Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Equinity ❯ Chapter 23 ( Chapter 23 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

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 beta Yami_Tai.

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

http://sweetlysour.net.

http://adultfanfiction.net

http://www.theforsakenwk.com

http://www.templeofthegoddess.com/files/gwyaoi.html

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 23

Duo's expert eye ran over the distressed horse, summing up the situation quickly. "Be careful!" he yelled to Heero who had managed to get the door unbolted and was trying to approach the mare.

Scythe rolled and kicked out, narrowly missing Heero who dodged the flailing hooves just in time. Heero made his way around the horse, talking all the time in a soothing voice as he tried to get to her head and clip on the lead rope. "Easy, girl. Steady, Scythe, it's going to be okay. Relax, girl, I'm not going to hurt you, only want to help you."

The sounds of the human's soothing voice reached her panicked ears and Scythe tried to focus on it. It calmed her a little but then the spasm of pain was back and she groaned, rolling to her side and trying to get some relief.

"We have to get her up, Heero," cried Duo in desperation as he also entered the stable intent on doing whatever he could for the mare. "She could twist the bowel if she keeps thrashing like that."

Heero's heart was in his mouth. He knew what the consequences of a twisted gut were and it wasn't pretty. Surgery would be Scythe's only hope if that happened and given her emaciated condition he didn't think she would survive the anesthetic; let alone the operation itself. The mare paused in her thrashing and Heero took the chance to lunge forward and clip the lead rope to her halter. "Come on, girl. Up!" Heero encouraged as he tugged on the lead rope. "UP!" he cried and leaned his weight on the rope.

Through the dim haze of pain, Scythe registered the tugging and words of encouragement. With a grunt she threw her forelegs out in front, paused and then gave an almighty heave, shoving herself up to stand on shaky legs. Her head hung low, her sides going in and out like bellows as sweat ran down her flanks and sawdust matted her coat.

"Good, girl," said Heero as he patted the thin neck, wincing at the state of the animal.

"Hurry, Heero. We need to get her into the crush as quickly as possible so I can treat her," said Duo appearing at Heero's side. Duo put himself against the mare's right shoulder whilst Heero took up residence against her left. Between the two of them they managed to push, shove, encourage and force Scythe to stagger across the breezeway and into the crush. "Talk to her, Heero. Pet her, make a fuss of her and for god's sake, keep her standing. I'll be right back." Duo disappeared to unlock the drug room door and fetch the items he would need.

Heero rubbed at Scythe's forehead, he stroked her cold ears and petted her scrawny neck, all the time keeping up a soft, encouraging monologue. He didn't care if he wasn't making any sense, it was the tone he used that was important. He knew he had to keep Scythe calm, shock was a terrible thing in horses, ninety percent of the time they didn't come out of it. "You're going to be all right, girl. Duo's going to make you better. Good girl, hang in there, sweetie, you've come too far to give up now," Heero soothed.

Across from the crush, Zero watched the proceedings intently. He'd ceased his neighing as soon as his master had appeared and discovered the reason for his calling. Now he could sense that his master and that other kind human were doing everything they could to help the mare. Zero gave a low whinny of encouragement.

Scythe flicked her ears, the soothing tone of the human helped to ease her fear. His gentle touch smoothed away the pain; if only for a moment. The soft whinny from the stallion gave her hope. She blew softly through her nostrils and then tensed again as another wave of pain ran through her gut.

"Easy, Scythe. Duo's coming," crooned Heero as he tried to ease the mare's suffering with his voice. Seconds later Duo reappeared, his arms full of equipment which he dropped to the bench.

Picking up his stethoscope and a thermometer, Duo was quickly by Scythe's side. He inserted the thermometer into the mare's anus and attached the small clip to the hairs of her tail. Whilst the temperature was being recorded he pressed the stethoscope to Scythe's rib cage and noted her respiratory rate. He felt for her pulse and recorded her heart rate. Grimly he pulled down her eyelid and then her lips to check the color of her mucus membranes. The stethoscope made it's way to the mare's abdomen where Duo listened intently before removing the thermometer and checking it. He gave a low whistle and then turned to Heero, a grim look on his face.

