David shook his head. “You were over an hour late, and Priscilla never mentioned you were planning to come over.”
“Come on, boys, this arguing isn’t going to help Priscilla.” Daniel held up his hand. “Sounds like you’re both acting a bit immature. It was an accident.” He looked at David. “Even if you did leave the burner on, it’s not your fault Priscilla’s dress caught fire.”
David felt bad enough, but hearing Elam’s angry tone, plus the look of anguish on Priscilla’s parents’ faces, made it worse. If he hadn’t wanted to stick around to hear how badly Priscilla had been burned, David would have called Gramps right then and asked for a ride home.
They sat in silence for a while, until a doctor came in and told Priscilla’s folks the extent of her injury. “Your daughter has second-degree burns on her hands, arms, chest, and shoulders,” he said in a serious tone. “A burn such as this, covering more than ten percent of a person’s body, can be quite serious if not treated properly. We’ll keep her here a few days in case infection sets in, and to be sure the burns haven’t damaged the deeper layers of Priscilla’s skin.” He stopped talking for a few seconds, as if to let her parents take in what he’d said. “She will experience a great deal of discomfort, so in addition to treating the burns, we’ll give her something for the pain.”
“Can we see her now?” Iva’s expression was desperate; while Daniel looked like he’d aged ten years.
The doctor nodded. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to her room.”
Daniel and Iva rose from their seats. Clasping each other’s hands, they followed the doctor out of the waiting room.
Elam went to the door, watching Priscilla’s parents until they turned a corner, then he stood looking down the corridor. It was all he could do not to go with them, but Daniel and Iva needed time alone with their daughter.
Elam’s legs felt weak, as if they could no longer hold him, so he quickly took a seat. “I appreciate your grandfather bringing me and Priscilla’s parents to the hospital, but you should have gone home with him. There was no need for you to stay.” Elam looked at David and frowned. “You oughta go now.”
David opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he closed it, turned, and walked out of the room.
As Elam listened to the rhythm of David’s shoes as he headed down the hall, he leaned forward, buried his face in his hands, and wept. Dear God, please let Priscilla be okay. Let her burns heal quickly, and help her not to feel too much pain.
Elam’s tears flowed until he felt none were left. If anything happened to Priscilla, what would he do? She’d been a part of his life for so long. He couldn’t imagine even one day without her.
Tonight was supposed to be a special night. It would have started a new beginning for him and Priscilla if she’d said yes to his proposal. She wasn’t supposed to be lying in a hospital bed, going through this horrible ordeal. If only he hadn’t worried about making extra money before asking her to marry him. Knowing Priscilla, she wouldn’t have cared if they had any savings or were just getting by. If he’d proposed sooner, maybe they’d even be married by now.
Rocking back and forth, he felt the seriousness of the situation more acutely. Not knowing how long it would take Priscilla to heal, Elam realized this could delay them from getting married.
Never in a million years had he expected something like this could happen.
CHAPTER 38
Arthur
I have some bad news,” Adam said when he entered the kitchen.
Leah was washing their breakfast dishes and whirled around. “What is it, Adam? Did something happen to someone we know?”
“I’m afraid so.” Adam moved quickly across the room and grasped Leah’s hands. “I just came from the phone shack, and Daniel Herschberger left a message. An accident occurred at their house last night when he and Iva were away.”
Adam’s grim expression caused Leah’s heart to pound. “Did someone get hurt?”
He nodded. “Priscilla got burned.”
Clasping his arm, Leah gasped. “Ach, no! What happened?”
“I don’t have all the details, but from what I got out of Daniel’s message, something was burning on the stove, and her dress caught fire.”
“Oh, Adam, no! How badly was she burned?”
Adam shook his head. “I don’t know, Leah. Daniel just said she was in the hospital in Decatur.”
“I have to go to the hospital, Adam. Priscilla’s one of my best friends. I need to be with her right now.”
