by Akart, Bobby
After pulling the desks away from the door, Levi led the way in order to calm the horses, who’d crammed themselves into the hallway just outside the choir room. Kristi and Tommy followed, cautioning the others to stay back to avoid getting kicked or trampled.
Kristi was the first to see the horrific carnage within the chapel after the hurricane took a second brutal strike at the country church. Amidst the debris, shards of glass, and twisted aluminum roof panels were many of their horses.
Blood was everywhere and the magnificent animals were in mental and physical agony. What struck Kristi was their screams. Granted, she’d spent her career studying and caring for exotic wildlife, namely from Africa and South America. The closest she’d come to caring for a horse was either at Riverfront Farms or a zebra at the zoo.
She’d learned their behavior, their mannerisms and vocalizations, and what they meant. She’d never, however, heard them scream in agony.
To be sure, modern horsemen claimed horses don’t scream. Kristi was witnessing it firsthand. As her eyes darted around the destroyed chapel, she visualized the mass slaughter of horses on the battlefield in World War I, which had claimed the lives of eight million horses and mules.
What she observed was an absolutely bewildering and terrifying scene of living beings in despair. Their screams were a primal emotion of suffering, dying, or having been mortally wounded to the point of begging for death. Most horsemen will go a lifetime and not hear the shrieks of agony of their beloved animals, thank God.
And then there were the lucky few. The ones who had crammed their way into the hall outside the choir room. Six fortunate souls who were injured, frightened, and therefore dangerous as they shoved one another to come back into the open space of the chapel.
Their wild reaction and attempts to flee made matters worse for both the injured and themselves. Two of them saw an opening in a wall where beautiful stained glass had once allowed colorful light inside at dawn. The first horse to emerge from the hallway bolted for the opening, stumbling over splinters of church pews before trying to hurdle through the window.
She failed, striking the splinters of the window frame with her chest, ripping open the flesh of her chestnut hide.
The second one tried another window on the opposite side of the church. He was older, lanky, and full of confidence. He, too, failed to make the jump. The earsplitting sound of his front legs cracking was sickening to Kristi’s stomach, as she instantly knew what his fate would be.
Sadly, this was what it took to bring her back into the present.
“Grab their reins! We’ve got to calm them down!”
“Stay in the room!” ordered Levi as he wrestled with a particularly agitated stallion that bucked and kicked, narrowly missing Tommy, who was trying to calm the other horses demanding to get past.
“Watch out!” shouted Tommy as one of the mares busted past Levi and the stallion he was trying to control.
The high-spirited horse ran toward Kristi before she could react. It sideswiped her, causing her to spin around as it galloped into what used to be the center aisle of the chapel. Rearing up on her hind legs, she shook her front hooves as if ready to box The Greatest of All Time himself.
She emitted a roar, much like a powerful Arabian stallion might produce when engaged in a fight. It was a deep, throaty, grating sound, different from a whinny. Angry. Threatening. Pissed off.
And then, as if letting out her hostile emotions was all she needed to feel better, she stood stoically in the middle of the church, snorting. It was not gentle, but rather, forceful and emphatic. She was alarmed but not to the point of panic.
Inexplicably, the others reacted to her. Horses were known to exhibit allelomimetic behavior, a kind of mimicry or contagious activity when one horse copies another. If one horse starts running in a field, oftentimes the others will follow. The mare’s sudden acceptance of the situation, and realization that the threat was over, was translated to the others in the hallway, who seemed to calm themselves in unison, much to the relief of their panicked handlers.
Kristi didn’t waste any time enjoying the respite. There was work to do.
“Tommy! Triage!”
“Everyone?”
“Yes, except the kids. And grab our trauma kits!”
Tommy returned to the choir room while Levi slowly led the stallion into the chapel to where Kristi stood with her right hand covering her mouth.
“Good god,” muttered Levi. “Can you do anything?”
“The best we can,” she replied without conviction. She turned to him. “Get Mom and the kids outside with the horses that are still standing. Their wounds are probably superficial, and they can be treated last. I just don’t need them to get startled and make a bad situation much worse.”
“Got it.”
“When they’re secured and settled, I’m gonna need you back inside to help turn these animals over,” added Kristi. She ran her hands over her face and through her hair. “Levi, I just don’t know …” Her voice trailed off as she shook her head in disbelief.
Levi grasped his older sister by the shoulders and then hugged her. He whispered in her ear, “You’ve got this. Focus on the ones you can help first. We’ll get by somehow.”
She broke their hug when the group began to emerge from their hiding space. She took a deep breath and stood a little taller. Kristi turned to her family, whose faces were filled with shock and horror, just as hers had been moments earlier.
“Okay, everybody. Listen up! Here’s what we’re gonna do.”
She pointed to her mother, who had her arms wrapped around Jesse and Rachel. “Please take the kids outside. Eyes straight ahead, you two. Understand?”
“Okay,” the kids replied.
Sarah suggested, “I’ll take Brooke, too. She doesn’t like this anymore than we do.”
As they left the destroyed chapel, Jesse cheated and glanced around. His face flooded with tears as Sarah led them toward the entrance.
