High Hurdles Collection Two (77 page)

“Do you still want to do it?”

“More than ever.” DJ kept her hand over her ear. That seemed to give a bit of relief.

“Is the pain better?”

“A little.” She didn't mention her upset stomach and headache.

Two long hours later, as the day turned to dusk, they drove into the horse park at Rancho de Equus. Since the show had officially started the day before, they drove right to the barn housing the group from Briones and parked in the parking lot.

DJ felt dizzy when she got out of the car and leaned against it to wait for the world to stop spinning.

“DJ, are you really all right?” Jackie came around the front of the vehicle and put her hands on DJ's shoulders. “I think we should just take you home.”

“No.” DJ didn't shake her head, but she put all the force she could muster into the word. “I'll be all right once this ear lets up and I lie down for a while.” Everything in her screamed,
Yes, take me home. I need my mother
.

A veterinarian met them before they had Herndon unloaded. He checked the horse over and scanned the papers Brad handed him. “Okay, you can take him in. I see you are scheduled for a stall in barn D, over there.” He pointed to a low building off from the others.

“I was told the Briones Academy group was in barn A, right here.”

The man checked his sheet again. “They are, but since you are coming in so late, they ran out of stalls. I think there was some kind of mix-up. You aren't the only ones in that other barn, and the stalls are every bit as good.”

“Who's in charge?” DJ could tell by the clipped tone of Brad's voice that he was put out. The tightness of his jaw said the same thing. “Fine, we'll leave the horse in the trailer until I get this straightened out. Jackie, you and DJ go on in and see how everyone is doing. DJ looks like she needs to sit down.”

“Or lie down,” Jackie added.

When they walked into the Briones Riding Academy area, only Tony was there. He turned from talking to the kids in the next tack room when he saw DJ coming.

“Man, you look terrible. What's wrong?”

“Gee, thanks.” She tried to smile, but any movement in her face hurt. “You know where Joe is?”

“They all went to dinner. DJ, you better sit down before you fall down. What happened?” He set out one of the director's chairs for her.

“Her ear plugged up on the flight home,” explained Jackie, “and the pain is excruciating. She thought if she could lie down for a while …”

“That happened to me once. Had to go to the doctor.” Tony leaned down to look DJ in the face. “Did you try a hot washcloth? That sometimes helps.”

“No, we came right here.” Jackie laid her hand on DJ's shoulder. “Maybe we should take you to urgent care. There must be a clinic around here somewhere.” She looked up at Tony. “What happened with the stalls, anyway?”

Tony shook his head, a disgusted look on his face. “They ran out of stalls, and since we had an extra, they took over ours. They said we could have it back tomorrow, so if you can bear that stall in the other barn for tonight, tomorrow you'll be here with the rest of us.”

“I don't care.” DJ kept her eyes closed. “Just so Herndon has a safe and clean place and I get a bed pretty quick.”

“I'm sleeping in Joe's camper, and all you ladies are in the motor home. Bunny's suggestion. Hope that's all right?”

“I don't care.” It was all DJ could do to keep from crying. Why wouldn't her ear pop so she could feel all right?
God, please, this hurts so much, please make it quit
.

Tony glanced at his watch. “They should be back soon. DJ, you better go to the doctor so you can get over this right away.”

“That does it.” Jackie straightened. “DJ, you stay right there. I'm going to find us some help.” She left the tack room and turned right. A minute later Brad came from the other direction.

“Nothing I can do about the stall tonight, so I put Herndon out there, fed him, and made sure he had hay and water. There are several other horses stabled out there, too, but it's plain Jane, not like in here. Where's Jackie?”

“Gone to see about some help for DJ.” Tony squatted down in front of her. “You could lie on the tack box.”

“Right.”

“DJ, do you want to go back out to the Land Rover? You could lay the seat back.”

“No.” Even talking hurt.

Brad stood behind her and with gentle fingers began rubbing her neck and shoulders. At first even that hurt, but within minutes DJ could feel her shoulders get warm and begin to relax.

“You've got magic fingers.”

“Hmm?” He leaned forward to hear her.

“I said you've got magic fingers.” Talking with clenched teeth wasn't easy.

“I wish.” He stopped when Jackie entered the tack area. “What'd you find out?”

“There's an urgent care clinic about a mile from here, and I just called them. They said to come right in, so that's what we'll do.” With each of them putting a hand under DJ's arms, they half lifted her to her feet and walked her back down the aisle to the car.

DJ had no will to resist. All she could think of was getting rid of the pain.

“Have you had a cold lately?” the doctor asked when he saw her a few minutes later.

“No. I had the sniffles a couple of days ago, but that went away right away.” DJ swallowed when he told her to and kept herself from flinching when he put the otoscope in her ear.

“Um, just as I thought. Inflammation.” He checked her neck and nodded again. “Okay, are there any medications you are allergic to?”

“N-no. I'm never sick.”

“Okay, we'll give you an antibiotic and a decongestant/antihistamine, and here's a sample of some new pain pills. Sometimes if someone has had a cold or sinus drainage and then flies, the ear plugs up and you get severe pain, especially if you don't chew gum or you happen to fall asleep. But I can almost promise you will feel better by morning. Heat on the ear tonight can help, too.”

“Good.”

“She's entered in the horse show over at the Rancho. Do you think she can ride in the morning?” Jackie asked.

