Grabbing her duffel, she changed her shoes and clothes and set out. The locals were reporting that roads were still bad, but four-wheel drive vehicles could take detours across unpaved land, which meant she could definitely walk it. Congresswoman Driscoll-Santiago’s office had called the camp to say she was lobbying for more disaster relief funds and planning to visit as soon as there was a seat available. With only one runway working at the airport, a limited number of flights could land. The congresswoman had enough sense to know that if she took a seat, that meant one less relief worker got to the island. Not all politicians had that understanding. Anna was grateful that she’d listened to her sister and gotten an appointment that led to her meeting the congresswoman—though at the time she’d just been Kat, the senator’s daughter.
She checked out at the front desk so they’d know she wasn’t on base. The clerk issued her a sat phone in case they needed to reach her.
As she began her hike, Anna’s thoughts drifted back to Nico. Didn’t he need divorce papers signed? Obviously he was in a rush to move on with his life, get married and start a family. What if she decided to leave early? He didn’t know how her deployment worked. She had checked with the front desk and he hadn’t called for her. Some of the locals who she’d known while she lived here had asked for her when they showed up to get their injuries tended to, but none of them had any news about him. They wanted to know more about why she was back and whether she still had feelings for Nico. How was she supposed to answer that? She had simply told them she and Nico were getting divorced.
She picked her way across the rough terrain using a compass and her memories as a guide. No telling what she would find, but one thing was certain, she couldn’t leave Guam without facing her demons. The nightmare had come every night she’d been here and she was not going to live with that for the rest of her life. Nico was moving on, and it was time she did too.
By her calculations, it was a 2.6-mile hike. Doubling the time it would normally take her, she should’ve been there in a little over an hour. But she had underestimated the amount of detours she would have to take to avoid having to climb over fallen trees or blocks of concrete.
It took her well over two hours to make it to the cemetery. The energy she had when she’d left base camp was long gone, replaced with a weariness that made her legs leaden. Surprisingly, the cemetery was intact. Even Mother Nature had held back out of respect for the dead. There was some debris and a few fallen headstones, but none of the devastation she had just picked her way through to get here. Lucas’s grave site was burned into her memory like an iron brand. It was slightly downhill from where she stood.
There wasn’t much she could recall from that day. It was all a nightmarish blur. But in that fog, there was one image that played in her mind like a never-ending movie.
The funeral home didn’t have any coffins that tiny, so Lucas was being buried with all of his stuffed animals and hand-knitted blankets. And then she remembered. How could she have forgotten?
“Stop!”
The priest looked at her in alarm. Nico tightened his arm around her but she pushed him away. They’d been about to lower the coffin, but she couldn’t let them.
“I need to see him, he doesn’t go to sleep without it!”
Nico held on tighter, but some unknown strength gave her the power to push away from him and fly to Lucas’s side. The coffin was latched and there was a collective gasp from the crowd as she fumbled with the locks, trying to open the lid.
“Help me!”
No one moved. They all stood frozen, unwilling to help but too scared to stop her. She took a breath and focused, willing all her attention on working the locks. She managed to get two undone which opened the top half of the coffin. It was enough. She could see his face and most of his body. He was surrounded by all the things that had belonged to him in his little life. Nico’s hands were on her shoulders.
“Anna, we have to let him go.”
She slapped him away, then bent down and kissed her boy. He was so small. His body so cold and stiff. She blew softly on his face. “Night night, little baby, close your eyes...” Her throat closed so tightly, the next words wouldn’t come out of her mouth. Nico gently lifted her from the waist. All she saw was a pair of hands closing the coffin door.
“But I haven’t finished the song. He doesn’t go to sleep until he hears the full song.” The words were in her head but her voice box wouldn’t work. She screamed silently as they lowered the coffin.
She made her way to his gravestone. It was chipped and had an entire corner missing, but his name was clear. The ground was muddy as she sank to her knees, and it didn’t take long for the dampness to seep through her jeans. But she didn’t notice.
“Night night, little baby, close your eyes. Night night, little baby, no more cries. Sleep little baby, your mama’s always near. Even if she’s not right here.”
This time the words came. The song flowed out of her and she sang it over and over, touching the earth like she was caressing his head. Over and over. She had no idea how much time passed or what was happening around her. She was back in her home in Tumon, with her baby in her arms, singing to him, lulling him to sleep. His fine hair felt silky beneath her fingers, his skin smooth and soft. Why did people say babies smelled good? Hers smelled of spoiled milk, but she didn’t care. She loved that smell. Lucas moved in her arms, and she enjoyed the sensation of his little kicks.
It was her happy moment, when all was well. Before their world had turned upside down. She lay on top of the grave. Eyes closed, she stayed at the house in Tumon. It had been a while since she’d been able to go back to that house and she didn’t want to leave. She was going to stay with Lucas.
* * *
“WHAT DO YOU mean you can’t reach her?” Nico glared at the desk clerk at Anna’s field hospital.
“She’s not answering her sat phone.”
“How long has it been?”
“Five hours, give or take.”
