a winter story, part six

by: Olivia Dale

"Maybe five or six of them will survive." -Alec

Felix and Sara hurried back to the King barn, where they quickly entered into the lambing pens.
"Uncle Alec, do you need any help?" Sara called over the bleating of the sheep. Hetty King came scuttling up, lamb in arms and bottle in hand.
"Yes, indeed we do, Sara. Here," she said, plopping the lamb, bottle and all into her niece's arms, "you feed this one, and Felix, help me with the others." she said, shoving Felix towards the rest of the bottles.
He picked up one of the bottles. "It's frozen...." he lamented to his aunt.
Hetty jerked it from his hand. "Goodness, Alec," she shaked the bottle, "it's frozen. Frozen!"
"I see, Hetty." Alec told her, pushing the bottle away that she was shaking inches from his face.
"We need to do something to keep the animals warm, and ourselves for that matter." he stated, looking around at the shivering, new born lambs, and rubbing his arms together for warmth.
"Warmth." Sara thought out loud. "Well, warmth is heat."
"Heat's energy." Felicity put in while struggling to dress a lamb in a sheep's blanket. "Stop squirming." she commanded the lamb.
"Like when you jump up and down." Felix joined the going-no-wheres conversation.
Alec sighed, then coughed, as his cold was getting worse. "Children, I know your just trying to help, but really, this is not getting us anywhere. All we can do is try to huddle the lambs closer together and maybe five or six will survive." he instructed, urging the sheep closer to the corner.
Five or six out of nineteen lambs, Hetty thought, gulping, This is not going to be good.