Remedy

12

Taking Orion up to the manor Dot jumped out of the cart and handed the reins to a nearby nurse. She looked less than pleased, disappearing into the manor it was another several seconds before Dot reappeared with Alice. Their arms were holding tightly onto a load of medical equipment.

Alice was a little hesitant to get into the cart and load up the cases but she did so anyway. Once this was done Alice jumped down and disappeared back into the building. Taking the reins back from the nurse, Dot walked slowly towards the barn.

"Good job," she smiled at Orion, he seemed happy with the recognition and raised his head a little higher. "I'm boosting your ego aren't I?" They soon came to the stable, Fletcher looked at them and let out a varied amount of happy noises to see them again.

Tying Orion up Dot looked quickly at Fletcher. "Come on then," jumping into his cart Fletcher shook his head. Letting the reins lay limp in her hands Dot sighed. Letting him calm down Dot hesitantly tugged on the reins. Fletcher backed off and walked a little quicker than Dot wanted down the same route which Orion and her did moments ago. "All right, slow down, Fletcher. There's no need to rush." Fletcher listened to her and slowed his pace down.

It was a few moments later that the cases in his cart were being filled up. Walking alongside Fletcher back to the stable Dot looked at him. "Well done." Patting his neck she tied him up and took to detaching everything. Dot took to taking off Fletcher's harnesses first, mainly because he seemed to be getting a little agitated. Once he was free of the restraints Dot took everything off of Orion. "Come on you two," taking their reins in hand she led them into the stable. Hearing quiet talking she raised an eyebrow and looked at the two horses. As quietly as possible the three of them walked down the aisle. "You are in here again?" Dot questioned when they had turned the corner and James stood talking to Joey.

He jumped from the sound of her voice and looked at her. "Who are your new friends?"

"Orion and Fletcher." Dot smiled and led them into two separate pens.

"May I ask why it is you who is looking after them?"

"Margaret thought it would be good to have someone 'in our team' who knew horses."

"But no offence, Dorothy, you don't know anything about them."

"I know!" Taking the reins off of Fletcher she reached over the small wall and took Orion's off too. "The way she saw it was, that if I could spend a day with Joey I immediately knew how to look after horses." Shaking her head Dot quickly looked at James. "Little does she know I've only just conquered my hesitation of them."

"Well seeing you now I would never have guessed you had a minor fear of them." James said while leaning against the bar of Fletcher's pen. Dot smiled at his words and looked at him.

"Really?"

"Yes," James took to stroking Orion's head when he leaned over to inspect the Captain. "Do you need help?" He questioned when Dot stood looking at Fletcher confused.

"Yes, please, I don't know anything about horse care. Admittedly Perkins sorted them out earlier on. He's an odd man." James laughed at her words and nodded agreeing with her. "What do we do first?"

"Food, water and a good brush down."

"Right you make it sound so simple."

"It is simple, you're just not used to such a task." James shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the bar of Joey's pen. Taking off his cap he hung it from a nail which was in the post of the pen and turned back to her.

"Perkins didn't seem to think Fletcher would be of any use only because he's a little jumpy."

"I can see this matter has annoyed you."