Nico swore under his breath. He’d come to the field hospital to talk to Anna and print divorce papers. His entire family was riled up, and the only way to calm them down was to show them signed papers. They were all convinced he was still hung up on Anna. They didn’t understand that he wasn’t going to forget her, or stop loving her. But he wasn’t going to let those feelings stop him from moving on with his life. Even the tsunami wasn’t enough of a distraction for his meddlesome family.
A broadcast had come over the emergency radio system that another storm was expected. Everyone was bracing. He’d left Maria in charge of making sure all the broken windows at the hospital were boarded. They’d already been well on their way to completing that task before the latest forecast. The windows would take months to replace since they had to be ordered from the Philippines. The governor had begged for help; Guam Hospital was so badly damaged, the building was condemned. The only medical care available—besides what little they could offer at Nico’s hospital—was at two field hospitals, the one Anna was in and another set up by a relief organization. Those field hospitals were being moved to the school and a mall, but they could only do so much in temporary locations. And once the disaster relief efforts were over, there would be nothing on the island unless they got the Talofofo hospital up and running.
Nico had gone into the meeting prepared to say no. He’d done the numbers and the timeline just didn’t work, but Maria had been right. It was the whole reason their hospital had been built. He had made a special request of the governor and had just gotten word that the man had managed to keep his end of the bargain. Nico had come here to talk to Anna about the divorce and his idea for the hospital, only to find that she was gone. Five hours wasn’t a long time. There was no cause to worry. Except something in the pit of his stomach churned with such intensity that he couldn’t ignore it.
“What’s the storm update?
”
“It’s now a Category 5 hurricane. Models predict it’ll hit in four hours. We’re taking down our tents now and moving to the school. The hospital will have to continue there.”
Nico nodded. His hospital was also being used as a shelter given that it had withstood the tsunami. With all the debris lying on the road, it wasn’t safe to be outside. The hurricane-force winds would blow things everywhere.
“Can you try her one more time?”
The clerk sighed dramatically but picked up the phone and made a show of holding the receiver so Nico could hear the never-ending rings on the other end.
He had promised Maria he would be back before the hurricane came. While such storms were not rare on Guam, the damage from the tsunami would complicate things. Even buildings that were in good shape would topple. The hospital was filling up with people coming for shelter. Nico had built it to the highest possible standards, but he had no idea whether the tsunami had damaged any critical structural components. He hadn’t had time to get an engineer to check the foundation. Nico needed to be there in case something went wrong. It was his hospital and he was responsible for the people inside it. Anna was a grown woman; she could take care of herself. She was no longer his problem.
He walked to his truck and slammed his hand on the steering wheel. There were only two places she would go. Nico was pretty sure he knew which one she’d chosen.
It was raining by the time Nico parked the car in a grassy knoll, away from any trees or other buildings. He’d have to walk the rest of the way. Picking up his emergency backpack, he began the trek. Normally he could run half a mile pretty fast, but the winds were starting to pick up and he had to dodge random items as they flew at him. Despite the cold air, sweat beaded on his forehead. What was she thinking, walking in these conditions? She could be lying injured anywhere between here and the field hospital. He’d kept his eye out during the drive, but she would’ve taken a different path if she was on foot. Time had obviously not softened her stubbornness.
Rain pelted his face, but he forged forward. He should’ve brought her here. They should have come together. It had been three months since he had visited Lucas’s grave. He used to come every Sunday after church; sitting with Lucas brought him peace. But, as time went on, his visits seemed more hollow. Memories of Lucas had faded and all that remained were regrets related to Anna. The cemetery sloped downward into a valley, so he went to the highest vantage point first. It didn’t take long to see her collapsed on Lucas’s grave. Heart pounding in his ears, he raced toward her, almost falling several times as he tripped over debris.
“Anna!”
She didn’t respond. His legs moved with such force that he got to her in no time. Lying sideways, her body was covered with mud and water. He lifted her shoulders, placing her pale face in his lap. He put his ear to her nose and nearly collapsed with relief. She was breathing, her pulse weak but there.
“Anna, wake up. Anna!” She stirred but her eyes remained closed. A gust of wind blew a tree branch in their direction and he lifted his arm to deflect the blow. He had to get them to shelter. It was too late to try and get to the hospital. The storm must be coming earlier than predicted. Lifting her, he draped her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, grateful for his days as a volunteer firefighter. There was a stone church nearby. The building wasn’t a designated shelter, but it had stood on the island for hundreds of years, so Nico hoped it could survive one more day.
The wind and rain slapped against him, making it harder to walk. Random litter swirled around his legs and every once in a while something came hurtling at him. It was like walking through a video game where projectiles were being thrown at you, any one of them capable of delivering a fatal blow. He protected Anna as best he could with his arms. The church was only a quarter mile away, but it might as well have been twenty miles. It was late afternoon, yet the sky was dark with thunderous clouds. Sparks of lightning lit the deserted streets in ominous flashes.
