by Akart, Bobby
“How do you know this?” she asked.
“I saw it on Grey’s Anatomy.”
Levi grabbed his brother by the arm, who was still rubbing his head from the painful thumping it took. The trio hugged the wall and pushed through the people lingering in the corridor. While loved ones and medical personnel were talking excitedly back and forth, there were only a few physical altercations compared to the ground floor.
“There!” exclaimed Chapman, pointing past the nurses’ station in the center of the hospital. On one wall, flanked by two faux palm trees, was a large whiteboard labeled O.R. SCHEDULE. Chapman became more aggressive as he forced his way through standing groups of loved ones loitering around the whiteboard.
The scheduling board was broken down into several columns, including the operating room number, patient name, assigned doctors, and type of surgery. People had rubbed up against the dry-erase board, wiping much of the information off it. A large area was smudged where the patients’ names were listed, along with their admitting time and age.
“I don’t see his name,” said a frustrated Chapman.
Isabella moved to his right and studied the column marked Procedure. She slowly ran her fingers down the list—gall bladder, splenectomy, appendectomy, skull fracture. Then she thumped the board with the back of her fist.
“Here! It reads bowel resection,” she said. She started to run her fingers to the left side, bumping into Levi as she moved. “Pardonne-moi.”
Levi stepped back to allow her to continue. The patient’s name associated with this surgery was rubbed off, but the operating room number was still readable. Her finger pointed to it.
“OR 2-C,” said Chapman excitedly. “That’s back the way we came.”
He grabbed Isabella by the hand, who in turn reached for Levi’s left hand. The three of them formed a caravan through the crowd, their heads on a swivel, searching for the operating room where Squire was located.
“This is it!” Chapman exclaimed as he pressed his face against the eight-inch-by-eight-inch window in the door. “It’s so dark in there. All I can see are the lights from the equipment and a small flashlight.”
“What should we do?” asked Levi.
Chapman leaned against the wall, but this time he didn’t beat his head against it. He needed to calm his nerves and think clearly. He took a deep breath and exhaled. The surgeons were operating on his father in the dark. There had to be something he could do to get them better lighting. He breathed deeply again and muttered barely loud enough for the others to hear, “I’m goin’ in.”
Chapter 5
Riverfront Farms
Southeast Indiana
Sarah Boone was as adept at hiding her emotions from her family as her husband was at hiding his painful illness from her. Over the years, the Boone parents, the ones who carried the burden of raising and providing for their family, had adopted the approach of masking their troubles in order to lend the appearance of being strong. Despite Sarah’s bouts of anxiety, which she carefully managed with the use of prescription medications, she was able to look on the bright side and appear chipper despite the world collapsing around her.
She was relieved Kristi had returned home, and was especially thankful for Tommy, who appeared to be a nice young man. The two weren’t outwardly smitten with one another, as Chapman and Isabella were, but there was certainly a chemistry between them. On a professional level, they’d met as boss and assistant. However, within a day or two of that relationship beginning, the catastrophic events wrought by the rapid pole shift had changed the dynamic.
Sarah made Tommy comfortable in the smallest of the guest rooms. He didn’t seem to mind and quipped that he appreciated the fact he didn’t have to sleep in the barn with the horses although he’d done it before. Sarah joked with him that the only new member of the family who might be relegated to a stall, if she didn’t behave, was Brooke. Sarah mused she wasn’t sure how Squire would feel about sharing his home with a chimp.
Like she’d done for Chapman, she’d maintained Kristi’s room intact even though she hadn’t slept there regularly since college. Kristi had had her own newsworthy events throughout her career, most of which had been reported online. Sarah and Squire had framed the headlines that adorned the walls of her room, along with photographs of Kristi’s escapades in Africa.
After fixing them dinner, Sarah, Carly, and Kristi walked around the property, discussing the state of the Boones’ affairs. Tommy spent his time hanging with the three kids—Jesse, Rachel, and Brooke, the biggest handful of the bunch.
After some small talk, mainly about her relationship with Tommy, Kristi turned the subject to more serious matters. “Mom, you’ve done a great job of avoiding the subject of Dad. I think it’s time you fill me in.”
“Me too,” added Carly. “But first, let me apologize for not seeing the signs myself. I’m around him all the time on the farm. I should’ve noticed he was having difficulty.”
Sarah shook her head and squeezed Carly’s hand. “Dear, your father-in-law can be quite the rascal. He’s not a very good liar. At least to me, anyway. We’ve been married too long and I’ve seen all his tricks. Somehow, this escaped me. Maybe it was the distraction of the drought and the stress over the financial obligations we’re under.”
“Me and Levi feel bad about that, too,” interjected Carly. “We’re living on that property, and Levi thinks Dad bought it to keep him from moving away or something.”
Kristi chuckled. “He didn’t try to bribe me!”
“It wouldn’t have worked, would it?” asked Sarah.
“No, but…” Her voice trailed off.
Sarah draped her arm over her daughter’s shoulders. “You were too strong willed and focused on your career path to be bought off. Besides, he wasn’t trying to bribe Levi. The purchase of those farms was a direct result of your father’s big heart and, to an extent, his inability to let go of this belief that he’s the caretaker of the Boone legacy.
