing, I have been around horses before you know."

Heero collapsed against the back of the wagon. "Okay. Thank you."

"No problem. If you want to do something then feed him these carrots whilst I rug him," replied Duo and went to put the rug on the horse. With Zero now rugged comfortably and munching happily on the carrots, Duo turned his attention to the animal's leg. "Do you have leg protection for him when traveling?" he asked Heero.

"Hai." Heero ferreted around in the back of the car and produced the set of 'float boots'. [1] He dropped them on the grass next to Duo.

"Thanks. I'm going to use the bandage from his other foreleg to go over the top of this one and support the leg while on the trip to the surgery," said Duo as he deftly placed the bandage over the top of the one he'd redone earlier. Satisfied with his work he quickly put the float boots on the horse before picking up the rest of Heero's possessions from around the float and popping them in the back of the wagon.

Heero watched as Duo loaded the water bucket, brushes and haynet into the car. "How are we going to get him to your surgery?"

"Easy. I'll drive your car and float there."

"But, don't you have your own car?"

"I can pick that up later or get one of Lady Une's people to drive it back for me. Right now that's the least of our worries. We need to get Zero out of here so I can check him over properly and do something to help him. Not to mention getting yourself checked out." Duo went to the back of the float and began to lower the tail gate.

"I'm fine," growled Heero.

"Sure you are," chuckled Duo and untied the horse. "Come on, son. Let's get you on this float and take you home to my place where I can look after you properly," Duo spoke soothingly to the horse.

Zero followed behind Duo but baulked at going up the ramp and into the float. "It's okay, nothing to worry about," Duo coaxed but Zero wouldn't budge.

Heero gave a chuckle. "He won't go in for anyone other than me," said Heero.

"Oh?"

"Don't know why, he never used to be that way. Anyone could lead him up and on a float but lately he's begun to refuse to go on unless I'm leading him."

Duo shook his head. "My dad had a horse like that once, only it wouldn't go in the float unless the pony it shared a paddock with was in the float with it. He used to have to put the pony in first then load the other horse on. Once the big fellow was loaded he would take the pony off and away he'd go. Always used to amuse me," snickered Duo.

"Funny things, horses," Heero stated as he managed to walk around to where Duo stood with Zero at the foot of the ramp.

"Amen to that." Duo handed the lead rope over to Heero. "You sure you're okay to lead him up there?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little wobbly now, not as bad as before." Heero took the lead rope and with a click of his tongue tugged gently. Zero lurched forward and part scrambled, part hobbled onto the float.

"Don't forget to duck under the..."

"Ow! Fuck!"

"...bar," Duo's eyes squeezed shut and he cringed as he heard the connection of human against steel. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'll live," groaned Heero as he emerged from the front of the float rubbing the side of his head.

Duo did his best to suppress the snicker. "All set?"

"Hai."

"I'll put up the tail gate then and we can be on our way." Duo moved to the rear of the float and lifted the tail gate. He was pleased that Heero obviously kept the float well maintained, the spring loading made it much easier to lift the gate up, unlike some of the tail gates he'd struggled with over the years and nearly been flattened by in the process.

With both the float and horse secured, Duo made sure the tail gate of the station wagon was secure and that nothing had been left behind. He was pleased to note that Heero was now sitting in the passenger seat of the car so Duo moved to the driver's side and slid in behind the wheel. He let the seat slide back a fraction; he was a little taller than Heero after all and then adjusted the mirrors. Heero passed him the keys and Duo slipped the ignition key into the slot, turning it and coaxing the engine into life.

Moments later they were making their way slowly from the parking area and out onto the road. Duo took it easy, letting the car pick up speed slowly. Towing a float wasn't easy at the best of times, expecting a horse to balance itself inside. It didn't help if the driver was insensitive to the animal and drove around corners fast, or braked too sharply. Duo had seen a few cases of float accidents when doing his degree and the terrified state of the animal, gruesome cuts and gashes to legs caused by an inconsiderate driver.

