Requiem
by Syrinx
Summary: Josie can't lose what she's worked so hard to maintain.
A/N: Original character, Cindy Series outtake, sequel to Among Shadows.
Inside the broodmare barn it was always the perfect temperature. Dry, warm in the winters, and cool in the summers. Always right. The mares, if they weren't outside, milled quietly in their stalls, nickering soft comments to their foals that rustled in the bedding next to them.
Josie Taylor had spent most of her time in the broodmare barn since she had arrived at Whitebrook. She had slept in it, set up shop in it, worked in it. She loved and hated it all at the same time. Now she hated it again.
"We just need to get a blood sample from Wonder and Warrior, Jo," Ashleigh said reassuringly as Dr. Smith came out of the stall next to them. She had two small vials of blood in her hand that she was labeling with a permanent marker, sliding them into a box at her feet.
"They aren't sick," Josie said vehemently.
"I don't think they are either," Dr. Smith agreed, pushing a stray hair out of her eyes with the back of her hand as she prepared two more needles. "But we have to be careful. E.I.A. has been sweeping through farms around here. This is just a precaution."
Josie reluctantly stepped out of the way as she watched Dr. Smith step into Wonder's stall, going first for the mare. Wonder stood docilely, allowing Dr. Smith to take her sample. Warrior, however, was on his feet and moving.
"Jo," Ashleigh said, nudging her. "Go help Dr. Smith out."
Josie nodded wordlessly, slipping into the stall quietly and wrapping her arms around the colt, feeling him still next to her.
"Thanks," Dr. Smith said, not smiling. There was a veil of somberness on everyone's faces since news of E.I.A. struck. Any horse could have it, and if one came up with symptoms all the horses were at risk. Warrior squealed a little in Josie's arms as the needle went in, but he remained quiet. Josie crooned to him, still holding him after Dr. Smith had risen and left the stall.
She suddenly felt the need to cry, and silently she wept, fat tears rolling down her face.
"Oh, Josie, hon," Ashleigh murmured, letting herself into the stall and wrapping an arm around Josie as Warrior struggled free. "Josie, Warrior is healthy as a horse. You know that."
"But he might not be," Josie choked out. "He might be sick and we'll lose him. I'll lose him."
"Jo," Ashleigh hugged her, sitting in the bedding next to her. "I don't want him to be sick either. I don't want any of the horses to be sick."
"I just can't stand the fact that we might lose him again," Josie said, finding it hard to catch her breath. "He almost died when he was born, Ash. It took months to get him like he is. He's healthy now. We can't lose him now."
"We're not going to lose him," Ashleigh said, unconsciously starting to rock back and forth, getting Josie to quiet. "I know you love Warrior. And just by looking at him I know he loves you," Ashleigh smiled. "I'm so proud of you for what you accomplished with him. No one thought he had a chance, but you did."
"You did too," Josie reminded Ashleigh.
"Yes," Ashleigh said. "But he got better because of you."
Josie sighed and was silent, leaning her head against Ashleigh's shoulder as she watched Warrior's small black body against the bright chestnut of his dam. He was so special. They couldn't lose him now. Not now.
The farm was crazy with the waiting. Everything felt shut down to Josie as she went through her chores mechanically, wandering in and out of stalls, washing buckets thoroughly before using them. Fear had crept into every corner. Within a day everything could be gone.
Josie stood outside of Wonder's stall, looking in on the pair. Warrior was jumping out of his skin, itching to go outside. Josie couldn't let him. All horses were in quarantine, including the foals. There was to be no contact. Everyone was to wash their hands after handling the horses, and Josie curled hers up into fists. She couldn't stand the waiting.
"Hey, boy," she said, reaching into the stall and rubbing his bushy black mane. She felt the tears coming to her eyes again as she watched the colt prance in place, eager to go out. She couldn't let him.
"No going out until we hear the official word," Josie said, hating that she had to say it. She wanted to take him out and watching him run over the emerald grass. He had a perfect stride, the perfect legs. Even as a premature foal, he had grown by leaps and bounds. He would make a beautiful race horse.
"You're going to get through this," Josie said hoarsely, slipping into the stall and sitting down, watching Wonder nuzzle her baby. The mare let out a sigh, as though she knew everything would be alright with Josie there. After the weeks of nursing Warrior to health, sitting in the same stall with the foal with Wonder kept away to look over a low partition, the mare had grown accustomed to Josie's presence. The three of them were almost a nuclear unit. Josie had slept next to Warrior, getting up periodically with Ashleigh to feed him and make sure all the IV's were in place. Then the foal had looked more like automation than a living creature. Josie had helped with physical therapy, making sure the colt's legs didn't atrophy as he laid curled up in the straw. Things had progressed slowly to the point where the foal could stand up on his own, nearly a month after being born.
Josie had called him "Warrior" because the colt had never given up. He fought back and won.
"Hey, Jo," she heard Cindy above the stall door. She looked up and nodded to her cousin.