Kristi continued handing out instructions. “Chapman, please help Levi take the horses outside and tie them off in the grass. Then I need you both back inside to help.”
Chapman nodded and took the reins of the stallion that had calmed down considerably. The two men walked the horses slowly through the debris, gathering up the reins of the mare that seemed to have a calming effect on the others.
Isabella and Carly led the elderly people toward Kristi. The pastor’s wife was bleeding from her forehead, and a bump had emerged from under her skin. Smiling, Tommy gently pulled the woman’s hair out of her face and took a look.
“We’ll clean this wound up and get you some Advil for the bump,” he began. He turned to Carly. “You have a basic first aid kit, right?”
She nodded. “Better than basic, actually. Mom and I stocked up at Walmart before the power went out. I’ll fetch it.”
“Good, thanks,” said Tommy.
Kristi addressed Isabella. “Do you have any first aid training?”
“Oui, but only a little. Also, I am not squeamish.”
Kristi managed a laugh amidst the groans and snorts from the horses. “That makes you an excellent assistant. Will you work with Tommy?”
Isabella nodded and took the first-aid backpack from Carly as she returned.
“What should I do?” she asked.
“First, take care of the scrape on her head. Then you’re with me,” Kristi replied. “Now, let’s get started. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Chapter 29
Texas, Kentucky
While Carly and Isabella treated the elderly couple, Kristi and Tommy walked methodically through the chapel, clearing fallen debris that prevented some of the horses from standing, their natural inclination even if injured. The wounded toll was extensive and varied.
As a veterinary surgeon, she’d undergone extensive training after graduating from Ohio State in order to become a specialist. Her skills during her internship were exceptional, so when she applied for an
extraordinary waiver to conduct her three-year residency program at a wildlife animal hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, it was granted.
She had been exposed to a wide variety of native wildlife, from large mammals all the way down to small species like the meerkat and mongoose. Exotic animals became her passion and immediately resulted in offers from the finest zoos in America. Landing at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago was a dream job for her, but now, it had been taken away.
As she surveyed the scene within the chapel, her adrenaline spiked as she relished the opportunity to perform her craft and save the lives of these beautiful animals at the same time.
Kristi followed the emergency triage protocols she’d learned while in Africa. Most of the animals brought into the Johannesburg hospital had been attacked by predators—both animal and human.
Chapman and Levi had returned from securing the horses outside, and Carly was now standing just behind Kristi as she made her assessments.
“Guys, I need you to carefully remove any fallen debris from the horses. Be careful that they haven’t been impaled and especially aware of the wounds they have. We don’t want to step on a fragile leg, thinking it’s a two-by-four.”
They arrived at the first horse, which was covered with drywall. While Tommy carefully removed the heavy, rain-soaked sheetrock, Kristi dropped to her knees next to the horse’s head. She began with the mare’s eyes, checking to see if they were dull or sunken.
She spoke to Tommy as she went through her mental checklist. “I know you’ve spent time on a horse farm, but have you ever treated them in a trauma situation?”
“No. I jumped right into the zoological side after school.”
She studied the horse’s sclera and its gums for abnormal color. “Like many animals, the color of a horse’s eyes and their gums are a guide to their condition. This gal seems to have cuts and lacerations together with internal bruising from the crush of debris. If her gum coloring turned very pale pink, almost white, then it might indicate decreased circulation, fever, and, most likely, systemic shock. A grayish to bluish white can be the result of low oxygen levels in the blood or, of course, shock.”
Tommy pulled the last of the debris off the fallen horse, and she attempted to flip herself up.
Kristi hollered for Chapman and Levi. “Guys! Can you give us a hand?”
Kristi continued to explain her methodology. “Horses function better upright, so they naturally want to stand despite their injuries. The decisions you make in a situation like this can significantly impact her survival.
“First, let’s examine her legs for a break. Gently run your fingers down her legs and feel for swelling. Apply a little bit of pressure as you go, to gauge her reaction. If there’s a fracture, she’ll react, trust me.”
Tommy felt the mare’s rear legs while Kristi examined the front. More than half of a horse’s weight was borne on the front legs, so under normal circumstances, those bones and joints were more susceptible to breaking. However, this horse had been crushed by a soggy ceiling, so fractures and shattered bones were possible on both ends.
“I think she’s good back here,” announced Tommy.
“Same,” added Kristi. She turned to the guys. “Let’s see if she can get up on her own. All I need you to do is steady her once she’s on her feet. There’s no room to roll her like we would if we were in a pasture, and there’s no way to lift her without a Bobcat or something. So stand back and be ready to give her encouragement once she’s up.”
She patted the mare on the side of the head and whispered in her ear. Seconds later, the mare shifted her weight and pushed herself upright. Her knees seemed to buckle, and then she adjusted her footing to avoid the debris around her hooves.
“All right, good job, girl,” said Levi, who knew these horses better than anyone.
“Tommy, let’s check her quickly for open wounds or lacerations. Since she can stand on her own, we’ll get her to safety and check her vitals later.”
After they quickly examined her, Kristi gave Levi a thumbs-up.
