The Arrival

It was just before six when Alex was awakened by the sounds of grunting and snuffling.  The baby monitor he'd set up in the tack room was blinking, alerting him to the changing status of his prized Street-Racing mare, Polaris.  After an accidental visit from one of the farm's Nordanner stallions, the mare had ended up with a foal on the way.  With her due date so close, Alex had begun sleeping in the barn, with the baby monitor system rigged up so that he would be aware should the mare go into labor.  Which, it appeared, she had. 

Groggily, Alex pushed his hair out of his eyes and blinked, waiting for the slow, fuzzy feeling of waking up to leave him so he could think clearly.  A second later, he was walking brusquely down the hall, unlatching the door to Polaris's foaling stall and shutting it behind him.  The mare was pacing, her tail twitching and her sides heaving.  Her coat was still dry, but by the way she was going, it appeared that it would soon be drenched in sweat.  Every once in a while, the white horse let out a low moan, shaking her head and pawing at the earth.  

"Hey, Girl," crooned Alex, placing his hand on the mare's shoulder, feeling how the muscle twitched involuntarily at his touch.  "You all right?" he asked, patting the mare's white coat.  Polaris turned her head, nuzzling at her partner's hand with soft pink lips.  Alex allowed her to nibble at his fingertips for a moment before pushing her nose away gently.  Polaris let out a small nicker, her ears flicking back as her sides heaved, seemingly of their own volition.  While Polaris paced anxiously, Alex sent out a quick text to his vet's private number from his cell phone.  Unless something went wrong, the vet wouldn't be needed, but it was better that all parties involved be alerted to the situation, just in case.  His second text went out to his husband, Henley, who was still asleep in the main house.  Then, Alex slipped his phone back into his pocket and turned his attention to the white mare.

By now, Polaris had awkwardly sunk to her knees, and was in the process of rolling onto her side, an indicator that the foal wouldn't be long in coming.  Her coat had broken out in a thin sheen of sweat, and her eyes were rolling as her sides quivered.  In a few, quick steps, Alex had crossed the stall and had knelt by the mare's head, cupping it in his hands and stroking her face.  "Easy now, Girl," he said, keeping his tone soothing and quiet.  "It won't be much longer," he promised.  Polaris snorted; she didn't seem to believe him. 

The mare's hooves kicked out from time to time, cutting furrows in the straw, as she lay, panting.  Her white hide undulated as she tried with all her might to bring her foal into the world.  A few moments later, the foal's front hooves appeared, soft and pink inside the birthing sac.  With a few final, mighty heaves, the rest of him followed, slipping smoothly onto the straw.  The birth sac was quickly removed, and Polaris began to wash her newborn son, cleaning his eyes, ears and nostrils.  With Alex's help, the foal was rubbed down and cleaned off in no time.  

As the sun finished rising, illuminating the farm with warm yellow rays, Alex left the new mare and foal to get acquainted.  The foal was standing, and already nursing, when Alex crept out of the barn.  After spending the last week or so sleeping on the tack room floor, his muscles ached.  It was time for a hot shower and to sleep in his own bed.

WC: 629

The new baby is finally here!