by Gayle Roper
Cass gave a weak smile. “What I want isn’t really the issue either. We’re not talking about a unilateral decision. Besides, Jesus is everything I need, right?” She hoped Mom didn’t hear the wobble in her voice.
“Oh, my dear.” Mom climbed out and gave Cass a hug. She stood back and looked at Cass. “Listen carefully, Cassandra Marie. What I’m about to say is very important. Of course Jesus is enough in one sense. He’s enough spiritually, providing salvation, offering peace of heart and mind, surrounding us with His grace. He never leaves us or forsakes us.” Mom smiled slightly. “He’s not about to move to New York City and leave you behind.
“But—and it’s a big but—He’s put us in families and Christian community because He knows we need each other. We need people to talk to, to hug, to do things with and go places with. We need people to encourage us and worship with us, to tell us off when we need it, and cry with us when we sorrow. Why do you think the Bible is full of verses that tell us to take care of one another? Jesus has chosen to let us represent Him to each other.”
Cass nodded. Hopefully when Dan goes back to New York City, the family will be there to sorrow with me. I’ll certainly need them.
Mom climbed back into the car. “Don’t be afraid to admit that you need another human being, in this case a special man.” She shut the door and rolled down her window. “More prayer,” she said, looking directly at Cass. “Don’t you worry about anything. I’ll tell the girls.”
The brothers’ wives. Family fodder. But the aching yearning in her heart made Cass glad for the spiritual intervention on her behalf, especially since she knew she’d never have dared to ask for it. Her feelings about Dan were almost superstitious, though she was definitely not a superstitious person by any stretch of the imagination. If I talk about him, he will go. Ridiculous, but there it was.
“Pray for courage for me, Mom, whatever happens. For God’s will.”
“Right.” Mom slipped the car into reverse. “God’s will.”
Cass knew the prayers would be much more explicit than the generic, “God’s will.” Cass knew for a fact that Mom had prayed very specifically about the brothers when they started dating their wives.
“Lord, she’s just the right woman for Hal,” or Tommy or Will or Bud. “You know, Lord, that I started praying for all my children’s spouses before the children were even born. I asked for just the right mate to help make them the best people, the godliest people they could be. I think he’s finally found her. Let’s bring her home, Lord.”
Cass always thought it sounded like reeling in a nice, fat fish.
Now Mom’d be praying, “Let’s bring Dan home, Lord.” Let’s reel him in.
“Don’t you worry about things. Now, good-bye, Cassandra Marie.” Mom glanced over her shoulder, checked the alley for traffic, then stepped on the gas. Nothing happened. She opened her door and stepped out. “Am I up against something?”
Cass walked behind the car. She shook her head. “There’s nothing here.”
Mom frowned. Then, “Ah. I put on the emergency brake. I usually don’t because the handle is broken off. You have to lean under the dash to release it.” And she reached below the dash.
“No, Mom!” Cass lunged to stop her mother, but she was too late. The car, still in gear, began to move backwards as soon as the brake released. With amazing speed, the open door slapped Mom in the side and knocked her facedown right in the path of the accelerating car.
Twenty-Three
MOM!” CASS SCREAMED. She fell to her knees and reached out, as if she could stop the car with her bare hands or pull her mother from danger. Of course, it was too late to do either. She watched in horror as the front wheel of the car moved inexorably toward her mother, then rolled right over her. “Mom!”
The front fender brushed Cass’s hand with surprising force as it slid past, knocking her off balance. She fell on her side, her elbow scraping across the tiny pebbles and sand that lay in the drive, her hip slamming hard against the cement. Vaguely she felt her turtleneck sleeve give way under the force of her fall and knew the sting of a colossal brush burn.
Her mother lay unmoving, her head turned toward Cass, as the car continued to drive itself, rolling down the alley and out into the street, stopping only when it came up against the curb on the far side.
Cass scrambled to her knees, fear a cold hand about her heart. “Mom!”
Oh, God, please! Please!
