Elsie felt the earth opening up beneath her feet. “A contusion. Is that serious?”
“I’m afraid it might be.” Haley gently touched one palm to Dat’s forehead. “We need to get him to the hospital.” Then she climbed out of the van. “I’m going to update the paramedics. The thing with a head injury is that, if there’s brain swelling, they need to treat it in the first hour. The golden hour, they call it.”
Brain swelling … Elsie’s heart began to thump loudly, a thudding pulse in her ears that overshadowed the trembling in her limbs.
Haley’s mouth dropped open and she reached forward to grasp Elsie’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry. Did I just give you too much information?”
“No.” Elsie pressed a hand to her cheek and the iciness of her own palm brought her back to reality. “I just … I don’t even know how long we’ve been here by the side of the road.”
Haley checked her watch. “More than twenty minutes now.”
Twenty minutes … It seemed like so much longer. A terrible month. A very sad year.
“Elsie, I don’t mean to scare you. I could be wrong about this, but it’s best to be careful. Better safe than sorry.”
“I’ll be fine. It’s Dat I’m worried about.” Elsie lifted her dress so that she could climb back into the seat beside her father. Tears stung her eyes, but she swallowed hard, holding them back. She couldn’t cry now. She couldn’t let Dat hear her crying. “I’m going to stay with him. And I want to go to the hospital with him.”
“Of course.” Haley pivoted to go, then paused. “Keep talking to him, Elsie. He might be able to hear you, and I’m sure your words are comforting to him.”
Elsie nodded, swallowing over the lump of emotion growing in her throat.
“I’m here again, Dat. Your little daughter, Elsie.” She took his hand, and this time she lifted it and pressed a kiss there, just below his knuckles. Dat’s hands were strong and tough, calloused from working with tools, as both a farmhand and a carpenter. Good, strong hands of a workingman who loved Gott.
She closed her eyes as a swell of fear for him overwhelmed her. When she looked at his hand again, a teardrop had landed on his palm. She massaged it away and took a deep breath, preparing for a long conversation with her dat.
“Dear Dat, I never told you how happy I was when you married Fanny. There was so much going on at the time, and I know you didn’t need the approval of your children, but just so you know, that was a good thing to do. Fanny’s a good woman, and look at the way she’s turned our house around! We’ve all come to love her, Dat. And now that there’s Will and Beth in the family and another little one on the way.…”
Her voice cracked at the thought of the baby. Dat had to get better so that he could raise his newest child. Every child needed a father.
Outside the van the sun was setting and an inky blue light soaked the air.
“You just rest now, Dat. Rest now so you can be all better for the baby. And, Dat, just remember that I love you. And Emma and Caleb, Fanny and the little ones. We all love you, Dat, and we’ll be by your side to help you get better.”
Just then he drew a deep breath in, as if he was telling her that he heard her.
“We love you, Dat. Just remember that.”
13
Haley walked away from the third and final ambulance that would take Thomas Lapp and his daughter Elsie to the hospital. The accident scene had been intense and heartbreaking, unlike any challenge she’d ever encountered, but she was grateful for the way the Amish passengers had banded together, helping each other.
Haley had learned their names quickly by necessity. Jacob Fisher was the oldest man, with difficulty breathing and a dislocated arm. The other two older men, Alvin and John, had ridden off with him in the first ambulance. James Lapp had gone off in the second ambulance with his girlfriend Rachel. Lizzy and Market Joe were the married couple waiting patiently in Haley’s car.
Ruben had run back to her car many times, fetching her medical bag and water from her stash in the trunk. Zed had set up flares to slow traffic. Then he’d stationed himself alongside the van and waved passing vehicles on like a traffic cop. It was a task she would not have expected from an Amish man, but Haley was glad to have Zed enforcing their safe zone around the van.
And the driver, George … what a sweetheart. He was still crestfallen and distraught, despite the fact that his passengers insisted that he was not to blame. Haley herself had witnessed the dark SUV crossing the center line, and she would give her statement to the police.
