Speaker 1: I can't panic.
Speaker 2: He needs our help, so we call doctor Forrest.
Speaker 3: Look up Forest Equine Veterinary Services, Forest Equine Vet.
Speaker 1: There it is.
Speaker 2: It's got to get him up.
Speaker 3: It's okay, Wilder, we're here for you.
Speaker 2: It'll be okay. We're good. I just need you to
Speaker 2: stand up.
Speaker 3: Yes, we need doctor Forrest. Our horse is clocking. Yes,
Speaker 3: I mean call licking. We're at the Cooper's farm. Tell
Speaker 3: them to hurry.
Speaker 2: Get up, Wilder. You can do it.
Speaker 3: Yes, we understand that the weather is bad, but please
Speaker 3: just tell her to hurry.
Speaker 1: He was upset, so we gave him ace to calm
Speaker 1: and down.
Speaker 3: I can't get him up.
Speaker 2: I can't do this alone.
Speaker 1: Banamine okay?
Speaker 2: Thanks?
Speaker 3: Is she coming as soon as possible, but it might
Speaker 3: be an hour or so.
Speaker 1: She said. To give him banamine and see if he'll
Speaker 1: get up and walk.
Speaker 2: I'm trying.
Speaker 3: Come on, boy, Zoe, can you find the banamine? I
Speaker 3: don't want to leave him. Bailey, Dad, what are you?
Speaker 4: Bailey?
Speaker 5: Your mom went to check the house, but I knew
Speaker 5: you'd be here with the horses. Dad, what's going on?
Speaker 1: Oh Daddy, I can't save him.
Speaker 2: He's callicking and I can't get him.
Speaker 4: To stand up and come here. I'm here.
Speaker 1: He's gonna die, just like Connor.
Speaker 2: I can't do this.
Speaker 3: I'm not strong enough.
Speaker 5: I hear you, baby, I know it's scary. I'm here,
Speaker 5: I've got you.
Speaker 3: You've got to do something for him.
Speaker 4: I will. I'll help you.
Speaker 5: Okay, and whatever happens, we're together on this. Okay, we're
Speaker 5: strong enough together.
Speaker 2: Okay, Blake, Bailey, you all in here.
Speaker 4: Yes, in the bowling stall. We need to get this
Speaker 4: horse up and moving quickly.
Speaker 6: Oh no, is it Colic?
Speaker 3: Yeah? I brought him in out of the hill and
Speaker 3: he was worked up, and I tried to give him ace,
Speaker 3: but it didn't really work.
Speaker 2: And I think I messed up.
Speaker 3: I'm so sorry.
Speaker 6: It's not your fault. Let's just focus on help in him.
Speaker 4: Okay, did you give him the bantamine yet?
Speaker 6: No, I'll get it, Zoe, see if you can contact
Speaker 6: my dad and Alejandro.
Speaker 1: Got it.
Speaker 5: Okay, Bailey, you go up by his head. Okay, just
Speaker 5: talk to him, encourage him.
Speaker 3: It'll be okay, Wilder, I'm here, Mom and Dad are here.
Speaker 3: They're gonna help us.
Speaker 2: I've got the bantamine.
Speaker 6: Do you want to squirt it in his mouth?
Speaker 7: Bailey.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I can do it.
Speaker 4: That's my girl.
Speaker 2: They're done.
Speaker 3: Do you think he'll be okay?
Speaker 4: Let's give it a minute to any pain.
Speaker 5: We'll know soon if it's something we can help him with,
Speaker 5: or if doctor Forest will need to.
Speaker 4: Take him in.
Speaker 3: The hill stopped, Ge, Pap and Alejandra. We're heading back now.
Speaker 3: Oh good, what's going on? I thought we were in
Speaker 3: beast mode, you know, intense, urgent.
Speaker 1: Why are you all just sitting there?
Speaker 6: We just gave him pain medicine. We're hoping he'll feel
Speaker 6: good enough to get up and get moving in a minute.
