Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Romeo

I don't understand what is going on. All the adults look defeated and Juliet his sobbing. I want to grab hold of her and pull her into a hug, but I stand frozen to the stop.

"You already told her to kill him, didn't you?" Juliet spits the words towards her mum.

"Sweetheart, you have to understand we just can't afford more vets bills."

"Romeo, why don't you step out with my and give them some privacy." It is Lou who speaks but I stand still, clutching the rope in my hand.

"You didn't even let the vet look at him before you decided." Juliets voice rises in anger.

"The vet says that if it's colic its going to need treatment and she will have to come out a couple of times. I'm so sorry Jules but I just don't have the money. Even with a payment plan I can't do it and even then, there is no guarantee he will make it."

"So, you just murder him?"

"Jules, you have to be reasonable." Tears are rolling down her mums face now.

I feel like I should leave but I can't. It sounds stupid but somewhere in the last half hour walking this horse around we have bonded. I can't let him, be put down but I don't know what I can do either.

A crowd has gathered outside the gates, and I see my aunt arrive at the back of the others. My aunt, she has money, or better still she can access my money for me.

"Juliet, grab this rope." I turn to the vet. "Please can you just look at him and decide if he can be treated. Please just give me a few minutes."

I hand the rope to Juliet and run to my aunt. I don't give her time to react as I grab her hand and pull her away from the others.

"The money my mum left me. It's mine to spend as I like right?"

"Well, yes. I mean technically it's in a trust for you but I can access it for anything you need. Why?"

"I want to buy a horse.!"

"What? What horse?"

"That horse. Billy."

"You want to buy a dying horse? I'm sorry but I can't let you do that, and I seriously doubt Juliet would agree to it."

"She will. Please trust me. He isn't going to die, not if you let me buy him. I can pay the vet's bill. You know I can afford it. It will barely make a dent in what I have been left and I can get a job to pay it back and cover the stabling costs. Please Aunt Georgia, I need to do this I can't explain it, but there isn't any time."

"You're not touching your money. I will pay and we will work out the other details later."

"You're the best." I grab her and pulling her in for a quick hug. I plant a kiss on her cheek, before running back to the arena.

I get back to see Juliet crying, tears streak her face, and she is clinging onto Billy's headcollar like her life depended on it. I turn to the vet first.

"Is it colic? What treatment does he need?" I try to hide the tremble in my voice. I need to stay calm.

"It doesn't matter. I know you don't understand these things and it seems like I am being cruel but it's better this way. Better to get it over with." It is Juliet's mum that answers me.

"Please just tell me what is wrong with him and what he needs." I know a slight bit of anger enters my voice, but I fight to control it. I know what it is like to lose someone before their time. It might be a horse, but Juliet doesn't deserve to feel that pain. I don't want her too.

"It's impaction colic. I would need to give him several litres of fluids, then possibly repeat it in a few hours. I can't promise he will get through it. I would have to come out at least two or three times to him. Realistically, they are looking at seven hundred pounds minimum. I know it seems cruel, but people have to make hard choices sometimes. At the minute more and more people are having to make these decisions." The vet speaks softly, I can tell she is torn herself. I doubt she thought when she was doing her training that she would be putting animals down because of the price tag.

"Juliet, how would you feel about my buying Billy?" I don't look at her as I ask.

"What are you talking about?"

"Right now, how much would it be for me to buy Billy from you? Please trust me."

"You can't buy him. You're just being stupid and making this harder for her." Juliet's mum's voice is harder this time.

"It's Juliet's horse. This is between me and her." I stand in front of her, I want to reach out and touch her so badly but that is for later not for now. Not while she is this vulnerable. "Tell me. How much for me to buy him from you right now? Trust me."

"Ten pounds. Ten pounds and he is yours."

"Juliet you can't do this. Georgia, will you please talk some sense into your nephew."

I hadn't heard my aunt come up behind me but when I look over my shoulder she is stood there with her purse in her hand. Pulling out a ten pound note she passes it to me.

"I think you need this."

"Thanks." I take it from her and turn to Juliet. "Here you need this, then we are agreed Billy is mine. Lou you are a witness and have the passport thing? You are okay with Billy staying here?"

Juliet reached out and took the note from my hand, our fingers touched and the spark I felt before was there again. If anything, it was stronger this time.

"I have no idea what is going on here but yes I have the passport and I am a witness to Juliet selling the horse to you."

"I want you to do whatever you can for the horse, and it will go on my account including the call out charge for this visit." My aunt was talking to the vet.

Juliet looked into my eyes and mouthed ‘thank you'. I smiled at her, but it was brief as the vet began talking about what was about to happen.

"I need to grab some things from my car then we will need to give him IV fluids. I think it's impaction colic, I know you were careful Juliet, so please, know this can happen no matter what." The vet turns and walks away.

"I have no idea what is going on here, but you want the vet bills fine. Georgia, I thought better of you than to get a girl's hopes up like this. Juliet come on let's go home. It's not your horse anymore. You can ride mine for now, I have no idea how I am going to explain to your granddad that you sold it for a tenner." Juliet's mum starts to walk towards the arena entrance.

"I'm staying to help. And Billy is not an it! Yes, I sold him for a tenner, but it's not about the money. I want him to have a chance to live. Why did you want him dead so badly? What did he do to you that you don't even want to give him a chance?"

"I think this is something we should talk about at home. I don't want him dead, but you know our situation I don't have the money to throw at a horse that might not live. Unlike some people I can't spend money on whatever I want!" She glares at Aunt Georgia as she speaks.

"It's my money that I am spending not my aunts." I turn to face her. "My mum left me money and she wasn't rich, she worked hard to support us until she got ill. My mum tried everything she could to stay with me. She always told me that until you give up there is always a chance. Well, this boy here isn't ready to give up yet and I won't give up on him. Life's too precious to just quit. And you're right he might not make it, just like my mum, but while he is fighting, I will fight right next to him."

"I know you lost your mum, and I'm sorry you had to go through that, but this is a horse, it's different." Her voice falters as if she doesn't believe her own words. "Juliet, I have to go to work soon I won't be able to pick you up if you don't come home now."

"I'll drop her off home later. Despite what you think I do understand having to make tough choices, but this boy watched his mum die, there was nothing he could do. If this horse has a chance, and he feels this strongly about it, then I won't stand in the way."

Aunt Georgia places her hand on my shoulder. It feels good to know she has my back, I knew it already really, but sometimes we all just need to hear it. Juliets mum looks at us both and I can see tears building in her eyes. Damn, if this carries on, we'll all be crying. All this time Billy has been stood patiently but he chooses this minute to drop to the floor and roll again. He has impeccable timing. The tension in the room breaks immediately and we are all reminding why we are here.

Juliet immediately pulls on the lead rope getting Billy back up and starts walking him away. He seems to be sweating even more now, and although I have no idea whatsoever about horses, even I know, this can't be a god sign. The vet comes rushing back in carrying a bucket, a coil of tubing and a bag.

"Right. You two are going to have to help me here. Juliet, you know the horse best, I want you to come and hold his head. I need to feel this tube up his nose then, you…" She stops and looks at me.

"Romeo, I'm called Romeo, I'm Georgia's nephew."

"The last bit I knew. I'm Jenny, the vet, if you are really Billy's new owner then I'm sure I'll get to know you. Though Romeo? Juliet? A pair of star-crossed lovers, damn you couldn't make this up. You will need to help hold up these bags of fluid while we get them into him, okay?"

"Whatever it takes." And, exchanging a glance with Juliet, I realise I don't just mean the horse.