The next four days followed the same routine with the exception of Amy driving herself to school when the vehicle was not otherwise needed. Amy paid little or no attention to her classes; instead she kept her eye on the clock. Her teachers had given up reprimanding her and so she sat at the back unbothered. In reality, there was no reason for the teacher to be upset with her; she was doing all her homework.

On Friday, Amy had to go to Heartland directly after school; a potential buyer was going to be coming over to meet Rocky. Rocky had been found wearing a tattered harness, wandering around some particularly rocky terrain near where Teak's Hill and Clairsdale Ridge met. The horse was discovered by Joni who took it onto herself to search for the owners, when none had come forward and after the animal's trust in humans was firmly reestablished, she was ready for a new home.

After establishing a date and time for the Patersons to take Rocky to her new home, Amy realized that she wouldn't have enough time to get back into town to see Ty. He'll understand. She convinced herself, and turned her attention on the horses she would be able to work with in the extra time.

Amy slumped down in the armchair that sat in the corner of the kitchen; she threw her legs over one armrest and leaned back against the other. She stretched and reached for the cordless phone that had been left on the table. I hope he's not sleeping. She thought to herself, noting that the digital clock on the phone's screen said 9:04. She'd just turned the hand set on when she looked up and saw through the kitchen window, a light on in the front stable block. Amy clapped her hand to her pocket and felt the small glass bottle. She'd meant to stop in the front block on her way up from the back barn and turn the feed room's light off when she'd put the bottle away.

Putting the phone down on the chair, she rose with a groan and grabbed her sneakers.

"I forgot a light," Amy called as she headed for the door.

"Alright," She heard both her grandpa and Lou say simultaneously. Lou in her office and their grandpa in the living room.

Amy flicked the main lights on and was greeted by a few dazed snorts from the horses. She took the bottle from her pocket, put it on the bench in the feed room and shut off its light. Emerging from the room her eyes fell on Chester, the broad quarter horse who was taking up residence in the stall across from the feed room. He pawed the ground in his stall before reaching his head back, as if to try and nip at or scratch his stomach. Amy immediately pulled her cell phone from her pocket and entered his stall.

"Heartland," She heard Lou say.

"Lou, its me," Amy said in a rush as she reached Chester's halter, pulling him along with her, walking him around his stall. "I think Chester's colicky again."

"I'll call Scott," Lou answered.

"Just warn him, I think its pretty mild, we can probably wait it out for tonight," Amy said, walking the horse around.

"Alright, do you need anything?" Lou asked.

"I'll be fine." Amy replied.

She hung up, put the phone back in her pocket and continued walking with Chester.

&

Amy was still walking around with Chester at seven the next morning. Scott had come over at 2am and given the gelding almost a gallon of mineral water and after listening to the horse's side, instructed Amy to continue walking him until the colic passed. Amy's legs had begun to feel like lead and her eyelids were drooping, in an attempt to stay awake she had started singing just after Scott had left, but by seven she was starting to run out of songs.

"Oh The Grand old Duke of York he had ten thousand men, he marched them up to the top of the hill, and he marched them down again. When they were up, they were-"

"Amy?"

Amy looked up when she was cut off. Joni was standing in the doorway of the stall.

"How long have you been out here?" Joni demanded, entering the stall and putting a hand on Chester's sweaty side.

"Nine," Amy sighed, turning Chester for another circuit of the stall.

"I can hear abdominal sounds," Joni observed, pressing her ear to his side, following along with Amy's pace. "I think he's over the worst, why don't you got get some sleep."

"I'll be fine," Amy protested, though she really knew she was going to give in and didn't bother to fight it.

Joni didn't say anything but took Amy's place and nudged her gently towards the door.

"Thanks," Amy mumbled sleepily as she retreated towards the house. She made it to the living room and deciding against scaling the stairs to her room, collapsed on the couch, pulling a pillow into her arms and falling asleep before she had even brought it behind her head.

&

Amy woke up at noon and after changing into some clean clothes and drinking a very strong cup of coffee, went out to the yard. She met Joni as the other girl was on her way out of the front block.

"Hey, I was just coming to see if you were up," Joni said, with a small wave. "It's my half day, and I was kind of hoping you wouldn't mind me taking off, I need to do some serious grocery shopping."

"Not at all," Amy shook her head, remembering that she would be on her own that afternoon. "How's Chester?"

"He recovered after about five minutes," Joni said gently. "You must have worked wonders with him." She added the last bit in an obvious attempt to lift her spirits.

"Slow wonders," Amy sighed. "Have fun shopping."

"Will do," Joni said. After quickly rattling off the horses she'd exercised and what other therapies she'd started with some of the horses, Joni retreated to her car.

Amy watched her go, her eyes then sliding to and lingered on Ty's truck that had been parked in the same place all week. She tore her gaze away and after stopping briefly at Chester's stall to see his condition first hand, she went to the back barn to get take Juniper.

Juniper had issues with loading into trailers, but since Joni was gone, Amy's grandpa was running errands and Lou had left for lunch with Scott's mom, Amy decided against attempting to trailer the horse. She instead decided to join up with him.

Joining up was always Amy's favourite part of helping any horse. The pure and raw display of trust when the horse chose to come to her always gave her goose bumps; she had yet to find anything that came close to that feeling.

Juniper had just lowered his head and began making the chewing motions Amy was waiting for, the sign that he was ready to join up, when Amy saw from the corner of her eye, her grandpa's station wagon pull up the drive. She let Juniper do another circuit and a half before she dropped her shoulders and turned forty degrees away from him. Without hesitation the horse approached her and dropping his head, nudged her hand with his nose. Amy chuckled to herself lightly as she turned and rubbed Juniper's face. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the mint that she was certain Juniper was expecting.

Amy looked towards the house where her grandpa was parked and saw him unloading something from the car. She raised her hand briefly then turned back to Juniper, sending him back around the ring again.

This time the join up was much quicker than the previous. Juniper wanted to reunite with Amy and knew what was expected to do it.

When, once again Juniper was with Amy in the centre of the ring, Amy turned towards the gate. She almost literally felt something cold constrict in her chest when her eyes fell on the gate.

"Surprise," Ty said. He was sitting in his wheel chair beside the gate, leaning towards the bars to see through them, his arms resting on the bars.