A-Z Blogging Challenge - L is for Luke

Luke Sullivan is the ‘hero’ of my novel ‘Irish Intrigue’ –and I decided he was a veterinary surgeon in the west of Ireland.

I probably know less about veterinary work than I do about volcanoes (one of my other heroes’ speciality). I think I visited my local vet less than half a dozen times when I had a cat (which was over 20 years ago). I also remember watching a popular TV series here about a vet in Yorkshire, but that was set in the 1930s and 1940s, and obviously things have changed a lot since then. Therefore I had a lot of research to do for this story.

That included spending the whole one Sunday afternoon watching YouTube videos of foals being born.

Here’s the scene that resulted from the YouTube videos:

Charley followed Jan into an inner office where a bank of black and white screens covered one wall. Jan pointed to one of them. “That’s Duchess in her birthing box. She’s very restless, so I don’t think it’ll be long now.”

Charley caught a glimpse of Luke running experienced hands around the mare’s swollen belly before he disappeared out of camera range. Soon afterwards, he came into the office, followed by Rory.

“Best to let her get on with it now,” Luke said. “I don’t want her holding on to the foal because we’re standing there watching her.”

“Could she do that?” she asked.

“It’s quite common. In fact—” He peered at the screen. “If I’m not mistaken, she’s started to expel the birth sac. See, she was waiting for us to leave her alone.”

They all watched as the mare rose clumsily to her feet and walked a few steps. When she turned, the white sac was visible.

Rory peered at the screen. “Come on, Duchess,” he whispered.

“You can see the foal’s hoof now,” Jan said.

They bunched around the screen, and Charley held her breath as the foal’s forelegs appeared.

“This was when things went wrong last time,” Luke whispered in her ear. “The head was positioned wrongly, and she couldn’t push it out.”

The tension in the office was palpable as the mare strained, until with one heaving contraction, the foal’s head started to appear.

Luke blew out his breath. “Whoa, almost home and dry now.”

When the head was fully out, he raised his clenched fist in triumph, and Rory punched the air.

As well as horses, I researched medical problems of sheep, cats and dogs, and even a goldfish with a cyst on its eye! I also consulted the ‘experts’, with a visit to a local veterinary clinic. When I explained the reason for my visit, the receptionist and nurse couldn’t have been more helpful and we chatted for over half an hour. Mind you, they did exchange glances when I asked them about their policy and practice concerning controlled drugs (an essential part of my novel) and I had to reassure them that I had no intention of breaking in and stealing any drugs!

If I had only written about ‘what I know’, I would have missed the fascination of discovering a lot of interesting information about veterinary work. Although the research can take time (often many hours), in the end it can actually prove more satisfying than only writing about what you already know.

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