The Time Giver

July 3rd: Recovery

Zach woke up late, squinting around his room from his cocoon of blankets. He and Kelly had stayed up late watching corny movies, laughing and sipping chicken noodle soup. He felt much better, especially after a night wrapped up in three blankets. He checked his forehead; no fever.

As he walked downstairs, he heard Kelly talking on the phone. "Of course," she was saying, "Vodka is doing great." She smiled briefly at Zach, pointing toward the kitchen where he could smell sausage. Then she turned back to the phone. "No, she's stopped any of that stuff. We cut back a little on her alfalfa intake, but nothing major..."

Zach found an omelette sitting at his usual place, a cup of steaming tea next to it. As he sat down, he used his fork to cut into the eggs. His mouth watered as sausage and onion bits flowed out on cheese lava. He tucked in.

Just as he was wiping up the rest of the cheese with a bit of egg, Kelly strolled in. "Both of us got up late," she laughed, grabbing her mug from the counter. "So I figured it wouldn't be fair to cheat you out of food this morning." She nodded toward the cup by Zach's elbow. "Make sure you drink that. The honey will keep away a sore throat and fever."

He nodded, trying to tell her he would. However, with his mouth entirely full, it came out sounding more like something to do with high veal. Kelly burst into a laughing fit. He took the time to chew and swallow before trying again. "Don't worry, I will." To emphasize his point he took a quick sip. The rich, warm tea made him smile, the sweet tinge of the honey adding to the grin.

"Good," Kelly laughed. "So what are your plans for today?"

Zach paused and looked at her. "...I don't know. I guess I can clean stalls."

She eyed him. "Aren't you going to work with Turner?"

He bit his bottom lip, turning his gaze back down to the table. "I don't know if I can. I got so mad at her, she may be too afraid to listen."

He looked up to see Kelly nodding. "I'm glad you're thinking about this," she commented. "But I think you'll be surprised." She finished her coffee and placed it in the sink, rinsing it.

"Horses are a lot like us," she continued. "We have our good days, and we have our bad ones." She turned to look at him. "You may remember being in grade school, and one day you were nothing but trouble. But the next day, you were a little angel."

Zach snorted, swallowing the rest of his tea before laughing. "I wouldn't say 'angel,' but I think I know what you're talking about."

She smiled. "Foals are the same way. There are days when they don't want to listen to anyone or anything. But then, sometimes, the day after is their best. When you work with them everyday, that tends to be the case." She started for the door, waving Zach to follow. "Rinse your mug out, then come out."

He did so, jogging to catch up to her quick strides. "What did you do with her, after you sent me to the house?"

"I made her finish on a good note." Kelly turned to look at him. "It's better if they don't end after a bad round, just like us. If you leave on good terms, they're more likely to progress, because they want more praise."

By this time, they'd reached Turner's stall. The grulla filly pushed her nose over the door, ears pricked toward the pair. She wasn't rolling her eyes, or acting skittish in any way. When Zach reached up to rub between her eyes, she didn't spook. She acted like nothing was wrong.

"See?" Kelly nudged his shoulder with her's. "Take her out and keep working with her. She'll bounce right back from yesterday."

Zach smiled at Turner, then glanced at Kelly. "Can I clean stalls first, though?"