Red Gold

by Sandy Nadeau

  A bolt of lightning hit the nearest peak followed by a roll of thunder.

  They all jumped.

  “I can’t believe how fast that moved in. It’s much colder all of a sudden.” Connie rubbed her arms, despite the jacket.

  Another sudden flash caused them all to duck. The engulfing sound of thunder echoed across the mountain tops.

  Instinct made them all start running. Fog rolled in and the mist inside the cloud dampened already chilled skin. Low rolling thunder continued to resonate.

  “Button your jackets and pull your hoods up.” Mandy commanded as hard rain drops slapped down.

  Rick hollered out, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

  “I know.” Jon began to run. “Everyone get to the car.”

  Jenny didn’t need any further prodding. Her long, slender legs got her ahead of the others as she bounced around the obstacles in the path.

  Another bolt cracked off the mountain.

  Jenny dropped to the ground.

  The adults caught up to her, and Rick pulled his daughter to her feet.

  “It sounded like it was right on top of me,” Jenny’s tone was breathless. “It scared me.”

  They piled into the car, gasping for breath.

  Jon turned the heat on as soon as he started the car. The windshield fogged up. He let the engine idle, waiting for it to clear.

  “That’s the worst storm I’ve ever experienced,” Rick said.

  “Mountain storms come up fast. You have to be ready every time you go out since the weather can change in a heartbeat at these elevations. A lot of people get caught unprepared.” Jon flicked on the headlights.

  “What’s that?” Jenny shouted, pointing out the window.

  Jon wiped at the still foggy windshield.

  Two people were attempting to make it back to their car. The large man had his arm over the shoulder of the woman, and he was limping.

  Rick and Jon looked at each other.

  “Let’s go.” Rick nodded at Jon.

  They jumped out of the car.

  “Be careful,” Connie yelled, just as the door shut.

  The guys each raised one arm of the limping man onto their shoulders. The woman ran ahead and unlocked the car doors. They lowered the man into the passenger seat and lifted his injured leg up into the car. Jon and Rick got the door shut, waved to the couple and ran back. A rush of cold wet air gushed in as they tumbled into the Jeep.

  Mandy asked, “Is he all right?”

  “Yeah, twisted his ankle at that last loud crack.” Jon replied. “He’s pretty sure it’s just a sprain.”

  “The wife is going to take him to get it checked.” Rick shook his shoulders to rid the jacket of water.

  Jon shifted the Jeep into gear. “Well, I believe that ends our trip to the mountain tops today. I think we’ll head back down where the weather will be better.”

  “I think that’s a good idea.” Connie snuggled against her daughter. “We’ll have all summer to explore places like this.”

  “I want to come back and see those goats again.” Jenny grinned as she cuddled into her mother.

  ****

  The weather did improve further down. Dark storm clouds lingered on the mountain top.

  “Let’s head to the picnic area by the lake, “ Mandy suggested.

  The picturesque spot by the lake had pine tree covered hills, and gray snow-capped mountains behind making the scene perfect for photos. Ducks floated on the water, occasionally ducking below the surface and popping back up.

  Connie and Mandy covered the old wooden picnic table with a plastic tablecloth and set out the food. The sun warmed their soggy clothing. They heard a loud squawking in the trees around them.

  “What on earth is that?” Connie searched the trees.

  “Oh, that’s just the camp robbers. They’ll be down here any minute looking for a handout.”

  “A camp robber?” Jenny’s gaze showed alarm.

  “A Gray Jay,” Jon put a hand on her shoulder. “They’ll come steal food right off the table if they think they can get away with it.”

  Rick laughed as one landed a few feet away from the table.

  The bird’s body was gray, but parts of its head were white with a half cap of black. The bird showed no fear of his human audience

  “Well, we have a guest for lunch today.” Connie clicked her tongue at the bird.

  It hopped forward looking for a snack.

  They all settled around the table making their sandwiches and passing chips.

  Mandy set a bag of grapes in the middle. The jay kept trying to land on the table, but Mandy shooed it away.

  “And you live here.” Rick looked around and sighed.