“I’ll take her out,” offered Levi.
“Okay, but keep her separate from the others, maybe on the opposite side of the building. I want her to calm her nerves. Also, pull a horse blanket out of the wagon to cover her. That’ll help.”
Levi hesitated and then glanced at Chapman. “Um, about that. The wagon with the horse blankets is gone.”
“What?” asked Kristi.
“Yeah, well, at least most of it. We can see the frame and part of the canvas up the hill. Some blankets might be in there.”
“Later,” said Kristi. “Come back after you tie her off.”
Chapman addressed his sister. “There’s one over here with two broken front legs.”
“How do you know?” she asked.
“Trust me, they’re broken.”
Isabella, who’d wandered off while the mare was being examined, added, “There is another horse with a broken rear leg. It is next to the wall. It tries to stand, but cannot.”
Kristi closed her eyes and shook her head. “We don’t have any barbiturates, do we?”
Under the vast majority of circumstances, a broken leg was the kiss of death for a horse. Most fractures, even less complicated ones like a clean break, were difficult to repair, much less rehabilitate. Unlike smaller domestic animals like dogs, horses can’t live with three legs because of their weight and the effect it has on their other hooves.
When leg fractures occur, veterinarian-assisted euthanasia methods often involve a cocktail including sodium pentobarbital.
“No, we don’t. I’ve got KCI, but it needs to be administered with anesthesia.” KCI, the chemical abbreviation for potassium chloride, was used to treat potassium deficiencies in animals, usually via injection. By purposefully creating an overdose while the animal is under anesthesia, cardiac arrest occurs and eventually death.
Without the proper drugs to induce euthanasia, in a catastrophic situation like this one, there were conditionally acceptable methods of euthanasia that dated back hundreds of years, including the one used most often in the movies.
Kristi sighed and then viewed the chapel in search of her next patient. “Tommy, please confirm the breaks on the other two horses. Take Isabella with you. Carly, you’re with me.”
She moved through the debris as Chapman hustled ahead to clear a path. When they arrived at the next victim, the injury was readily apparent. A torn piece of galvanized roofing was protruding from the horse’s side. Chapman slowly pulled away parts of a church pew and brushed off pieces of stained glass that littered the mare’s body.
Kristi just shook her head and calmly turned to Carly, who was carrying both the first aid kit she’d created with Sarah and one of the veterinarian trauma kits brought by Kristi.
“Get us both a pair of sterile gloves. I’m gonna need an extra set of hands on this.”
Chapter 30
Texas, Kentucky
Kristi opened her trauma kit and retrieved a scalpel and surgical scissors. Next, she set out a variety of wound-cleansing options, including bottles of saline solution, hydrogen peroxide, and Betadine. Lastly, she turned to Carly and accepted the sterile gloves.
“Before you put on your gloves, let me ask you something. Levi brought a duffle bag of extra parts for the horses’ harnesses and reins. Do you happen to know if you guys have a twitch?”
Carly nodded, but was hesitant in her answer. “We do, but I don’t know if we’ve ever used it.”
“Go find it ’cause we’re gonna need it.”
Carly immediately retreated to the choir room, where most of their gear and duffle bags were stored during the storm. While she was gone, Kristi laid out what she’d need to help the injured horse. Chapman finished clearing the area of debris and knelt on the other side of the horse, ready to help.
“What’s a twitch?” he finally asked while they waited for Carly to return.
Without looking up while she prepared for the extraction of
the metal, she explained, “Our trauma kits are fairly simplistic because we didn’t venture out of the zoo. We could perform certain emergency functions on the animals in their cages, but anything that required the use of veterinary medications was strictly controlled by zoo regulations and was generally administered in our small surgical center. Of course, we could send for what we needed in an emergency, but we weren’t allowed to carry common injectables like anesthesia per zoo policy.”
“Okay,” said Chapman, stretching out the word to indicate he didn’t get the correlation. “That seems kinda restrictive.”
Kristi smiled as she recognized the dumbfounded look on her younger brother. “Yeah, years ago, before my time, a zoologist was siphoning off medications to be sold on the black market. They overreacted and cracked down, affecting the rest of us. Anyway, without anesthesia, local or otherwise, this animal isn’t gonna sit still while I carve into her flesh to remove this roof panel. A twitch is a device that is used to restrain and calm horses during stressful situations.”
“You mean like surgeries with no anesthesia?” asked Chapman jokingly.
“You bet. There are a couple of types, but I hope Levi has the most common, which is a nose twitch. Here’s what they do. When properly attached to the horse’s nose, the twitch calms the horse by releasing endorphins as the pressure is continuously applied. It reduces their stress levels and supposedly their pain, which, as you can tell, they have a fairly high tolerance of. Frankly, I like it better than the mild injectable we have in our kits.”
Carly hustled back to their side. “Got it!”
“Great,” said Kristi, who then turned her attention to Chapman. “You, mister weather chaser, are going to be the twitch man.”
“What if she bites me?”
“She won’t as long as you do your job properly,” said Kristi. “Now, get over here ’cause I need to stop this bleeding, and it’ll take three to five minutes for the endorphins to kick in.”