Vet in a Spin Read online

into the opened organ, through the fermenting mass of stomach contents,

  and in a flash all my troubles dissolved. Along the floor of the rumen

  apples and pears were spread in layers, Some of them bitten but most of

  them whole and intact. Bovines take most of their food in big swallows

  and chew it over later at their leisure, but no animal could make cud

  out of this lot.

  I looked up happily.

  "It's just as I thought. He's full of fruit."

  "Hhrraaagh!" replied Mr Sow den. Coughs come in various forms but

  this one Was tremendous and fundamental, star ting at the soles of his

  hob-nailed boots and exploding right in my face. I hadn't realised how

  vulnerable I was with the farmer leaning over the calf's neck, his head

  a few inches from mine.

  "Hhrraaag he repeated, and a second shower of virus laden moisture

  struck me. Apparent Mr Sow den either didn't know or didn't care about

  droplet infection, but with my hands inside my patient there was

  nothing I could do about it.

  Instinctively I turned my face a little in the other direction.

  "Whoosh!" went George. It was a sneeze rather than a cough, but it

  sent similar deadly spray against my other cheek. I realised there was

  no escape.

  was hopelessly trapped between the two of them.

  But as I say, my morale had received a boost. Eagerly I scooped out

  are handfuls of the offending fruit and within minutes the floor of the

  barn w littered with Bramley's seedlings and Conference pears.

  "Enough here to start a shop," I laughed.

  "Hhrraaagh!" responded Mr Sow den.

  "Whooosh!" added George, not to be outdone.

  When I had sent the last apple and pear rolling into the darkness I

  scrubbed' up again and started to stitch. This is the longest and most

  wearisome part a rumenotomy. The excitement of diagnosis and discovery

  is over and it is good time for idle chat, funny stories, anything to

  pass the time.

  But there in the circle of yellow light with the wind whirling round my

  feet from the surrounding gloom and occasional icy trickles of rain

  running down my back I was singularly short of gossip, and my

  companions, sunk in the' respective miseries, were in no mood for

  badinage.

  I was half way down the skin sutures when a tickle mounted at the back

  my nose and I had to stop and stand upright.

  "Ah ah ashooo!" I rubbed my forearm along my nose.

  "He's star tin'," murmured George with mournful satisfaction.

  "Aye, 'e's off," agreed Mr Sow den, brightening visibly.

  I was not greatly worried. I had long since come to the conclusion

  that n cause was lost. The long session of freezing in my shirt

  sleeves would have down it without the incessant germ; bombardment from

  either side. I was resigned my fate and besides, when I inserted the

  last stitch and helped the calf down from the table I felt a deep

  thrill of satisfaction. That horrible groan h; vanished and the little

  animal was loo king around him as though he had be!

  away for a while. He wasn't cheerful yet, but I knew his pain had gone

  and that he would live. ~ "Bed him up well, Mr Sow den." I started to

  wash my instruments in the bucket.

  "And put a couple of sacks round him to keep him warm. I'll call in

  fortnight to take out the stitches."

  That fortnight seemed to last a long time. My cold, as I had confident

  expected, developed into a raging holocaust which settled down into the

  inevitable brown chi tis with an accompanying cough which rivalled Mr

  Sow den's.

  Mr Sow den was never an ebullient man but I expected him to look a

  little happier when I removed the stitches. Because the calf was

  bright and lively a' I had a chase him round his pen to catch him.

  ~e the fire in my chest I had that airy feeling of success.

  said expansively.

  "He's done very well. He'll make a good bullo ",~shrugged

  gloomily.

  "Aye, reckon 'e will. But there was no no Go O9 ~ on."

  my ."s.,:. en talkie' to one or two folk about t'job and they all

  said; to foOIt . f ~G~ ~up like that. Ah should just 'ave given 'im a

  pint of oil 1~ after fifteen minutes. JI '~r Sow den, I assure you .

  . .

  ~And now ah'll have a big bill to pay." He dug his hands deep into his

  pockets.

  "Believe me, it was worth it."

  ~Nay, nay, never." He started to walk away, then looked over his

  shoulder.

  ~It wouldtve been better if you 'adn't come."

  I had done three circuits with FO Wood ham and on this third one he had

  kept fairly quiet. Obviously I was doing all right now and I could

  start enjoying myself again Flying was lovely.

  The voice came over the intercom again.

  "I'm going to let you land her yourself this time. I've told you how

  to do it. Right, you've got her."

  "I've got her," I replied. He had indeed told me how to do it again

  and again - and I was sure I would have no trouble.

  As we lost height the tops of the trees appeared, then the grass of the

  airfield came up to meet us. It was the moment of truth. Carefully I

  eased the stick back, then at what I thought was the right moment I

  slammed it back against my stomach. Maybe a bit soon because we

  bounced a couple of times and that made me forget to seesaw the rudder

  bar so that we careered from side to side over the turf before coming

  to a halt.

  With the engine stilled I took a deep breath. That was my first

  landing and it hadn't been bad. In fact I had got better and better

  all the time and the conviction was growing in me that my instructor

  must have been impressed with my initial showing. We climbed out and

  after walking a few steps in silence FO Wood ham halted and turned to

  me.

  "What's your name?" he asked.

  Ah yes, here was the proof. He knew I had done well. He was

  interested in me.

  "Herriot, sir," I replied smartly.

  For a few moments he gave me a level stare.

  "Well, Herriot," he murmured, 'that was bloody awful."

  He turned and left me. I gazed down at my feet in their big sheepskin

  boots.

  Yes, the uniform was different, but things hadn't changed all that

  much.

  Chapter Two "Takes all kinds, doesn't it, chum?"

  The airman grinned at me across the flight hut table. We had been

  listening to a monologue from a third man who had just left us after

  tell ing us what he intended to do after gaining his wings. The

  impression he left was that he was almost going to win the war on his

  own.

  There were certainly all kinds in the RAF and this 'line shooting' was

  a common phenomenon when different types were thrown together.

  There are all kinds of animals, too. Many people think my farm

  patients are all the same, but cows, pigs, sheep and horses can be

  moody, placid, vicious, docile, spiteful, loving.

  ~.

  ~." `.

  There was one particular pig called Gertrude, but before I come to her

  I must start with Mr Barge.

  Nowadays the young men