Christmas, Alabama

by Susan Sands

  “Oh, yeah. I’ve heard some chatter about that. Let me see if I can connect you with someone who has information about that. Hold just a moment, please.”

  “Thanks.”

  Rachel waited what seemed like forever before someone came back on the line.

  “Hi there, Rachel, is it? This is Dr. Granger in the emergency department. Nick is still out at the crash site. It’s a rather serious situation, and the weather’s not helping, I’m afraid. They can’t take off yet because of the wind, and the roads are iced over now. There’s a cell tower down in the area, so they don’t have service. Give me your number and if we hear anything someone will give you a call.”

  “So, is he alright?”

  “Last I heard, they were still trying to stabilize the victims and stay warm. I’m sorry I can’t offer more information, young lady. I understand his family is here in town. Please give them my best and know we’re doing everything we can to bring him home safe and sound.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Granger.”

  Bev, Leo and Chuck now stood in front of Rachel listening to her end of the conversation. Waiting.

  Rachel couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “The cell tower there is down, and they’re still working to save the victims. The helicopter isn’t meant to fly in this kind of weather, and can’t take off now because the wind is too strong, and the roads are iced over.”

  Bev’s intake of breath was followed by a sob. “How will they stay warm?”

  “They have ambulances and still have fuel, so right now, they have heat,” Rachel said. But she understood that fuel would run out sooner or later.

  “I’m sure they have thermal blankets and such as well. People don’t freeze to death these days, Mom.” Chuck tried to reassure Bev, but it almost sounded like he was trying to make himself feel better about the situation.

  How would they stay warm out in this weather without any reinforcements? What kind of supplies did they have? Were there any other vehicles where they could take shelter and crank up the heat, at least for short periods? Rachel tried not to roll over into panic mode. “Yes, I’m certain the police are there and well-prepared for this storm.”

  “Hey there, honey. Geez, who died?” Jean-Claude Prudhomme approached unnoticed, and took in their grim faces.

  How typical that her father would say such a thing at such a time. She took him by the arm and pulled him away from the group. She quickly explained the situation and how serious it was.

  He immediately apologized, first to Bev, then to both Leo and Chuck.

  “Thank you, Jean-Claude. There was no way you could have known what was happening,” Leo said.

  Rachel remembered then that Daddy was supposed to have dined this evening with Jessica Greene. “Did you have a date?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did, and it was lovely.” He smiled.

  “Well, where is she?” Rachel asked, not because she wanted to know, but because it gave her something to talk about besides Nick’s situation.

  “She’s an early-to-bed girl, and asked to be escorted home right after dinner.”

  “Smart woman,” Bev muttered beside her where her father couldn’t hear.

  Rachel suppressed a grin. “Well, I think I’m going to head home now. Chuck, did you want to come up to the apartment or stay here?” she asked Nick’s brother.

  Chuck addressed his parents, but mostly Bev, “Mom, do you need me to hang here with you and Dad or should I go up and wait for Nick at his place?”

  “Your mother and I will wait here together. You go on with Rachel. If anyone hears any news, we’ll all be in touch,” Leo answered for Bev, who appeared suddenly exhausted.

  “Please try and get some rest. The storm will likely be here by morning, so if the cell service goes out, we still have a landline at Mrs. Wiggins’s place. She made me enter the number in my phone, so I’ll text you that number as well and you can make a note of it when you get to your room. The inn has a landline, so we should still be able to stay in touch.”

  “Thank you, dear. I apologize for being rude earlier. I’m afraid it’s my go-to when things aren’t going my way,” Bev said to Rachel.

  “I get cranky sometimes, too. We’re all human, so we’ll do well to remember it.” Rachel gave Bev and her dad a hug and wished them a good night.

  “Dad, you know I live in that big old house across the street, right? Number 227, Apartment A, upstairs.” She brought him to the large window of the inn and pointed across and down to the right. “Just there.” Mrs. Wiggins old mansion could be seen sitting just down from the shops on the corner.