She reached a trembling hand to her mother’s neck to check her carotid artery. The thought that she might find no pulse made it difficult to draw a breath. She glanced frantically around, but there was no one in sight, no one to help her. She was on her own.
Oh, God! Oh, Lord! Please!
She didn’t know whether she meant please let Mom be alive, or please help me do the right thing, or please send someone to help me, or all three. Probably all three. She placed her fingers lightly on her mother’s neck below the ear. She went weak with relief as she felt a faint but steady heartbeat.
Still, the possibility of internal injuries scared her spitless, and she needed to get help and fast. The house, the phone, and Dan were just yards away, but how could she leave Mom long enough to avail herself of that help? What if someone whipped around the corner of the alley and didn’t see her lying by the garage?
Her mother groaned.
“Mom!” Tears pooled in Cass’s eyes as she lay on the ground beside her. “I’m here, Mom. I’m here.” She was afraid to touch her, afraid not to. She laid a tentative hand over Mom’s, flung out to the side. She gave the lightest of squeezes.
Mom groaned again, and Cass jerked her hand back like she was recoiling from the touch of a hot iron. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She pushed to her knees. “I’ve got to go get help, Mom.” Cass stood. “I’ll be right back.”
Had Mom heard? Who knew? She turned and ran for the house, aware of a sharp twinge in her hip from her fall. Please, Lord, don’t let her think I’m deserting her.
Breathless with haste and fear, Cass yanked open the back door and burst into the kitchen. “Call 911! Call 911!”
Dan, Jared, and Paulie froze where they were. Paulie had one of his chocolate chips submerged to his fingertips in a glass of milk. Jared had his hand in his cookie bag, pulling out one. Dan had his coffee mug raised to his mouth. On the table sat dinner, waiting only for her appearance to get the meal started. Poor roast. Who knew when it would get eaten now.
She turned back toward the alley, calling over her shoulder as she ran, “Mom’s hurt! We need an ambulance.”
“Jared!” she heard Dan order. She glanced back and saw Dan was right behind her. Jared, who had been running after her too, stopped in the doorway, reached back, and grabbed the phone off the wall.
When she got to the alley, she skidded to a halt, astonished. Dan bumped into her, his hands going to her waist to steady both of them. Cass barely noticed. She was too busy staring at her mother.
Mom was sitting up, leaning against the garage.
“Mom!” Cass knelt before her mother. “You shouldn’t have moved.”
“I’m fine,” Mom said, raising a shaky hand to brush back her hair. “Just help me stand up.”
Cass put a gentle hand on her shoulder to prevent her from moving any more. “Don’t you dare think of standing. It’s bad enough you’re sitting. We don’t know how badly you’re injured yet.”
Mom rested her head against the garage and shut her eyes. “I’m fine. Just a little winded, a little tired. Now give me a hand, and help me up.”
Dan came down beside Cass. “Charlotte, Cass is right. You can’t stand, not until the paramedics check you out. In fact, you probably should lie down.”
“Paramedics?” Mom looked aghast. “I don’t need paramedics. I just need my own bed for a nice nap. Do you hear me, Cassandra Marie? No paramedics. I mean it.”
Cass ignored her mother’s foolish order. “Where do you hurt? Can you tell me?”
“I don’t know.” Mom frowned as she thought about the question. “I can move everything.” She flexed first one leg, then the other, twirled one hand at the wrist, then the other. She winced slightly, glancing up to see if Cass had noted. “See? All okay.”
Cass, who had not missed the flinch, bit back a sarcastic yeah, right.
“What happened, Charlotte?” Dan asked. “Cass?”
“The car door slapped Mom and knocked her down. Then the car ran over her.”
“What?” Dan looked at Mom with incredulity.
Mom made a disgusted noise. “I ran over myself. How’s that for stupid? When Lew hears that, he’ll never let me have the car keys again.”
“It was an accident,” Cass said as Jared, Paulie, and a very pale Jenn appeared from around the garage. “Dad’ll understand.” In fact, he might be relieved since this incident had nothing to do with dementia.
