Wild and Free

Chapter 7

*Two Months Later*

I had gotten Cloud walking *well* on a lead rope, groomed, bathed, and tacked up. I pulled Cloud out of her stall and clipped her into a cross-tie. I went into the tack room and grabbed some brushes and came over to Cloud again. I started to talk to myself about what I was planning.

"Cloud I think I'm gonna ride you." I smiled at the thought.

"Or you know we could do an hour long lunging lesson too." I smirked. No way we are doing that in this heat! I grabbed some tack and put it on Cloud. Once I was finished I led her into a round pen and lunged her for 15 minutes. Once I was done I unclipped the lunge line and led her to a mounting block.

"Ok," I shakily said. "We can do this." I slowly slid into the saddle and sat for a moment. Cloud patiently waited for a cue. I sighed and pushed Cloud into a walk. Cloud lowered her head and plodded in the round pen. I smiled at how calm Cloud was being. I urged her into a trot and started to post. Cloud lifted her head suddenly and flicked her ears back and forth nervously. I had Cloud walk as I looked around. Nothing was there. Cloud bobbed her head and looked around. Dad ran out of the barn Cloud stayed in and yelled my name. Cloud spooked and took off at a fast lope. I tried to slow her down but she started to buck in fear forgetting I was on her. I flung forward and hit the ground, then everything went black.

I woke up in the infirmary with bright lights blinding me. I blinked slowly and looked around. A nurse walked by with a clipboard and stopped at my room.

"Oh! You're awake!" She walked inside and smiled a sickly sweet smile.

"Mmmhmm" I mumbled as I struggled to sit up.

"Here let me help you. From what I heard you took a bad fall off a horse. Well the fall resulted in a broken arm, but thank god it wasn't anything more serious!" She propped me up with some pillows. It was then that I noticed the aqua blue cast on my left arm, shoot.

"Are you hungry?" The nurse backed up a little from the bed.

"A little, is my dad here?" I asked.

"Yes he is, I will tell him to come in and I will get you something to eat." The nurse walked out without my response. I closed my eyes and blew at a loose strand of hair.

"Rebecca?" I opened my eyes and dad walked in uncertainly.

"Hi." I smiled.

"Why were you on that crazy mare?" He asked softly as if I could break if he talked too loudly.

"I trusted her and she trusted me she only spooked because you yelled and ran at her." I said crossing my arms.

"She is wild and always will be." Dad muttered to himself.

"But we were doing good! And she's not as crazy as you may think." I scowled.

"I don't want you on her until you're healed and either Thomas or Drake has ridden her." Dad growled.

"Fine, but let Drake, Cloud knows him." I sighed. At that moment the nurse walked in with a tray with what looked like oatmeal.

"Oh speaking of Drake he is in the waiting room." Dad called as he walked out.

"Tell him he can come in!" I called after him. The nurse set the tray down and walked out. I started to the mush, which by the way was not oatmeal. I swirled the mush with the plastic spoon bored. Drake walked in, his hair was ruffled and it stuck out in places.

"Please bring me real food, this stuff is nasty." I said pointing at the bowl of mush.

"Noted. So what's up?" He sat on the chair next to my bed.

"Well you know the usual, except I'm in a cast." I said waving my arm. I put the tray on the ground and stared at the cast.

"Hey, its not that bad, its like when you sprained your wrist."

"Only, I'm not allowed to ride."

"Shoot."

"I know." I muttered and sunk into the pillows. Drake patted my knee and smiled.

"Please bring me a Subway sandwich or soup for dinner." I said putting an innocent face on.

"Ok, anything else you need your highness?" Drake said in a mocking tone.

"Well, lets see... I could use a foot rub, some magic spell to make me better, a Jamba Juice-"

"Stop there." Drake interrupted me smiling. Drake checked his watch and patted my leg. "I gotta get going." He said starting out the room backwards.

"Bye!" I smiled and sunk into my pillows.

Drake walked away then ran back and peeked into the room. "What type of smoothie would you like?"

"RazzMaTazz" I called smiling. He gave a thumbs up and left. I sighed and looked around the room. This is going to be a boring day.