"Her temperature is three degrees above normal, breathing rate is accelerated and her heart rate is a hundred when it should be around forty. Her gums are almost white and there are no gut sounds."

"Which all means?"

"She's in a bad way, Heero." Duo didn't give voice to the concern that Scythe may have already twisted a gut; he thought it best to keep that to himself for the moment and hope that they had been in time to prevent that from happening. "I'm going to give her an injection of Xylazine for the pain and once that begins to take effect I'll run a gastric tube down her nose and dose her with paraffin oil. She's got a blockage in there and we need to shift it as soon as possible." Duo turned back to the bench where he'd dropped his things. He quickly selected a needle and syringe, drawing the dosage into the marked tube and then returning to the distressed animal. "Hold her as steady as you can, Heero." Duo pressed his thumb into the jugular and waited for the vessel to rise. As soon as it did he swabbed the area and then inserted the needle. Rich, red blood flowed briefly into the syringe as Duo drew back on the plunger and then it was gone as Duo injected the contents into the horse's blood stream.

"That should start to work very shortly and ease her pain. I'm going to get the tube and oil ready." Duo turned and tossed the used needle into the sharps container and the syringe into the bin. He picked up a bucket and large bottle of oil.

Heero continued to stroke Scythe's ears as he watched Duo work. He noticed the mare slowly begin to relax, her eyes taking on a glazed expression and her muscles sagging. Drool began to dribble from her lips as her mouth relaxed and her head drooped even lower. "Easy, girl. Duo will make it all better for you very soon," Heero said softly as he continued to pet the mare.

As the drug began to infiltrate her system, so Scythe found the pain easing a little, it was still there and still uncomfortable but not nearly as terrifying as before. The gentle pets also helped to relieve her anxiety and she gave a low grunt, attempting to rub her head against the human's arm to show her appreciation of his care. The stallion sent another low whinny of encouragement her way and this time she managed to respond with a low wuffle of her own.

Zero continued to hang over his stable door and watch with keen eyes. His sense of smell picked up on the fear and concern from both human and animal and whilst he couldn't help but feel naturally uneasy, he had an inborn sense that the humans would do everything they could to help the pretty mare. He gave a low, rumbling whinny, trying to let the mare know she would be all right, that these humans could be trusted to help her. Zero was quite surprised to hear the mare answer with her own low wuffle.

Duo checked the mare again. "Good. The painkiller is working and relaxing her. Now for the next stage." He turned to the bucket and emptied the entire contents of the bottle of paraffin oil into it, stirring it around. He grabbed a long, plastic looking tube and dropped it into the oil before picking up a slender, stainless steel object that looked like a pump. Bringing the items over, Duo set the bucket and pump down beside the crush and reached for the tube. A towel was slung over his shoulder and he used it to wipe one end of the tubing before draping the tubing over the towel on his shoulder.

Taking the lead rope from Heero, Duo wound it around the side bar of the crush, immobilizing Scythe's head. "Normally I would use a twitch [1] as well," he began. "But I don't think we're going to need that with Scythe. Just keep a hand on her halter, talk to her and pet her, Heero. It's vital that she stays still whilst I get this tube down her throat. If she doesn't swallow it properly it could go into her lungs and then if I pump this lot down her she'll drown and the last thing I want is for that to happen."

Heero nodded and took a firm hold on Scythe's halter. He knew what the consequences were of a horse not swallowing the tube properly without Duo having to explain. He'd never seen it happen but he had heard of a case where someone's horse had been treated for colic and the vet hadn't checked the tube properly. Unfortunately the entire contents of that bucket had gone into the poor animal's lungs and the horse had turned blue, drowning in the thick oil and died within minutes. [2] Heero knew Duo was too much of a conscientious vet to let anything like that happen, but he could at least do his own part and make the job as easy as possible for both Duo and Scythe.

