Forever My Hero, page 19
Alice started to get up and then bumped her bandaged hand. “Dang it. I will be so glad when this gets well. I’m afraid we’ll still be dealing with this hurricane when the time comes to get the stitches removed.”
“I can take them out. Don’t worry about that,” Dan said.
Alice laughed. “Well, of course you can. What’s the matter with me?”
Dan looked a little sheepish. “I didn’t mean for it to sound like an all-knowing that.”
Alice poked his arm. “You mean…climbed down from the mountain to perform another miracle ‘that’?”
He grinned. “More like climbed off my horse to get the job done, but your words, not mine.”
Alice scooted closer and rolled over onto her side with her head against Dan’s thigh, where she curled up and closed her eyes.
The emotion welling up in Dan couldn’t be denied. All of these people beneath his roof. A hurricane raging outside, and they trusted him enough to fall asleep. They’d done what he hadn’t been able to do on his own. A man needed purpose, and he needed to be needed. And the best part of it all—they needed him, too.
He looked down at the little girl in his arms, then at the long-legged boy stretched out on the floor at his feet. And then he reached for Alice. Her hair was soft against his palm. He already knew what it felt like to kiss her. He wanted to know what it was like to make love with her, to sink deep into her warmth. To come apart with her beneath him. She’d given him a reason to live—really live—again. And knowing that much about her already, she would also know what it took to fix a really broken heart.
* * *
Upstairs, Elliot woke with a start. He sat up in bed, his heart pounding. He’d seen it so clearly that he knew it was not a dream. The woman was alone—trapped in a small room—and badly hurt. And he knew her.
He got up from the bed on shaky legs and stumbled to the window before opening the shutters just enough to check weather conditions. When he saw the rain blowing sideways, and the downed trees, and the water moving across the grass like the current in a river, he shook his head. Rescue was next to impossible.
“I say, Lord, if You’re not going to show me a way to help, then You have no business showing me those in need, okay? So I’m asking for an answer, and time is not on our side.”
With that, he made a quick trip to wash up, then put on his house shoes and went downstairs. When he walked into the living room and saw everyone asleep, he turned around and went to the kitchen instead.
Elliot liked his sweets, and he’d already seen the yogurt. He chose a little one-serve carton of peach-flavored yogurt, peeled back the top, and grabbed a spoon from the drawer.
The remote to the kitchen television was on the table. He turned it on and ate his yogurt while watching updates on the storm.
* * *
Lovey came to lying in water and in excruciating pain.The roar of the wind coming in through the broken window was not only deafening, but so strong it took her breath away.
“Help! Help!” she cried, and couldn’t even hear her own voice. “Oh my God, please don’t let this be how I die.”
She needed to get up out of the glass and water, but was afraid to move for fear she’d pass out again. She needed to roll off her broken arm. It was the only chance she had of getting up, but dear God, she was so afraid.
Finally, she found a way to move by pushing her feet against the tub, and then rolled onto her back, screaming with every breath until she choked on the rain now blowing on her face.
Okay girl, you have to get up now before you drown, but how? Then she sighed. She’d gotten herself down here. So now she had to get up. Grateful she still did sit-ups on a semi-regular basis, she used her good arm to steady the broken one and sat up.
Then the moment she did, the room started to spin. She dropped her chin to her chest and closed her eyes until the spinning stopped, then tried it again. She was dizzy, but not as much as before. It occurred to her that she might have suffered a concussion when she hit the sink, and she felt along the side of her head and cheek. There was a huge knot on her cheekbone, along with what felt like dozens of shards of glass in her face, yet with all the rain, she couldn’t tell how much she’d been bleeding. But she was halfway to her goal of standing up, and she needed to get out of this room, so she had to move.
Without thinking about how to do it, she just reached for the tub, pulled herself as close to it as she could get, and then leaned into it, headfirst. When she felt the weight of her body shift, it shifted the broken bones as well. By the time she was on her knees, she was sobbing.
“God help me!” she screamed, and used her good arm to lever herself up.
The moment she stood up, the blast of the wind coming through the window nearly blew her down again. In a panic, she reached for the doorknob to get out of the room and realized she couldn’t open the door. The force of the wind had her trapped, and she was getting dizzy again. Afraid she would fall back on the floor, she sat down on the lid of the commode and leaned against the wall beside her.
“Lord, help me. Please send help.”
* * *
Dan was in the kitchen cooking hamburgers. Charlie was at the counter beside him, slicing tomatoes and lettuce, while Alice was getting mayo and mustard from the refrigerator. Patty was already seated and chattering away to anyone who would listen, but this time, it was Elliot who was silent.
Dan noticed it, but hesitated to say anything. But as soon as he finished cooking the last burgers, he added them to the platter and carried them to the table.
Elliot looked up at him and smiled, but Dan could tell he was preoccupied.
“What’s up?” Dan asked.
“Someone is hurt and in serious need of help, but no one can get to her yet.”
Dan frowned. “Who’s hurt?”
“The woman who owns Granny’s Country Kitchen.”
Alice overheard what they were saying and gasped. “Lovey? Are you talking about Lovey Cooper?”
Elliot nodded.
