Sure hope they have enough gas in that truck to get them to safety. This would have me freaking out.
Thanks Pac. Your chapters just keep getting better and better.
Goodness, my heart is just a pounding! Good thing there is a pause between chapters or I couldn't handle it. Please take good care of Evie. She is so important to that clan of people. I know she has taught them a lot and they could probably get along without her but it would be a shame to have it come to that.
When Evie woke she was disoriented, fuzzy headed and dry mouthed. Shutting her eyes against the sharp ray of sunshine fighting to get in the narrow hospital window, Evie blinked hard to clear her vision. Clora was on one side of the bed, Sandy on the other and Lainey was propped against the wall. All were sound asleep.
Taking inventory, Evie started with her head and went down her body. Everything was checking out okey dokey until she got to her foot. That was when things went from curious to bad to worse. Her foot was in some kind of boot that was holding it immobile.
Dreading what was going to have to be done next, Evie wiggled the big toe and then the rest of her toes on her right foot. Pausing for strength and a quick prayer, she wiggled the big toe on her left foot and nothing happened. The smaller toes responded a little, but beyond that, nothing moved.
Stunned with the discovery, she contemplated the various outcomes that no movement might mean. Taking a deep breath of courage she lifted the sheet and looked at her foot. That didn't help, as there was a huge bandage covering it.
"It's gone," Clora whispered quietly. "The Doctor had to take the big toe off to save your foot." She tried to smile, but the tears misted her eyes. "I'm so sorry Grandma, there was nothing they could do."
Evie nodded, blinking her eyes hard against the sting of her own tears. Then she relaxed, understanding how fortunate and blessed she was to have not lost her foot. When it happened Evie could feel that Junior's sharp puppy tooth went deep in her toe, so it was indeed a blessing and a miracle to be able to walk at all.
Evie reached over to pat Clora's hand where it rested on the sheet. "I am very fortunate to have lived this long with out major sickness or accidents; so I am way over due." she smiled at Clora.
"You are so much like my mother and myself, it's like looking in the mirror. I have, had," she corrected herself, "a picture of Grandma, me and mom taken when I was about seven. There is such a strong resemblance between us three, and then along you came to make 4. Now Sandy on the other hand, favors her mother's looks, but could pass for my sister when she was that age.
I've probably never told you about Vera, she died when I was sixteen or so. She had TB, and didn't live more than a year after she was stricken."
Clora listened with her heart, smiling at the love she heard in her Grandmother's voice. "Now Brett and Benny favor my father and Hap's mother's Dad. I only met them once, but Grandfather Ivarson had this enormous handle bar mustache that he would twirl the ends around as he was thinking. One time, Hap grew a handlebar; but he broke one side of it on an especially cold morning before we left Maine. It was -30 that morning. He was so upset." Evie giggled a little.
Clora reached over and enclosed Evie's hand with hers. Soon Sandy's rough fingers covered the other hand.
"Now Wayne, he is the spitting image of Hap and Pete when they were young. Only he's taller," Evie yawned and her voice faded off as she fell asleep.
The room door opened and Ben stuck his head in. Clora put her finger to her lips, and gently placed Grandmother's hand on the bed spread. Sandy did the same and they gently shook Lainey's shoulder to wake her. The three ladies tiptoed out as quietly as possible and met their brothers outside the door.
"Let's go down to the waiting lounge," Clora suggested, as she led the way. The family was talking , when Borg and Davis stepped out of the elevator.
"Hey, how is Evie? Davis could hardly take the time to say hello, before he asked.
"She just woke up." Clora repeated the latest news. "She also knows that her big toe is gone. Do you know what she said?" and her voice wobbled a little. "She said praise the Lord that her foot was spared. I don't know if I'm that strong," she finished with a watery sigh.
"Sounds like Grandma," Wayne said what they all were thinking.
Davis, Ben and Brett were talking, and Ben rubbed the back of his neck. Clora looked at him sharply, and he said in a flat monotone, "Davis would like to look in on Grandma, would you want to take him to her room?" he asked Clora.
"I need to walk," Sandy interrupted, "I'll show him the way."
Borg studied the family as all of the interaction was taking place. Such a diverse bunch from so many different mothers. Kids that really didn't have much in life going for them, but yet were united stronger than most pure blooded families due to the old lady. He looked up to catch Clora studying him with that calm, self assured attitude she projected.
"Mr Lindstrom?" she greeted him in a friendly way. "It's good to see you. Please tell me, how is your son Mark?"
"Recovering, with some days better than others." Borg watched as the tightness left her face to be replaced by a brilliant smile.
"That's very good news to hear, please, give him my regards," Clora said pleasantly, a wealth of meaning in the brief words she spoke.
"Would you care to visit with him? He's here in this hospital," Borg took a chance that the feelings Mark talked about were mutual.