Paulie clutched a throw that he’d grabbed from the back of the love seat. “Put this around her so she stays warm,” he said as he handed it to Cass. “You need to keep her warm.”
“Thanks, Paulie. That was good thinking.” Cass draped the covering lightly over Mom’s shoulders.
“I took a first aid class over the summer,” Paulie said. “Always keep the victim warm. It’s important to help prevent shock.”
“Thank you, Paulie.” Mom pulled the edges of the throw closed. “You’re a good boy.”
Paulie flushed with pleasure, his red face visible even in the low light of the alley. “I took the class because I hate to be in a situation and not know what to do, you know?” He glanced toward Jenn. “It makes me feel weird.”
As she adjusted the throw, Cass felt the tiny shivers that seized Mom. She looked into her mother’s eyes to see if she was fading into shock. Both pupils looked normal, but her level of expertise at assessing such things was nil.
Jared cleared his throat, doing his best not to look scared. “The ambulance is coming. The 911 people tried to get me to stay on the line, but I didn’t. I had to see how Grandmom was.”
“Grandmom,” Jenn whispered and started to cry. “Is she going to die?”
“Don’t ask your aunt,” Mom said in an amazingly strong, tart voice. “She doesn’t know the answer. Ask me.”
Jenn sniffed, her eyes wide with fright. “Are you?” she breathed.
Jared socked Jenn in the arm, knocking her off balance, and Paulie said in an appalled voice, “Jenn!”
“Let her be,” Mom said. “It’s a legitimate question to ask when someone’s hurt.” She looked at Jenn. “I’m not going to die, not for a good long time, and certainly not from this foolishness. So you can dry your tears.” She patted the ground beside her. “Why don’t you come sit beside me and help keep me warm?”
“Oh.” Jenn looked at Cass for guidance, and when Cass nodded, she gingerly lowered herself beside her grandmother. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t. It’ll take a lot more than you to do me in.” With her left arm Mom reached to pull the corners of the throw more tightly about her neck and gasped.
“Mom?” Cass felt the blood drain from her face.
“Something’s wrong with my arm.” Mom studied the offending limb. She moved all her fingers carefully and again twirled her wrist. She shook her head. “That wasn’t bad.” She tried to lift the arm again and gasped at the pain.
A police car drew up to the curb, lights rotating but siren silent, and Greg Barnes climbed out. He strode to the group huddled around Mom, and Cass felt great relief that help was here. Almost immediately they heard the siren announcing the approaching ambulance.
Mom heard the ambulance too and frowned. “I told you. I don’t need to go to the hospital. Just take me home.”
“No, ma’am,” Greg said as he knelt beside Mom. “You’re going in the ambulance. Police orders.”
Mom shook her head vigorously. “Greg Barnes, you’re a very nice young man, and I’m certain you’re a good cop, but I don’t have to take any orders from you.”
“Care to debate that?” he asked, a slight smile on his face.
Before Mom could muster her arguments, the ambulance pulled into the alley. A pair of paramedics climbed out. Tactfully but firmly they moved Cass, Dan, and the kids back and went to work on Mom.
“I don’t want to go to the hospital,” she protested. “I can’t go to the hospital.”
The paramedics ignored her.
“My husband will be upset.”
“Your child will be upset if you don’t go. And I’m here. He’s not.”
Mom shot Cass a dirty look.
“Now stay still,” one paramedic said. “I’m going to immobilize your neck.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my neck. The car didn’t touch my neck.”
And I thank You, God! Cass thought as she watched.
When they slid Mom into the ambulance, she was still protesting to no avail.
“Come to the emergency ward at Shore Memorial,” the paramedic said. Then she climbed into the back with Mom and they drove off, lights flashing but siren silent, announcing a serious situation within but not one which was life threatening.
As the ambulance disappeared around the corner, Greg returned from his perusal of Mom’s car across the street, its nose sticking out into the road, forcing cars to drive around it.
“Can I move it?” Dan asked. “Park it here by the garage?”
