Ten Year Grudge

His eye lashes fluttered open. "Don't move," I commanded, hoping my voice didn't shake.
"I'm fine," he said, sitting up.
"You're bleeding," I pointed out.
"It's just a nick. Head wounds bleed a lot."
"I know, you think this scar just appeared one morning?" I demanded, pointing to my face.
Ace reached his hand up and traced the thin white scar on my face. "Poor bebe," he murmured. "What did that to you?"
"Trial." I found myself almost hypnotized by the caring in his eyes. He seemed almost concerned for me, rather than his own well being when he was the one that was hurt.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," I breathed, not sure exactly what he was talking about.
We were broken apart when Max threw himself between us, whining and licking at the blood dripping down Ace's face.
"Talehga," I gasped, scrambling to my feet and looking around. I couldn't see the horse anywhere. The paddock wasn't that big, so he couldn't be hiding anywhere.
"Did he go through the gate?" Ace asked, standing.
I latched onto that idea and dashed towards the barn. Tribute had abandoned his post at the gate and was off protecting his mares. I flipped on lights as I went, not caring that they took a moment to turn on and I could barely see in the dim light. Talehga was in his stall, holding one front leg completely off the ground, covered in oozing gashes.
"Easy boy," I murmured, slowly grabbing his halter and walking up to him. He was a little spooked, but he let me approach him and slip the halter over his head, one of the parts of his body that appeared unscathed.
Ace came in a moment later, a tack cleaning rag pressed to his nose and the barn phone pressed to his ear. "Yeah I'll see you then. I called the vet," he said as he hung up.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I let the lead hang and checked the gelding's cuts. Some I wouldn't even bother to dress, others looked severe enough to need stitches. But it wasn't the gashes I was worried about; it was the fact that the horse wouldn't put any weight on his injured leg. I looked the horse in the eye and saw the pain he was in. I couldn't swallow past the lump in my throat.
Talehga nudged me. I stroked his graying face. "It's going to be okay boy," I pushed out. I'd only had to put down one horse before: a mare that had hemorrhaged. I had a feeling I was going to have to put down another one tonight.

Three hours later the vet came back into the barn after taking x-rays and an ultrasound.
"It's not good news Niki," she said.
"I wasn't expecting it," I said, steeling myself.
"Whatever happened, it snapped his long pastern. The way it broke, it shoved particles of the bone backwards into the deep flexor tendon which ripped it about partway through." She sighed. "There's no way I can save him Nik, I'm sorry."
I gritted my teeth. "I had a feeling it wasn't an easy fix," I said, ignoring Ace's attempt to catch my eye. I almost broke down right there, but I caught myself. I looked at the big black horse standing, head hanging in his stall. His eyes told me how much pain he was in, but that only made me feel marginally better about the whole thing.
I grabbed his halter and went into the stall with him. I grabbed a peppermint from a stash I had sitting by the crossties and fed it to him. His ears pricked up and he looked a little happier, but I knew it wouldn't last long. I steeled my resolve and slipped the halter over his nose.
"Ace I need you to start digging a hole down under the treeline by the creek," I said, steeling myself for a very long day. "Use the backhoe but try to avoid any big roots."
Vic was walking down the driveway when I slowly led Talegha out. "What happened?" she demanded when she saw the gelding limping.
"Get on the phone with Leah and tell her she'd better get over here and get her horse or I'm shooting him," I said, no hint of teasing in my voice.