He was doubly careful this time as his cargo was also injured and trying to balance on three legs. Needless to say the trip back from the showgrounds to his surgery that normally took him ten minutes now took almost half an hour.

"I can't thank you enough for this," said Heero as he tried to break the silence in the car.

"No thanks needed. Just glad I was there to help. I really do love horses, my father had them," Duo trailed off.

"Does he still have them? Do you ride?"

"No, he doesn't; he's dead."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Heero apologized, feeling like he'd just put his foot in it.

"It's okay. He died a while ago now. Drunk driver. My mom sold the horses and we moved to the city so I've not had much to do with them since. My dad was going to teach me to ride, bought me a pony and all... but..." Duo's voice hitched a little.

"I am sorry." Heero reached his left hand across and gently touched Duo's arm. "I shouldn't have asked, it's none of my business and now I've dragged up old memories for you."

Duo shook his head. "Don't sweat it, it all happened a long time ago. Anyway, we're here now so let's get this horse of yours sorted out." Duo carefully brought the car and float into his driveway and along, past the small surgery and around the back where he pulled the vehicle to a halt.

Heero stared around at the set up. The small surgery was at the front of the property, linked to a house that stood behind by a short pathway. Behind the house, where they were currently parked, sat a small stable block. Heero could see the large breezeway down the center and assumed that stables ran off to the side. Stepping out of the car he quickly went to help Duo with the unloading of Zero. His head had cleared a bit more, something he was grateful for, he hated feeling all muzzy. He opened the front door of the float and a soft wuffle greeted him. "Hey, Zero. How you doing in there?"

Duo went to the rear of the float and lowered the tail gate. Before lifting out the rear bar he called to Heero. "You ready in there, Mr. Yuy?"

"Hai, and call me Heero."

"Okay, Heero. I'm removing the rear bar so bring him out nice and slow." Duo lifted the bar clear and stood to the side, ready to assist the horse as it came down the small ramp.

Zero was reluctant to leave the float. It was hard for him to try and back out when it hurt to put any weight on his injured foreleg. Slowly but surely, Heero managed to coax the animal back. It took ages as the horse would only move a couple of steps at a time and Heero could feel his heart breaking with each pained hobble the horse made. "It's going to be okay, boy. We need to get you off here so the vet can make you better." He knew his words probably sounded childish, but he didn't care. Zero was his pride and joy and if talking to him in this tone soothed the frightened animal then Heero would sprout all the gibberish he could.

Finally Zero was standing in the yard, having managed to get out of the float.

"Bring him through this way," Duo said and began to walk towards the open stable complex. "You okay to lead him or would you like me too?"

"I'll be okay. We two crocks can shuffle along together," replied Heero, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Duo laughed. "Right. I'll go get the crush [2] ready," and Duo disappeared inside the complex.

Heero and Zero continued to hobble across the yard and into the complex. Heero's breath was taken away when he saw the set up and he was sure his jaw hit the ground. On the right hand side five stables ran off the breezeway. To the left there was a large padded room, the operating theatre, Heero realized when he peeked through the partially open door. Next was the crush and what appeared to be the 'work' area. Behind the crush was another room, this one Heero assumed was a feed store and tack room. Through the open doors at the other end of the breezeway, Heero could see a few fenced paddocks.

"Just bring him in here, Heero."

Duo's words broke through Heero's mind wandering and he looked up to see Duo holding open the gate at the end of the crush.

"Just walk him in and then when you get to the other end, step out and close the gate on him before he can exit.

"Okay." Heero did as asked, Zero following him slowly.

Once the horse was in the crush, Duo set to work. Firstly he offered Heero a seat though, close enough that he could see what Duo was doing to his beloved animal but far enough back that he was out of the way. Duo quickly removed the bandages and tossed them towards Heero. "Good thing you had these on him or it could have been worse," he said as he began to run his skilled fingers over the horse's leg.

Heero grunted in reply, his energy level had dropped rapidly and he was really beginning to feel the effects of the fall now.

