Um. So. Warning. You may not want to be eating?

Awful food related joke ahead.

Elizabeth warned you all.

Danny stared, terror swelling up within him.

He had finally started becoming comfortable in getting cows ready and then something went wrong. Was this...normal? No. He'd gotten more than a fair few ready and this had never happened.

"Uuum. Elizabeth?"

Somehow, it was easier to ask her rather than possible laughter at him being silly with the younger ones or admit to Dale he messed up a cow.

Even if she did tend to tease like any of her siblings at him 'being a town kid'. It wasn't meant to be anything against him. Just a fact that apparently amused them when moments popped up.

Town kid. It still felt slightly insulting. Even if now it was more Danny feeling his face heat up and getting defensive.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"When I went to give a couple squirts after cleaning them off, like usual, and, um... It came out chunky?"

Her face cleared. "Oh. Oh, you're fine. She's just got mastitis. I'll let Dad know so he can treat her for it."

That didn't sound so bad. Like it was relatively normal and not his fault. Danny's shoulders relaxed, standing up from getting the cow ready, so he could toss the used rags. Unable to stop himself, he glanced back at the chunky weirdness on the ground underneath the cow. It looked so...weird and wrong.

"Mastitis?"

"Infection. Either she accidentally kicked her udder or wasn't milked properly."

"Like what you were reminding Matt about in putting on and taking off the milkers?"

"Exactly."

Too much air in the pipeline, timing of when they came off or this happened... He stared at the stringy watery chunky stuff on the ground. Yeah. Tonight's earlier offer to put on a milker? Nope. Danny was good with sticking to getting the cows ready when coming out to help milk and keep himself busy.

"Which one?"

Several stalls down, Dale didn't even make it to the cow in question before he answered his own question.

"Looks like 274 again. Bit of a shock for you, wasn't it Danny?"

"Uh, yeah."

The man's mouth quirked up.

Like Elizabeth did, whenever she was amused by something or by something she was about to say.

The frantic shaking of her head was hard to miss as Dale opened his mouth to continue.

Danny stared, fresh terror swooping down into his gut, unable to speak or move before Dale's cheerful words clarified into understanding.

"Well now you know how cottage cheese is made."

And Dale, twinkle in his eye, broke into a chuckle, walking back to another cow, back to work. With a slight bounce to his step. Proud head up high.

"Daaad! Why? Why? It's a terrible joke! It's not even funny!"

"We've even got some in the house if you want some after milking, Danny!" The man merrily called out the suggestion as he removed a milker.

No.

Nope.

Uh-uh.

Feet frozen on the ground, Danny swore he could feel all color leave his face as he stared at the man, who was so plainly pleased with himself for delivering what had to be the absolute worst and most terrible thing Danny had come across in his life.

That connection was now in his head!

"Danny? You okay? I'm sorry. He thinks it's funny. Or the reactions from-"

"Never. Eating. Cottage cheese. Ever again!"

"...sorry."

"It's too late for that!"