Duo took the end of the gastric tube with one hand and placed his other hand over Scythe's nose. Gently he eased the tube into her nostril, the oil coating the rubbery tube making the passage easier. Slowly Duo fed the tube into the nostril, feeling against her nose with his other hand the progress of the tube. When he deemed it to be at the back of her throat, he shifted his hand to rest under her jaw, fingers pressing against her throat and epiglottis. He could feel the tube end there and gently pushed it, trying to get Scythe to swallow. Sweat ran down his bare back as he willed the mare to open up and swallow the tube.

"Come on, Scythe, swallow it for me, there's a good girl," Duo encouraged as he gently massaged the mare's throat and pushed softly on the tube.

Scythe didn't like the thing going in her nose, she hated it even more when it tickled and pressed against the back of her throat but there wasn't anything she could do to shift it; her head was held too firmly for her to shake it. She didn't have the strength to put up much of a fight and so reluctantly, she swallowed.

As soon as Duo felt the epiglottis open he eased the tube forward, sliding it effortlessly through the small opening and along the esophagus. Inch by inch the tube disappeared into Scythe's nose until only a few feet remained outside. Duo paused and took the clean end of the hose, bringing it to his mouth, he blew softly into it and then listened intently. "Good. It's in the stomach," he muttered. Quickly Duo attached the end of the tube to the pump and raised the handle, sucking the paraffin oil into the slender pump before depressing the plunger and forcing the contents into the gastric tube and on their way to Scythe's stomach.

Steadily Duo worked the pump, raising and lowering the handle, pushing the oil along the tube and into the gut where it was most needed. As the last dregs of oil were sucked up and pumped out, Duo removed the tube end and wiped it off. Bringing it to his mouth he took a lungful of air and blew hard down the tube, ensuring that all the oil was in Scythe's tummy.

"Now what?" asked Heero as he watched the proceedings.

"Now, we wait," replied Duo as he gently eased the tube from inside the mare. Once the tube was completely out, Duo tossed it into the bucket and placed the soiled utensils to the side to be cleaned later. "I'll give her about fifteen minutes for the oil to start working through her intestines and then I'll give her another shot, this drug will stimulate the natural process of peristalsis [3] in the intestine and get the contractions moving again. Hopefully the oil will find the blockage and with the contractions, aid it to slip along and come out the rear exit."

Still stroking the mare, Heero released his death grip and loosened the lead rope. Immediately Scythe let her head droop and her chin rest on the bar of the crush. "Will she be all right?"

"Hard to say. I'll be a much happier vet when she cocks her tail," replied Duo who was busy taking Scythe's vitals again. "Temp's still up but the breathing and heart rates are lower, that's the pain killer doing that. At least she hasn't gone into shock which is a blessed relief," sighed Duo.

Reaching out, Heero gave Duo's arm a squeeze. "Thanks. I know you're doing everything you can, Duo."

Duo smiled. "I love her too, Heero," he replied simply and then turned his attention back to listening for any sounds from Scythe's gut.

Patiently they waited and watched, Scythe's trembles had slowed a little and she wasn't sweating as freely. Duo gave her another injection, the one to stimulate the muscular contractions of the intestinal wall and also repeated the painkiller which would be wearing off soon as it was only a short acting one. Once more he checked for any sounds coming from the gut indicating that things were on the move.

"Would it help if I walked her about?" asked Heero who was feeling pretty useless just standing there and reassuring the mare.

"Normally I would say yes, but in Scythe's case I think it might be best to let her stand for a while. She's pretty well supported in the crush, chances of her going down in there are next to zero; I think if we try to walk her around at the moment she is likely to go down from sheer exhaustion. Better to wait a bit and give the oil and drugs a chance to work."

Heero nodded. "Okay, whatever you think is best. Is there anything I can do to help in any way?"

"Not really, unless you're feeling particularly religious."

"Huh?" Heero turned his confused eyes to his boyfriend.

"Pray, Heero. You know?" Duo raised his eyes to the heavens.

"Aa. Would that help?"

Duo shook his head in amusement. "Wouldn't hurt," he grinned. "I've done everything I can for her at this stage, all we can do is hope, wait and send prayers to whatever god you believe in."

Heero caught the twinkle in Duo's eyes.

"Doesn't hurt to have back up," teased Duo in an attempt to lighten the somber mood.