“I understand. I’ll make arrangements with one of our drivers to take us to the hospital. I’m sure your folks will watch the girls.”
Leah swiped at the tears on her cheeks. “I wonder if Elaine’s been notified. I’m sure she’ll want to go with us to see Priscilla.”
“Would you like me to call her, or should we drop by on our way to take the girls to your mamm and daed’s?”
“We should stop at Elaine’s house. I don’t know when she’ll check her messages, and since we’re hiring a driver, she can ride to the hospital with us.” Leah glanced at the door leading to the living room, where the girls had gone after breakfast. “It’s a good thing this is Sunday and the children don’t have school. They can go to church, and even spend the whole day with my parents if necessary.”
“They’ll be disappointed if we don’t take them on a picnic, like we talked about,” Adam said.
“I know, but I may want to stay with Priscilla.” Leah sighed. “Besides, I’m really not in a picnic mood anymore. All I want to do is see my good friend and let her know I’m there for her. Maybe my folks can do something special with the girls this weekend. I’m sure they’ll understand about postponing the picnic.”
Adam pulled Leah into his arms for a hug. “Try not to worry. Priscilla is in God’s hands. We just need to pray.”
“What are you doing, Davey?” Gram asked, looking in through his open bedroom door.
“I’m packing my duffle bag. I’ll be leaving soon.”
Her forehead wrinkled as she stepped into the room. “Are you going away for a few days?”
“No, I’m not. I’m leaving Arthur for good.”
She jerked her head back, as though she’d been slapped. “I don’t understand. Why would you leave now, when you’re preparing to join the Amish church? Not to mention Priscilla is in the hospital. Don’t you want to be here to offer her encouragement as she is being treated for her burns?”
“I’m leaving because of Priscilla’s burns.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.” She took a seat on the edge of his bed. “And I don’t understand why you’re leaving.”
David sank to the bed beside her. “Don’t you see, Gram? I’m the cause of Priscilla’s burns. If I hadn’t left the stove on, the pan wouldn’t have been ablaze, and if the fire hadn’t started, then Priscilla would never have gotten burned.” David groaned, leaning forward, his whole body trembling. “I can’t face her, and to make matters worse, Elam is furious with me. He told me to leave the hospital last night and said if I hadn’t stopped to show Priscilla my horse and buggy, she would have gone on a ride with him, instead of trying to fix popcorn for the three of us.”
Gram put her hand on David’s shoulder. “Of course Elam is upset, but you can’t carry the weight of this, Davey. It was an accident and could have happened to anyone. I’m sure Priscilla will not blame you for it. Running away won’t solve anything, either.”
“Yes, it will.” David raised his head, struggling not to give in to the tears pricking the backs of his eyes. “I’m in love with Priscilla. I’ll admit it: I’ve been hoping she would choose me over Elam. He obviously knows it, too. I’m sure it’s one of the reasons he’s so angry with me.”
“If you really do care about Priscilla, then you ought to be here to show your love and support as she goes through this ordeal.”
“I do, but I can’t.” David rose from the bed and tossed the rest of his things into
the satchel. “This is a lot to ask, but will you and Gramps sell my horse and buggy for me? I’d do it myself, but I want to leave town today. Oh, and you can give my Amish clothes to the thrift store. They’re used, but I’m sure someone will buy them.”
“Does your grandfather know you’re leaving?” Gram asked.
David nodded. “I had a talk with him early this morning before he went outside to mow the lawn.”
“What’d he say? Did he try to talk you out of going?”
“At first, but then he said it was my life, and the decision was mine.”
“Aren’t you even going to say good-bye to Priscilla?”
“No, it’s better this way. I’ll drop a note in her mailbox, explaining why I left.”
Gram stood and gave David a hug. “I don’t agree with what you’re doing, but we’ll be praying for you. Should you change your mind, you’re always welcome to come back and live with us.”
David swallowed hard, and his vision blurred from more tears. “I love you, Gram, and I’ll let you know when I get to Chicago.”