They were almost at the church when a jagged piece of metal flew right at him. Nico stepped sideways to avoid it but a gust of wind pushed him back. He rotated so the shard would miss Anna and it caught him in the side. The wound Anna had stitched a few nights before burst open, sending a sharp pain through his belly. There was nothing in front of him but darkness; his legs threatened to give out underneath him and he wanted nothing more than to collapse right where he was.
Then Anna stirred. He felt her move and his vision cleared. The church was less than half a block away. Summoning a strength he didn’t think he had, he pushed through the wind and up the stone stairs. The metal door leading into the church was locked. He set Anna down and lifted the heavy iron knocker, letting it fall back on the door. No one used that anymore but it had the intended effect. The loud bang could be heard above the wind and thunder. His arms were killing him, but he lifted the knocker one more time and then another. Finally, the door opened.
“Pale’!” Nico’s knees almost buckled with relief. While he and his family belonged to a different church, the priest knew Nico and urged him in. Anna’s eyes were open and she stared, bewildered, as he helped her to her feet and half carried her inside. The priest shut the door behind them.
“Nico, my son, what are you doing out in this weather?”
Nico didn’t have the strength to explain, he simply nodded toward Anna and the priest understood. He led them down a set of stairs. Nico hadn’t been inside this church before but couldn’t focus enough to see anything other than the priest’s flashlight beam.
“This is a room we use for visiting guests.” The priest turned on the overhead light, a naked bulb hanging from the ceiling which illuminated the stone-walled room with a bed and nightstand.
“There’s some firewood, starters and matches on the hearth. I recommend you start a fire—it gets really cold down here. I’ll go see if we have anything left in the kitchen.”
Nico let Anna sit on the bed and realized she was shivering. Her clothes were soaking wet and so were his. There was a thin blanket on the bed, so he wrapped that around her, then went to the fireplace. Shrugging off his wet jacket, he began stacking wood and kindling. His own hands were trembling. Whether it was from the cold or the red-hot pain burning through his body, he wasn’t sure.
“You...you...you’re bleeding.” Anna’s voice was so tiny, he wasn’t quite sure she had said the words. He looked down but didn’t see anything. He was soaked from the rain. Ignoring her, he stacked the logs as best he could, then lit the newspaper and kindling with a match. It didn’t take. The room was drafty, the wind seeping in from the chimney. He tried again and this time the newspaper caught and the kindling with it.
“Ah, good.” The priest had returned. “I see you’ve got the fire going. I don’t have much in terms of clothes, but I found a bag in the donation pile. Hopefully something will work for you.”
Nico made a mental note to say his prayers tonight.
“The kitchen is a little bare—you’ll have to make do with bread and peanut butter.”
“Thank you, Pale’, this is more than I could ask for. Do you need help with anything?”
The older man shook his head. “This building has survived much worse, my son. I’ve been helping my congregation deal with everything that’s happened. I’m going to go pray that everyone remains safe tonight.” With a weary sigh, he handed Nico a flashlight and headed for the stairs. “You can find me in the rectory if you need me.”
The logs had caught fire, bathing the room in a soft, orange glow. Anna was staring at him, her gaze a thousand miles away. He unwrapped the blanket to find that she was stone-cold. Her lips were a strange purple. She’d stopped shivering. He helped her to the fire and sat her down. Turning her toward the flames, he lifted the edge of her top and pulled it over her head. She was still his wife, yet he kept his gaze focused on the hearth. There were no towels s
o he used the top sheet of the bed to dry her off as best he could, then pulled a sweater over her head.
“I’m okay,” she whispered through chattering teeth. Breathing a sigh of relief, he handed her a pair of pants that looked like the only thing small enough to fit her and told her to get out of her wet jeans. She didn’t move but he retreated to a dark corner and stripped his own clothes. The room was starting to spin around him. He managed to pull on a pair of sweats, but as he took off his shirt, he noticed it was sticky. Looking down, he saw that not only had the earlier gash come apart, he’d been newly cut by that jagged piece of metal. He took a spare T-shirt and wiped the wound as best he could, wincing as more waves of pain ripped through his body.
“You’re hurt.” He hadn’t noticed Anna stand. She was wearing the pants he’d given her and looked remarkably better. Before he knew it, she was peering at his wound and directing him to lie down on the bed. She took a corner of the bedsheet and ripped it, then used it to bandage the wound tightly.
“You’re going to need stitches. Stay here and I’ll go to the hospital and bring them back.”
What?
“Anna, are you crazy? There’s a hurricane outside. I barely got us here.”
For the first time, she seemed to consider her surroundings. The stone room was eerily quiet, buried in the ground with no windows. The only noise came from the crackling fire and the occasional draft of wind that made it down the chimney and blew sparks from the hearth.
“Where are we?”
“We’re in that old stone church off Chalan Road.”
“How did we get here? Why are we here?” Her eyes were wide with confusion, and he could see her trying to shake the cobwebs loose in her mind. His own focus was fading as the exhaustion of the day wore him down and the soft pillow beneath his head teased him with the promise of sleep. Grunting in pain, he sat up.
Mending the Doctor's Heart Page 7