Speaker 4: So you're Zoe Bailey's friend. I'm Bailey's dad.
Speaker 1: Yes, nice to meet you.
Speaker 4: Same here. Thanks for all your help this week.
Speaker 1: No problem.
Speaker 3: It's been good to be outside so much, though it's
Speaker 3: been a weird change from what I've been used to.
Speaker 4: I bet it has.
Speaker 1: Mom, Dad, why are you home?
Speaker 3: Mom? You weren't going to come home until tomorrow? And Dad,
Speaker 3: don't you have two more months left on the circuit.
Speaker 6: I just knew I needed to be here with you.
Speaker 6: I had a feeling that I should just come home.
Speaker 4: Well, I've been feeling that way for a while now.
Speaker 5: Bailey and I wasn't gonna let your mom drive back
Speaker 5: alone in bad weather.
Speaker 4: So now as good as time as any.
Speaker 3: Thanks, But I'm sorry I made you change your plans.
Speaker 6: Not another word. You don't have to be sorry. It's
Speaker 6: a choice we made because you matter to us so
Speaker 6: much more than an extra day of vacation, even more
Speaker 6: than the rodeo.
Speaker 4: Even more than the rodeo.
Speaker 5: I actually have a surprise for you, really have that
Speaker 5: can wait? I'm thinking we may try and roll Wilder
Speaker 5: see if that'll help him up.
Speaker 3: I have another idea too, So you actually made me
Speaker 3: think of it.
Speaker 1: I did.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know how he didn't want to be in
Speaker 3: the stall earlier. Well, maybe if we open the door
Speaker 3: wide and move out of the way, his instincts will
Speaker 3: kick in and he'll get himself up to leave the stall.
Speaker 4: That's a good idea, more to try.
Speaker 3: But aren't you afraid he'll run away and you won't
Speaker 3: be able to catch him? Right now, I just want
Speaker 3: what's best for him.
Speaker 6: He needs to get.
Speaker 3: Up, But just in case, can you close the barn
Speaker 3: doors all the way?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Good thinking.
Speaker 5: Okay, I'm opening the stall door now, everybody stand back.
Speaker 3: Come on, Wilder, get up. Zoe, go ahead and open
Speaker 3: the barn doors too. Let him see the outdoors.
Speaker 6: Okay, that was Sunny. Sounds like she wants to get out.
Speaker 3: I think she knows Wilder.
Speaker 2: She led me to him.
Speaker 4: Before sh He's looking, his ears are purked. He wants
Speaker 4: to go.
Speaker 6: Maybe he likes Sonny too.
Speaker 1: The power of a mayor's call.
Speaker 2: He's getting up. Good job, boy.
Speaker 6: Look he's going towards Sunny's stall instead about the barn door.
Speaker 4: I guess his instincts kicked in after all.
Speaker 2: Oh, Dad, Bailey.
Speaker 5: Why don't you walk him up and down the barn
Speaker 5: aisle for now? I think the pain meds are working.
Speaker 6: So do you think he'll be okay?
Speaker 4: Doctor Forrest will have to tell us for sure. But
Speaker 4: it's a good sign that he's up and moving.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and it stopped storming just in time.
Speaker 3: I'm going to take the chickens and goats out to
Speaker 3: give you more room.
Speaker 6: Thanks, Zoe. YEA, wow, what was that?
Speaker 3: That's what she thinks I sound like when I call
Speaker 3: the chickens.
Speaker 5: Oh, I don't do I Nope, But I like her.
Speaker 4: She's a funny one. We need that around here.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so too.
Speaker 5: I'm gonna grab the thermometer and update doctor Forest. Don't
Speaker 5: let him eat her drink until she gets here, Okay.
Speaker 6: We'll keep a close eye on him.
Speaker 3: Thanks dad. Mom, I'm so glad you're back.
Speaker 4: Of course, Watie always babycakes. Be back in a minute, so.
Speaker 2: You first.
Speaker 6: I'm listening, Mom.