Decatur
“I’m scared to go in and see her,” Elaine said as she, Leah, and Adam headed down the hospital corridor toward Priscilla’s room. “What if her burns are so bad, she’s scarred for life?”
“She won’t be. Once she gets home from the hospital and her folks can start putting B&W ointment on her burns, she’ll heal.” Leah tried to sound confident, for her own sake as well as Elaine’s.
“The message Daniel left on my answering machine didn’t say how badly Priscilla was burned. Did he tell you anything specific?” Elaine questioned.
Leah shook her head, glancing at her husband. “Adam was the one who listened to the message.”
“It just said Priscilla’s dress caught fire, but no information was given on how severe her burns were,” Adam said.
They were almost to Priscilla’s room when the door opened and her mother stepped out. The poor woman’s eyes were bloodshot, and her lips trembled as she spoke. “Danki for coming. When Priscilla wakes up, she’ll be glad to see you.”
“If she’s sleeping, we’d better not go in there right now.” Elaine hugged Iva. “Can we go somewhere to talk?”
“Let’s go to the waiting room. Daniel’s in the cafeteria getting coffee, but I’m sure he’ll find us when he gets back.”
“I’ll see if I can find Daniel.” Adam gave Leah’s hand a squeeze before heading down the hall toward the cafeteria.
Leah hugged Priscilla’s mother, too. “Oh, Iva, you look exhausted.”
“We’ve been here at the hospital all night.”
“Maybe you should try to get a little sleep.” Elaine rubbed Iva’s arm, obviously trying to comfort her.
“I couldn’t sleep, even if I wanted to. If it’s okay with you, I’d rather sit and talk. It might help relieve some of my stress.”
“Sure, Iva. We’d like to hear the details of how it happened and how badly Priscilla was burned.”
Iva led the way down the hall, with Leah and Elaine following. When they entered the waiting room, Leah was relieved to see it was empty, which would make it easier to talk freely.
After they’d all taken seats, Iva gave them the details of what had happened. “As terrible as this is, we are thankful only her shoulders, arms, chest, and hands received second-degree burns. It could be a lot worse if the burns went deeper or the fire had burned other parts of her body.” Iva shuddered. “Even so, Priscilla is in a lot of pain, and she had a lot of redness and blistering. She could also have some scarring once it heals. They’re keeping her here a few days to watch for infection and dehydration.”
“When she comes home will you start using B&W ointment and covering the burns with boiled and cooled burdock leaves?” Leah questioned. With her interest in natural healing, she’d learned the benefits of this home remedy and how it had produced good results in many people who’d been burned.
“Jah,” Iva said. “That’s exactly what we plan to do. I have a book with instructions, telling how to treat burns of varying degrees, so at least I’ll know what to do. There’s also an Amish woman in the area who has treated burns like Priscilla’s. If I have any questions, I’ll seek her advice.”
“I’ve read about it, too.” Leah nodded. “The ointment not only helps with pain and healing but infection as well.”
“Does the doctor think Priscilla will need skin grafts?” Elaine asked.
“He said maybe, but only if the skin doesn’t grow back on its own.” Iva’s eyes flooded with tears as she looked determinedly at Leah and Elaine. “Please pray the skin grafts will not be necessary and Priscilla will have no permanent scars.”
As David sped along the Interstate, he had one thought on his mind—getting as far from Arthur as he could. The roads were dry, but in the distance, dark clouds loomed, so hopefully he’d be in Chicago before any storms hit.
The highway traffic was light, probably because it was Sunday. David took advantage of the open road. It was about a three-hour drive to get to his parents’, so he was glad for the 180-mile trip. It would give him time to think and try to sort things out, if that were even possible.
David checked the speedometer. He wasn’t going over the speed limit, but for someone who’d had a cycle accident a few months ago David realized he was going faster than he should. His motorcycle had been fixed and was running smoothly, so right now he just didn’t care. No one else was in harm’s way, since no other vehicles were close to his.
