A train! Rachel’s trembling increased. “How bad was she hurt, Jace?”
“So much blood,” Jace muttered. “It hit the truck on her side, behind her door, but then the truck slammed back into the train. So much blood.”
Bile rose in Rachel’s throat. Had she found her daughter only to lose her?
*****
Damian swung his truck into an empty parking spot and braked. The truck hadn’t even settled from the abrupt stop before he bolted from the cab, slamming the door behind him. He ran for the entrance of the hospital, frantic to make sure his youngest brother was okay. The disjointed phone call he’d received from Jace had sent panic through him.
As soon as he stepped through the doors he spotted Rachel standing near the nurses’ station talking to a doctor. Wondering why she was there, he strode up to her.
“Rachel?”
She turned to him, and Damian stepped back when he saw the fear on her face. He swallowed. “What’s going on?”
“Jace and Mari were in an accident with a train.”
“Are they okay?” Damian asked, suddenly fearful of the answer.
“Jace seems fine, but Mari was hurt. We don’t know how bad.”
The doctor touched Rachel’s arm. “You can go in and see your daughter for a few minutes before we take her up for surgery. But please be prepared for how she looks. There’s a lot of swelling.”
“Your daughter?” Damian wondered if he was dreaming, caught in the Twilight Zone somehow.
Rachel had taken a step toward the swinging doors, the doctor at her side. She paused and turned back to him. “Yes, Damian, my daughter.”
The doctor took Rachel’s arm and together they disappeared through the swinging doors, leaving Damian to stare blankly after them.
“Damian?”
Hearing his brother’s voice shot all other thoughts from Damian’s mind. He turned, shock coursing through him at the sight of blood on Jace’s t-shirt and jacket.
He hurried to his brother’s side. “Are you all right? What happened?”
Jace just stared at him then began to weep. Damian stood beside him, not sure what to do. Finally he went to the nurses’ station.
“Can I have someone look at my brother?” He pointed to where Jace sat, hunched over so far his forehead practically touched his knees.
“We’d love to, sir, but he’s refused all attempts on our part to help him. We were able to determine that the blood came from the girl, and that he doesn’t appear to be physically hurt.”
“I want him looked over. Tell me where to take him and call a doctor.”
The nurse gave him instructions and, determined to help, Damian went back to Jace.
“C’mon, buddy, we’re going to have a doctor look at you.” Damian took Jace’s arm to pull him out of the chair.
Jace jerked his arm out of Damian’s hand. “No. The doctors must help Mari. Not me. They must help Mari.”
Damian sat down next to his brother. “They are helping Mari, Jace. She’s going in for surgery. We need to help you now.”
“No, they must help Mari.”
“Jace,” Damian said sternly. “There are lots of doctors in this hospital. The best ones to help Mari are already with her. There are doctors still available to help you.”
Jace looked at him warily. “They have to make sure she’s okay, Damian. It’s all my fault.”
Damian wanted to ask more, but right then it was more important to get Jace the help he needed. The younger man finally seemed to relax and let Damian lead him to the area the nurse had directed him to.
But when the doctor came, Jace again became agitated, resisting their attempts to check him over.
“We’re going to have to sedate him, Mr. Karlsson,” the doctor told Damian.
Damian watched as the sedative was administered, and finally Jace began to calm down. “I need to make a couple of phone calls. I’ll be in the waiting room.”
He made his way back to the waiting room and headed for the bank of phones along one wall. Damian hated the thought of calling his folks with the news of the accident, but they needed to know. They needed to be there for Jace, because Damian knew he needed to be with Rachel.
Thankfully his father answered the phone and while Mike was upset, he kept himself together much better than his wife would have. After Damian hung up the phone, he leaned his head against the receiver for a moment. Helping people in their time of need was his job as a pastor, but it had never hit so close to home before. Damian hoped he was up to the challenge.
Straightening, he returned to the nurses’ station to get the necessary medical forms for Jace.
“Mr. Karlsson?”
Damian turned, expecting to see a doctor or nurse. Instead a man stood in front of him, badge held out for Damian to see.
“I’m Detective Staves. I need to ask your brother a few more questions about the accident. The EMTs said he was conscious.”
“He was,” Damian agreed. “But they had to sedate him in order to check him over.”
“Okay. Will you call me when he’s up to talking?” The detective held out a small white card.
Damian took it and slipped it into his hip pocket. “What happened, Detective?”
“We’re still investigating it, but it appears it was a case of slick roads, an unmanned crossing and a blind intersection. The train came from behind a grove of trees. It seems your brother tried to brake but ice on the roads prevented him from stopping in time, and the train clipped the passenger side of the truck. The truck slammed back into the train, once again on the passenger side.”
“Is Jace in trouble?”
“He took a Breathalyzer at the scene and passed, so we’re fairly sure alcohol wasn’t in issue.”
“It wasn’t,” Damian told the detective.
“I appreciate your loyalty to your brother, but in addition to the Breathalyzer we’re going to need some blood tests.”
Damian understood, but he had no doubt the tests would confirm what he’d told the detective.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Karlsson. I look forward to hearing from you.”
