“I’ll walk with you to the parking lot,” Debbie said as Laurette pulled on her jacket.
“I’ll lock up,” Ryan said.
Laurette raced with Debbie from the door of the building to their parked vehicles. “See you tomorrow,” Laurette called, ducking into her truck.
The storm blew all night. Laurette put on her full rain gear before going to work in the morning. As she came through the door of the office, Tyler was putting down a VHF radio. “We’ve got an injured deckhand coming in.”
“What happened?”
“Don’t know how, but he has a crushed leg. Coast Guard is on the way with a helicopter to take him to the hospital.” He grabbed his coat. “Do you know any nursing?”
“A little first aid,” she answered. “Won’t there be an EMT on board the helicopter?”
“Probably, but I’m the one who may need the first aid. I can’t stand the sight of blood. You’d better come with me.”
She clung to the side of the truck as Tyler raced to the Coast Guard station.
“The ambulance will be at the helicopter pad to pick up the injured man.”
“You want me to ride with him?”
“I’d appreciate it. Ryan told me how good you were with that heart attack victim that came in earlier this summer.”
“I just sat with his wife. Will there be anyone else with this man?”
“Probably not. We’ll find out from the ship steward where he’s from and notify his family. At least we’ll try to. Most of these crews are from foreign countries.”
“Will he speak English?” Laurette wondered how she could be of any help to the injured man if she couldn’t even communicate with him.
“Most of them do. But I don’t think he’ll be talking much. With a crushed leg, he’ll probably be pretty heavily drugged.”
Tyler pulled in next to the ambulance and hopped out to talk to the waiting EMTs. Laurette stood beside him.
Tyler introduced her. “Laurette works for SAM and will be going in the ambulance with the patient.”
The young man reached out to shake her hand. “You were there when we took a passenger off a cruise ship a few weeks ago.”
She nodded.
“My wife’s a nurse; she told me what a good job you did comforting the wife.”
Laurette felt her face grow hot. She tried to smile. “Just doing what I could to help.”
They all looked up as the chopper roared, settling onto the helipad. The EMTs rushed over with the gurney to get the injured crewman. They covered him with warm blankets and a tarp to keep him dry and warm, then quickly loaded him into the ambulance. Laurette followed and sat next to the unconscious man.
“Please, Lord, comfort and heal this man,” she prayed, quietly watching the EMT tend to his IV.
“He’s going to need a lot of prayers,” the attendant said after adding his amen.
Laurette stayed with the injured deckhand while he was wheeled into the emergency room. Soon he was whisked into an elevator and on his way to the operating room, so Laurette pulled off her rain gear and prepared to wait.
“You plan to stay?” the admitting nurse asked.
“Yes.”
“Are you family?”
“No, I’m with Southeast Alaska Maritime. We don’t know anything about him yet. I doubt there will be any family close by.”
The nurse smiled. “Nice of you to care. Why don’t you go to the waiting room and have some coffee. I’ll have someone contact you when we know more.”
“Okay, thanks.” Laurette went to the waiting room and pulled out her cell phone to call the office.
“Do we have any info yet on the injured deckhand?” she asked when Debbie answered.
“Tyler is on the radio with the ship steward now. Want me to call back when we know his particulars?”
“Yes. The hospital is going to want the information as soon as possible.”
“Tyler just said he’ll take care of that. Are you coming back to the office?”
“If it’s okay with Tyler, I’d like to stay for a while. I want to see how he is and if there’s anything I can do.”
❧
Laurette poured a cup of coffee and sat down to wait. She had her eyes closed in prayer when a nurse came into the room. “You from Southeast Maritime?”
Laurette sat up quickly. “Yes.”
“The man you brought in is in surgery. The leg is pretty mangled, so it may be a few hours. You want me to call your office when he comes out of the OR?”
“If you would, please. I’ll come back later so he won’t be alone when he finds out what has happened to his leg.” Laurette gave the woman her card. “This is my cell phone. Will you let me know so I can be here when he comes to?”
The nurse smiled and put the card in her pocket. “Be glad to.”
Laurette called the office. “Hi, Debbie. I need a ride back. Anybody available?”
Twenty minutes later Ryan walked into the waiting room.
Laurette jumped up. “The deckhand will be in surgery for hours, so I can work until I know he’s coming out of it.”
“Tyler asked you to come back?”
“No. I just don’t think the guy should be alone. I plan to sit with him unless Tyler changes his mind about letting me keep the guy company.”
Ryan looked puzzled. “Why? They’re going to keep him sedated.”
“Would you want to wake up alone? Tyler says he’s probably from a foreign country, so there won’t be any of his family here to comfort him.”
Ryan sighed. “You would be the one to think about that.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “You’re some kind of special.”
❧
Laurette’s question about being alone haunted Ryan. He saw her leave when the hospital called, and he knew she would sit praying by the stranger’s bed for hours. Who would be there for me? he wondered. Mom is in Chicago. I might be just as alone as that poor guy. Would there be a guardian angel to pray for me?
When the workday came to an end, Ryan went by the fish-and-chips shop to get takeout, then drove to the hospital. He paused at the door of the deckhand’s room. Laurette sat, just as he knew she would, at the side of the bed, holding her Bible in her hands and praying quietly while the sedated crewman slept.