  “Yeah, there’s a saying around here, ‘If you’re lucky enough to live in the mountains, you’re lucky enough.’” Jon grinned. He and Rick wandered off, then sat down in the grass, talking.

  “It just encourages people to get to know one another, being out here,” Connie said as she glanced at the men.

  “That it does.” Mandy smiled, glad her guests were appreciative of the serenity.

  24

  As the afternoon waned, they headed back to the ranch.

  Jon pointed out all the interesting sights as they went.

  Connie yawned so often she had to apologize.

  “Going up in the elevation always causes me to feel sleepy,” Mandy said, and then yawned, too.

  Connie’s head leaned against the headrest, and she fell sound asleep.

  A comfortable silence descended as Jon drove.

  “Hey, what’s Mr. Shonee doing laying in the yard?” Jenny’s voice jolted everyone.

  Jon slowed to turn in the driveway.

  Mr. Shonee was near the driveway in the sparse grass. Scattered mail fluttered all around him, his cane just out of reach. He clutched his chest in obvious distress.

  Jon jumped out of the car and ran.

  Mandy moved just as fast.

  Jon knelt down beside him. “Mr. Shonee, are you all right? What happened?” He began to loosen the buttons on the man’s shirt collar.

  Mandy took his hand in hers. “Mr. Shonee…” She choked on the rest of the words.

  The old man struggled to get air into his lungs. “Jon…Mandy…it…feels…like…someone’s… standing…on my chest.” He gasped for breath.

  Jon looked back at Rick. “Go in the house and call 911. Then call the ranch and tell Sue what’s going on.”

  “Right.” He ran inside and returned with a small pillow and a blanket; he continued to tell the dispatcher the situation.

  “It hurts so bad…s-scared,” Mr. Shonee choked out.

  “Pray, Mr. Shonee. We’re all here. We’re going to help you,” Mandy said, continuing to stroke his arm.

  His eyes glistened as he looked up at her. He gasped and clutched his chest. The color of his face turned dark red, and then went to a deep blue color as he went limp.

  Connie grabbed Jenny and took her to the car. They both cried and held on to each other, eyes wide with concern.

  Rick still held the phone to his ear.

  Jon checked for a pulse. “Nothing,” he said. “No pulse, I’m starting compressions.” He ripped open the man’s shirt and began frantically pumping his chest.

  Mandy sobbed, but kept Mr. Shonee’s chin positioned while Jon worked. She mumbled a constant prayer for the Lord to bring him back.

  “You need to hurry,” Rick spoke with the dispatcher. “The ambulance is on its way.” He said to Jon and Mandy.

  “Come on, come on...you can do it, Mr. Shonee. Come on…” Jon huffed out the words.

  The sirens screamed towards them.

  Rick went out on the road and waved the ambulance in. He then placed a call to High Country Safaris to let them know what had happened.

  The sheriff also arrived.

  Nate and Sue drove up.

  The medics jumped out, got their gear and the gurney out of the back of the vehicle. Th
e driver spoke into the radio attached to his shoulder strap. “Unit One. On scene with two people doing CPR on an elderly man.”

  “We’ve been doing CPR for three minutes.” Jon didn’t look up.

  One medic nodded and began to hook up the leads for the monitor.

  The other medic immediately got the oxygen hooked up to the bag-valve mask and placed it on Mr. Shonee. He turned to Mandy. “Do you know how to do this?”

  “Yes.” She squeezed the bag.

  Mr. Shonee’s facial color changed from a blue ashen appearance to pink.

  Nate and Sue stood off to the side, held hands and bowed their heads, silently covering the scene with more prayers.

  Once all the leads were in place, the medic said, “Stop CPR.” He watched the monitor. “Patient’s heart is in fibrillation. I’m getting the paddles. Resume compressions.” Jon began the process again.

  The paramedic had the paddles ready in seconds. “Clear!”

  Jon sat back on his heels, arms raised, and Mandy lifted the oxygen bag away.

  The medic delivered the defibrillation shock. Mr. Shonee’s body thrust up and his back arched for a split second. The medic then checked the monitor. “Check for breathing.”