But right now, she wanted to make sure the rest of the passengers made it to the hospital to get checked out. She had told them she insisted on it, even if she had to drive them herself.
She approached Zed, who was now helping the crew from the fire truck direct eastbound traffic onto the shoulder of the highway.
“Have you seen Ruben?” she asked. “I think we’re about ready to head to the hospital, and he needs to come in my car. You, too.”
“I saw him walk up the road a ways.”
“What?” She squinted into the gathering darkness. “He’s not trying to walk home, is he?” Having grown up in Lancaster County, she knew that the sight of an Amish person walking or scootering down the local roads was not unusual—even after dark.
“Nah. I’m sure he wants to go to the hospital with you. We all want to go. It’s what the Amish do—gather around the sick and injured. None of us wants to get examined by an expensive doc for no reason, but one way or another, we’ll all wind up at the hospital.”
“Good.” Behind Zed, the van driver stood off to the side of the road in the sizzling light of flares, going over details with a female police officer. George Dornbecker had assured Haley that his wife would take him to his doctor to get checked out.
“Miss?” One of the paramedics waved her over to the ambulance. “We’ve got a complication here. This man wants his wife to get to the hospital right away, but I can only take two passengers besides the patient.”
Haley glanced over at Lizzy King, who was still visibly shaken. “Lizzy, you can go in the ambulance. You can ride in the front seat and Elsie can go in the back with her father.”
“I can’t go without Joe. I just can’t do it after everything that’s happened.”
“I can see you’re upset,” Haley said. “And that’s to be expected after everything you’ve gone through.”
“It’s more than that,” Joe said. He looked to see who was listening, then lowered his voice. “We’re expectin’ a baby, only no one knows yet. Not even our families.”
Lizzy’s lower lip trembled as tears streamed down her cheeks. “What if something happened to our baby?”
Haley touched the woman’s arm, reminding herself to be patient despite the urgent need to get Thomas to the hospital. “Your baby is well-cushioned in there,” she said reassuringly. “But they can do a sonogram at the hospital and check the fetal heartbeat. Please get in the ambulance.”
“But I can’t go without my Joe. We’ll go later, in your car.”
“Okay.” Haley held her hand up. “This ambulance needs to leave now, so I’ll take you.”
“Hold on.” Elsie peeked out from the back of the ambulance. “You’d better go now, both of you.” She scooted to the edge of the tailgate and hopped down to the pavement. “Everyone knows they’ll take care of you faster if you arrive in an ambulance.”
The paramedic held up his hands, as if in surrender. “All I know is, whoever is going needs to be in the bus now. We need to get Mr. Lapp to the hospital.”
“Go,” Elsie urged the couple. With an arm around Lizzy’s waist, she ushered her toward the passenger door of the vehicle. “You need to do everything you can for your little one.”
Seconds later, Joe was beside them, helping his wife into the truck and buckling her seat belt.
“And, Joe.” Elsie looked up at the man, her eyes shining. “Please talk to Dat during the ride. He needs to know someone is here for hi
m.”
“Sure, Elsie. And I’ll pray for him, too.”
She nodded, watching as the doors were slammed. The flashing red and blue lights washed over them one last time as the engine started and the ambulance pulled away.
“That was very kind of you,” Haley said as the siren began to fade.
“It made good sense for them to go. I just … it was hard to leave my dat alone.” The tears that had sparkled in Elsie’s eyes now flowed down her cheeks.
Haley bit her lower lip, trying to stay objective and professional. “I’ll take you to the hospital. We’ll go right now.”
“I know but …” A sob caught her voice. “He shouldn’t be alone.”
The young woman was so distraught; Haley couldn’t resist folding her arms around her. She held her close, wishing she could transmit love and support to Elsie. “He’s not alone. God is with him.” Haley didn’t know where the words had come from. Of course, she believed in God, but it was not something she had been taught to talk about with a patient. Her faith wasn’t even something she discussed with her friends or family, beyond deciding which church service to attend on Sunday.
