by Darrel Bird
Part four
Paul opened eyes that were just slit’s a day later in the Portland O.S.H.U trauma unit. His face was swollen almost beyond recognition, the monitors beeping quietly.
Huh, I thought we were working logs on the side of Elk Mountain, did I just dream it? He tried to hold on to the thought, but it slid away from him as his eyes slowly closed under the influence of the strong medications.
Sue had stepped out for just a moment and when she came back in and sat down beside her husband’s bed she saw no signs of him awakening.
A doctor came in and lifted the lids of his eyes and shined a light at them, but Paul did not move.
She wearily laid her head on the rail of the hospital bed and slept for an hour and a half, the nurses didn’t bother her when they came in.
She awoke with a start as his hand moved under hers; she had gone to sleep with her hand on his.
Paul mumbled something, but she couldn’t understand what he said.
“Wagger, wagger.” She went running down the hall to the nurse’s station.
“Paul is awake! He’s awake, come quick!” and she hurried back to the room, the nurse following her.
“I called the doctor. He wanted to be alerted when he wakes up.” The nurse told her as they rushed into the room.
“I wa wagger.” Paul said through his swollen lips.
The nurse took an eye dropper and squeezed a tiny bit of thickened water into his mouth. “That’s all you can have for now Paul, you have to be still, the doctor will be here in a minute.” The monitor had dropped off his finger so she replaced it, and the buzzer stopped.
“Wha happened?” his tongue was thick as his eyes darted around wildly at the room.
“You’ve been seriously injured Paul, now you need to lay still.”
The doctor walked into the room and took out his pen light and began to check his eyes.
“Mowa wagger.” Paul mumbled.
“What did you say? Say that again.” The doctor kept flashing his light into one eye and then the other.
“Mowa wagger, I wa mowa wagger.”
The doctor smiled at that, he looked at the nurse and said, “Give him a full teaspoon of thickened water.”
“You’re going to be ok Paul, now you need to lie still a while longer before you start moving around.” He gestured to Sue to step outside with him.
“I see no sign of brain damage, I think he’s going to make it through this ok, but we have to keep him quiet for awhile, can you help us do that?”
“Yes.”
“Good, I’ll be back to check on him in two hours.”
The next day Paul was able to sit up in bed a little and he could talk. Sue had gotten the first nights full sleep in a week as she walked back into the hospital room; they had moved him off the trauma ward to the second floor.
“Hi baby, how are you feeling?”
“I hurt a little. They fed me a little last night. Where are the kids?”
“They’re with the neighbors; the Doctor won’t let anybody in but me right now.”
“I remember what happened now, we were on the mountain when I heard the cable break, and then everything went black.”
“Yes, Mr. Ryder said the yarder cable broke and hit your head and shoulder.”
“I guess that’s the end of that job, I guess we’ll have to move again honey.”
“Please don’t start worrying Paul, we just have to get you better and get you home, I can’t do it by myself Paul, I need you home.”
The next day Bill Ryder walked into the room and sat down by Pauls bed. “How you feeling big guy?” He smiled at Paul.
“I feel bad about letting you down Bill, I know you needed the logs off elk Mountain.”
“Well…for one thing, you didn’t let me down, you’ve been a champ in those woods from day one, and for another thing I don’t want you to worry about Ryder Logging or your job, we’re still in business and your job is waiting.”
“I got a no interest government loan and was able to buy the three trucks back, plus a new yarder. The crew sends their best, here’s a card from them.”
The card was signed by the whole crew including Ed Brubaker. A week later Paul walked into the two story rented house. He was still weak and he sat down at the kitchen table to rest from the walk from the car to the house.
“Could I have a cup of coffee?”
“Sure honey, I’ll make some. I could use a cup too.”
As she busied herself with making the coffee she asked, “Do you see anything different?”
“Yeah, where did the new furniture come from?”
“Ryder bought it for us. Look at these walls Paul.”
“So? What about them?”
“They are ours. The community of Mist paid the house off, it’s ours free and clear!”
“You mean we have a home of our own?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean, and your job is waiting for you when you get healed. Bill called yesterday and said they have a contract on the coast that will last through next year. Those men love you Paul and we are staying in Mist.
She bent down to kiss him and laughed at his shocked look.
The end