Alaskan Summer

by Marilou Flinkman

  ❧

  Later, as they entered the auditorium, Laurette gasped.

  “It’s awesome. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

  She’s looking at the windows, he realized. I’ve seen them for years and never thought they were special. “When the weather is clear, the curtains at the back of the stage are left open.” The view had her eyes shining, and he looked at it, trying to see it as she was, for the first time. The forested green hills were topped with snow. “You’re right,” he admitted. “It’s awesome.”

  Ryan spent most of the concert watching Laurette. Her pleasure in the music made her face glow. He wanted to take her hand and share her joy, but he feared it would offend her. The music brought memories flooding back. He missed playing the classics. Jazz was better than nothing, and the piano at the hotel was the only piano he had access to. She looked concerned when he sighed. The piece ended, and as they applauded, he asked, “Do you like it?”

  “Oh, yes. The acoustics are very good.” She smiled up at him. “And so are the musicians.”

  When they walked back to his car, she asked, “Do you play classics or just jazz?”

  “I prefer the classics, but I don’t have room for a piano at home. Started playing at the Dockside Hotel just to get to a piano occasionally.”

  “You said your mother and her husband were musicians. Did she play at the festival?”

  Ryan groaned inwardly and started the car. “One year they needed a pianist, so she filled in. That’s when she met Harvey. He plays first violin for the Chicago Symphony.”

  “You must be very proud.”

  “Bitter is more like it. When the pulp mill closed, my dad started fishing to make a living. He was lost at sea four years later.”

  “I’m sorry. How old were you?” He could hear the concern in her voice.

  “Sixteen.” Lulled by the music and Laurette’s genuine caring, he continued. “I dreamed of going to college down south, but Mother begged me not to leave her. She couldn’t get over losing my dad.” He glanced at Laurette. Her eyes shone with deep compassion. “I stayed with Mom and got my bachelor’s degree in business at the local college.”

  “How long has your mother been married?” Her soft voice soothed him.

  “About four years. I was twenty when she met Harvey. She married him six months later and moved to Chicago.” He shrugged. “I just stayed here, finished college, and kept working for SAM.” He parked in the driveway at Ruth’s.

  “You’ve let the bitterness rob you. Why?”

  Puzzled, he looked at her. “I don’t know.”

  “Do you blame God for making your life miserable?”

  He cringed inwardly but answered honestly. “I don’t know what God has to do with it. My dad’s gone. Mom left me behind. I’ve just stumbled along on my own for so long, it seems trusting Him didn’t help me much. I don’t know that I blame Him, but I sure do feel—empty, sometimes.”

  “You don’t have to be alone. God didn’t cause your sorrow, but He’s there to help you cope with it.” She laid her hand on his arm. “I won’t preach, but you might give some thought to letting Jesus bear your burden.”

  Coming from this sweet woman, the words didn’t cause him to bristle like they had when others said them. “I’ll keep your suggestion in mind.”

  “Thank you for a wonderful evening. I did enjoy the music and hope someday to hear you play. Now I’d better get some sleep, or I won’t hear the alarm in the morning.”

  She popped out of the car before he could open the door. Ryan watched her bounce up the steps where she turned to wave before going in the house.

  “She is some kind of special,” he told the night as he started the drive back home.

  FIVE

  A week after the festival, Sitka was enveloped in fog. Passengers from the three ships in port were cranky and demanding. They complained to the steward and cruise director who in turn expected Southeast Alaska Maritime to fix all their problems. Luggage that should have arrived by airfreight went on to Juneau. Laurette felt pulled in six different directions.

  Coming back to the office after taking a passenger to the medical clinic, she soon found Ryan with a fresh pot of coffee.

  “How you holding up?” he asked.

  She took the proffered cup and sank into a chair. “I’m thankful for rain gear.”

  “You heard about the little kid selling newspapers to the passengers?”

  “No.” She sipped her coffee.

  “One tourist asked him if it ever stopped raining in Sitka. The boy told him he didn’t know. He was only eight years old.”

  Laurette giggled. “You made that up.”