Speaker 3: I know you said not too, but I just want
Speaker 3: to say I'm sorry.
Speaker 2: Oh honey, it's just one day.
Speaker 1: No, not for that.
Speaker 3: For these past few months. I read your letter.
Speaker 6: You did good, Mom.
Speaker 3: I had no idea you were actually grateful that we
Speaker 3: found out about Connor's cancer that day, and I realized
Speaker 3: I didn't know because I haven't exactly been easy to
Speaker 3: talk to you lately. So I'm sorry i've shut you out.
Speaker 6: Oh honey, it's all right.
Speaker 3: I think I was afraid that if we talked about
Speaker 3: how sad I felt, that it would all just start
Speaker 3: coming out and be too much for me to handle.
Speaker 6: You know, yes, I know what you mean. That's why
Speaker 6: I want to help you through it. It's not too
Speaker 6: much if we carry it together.
Speaker 3: Thanks. It's also weird how sometimes I feel okay, and
Speaker 3: then I'm afraid I'll forget about him too.
Speaker 6: It's normal to feel all those emotions. It's okay to
Speaker 6: be happy, and I promise you won't forget him. Do
Speaker 6: you know why I love my Rosemary Bush so much? Why?
Speaker 6: For cooking? Not only that Rosemary makes me think of
Speaker 6: my mom. She used a lot of rosemary and her
Speaker 6: recipes and she was a resilient woman, just like my
Speaker 6: Rosemary Bush. So it's the special thing that reminds me
Speaker 6: of her.
Speaker 3: Oh, so, do you have something that reminds you of Connor?
Speaker 6: I thought you would have guessed that by now. Uh caramels?
Speaker 3: Oh they were his favorite candy, weren't they?
Speaker 6: Yes? And me how he was strong but also really sweet,
Speaker 6: Like how he always looked out for you and let
Speaker 6: you be his his sidekick. No, baby, he let you
Speaker 6: be his partner.
Speaker 2: Huh nah, huh.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 6: He was the first to see the same strength in you,
Speaker 6: even when you were little, and I wanted to keep
Speaker 6: you safe inside with me, but he wouldn't have it.
Speaker 6: He'd always try to persuade me to let you join
Speaker 6: him in just about everything. Really, absolutely, Do you think
Speaker 6: most moms let their three year old daughters drive four
Speaker 6: wheelers and learn rodeo tricks?
Speaker 2: I guess not.
Speaker 6: It took your dad less time to see what Connor saw.
Speaker 6: That's why he gave you, Sonny. Even when you were
Speaker 6: still so little, you had away with her. You were
Speaker 6: both fearless when you were together.
Speaker 3: I was fearless because I had Connor.
Speaker 6: You don't see it yet, but you will. That strength
Speaker 6: is there. It just works better as part of a
Speaker 6: whole in relationships.
Speaker 3: I think I'm starting to figure that out. I just
Speaker 3: need to get wilder. Well. I think he and I
Speaker 3: will make a pretty good team.
Speaker 6: Yeah, maybe so.
Speaker 3: I wish Doctor Forrest would hurry, But I'm glad you
Speaker 3: and Dad are here.
Speaker 6: We are too. We love you. Let's wait for outside
Speaker 6: the sun's coming out.
Speaker 3: Huh.
Speaker 2: You all did well with him, You really did.
Speaker 7: I can't believe I wasn't there, just sitting in a
Speaker 7: cave twiddling my thumbs and swatting mosquitoes. And Shannon, even
Speaker 7: though you got on the road in that storm like
Speaker 7: I told you not to. I'm pretty impressed with your
Speaker 7: intuition and impeccable timing.
Speaker 6: Thank you, Dad, and you too, Doctor Forrest. But Bailey
Speaker 6: did most of it. We were just her sidekicks.
Speaker 3: No partners.
Speaker 2: Well, I'm impressed.
