The Color of Courage. Patricia Davids

and then I’m ready.”

      Half an hour later, they pulled up to the large, white stone buildings on the outskirts of the college campus that comprised the veterinary teaching hospital. Signs at the entrance to the driveway directed them to the Large Animal Clinic at the back of the building. Lindsey’s pain pills were making her woozy, but she tried to hide it. She suspected that the Captain would drive her straight home if she showed any sign of weakness. Inside the building, they found the waiting area. The long, narrow room had panels of fluorescent lights across the ceiling that seemed to glare back painfully into her eyes from the shiny, beige linoleum floor.

      The far end of the room was taken up by a wide reception desk where a pretty, young blond woman was talking on the phone. An American flag stood proudly displayed near the front of the desk. Lee and Shane were seated on the one of several mauve utilitarian chairs with bare wooden arms that lined the walls. They both rose and saluted when they caught sight of their captain. They were all still dressed in their exhibition uniforms and they were gathering odd looks from the staff and clients waiting with them.

      Captain Watson returned the salute. “Any word yet?”

      “No, sir. The doc hasn’t been out to talk to us.”

      “That doesn’t sound good.” Lindsey settled gingerly on the couch but still took a quick, indrawn hiss as pain shot through her arm and shoulder. For a second, the room spun wildly and she grabbed hold of Shane’s arm.

      “Easy, kid. Are you sure you’re okay?”

      “The pain medicine they gave me is making me light-headed, that’s all.”

      When the room stopped spinning, she looked up to see the vet from the stadium crossing the room toward them. His thick blond hair was still mussed, but he had traded his sport jacket for a white lab coat.

      He stopped in front of the group, but his gaze rested on her. Frowning, he said, “I’m surprised to see you here. How’s your arm?”

      The unrelenting, throbbing pain was almost unbearable. “It’s broken,” she snapped. “I want to hear about my horse.”

      Shane laid a hand on her good shoulder. “Lindsey, this is Dr. Brian Cutter. He’s been looking after Dakota. Doctor, this is Sergeant Lindsey Mandel. I don’t think you two managed introductions with all that happened earlier.”

      Lindsey realized that she must have sounded rude. The fiery agony in her arm wasn’t helping her disposition. She rose to her feet and was pleased when she stayed upright. “I’m sorry, Doctor. I’m just really worried about Dakota. How is he?”

      “He has a fracture of the plantar proximal eminences of the second phalanx.”

      Lee glanced around the group, then said, “Do you want to try that again in English for those of us who are new to all this horsey stuff?”

      Dr. Cutter looked confused by Lee’s statement. “I assumed you are all expert horsemen.”

      Captain Watson smiled in amusement. “My soldiers come from the ranks of ordinary units assigned to Fort Riley either as volunteers or as transfers. No previous riding skill is required. The men receive instruction from manuals used by Civil War cavalrymen. Private Gillis has only been with us a few weeks.”

      Lee grinned. “I’d never ridden a horse before then, so I still have a lot to learn.”

      Dr. Cutter managed a thin smile. “I see. All right, the animal has a fracture in one of the bones in the pastern joint between his ankle and his hoof.”

      If Lindsey hadn’t been so upset herself, the look of horror on Lee’s face might have been comical when he said, “They shoot horses for that, don’t they?”

      Dr. Cutter frowned sharply. “We are long past the days of shooting horses here. If an animal does have to be euthanized, we use humane methods.”

      Lindsey sank onto the chair’s edge before her legs gave out and tried to gather her scattered thoughts. “What can be done for him?”

      “You have several options but the best one is surgical arthrodesis. That means we fuse the joint using special pins and a bone graft from his hip. His recovery should take about four months.”

      Lindsey bit her lower lip. Dakota wasn’t going to Washington, D.C. It was so unfair. Why had God given her a chance to do something special for her brother only to snatch it away?

      Dr. Cutter raked a hand through his hair, giving Lindsey a clue as to why it looked unkempt. “Actually, I am hoping to begin trials of a new procedure using an experimental gene therapy that will speed healing, and this type of fracture is exactly the type I’m looking to study. Unfortunately, I haven’t received grant approval yet.”

      The captain asked, “Will Dakota be able to return to duty?”

      “A horse can lead a normal life after a fusion. Some horses have even returned to being successful athletes. There are, of course, risks involved, as with any surgery.”

      Lindsey studied his face, hoping to see some encouragement, but there wasn’t any. “What are our other options?”

      “We can try and cast the injury. You will need to keep him confined to a stall to rest the leg and hope for the best. He’s a calm fellow, so he may do well, but the recovery time will be much longer. The only other choice is to have him put down.”

      Captain Watson crossed his arms over his chest. “What will the surgery cost?”

      Dr. Cutter’s scowl turned into a look of sorrow. He said gently, “Around fifteen thousand dollars, depending on how well he does. Complications can raise the cost considerably. The clinic typically asks for half of the payment up front.”

      “That much?”

      “Or more.”

      Lindsey’s heart sank at the expression on her captain’s face. She knew even before he spoke what he was going to say.

      “I’m afraid the unit doesn’t have a budget to cover a medical bill like that. We are just scraping by as it is.”

      “The costs for the cast and follow-up will be much less than the surgery. Is that the treatment you want us to use?”

      Quickly, she said, “Couldn’t we at least try to requisition the money?”

      “Of course I will, but with the budget cuts we’ve had, I doubt command is going to give up that kind of money for a horse. I’m sorry, Sergeant, I know how much he means to you. Can he be transported back to the base, Doctor?”

      “I’ll need to keep him here for several weeks to make sure the cast doesn’t need any adjustments and monitor his condition. After that, I’m sure the base vet can manage his care. We’ll need follow up X-rays to make sure the leg is healing, but those can be done at your stable.”

      Captain Watson held out his hand. “Thank you, Dr. Cutter. We’ll leave Dakota here until you think it’s safe to move him.”

      Brian shook the offered hand. “Our equine services here at the Veterinarian Medical Teaching Hospital are among the finest in the world.”

      It was his standard line when clients were worried about leaving their animals, but this time he was the one who was worried. The young woman was so pale he thought she might pass out at any moment. The horse must mean a great deal to her if she came straight from the hospital in her condition to check on him. Brian knew how much pain a broken bone caused.

      She looked up. “Can I see him?”

      “I’m not sure. You look like you need to lie down.”

      Rising, she faced him with determination blazing in her eyes. “I’m not leaving until I see him.”

      He looked to her captain, but all the man did was shrug and try to hold back a grin. Brian could tell he wasn’t going to get any help from that direction. He shoved one hand into his lab coat pocket and nodded toward