  “Standard joke. Use it every time the clouds move in.” He drank from his mug. “You’re my latest victim of poor humor.”

  She shook her head. Is it me, or is Ryan acting more cheerful? He’s kind of fun to be around.

  The phone rang, and the new office clerk, Debbie, yelled for one of them to take a call. There were two new helpers in the office. They had both worked for SAM before and helped take over some of the office duties. Laurette accepted the task of getting medicine for a passenger. It meant collecting the original prescription information details, coordinating with the pharmacy in Sitka, then delivering it to the ship.

  At the end of the day, Laurette dragged herself to her little truck and drove home. “Maybe we’ll have soup for supper. I’m too tired to shop,” she muttered as she pulled into the driveway.

  The television was on, but Ruth didn’t come to the kitchen. Laurette found her sitting in her chair, dressed in her housedress with her nightgown pulled over it.

  “Oh, I’ve been waiting for you to get up. What will we have for breakfast?” Ruth asked innocently.

  Laurette closed her eyes and said a quick prayer. Guide me, Jesus. I love this dear woman, and I want to help her. “You enjoy your TV show. I’ll fix us something,” she told Ruth.

  “Soup for breakfast won’t do,” she murmured as she opened the refrigerator. She took eggs and cheese to the counter and lifted the toaster down from the cupboard.

  After enjoying her cheese omelet and toast, Ruth wandered back to the living room. Laurette cleaned up the kitchen and joined her housemate.

  “Why don’t I run you a hot bath with bubbles,” she suggested to Ruth.

  “I think that would feel good,” Ruth agreed.

  Laurette managed to help Ruth out of the layers of clothes she wore and into the tub. Sure that she was safely settled, Laurette left her to bathe. She knocked on the bathroom door a few minutes later.

  “Come in.”

  “I’ve got your nightgown right here,” she said. Ruth grabbed the safety bar and stood when Laurette held up a large bath towel. Kind of like caring for a child, Laurette thought tenderly. She led Ruth to her bed and tucked her under the covers. “I’ll get my Bible and read to you for a little while if you like.”

  “Bless you, dear.”

  She had no idea how long she sat at Ruth’s bedside. Finally, Ruth’s eyes started to droop. “I’ll read one more.” Knowing it was Ruth’s favorite, she read Psalm 98 before gently kissing her friend’s cheek and turning out the light.

  Laurette tossed a load of clothes into the washer and finally managed to crawl into bed. It seemed as though she had just fallen asleep when her cell phone rang.

  Tyler sounded frantic. “I’m sorry to call you, but I can’t get ahold of Ryan. We have a heart attack victim on the ship due in at four this morning. I have to be on the early flight to Ketchikan. Can you be at the dock with an ambulance when the ship anchors?”

  “Will they bring the patient to shore on a tender?”

  “Yes. They have stabilized the man, but we need to accompany him into the hospital.”

  “I’ll take care of it.” Laurette checked her clock after Tyler had given her the pertinent details. She had less than an hour to get organized. Shaking off her fatigue, she called the hospital to advise them what had hap
pened. The emergency room would be standing by, and they would dispatch an ambulance to the dock.

  Pulling on jeans and a warm sweater, Laurette grabbed her day pack and ran for her truck. She parked her rig at the SAM office, then got a company van pulled close to where the ambulance would park. The medics arrived moments after she did.

  Fingers of light pushed over the horizon while she stood with the medical technicians. Together they watched the lights of the huge ship as it set anchor in the harbor. As soon as the medics saw the tender head to shore, they wheeled a gurney to the dock.

  Laurette stood back while the tender’s crew carried the patient, still strapped to a crash board, up the dock and placed him on the waiting gurney. She went to the distraught woman stepping off the tender.

  “I’m Laurette with Southeast Alaska Maritime. Our van is right here, so we can follow the ambulance to the hospital.”

  The flustered woman looked at her in confusion.

  Another seaman approached with a small suitcase. “We had her pack a few things,” he explained to Laurette.