“The Daniel Boone branch of the family, as he calls it, was more determined to build museums and monuments than continuing what the family was known for—pioneering and living off the land. My Chapman legacy was to build apple orchards. To Squire, his job was to bring the Boones’ lands back within our ownership. For all of his kids, and their kids, for generations.”
Kristi appeared somewhat confused. “Mom, now it’s my turn to apologize. I’ve pretty much stayed in my own little world at the zoo, kind of unaware of what your financial situation is. I knew Dad bought the farms, and based upon what you told me a couple of Christmases ago, it made economic sense. Has that changed?”
Sarah sighed and paused at the top of a knoll overlooking the Ohio River. Had she made this walk more often, she would’ve seen the noticeable change in the river’s elevation.
“I love my husband, but he can be a bit impetuous at times, especially when it comes to Riverfront Farms. It all goes back to this whole Boone legacy he’s trying to maintain.
“We haven’t discussed this with you kids mostly because nothing ever came of it, but Squire’s been approached by big food producers like Cargill, ConAgra, and Koch Industries. Honey, we could’ve retired, bought a condo in Naples, living the good life without a care in the world. Instead, we do what we do without a moment’s regret.”
Kristi continued to stare toward the river, which contained a few fishermen on the Kentucky side, casting lines in the distance. “Were the orchards not producing?”
“They were fine until this summer. The drought has been brutal, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Our note to the bank is due shortly, and we needed a good harvest to make the interest payment and some on the principal. At least, that was the plan anyway.”
Carly explained, “Levi was at the feed and seed when Bully Billy made some nasty remarks about the note coming due. It sounds like interest and a little principal ain’t gonna be enough this time.”
“How do they expect you to pay a note under these ci
rcumstances?” asked Kristi as she began to get riled up. “Their power is as dead as ours.”
“Well, of course, you’re right. This all happened before this whole pole-shift business. However, Squire was feeling stressed out about the loan long before because of the drought. The orchards are puny, honey. We simply couldn’t pump enough water to save all the trees or to produce the kind of quality apple our buyers were accustomed to. And now, naturally, there’s not anybody to sell to.”
“Do you think all of this is what caused Daddy to become sick?” asked Kristi. “You know, stress causes ulcers.”
“I don’t know. The old coot kept it bottled up inside him. He complained of stomachaches from time to time, and he was havin’ fits of diarrhea. Honey, we’re getting’ older. Things aren’t regular like back in the day.”
The three women laughed as Sarah lightened the mood. Talking about bowel movements in casual conversation can help change any serious subject.
Carly hung her head. “It hasn’t helped that Levi went huntin’. He could’ve waited until after the harvest. We talked about it over and over. He even spoke to Dad about it, who immediately shot it down.” She began to well up in tears, so Sarah quickly gave her a hug.
“I know you miss him. I do, too. It seems as if we’ve pushed our concern for Levi out of our minds, but that isn’t the case. He’s like a cat with nine lives. He’s likely to come strolling up that driveway any minute with an eight-point buck slung over his shoulder and a grin as wide as the river.”
“I know, I keep telling myself that,” said Carly, who was appreciative of the consoling. “It’s not me, though. Amazingly, Rachel has been doing very well, and Isabella has been a Godsend for her. It’s Jesse.”
“He’s been kinda down since the fishing incident,” added Sarah. She took a moment to bring Kristi up to speed. Then she turned back to Carly. “Do you think there’s something more?”
Carly furrowed her brow and wiped a few tears off her face. “I don’t know where to start. It kinda happened after Chapman got back. Jesse had been missing Levi, of course. Those two are really close to one another. His uncle’s return seemed to change Jesse somehow. He’s been kind of withdrawn.”
Sarah nodded. “I noticed he’s pulled away, spending more time on the security detail, as he calls it. He also isn’t eating.”
Carly shook her head and kicked at some rocks near her feet. “He says he wants to save his portion for his dad so he’ll have plenty to eat.”
“Jeez,” said Kristi, who reached out to rub Carly’s shoulders. “Anything else?”
“Well.” She hesitated before continuing. She pointed toward the river as if it were the culprit. “Since the other day, he’s been preoccupied with death. He’s asked me questions about his grandpa, and then he leads into whether I think Levi is dead somewhere. He had a nightmare last night, which leads me to believe this is really consuming him.”
“He seems to be in pretty good spirits this morning,” said Sarah.
“Well, it could be Kristi’s chimp or the fact Tommy has been extra nice to him. I’m not sayin’ he’s a father figure necessarily, but he is a guy.”
The waterworks erupted as Carly cried in earnest, and Sarah couldn’t hold back. The two women held each other, and even usually stoic Kristi couldn’t help herself as she, too, broke down. She joined the group hug.
“Whatever they throw our way, we’ll deal with it. The Boones have fought adversity for centuries. We’ll do it again.”
Sarah nodded. “Whatever it takes, girls. Whatever it takes.”