Greg nodded. “I’ve got all I need for my report.” He turned to Cass. “Do you want me to go tell Mr. Merton for you?”
“No,” Cass said. “I’ll tell him.” And the brothers.
“Let me get Charlotte’s car out of the road, then I’ll take you to your dad’s,” Dan said.
Cass nodded and turned to Dan’s car in a daze. The kids followed her, and Dan found himself with a car full. Greg led the way to Scallop Street with his lights turning, clearing any traffic from before them.
They found Dad in the kitchen looking at a very overcooked piece of steak.
“Where is she?” he demanded. “Look at my dinner! Ruined because she didn’t come right home. She promised she would.”
In spite of her worry, Cass couldn’t help but smile. He sounded just like a frustrated homemaker whose family ignored her calls to the table. Then she sobered.
“Dad, we have some bad news, but it’s not nearly as bad as it could be.” At least I don’t think so.
Immediately Dad forgot the steak. “She had one of her incidents? She hurt herself?”
Cass shook her head. “No incident.”
“She got run over!” Jenn blurted, eyes huge.
“What?” Dad grabbed the back of a chair for support.
“Shut up, Jenn,” Jared hissed. “Just keep your mouth closed. Let Aunt Cassandra tell. She was there.”
Jenn started to cry. Paulie patted her on the back, his desire to comfort her palpable. She flinched at every pat.
“Mom did get run over,” Cass said, and continued quickly, before her father could speak. “The front car door knocked her down and the front wheel rolled over her. She’s on her way to the hospital right now, and we came to take you. She’ll want to see you, and I know you’ll want to see her.”
The next few hours passed in a blur for Cass. There was the ride to the hospital and the wait in the emergency room. While they waited, she called Will, Hal, and Bud.
“Should we fly home?” Bud asked from Colorado. “We can be there by noon tomorrow.”
Cass sagged against the wall as she held her cell phone to her ear. “I don’t think you need to come. I don’t think she’s hurt nearly as badly as she could have been. Dad’s with her now, and I’ll call when I know more.”
“We’ll put her on the church prayer chain right away.”
“Thanks,” Cass mumbled and thought about her own church prayer chain. Pastor Paul ought to be notified too.
The doors to the waiting room flew open and Will and Lucy rushed in,
followed by the three cousins.
“I called Pastor Paul and got Mom on the prayer chain,” Lucy said. “Pastor said he’d be here as soon as he could make it.”
“Now what’s this about Mom running over herself?” Will demanded.
Cass hadn’t finished telling the story before the door flew open again and Hal and Ellie, minus their kids, came in. Cass told the story a second time. Then Pastor Paul arrived and the story was rehearsed again with lots of prompting from all those who hadn’t been present at the event.
As the family settled in to wait for any news about Mom, Will put his hand on Cass’s shoulder and squeezed. “You did good, BB.”
“Thanks, Will.” Cass collapsed in one of the molded plastic chairs, Dan taking the one beside her.
He shifted his weight, trying to find a comfortable position. “Whoever designed these didn’t have a man my size in mind.”
“Poor baby.” Cass patted his arm.
He grinned at her for a minute, then turned serious. He took her hand in both of his. “You doing okay, Cassie?”
She gave him a weary half smile and reached to push her hair off her face. She winced but ignored the cause. “Poor Dan. Another family emergency. You’ll be so glad when it’s time to leave Seaside and get back to your normal, uneventful life.”
He didn’t comment, just brushed the hair back for her. Then he turned her arm so he could look at her elbow. “When’d this happen?”
She glanced at the torn shirt and the brush burn. “I think the car knocked me over.”
He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Come on. This needs to be cleaned and treated.” He led her against her will to the desk. “Miss Merton hurt herself slightly in the same accident that her mother’s being treated for.”
The next thing Cass knew she was sitting on a gurney, Dan standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders, while a nurse cleansed and dressed the wound.
“There, all done,” the nurse said. “And look, there’s Dr. Wirshup. She can tell you all about your mom.”