Damian watched the detective leave before making his way to the nurses’ station to return Jace’s forms and to inquire about Mari and Rachel.
“They’ve taken her to surgery on the sixth floor. I imagine her mother is in the waiting room up there.”
“Thanks,” Damian said and turned, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“Damian!” He heard his dad’s voice and lifted his head to see his folks walking towards him, the glass ER doors sliding shut behind them.
“What happened, son?” Mike asked when they reached him.
Damian lifted a hand and rubbed his forehead. “I’m still not sure. From what I can piece together, Jace’s truck was hit by a train.”
Sharon gasped and grabbed Mike’s hand. “Are they alright?”
“Jace seems okay. No visible wounds, but he is in shock and not talking too clearly. They have him back there.” Damian motioned with his hand. “They had to sedate him in order to check him out.”
“Oh, no!” Sharon buried her face in her hands.
“And Mari?” Mike asked.
Damian shook his head. “I don’t know. They have her up in surgery. Since you’re here to stay with Jace, I’d like to go see how she’s doing.”
Mike nodded. “As soon as you have news, come let us know.”
Damian headed for the elevator and waited, his boot tapping on the tile floor. It seemed to take forever before he stepped out of the elevator car on the sixth floor. He looked one way then the other trying to figure out where to go. Finally he spotted the signs pointing the way to the surgery waiting room.
He knew he was in the right place when he spotted Rachel curled up on one of the chairs, staring out the window. Damian walked up to her and touched her on the shoulder.
She jumped and turned around, hope fading from her eyes when she saw him. “I thought you were the
doctor.”
“Sorry.” Damian sat down in the chair next to where she had her feet propped. “Has there been any news?”
Rachel’s eyes looked bleak as she shook her head.
Not sure how to broach the subject, Damian just sat silently for a few moments, staring at the floor. When he looked back at Rachel, she was staring out the window again, her profile tense and pale.
“Did you just tell them you were Mari’s mom so you could see her since she has no family here?” Damian finally asked.
Rachel turned her head, her gaze meeting his. Pain radiated from her beautiful brown eyes. Damian wished he had the power to take it all away. “No, I just found out last night that she is my daughter.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I had Mari the summer before we moved here. In fact, I had her three weeks before school started. I gave her up for adoption.”
Damian, for the first time in his life, had no clue what to say. Had this been the reason Rachel had withdrawn from him?
“So how did you two hook up?”
“Mari knew about me. Her parents had told her all about me, and when they died she decided to come find me. She didn’t tell me who she was at first because she wanted to get to know me and to see if there was room for her in my life.” Rachel’s voice wavered, and tears filled her eyes. “There’s so much room in my life for her, Damian. If I lose her now it will leave a hole no one can fill.”
Damian reached for Rachel, pulling her into his embrace. It was an awkward hug at first, given their positions, but Rachel tucked her feet under her and rose up on her knees to bury her head in Damian’s shoulder.
As her slender body shook with sobs, Damian held her close, praying the Lord would give him the words to offer comfort to the woman who held his heart. He had been praying the Lord would bring Rachel back to him, but this wasn’t how he had wanted it. The shock of Rachel’s secret still held his thoughts. Obviously he hadn’t known the woman he held in his arms well at all.
The sobs gradually abated. Rachel didn’t move from his embrace right away, like Damian had thought she might once her emotions were spent. He felt her take a couple of deep breaths before she pulled back.
She looked at him, wet dark lashes framed her eyes. “Thanks.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Damian replied lightly. He didn’t want her to think about their relationship right then. She had too many other things on her mind.
Rachel sat back, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. “I needed a shoulder to cry on.”
“Did the doctor say how Mari was?”
“He says it’s pretty bad.” Rachel looked down. “Her right leg was fractured. She had cuts on her head and some swelling. Her face was in bad shape when I saw her.” She rubbed her forehead. “I can’t remember what all the doctors said. It just didn’t sound very good.”
Damian reached out and rubbed his fingers over her clasped hands. “She’ll be okay, Rache. Want me to pray?”
Rachel nodded, loosening her grip on her knees so she could take his hand. She bent her head and after a moment, Damian also bowed his head and closed his eyes.
“Father, we come to today asking for healing for Mari. We don’t know the extent of her injuries but You do. You know what needs to be healed in her body. Please give the doctors wisdom as they work on her. You are the great Physician, Father, heal Rachel’s daughter. They’re just at the beginning of their relationship; they have so much to learn about each other. We pray they have many, many more years together.
“We know that in spite of the fact that everything seems out of control at the moment, You are still in control, Lord. We pray for Your will to be done in Mari’s life. We know she is Your child, Lord, spare her life. Amen.”
Rachel looked up and smiled, a weak smile but a smile nonetheless. “Thank you.”
“Miss Perkins.”
Damian and Rachel both looked toward the door leading to the operating rooms. A nurse in scrubs stood there. Rachel scrambled to her feet and hurried towards her.
“How is she?”
Damian went to stand behind her, searching the nurse’s face for some sign of the news she had for Rachel.