"Duo, there are some days when I have to wonder about you and your sanity," replied Heero.

"Really? You mean I'm sane?!" Duo continued to tease Heero. "And here I was thinking I would have to be insane to be a vet. Damn! You've just shattered all my illusions."

Heero couldn't help but laugh. Duo certainly knew how to take the tension out of a situation. No wonder he was so good at his job, he had that natural self assurance that enabled him to put anyone at their ease during a stressful situation. "I'll talk to you more about your sanity later. How's she doing now?" Hero nodded towards Scythe who was giving soft grunts from time to time and looked to be almost asleep.

Removing his stethoscope from around his neck, Duo checked Scythe's gut again and as he listened so a smile began to spread slowly over his face. "Much better. The gut is starting to make noises again which means something is moving inside there. Hopefully it's the blockage. Let's give her about another ten minutes and then maybe walk her around the yard once or twice to encourage the gut to work, only we will have to be careful and support her as much as possible."

Heero gave a soft sigh. Duo's words were encouraging but he could see the tension in the vet, the small lines that etched into his face told Heero that Duo was still very worried. There was only one reason Heero could think of for Duo's deep concern. That Scythe had managed to twist her intestine. His blood ran cold at that prospect.

In the two short days that the mare had been in their care, Heero had become very attached to her and the thought that he might lose her now was unbearable. He knew that Duo felt the same way and fervently hoped that between the two of them, their love, support and Duo's medical knowledge would be enough to pull Scythe through. He was again reminded how Quatre and Duo had both warned that she would be a difficult case to treat and bring back to health, that given her run down condition and many ailments it was likely she wouldn't pull through. Duo's recommendation that she be put down weighed heavily on his mind, he'd been the one to oppose it and now look at them. Scythe was suffering and there was every possibility that she wasn't going to get better; and he was to blame.

Heero couldn't help but question himself. Had he done the right thing by insisting that they give the mare a chance? Or were his reasons purely selfish? Would it have been kinder to have allowed Duo to end her misery and suffering with one shot from his humane killer? Was it fair that Scythe was suffering now because he had insisted that she would be all right? That she would pull through? All these questions and thoughts ran wildly through Heero's mind as he continued to stroke and pet the mare, confusing him and making him doubt his own mind.

"Hey, don't blame yourself, Heero."

Heero looked up into the concerned violet of his boyfriend's eyes. "But..." He didn't get the chance to say anything more. Duo shut him up with a soft kiss.

Leaning in close, Duo could see the myriad of thoughts that were passing through Heero's mind, he could see the flicker of doubt, the touch of self loathing flash through those eyes and he had a pretty good idea what Heero was thinking. He was blaming himself for Scythe's current condition. Moving closer he told Heero to stop with his thoughts and before Heero could say much, he kissed him. "This is not your fault, Heero. This is something that we knew could happen and it's a combination of events that are out of our control; so, don't blame yourself."

"I'm sorry, I can't help but think that if I hadn't insisted we give her a chance... if I'd listened to you and let you put her down in the first place then she wouldn't be suffering like this now..." Heero trailed off, unable to say any more without giving in to the lump in his throat and heavy feeling in his chest.

"No, Heero. You're wrong. She does deserve a chance. This colic is a combined result of her eating too fast, the sand in her gut, the worms and probably the good food. We've done everything we could to minimize her chances of getting colic; you put the bricks into her feed bin to slow her down, she's only getting bulk food and not the concentrates yet, the worms and sand we're doing our best to get rid of and there isn't much we can do about the rich grass of the paddock. We can only do our best, Heero. Sometimes though, nature does this for a reason, at least now we should have shifted a lot of the sand from inside her with the drench."

"But," began Heero as he raised his eyes to meet those of the vet. "You're still worried, aren't you? You think there's a possibility that she may have twisted a gut, don't you?"

