But the most worrying thing was Autumn’s nose. It was crusted with a thick, yellow discharge.
Scotty saw it at the same time Claire did. They exchanged a loaded look.
It didn’t escape Chris. ‘What is it?’ he demanded. ‘What’s wrong with her?’
‘Stethoscope,’ Claire said to Scotty. Turning to Chris, she added, ‘Just give me a sec.’
Wordlessly, Scotty opened her instrument box and retrieved the stethoscope. He handed it to Claire and watched as she pressed it to the flat plane between Autumn’s eyes. Gently, she tapped her index finger all over the horse’s head.
‘What’s she doing?’ she heard Chris whisper.
‘It’s called percussion of the sinuses. She’s listening for a hollow sound,’ Scotty said quietly. ‘If it doesn’t sound like that, it means there’s fluid in Autumn’s skull.’
‘Fluid? Like water?’
Scotty shook his head. ‘No, mate. Not like water.’
Claire moved to Autumn’s chest and listened there. Then she removed her earpieces and faced Chris.
‘It’s pus. Her lymph nodes are full of it and her throat and larynx are severely inflamed, which is why she’s struggling for breath,’ she said, her tone grave. ‘Autumn has Strangles. It’s a very serious and highly contagious bacterial disease.’
Chris groaned. ‘I know what it is,’ he said, burying his face in his hands. ‘I’ve seen it before, but not for years. I thought they couldn’t get it in summer. And Autumn’s had the vaccine – all my horses have.’
‘It’s unusual to see it outside of winter, but not unheard of. And you’d know that the vaccine isn’t one-hundred-per-cent effective,’ Claire replied. ‘In Autumn’s case, the fact that she’s pregnant and also has an underlying genetic condition may mean her immune system is weaker than it usually would be.’
‘She must have been infected when she was down south,’ Scotty said to his brother. Claire heard the urgency in his voice. ‘You need to get on the phone to them now.’
‘You’ll also need to get all your other horses into isolation well away from here,’ she said. ‘And call your grooms. Everything needs washing and disinfecting as soon as possible. Saddles, blankets, food boxes – the lot.’
Chris nodded, his face ashen. ‘Okay. I’ll call everyone in now,’ he said. He ran his hand down the mare’s flank. ‘But what about Autumn? Will she be all right? Please, Claire, just do whatever you can for her.’ He sounded close to tears.
‘The first thing I need to do is help her to breathe properly. We can’t transport her – it will stress her too much and time is just not on her side,’ Claire said. She spoke slowly and deliberately, in spite of the urgency she felt, so that her words could penetrate Chris’s distress. ‘I need to bypass the inflammation that’s obstructing her airway and I’m going to do that by performing an emergency tracheotomy.’
He looked at her, horrified. ‘Cut into her throat? Won’t that hurt?’
There was no way to sugarcoat it. ‘Yes. We can’t sedate her because there’s a chance it would make her breathing issues even worse,’ she said. ‘But she’s already in terrible pain, Chris. And it’s preferable to the alternative.’
‘Mate, it’s the only way to save Autumn,’ Scotty said, gripping his brother’s shoulder. ‘You’ve got to trust Claire. She’s already saved Autumn’s life once. When it comes to horses, I’m telling you there’s nobody better.’
Claire felt her cheeks flush with pride at Scotty’s endorsement. She knew that what he thought of her veterinary skill shouldn’t matter to her – she knew she was a good vet – but it did. What Scotty thought of her in general mattered. It mattered a whole lot.
Chris took a deep breath. ‘Okay. Whatever it takes,’ he said. ‘The tracheotomy – will it fix her?’
Again, Claire looked to Scotty. She had an obligation to tell Chris that Autumn’s prognosis was bleak. Strangles could lead to anaemia, inflammation of the heart, even lung abscesses. Plus, there was the added risk that the stress of the illness would trigger another heat-stroke episode. As Chris was a lifelong horse owner and the owner of an equine business, Claire knew that he appreciated how serious the mare’s condition was. But she didn’t want him to lose hope – she could see how much he loved this horse. She needed Scotty to guide her, to help her decide how ‘real’ to get with his little brother.
Scotty gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Claire got the message loud and clear. Go easy.
‘It will fix her breathing problems straightaway,’ she said. ‘And I’ll give her some pain relief, so she’ll be a lot more comfortable. After that it’s a matter of treating with antibiotics.’
She didn’t tell him that sometimes the antibiotics didn’t work – that they could even make the condition worse. There was no point. The drugs were her only option.
Instead she added, ‘Autumn is one tough horse, Chris. We’ve seen that already in the way she came through the heat stroke last week.’
Had it really been only a week ago that Scotty had arrived at the clinic with Autumn? It felt like a lifetime. Claire couldn’t believe how much had changed in her life in seven days.
Chris seemed heartened by Claire’s words. He even managed a wobbly little smile. He pressed his cheek to Autumn’s belly. ‘Hang in there, girl,’ he said quietly. Her ragged breathing seemed to calm slightly at his touch. Then Chris turned to Claire. ‘I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be down at the house making calls. Just yell if you need anything.’
Chris left and it was just her and Scotty. The stall that had comfortably accommodated three adults and a pregnant horse just seconds ago now felt too small. Claire could almost feel the nervous energy vibrating within him.
She needed some fresh air – a moment to collect her thoughts before she operated, away from the dizzying closeness of him. Propinquity. Isn’t that what Gus
