Texas Christmas Twins
Page 20
Water pooled on the brim of his Sunday best black felt hat and ran in rivulets down his back. A light wind gust tossed the rain into his face, and he used his sleeve to wipe his eyes. He would be soaked before he got home, but there was no getting around it. He caught sight of an Amish buggy’s running lights directly ahead on his side of the road. The headlights of an oncoming car blinded him for a second and then veered. Peter watched with growing horror as the car took the turn too fast and struck the vehicle ahead of him. The horse reared up and ran off the road. His eyes widened as the carriage rolled, out of control, and the car raced past him.
Stunned, Peter spurred his horse into a canter. His heartbeat thundered in his chest when he spied the buggy upended on the far side of the creek. After braking, reining in and finally securing his horse to a tree, he tossed his hat on the ground and ran to the water’s edge. Only to find Reuben Miller lying near the edge of the stream.
Peter ran to him. “Reuben! Are you oll recht?” He gently shook him. “Reuben!”
“Meg.” His gaze unfocused, Reuben attempted to sit up, grimaced, then fell back and closed his eyes. The man had been thrown from the vehicle.
“Meg is with you?” Peter asked, overcome with sudden stark terror. This wasn’t the road to the Arlin Stoltzfus farm!
Reuben groaned. “Meg.”
“Meg!” The rain fell in earnest as Peter waded into the water toward the overturned buggy. By some miracle, the horse had broken free when the vehicle had overturned, and now stood several yards away, a piece of the damaged harness still attached to it. “Meg!”
The water was deeper than he’d thought. He held his breath and dived under. He panicked when he didn’t see her. Gasping, he shot up for air, then, frantic to find her, went under again. Adrenaline rushed through him, allowing him to stay underwater longer. His lungs hurt, in need of oxygen, and he lunged up to the surface once more. And then he saw Meg, several feet away. Faceup, but submerged in water, her dark hair floating about her eerily, her legs wedged under the damaged vehicle. His throat tightened as he battled fear.
Meg! He drew a deep breath and swam underwater until he was by her side. He reached out a hand, grabbed her arm and gently tugged. His heart thundered with gratitude as he was able to pull her legs from under the buggy. Please, Lord, let her be well. He continued to silently pray for her.
Finally, he had her close, and he raised her head above the water as he swam with her to the shallows, where he could stand. Then he swung her up into his arms and cradled her against his chest as he carried her to land.
Emotion lurched within his chest as he tenderly brushed back wet strands of dark hair from her unusually pale face. He set her gently on the ground close to Reuben. Please, Father, help me help her. I’ll leave her alone. I’ll move on with my life. Please just let her live!
He knelt beside Meg. When he saw that she wasn’t breathing, his blood ran cold. Peter turned her onto her belly, then pressed down on her back several times in a steady rhythm. When she didn’t respond, he turned her over again, tilted her head back and bent to give her mouth-to-mouth. Her lips were soft but cold. As he drew breath, then blew air into her lungs, he felt his fear escalate, but he remained focused as he worked to save her life. He stopped the breaths to press his hands below her sternum a few times, then continued mouth-to-mouth. He prayed he was doing correctly what he’d learned from a first-aid course.
Meg sputtered and gagged. Dizzy with relief, Peter quickly turned her over yet again, and with his arm beneath her shoulders, held her up as she vomited water. Tears filled his eyes as she coughed, then took several rough, gasping breaths. He waited until she quieted, then eased her onto her back. When he saw that she was breathing normally again, he offered up a silent prayer of thanks. Then he moved to check on Reuben.
“Reuben, I’m going to get help. Meg is right here next to you.”
The man groaned.
“Reuben, do you understand? Meg is oll recht.” He hoped and prayed it was true.
When Reuben didn’t answer, Peter raced up to the road. As a vehicle approached, he waved his arms and shouted, but the driver zipped by. This section of road was dark and lonely, and he feared he’d be unable to get Meg and Reuben the medical attention they needed. He caught sight of another car. This time he ran into the road to flag it down, and prayed the driver would stop in time to avoid hitting him.
The car slowed. Peter moved off the road as the vehicle pulled next to him, and someone rolled down the passenger window. It was a middle-aged couple, the man in the driver’s seat.
“Do you need help?” the woman asked.
“Yes,” he said. “Do you have a phone?” When she said she did, he asked, “Would you call for medical assistance? There’s been an accident. My friends—they’re down by the creek.”
The man parked his car while the woman dialed emergency services. Peter paced, anxious to get Meg and Reuben the help they needed.
Meg’s near drowning had flattened him. He’d managed to save her, but what if she’d been underwater too long? He wanted her to be all right. He loved her. He closed his eyes and sent up another prayer.
The woman stepped out of the car, drawing his attention. “An ambulance is on its way.”
“Thank you,” Peter said.
Within minutes, the ambulance arrived, and he watched helplessly as the paramedics rushed toward the creek. He saw them examine Reuben and Meg before carefully lifting Meg onto a stretcher. The EMTs carried her up the incline to the road. A second ambulance arrived on the scene, and the medics hurried toward Reuben.
Peter approached Meg’s stretcher. “Is she all right?”
“We’ll know more after the doctor examines her in the hospital.” The EMT gazed at Peter through narrowed eyes. “You know her?”
“Ja, we belong to the same church,” he said. After a brief hesitation, he added, “My sister is married to her cousin.”
Peter stared with concern as they carried the stretcher toward the ambulance. To his shock, Meg’s eyelids flickered without opening. “Reuben?” she said.
The technician met his gaze. Peter gestured toward the stretcher currently being carried up from the water’s edge. The man nodded with understanding.
“He’s getting medical attention,” the technician told her.
Meg didn’t open her eyes. “Oll recht?”
Peter’s heart thumped hard as he studied her. “She asked if he is all right,” he told the EMT.
“He’s awake and responding,” the man said. “He’ll be taken to the hospital for a complete checkup.” He and his coworker hefted Meg’s stretcher into the ambulance.
The other workers carried Reuben toward the second emergency vehicle. Peter approached it. “I’ll get word to his family.” The EMT nodded.
“Meg?” Reuben muttered.
“She’s on her way to the hospital,” he said. “She asked about you.” He felt a pang when Reuben sighed and closed his eyes.
Peter stepped back and watched while the EMTs entered their vehicles and started their engines. He felt chilled as he stood in the heavy downpour as the ambulances left. Lord, please help her. He stared at the vehicles’ bright, multicolored flashing lights as they dimmed with distance, then disappeared from sight. He retrieved Reuben’s horse, tied it to the back of his buggy and headed toward the Miller farm to return the animal.
Copyright © 2017 by Rebecca Kertz
ISBN-13: 9781488078897
Texas Christmas Twins
Copyright © 2017 by Debra Kastner
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