“Depends on how she feels. If you are at all dizzy, I would forgo the show, but you might be feeling so much better that you can participate.”

By the time they got back to the grounds, the others had returned from dinner, and Bunny showed them the way to her motor home. “You take the bunk bed there, and Hilary can sleep on the pullout.” Bunny folded the cover back. “If you need anything, let me know. And we promise to be quiet when we come in.”

Jackie came in with a warm washcloth when DJ was in bed and helped her put it under her ear. “You need some help getting undressed?”

“Oh, that feels better.” DJ almost shook her head. “I'll get undressed later.”

“Most likely those pain pills he gave you helped, too.” Jackie held out a glass of water and two tablets from the prescriptions they'd stopped for.

“I keep thinking Brad and I should get a hotel room and stay here for the night in case you need to go home.”

“Mm.” DJ heard her as if from a long distance. Her eyes felt like someone was stitching them closed. “Thanks.”

DJ had no idea when she woke up, but glancing out the window, she could still see the moon hanging on the tops of the trees. DJ turned over and tried to go back to sleep, but her eyes that had been so heavy earlier now had springs on them.

Thirsty. I've got to get a drink
. She eased out of bed, halfway surprised she still had her clothes on, and tiptoed to the bathroom right across the narrow hall. She cupped her hands under the faucet and, after satisfying her thirst, splashed some on her face.

I don't hurt
. The thought caught DJ by surprise. She swallowed, and while her ear was still plugged, the pain was so minor she could hardly notice it. The doctor had been right. Trying not to make a sound, DJ crawled back in bed and closed her eyes. Now she could really sleep.

But sometime later she gave up.
I'll go check on Herndon
. Again easing from the bed, DJ picked up her shoes and a jacket and, guided by the light coming in the windows, made her way to the door. Since her eyes were now accustomed to the dark, she found the door handle and slowly, so as not to make a squeak, opened the door and stepped outside.

A cool breeze sent the hairs on her arms standing at attention. She shivered. Maybe she should just go back to bed. But then she remembered the time change. Her body was used to getting up at 5:00
A.M.
Eastern time, and that would be right about now.

The damp from the grass soaked her socks, so DJ stopped long enough to put her shoes on. She stretched and sucked in a deep breath.

Smoke … did she smell smoke? DJ sniffed again. Who would be burning anything at this time of night?

Chapter • 13

How to find barn D.

DJ threaded her way through the vehicles, using light from the moon and the tall posts that held yellow-toned lights. She felt like a burglar must, trying to be quiet, trying to find the valuables in a dark house or building.

A giggle almost grabbed her. What would her mother say if she knew her daughter was running around the showgrounds in the middle of the night, checking on her horse?

“She'd probably have a whole lot to say,” DJ spoke aloud, albeit in a whisper. Hearing a voice, even if it was her own, was strangely comforting. Why did she have this need to see Herndon? It wasn't as if he was Major, after all. She wished she'd been paying more attention when they arrived yesterday, but the pain in her ear had made that impossible.

She crossed the graveled area to the barn set back from the others. Sniffing, she wondered again who could be burning something in the middle of the night like this. “Maybe someone who doesn't want the pollution control people down on them.” Again, talking aloud made her feel not quite so alone. One year when Gran had started to burn some wood trimmings in their yard, some official had come to the house and told her to put it out.

DJ pushed back the door, and a cloud of smoke rolled over her. Fire!

Where was the light switch? The fire alarm? “Herndon!” She screamed his name and ducked back outside to breathe.

A whinny came from the far right of the barn. She called his name again, and the same whinny responded.
Get him out of there!
Taking a deep breath, DJ stepped back inside the barn, feeling along the wall for the light switch. Where was it? She ducked back outside, coughed on the smoke, took in a deep breath, and screamed, “Fire!”

Was there anyone to hear her? Where was the night watchman?

Other horses were whinnying and nickering in fear. How would she find Herndon's stall?

When DJ stepped back inside the barn, she fumbled on the wall again and found the fire alarm. She jerked the handle down and saw a bright light down at the right end of the barn. Flames! Fire!

“Oh, God, help me.” She could hear someone screaming like she always did when she saw fire. It sounded like a child. “God, please!”
I can't freeze now. The horses, what about the horses?

Her eyes refused to leave the flickering lights that seemed to be growing with each breath she took.

Herndon whinnied again, the fear in his call shattering the glass bell that seemed to hold her in one place.

DJ dove into the interior of the barn, using the light from the fire to guide her. She ran down the aisle, coughing, her eyes burning. Herndon whinnied again and banged against the wall.

By the firelight DJ found his door latch and threw it open. Her eyes streamed so bad from the smoke, she felt like she was trying to see underwater. “Come on, fella, we gotta get out of here.”

Herndon pressed against the back of the stall, snorting and wild-eyed. He reared, striking out with one front foot.

“Easy, boy, it's just me. Come on, you gotta behave.” DJ kept her eyes from the flames she could now hear roaring. Her eyes burned, her throat burned. She coughed and felt for the lead shank that always hung beside the door. With it in her hand, she kept up a gentle murmur between choking coughs. Herndon stopped shifting around and reached out with his nose, a nicker coming through the smoke. DJ grasped his halter and, snapping the lead shank in place, backed toward the door.