“Are you hungry?” he whispered, holding out the boxes of food.
Her smile lit up the room.
“Can you take a break? We can eat in the waiting room down the hall.”
She looked at the sleeping patient. “I don’t think Joseph will mind.”
He guided her to a chair in the waiting room. “Did Tyler find out more than his name? I’ve been busy and haven’t heard much today.”
“He’s from Italy. His leg is patched up, but he won’t be able to go back to the ship for a long time.” She took the food Ryan held out. “The cruise line will send him home when he can travel.” She took a bite of fish. “This is good. Guess I forgot to eat today. I did remember to call Diane and ask her to make sure Ruth ate something, though.”
“How late will you stay here?”
“Not much longer. The nurse says Joseph will sleep for the night. The nurses will call me when he starts waking up—probably sometime tomorrow. I’ll come back then.”
“So will I,” Ryan offered. “And I’m going to add my own prayers for Joseph’s recovery to yours.” He saw the tears in her eyes and reached to take her hand. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Your prayers will mean a lot to both Joseph and me.”
“Hey, you reminded me I could be the one lying there alone.”
When they finished eating, Ryan started to pick up the remnants of their supper. “Why don’t we go say good night to Joseph and tell him we’ll be back tomorrow?”
A few moments later, Ryan walked Laurette to her truck and gently kissed her forehead before she slipped into the vehicle. “See you tomorrow,” he said, softly shutting the truck door.
Driving back to his trailer, he thoug
ht again how vulnerable he was. As cold and unloving as he’d been to his mother, he wondered if she would even come if he got hurt. He glanced at his watch as he shut the front door behind him. “Too late to call her tonight,” he muttered, calculating the three-hour time difference.
He turned on the stereo and plopped down in his chair, Laurette filling his thoughts. When her job with SAM ends, she’ll go back south. I don’t have anything to offer her. How could I ask her to stay?
He could go south and look for a job. He couldn’t stand being in an office all day. It would be better to keep doing what he was good at.
On the other hand, if he got a steady job, he could live in a bigger place and have room for a piano. He smiled, trying to picture himself giving kids piano lessons like his mom had.
Can you picture having kids of your own?
Ryan sighed deeply and pulled himself out of the chair. He turned off the stereo and sat down at the organ. The music soothed his troubled mind. Playing the hymns was his way of praying. “If I can follow the notes, maybe I can learn to follow where Jesus leads me.”
❧
Ryan walked into work late the next morning. Laurette stood with a cup of coffee reading the latest fax. “You oversleep?” she asked with a smile.
“I called my mother,” he said quietly. Laurette’s look of pleasure warmed his heart. “Must have talked to her for an hour.”
She put down her cup and took his hand. “Was she pleased to hear from you?”
He nodded. “I told her about you.” He put his hand over hers. “She’d like to meet you.”
Laurette looked puzzled.
“I told her you were encouraging me to read the Bible and pray.” He squeezed her hands. “She said to tell you how happy she is that I found you.”
“And that you found your way back to her.”
“Exactly.” He didn’t voice his feelings about why he was glad he’d found Laurette. He let her hands go. “Have you checked on Joseph?”
“Not yet. I waited to see if you wanted to go with me.”
“Let’s go.”
ELEVEN
When Laurette entered the office the next morning, she saw Ryan pouring coffee. “Want a cup?” he asked.
She nodded. “Any word from the hospital?”
“No.” He handed her a cup. “I have to go out with some mail and papers,” he said, pointing at a cruise ship in the harbor. “If you’re around when I get back, we could run out to see how Joseph is doing today.”
“I’d like that. I got some magazines to take him.”
Ryan smiled. “It may be awhile before he’s alert enough to look at them, but I’m sure the thought will please him.” He looked at the clock. “I’ve got to run.”
Laurette watched him pick up a mailbag and some papers and wave as he left. Sighing, she started sorting the faxes that had come in that morning. “I can do this one,” she said, pulling out one of the faxes and heading to the post office.
When she returned, Debbie said, “You’ve got a phone call on line one.”
“This is Laurette.”
“Laurette, it’s John.”
“Hello, John. Is Ruth all right?”
“She’s fine. It’s a nice day, so I’m going to take Mother out for a ride around Sitka. Would you like to join us for a late lunch, say around four o’clock?”
“I’m sorry, John. We have four ships in the harbor today, and I don’t think I’ll have a spare moment. Thanks for asking me.” After chatting a few more moments, she hung up.
“I’ve got a problem for you,” Debbie said. “A passenger stepped on her glasses and needs them fixed. Can you take care of it?”
“Must be an optometrist in town. Call the ship and make an appointment for which tender she’ll be on. I’ll get ahold of the optometrist’s office and let them know we’re coming in.” Laurette grabbed the phone book and went to work. It was late afternoon before she and Ryan were both in the office at the same time.
“The last ship will sail at five. Think we can wind things up and go see Joseph?” Ryan asked.