“I know that Gott is with him.” Elsie drew in a deep breath. “And I’m ever so grateful for all your help.”
Haley had been patting Elsie’s shoulder, and now the younger woman was patting Haley’s back, too. It warmed Haley’s heart to think of Elsie’s thoughtfulness and care, but Haley knew she couldn’t relax yet. She was afraid that if she started to think about all the things that had happened today, she would crumble to pieces.
“But, you know, Dat’s family should be there, too. I’ve got to get a message to Fanny and Emma and Caleb. They’ll want to come to the hospital.”
“You can use my cell phone on the way there,” Haley promised. “Now … let’s find Ruben and Zed, and we can get going.”
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. As they headed down the road, they found that the fire truck was pulling out and a lone police car was staying behind. Deputy Granger from Halfway was going to guard the accident scene until the state highway patrol could arrive to investigate.
“Where did Ruben go?” Haley asked Zed, who stood beside the patrol car, talking with Keith Granger.
“I was beginning to wonder the same thing.” Zed turned on a flashlight that the emergency crew had given him and pointed the beam down the road. “Let’s go find him.”
14
Bracing himself, Ruben got a grip on the side of the vehicle and pushed with all his might. His muscles quivered and the pressure rose up his neck into his head, but it was no use. Despite his effort, the SUV barely budged.
Dear Gott in heaven, what am I to do?
If the force that had pushed him down into this ditch to find the vehicle was some kind of angel, or even the Heavenly Father, then he trusted that Gott would show him the next step.
Ruben stamped his feet together and tucked his hands under his armpits for warmth. He’d found the dark SUV flipped onto its roof and buried in ivy and bushes in this ravine off the side of the road. He knew that someone was inside. At least the driver—maybe a passenger or two—but he couldn’t get inside. One side of the SUV was pressed into the embankment, and the other side had been smashed flat as a pancake.
“Hallo?” he called once again, hoping for an answer. “Can you hear me in there?”
But the cold air was still and silent … and dark. When had the sun set? He’d been so preoccupied with the overturned car that he’d lost track of time.
“Hello?” came an answer, jolting Ruben to awareness. The sound didn’t come from inside the vehicle, but up on the ridge by the highway. The red tip of a light caught his eye, and a white beam of light streamed down over the ivy. “Ruben? Is that you?”
“Ya! Down here!” he shouted, moving away from the brush. He could just make out three figures by the side of the highway. When a car flashed past, the light revealed two taller people and the little person, Elsie Lapp. “Kumm! I need your help.”
“Do you need help getting up to the highway?” called the Englisher girl, Haley.
“No, no. There’s a little path to come down here. It starts back there. Go back by that sign.”
“You need to kumm, Ruben,” Zed shouted. “We need to get to the hospital, and Haley’s driving us.”
“But there’s someone down here that needs help!” Ruben hollered. “The other car! I found the car that hit us.”
There was a clamor of reaction, with many questions all at once as the three of them made their way down into the ravine.
“How did you ever find this in the dark?” Zed asked, shining the beam of the flashlight over the wreck.
“It was still light when I first saw it, and I could smell the gasoline. I tried to get inside, but there’s no getting in through the smashed windows. We need to flip it over.”
“We’ll never be able to do that, and it might be bad for the driver to roll the car over,” Haley said, and a beeping sound told Ruben that she had her cell phone out. “I’m calling 911. They’ll send another emergency crew out. They have clamps and blowtorches and things to cut through metal.”
“There’s no need to wait for them when we can do it,” Ruben said. The same determination that had pushed him to find this vehicle now urged him to rescue its passengers. “If we put two of us on each side, we can push it away from the hill.”
Haley was lost to her phone call, but Zed was circling the overturned vehicle, outlining it with his flashlight. “You’re right, Ruben. We should give it a try.”
