The colt tried to fold his long legs beneath him, then dropped back into the straw with a soft sound. Daphne wanted to help him, but Dr. Okafor’s warning held everyone still. Willow was sweating too much. Her ears flicked back and forth. Her sides tightened again and again.
“Is she bleeding?” Daphne asked. “Not that I can see,” Dr. Okafor said. “But I need to know what came out with the foal.” He asked for the placenta, then spread it across a clean sheet under the barn light. Daphne had avoided looking before. Now she watched him check every section with steady hands.
He stopped at one torn-looking area. “What is it?” she asked. “It may be retained placenta,” he said. “Or a missing section. We can’t guess.” Daphne knew enough to be afraid. Infection after foaling could move fast. Pain could turn into laminitis. A small problem could become several before morning. Willow groaned behind them and pushed again. Dr. Okafor turned back to her and reached for his portable ultrasound case. He was no longer checking possibilities slowly; he was narrowing them too fast now. “That is not just afterpain…”