  “Beautiful old place. I saw you head there the other day, but didn’t know which apartment. Now I do. Stay warm, sweetie. Your Nick will come back to you.”

  She hugged him again, feeling his support and the security of having her father with her. “Thanks for coming, Daddy.”

  She noticed his eyes fill. “I love you, Rachel. I know I’ve been a screw-up as a dad, but I’ll always be here for you.”

  Rachel nodded and turned toward Chuck, who was waiting a few steps away. She and Chuck zipped up their jackets and headed out into the cold, windy, night. The colorful lights and Christmas decorations still appeared so cheerful, as if nothing odd was happening, as if there was no beastly storm bearing down on this nearly-perfect town.

  When they arrived at the house, Rachel knocked on Mrs. Wiggins’s door. She wanted to make certain the elderly woman had made it home safely after her dinner out with Mr. Rosenstein.

  Mrs. Wiggins answered after the second knock, but she wasn’t alone. “Well, hello, Rachel. Is everything alright?” Was Mr. Rosenstein in his undershirt back there?

  “Uh, I was checking to be sure you’d made it home alright,” Rachel said.

  “How sweet. Well, as you can see, I have a guest, so we can talk tomorrow. Bye, now.” Then, she shut the door in Rachel’s face.

  Rachel figured the woman didn’t need to know anything about Nick. Right now, there wasn’t anything to know anyway.

  “She was in a hurry,” Chuck said from behind her.

  “Yeah. I think she was in the process of getting lucky.”

  They both made a face.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Am I going to see angels when I go to heaven?” four-year-old Becca asked Nick. The tiny child was shivering from cold, and barely conscious. She’d been nearly hysterical when they’d approached earlier to find her supported by officers where she’d been impaled through her midsection by a three-inch diameter tree branch. She’d been facing the tree, hanging about two feet above the ground. At first, she wasn’t aware of her circumstance. Shock had kept her from feeling pain.

  But the cold had settled into her little body, and she’d begun to shiver intensely. The officers had tried desperately to keep her warm while a saw was brought in to cut the branch in front of her and at least get her away from the tree so they could work on removing it. But the emotional and physical trauma of her facing the tree while trying to cut the branch was tricky. Shielding her from what was happening was impossible.

  “Becca, honey, you might see angels when you go to heaven, but right now, we plan to keep you here with us so your mommy and daddy can watch you grow up,” Nick told her as he tried to determine what, if any, organs had been damaged by the limb.

  A large light shone on the area where they worked. Nick decided they should try a different tactic. “This saw is too big and will be too loud. The branch isn’t any harder or bigger than a bone. Let’s try the bone saw instead.”

  Most often, bone saws weren’t part of medical supplies brought along in such situations, but he’d suggested one after hearing about Becca’s mom being pinned under the car. Terrible things had been done in the name of saving lives. One couldn’t always save limbs as well.

  “Buzz, here is going to cover your eyes, okay? This is going to make a loud noise, but not as loud as the other one did. We’re going to put your headphones back on so it won’t b
e scary, okay? Vanessa’s going to get you another blanket so you’ll be warmer.” They’d brought a pair of the helicopter’s headphones out so the noises wouldn’t be so jarring.

  The little girl nodded. Lord, he hoped she survived this ordeal. “Okay, here we go.” Nick wore protective eye gear, but the sharp pieces of the tree branch splintered everywhere in what seemed like a million pieces. One of the officers held up a piece of tarp to try and protect everyone as much as possible.

  The high-pitched whine of the saw was awful and loud, and it was likely that no one would ever forget this moment. Finally, the branch was severed in two, and Becca’s weight was absorbed by the many pairs of hands and arms who’d worked so hard to support her these last hours. Of course, there was still a tree branch in her middle. For now, it was still protruding in front about three inches. The sharp stick came out her back about a foot.

  “You did great, Becca. Now, we’re going to bring you to the ambulance where we can keep you warm.”

  They carried the little girl, branch and all to the medical van that had been at the ready for hours. He’d had the team prepare in case an onsite life-saving surgery was necessary. That was still to-be determined. The first rule of impalement was: never remove the object.