“You take that end with Haley,” Ruben instructed. “Elsie, do you think you can do this?”
“Ya,” she said. “I’m short, but I’m very strong.”
“Good. You take this end, beside me.”
Elsie got into position, wedging her boots into the hill, and he showed her what direction she would be pushing, while Zed and Haley figured out the best place to hold on to the vehicle.
“Ready? We’ll go on the count of three.” Ruben counted down, and everyone pushed. The vehicle budged, but it didn’t get far. “We’ll go again,” he said.
After three tries, the hunk of metal finally flipped onto its side. While it was still teetering there, they gave another push, and it shifted down, bouncing slightly on its tires.
As Zed and Haley went to the nearest window and flashed the light into the vehicle, Ruben waited beside Elsie with a strange pressure in his gut. It was good that he’d found the car, but now, seeing the battered metal amid the smells of raw, scraped dirt and gasoline … now the impact of the crash weighed him down like a bushel of potatoes on his shoulders.
No one wanted to say it, but the fact floated over them all like a dark cloud. The passengers were probably dead.
“Looks like it’s just a driver inside,” Zed said. He moved to the next window and held the light while Haley reached inside.
“A woman,” Haley reported. “She’s got her seat belt on, and the air bag deployed.” Everyone waited as the big question hung in the air.
“I think I’m getting a pulse,” Haley said. “Yes! It’s slow, but steady. She’s alive.”
“Praise be to Gott,” Elsie said. “But how do we get her to the hospital?”
“An ambulance should be here soon,” Haley said.
It was decided that Ruben and Elsie would climb up to the highway to point the way for the EMS workers, while Haley and Zed stayed with the driver.
“It was a good thing, what you did, Ruben,” Elsie said as they climbed the steep path up the ravine. “How did you ever find that SUV, covered in the bushes and all?”
“I really don’t know,” he said. “It just bothered me that everyone saw the dark SUV but no one could find it. I know the police were thinking it was a hit-and-run accident, but with the way the van was damaged, I didn’t think the other vehicle would get too far.”
“Maybe it was Gott that led you there,” Elsie said.
Ruben had b
een thinking the same thing, but he didn’t respond. He couldn’t have Elsie or anyone else thinking that he heard voices from nowhere. He wasn’t well liked by many of the young people in their community. Some thought he was lazy because his father ran a business instead of a farm. Others thought he was heavy because he sat around doing nothing all day.
Neither was true, but because of his reputation Ruben had developed a thick skin. He had stopped looking most young women in the eye because he didn’t want to see their looks of disapproval, and he had taken to playing jokes and pranks on the other men his age, mostly to keep them on their toes and at a distance.
They reached the top of the path, and he turned to offer Elsie a hand up.
“Denki,” she said as they paused to look down the highway at the police car.
“Anyway, it’s something good to come out of such a terrible thing.” In the light from the streetlamps along the highway, her breath formed small puffs of steam that hung in the air. It was probably the first time Ruben had really looked at her face, and he was struck by her wide mouth and big brown eyes. She had a pretty face, mostly because Elsie Lapp wore her peace like a cape.
This was a girl with inner grace, a beautiful thing if you could catch sight of it.
“Look at that,” she said.
Ruben’s eyes scanned the inky blue sky until he realized she was staring down at the asphalt.
“No snow or ice. Not even a drop of rain. What do you think happened? Why did that car come across the line and send us spinning around?”
“I don’t know.” Ruben kicked at a stone on the side of the road. “Should we tell the deputy that we found her?”
“That’s a good idea,” Elsie said, “but one of us needs to stay here, so the ambulance can find her.”
“I’ll go. I can run fast. You stay here, and mind you keep off the road.”
“You, too.” There was a light in her eyes, an earnestness as bold as a lightning bolt. Elsie Lapp really cared about him … about everyone, he was sure of that.
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