"Hi, Cin," she said, turning away. Cindy hadn't been on her good side since she had arrived at Whitebrook, but she pushed that away. "Tell me, is there always this much tragedy at Whitebrook?"
"Tragedy?" Cindy asked, as though confused by the question. "No. You just came along in a particularly bad year."
They were quiet for a minute as they both watched Warrior settle into the bedding, as though tired of attempting to get out of the stall.
"He looks strong," Cindy commented. "Can I come in?"
"Have you washed your hands?" Josie asked.
Cindy nodded and came in, sinking into the bedding next to Josie.
They were quiet.
"I think Storm has E.I.A."
"Don't say that," Josie said firmly. "He doesn't."
"I think he does," Cindy repeated.
Josie was silent, not confirming anything. They all knew the colt had come down with a cold. Symptoms could be from anything, but no one was willing to call it E.I.A yet.
"He's fine," Josie said, taking Cindy's stance from the other day. Cindy had been a badger about it, angry that Storm was even being tested. To her it was impossible, just like for Warrior it was impossible.
"I'm going to lose him," Cindy said, suddenly starting to cry. "I just have a feeling about it."
"You're not going to lose him," Josie said softly. "He's going to be alright."
"You're wrong," Cindy shook her head, tears running down her face. "He's only getting worse. Dr. Smith suggested moving him out of the training barn this morning."
Josie was quiet.
"This isn't fair," Cindy went on. "It just isn't fair. This can't happen to Storm."
"It's all a precaution," Josie found herself repeating words she had heard earlier. She couldn't remember from whom. "No one is sick."
"You're wrong, Jo," Cindy said, getting up and leaving the stall, wiping at her eyes. "You're wrong."
Days had passed. Weeks had slipped away, and months. A whole season had changed. Warrior was in a new barn, massed together with other young horses ready to be discovered. It was large and spacious, smelling of hay and horses. It looked forward to the future, and Josie loved it.
She walked down the clean concrete aisle, running her right hand over the polished oak stalls and the bronze nameplates as she swung a leather lead from her left. She stopped when she met a pitch black muzzle and eyes to match.
"Ready for your walk?" Josie asked, looking at the tall weanling, who shoved his head at her enthusiastically. Josie rubbed a hand over Warrior's developing neck, seeing the fine lines that would some day produce a champion form. She led the colt out into the aisle and clipped on his leather lead, watching as the jet black colt pranced and swished his tail back and forth. With a quick rear of excitement, he followed Josie out of the barn and pranced into the summer sunlight.
Wonder's Warrior was a sight to behold. Black as night, resistant to the sun. He seemed to glow blue-black in the light and smolder in the shade.
"Insane thing," Josie laughed, watching Warrior dance up the trail by her side.
Josie walked with him, humming as the colt pricked his ears at her, listening to the tune. The hot summer sun beating down on them both, slowly bleaching Josie's ash blond hair.
They walked down the hills, under the trees that filtered the sunlight, casting odd shadows on Warrior's body as they walked. They ambled by the paddocks, Warrior trumpeting to the weanling fillies as they went by, kicking his heels as he watched them form a mass and gallop. Josie smiled, putting a hand on the colt's strong neck as they went past.
She slowed when the trail degenerated to grass, rising up the slopping glade. When she saw a figure in the middle of the uncut grass she stopped Warrior, the black colt coming to a rolling halt. Cindy sat, working with a metal spade as she dug in the rich soil. Josie watched her pick up a few annuals and carefully arrange them in the shallow trench she had made, covering their roots and pressing.
"Typically you plant earlier in the year," Josie told her, walking up with Warrior.
"The other ones didn't like direct sunlight," Cindy shrugged. "I should have read the cards better."
"They're nice," Josie commented, holding Warrior away from them so the colt wouldn't trample the delicate stems.
"Thanks," Cindy said, sitting back and looking at the small marker in the ground. Josie scanned the granite stone silently.
"Storm's Ransom. 1997-2000."
Josie looked at the small blue flowers Cindy had planted, watching them sway in the hot breeze. There were other flowers in the small cemetery, wild and free. Queen Anne's Lace, Blackberry Lilly, Ironweed, Mistflower, all growing up out of the grass.
"I'm sorry about Storm," Josie said, although she had said it before.
"You don't have to be," Cindy said, starting to get her things together.
"But I am," Josie said. "He shouldn't have had to be the one."
"I loved him," Cindy said, getting up. "I'll never forget him." She looked over at Josie and Warrior. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Josie said, putting a hand on Warrior's chest as he started to mill next to her. She looked at the grave for a minute, feeling the heat rising from the live body of Warrior. She curled her fingers on the colt's shoulder, pressing softly. He was real. He was alive and before her, the warrior she had named him after.
"I'm headed back," Cindy said, picking up her spade and empty cartons. "Coming?"
"Yeah," Josie said, turning Warrior and walking back down to the farm. They walked in silence, Warrior kicking up dust from the gravel and snorting softly at nothing. When they entered the barn, neither said a word. Warrior danced between them, his hooves beating out a soft song.