“What happened to her?” Dan asked.
“She was looking out a window when something blew against her house and broke the window. I don’t know details, but she has multiple cuts, a concussion, and a broken arm.”
“Oh no,” Dan said. “That means wind and rain are coming in that broken window, too.”
Elliot looked off into space as if he was watching what was happening to Lovey play out.
“She’s trapped in the room. She can’t get out,” he said.
“Why not?” Alice asked.
“The wind slammed the door shut, and she doesn’t have the strength to open it to let herself out. There are several inches of water on the floor, and the roar of the wind is so loud no one will hear her.”
“We have to do something,” Dan said. “I need to call Chief Pittman, and as soon as it’s safe enough, he’ll get her and take her to the ER.”
“How long before the eye makes landfall?” Alice asked.
“Not sure,” Dan said. “Hey, Miss Patricia, would you please turn on the TV?”
Patty grabbed the remote, happy to help, and moments later, they were watching film of different places along the coast and the damage they had already suffered. But there was a bit of good news. The eye was going to make landfall before morning. When that happened, the wind would lay, and if the streets weren’t too flooded, they would be able to get to Lovey and get her to the ER before the back side of the hurricane hit the shore.
“I’m going to call the chief. Start without me. I won’t be long.”
“We’ll wait,” Alice said, and sat down at the table as Dan left the room.
* * *
Mercy Pittman was in their garage with her cell phone plugged in to the charger in the car, talking to her sister, Hope, making sure they were all okay.
Lon was sitting in the living room, listening to storm updates on his battery-powered radio, when his cell phone rang. It was the first call he’d gotten since everything shut down, and when he saw Dan Amos’s ID, he quickly answered.
“Hey, Dan. This is Lon. What’s up?”
“So, Elliot Graham is staying here with me, along with the Conroy family, and he just dropped a basket of bad news.”
“What’s wrong?” Lon asked.
“You know he knows stuff, right?” Dan said.
“Yes. I don’t really get how he does that, but I also don’t belittle something I don’t understand. What did he tell you?” Lon asked.
“I’ll make this short. Lovey Cooper is trapped in a room inside her house. The storm blew something against her house. It broke the window in the room she was in and, and blew the door shut. She’s cut up, likely has a concussion and a broken arm.”
Lon groaned. “This is my worst nightmare. I don’t have even one vehicle heavy enough to take out in this storm.”
“Well, that’s not all. There’s too much pressure against the door for her to get herself out. She’s trapped.”
“No, no, no,” Lon said. “I have to figure something out. Thank you for letting me know.”
“Yes, you’re welcome, but here’s a thought. If you can get it organized, maybe you can rescue her when the eye makes landfall…”
“Yes. If the streets aren’t flooded, we can easily send fire and ambulance, but if they are, I need to figure out plan B.”
“We have power. Preston Williams had a huge generator wired into this house, and I have plenty of fuel to keep it running. If you and Mercy need shelter, I have some extra bedrooms.”
“Oh, that’s good,” Lon said, “and thanks. So far we’re good, and thanks for letting me know about Lovey. I’ll figure this out. You guys stay safe, and tell Elliot I said thank you.”
“Will do,” Dan said, and then disconnected. He went back into the kitchen, rubbing his hands. “Message delivered. The chief says thank you, Elliot.”
“He is most welcome,” Elliot said.
“Can we eat now?” Patty asked.
“Yes, we can eat now,” Dan said, then they all joined hands.
Alice listened to the soft rise and fall of Dan’s voice as he blessed their meal and knew from the ease with which he was doing it that he’d grown up in this way. He added a special blessing of protection for Lovey and ended with an amen.
“Amen,” Elliot echoed, and then tucked his napkin into the neck of his shirt.
Patty giggled, but then did hers the same way.
Alice wasn’t going to argue that point. It was probably right where it needed to be for Patty. Hamburgers had a tendency to drip, and Patty only wanted ketchup on her burger, which made her supper tonight an accident waiting to happen.
Booger had finished his kibble while Dan was on the phone, and now he lay in the doorway, watching them eat.
The whole time Dan was putting his burger together, he couldn’t help but think about Lovey, trapped and in a terrible situation. She’d spent so many years feeding the people of Blessings, and when she needed help, no one could get to her. He said an extra prayer for her, hoping the chief figured out a way to perform the rescue.
* * *
Lon’s phone battery was fading, and he needed to make some calls, so he headed to the car, moving through the house with a flashlight. When he opened the door, Mercy jumped and squealed, which alerted her sister, Hope.
“What’s wrong?” Hope asked.
“Oh my gosh, Lon just scared me,” Mercy said, and then looked at Lon’s face. “Hope, hang on a second. What’s wrong?” she asked.
And then he told her, knowing it was going to hit her hard.
Mercy was in tears and put the phone on speaker so her sister could hear. “Hope, did you hear all that?”
“Yes, I did,” Hope said. “I can’t bear to think of her trapped like that with no medical attention.”
Mercy reached for Lon’s arm. “What can you do? We can’t just leave her there.”