  Mandy leaned over, and then sat up. “He took a breath.”

  “Jon, switch to the non-re-breather mask.” The medic handed Jon the new mask and then took over. They readied Mr. Shonee for the trip in the ambulance.

  Jon scooted to the side and worked to catch his breath.

  Nate walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. “Good job,” his friend whispered.

  Mandy stood, feeling shaky.

  Sue’s arm wrapped around her waist. “Trust the Lord, Mandy. Trust the Lord.”

  The sheriff pulled out his notepad. “You OK, Jon?”

  “Yeah, Ed. I’ll be fine.”

  “How did you find him?”

  Jon stood brushing the back of his jeans and relayed the story of driving by when Jenny saw him lying out in the yard.

  “No other family, is there?”

  “No, Kane is it, and I doubt he cares right now.”

  “Right. OK, I’ll check in at the hospital later.”

  “Thanks, Ed.” Jon noticed Mandy, and he grabbed her up in a tight embrace.

  “Jon, he just has to make it,” Mandy spoke, but tears clogged her voice. “We just made peace with each other. I want to get to know him.”

  Nate and Sue gathered close with a hand on each of them. Nate said, “Let’s all pray right now. Rick, you want to join us?”

  Connie and Jenny walked over to the group.

  Jenny grabbed hands as they formed a circle to pray.

  Nate led a passionate, heart-felt prayer.

  The presence of the Holy Spirit comforted Mandy as she listened.

  25

  Sue handed Jon her keys. “Mandy, Jon, take my car and follow them to the hospital. Nate and I will go back to the ranch in the Jeep with the Carters. Just call and keep us posted. I’ll contact the church and get more prayers going for him.”

  “Thanks Sue,” Jon said. “We’ll phone in a while. Come on, Mandy. Let’s go be with him.”

  They got in the car and made the somber, quiet drive into town.

  Mandy could only stare out the side window praying constantly that their neighbor would pull through. At least, his heart was beating again. “Surely that’s a good sign, Lord.” Her words were loud enough for Jon to hear.

  He reached over, took her hand, and squeezed it. “We have to give him to Jesus, Mandy. He belongs to Him now. We have to hang on to our faith that either way, he’ll be fine.”

  “I know.” She lowered her head. “I just pray we have the chance to get to know the real man, now.”

  They pulled into the parking lot and rushed inside.

  “We’re here to see Mr. Shonee,” Mandy said to the nurse.

  “Are you related?”

  “We’re his neighbors.”

  “I’m sorry, but only family can see him or get any information about him.”

  “But…we’re the ones who found him.” Mandy’s back went straight, ire building.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s the rules. There are privacy issues.”

  Jon placed a hand on Mandy’s arm. “He has no family. There is no one else to be with him.”

  The nurse now looked genuinely sorry. “I wish I could help you, but I can’t.”

  Just then, Sheriff Ed walked in. “Hey Jon, Mandy. How is he? I wanted to come by and check on him and the two of you.”

  “We don’t know.” Mandy turned and leaned against the counter. “We’re not allowed to see him.”

  Ed turned to the nurse. “Get one of the doctors out here, please.”

  Without a word, she walked through the swinging doors. She returned moments later with a tall man in blue scrubs. He seemed very rushed and impatient.

  Ed came over to the man. “Doctor, this couple is the only family Mr. Albert Shonee has. I recently arrested the man’s son. They need permission to see him. They were the ones who kept him alive with CPR to get him here.”

  The doctor’s face showed frustration. “All right, on the sheriff’s word, you are now family. Nurse, they’re allowed, but only one of you can come back at a time.”

  Jon gently pushed against Mandy’s back. “Mandy, you go. I’ll be right out here. Thanks, Ed.”

  “I never even knew his first name.” Mandy whispered to the two men.

  The nurse motioned for Mandy to follow.

  Mr. Shonee lay in the bed, eyes closed, an IV tube in his arm, wires coming off his chest to a beeping machine, and an oxygen mask on his face. He still looked so weak, so vulnerable.

