Astra Read Online Free PDF Page B

it’s not fair to the horse to make her suffer longer. The quicker we can put her down, the better off everyone will be.”
    â€œAstra isn’t in any pain,” the vet said. “She’s more or less in a comatose state. Letting her remain a few more hours isn’t going to hurt anything. And it might help Lily here.”
    Lily tried to give the vet a thankful smile but she couldn’t force her mouth to turn upward. She sniffed loudly instead.
    â€œI don’t know, Dale…,” Mr. Henley said slowly.
    â€œPlease, Mr. Henley?” Lily managed to whisper.
    The ranch owner placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know how much Astra means to you,” he began. “And you might think I’m being heartless. But I’m trying to do what’s best for all concerned.”
    Lily sat up and took several steadying breaths, trying to bring herself to speak. Her chest hurt so badly she thought her heart would explode. She ran her coat sleeve across her eyes and cleared her throat. “This is the horse my mother was going to prove in the Tevis. It was her dream . And now you want to put her to sleep, and none of that dream will ever be able to come true!”
    Mr. Henley shook his head. “I’m really, truly sorry, Lily…about your mom, and about Astra, too. Your mom was a very special person, and a great rider. I have no doubt that the pair of them would have done well in the Tevis Cup.” He paused for a moment. “Maybe there’s something I can do for you. It isn’t much, but it might help lessen the hurt.”
    He turned and walked out of the stall, returning a few minutes later with a piece of paper in his hands. He pulled a pen out of his pocket and signed the paper, then handed it to Lily.
    â€œWhat’s this?” Lily took the paper he offered. Her eyes grew wide when she recognized the Arabian Horse Association registration papers. She sniffed. “I don’t understand…”
    â€œI believe that Steve here wants to give you a gift,” Dr. Tison said, with a small, sad smile.
    Mr. Henley nodded. “Those are Astra’s registration papers. I’ve signed them over to you. She’s yours for the next couple of hours. But if the mare doesn’t show improvement soon, I’ll have to insist that Dale go ahead and put her down. I know it might seem harsh, but it’s what’s best for the animal.” Without another word, he turned and walked out of the barn.
    Lily was too dumbstruck to respond.
    Dr. Tison waited a few moments for Lily to regain some composure, then leaned against the door as he spoke. “So how does it feel to be a horse owner again?”
    Lily studied the papers through swollen eyes. She ran her fingers over the place where Mr. Henley had written her name. Astra Atomica was hers now. Really and truly hers—at least for the next several hours. She ran her hand lovingly down the prone mare’s coat. “Did you hear that, girl? You’re my horse.”
    Astra gave no response but Lily was sure the mare could hear her. She talked to her in a soothing voice. “You’re going to get better, girl. Don’t you worry. All of that medicine is going to kick in and you’re going to start getting better.”
    She thought about what would happen if by some miracle Astra did recover. Her dad would have a fit. Mr. Henley probably would, too. The thought almost made her smile. She knew giving her Astra had been just a symbolic gesture meant to make her feel better. And it was a nice thing for the owner to do. But in Mr. Henley’s mind, Astra was already dead.
    Dr. Tison opened the stall door. “I’ll give her another shot and check her heart rate and temperature,” he offered. “Then I’m going to make a few other house calls in the area. Might as well start the day early. I’ll be back in a couple of hours and we’ll see what Mr. Henley wants to do