“Dr. Abra asked me to come and let you know how the surgery is going.”
“And?” Damian prompted, annoyed the woman was taking so long to spill the information when Rachel was clearly dying for news.
“So far she’s stable. She’s lost a lot of blood, but we’ve been replacing it. The surgery is most likely going to last another few hours. I will continue to come and give updates as often as Dr. Abra asks.”
“Thank you,” Rachel said, reaching out to squeeze the nurse’s hand.
The nurse nodded before she disappeared through the swinging doors.
Damian placed his hands on Rachel’s shoulders, and they both just stared at the doors. Finally Rachel turned and leaned her forehead against his chest. Damian continued to keep his hands on her shoulders, gently kneading the tension from them.
Long minutes passed before Rachel lifted her head and stepped back. “Thank you. Again.”
“Don’t keep thanking me, Rachel. I’m glad to be here for you.”
“After what happened…” Rachel paused and glanced away. “I didn’t think you’d want anything more to do with me.”
“You were wrong. I can’t just shut off my emotions, Rachel. I’m not forcing the issue any more, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still love you. But all you have to do is say the word, and I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want.”
Rachel quickly shook her head. “I hate taking advantage of you, but I need someone with me.”
“And I’m glad to be that someone. Lean on me, Rachel, and don’t think about our past or what the future holds. We’ll deal with that later. Right now we’ll focus on Mari and getting her better.”
Damian could see the hesitation in her eyes. He wished he could make it clear to her how much he wanted to help her. To be with her during this difficult time. He didn’t need promises for the future, although that would be nice, all he wanted was to be there for her.
“Okay.” Rachel crossed her arms, sliding her hands up and down her upper arms as if she were cold. “I just don’t want to hurt you more than I already have.”
“Don’t even think about that. You need a friend, I’m a friend.”
“Thanks,” Rachel said and gave him a soft smile.
“Let’s sit back down. I think we’re going to be here for a while.”
Rachel took up her position once again near the window, sitting sideways, her legs bent. She crossed her arms over her knees and laid her head on them, staring out the window.
Damian closed his eyes and prayed. He couldn’t imagine what Rachel was going through, what emotions she was keeping buried deep within her. He knew that the prospect of losing a child not just once, but twice in her life must be overwhelming.
They sat in silence for a while longer before Damian shifted and leaned toward her.
“Rachel? I’m going to just go downstairs for a few minutes. Okay?”
Rachel lifted her head and nodded. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“See you in a bit.” Damian headed for the elevator. As he waited for a car to arrive, he looked back and saw that Rachel had resumed her position, curled tightly in on herself. She looked so small and fragile, like she would shatter, but Damian knew she was strong inside. She’d survived a lot of heartbreak in her life. He just hoped this wasn’t one more.
Twenty minutes later Damian stepped back onto the sixth floor. Rachel didn’t look like she’d moved a muscle since he’d been gone. He wondered if she’d fallen asleep.
Quietly he approached her and sat down. Her head immediately lifted.
“How’s Jace?” she asked.
Damian hesitated, hating the thought of telling her that his brother was going to be fine. He knew it would seem so unfair to Rachel that Jace, the one driving the truck, walked awa
y with barely a scratch, and yet Mari’s condition was so precarious.
“He’s going to have some bruises, but otherwise he’s going to be fine.”
“Good,” Rachel said, a small smile lifted one corner of her mouth. “I don’t want to have to be worried about both of them.”
Damian marveled again at Rachel’s generous, caring spirit.
She propped her chin on her arms and looked at him. Damian shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what was going through her mind.
“You want to ask, don’t you?” Rachel said.
Damian thought about pretending ignorance but knew it would be the same as lying. She was right, he did want to ask. “You mean about the circumstances surrounding Mari’s birth?”
Rachel nodded.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested. I am curious about what happened seventeen years ago.” Damian paused before asking, “Will you tell me about it?”
Chapter Thirteen
Rachel stared at Damian’s familiar features. She was so very grateful he was by her side during this time. If only it could be more. She wanted to go into his arms, lay her head on his chest and draw strength from him.
And now he wanted to know about that horrible time in her past. How much should she tell him? Mari had deserved to know everything, and still Rachel had held back, hiding the punishment the Lord had meted out upon her for her sin.
In the end, Rachel told Damian basically the same story she’d told Mari. She didn’t look at him as she spoke, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes.
“You were young. We all make mistakes,” Damian stated bluntly when she finished.
Oh, she had been young all right. Rachel hadn’t told Mari, and she wasn’t going to tell Damian, that she’d gotten involved with Mari’s dad knowing full well what she was doing was wrong. She’d just been so desperate for someone…anyone…to love her that she’d willingly gone against everything she’d been taught, and she became physically involved with her boyfriend.
It had been willful disobedience on her part, fueled by an overwhelming desire to know that someone loved her. It wasn’t until too late that she realized Mari’s father didn’t love her, had never loved her and never would. It had been yet another cruel blow to her already bruised heart.
Waiting For Rachel: A Christian Romance (Those Karlsson Boys) Page 14