WATTYS 2019
Emily Martin, your typical seventeen-year-old girl. well, kind of. For the past fourteen years, she's been living with her aunt, Hannah, who just happens to breed and train some of Florida's finest horses. Emily's life had always been lo...
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"Leo!"
His voice escapes my lips before I even know what's happening. Molly and I both scramble over the fence and rush to his side.
"Leo, come on dude," Molly said softly as we crouched down next to him. He was barely conscious, but I knew he was alive because a soft groan escaped his lips.
"Someone call an ambulance!" I shouted, finding his hand. I held onto it, taking in the details. His helmet was shattered and there was blood dripping from his nose, bruising starting to appear.
"Try not to move him," I instructed Molly. "We don't want to disrupt anything."
She nodded and sat back on her heels, wiping tears from her face.
"Leo, oh my god," we heard his mom exclaim. I looked up and saw her and Hannah running to us. "What happened?!"
"I-I don't know, it happened so quickly," I said as my emotions started to reach me. I got that burning sensation in the back of my throat and found it hard to form words.
"Vegas stumbled going over the first jump in the combo," she choked out. "Leo got thrown into the second jump hard."
"Make sure Vegas is okay," I looked up at Hannah. She nodded and headed over to the person who had caught him.
The three of us stayed with Leo. We could hear sirens getting closer and closer, but we didn't dare leave him alone. I glanced over at Hannah who was now leading a very injured Vegas back to the trailer. He was very lame on both of his front legs. That couldn't be good.
"Hannah!" I exclaimed, getting her attention. "Titan! The sirens!"
The sirens were causing T to get distressed. He was pacing back and forth and was probably being reminded of the fire he was in months before.
"I need your help," she called back. I looked at Molly and her mom, both of whom nodded.
"Go," their mom sniffled. "We'll stay with him and make sure he's safe."
I wiped away more tears and nodded before getting up and rushing to the trailer.
"Easy, Titan," I said as I undid the knot. The sirens were much louder now, and I was guessing I had under a minute to get this anxious horse into the trailer. "You have to trust me. You're okay."
I was able to calm him enough to walk him around. Twenty seconds.
Keeping my composure, I walked into the trailer and didn't look back when T resisted. He finally realized it was safe and allowed me to tie him up and shut the divider. I took a deep breath before heading back out into the ring. Right when I arrived, the ambulance did too.
"Back away, back away," the paramedics said as they hopped from the truck. "Did you guys move him at all?"
"No, we haven't touched him," Molly replied.
"Good," he said. With the help of his partner, they got the stretcher and put him in a neck brace. Leo's mom gave them a rundown of what happened as they carried him into the ambulance. "Okay family can come with us."
I was heartbroken. As much as I wanted to go with them, I knew I had to take care of the horses. I would see them soon.
As the ambulance jolted out of the show grounds, I headed back to the trailer. Hannah had loaded up everyone and was standing by her truck waiting for me.
"Come here, Em," she said with open arms. I hugged her hard, allowing myself to fully break down. I sobbed and sobbed, and she let me.
I don't know how long I cried for, but by the time I split from Hannah, the only people still there were the people running the show who were putting away jumps.
"Hey," she said, putting her hands on my arms. "You were strong out there. Thank you for helping me with Titan, I know you wanted to be nowhere but with Leo."
I just nodded and wiped tears away.
"When we get home, I'm just going to need you to help me get horses off the trailer, then I'll drive you to the hospital. Okay?"
"Alright."
The drive home was painful. I took Hannah's truck since it didn't have a trailer attached to it, but I couldn't stop replaying the accident again and again and again in my head.
The fifteen minute drive felt like an hour, and when we got home, I helped Hannah get the horses off. Vegas was very bad off, both front legs very tender and swollen. Luckily, Han had called the vet beforehand so she was already there when we arrived.
Hannah forced me to change and grab a granola bar before we left. The thirty minutes to the hospital felt like a painful eternity, and I had to restrain myself as we were being walked to the waiting room.
"Emily," Molly gasped when she saw me. She jumped up from her seat and ran over to hug me. She was still crying, and when I saw her this torn up, I couldn't help but cry as well.
"Molls, we brought you some clothes," Hannah interrupted, handing her a bag. I brought her some of my clothes, leggings, a t-shirt, a sweater, and her sneakers, as she was still in her show attire.
"Thank you," she said as we separated.
"Why don't you go change, and then we'll talk," a doctor said from behind her mom. I hadn't even seen him before, but I'm assuming it was Leo's doctor.
Molly stared at her mom. "Go on, sweetheart. We're going to have a long night."
