Greener Pastures - Alyssa Brugman [42]
'Such a good boy,' she said, patting his face in long strokes.
The vet slid the first syringe into Chance's neck. She pushed the plunger down quickly. Leaving the needle in place she swiftly inserted the next syringe and the next, pushing the plungers down fast.
Chance's ears shot up. His eyes cleared just for a second, as though he had spotted something in the distance, and then his head flopped down and he was dead.
23 A Dumb Design
'Can you take Chance's bridle off, Shelby?' Miranda asked.
Shelby undid as many of the buckles as she could and slid the leather straps out from under his cheek. She reached over his front legs and undid the girth too. Then she moved away, leaving Lydia with her lifeless pony.
Miranda received another call and had to leave. Shelby thought she saw the vet wipe her eyes when she sat in her car, but she couldn't tell for sure.
Lydia lay on the road with her head on Chance's belly. She had stopped crying for now, instead she just stared. Shelby's dad led his daughter out of earshot, to where Aunty Jenny was standing.
'I assumed that Lydia is happy for them to take him away. It's not the sort of pet you bury in your backyard.'
Some of the workers came out of their mechanic shop and stood on their driveway watching, but they stayed respectfully hushed. Shelby was glad it was such a quiet street. So far no cars had tried to drive around them. Every now and then a car would drive along the cross street. Shelby could see the drivers rubbernecking, but Lydia hadn't noticed.
'I don't think we can leave Chance here on his own,' her dad continued, 'but when I talked to Brenda Edel she said that Lydia might not want to see them collect him. She said it's not very dignified. What do you think we should do?'
Shelby could picture in her mind how it would happen. She sniffed and rubbed her face, which was sore from crying. 'How about when the truck turns up I walk her home? She only lives at the other end of this street, around the bend. And then you can pick me up from her place after they have finished.'
'Good plan,' her dad replied.
'Would you like me to come with you?' Aunty Jenny asked.
Shelby shook her head. 'It's probably best if it's just me. You'll need to take off his saddle when . . .' Shelby took a deep breath. 'When they lift him up.'
They both looked over at where Lydia lay forlornly draped over her pony. Shelby imagined how she would feel if it were Blue and her chest hurt. 'I might leave her just for the minute,' she whispered. She felt her lip wobble and bit it.
'You have been so brave and clear-headed during this whole thing, Shel. I'm proud of you.'
Shelby gave in to her tears. She wrapped her arms around her father's waist and cried. He stroked her hair and when she pulled away she could see that he was crying too. Aunty Jenny's face was wet with tears as well.
Soon the truck trundled into view. Shelby squatted down next to her friend. 'Lydia, would you like me to walk you home?'
'No, I'm going to stay here,' she replied. Her voice was tight and wavering. 'I don't want them to take him away yet.'
The driver of the truck opened the door. Another man in overalls jumped out of the passenger side. He pulled a lever near the cab and the tray began to tip. The truck made loud warning beeps as it crept backwards along the road. Shelby heard the rattling of chains as they wound down the winch.
'You should probably come with me, because . . . you just should.'
Lydia sat up and took in the truck backing slowly towards them. Her face crumpled and twitched, and she let out a long sigh. She stood up wiping her face. Shelby grabbed the bridle and then the two girls walked side by side down the middle of the road.
Behind them the driver and Shelby's dad worked together to unfold a big green tarpaulin. Shelby could hear it crinkling and flapping in the breeze.
Shelby tried to think