  Becca’s mom, Julie, was critical, but stable, after the emergency response team managed to use a winch to unpin her from her position in the overturned vehicle they’d been traveling in. Becca was four, and that meant she’d been in her car seat, but she’d recently learned to unbuckle herself, and according to Julie, she’d turned just for a second, begging Becca to snap the buckle back together, when they’d hit a patch of black ice. The car had left the roadway and things had gone horribly wrong from there.

  Julie was in a separate ambulance with broken ribs and a collapsed lung. She had a compound fracture to her left tibia/fibula. It was a nasty injury, but if they could get them both to a level I trauma center within the next few hours, Nick was hopeful. If not, he hated to think about possible consequences of the combined injuries.

  The immediate problem they faced was this blasted storm. There was no getting out now.

  “Let’s get Becca on her left side and try to make her comfortable. Take the pressure off by elevating the gurney to about a forty-five-degree angle. If that doesn’t work, try the other side. Give me an update on her vitals once you get her hooked up. Let’s hang a unit of O neg. and give IV Zosyn 2g, piggyback. I’m going to see your mommy now, Becca. She will want to know how you’re doing.”

  Becca’s breathing was fast and shallow, and she was very pale, a sure sign that shock had fully set in. She nodded slightly, but her eyes were glassy and she wasn’t engaged. At least they could warm her up fully in here. For now. Until they ran out of gas. He preferred not to think about that.

  Nick had warmed up considerably inside, but pulled up the hood on his jacket to make his way to the other ambulance where Julie waited. She was in and out of consciousness, mostly due to the large amounts of morphine they’d had to give her for the excruciating pain she was in due to the leg fracture.

  “Hi there, Julie. Good news. We’ve gotten Becca inside now. She’s resting comfortably now in the ambulance right next door. We’re getting her all warmed up and taking great care of her.” Nick noticed a tear track down the side of Julie’s face. “She’s stable, Julie. We’re going to get out of here. This wasn’t your fault.”

  Nick hadn’t ever felt more helpless.

  “I’ll come back in a few minutes and check on you.” He patted her hand. It was cold, despite the warmth inside the van.

  Nick’s eyes met Jeff’s, and they shared a worried moment. How were they going to get out of this?

  “I’ve been in worse circumstances, Doctor. We’re going to get through this.”

  “I’ll bet you have, Jeff. That gives me confidence.” Jeff was a combat medic. He’d seen terrible things in places Nick could only imagine. “Thanks.”

  “It would be nice to have one of the big birds here like we fly on our missions. That would get us out,” Jeff said. “This tiny chopper isn’t meant for rescues, only for transporting patients from hospital to hospital in normal conditions.”

  Rachel wasn’t satisfied to sit and wait to hear from Nick. This storm was coming, but before it did, she was going to do everything she could to bring Nick and the people he was with home safely.

  “Chuck, how do you feel about going someplace with me?” she asked.

  “Um, sure. I have a feeling this has something to do with my brother.”

  “You are right. Did I notice you’ve got a four-wheel-drive truck?”

  “Yes. I insisted we take it because of the weather. Mom had a hard time climbing inside, but we got her there.”

  “Great. Then, I’ll let you drive. We should be fine to get to the hospital and back before the roads ice.”

  “Let’s go.” He led her to his late-model black pick-up, which was indeed a challenge to climb inside for a regular person. It was a guy truck, to be sure.

  They drove to Ministry General without a problem. There were a few snow flurries, but the roads were clear. Rachel showed Chuck where to park outside the emergency department and they went inside.

  She spoke to the same girl, Candy, at the information desk when she’d called earlier. Candy called Dr. Granger up immediately.

  “Nice to see you, Rachel. We’re getting concerned about Nick over there. He’s not able to move his patients due to icy and windy weather. They’re sitting right in the worst of it and things are becoming critical for all, I’m afraid.”

