Pinnacle (ONGOING)

Chapter Seven

     The next morning, I had made my way down to the sheep pens to witness Diamond's 8th birth, and if I were being honest with myself, to see William as well. When I arrived, the ewe appeared calm within the pools of its hazel eyes. It laid on its side breathing shallow breaths, and the telltale signs of strain caused her gnarled coat to rise and fall in strenuous labor. She had already had one of her lambs, but it seemed like this second one was creating a blockage for all the blood she had lost in the process.

     I stood outside of the pen as farm hands Charles and Henry tended to the ewe. We were chatting amongst ourselves waiting for William to get here as the estate's impromptu animal expert, and It was some time before I noticed a small mouth formed at the sheep's entrance and that was when tensions began to rise. I was picking at my nails when William arrived, he came from behind me without a word and the force of his movement lifted the dainty hairs on my neck. He was frowning, brows drawn low as he sank to his haunches to better inspect the situation.

     He was petting the animal speaking to it in hushed tones. It seemed to settle her as her breath began to even. I was incredibly impressed. 

     "Is she going to be ok?" I asked quietly. She was losing a lot of blood. I had seen many ewes head down a similar path when approaching their advanced years with child.

     He was lost in concentration though and did not reply. His hands palpated the ewe's surface for a few moments and then I saw him come to a mental conclusion as he sunk two fingers into the mother's entrance and there was a good deal of sifting around until he relaxed, catching hold of something, I assumed. He gave a sharp order to fetch some yarrow root and swiftly drew the slimy form from its mother in one tug.

     "Ms. Windle, there is another one coming, and you must get this one's blood circulating," William instructed, squinting in concentration as he applied pressure to the mother to hinder the bleeding.

     "Truly?" I asked, my pulse quickening with excitement. As a lady of the house, it was not correct of me to meddle in such affairs, but I could not deny that the prospect excited me. Mama had not mentioned anything about what I was allowed to do at the house after all, and I opened the gate, petticoats deep in fluid and hay.

     "Go fetch the yarrow root powder in the shed on the third shelf" William commanded the farm hands, and they quickly jettisoned off in that direction.

     I looked at the lamb. It was on its side, still but not dead.

     "There, there," I cooed, scrubbing the lamb's skin slimy with hay to get its blood circulating, and turned to pinch its ear between my thumb and forefinger in order to elicit a cry that allowed for proper breathing. A surprisingly piercing bleat came from the tiny form, and I smiled with delight. I had watched it done a hundred times before but felt a renewed sense of accomplishment as I executed the task myself. I sat the lamb down near its mother and brother, hoping to inspire some comfort.

     "Miss!" The farm hands gawked at me when they returned and saw me knelt in viscera.

     "We do not have time for trivialities, quick, bring her the yarrow," William demanded, sharply.

     The lamb had gained balance enough to stand and began licking his mother's snout. Her breath came in steady clouds and her tongue lay out of her mouth, fat with fatigue.

     Charles came over and handed me the powdered yarrow, and I was surprised and flattered that William was asking for my help specifically. I bit my cheek to keep from smiling.

     William looked at me and I realized he was very close to me, and if we were not knee-deep in blood, with his hand up a sheep's behind, I would have found the situation intimate. I loosed an explosive laugh, and he looked greatly confused by my reaction.