"Easy, boy," Duo soothed as he pressed and probed around the joint of the fetlock. The leg had begun to swell, despite the pressure of the bandage that Duo had applied. "I don't think there is any bone damage but I'd like to take an x-ray to be sure if that's okay with you?"

"Hai. I want you to do whatever is necessary to make sure he's all right. Don't worry about the cost, I can pay you."

Duo looked up and scowled. "Heero, I don't give a damn about the cost either, I just hate to see a magnificent animal like this suffering. I want to help him if I can, we can worry about the bill later." Duo stood up and disappeared into the operating room. He returned a minute or so later pushing a funny looking machine. "It's a portable x-ray machine," he informed Heero who was looking at the contraption with confusion.

"Aa."

Duo brought the machine alongside Zero and set it up, positioning it on the portion of the leg he wished to x-ray. Sliding a film into the cartridge he picked up the button attached to a cord and moved away before depressing the button. The machine gave a hum and a click, then Duo returned to it and removed the used film. He set it to one side and adjusted the machine again. The performance was repeated half a dozen times before Duo was happy that he had enough 'pictures'. Returning the machine to the operating room he took the films and disappeared into the small room attached to the work area, telling Heero he would be back in a moment, once he'd developed the films.

Heero waited patiently, shifting slightly and wincing as he tried to find a comfortable position to sit in. True to his word, Duo was back soon, the x-rays in hand and a happy smile on his face.

"You'll be pleased to know that there is no bone damage at all," he said as he placed the x-rays on the small, lit viewing screen.

Heero really couldn't make head nor tail of them.

"It's as I suspected. Soft tissue damage. The tendons have torn here..." Duo pointed to a place on the x-ray. "... and here. The fetlock joint has also been strained, you can see the ligaments here have stretched."

"Duo, I really can't see what it is you're pointing at. I get what you're saying but as for the x-rays; forget it."

Duo chuckled. "Sorry. I tend to forget that most people wouldn't have a clue as to what they're looking at."

"What's the prognosis?"

"I'd like to start by wrapping the leg and joint with a cooling gel pad, bandage it for support and put him on a course of Phenylbutazone. [3] The leg will need to be hosed in cold water for a half an hour every three hours to aid in the reduction of the swelling. Once the swelling goes down some I'll start rubbing in a liniment that will help the tendons and ligaments to heal. Hopefully that should do the trick. He will be out of action for at least six months though."

"Now tell me the worst case scenario," Heero stated flatly. While he appreciated Duo's positive outlook and diagnosis, he wanted all the facts.

Duo chewed on his bottom lip for a moment then squared his shoulders and looked Heero in the eye. "Worst case scenario: If the tendons and ligaments don't repair by themselves then we are looking at surgery to do the job. There is no guarantee with surgery though and scar tissue is always a big factor. Most of the time the surgery will fix the problem but the animal is no longer any good for anything other than light riding at best."

"I see." Heero thought about the vet's words. Zero was still entire so if the worst came to the worst then Heero could still breed from him. He looked across to where the horse stood, head drooping, eyes closing in a mixture of pain and tiredness. "He's more than just a horse to me..." Heero began softly as he felt the tears welling in his eyes. "He's my best friend."

A hand found its way to Heero's shoulder. "I understand. I'll do all I can to make him better for you, Heero. Hopefully luck will be on our side." Duo gave the man a warm smile before leaving him to his thoughts and fetching the drugs and equipment he would need.

~ * ~

tbc.........

[1] Float boots. These are usually made of thick foam or fabric lined with sheepskin that wrap around a horse's front and rear legs to protect them from knocks and bangs when traveling in a horse float.

[2] Crush. This is a contraption consisting of steel poles, set in a rectangular shape where you can secure large animals to treat them for various things without risk of damage to either the animal or the person.

[3] Phenylbutazone: is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It also has analgesic (pain relief) and antipyretic (fever-reducing) activity. The drug acts directly on tissues and its most marked effects are on inflamed tissues. For more info see;: http://horseproducts.stablemade.com/_Articles/Phenylbutazone.htm