Speaker 8: Who got a wild horse to cooperate, so his gut
Speaker 8: sounds half improved. Looks like he's passing some manewer now,
Speaker 8: whereas there was none in his stall. But I'll do
Speaker 8: warm him again just in case. Okay, I don't want
Speaker 8: you to give him any more grain or treats, just
Speaker 8: hay and grass for the next three days.
Speaker 1: Could have been the.
Speaker 8: Weather, but more likely it's a combination of things. He
Speaker 8: just isn't used to. His stress is pretty high being
Speaker 8: in captivity. I think this one is best suited to
Speaker 8: stay in the wild, and now that his leg's healed,
Speaker 8: that can happen pretty soon.
Speaker 3: But he doesn't have a place out there, doctor Forest,
Speaker 3: He'll just fight and get injured again.
Speaker 8: What makes you think he doesn't have a heard? I
Speaker 8: saw one on my way here, just a mile up
Speaker 8: the road. Looks like they're waiting for him.
Speaker 3: No, that herd belongs to the gray stallion. He's been
Speaker 3: leading them for as long as I can remember. He's
Speaker 3: the stallion that hurt Wilder.
Speaker 8: Ah, oh, Bailey, I I don't know how to tell
Speaker 8: you this.
Speaker 2: What what is it?
Speaker 4: Doctor Forrest?
Speaker 8: Do you remember that call I got before I came
Speaker 8: to float your horse's teeth?
Speaker 3: No, I oh wait, you were treating another wild horse.
Speaker 8: Yes, another stallion and he.
Speaker 3: What are you saying, Bailey, No, it's okay, tell me
Speaker 3: doctor Forrest.
Speaker 8: It was the gray stallion. He was much older and well,
Speaker 8: he might have won the fight. He must have worn
Speaker 8: himself out and the ranger found him. That stallion didn't
Speaker 8: make it.
Speaker 3: The gray Stallion dead. He's always been that herd's leader.
Speaker 3: He has foals.
Speaker 5: Come here, Bailey died, But I've been seeing that gray
Speaker 5: stallion for a long time, ever since he was dark
Speaker 5: and dappled. He's done a fine job of taking care
Speaker 5: of that hurt. He must have been pretty old.
Speaker 7: Old or not, he'll be messed. He was a good leader.
Speaker 7: There comes a time to pass that role to the
Speaker 7: next generation through.
Speaker 6: Yeah, the next generation.
Speaker 7: We don't need to figure it all out right now. I,
Speaker 7: for one, am starving, Miranda. I know you rushed over.
Speaker 7: Do you want to stay for dinner?
Speaker 8: Well, thank you, I think I will stay if it's
Speaker 8: not too much trouble.
Speaker 6: No, not at all. I sent Alejandro to get some
Speaker 6: pizzas for everyone, and Zoe said she and her mom
Speaker 6: are going to bring over ice cream and a healthy
Speaker 6: homemade apple pie.
Speaker 2: Sounds great.
Speaker 4: I'm starving.
Speaker 7: What's a healthy apple pie?
Speaker 3: I'm going to stay out here with Wilder? Can you
Speaker 3: bring me a slice of each in a little while?
Speaker 6: Okay, sweetie, but are you sure you want to be alone?
Speaker 3: I'm not alone, I know that. I just want to
Speaker 3: write in my journal and keep an eye on Wilder
Speaker 3: in the round pen just in case.
Speaker 6: All right, I'll be back in a bit.
Speaker 3: It's so Wilder, you have a heard waiting for you.
Speaker 3: But I thought we were going to be your herd.
Speaker 3: Dear Connor, I feel frozen again. I don't know what
Speaker 3: to do. It seems like everything I do, whatever I try,
Speaker 3: I just can't have what I want. I want Wilder.
Speaker 3: I want him here with me forever. I thought that
Speaker 3: i'd be rescuing him like we plan to do together
Speaker 3: with our grant. But it's all backwards again. Trying to
Speaker 3: keep him here almost killed him. How could things have
Speaker 3: gone so wrong? I don't want to lose him. It's
Speaker 3: like losing you all over again.
Speaker 7: It is