Astra Read Online Free PDF Page A

he had a secret he didn’t want to tell because he knew how badly it might hurt her. She looked from him to Mr. Henley to Thomas, wishing someone would speak up and break the silence.
    â€œIs she going to be okay?” Lily moved forward. Astra’s heavy, labored breathing filled the air.
    Dr. Tison stepped in front of Lily, blocking her path. He bent down to her eye level and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Lily, I don’t think you want to go in there. Maybe it would be better if you remember her the way she was.”
    The way she was?
    Lily’s mind did a cartwheel. The vet had spoken about Astra like she was…dead. But that couldn’t be true. She could hear the mare’s ragged breaths coming from the stall. She gazed about frantically, searching for a clue that would tell her everything would be okay. This was just a bad dream. Her eyes widened at the sight of two large syringes full of pale pink liquid sitting atop the veterinarian’s bag.
    There was no doubt in Lily’s mind what those were. Time moved in slow motion as she looked at each person’s face, trying to determine the truth. It was there in all three sympathetic glances. Mr. Henley quickly looked away.
    Her gaze cut back to the medical bag. She’d seen those shots before, when some unfortunate horse had broken a leg and had to be euthanized. The first large dose of sedative would be administered in the vein. In just a short amount of time it would slow and then stop the heart. The second shot would be given to make sure the procedure was final.
    Astra—her mother’s beautiful hope for a national champion—was about to be destroyed!

Four
    Lily began to panic. Her own ragged breaths rivaled Astra’s. This can’t be happening , she thought. She felt her knees go all wobbly.
    Dr. Tison reached out to steady her. “Lily, are you okay?”
    Mr. Henley stepped forward and took her arm. “Lily, I’m going to take you home. You shouldn’t be here for this, especially at this hour of the morning. What in the world were you thinking, honey?” He pulled his keys from his pocket and motioned for her to follow him out of the barn.
    Lily just stood there, shaking. She couldn’t leave.
    She wouldn’t leave.
    If she did, they’d put Astra to sleep for sure. Maybe she was only a kid, but she planned to do everything in her power to keep them from putting down the mare. “I don’t want to go home,” she said. “Astra needs me.”
    â€œYou should go with Mr. Henley.” Dr. Tison gave her a sympathetic look, then pointed her in the direction of the barn door. “Leave this to me. I’ll make sure she doesn’t feel any pain, I promise. Let Steven take you home to your dad and grandma.”
    Lily tried not to feel betrayed. Dr. Tison knew how much Astra meant to her. She looked to Thomas for some kind of help. He gave her a sorrowful nod and went back to the tack room.
    Mr. Henley called from the doorway, “Lily, come on! Let’s get you home.”
    â€œI’m not leaving.” Lily crossed her arms, determined to make a stand.
    â€œGive us a minute, would you, Steve?” Dr. Tison said, his brows knit in concern.
    Lily choked back the tears clogging her throat. She tried desperately to hold them at bay, but she could feel them spilling down her cheeks. Dr. Tison pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her.
    â€œWhat happened to her?” Lily accepted the handkerchief, but instead of using it to wipe her tears or blow her nose, she wadded and twisted it with her hands. “Astra was fine when she left for her workout yesterday. She was just a little gimpy from Charlie riding her in the rocks more than he should have. And she ate that bad grass. How did she go from that t-to this?” Lily hiccuped.
    Dr. Tison sighed and squatted down on his heels in front of Astra’s stall. “Truth is, I