Madison v.s The Travelling Exchange Students

Chapter Eighteen: Up In The Trees

"Do you know if she is okay?"

I sigh into my phone, Sarah waiting in silence for my answer.

"I mean, they are discharging her today so I'm guessing so," I reply.

Sarah inhales sharply. "God this is messed up."

I slowly nod, despite Sarah not being able to see me. Today is not only the day of our Brisbane show, but the day Katy comes home from the hospital. The guilt still eats at me every day and when I walk past the stall where Cobra is being kept, tears come to my eyes. 

I've been giving Sarah daily updates to keep her in the loop of Katy's recovery.

"I know..." I murmur, kicking at the concrete ground with my boot. "Now I have to go to this show and miss Katy coming home."

The door to the tack room opens, causing me to look up from the ground, and out walks Lily. In her grasp are two halters. 

"I better go, Sarah," I say into the phone. "I have to go and get Virgo ready."

"Yeah, okay. Go kick Georgia's arse for me," Sarah replies with a giggle. I can't ignore the slight hint of sadness in her voice.

I hang up as Lily approaches, holding Virgo's halter out to me. She is dressed differently than I am; in jeans and a cropped shirt. I'm in sweats that cover my show clothes. Lily isn't coming with us today, she is staying at the motel for when Katy comes back.

"I am the master of braiding tails, so you better be thanking me now for braiding your horse's tail," Lily smiles up at me. 

"Isn't it, I should be thanking you later?"

"Ha! No. I know I'm going to boss this tail, so start thanking me now," Lily boasts.

She strides away with a blonde hair flip, leaving me slightly bewildered.

"You aren't that good, you know!" I call after her. "Hey don't leave me."

I chase Lily down the stable aisle, my boots making a loud clopping noise as I run. I find it unusual that this stable is so quiet at six am. On a show day back at SEC, the stables would practically be alive. 

Lily and I continue to walk down through the stables towards Virgo's stall. Lily starts to slow as we approach a certain stall. Cobra's stall.  My stomach starts to feel sick like butter is being churned inside of it. 

Lily approaches the stall door, but I hold back. Staring over her shoulder I see Cobra lying on the ground with his legs tucked up under neither him. His neck has a long line of stitches running down it. He has other scraps and stitches covering his body too. One of his legs is bandaged but stale blood still clings to his fur on the other three.

The poor boy can hardly keep his eyes open.

"Katy shouldn't see him like this," Lily murmurs, turning around.

I don't reply; my silence is enough of an answer.

We start walking again. I can feel the sadness radiating off Lily. My sadness for Cobra and Katy is only beaten out by my nerves for the show. Our last show in Queensland then we are heading off to the Northern Territory. This is all getting too real. I'm so far away from home. 

I'm just happy that Elias won't be at the show today. Virgo and I can finally... hold on.

I reach Virgo's stall and as I look inside I notice Virgo isn't there. My eyes dart around the empty stall. Lily joins my side and an audible gasp escapes her lips. Blood is pounding in my ears.