Ben watched frantically through the barn window under blinding halogen work lights. Armed officers stood guard at the doors as Dr. Evans administered heavy sedatives to keep Felicia still. The atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.
Sweat poured down the vet's face as she worked her arms into the canal, carefully untangling intertwined legs and re-positioning the first fetus. After thirty grueling minutes of careful traction, a massive gasp echoed through the barn.
Dr. Evans guided the first trapped foal forward, pulling with all her strength. With a slick splash, the first newborn slid out onto the fresh straw, followed quickly by the second. Dr. Evans immediately kneeled beside them, clearing the birth fluids from their airways while checking Felicia's fading pulse.