"I certainly would," Clora responded immediately with an antimmated expression, her eagerness in opposition to the calmness she was trying to project. "What floor and room and I'll stop by today."
"It's not quite that easy," Borg admitted slowly. "I have to have a visit from you approved, and you will need to be escorted. Let me find out the particulars, and I'll get right back to you."
"I'll be here or the cafeteria, and I'm really looking forward to seeing Mark," she said with a little rush, her eyes sparkling.
"I think this is where they brought your Aunt, but she is in ICU, so no visitors," Borg passed on his information from Jennings. "Perhaps we can ask for short visits from the next of kin," he offered kindly.
"That would be wonderful, the news will cheer Grandma greatly." Clora smiled in gratitude.
"Let me talk to Mark's Doctor, and I'll be right back," Lindstrom stepped into the elevator and the door closed
Now thats weird. My above post was posted before the last 2 chapters and it shows up being posted at 11:40 p.m. last night. I didn't get online til after 1:00a.m. last night because we were playing dice until after midnight.
I am sure glad they made it safely away from the fire and found Brett. Now to get grandma to a dr. pronto.
Thanks Pac. Now I need to get some ice tea and cool off a bit.
#25
Clora didn't get to see Mark, but she spent 10 minutes with Inga. Auntie Inga was still alive, but so battered and bruised with brain swelling that she was comatose. Clora spent her ten praying aloud, asking that Inga be healed of her injuries. The nurse tapped on the window, impatiently pointing toward her watch, indicating that Clora needed to get herself out of there.
Clora reached over to pat Inga on the hand and was startled to be grasped tightly by the woman's fingers. Inga locked her hand on Clora's wrist and Clora could have sworn that she heard Inga say "pray for me."
Clora pointed to her Aunt's hand imprisoning hers, and the nurse thinned her lips in annoyance and turned away from the window.
Sitting down again, Clora grasped both her hands around Inga's small one. "Heavenly Father," she started in a whisper, "we ask a blessing for our loved Aunt." Praying ceaselessly as she had been taught, Clora asked for healing and that her Father's Will be done.
The longer Clora prayed, the more hospital workers strolled by to watch the happening. Inga's vitals increased in small increments, and where she had been in danger of flat lining and her brain activity going the same way, she was now beginning to hold her own.
The Doctor making her rounds of the critical patients, stood at the door and listened. Personally she totally believed in what she was seeing, but hospital policy dictated she examine each ICU patient twice a day.
Entering the room, the Doctor felt the healing happening to her patient. She turned the heart and brain monitor so it could be read from the window and walked back out without disturbing the two women.
Ben appeared at the window still wearing his Sheriff's uniform. He got many furious looks, as the onlookers thought he was there to remove Clora, but that changed when he went to the bedside and dropped to his knees. Speaking in his manly whisper, Ben added his prayers to those of Clora. It wasn't long before Wayne wandered down the hall, looking to see what was keeping Ben and Clora.
He had to give the charge nurse the evil eye as she rushed up to prevent him from entering the room, but as he walked in, he gladly added his prayer to those of the family. Sandy and Evie were praying in Evie's room, Davis sitting in a chair blocking the doorway so they weren't disturbed.
Borg had a hard time finding Clora to tell her today was not a good day for Mark to have visitors. He had to wend his way through the gaggle of people standing at the room door, finding that the family was deep in prayer for one of their own.
"Those people are in violation of hospital rules," the charge was on the phone to security, demanding they be removed. "This floor is in an uproar with no thought to the other patients."
Borg called his golf buddy, the hospital administrator, and got an overdue favor returned. The admin called the security and got the removal order rescinded. A note was passed to the indignant Charge nurse and she deflated like the air had been drained from her.
"There were to be no exceptions," the charge was heard muttering as she went to the chart room and shut the door.
Hour by hour Inga improved, as the praying went forward. Davis fell asleep exhausted in his vigil, and fell out of his chair. Brett had to leave to pickup Trey from the daycare. He went back to the diner to help the Wilson's and the Pendleton's get fuel for the pickup and find a campground for the night.
Cassy was close to being over emotional, thinking about birthing a child into the nothing she had to provide for it. Trey was beyond excited to find Christy and Willie to play with. Cheryl sat propped up against a tree and prayed that they would survive.
Ev and Will discussed what kind of work they might be able to find, and speculated what kind of proposition Ben might have cooked up for them. The lowlands were much hotter than where they had been living, so everyone stuck to the shade and drank water.
Brett asked if the guys would watch Trey while he pulled a second shift cooking. He hated to leave old Mom and Pop in a lurch, as they had been so good to him. Ev and Will agreed, and Trey played trucks with Willie while Christy ignored the 'boys' to play with her favorite doll.
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