Wedding Bell Blues - [35]

a lot deeper than that.”

“Huh,” Jack said. “You think a lot.”

Lily blushed. She hadn’t meant to get all theoretical, but she had just the same. All those years ofliving with a college professor, maybe. “I guess I do. Maybe it’s because I’m a writer. Of course, I don’ttend to philosophize like that in my books, since my usual audience is made up of seven-year-olds.”

Jack grinned. “You know, when you asked me if you could come along on some farm calls, I kindawondered if you’d be a nuisance, since I’m so used to being by myself. But having some company for achange is nice.”

“We’ve not even gotten to the farm yet. I’ve still got plenty of time to be a nuisance.” It occurredto her that she had absolutely no idea what to expect when they arrived. “Say, when you called you saidthere was a sow in trouble. What did you mean by that? It sounded like she’d been caught writing badchecks or something.”

Jack laughed. “No, a pig’s too smart to get caught writing bad checks. This sow’s in labor, but shecan’t get one of the piglets pushed out. It happens sometimes — a baby’ll get turned the wrong way in thebirth canal. And the mother panics cause she doesn’t know what’s going on. It’s really just a matter ofgetting the piglet turned around the right way. It’s not hard if you know what you’re doing.”

Jack pulled the truck into a long gravel driveway at the end of which was a small, white framehouse. The house was dwarfed by the huge, unpainted barn that sat behind it.

A craggy-faced man in a John Deere cap and overalls began talking to Jack before she could evenget out of the truck. “She’s in the barn over yonder. I done got you some soap and hot water.”

“Thanks, Ed. Let’s go take a look at her.”

Jack was apparently in an all-business mood, since she didn’t bother introducing Lily to thefarmer. Figuring that manners took the backseat in a medical crisis, Lily grabbed her sketch pad andpencils and tagged along behind Jack and Ed, feeling faintly ridiculous.

The sweet hay smell of the barn was soured by sounds of fear and pain. In a corner pen, theenormous sow paced and squealed. Her eyes were wild, terrified. Two newborn piglets lay a few feetaway from her, tiny and pink, rooting blindly in the straw.

This was the first birth Lily had attended since Mimi’s, and while the mother pig didn’t have ascolorful a vocabulary as Charlotte, the similarities between the two occasions were striking. Lily knew theparty line was that giving birth was a beautiful thing, and she agreed with that sentiment up to a point. Butthe miracle of birth also had a dark, scary side. One only needed to look at the panicking sow and her frailpiglets to remember that all living creatures are born helpless, out of their mother’s fear and pain.

Lily kept her distance and watched the vet do her work.

Jack began by scrubbing her hands in the basin of hot water Ed had provided. She nodded towardthe sow. “Now, Ed, this un’s named Minnie, right?”

He nodded.

“I like how you name all your livestock, Ed,” she said, climbing into the pen. “It makes it easierwhen I’ve got somethin’ to call ’em.” She leaned down so the pig could see her. “Now, Minnie. You takeit easy, ole girl. You’re gonna be just fine.” She looked up at Ed. “Hey, Ed, you got any little treats youcould hand-feed this girl? Food’s better than anesthesia to a pig.”

Ed disappeared and returned shortly with a bowl of sliced apples.

“That oughta do the trick,” Jack said. “Ed, you hold her steady for me. Lily, why don’t you comeover here and feed Minnie some apple? If you’re gonna draw her, you might as well get acquainted withher.”

Lily approached the pen reluctantly. “Uh, what if she bites me?”

Jack laughed. “I can’t believe you’ve got that big monster of a dog at your house, and you’rescared of a pig biting you. Just put the apple in your palm and hold your hand flat. That way she won’t beable to get a hold of your hide.”

My hide? Lily thought, but she did as she was told. Minnie slurped the apple slice off her handgratefully.

While Lily concentrated on the sow’s mouth, Jack squatted down at its opposite end and rolled upthe sleeves of her coveralls. “Keep those apple slices coming, Lily. I’m about to do somethin’ the olegirl’s not gonna appreciate a bit.”

Lily dutifully served up the apple, glad that she was dealing with the preferable end of the pig.

“No wonder that piglet’s stuck, Ed. It’s trying to back out of her.”

“It still alive?” Ed asked.

“Yup,” Jack muttered. “Won’t be for long, though, if we don’t get it out.”

Lily doled out more apple while Jack rummaged around in the pig’s nether regions. “Damn,” Jacksaid. “She’s tight in there. Being scared’s caused her to seize up, I reckon.” Jack moved around in anattempt to get a better angle. “Damn it, Ed, would you believe my hand’s too big to get a grip on the littlefella?” She groped around a few more seconds, then said, “Hey, Lily, would you come here a minute?”

“What for?”

“I want you to wash your hands, then see if you can get a grip on this piglet.”