Chapter 6
Lutheran Downtown Hospital
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Chapman thought he could enter the surgical suite without attracting the attention of the medical team attending to his father. He was wrong. The relative quiet inside the operating room was immediately overwhelmed by the steady clamor emanating from the east wing of the hospital.
Dr. Ware was the first to notice Chapman’s presence at the window separating the scrub area and the ongoing surgery. “Sir, you can’t be in here! Get out now!”
Chapman didn’t hesitate in his response. “Is that my father, Squire Boone?”
“Sir, I must insist!” The anesthesiologist repeated his demand.
“I just want to see how—” His sentence was cut off by the older surgical resident.
“He’s still alive, but not for much longer if we don’t get some lights in this room!”
His rudeness drew a strong rebuke from Dr. Ware. “This young man can’t help us with the generator.”
Chapman could barely hear through the glass, but he picked up on the words help and generator. He took a chance. He found a surgical mask on a shelf above the washbasins and held it over his mouth and nose. He cracked the door so he could speak without yelling. “Did you say help with the generator?”
“Sir! Seriously? Are you trying to kill your father?” The rude surgeon continued to work while berating Chapman.
“Enough!” said Dr. Ware. “Young man, you must leave, but if you want to help, find some diesel fuel for the generators or battery-operated lighting for this OR. Now, please, you have to leave and keep others out as well.”
“I’ll try to—” began Chapman meekly before being cut off again by the surgeon.
“Sir, you have less than an hour to try, or it’ll be out of our hands. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, loud and clear.” Chapman was pissed at the surgeon’s attitude, but now was not the time to challenge the man who held his father’s life in his hands.
He paused briefly to study the surgeons working frantically on his father. The last time he’d seen this much blood was in Greenland after the polar bear had torn into the climatologists. He sighed and backed out of the operating room before slipping through the door into the hallway.
Levi peppered him with questions first. “Is Dad in there? How is he? Can I go see him, too?”
Chapman held both his hands up to calm his brother. “They’re in the middle of the operation, but it’s complicated because of the power outage. They have some equipment working, but the lights and AC are off.”
“What can we do?” asked Isabella.
“The doctors desperately need lighting to continue the operation. They said something about finding diesel for the generators. Or even battery-operated lighting. Plus, with all the chaos, I guess I wasn’t the first person to storm in their operating room.”
“I can work on the diesel,” offered Levi. “Let me try to find their generator system and look for a maintenance department.”
“I will go find lights,” said Isabella. “Did you say battery operated?”
Chapman swung his head around as two men began to argue near the nurses’ station. Pushing and shoving followed, leading Chapman to his decision. “I’ll deal with the madness,” he began. “Can you stand guard here? Nobody gets in unless they’re medical personnel, okay?”
Isabella moved the rifle in front of her body, holding it at low ready. “Okay.”
“Good. Levi, we have to hurry. They said they’ve got less than an hour to finish.”
“Why? Is it not goin’ well?”
“He didn’t say, and the doctor didn’t seem to be in any mood to answer questions. Let’s just move quickly.”
“I’m on it.” Levi turned toward the stairwell and shoved his way past anyone blocking him. Despite his injuries, he was prepared to knock everyone down who would prevent him from helping his dad.
“Be careful, mon ami.”
Chapman kissed Isabella on the cheek. “I will. Please protect him.”
She nodded and kissed him back. With a smile of encouragement, Chapman spun around and began to enter every door in the east wing as he searched for any type of portable light source.
His search was hampered by the large number of people milling about and the fact most of the operating rooms were in use. On one occasion, he found a surgical suite using a general exam light on a mobile st
and, which was ideal for his father’s surgery.
The layout of the operating room was the same as his father’s. Donning the mask to lend the appearance he was concerned with introducing bacteria into the OR, he asked the surgical team when he could have their light.
They screamed at him to leave. When he pressed, a large, burly nurse approached him with a scalpel in her hand. He couldn’t even get them to respond as to when the light might be available.
At least he knew what he was looking for now. The white examination light stood five feet tall on a stand supported by five casters. A bright LED light was affixed to the top of a bendable pipe. The surgeons appeared to be working diligently on their patient without concern for the lack of power otherwise. He immediately wondered why his father’s surgical suite wasn’t better prepared, but he shook it off.
He entered the chaotic corridor with a newfound sense of purpose.
Chapter 7
Lutheran Downtown Hospital
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Levi had reached the stairwell and, rather than going down, he chose to go to the roof access. It was possible the generators were there, but at the very least, he could look around the hospital grounds from a higher perspective.
The top floor of the hospital was the children’s ward, and it was just as chaotic as the second floor. He stuck his head into the hallway to see if their lighting or power capability was any better than the adult surgery ward, and it was not.
Immediately to his right, a set of parents and a young daughter were wailing in grief. Curious, Levi stepped closer and glanced into the doorway leading into the scrub basins of the children’s operating room.
Inside, in almost total darkness, there were several members of a surgical team standing over the body of a young boy. Their long shadows stretched along the floor and up the wall of the sterile space. Their silhouettes were broken only by the glow of light coming from a single Bic lighter, which they used to illuminate the surgical table.