Looking around the warehouse, and at the group of men still standing in pairs looking shocked, he said, “Rebecca, I think I’m going to need to stay here for a little bit. I need to figure out what happened with Amos.”
“It was a heart attack, Luke.”
“I know it was.” Frowning, he continued. “However, he’s not that old, and Marcus told me that he couldn’t remember Amos ever saying he had heart problems.” Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, “Then there’s Jacob’s accident. He was skilled and came here with a lot of experience. For him to get a cut like that? It don’t make sense.”
“I understand.” For both Lukas’s peace of mind and the men’s families he needed to understand the cause of both men’s emergencies. “What would you like me to do first?”
“I need you to go to the reception area and type up a note for all our workers saying that Amos and Jacob have gone to the hospital. Don’t give more details. I don’t even want to chance giving out wrong information. Understand?”
“Jah.”
“As soon as you get that printed, send Mercy out to deliver that note to every department head.” His voice hardened. “Becky, you tell her in no uncertain terms not to stand around and linger and gossip. Everyone needs to know what’s going on, but I don’t need any silly girl deciding to add her own spin to things.”
“I’ll do that right now.”
“Danke. And when the phones start ringing, don’t give anyone information who isn’t family or an employee.”
She shook her head. “I won’t.”
He snapped his fingers. “As soon as I see Peter, I’m going to send him your way. He needs to go see Jacob’s family and tell them what happened. But make sure you have him tell them that it’s just a cut. It’s a bad one, but he’s gonna be all right. We’re just being extra careful.”
“Jah, Lukas,” she replied, though a part of her was dismayed. She had hoped to eventually get to Jacob’s side at the hospital, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
“Danke, Becky.” Lowering his voice, he said, “Look, I know you’re worried about Jacob. I know you told him that you were gonna go to the hospital.” His voice cracked from the strain. “But I can’t let you go just yet.”
“I understand.” That was true. She completely did understand.
He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I’m real sorry, but with Daed gone and Levi, too . . . I just don’t think I can get through these next few hours without you.”
“I won’t leave you, Lukas.”
His eyes watered before blinking it away. He was rattled. No doubt, the sirens had brought back memories of the fire—of losing all those men. Of losing Daed. Rebecca knew how he felt because she felt the same way.
After smiling weakly, she turned toward the front door, just as she heard Lukas say, “Men, I need to know what happened. Marcus, you start.”
As she walked the short distance from Warehouse Four to the main office building, Rebecca blinked quickly before she dissolved into tears.
Now she understood why her dream to teach school hadn’t come true. Her brother needed her here. Sometimes, only family could make a person feel like everything was going to be okay.
Sometimes only family would do.
RACHEL’S HEART CLENCHED the moment Meghan told her about the two ambulances that were seen at the lumber mill.
“Do ya know what happened there?” she asked, barely able to keep her voice from shaking. “Was . . . Was it another fire?”
The teenager shook her head. “I don’t think so, Mrs. Mast. All I heard was that there were two ambulances. No one said a word about fire trucks. There’s no smoke, either.”
Rachel pressed a hand to her chest. “Oh, of course there isn’t.” How could she have forgotten the great billowing cloud that had seemed to blanket Charm the day of the fire?
“Your husband works at Kinsinger’s doesn’t he?”
“Jah. He’s a team leader in one of the warehouses.”
Immediately, Meghan opened her teal backpack and pulled out a cell phone. “Would you like me to call Kinsinger’s and ask if your husband is okay?”
She would, but Marcus would be so embarrassed if she asked an English teen to check on him. “Nee, but thank you. If every employee’s family called up the main office, no one there would get any work done.” Attempting to look calmer than she felt, Rachel said, “If something happened to Marcus, the Kinsingers would send someone here to tell me.”
“Oh, all right. Can I get Lilly now?”
“Of course.” Rachel had kept Lilly and a couple of other students after school to give them some individual attention. Lilly had offered to help them prepare for a spelling bee. Raising her voice, she said, “Lilly, go on out with Meghan and do your studies. The rest of you, get out a sheet of paper. I’ll call out some new words for you.”
But just minutes after Lilly walked out the door, Rachel spied Peter running toward the schoolhouse. He’d taken the day off to work at the mill.
Not even caring that she was in the middle of a spelling test, Rachel tore open the door and ran out to meet him. “Peter, what happened?”
With obvious reluctance, he turned his attention from Lilly at the picnic table to her. “Hiya, Aunt Rachel. I’m sorry, but I’ve got to tell Lilly something.”