Tears blurred his eyes and dried instantly on his cheek as the air whipped and blew around his helmet. “Oh, Priscilla, what have I done to you?” David’s shout was lost in the wind. “Elam was right. I never should have gone to your house last night. If I’d stayed home with Gram and Gramps, none of this would have happened.”
All the anticipation of joining the Amish church and possibly developing a permanent relationship with Priscilla was a thing of the past. David knew he had to return to his life in Chicago and leave his dream of living the Amish life with Priscilla behind him. Truth was, that may be all it was—just a fantasy he’d conjured up to show his dad that he could do whatever he wanted, instead of what was expected of him.
David’s agony over Priscilla’s injury in conjunction with his guilt was worse than anything he’d ever endured. He’d had a sleepless night and felt even worse this morning. Saying good-bye to Gram and Gramps had made it even harder to leave.
How do people cope when they’re the cause of someone else’s pain? David wondered. Would time heal, as he’d heard Gram say? Maybe it happened to others, but David didn’t know if he could ever set things right with himself or Priscilla.
Gripping the handlebars, he steadied his bike as a semitruck came up behind him. When the enormous rig got in the center lane and drove past, the pull was so strong, David had to hold tightly, fearful he might get sucked into the truck’s draft. His bike shuddered, just as David was doing, but as the semi got farther up the road, David relaxed. It didn’t get rid of the pain in his gut, twisting like an unyielding knife, however. His brain was plagued with one thought after another. Could Priscilla ever forgive him? Would he be able to forgive himself? It would be impossible to look at Priscilla without being reminded of his stupidity and forgetfulness.
“She’s better off without me,” he muttered. “Wish I’d never left Chicago in the first place. Then none of this would have happened.”
Up ahead, David saw high-rise buildings come into view as he approached Chicago. Soon he’d be dealing with the scrutiny of his parents, but that was nothing compared to the remorse eating away at his heart.
CHAPTER 39
Chicago
I knew you’d never stay in Arthur or become Amish. You’re not cut out for a life such as that.”
Dad’s words cut into David like a two-edged sword. He wished he hadn’t felt forced to come back to his parents’ house, but he had no place else to go right now. Not until he found a job, at least.
He turned to face his father. “Look, Dad, I don’t need you getting on my case right now. I’ve been on the road for the last several hours, and I’m beat. All I want to do is go up to my room and lie down awhile. I hardly slept last night, and I’m bushed.”
Dad’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth snapped together. “You just got here, David. You can hide out in your room later on.”
Lifting his gaze upward, David shook his head. He was dog-tired from the trip but even more so, from all that had happened with Priscilla. He was in no mood to spar with his father. “Dad, we’ll talk later. I need a little shut-eye right now.”
“So you’re not going to tell us the reason you came back?” Dad moved closer to where David stood near the front door, holding his duffle bag.
“Let the boy alone,” Mom spoke up. “Can’t you see he’s tired? At least he came home to us. You should be happy about that.”
“I am, Suzanne, but he owes us an explanation.”
David knew his dad wasn’t going to let up until he gave them some sort of story, so he looked right at him and said, “I came back because things weren’t working out for me in Arthur.” It wasn’t a lie. Things had definitely not worked out the way David hoped—especially concerning Priscilla.
“So you finally realized the Amish life wasn’t for you, huh?” Dad’s “I told you so” tone, and his look of anticipation told David that was exactly what his father was hoping to hear.
“Yeah, that’s it.” David gave a quick nod. “Now if you don’t mind, I really need to lie down.”
“Would you like something to eat first?” Mom asked, obviously trying to smooth things over.
“No, I’m fine. I stopped for a bite to eat on my way here.”
“Okay, we’ll see you when you get up.” Mom gave David a welcoming hug.
He glanced at his father, to see if he would say anything more, but Dad merely took a seat in his easy chair and buried his nose in the Sunday paper.
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