Laurette heaved a sigh. “It’s been a wild day, starting with broken glasses and ending with a sprained ankle.” She plopped down in a chair. “Yes, I’d like to go see Joseph.”
On the way to the hospital, Laurette told Ryan about John’s call. “Ruth will be tired and happy tonight. I think I’ll just fix her some ice cream or a snack since John was planning on a late lunch.” She glanced at her watch. “Probably about now.”
“And you think I have bad eating habits.” He raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Don’t you think we should stop for a bite to eat after we see Joseph?”
“Sounds good. What are you hungry for?”
“How about a hamburger?”
The two entered Joseph’s room. The injured crewman’s leg hung in a sling, but he could still sit up a little.
“How you doing, Joseph?” Ryan asked jovially.
Joseph appeared groggy but aware that they were not hospital personnel.
“We’re from Southeast Alaska Maritime. I’m Laurette, and this is Ryan. I rode in the ambulance with you.”
The injured man smiled. “I don’t remember much after that rope let go and I got hit.”
“Those ropes are huge. The broken end whip around and get you?” Ryan asked.
“Sure did,” Joseph mumbled.
“We brought you something to read when you feel better.” Laurette laid the magazines on the bedside table.
“Thank you. Someone from your office called. Was it you?” he asked Ryan.
“Must have been our boss, Tyler Healy. Did he let you know the cruise line will take care of you?”
The injured man nodded. “He said he would telegraph my mother.”
Laurette stood at the side of the bed. She took the man’s work-worn hand in her own. “We’re praying for you.”
She saw the crewman’s eyes fill with tears. “Would you pray for my mother? She depends on the money I send her, and I don’t know how long I’ll be out of work.”
“What’s her name?”
“Maria,” he whispered as a single tear ran down his weathered cheek.
“We’ll pray for both of you,” she said, giving his left hand a reassuring squeeze.
Ryan came to her side and shook Joseph’s right hand. “We’ll check on you again tomorrow. You let our office know if there is anything we can do for you.”
“Thanks,” he murmured.
Walking back to the car, Ryan took Laurette’s hand. “You’re good with people. You made that guy feel better.”
“I hope so. All I offered was to pray for him.”
“I saw his tears. You touched him with your kindness.” He opened the car door for her but gave her a quick hug before letting her get in. “You touch a lot of us in special ways,” he said softly.
Ryan started the car and headed for the restaurant, and Laurette tried to calm her runaway pulse. Is it his touch or his words that make me tingle clear to my toes?
Settled over hamburgers, Ryan asked, “You got plans for when you go back to Seattle?”
“Not really. I don’t think I want to go for any more education. Costs too much and I’m tired of school.”
“So what are you going to do?”
She put the half-eaten sandwich on her plate and looked at him. “I don’t know what to do. Guess I’ll have to find a job.”
He looked into her brown eyes and saw the flecks of gold. “What kind of job?”
She sighed. “My degree is in biology. Mostly I worked with plants, so I guess I could find a job in a greenhouse or nursery.”
He took her hands in his. “You have a gift—you’re very good with people. They need you a lot more than some potted plants do.”
She rewarded him with a smile. “And you have the gift of music. What are you going to do?” She pulled back her hands and picked up her sandwich.
Find a way to be near you. Aloud he said, “I don’t know.”
Ryan took Laurette back to the parking lot and her truck. She slipped out of his car. “Thanks for dinner. I’ll see you in the morning.” And she was gone.
I can’t let her go. I’ve got to find a better job so I have something to offer her. Ryan was free to come into the Dockside Hotel lounge whenever he wanted. He went there now to play the piano and to try to think.
❧
Laurette drove home in deep thought. What am I going to do? I studied biology thinking I could help on the farm. My brother will run the farm, and I don’t think I want to marry a farmer. So what do I do with my education?
She found Ruth sleeping in her chair. Her old friend roused with a beautiful smile. “Is it morning already?”
Laurette kissed Ruth’s cheek. “No. You were just having a little nap in your chair. Now tell me about your day with John.”
Ruth’s glowing face and stories of driving along the water-front pushed back Laurette’s worries of her own future.
“We went by the Pioneer Home. Esther lived there and I used to go visit her.”
“Is it a nice place?”
“Oh, yes. It’s just for Native Alaskans. Esther always said the people living there had interesting stories to tell. Sometimes she would share them with me.”
“Did you have a nice lunch?”
“Yes. I won’t need anything else to eat tonight, but you should fix yourself something.”
“Ryan and I stopped for a hamburger, so I’m not hungry, either. Later on we could have some ice cream. Would you like to have me read the Bible now?”
“Yes, please.”
Ruth’s stories of her day out continued for a week. Usually Ruth thought it had happened yesterday or occasionally in the distant past. On Sunday Laurette shared stories of Ruth’s outing with Diane.
“Why don’t you try to take her out more often? Take her to Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi. She’d love it.”
“I beg your pardon? I can’t even say it,” Laurette protested.
Diane laughed. “It’s a longhouse built in the traditional Nakaahidi design to preserve the Tlingit culture. They have storytelling and dance performances. Ruth would love it.”
“Where is it?”
“Down on Katlian Street, close to where you live.”
Alaskan Summer Page 8