“Now, we wait. His fever should go down, and if the antibiotics are working, we should see some improvement at the incision site in a few hours.” I grab my phone to check the time. “It’s two a.m. I guess we’re spending the night here, guys.”

They settle onto the hay and lean against the stall wall.

As I clean up, a clap of thunder sounds overhead. I look up, even though I can’t see through the stable’s roof.

Here comes a storm. Another one for the season. It might be too much water, but it’s better than a drought. I have time to think about the correlation to my life. It’s either crazy and insane or nothing. I have all the feels or none.

I have to decide which is best.

No, I don’t need time to decide. I know.

“Carly?” Someone shakes my shoulder.

I open my eyes. Blink. Rain is drumming on the roof of the stable. I’m surprised it didn’t wake me up, but then I’ve had a day. And a night. It’s the second time I’ve been woken up tonight.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

My eyes adjust. It’s Lexie. She’s soaking wet from the rain.

“I’m so sorry, Carly. You too, Abe. Jim. I must’ve forgotten to plug my phone in last night, and it died. I don’t know what’s the matter with me. I’m just so… that body yesterday… but that’s no excuse. When I woke up a few minutes ago and plugged the phone in, I saw your message. How is he doing?”

“Carly’s been helpful,” Abe says. “Look, he’s doing better.”

Lexie turns and examines Beau, taking his temperature once again, and then checking the incision site. “His fever is down. The site is infected, like you all thought. What did you give him, Carly?”

I push to my feet, brushing straw from my bottom. I rattle off the medication and dosage in a robotic tone, hoping I haven’t done more harm than good.

Lexie smiles as she places the earpieces of her stethoscope in her ears. “Nice job. I might’ve given a little less of the sulfadiazine, but there’s no harm in the dose you gave him. You may have saved his life.”

“Thank God.” I sigh. “Abe says he’s the offspring of a prize horse, and I thought… If I didn’t do something…”

“You did everything right,” she assures me. “I’m the one to blame here. I shouldn’t have been so careless about my phone. It might be worth getting my landline reinstalled. Especially on a night like we had tonight. The cell towers may go down.”

At the mention of her phone, I look at mine. Five thirty a.m. I scramble to my feet. “If it’s okay, I have to go. I’m supposed to have breakfast with my father at six.”

“You should call him,” Lexie says. “Explain what’s happened here. I don’t think you’re going to make it. That storm is nasty. They expect flash flooding. There are warnings all over the news.”