Free Made That Way by Susan Ketchen Page A

“Everything will be okay. We’ll sort it all out. The vet will help.”
    â€œMy dad will hit the roof about the vet. He already thinks horses are too expensive.”
    Kansas nods. “Let’s take it a stage at a time then. She won’t do an extensive workup without authorization anyway. I called her office. She could come tomorrow. Any chance you’ll be out by then?”
    I shrug.
    A croaky voice emanates from the other side of the curtain, “You better not be out by then. You have to stay in here with me.”
    â€œTaylor!” I yell. I grab the rail of my bed, lean out as far as I can and whip back the curtain. It slides two feet and stops. Kansas has to get up and open it the rest of the way.
    Taylor is lying flat out, her right leg propped on a pile of pillows. Fortunately her foot is so thickly wrapped with bandages that no one could tell there was a crucial piece missing. I wonder if Taylor remembers. A thin tube snakes from two bags on an IV pole and disappears under a patch of white tape on the back of her hand.
    â€œTaylor, how are you feeling?” I say.
    Taylor’s eyes are half-closed. “I dunno. The drugs are good I think.”
    Kansas is looking wide-eyed at Taylor’s foot, then mouths at me, “Does she know?” I give her a silent shrug.
    Taylor peers in Kansas’s direction. “Who are you?”
    â€œI’m Kansas, Sylvia’s riding . . . pal.”
    Taylor nods vaguely. “Oh yeah, I’ve heard all about you.” Then she squints, trying to focus on Kansas’s face. “Hey, weren’t you there yesterday? On the road?”
    Kansas nods.
    â€œI thought so,” says Taylor. She raises her leg, straight up from the mattress, with all the flexibility, strength and finesse of a dancer, and delicately repositions it on the pillows.
    â€œOh god,” I moan.
    â€œGood drugs, but my toe still feels very weird,” says Taylor.
    I lock eyes with Kansas in a panic.
    Kansas says, “Maybe I should go.”
    She edges towards the door but stops dead in her tracks when I say quietly, “Don’t you dare.”
    Kansas resumes her perch on the very edge of my bed, still ready to flee at the first opportunity.
    I almost can’t believe it. I’ve somehow done a boss mare trick, on Kansas of all people, and prevented her from leaving. Of course, I’m desperate because if Taylor doesn’t know she’s lost her toe, I don’t want to be alone with her. I don’t want to be the one to tell her, and I know I can’t lie to Taylor. Sooner or later she will squeeze the truth out of me because Taylor is older and she’s always done that. She’s always been the one in charge.
    Though who knows? With my new-found boss mare skills, perhaps I could even manage Taylor.
    There’s a light tapping sound at the doorway, and Dr. Cleveland’s head appears around the edge. “Can I come in?” She says hi to Kansas then strides in between the two beds. “Sylvia, is it okay if I visit? Not everyone wants a psychiatrist in their room.”
    â€œWe all know Sylvia sees a shrink,” says Taylor. Her words are slightly slurred, almost as though she’s drunk, and she’s speaking loudly as though she doesn’t care what anyone thinks.
    â€œHey, that’s great. They put the both of you in one room,” says Dr. Cleveland. “How’re you doing, Taylor?”
    â€œOh fine.” She sighs dramatically. “But my toe feels funny.” Then she giggles. “Actually everything feels funny.”
    Fine, I think. A medical professional can handle this. Better still that it be a psychiatrist.
    â€œThat’s understandable,” says Dr. Cleveland.
    â€œNo pain though, because I’m on some really good drugs apparently.” Taylor raises her hand with the IV needle then gently tucks it back at her side.
    â€œVery good drugs, I imagine,” says