  Dr. Granger’s words were like a punch to the gut for Rachel, but she had an idea. Maybe a crazy one, but it was worth a shot. “Dr. Granger, do you know Howard Jessup? He’s Maureen Laroux’s husband.”

  “Why, yes. I think everybody in town at least knows of him. Got some secret spy background, but nobody really knows the extent of it. Or, so I’m told.”

  “Right. He has high-level government clearance and has access to all kinds of planes and such. Special military-type equipment. Could we use one of those big rescue-type helicopters in this kind of weather?”

  Dr. Granger appeared thoughtful for a moment. “Those types of machines rescue folks from mountaintops in snowstorms. I don’t see why they couldn’t be used in this kind of situation so long as there was a place to land the thing. Do you think Howard would be able to get us something like that at a moment’s notice?”

  Rachel thought back to when Sabine and Ben had been in a pinch last year in New Orleans. Howard had come to their rescue by calling in favors well above any local law enforcement or political pull Rachel had ever seen. Even with her father’s influence, Howard had but to pick up the phone and big things happened.

  “I think he’s our best shot at getting those people help and bringing Nick home.”

  “How can I help?”

  “I need to know exactly where they are. Like, coordinates you would use in the military. I’m going to call Miss Maureen now, before the weather gets too bad here.”

  “I’ll get on it,” Dr. Granger said and headed toward the back.

  Chuck hadn’t said a word. He just stared at her. “Who is Howard?”

  “That’s what we would all like to know. If he keeps using his powers for good, I think we can wait to find out. Let’s just see if he can help Nick now.”

  She dialed Miss Maureen’s phone number. It rang three times.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, this is Rachel. I wondered if I could speak with Howard.”

  “Of course, dear. He’s right here.”

  “This is Howard.”

  Rachel quickly explained the situation and asked the important question, “Is this something you could help with?”

  “Of course. I’ll just need the exact location where the pickup should take place. I assume you’ll want this to happen within the hour?”

  “Oh, Howard, thank you.”

  “This is a small thing. One day, som
ebody’s going to ask me to do something challenging. Okay dear, where are Nick and our victims?”

  Dr. Granger was now standing in front of Rachel holding a piece of paper. “I’m going to let Dr. Granger here at Ministry General give you that information.”

  She handed the phone to the waiting doctor, who gave Howard all the pertinent information.

  “Sounds like they’re all set,” Dr. Granger said as he handed Rachel’s phone back to her.

  “I’m going to call my parents and let them know what’s happening,” Chuck said, and stepped over to the small waiting area.

  Rachel had tears of relief in her eyes.

  “I hope you don’t mind my sticking my old nose in your business, but our boy, Nick is really excited about making this change. I’d never have taken him for a small-towner at first with all his big-city training and such.”

  His words took a minute to penetrate her brain. “What change?”

  “Just today he got the final word. He’s free and clear of all his commitments in Atlanta. He signed a contract as the head of Ministry General’s general surgery department. We’ll be able to offer so many more kinds of surgical options right here instead of sending them to Birmingham or Huntsville.”

  Rachel was flummoxed. “I—didn’t know.” Nick had been working behind the scenes to be with her. What if he didn’t make it back? He’d made all the changes—met her more than halfway. She’d done nothing for him except say that someday she might consider moving to Atlanta. But not right now. He really must love her.

  She nearly melted to the floor. “Whoa, there. Let’s let you sit down. This has been a stressful day. Let’s put some faith in Howard and the Lord. We’re gonna have that boy home for Christmas.”

  Chuck came over to where she was sitting. “You okay?”

  She shrugged. “Did you know he was giving up his career in Atlanta to come here?”

  Chuck nodded. “Of course he was. He loves you, Rachel. I’ve never seen him this happy or content about any decision in his life. And I’ve known him his whole life. He loves Ministry. When Nick first got word he was coming here, he hated the idea of leaving Atlanta, but you wouldn’t believe how impressed he was with the hospital and the whole town. It was like he’d come home the minute he stepped foot here. Now that I’m here, I totally get it.”