  Grabbing the bag with one hand, Laurette put her other hand under the lady’s elbow. “Come with me,” she said softly. She led the woman up the ramp behind the patient. The medics handled the portable oxygen and IV bags. “Your husband is in good hands.”

  After stowing the suitcase in the back of the van, she made sure her passenger had buckled up. “We’ll be at the hospital in a few minutes. May I ask your name?”

  “I’m Gladys Sutherland. Dan had a heart attack.” Her voice quivered.

  “We’ll take good care of both of you.”

  At the hospital, Laurette parked the van and led Mrs. Sutherland into the emergency waiting area. “You have a patient from a cruise ship. This is his wife,” she told the nurse behind the desk. “Should we wait here for information about him?”

  “We’ll need some forms filled out. Can you do that?” The nurse looked at the flustered woman with Laurette.

  “Let me help.” Laurette coaxed Mrs. Sutherland to a seat and went back to pick up the clipboard. Efficiently, she got the information to fill in the necessary facts.

  “I want to see Dan. Can you find out how he is?” Mrs. Sutherland pleaded.

  Taking the papers back to the desk, Laurette asked, “Where will Mr. Sutherland be taken? How soon will his wife be able to see him?”

  “Thank you,” the admitting nurse said, taking the clipboard. “I’m sure the patient will go into the ICU. The nurse there will tell you when he can have visitors. Do you know where that waiting room is?”

  Laurette shook her head.

  “Let me take you up there and make sure there’s a fresh pot of coffee.”

  Mrs. Sutherland seemed to be a bit more relaxed. “You are very kind,” she told Laurette as they followed the nurse to the waiting room.

  “They’ll take good care of your husband. Everything will be all right.” Laurette patted the woman’s arm.

  Gladys smiled weakly. “You make it all sound so possible.”

  “All things are possible with God.” The nurse left them, and Laurette poured two cups of coffee. “Do you take anything in your coffee?”

  “No, thank you.” Mrs. Sutherland wrapped her hands around the cup.

  “Are you cold? I could get you a blanket.”

  “Just shocked. It all happened so fast. Dan was fine at dinner. Said he had a little indigestion and wanted to go to bed early. Then he collapsed.” She turned tear-filled eyes toward Laurette. “What am I going to do?”

  Laurette put her arm around the weeping woman. “The doctors here are very good. The medics on board had your husband stabilized. If it had been more serious, he would have been flown in by helicopter. I’m sure they just want to monitor him for a day or two.”

  “But we live in Minnesota. How will we get home?”

  Handing the woman a tissue, Laurette reassured her. “As soon as your husband is able to travel, we’ll make arrangements for you to fly home. The cruise line will send your luggage to your house.” She patted the distraught woman’s shoulder. “Is there family you want to contact?”

  “My son.” She looked at Laurette. “Could I call my son?”

  “Certainly. With the time difference, you won’t even be waking him up. Let me find the nearest phone.” Seeing the worried look on Mrs. Sutherland’s face, she added, “I’ll stay here while you call. If there’s any news about your husband, I can let you know at once.”

  After reassurance from her son, Mrs. Sutherland relaxed a little. When the nurse came to tell her she could see her husband, she hugged Laurette and begged, “Will you please stay a little longer?”

  “I’ll be right here,” she assured the worried woman. While she waited, Laurette pulled her Bible from her pack.

  A short time later, Mrs. Sutherland returned looking much better. Her face held some color, and she had combed her hair. “They said as soon as Dan is out of intensive care, I can have a cot in his room.” She sank into the chair next to Laurette. “All the tubes and wires look scary, but he talked to me. He says he’s not in pain. The nurse taking care of him said they’ll do more tests later today, but it doesn’t look like there is new damage to his heart.”

  Laurette had closed her Bible with a silent prayer of thanks.

  “Were you praying?” Mrs. Sutherland asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Would you pray with me? I believed you when you told me all things are possible with God.” She clasped Laurette’s hand. “I’d feel better if we both prayed for Dan.”

