Wide Open Spaces Part 2
Within Carole's memory, it was shortly after Veronica and Kristi had gone from Pine Hollow to get Veronica's arm X-rayed.
"Well?" Frank had asked Doctor Judy.
"It's a bad fracture." Doctor Judy had answered Frank.
"But you can fix it, right?" Carole had asked Doctor Judy.
"Well, sometimes a horse's bones can be set like a human's," Doctor Judy had replied to Carole. "but Colbalt's fractured his sesamoid and his pastern."
"Which means what?" Frank had asked the veterinarian.
"Well, they're the bones in the fetlock," Judy had answered. "break them and they almost never heal."
"But they might." Carole had suggested.
"It's up to Mister DiAngelo, Carole." Doctor Judy had said.
"What sort of odds are we looking at?" Frank had asked.
"Well, even if by some miracle the bones did heal," Doctor Judy had answered. "he'd always be in pain."
"Your recommendation?" Frank had asked Doctor Barker.
The vet just gave Frank a look of solemnness.
"That's it, then." Frank concluded.
Carole was shocked and angry by this piece of news.
"No!" Carole had exclaimed.
"He won't feel anything, Carole." Doctor Judy said.
"You can't! There has to be something else we can do!" Carole exclaimed, beginning to sob uncontrollably.
"Carole, this is hard enough for Colbalt," Judy said. "he's in a lot of pain, and you're only making it worse."
"You can save him!" Carole sobbed to Doctor Barker.
"Keeping him alive doesn't mean anything if he's going to be in pain, Carole." Max had said.
"Imagine what it would be like for a strong, healthy animal like Colbalt to live out his days standing around in a stall." Elizabeth had told Carole.
"But he'd be alive!" Carole exclaimed, still sobbing.
"A horse like Colbalt," Doctor Judy had said to Carole. "it would break his heart never to be able to run free again."
"What kind of vet are you? You're supposed to save animals not kill them!" Carole had shouted at Doctor Judy.
Carole came out of her memory by the sound of Vanessa's voice.
"That fleabag should just be put out of his misery anyway, put him down Doctor Lenoir-Hanson!" Vanessa shouted.
Katie sobbed all the harder while Carole did what had to be done.
After Carole finished putting Comanche to sleep, she looked at the still upset Cavanaugh girl.