  A different doctor stood near the bed writing information on Mr. Shonee’s chart. The nurse introduced her as family, so the doctor began telling her what had happened.

  “From what we have learned so far, he has a minor blockage in one of the arteries in his heart. We have him on blood thinners and some pain meds. He should regain consciousness soon. He’s a very fortunate man for his age. I understand CPR was started immediately?”

  “Yes. My husband and I found him before he…” she choked on the word. “We started CPR right away.”

  “Well, that will be a major help to his recovery. Time is of the essence when this happens. Since he had help right away, he shouldn’t have suffered oxygen deprivation, so that will also benefit him. I’ll check back in a little while.” The doctor left tugging the curtain around the track for privacy.

  “Thank you, doctor.”

  She pulled a chair near the bed and sat down. She took Mr. Shonee’s hand in hers and began to pray. Then she felt a little twitch in his hand. She looked up to see his eyelids fluttering a bit.

  “Mr. Shonee?”

  The man groaned, and his eyes blinked. “Mandy? Where…?” He scanned the surroundings and fumbled to remove the mask.

  “Don’t take the mask off. It’s OK, Mr. Shonee. You’re in the hospital, but you’re going to be all right.”

  “Who hit me in the chest?” he asked as he rubbed his ribs. His first finger had an oxygen sensor on it, and he raised it to look at it. “What’s happened here?”

  A nurse came through the curtain. “Hello, Mr. Shonee. How are you feeling?”

  “I feel like a truck hit me. What in tarnation is goin’ on?”

  “He’s about back to normal,” Mandy murmured.

  The nurse smiled as she checked his vitals. “I’m going to go get your doctor, now.”

  “I ain’t deaf, for cryin’ out loud. She don’t have to yell like that.”

  “You sure scared us. Do you remember what happened at all?”

  “I went out to get the mail.” He hesitated, as if in search of something. “Hadn’t been feeling too good all day.”

  “We found you lying near your driveway.”

  “I think I remember seein’ you. Did I—”

  The doctor pulled the curtain open. “Welcome back, M
r. Shonee.” The doctor reached out to shake the old man’s hand.

  “Doc. What happened to me?”

  “You experienced a myocardial infarction.”

  “A what?”

  “A mild heart attack, Mr. Shonee. But your family found you right away and did CPR on you and brought you back.”

  He looked at Mandy. “You two did that?”

  “Well, we couldn’t just leave you lying there.” Mandy smiled.

  “I’ll be…”

  The doctor continued, “We’re going to have to do a procedure called angioplasty, but I don’t foresee any complications as long as you behave yourself. You’re going to be with us for a few days, maybe a week.”

  “I don’t need that. My chest just hurts a little. Send me on home.” His gruffness had returned.

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” Mandy put a hand on his shoulder. “With as hard as I’ve been praying, you’re going to do what the doctor says.”

  “You should be able to get out of here in a week, but you are not going to be able to be alone, sir.” The doctor’s expression turned serious.

  “Well, ain’t got nobody at home.”

  “Then we’ll have to see about a nursing home or some other facility.”

  The old man began to protest.

  Mandy interrupted him. “You’ll come to our house.”

  The doctor shut the chart with a snap. “Good. I’ll be back later to check on you.”

  Mr. Shonee turned to Mandy. “I ain’t disruptin’ your lives. I’ll be fine at home.”

  “That’s ridiculous. You heard the doctor. You’re staying with us. You can have our son’s old room on the first floor. It’s right by the bathroom. And you’re not going to argue.”

  “Stubborn woman.” He groused and looked away.

  “Stubborn old man.” Mandy laughed. “I’m going to go get Jon so he can see you. Don’t go anywhere.” She winked.

  “Funny,” he muttered.

  ****

  Jon pushed aside the curtain. “Hello, Mr. Shonee. I hear you’re going to stay with us for a while.”

  “I don’t reckon that wife of yours takes no for an answer very well.”

  “That’s true. She can be pretty stubborn.”

  “Say Jon…” He pulled the mask away from his mouth. “I…I want to thank you for helping me. I hear I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t found me.”