  ❧

  Ryan had received Tyler’s message when he returned from an evening of playing piano at the Dockside Hotel. He got to the office early and sent the two helpers out on the most critical tasks. He called the hospital to get a report on the heart attack victim and notified the ship’s captain of the man’s condition.

  “They won’t be able to rejoin the cruise. We’ll see that they get a flight back home,” Ryan told him.

  “Understood. We’ll take care of their luggage and see that it’s shipped to them.”

  Taking over the office kept Ryan busy until late morning. He finally made it to the hospital to check on Laurette. She hadn’t called in. “I’d better make sure the patient’s wife is all right and see if Laurette needs help.”

  After checking at the front desk, he dashed to the waiting room. He paused at the door to watch the women. Laurette held the older lady’s hand. He could see by the woman’s expression that she was listening raptly to Laurette’s words. “That girl is a charmer,” he muttered.

  Approaching the two, he noted the dark circles under Laurette’s eyes. Wonder if she got any sleep last night.

  Laurette jumped up when she saw him. “Are you looking for me?”

  He smiled. “No. I only came to see if you needed help.”

  Laurette turned to her companion. “Gladys, this is my coworker, Ryan Nichols. Ryan, this is Mrs. Sutherland.”

  She stood to take Ryan’s hand. “This girl has been with me ever since we got to the dock. I don’t think I could have managed without her.” Her look changed to one of concern. “She isn’t in trouble for staying with me, is she?”

  Ryan shook his head. “No, Mrs. Sutherland. Southeast Maritime is here to help you, and it looks like she has done a good job.” He turned to Laurette. “Does Mrs. Sutherland have a place to stay?”

  “They’re letting her stay here. She can even get her meals here, so she never has to leave her husband. He’s doing well, and I assured her we’ll see that they get a flight home as soon as he can travel.”

  “Right. I let the ship’s captain know so your friends on board will know you’re all right,” he told Mrs. Sutherland.

  “I really should get back to work, Gladys, but I’ll check on you later today.” Ryan watched Laurette pick up her Bible and put it in her pack. “Maybe you could catch a nap while your husband’s resting. You had a rough night.”

  “Thank you, dear. I’ll t
ry to do that. Would you pray with me again before you leave?”

  Ryan stood back and watched as the women stood together and held hands. He heard Laurette’s prayer and murmured “Amen” when the women did. I’ve taken care of distraught family members before. This lady is calm and under control. Maybe there’s something more to praying with another person than I realized, he thought. Other than politely waiting while Laurette and Ruth said grace, he certainly hadn’t done it recently. Not even alone. He’d have to give that some thought.

  “I’ll see you later,” Laurette said, then gave Gladys a quick hug. “You ready to go?” she asked Ryan.

  “You look beat,” he said to Laurette as they exited the hospital. “How early did you get to the dock?”

  “Oh, not until nearly four.” She sighed. “Had a late night with Ruth.”

  “Is she okay?”

  Laurette smiled up at him. “Just got her days and nights mixed up. I’ll catch up on my sleep tonight.”

  “Come in late tomorrow. Tyler will be back, and we can struggle without you.” Ryan longed to hug Laurette and comfort her. She did so much for others. Could he do anything for her?

  “Thanks.”

  He walked her to the van she had left in the parking lot. “You want to stop for something to eat?”

  She looked surprised. “Now that you mention it, I am hungry. I’ll meet you at the coffee shop by the office.”

  He watched her drive off. “I wonder if she ever gets grouchy.” He shrugged and walked to the company truck to follow her to the café.

  SIX

  “How’s Ruth? Has she still got her days and nights mixed up?” Ryan asked when Laurette came into the office a few days later.

  “She’s been great for the last week. John came by Sunday. He even cooked dinner for us. He called it halibut cheeks. Do fish really have cheeks?”

  She watched, embarrassed as Ryan’s lean frame nearly doubled in laughter. Finally, he gasped out an answer. “Yes, Rette, halibut have cheeks. It’s a delicacy.”

  Feeling a warm glow at hearing her nickname, she looked shyly at Ryan. “Sorry I had to ask. It tasted delicious, and I didn’t want John to know how dumb I am.”