Sundancer by Shelley Peterson

chill went down Hannah’s spine as she looked at his face. The gelding’s eyes were closed.
    â€œPlease, Lord above, save this child,” prayed Hannah. She could not begin to imagine how many things could go wrong.
    Drawn by the confusion, Hannah’s students plus Lavinia, John, and Cliff all came running. Hannah put up the palm of her hand, signalling them to stop and stay where they were. They stood at the fence, shocked by what they were watching. Paul had his cellphone to his ear.
    Still running flat out, Sundancer rounded the far end of the paddock and made straight for Hannah. As he approached the fence, Hannah saw his eyes open. Seeing both Hannah and the group that had gathered behind her, the horse skidded to a halt. Bird kept going, over his head and through the air. She landed flat on her back.
    Sundancer was scared. He reared up and twisted, then raced off for the other side of the paddock, as far away as he could get.
    â€œBird!” Hannah called. “Bird!” The girl lay still. Hannah ran fast, Hector following hard on her heels. Hannah knelt beside her in the warm grass. Bird’s colour was greying; not a good sign. Hannah tilted her niece’s chin up and probed her mouth to find her tongue. Bird had swallowed it. Hannah scooped it out of the back of the girl’s throat with her forefinger, and listened with extreme relief to the gurgle and gasp of Bird’s lungs filling with air. Hector whined in sympathy at Bird’s side.
    Paul caught up. “Don’t try to move her, Hannah. She may have damaged her neck or spine. The ambulance is on its way.”
    â€œBird, honey. Are you awake? Can you say something?” Hannah crooned. “Open your eyes, Bird darling. Show me you’re conscious.”
    The girl lay silent, eyes closed, breathing shallowly.
    Hannah didn’t notice the horse until Hector growled. Sundancer had made his way back across the field. Now, he stood beside Bird and slowly lowered his head. He breathed into her nose. Hector growled again, but then backed off. Sundancer moved his lips over Bird’s face, trying to stimulate her into consciousness.
    I didn’t mean to hurt you. Bird girl. I don’t know what happened .
    Bird didn’t know where she was. Sweet horse breath warmed her face as her world turned around and around. She struggled to open her eyes and found that her stomach was queasy.
    â€œSun … danc … er,” she said aloud. Her voice was raspy, unused. “Sun … dancer.” Then everything faded to black.

5
EVA
    I have everything I need here. A salt lick. Water. Hay. Grazing land.
    Bird floated above her white bed in the white room with white lights and people in white gowns. Nothing hurt as they twisted her limbs this way and that. Nothing bothered her as they moved her through big, hollow machines, and rolled her through bright rooms and down long halls. She felt nothing except a pleasant dislocation. She was out of time and place.
    She’d had a special glimpse into Sundancer’s mind. Fear. Flight. There was much more to see when he was ready to let her in.
    She floated above Sundancer as he stood in the dark field. He was alone. He was eating something he liked very much from a bucket.
    Sundancer, can you hear me?
    Bird. Are you dead?
    No. I’ll be fine .
    Good. I’m sorry. Come home .
    Bird smiled sleepily. They’d made a connection. It was a good start.
    HANNAH, PAUL, AND ALEC sat quietly in Bird’s room. She had heard them come in, had heard their whispered words as they wondered when she would open her eyes. She was feeling better now, but she wasn’t ready yet. It was nice to sit quietly in the dark, letting her thoughts wander their way through her head. But how exactly did she get here? Bird struggled to remember. Hannah had come with her in the ambulance, she remembered that. And there had been many strangers looking at her; feeling and moving parts of her