At Risk

Chapter 4

I apologize in advance for the content of this chapter as I was very sick when I wrote the bulk of it.

Kendall's Point Of View

I wake to a feirce thumping in my head, the pain spreading in little time as I try and sit up.

"Don't Kendall.  Lay back down and I'll go get your mother so she can re-wrap your head." Nick puts a slight pressure on my collar bone and I lay back down. 

"Nick?  What happened?" I spoke, my voice hoarse.

"Passion reared and you went up with her.  You, however, took the landing and your head hit the cement.  You had to have 8 stitches and you won't be able to do a whole lot for the next couple of days, but I'm staying in the guest bedroom across the hall till you're up and at it again." Nick spoke in a quiet voice.

"Can you get me some ibeprofen?  My head is kiling me." I say, rubbing my temples.

"Yeah, I'll get your mom too." He spoke.

"Wait," I call to him and he spins around in the doorframe. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About 3 days darlin'." my eyes widen.

"Three days?!  You're joking!  Where's Passion?" I sit up, ignoring Nick's earlier protest.

"Yes three days.  Please Kendall, she's safe in the barn, lay back down, you are not ready to be up yet!  Please you're hurting yourself Kendall." His broken voice brought tears to my eyes.

"I need to go work my horse Nick.  I appreciate your concern, but she needs to be ready by fair and we're runnig out of time." I smile and slowly kiss him.

"Can I atleast keep an eye on you while you work her?" he asked as I pull my work boots on and begin to braid my hair back into a braid.

"Yes.  You're always allowed to watch me Nick." I smile and walk out of my room, grabbing my white hat and putting it on as I walk outside, Nick's heavy footsteps can be heard near me.

"Kendall?" I hear my mom choke out.

"She wouldn't listen to me Mrs. Hope.  She insists she needs to go work Passion." Nick explains and I continue toward the barn.  His voice trails off as I finally reach the stalls.  I grab a carrot and feed it to Missy, her loud chomping showing she is pleased.  I put her halter on her and grab her white lunge whip on the way out.  She, a smart horse, follows me without her lead rope to the round pen.  I close the gate as she begins a slow lope around the pen.

"You're feeling chipper aren't ya' Missy?" I speak to the humble Paint.  She, however, just speeds up to a full lope as she settles into a steady pattern.  I lay down my whip and quickly jog behind her.  Waiting till she passes an open fence ring, I fling myself up and over the ring and head off to the barn.  A quick look behind my shoulder convinces me Missy is fine on her own.  As I enter the barn, I hear Passion grunt at me, her obvious dissaproval twords me letting Missy out.

"Get used to it Mare," I tell her, rooting through Prince's tack box to find an old baby blue halter, as the leather one I used earlier was an expensive show halter.

"Where's Missy?" I hear Nick ask as he jogs into the barn.

"The round pen, lunging herself like the good horse Passion will be one day.  Also, is Passion her registered name, or barn name because I hate it.  This mare is anything but passionate."

"No one knows if she's registered, so it's her barn name.  Feel free to change it." He walks into the tack room to get a saddle for Missy.

"You taking Missy out?" I ask as he returns with a newer English saddle.