Chapter 42

CHAPTER

42

‘Why today, of all days?’ Rose shook her head.

‘Bree will be disappointed to miss this,’ Mike said.

‘She will. But she’s where she needs to be.’

They were standing outside one of the stalls in Bree’s stable block. Maggie, Anna Prentiss and her assistant were with them, towels and a quite frighteningly large assortment of veterinary equipment on standby. All five were watching Sky as the alpaca moved restlessly around the soft bedding.

‘I think we are about to get the first one,’ Anna said at last. ‘Everything looks fine so far.’

Relief washed over Rose. To her inexperienced eyes, everything had looked far from fine when they’d arrived. Sky had been on her feet, the cria hanging from her birth canal, its head and front legs swaying slightly. Nothing had happened since then and the tension was unbearable.

As if to agree with Anna’s assessment, Sky sniffed the bedding at her feet a couple of times, turned and lowered herself gently to the ground. Anna moved slightly for a better view.

‘Here we go.’

In the blink of an eye, the cria was with them. Almost immediately, Sky turned to sniff it. The baby lay still and Rose held her breath. After what seemed an eternity, the cria moved. Anna opened the stall door just enough to slide into the stall. Quietly and gently, she approached Sky and the baby. She crouched and used one hand to quickly clear the mucus away from the cria’s mouth. The animal’s sides were heaving as it struggled to breathe. To Rose, it seemed the task was almost beyond a creature so long and thin and terribly fragile.

Anna stepped away from Sky and her baby. ‘They like their personal space,’ she explained softly.

Ignoring the humans, Sky continued to nuzzle her baby. The birth sac enveloping the cria began to tear and dark wet wool became visible. Soon the cria was struggling to get its legs under it. Once, twice, three times, it tried to rise. All the time, Sky continued to nuzzle it.

It was wonderful, if a bit scary, to watch. Rose was so engrossed in the tiny creature’s fight to get to its feet, she jumped when Mike spoke beside her.

‘Anna. I think the next one is coming.’

Rose shifted her gaze and saw the bulge that had appeared under Sky’s tail.

‘Okay. Time to get this one on its feet. Shea, a towel please.’

The assistant passed Anna one of the faded, much-washed towels she’d collected from the car. Anna approached the cria again and began gently but firmly rubbing it.

‘This will warm it up and get the blood flowing,’ Shea explained to Rose and Mike. ‘I think Anna wants this one to be on its feet and nursing quickly before Sky delivers the next one.’

Anna put the towel aside and carefully wrapped her arms under the cria. Supporting it under the chest and hind legs, she lifted it and set it on its feet. She kept hold of it as the legs flailed, but finally the tiny hooves found purchase. Anna released her hold and left Sky to push her baby towards her flanks. The cria must have caught the scent of milk, because it thrust its nose under its dam’s belly.

‘It’s feeding,’ Rose whispered.

‘That’s a very good sign,’ Anna said. ‘Do you know if Bree has any small coats? I don’t want it getting cold.’

‘She does,’ said Maggie. ‘Let me get them.’ She went to the tack room and returned a couple of minutes later clutching what looked to be a miniature horse rug.

‘Thanks.’ Anna took it and ensconced the cria in its warmth. When Anna stepped back, the cria tucked its legs under it and more or less fell to the ground to rest from its exertions.

‘Will it survive?’ Rose asked.

‘It’s small and a bit weak and it’ll need a lot of care, but it’s got a very good chance.’ Anna smiled, then her face turned more serious. ‘Now for its twin.’

The bulge under Sky’s tail had become two thin legs with tiny hooves. Anna glanced at her watch as Sky moved around restlessly, turning to look at her hind quarters as if she really didn’t know what was happening. She stopped a couple of times to gently nudge her new baby, but she was beginning to look distressed. The third time Anna glanced at her watch, Rose began to worry.

‘It’s time we stepped in,’ Anna said. ‘The unpacking hasn’t progressed at all for nearly half an hour. That’s too long. Mike, can you get me a halter, please?’

‘Sure.’

‘What are you going to do?’ Rose asked.

‘We should have seen the head by now. It may be in the wrong position. Shea, come in, please.’

Shea joined her boss and together they slipped the halter onto Sky’s head.

‘Hold her still for me, please.’ Anna ran her hand down Sky’s neck and along the top of her back. She stepped closer to Sky’s hindquarters and lifted her tail, then she pulled some rubber gloves out of her back pocket and put them on.

‘Hold her steady now, Shea. Come on, girl, let’s see what’s going wrong, shall we?’

Rose didn’t notice how hard her fingers were clenched on the top of the stable half-door until Mike gently laid his hand over hers. His warm strength beside her gave her courage.

‘She’s got the best care she could have,’ he said softly. ‘Just believe she can do it.’

Rose nodded, then winced as Anna began to insert her gloved hand into Sky’s birth canal. The alpaca started to move forward, but Shea kept a firm hold on her head, placing a hand on Sky’s nose to encourage her to stand still. Anna made a low, breathy sound as she moved to a slightly different position.

‘The head is turned,’ she said. ‘I have to straighten it, if I can.’

Rose held her breath. Anna grunted once, twice, with the effort, then stepped back with a sigh. As she did, the nose and then the head and neck of the cria appeared. Anna immediately cleared the mucus from its mouth, looking closely to see if it was breathing.

‘I can’t give her too much time to finish this,’ she said. She indicated to Shea to release Sky from the halter. ‘Come on, old girl, neither you nor your baby can afford for you to muck around.’

Rose’s heart sank. The chance of two live crias had always been very slim and the possibility of Sky not surviving had always been there, but never more real than right now. How she wished Bree was here.

In the stall, Sky lay down then almost immediately got to her feet again.

Anna caught Shea’s eye. ‘I think we need to intervene.’

Once again, Shea haltered Sky, whose head was drooping. The alpaca looked completely spent.

Anna examined the cria. ‘I think it’s badly positioned. If I can rotate it and change the angle of its shoulders, we might make it.’

Rose couldn’t bear to watch but she couldn’t look away. She couldn’t consider the thought that she might have to text Bree with more terrible news, while, out there somewhere, her granddaughter was helping Matt search for Vicki.

And then it happened. With Anna’s assistance, the cria slid from the birth canal and Anna laid it carefully on the bedding that covered the floor.

‘Pass me another towel.’

With the towel, Anna began to clean the baby. Was it breathing? Rose couldn’t see.

Then the dark wet shape in front of Anna moved. First just the tiniest motion and then its head lifted.

‘That’s it. Come on, little one,’ Anna crooned.

The shape moved again and Sky turned around to welcome the newcomer.

Rose’s heart clenched and the tears she had been holding back began to flow. Mike’s arms went around her and held her tightly. She leaned back into his chest and looked up to see his dark eyes were also glistening with tears.