Duo sighed and wrapped an arm around Heero's waist. "Yes, I'm worried. I don't know how long or how violently she was rolling around for before we got to her and that has me concerned. She may have twisted a gut but the sounds that her intestines are making now gives me the impression that she hasn't. The only way to be certain is to do either an ultra sound, and I don't have an ultra sound machine, or to open her up and I'm not about to perform major abdominal surgery on a horse at two in the morning; not that I wouldn't if it were necessary but at this stage it isn't necessary." Duo brought his other arm around and completely encircled Hero's waist. Drawing his boyfriend into a strong embrace, Duo gently ran his hands along Heero's back, soothing him as he would the horse.

"She will be okay, Heero. I've done everything I can for her for now, the rest is up to her. If she doesn't start to improve soon and I think that she has twisted a gut then I'll perform the surgery. I have to warn you though, given her condition there is every chance that she won't survive. I do believe though that it won't come to that." Duo tried to sound as reassuring as he could which isn't easy when you are worried half out of your mind. He feathered kisses along Heero's neck and jaw before locating his boyfriend's lips and taking them in a hungry, desperate kiss.

Heero clung to Duo, drawing on the vet's strength and convincing words. He trusted Duo, trusted him to tell him the truth and not gloss over it; he trusted Duo to do his best for Scythe, knowing that Duo cared much more than he was letting on and that gave him hope. Eagerly he surrendered to the kiss, needing the closeness of his boyfriend and the reassurance of the kisses.

Scythe gave a grunt and pushed at the pair with her nose, unbalancing the two men. She cocked her tail and strained, her insides bubbling away. A rush of air escaped and she lowered her tail feeling a little more comfortable.

Regaining their balance, both men looked at each other and then to the horse. "Cheeky bugger," said Heero.

At the sound of air escaping Duo's face lit up. "Now that's what I like to hear," he said with a grin.

"A horse farting?" questioned Hero. "I could think of better things to listen to."

"Think about it, Heero," said Duo as he grabbed his stethoscope and went to listen to Scythe's insides again. "If she's passing wind then it means the drugs and oil are doing their job, her guts are working again and the blockage is moving."

"Aa." A look of understanding dawned on Heero's face and he turned to rub the mare between the eyes. "Good girl, Scythe."

Duo listened to the gurgles, rumbles and general noises from Scythe's insides that indicated her intestines were working again. As he was listening so Scythe cocked her tail again and another passage of wind escaped. "Whew!" grinned Duo as he waved his hand in the air in front of his nose.

"You would have to be the first person I've ever seen get all excited about a horse passing wind," teased Heero, although he was feeling very relieved himself to hear the sound. The smile disappeared though when he got a whiff of the air. "Yuk! That smells putrid!"

"Come on, Heero. It's time to get her out of the crush and walking around. The movement will help her system and the drugs and oil to do their job. Hopefully she will pass manure very soon. Once she does I'll be a whole lot happier."

The two men opened the crush and between them managed to get Scythe moving at a slow walk. Heero continued to lead her is small circles around the outside dirt yard, Duo deeming it safer out there than on the hard concrete of the breezeway in case her legs and strength should fail and she drop to her knees. Duo followed with his eyes, noting the mare's gait and keeping a close watch on her stamina.

After ten minutes of walking and a lot more air being released, much to Heero's disgust as he was the one to cop the rich smell, Duo's amusement at his wrinkled nose and grumbles of complaint not helping the situation much; Scythe finally cocked her tail and deposited a mound of steaming manure. Instantly, Duo pounced on it as if it were gold.

It was Heero's turn to wear the amused smile as the vet poked around in the oily, slimy mess.

"This is great!" announced Duo as he continued to prod and poke.

"It's only shit, Duo," Heero replied as he led Scythe on, making certain to by-pass the vet and his little pile. Heero did know though that the passing of the manure was the best thing that could have happened, still, he couldn't help but tease the vet.

"Geeze," he whistled through his teeth. "No wonder she was in agony."

Heero brought the mare over and halted. "What can you tell?" he asked.

"Take a look at her droppings," said Duo as he poked again. "See how compact they are, sort of like bullets. There's a tremendous amount of solid food still in there, it hasn't been digested at all. It's pretty much as I thought. She's been bolting her food down so quickly that her stomach hasn't had the chance to digest it properly. It's passed on into the intestines and as the water has been drawn out it's left behind this thick, tough mass. There's no way her body could push that heavy, dry mass though and so it blocked up. The oil helped to give it the slickness it needed to slide along once we got the intestine working again."