“Right now, there isn’t a vehicle in Blessings that could get out of a driveway, let alone drive across town. But when the eye passes over land, there will be a lull. Even if it’s not passing directly over us anymore, the wind will decrease. We’ll get her then.”
“How long is that?” she asked.
“At least four hours,” Lon said.
“Oh my God,” Mercy moaned. “Poor Lovey. She must be in horrible pain. I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Hey, Lon,” Hope said. “Jack and Duke are standing here, too. Jack wants to tell you something.”
“Sure. I’m here,” Lon said.
“Hey, Lon… This is Jack. You said there aren’t any vehicles that would get you around until the wind lays, but that’s not entirely true. A big dozer—even one of the oversize farm tractors—could easily drive through deeper water and would not be as impacted by the wind as regular vehicles. Especially a really big dozer. Just an FYI,” he said.
“Good call, Jack. Thanks for the info. I’ll talk to you later. My battery is about to die.”
“Oh! Use my phone!” Mercy said. “It has eighty-five percent power right now. Hope, I’ll check in with you later. Be safe.” Then she hung up and handed Lon her phone. “Do you need privacy? Do I need to leave?” she asked.
“No, not at all. Unless you want to go back in the house, you’re fine.”
“I’m staying, then,” Mercy said. “Do we know anyone with a dozer?”
“Yes, we do,” Lon said, and plugged his cell phone into the charger and googled the phone number for Pine’s Dozer Service.
* * *
Johnny and Dori Pine were busy trying to get their three boys settled down for the night. The boys were scared and had been ever since the wind and rain began, so they’d made pallets in the master bedroom for Johnny’s two younger brothers, Marshall and Beep, and their toddler, Luther, would be sleeping with them.
Dori was in the utility room getting a flashlight apiece for the boys to have in bed with them, and she and Johnny had their flashlight on the table beside the bed.
Johnny was on the floor reading to the boys by flashlight as Dori came back into the bedroom. She handed one light to each boy, and the delight on their faces was obvious as they turned them on and lit up the book Johnny was reading like it was under a spotlight.
Dori grinned.
And then Johnny’s cell phone rang. “Hey, honey, see who’s calling, okay?”
Dori circled the bed on the run. “Hello? Yes, he’s right here. Just a moment,” she said, and then handed the phone back to Johnny. “It’s Chief Pittman.”
“Trade places with me,” he said, and took his phone as Dori sat down to finish the story. “This is Johnny,” he said as he walked out into the hall.
“Johnny, this is Lon Pittman. I need to ask you a question, and then maybe a favor.”
“Ask away,” Johnny said.
“Do you have any of your dozers at your house? Not down the street. Not a half block away in some storage unit. At your house.”
“Yes, I do. I unloaded it in the backyard two days ago because I guessed it might be needed for cleanup in Blessings after the hurricane passed. Why?”
“We just received word that Lovey Cooper has been injured. It’s reported she may have a concussion, multiple cuts, and a broken arm. And she’s trapped in a room with the full blast of the hurricane wind and rain blowing in on her.”
“Oh no!” Johnny said. “Why can’t she get out? Is the door blocked by debris?”
“It’s the force of the wind. She can’t get it open. Here’s what I want to do, if you’re willing to help. In about four hours or so, the wind is supposed to decrease when the eye makes landfall. For a time, it will be safe enough to get out. I thought that would be our best chance to get to her, but I’m not sure how the flooding is going to be.”
“I can take a dozer through pretty deep water. The engine sits high…almost above the tracks.”
“That’s what I was hoping for,” Lon said.
“But four hours, Chief? That could be the difference between saving her or recovering a body,” Johnny said.
“I know, but—”
“Chief, I have a big cab on that dozer. She doesn’t live more than five blocks from me. I can get to her. I can chop a hole in that door and get her out that way. I can get her to the hospital in that dozer. I can, Chief. I can do that.”
“You have a young family, Johnny. What if that wind stops you… What if it rolls you over?”
“No, sir. That’s not gonna happen, because the one that’s here weighs over five tons. What’s the top wind speed right now?”
“Maybe a hundred and twenty-five miles an hour. Maybe more.”
“Five tons, Chief. That wind isn’t going to blow it anywhere. I’ll let you know when I get her into the cab, then you let the people at the hospital know I’m bringing her in to the ER. Tell them to get the biggest, strongest people they have working there to meet me. No trying to load her on a gurney. Just carry her inside out of the wind.”
“I don’t like this. It’s totally against my better judgment,” Lon said. “If you get stranded, there is absolutely no one who can come help you or come get you.”
“Yes, the hurricane is a monster storm, but I drive monster rigs. It will be okay,” Johnny said. He hung up, but when he turned around, Dori was standing in the doorway to their bedroom with a look of terror on her face.
“Oh, Johnny, what did you just promise to do?”
“Lovey is hurt. She’s trapped in a room in her own house. She’s cut up, possible concussion, and a broken arm. And the storm slammed the door shut, and there’s no way she can open it to get out. She’s hurt and trapped, with a hurricane swirling around her head, Dori. I have to go. I can do it. And you know the big Cat can make the trip.” Then he wrapped his arms around her. “Lovey did a lot for us, remember?”
“Yes, I remember,” Dori said.