"How can we prevent it from happening again?" asked Heero as he resumed his walking.

"I think we should try dampening her feed and breaking her feed down into smaller lots. Instead of giving her a feed in the morning and then at night, make them smaller and give her a lunchtime feed and also a supper one too, four a day should do it. I'd also add a couple more of those miracle house bricks to her feed bins."

"Would adding oil to her feed help?"

"Good idea," replied Duo. "Ordinary vegetable oil should do. I'd say put a cup full in her dinner feed, once a day should be enough."

"Right," replied Heero and made a mental note to purchase a large bottle of vegetable oil on his way home from work.

Scythe chose that moment to stop again and cock her tail. With a grunt she deposited another pile of manure on the dirt.

"There you go, Duo. Another present for you to unwrap," snickered Heero as he set off again.

Duo gave his boyfriend a 'look' but trotted obediently to the fresh pile and enthusiastically began to poke around in it. "There's a fair bit of sand in there too," he announced as he inspected the pile.

"You know something, Duo? You're the only person I know that can get all excited about a pile of shit as well as a horse farting," Heero teased. "Still, it's good that she's passing manure now, at least we can stop worrying about her having a twisted intestine."

"Yeah, that we can. If she's beginning to push the shit out then there's no way she has a twist and that's excellent news," replied Duo with a grin. "Once she passes another load we can pretty much say she's going to be fine. I'd still like to give her another dose of the oil tomorrow though, just be on the safe side and shift any remaining sand from inside. I think she's still got a bit in there."

"Probably would be a good idea,' replied Heero and paused again as Scythe decided she wanted to pass another pile of manure.

"Okay, Heero. You can put her back in the crush now. I want to take her vitals again and if they're steady then she can go back into the stable."

"Right." Heero led the mare back to the crush and secured the bars. Duo popped the thermometer in Scythe's rear end and quickly checked her heart and breathing rates. "That's much better. Her breathing rate is almost normal and her heart rate has dropped to fifty five." Duo removed the thermometer. "Temp is only a degree above normal too so I'd say the worst is over. She can go back in her stable now."

"How long before the drugs wear off?" Heero asked as he led Scythe back to her stable.

"The painkiller should stay in her system for around another forty-five minutes, the other one a bit longer, but her digestive system is now back on track so she shouldn't need any more of the stimulant." Duo busied himself by replacing the drugs and popping the used instruments by the door so he could take them up to the house and ultimately the surgery for sterilization later.

Heero stepped out of the stable and bolted the door before hanging up the lead rope. Scythe had moved to the side of the box and stood, resting a hind leg, head drooping and looking thoroughly worn out. Side stepping into the feed shed, Heero returned a few moments later with a handful of carrots.

"Ahh, a reward for the savior?" Duo questioned with a chuckle.

"I think he deserves it, don't you?" Heero replied with a smile as he went to Zero's stable.

The gray hung over the door, his eyes alight when he smelt the carrots. He wuffled eagerly and stretched his neck forwards.

"There you go, Zero," Heero said softly as he fed the horse his carrots. "You were a good boy making that racket and letting us know there was something wrong."

Whilst Heero fed the stallion carrots and praised him, so Duo stood on the other side and petted the strong neck. "Animals never cease to amaze me," he said softly. "If Zero hadn't woken you up with his noise the chances are we would have found Scythe either dead or in agony come the morning and been totally unable to help her. He's a horse in a million, Heero."

"Hai, that he is," replied Heero warmly. He fed the stallion the last of the carrots and gave Zero's ears a friendly tug. "We're going to go back to bed now, Zero. You keep an eye on Scythe for us, okay? Anything happens, you start up again."

Zero didn't understand a word his master said but he could tell from his master's scent that he was pleased with him. He nudged first his master and then the other nice human with his nose, letting them know he would be 'on duty'.

With a smile the two men left the stable block, switching off the lights and closing the door. It was three thirty and both were feeling a little more than weary. Slowly they trudged back to the house. Duo shivered, he was still shirtless, having only stopped long enough to throw on his jeans and shove his feet into his sneakers. Heero wrapped an arm around the vet's shoulders and tried to warm him up.

"You're cold," Heero stated.

"Prancing around in the middle of the night, half naked will do that to you, Heero," replied Duo. "God, I'm tired, and freezing."

"You should take a hot shower."

"Haven't got the energy. I'll take one later when I wake up again."

Heero kept his arm around Duo's shoulders, feeling the trembles as Duo's body shook with the cold. "Come on," he said as they reached the house. "Straight to bed for you."

"Yes, mother," replied Duo through chattering teeth. The sweat he'd expended earlier had dried on his skin, the cool night air taking most of his body heat with it.

Heero was concerned. He didn't like the way Duo was shivering and he wanted to get his boyfriend warmed up as quickly as possible. "Look, let me take you through to the bathroom and wash your back and arms for you. You're covered in dirt from treating Scythe."

"Thanks." Duo knew he needed to clean up before falling into bed, but he didn't have the strength. Wrestling with the colicky horse had drained the last of his reserves. He allowed Heero to lead him to the bathroom and clean him off with a warm wash cloth.

"Okay, all finished. Now into bed with you." Heero helped Duo remove his jeans and pulled back the bed covers for the vet to slide in. Once Duo was under the thick blanket and comforter, Heero couldn't help but notice the shivering continuing.

"Cold..." muttered Duo.

Unsure if he was doing the right thing or not, Heero went to the other side of the bed and slipped under the covers as well. He spooned against Duo, drawing him into his arms and against his own body, sharing his warmth. He felt Duo respond by snuggling closer, his cold feet against Heero's calves nearly making the accountant yelp. But he bore the iciness of his boyfriend's body with dignity and even stretched his own feet and legs over Duo's to give the vet more warmth. Within minutes they were both fast asleep.

***

In the stable block, Zero settled himself alongside the separating wall of the stable. On the other side of the partition, the mare stood, resting a hind leg and dozing. She was much calmer now, Zero couldn't scent any fear from her, only tiredness. He shoved his muzzle between the bars and gave a low whinny, letting the mare know he was there and would watch over her.

To Zero's surprise, the mare lifted her head and shifted her position to bring her own muzzle to the bars.

Shyly, Scythe raised her head and pushed her muzzle to the bars. She found the gray's muzzle and rubbed her nose softly against his, blowing gently through her nostrils before lowering her head and allowing herself to drop off to sleep. She felt comforted knowing the stallion would watch over her and keep her safe.

Zero felt a swelling of importance. The mare had finally 'talked' to him. It wasn't a lot but she'd shown trust by rubbing his nose with hers. Happily, Zero shifted his weight and closed his eyes to doze. Keeping one ear open, he remained on alert, trusting his hearing to let him know should his services be needed again.

~ * ~

tbc.........

[1] Twitch: This is a nifty gadget you can make yourself and is an excellent way to restrain a horse without hurting either it or yourself. A length of wood, roughly a foot long with a hole drilled at one end. A length of soft twine is passed through the hole and the ends tied together to make a loop. Your hand is passed through the loop and then grasps the soft upper lip of the horse. The loop is slipped over the hand to encircle the horse's upper lip and then you twist the twine until it tightens and you have a 'bunched' up, upper lip secured by the twine. It doesn't hurt the horse but takes its mind focus off whatever it is you're trying to do.

[2] This case is based on a true event. It happened to a friend of mine's horse which went down with colic. The vet didn't check the tube properly and as such it hadn't gone into the stomach but into the lungs. The horse did turn blue and died within minutes. This vet, needless to say, was severely reprimanded by the West Australian Veterinary board and is no longer practicing but involved in other areas of vet science.

[3] Peristalsis: This is the wave like contractions that pass through the intestines and move the food through the gut.

Information for the drugs used to treat colic comes from here: http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/AAEP/2003/zimmel/chapter_frm.asp?LA=1