“Is it about the mill?”
“I told them about the ambulances I heard were there,” Meghan supplied from Lilly’s side.
Peter nodded. In a serious tone, he said, “One man had a heart attack and had to be rushed to the hospital.” He inhaled, then said in a rush, “But Lilly, the other ambulance was for your Onkle Jacob.”
Rachel’s hands shook as she processed that her husband was safe . . . but her poor student was facing yet another crisis.
“What happened?” Lilly’s voice was barely a whisper.
“He cut himself.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Is . . . Is he gonna be all right?”
Just as Rachel was going to give her a hug, Peter stepped toward the girl. “Jah. But your grandparents want you to come home right now. When you get home, they’re going to hitch up the buggy and go to the hospital.”
Lilly paled. “He needed to go to the hospital?” Lilly glanced Rachel’s way. “Mrs. Mast?”
“Of course you can go, dear. Grab whatever you need.”
“I’ll be right back, Peter,” Lilly said.
“I’ll drive you both,” Meghan interjected. “Then, if you and your grandparents need a ride to the hospital, I can take you there, too.”
After swallowing hard, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll be right there.” Then Lilly darted inside to grab her things.
Noticing that Peter was looking increasingly worried, Rachel attempted to soothe him. “Thank you for coming to get Lilly, Peter. You did a fine job telling her about her uncle. I can see why Mr. Kinsinger says you’re such a gut employee.”
Looking pleased, Peter nodded but didn’t say anything. When Lilly rushed back outside, the three of them started walking to Meghan’s car. “Danke, Mrs. Mast,” Lilly said again.
“I’ll be praying for your uncle,” Rachel assured her. “Take care.”
After quietly sharing with the remaining students inside the classroom that Lilly’s uncle had an accident but that everything else was all right, she picked up her clipboard again. “Let’s continue our spelling words now. Our next word is Pennsylvania.”
Chapter 26
That same day
From the moment Peter had come to get Lilly at school, he’d worn a serious and intense expression. He’d been kind and reassuring, yet a little quiet.
He didn’t say much when they were in the car with Meghan other than to thank her for the ride. After Meghan parked her car and reassured them that she didn’t mind waiting to see what her grandparents wanted to do, Peter walked Lilly into the house.
She followed reluctantly. So many emotions were churning through her, she wasn’t quite sure how to deal with
it all. She was worried about her uncle, wanted to be brave for her grandparents, and ached to lean on Peter. He had become her best friend. But overriding all of that were the stark memories of running into the hospital after learning about her parents’ accident.
She didn’t know if she was going to be able to step into another hospital.
After telling her grandparents about the accident, and about Meghan’s offer, Peter stood to the side while her grandparents debated about what to do. When they finally decided to accept Meghan’s offer, Peter seemed relieved.
Lilly, on the other hand, was filled with dread.
With one last look at Lilly, Peter headed back outside. “I’ll tell Meghan to wait for you,” he said quietly.
“Wait, don’t you want to come to the hospital?” She wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to get through her visit without him there. Of course, the moment she asked her question, Lilly felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment. Obviously he didn’t want to go sit at the hospital!
But amazingly, he looked as if he completely understood. Gently, he said, “I would go with you if I could, Lilly. But I can’t. I promised Mr. Kinsinger that I’d get back to the mill and help out some more.”
“Oh. Yes. Of course.”
“Tell your uncle that I hope he feels better soon,” he said as he turned to leave.
While her grandparents bustled around the kitchen gathering keys and wallets, Lilly knew she should say something to them about how afraid she was to return to the hospital. But how could she burden them with her fears right now?
Instead, she gave in to the impulse and walked back out the door. “Hey, Peter?”
He was already halfway down her driveway. When he heard her voice, he turned around. “Jah?”
“Are you . . . I mean, is everything all right?” What she really wanted to ask was if everything was all right between them.
His gaze softened. “I’m fine. It’s just hard, you know, delivering news like this. Look, I’ve got to go, but I’ll try to come over later, when you’re back from the hospital.”
Making a decision, she walked a little farther away from the door. “I won’t be going there.”
“Why not?”
Hating that her limbs seemed to be trembling, she said, “I don’t think I could ever step foot in one of those places again. I hate them.”
Walking back toward her, he said, “Lilly, they aren’t so bad.”
“Nee, you don’t understand.” Though it hurt to relive the memories, she explained. “Peter, I was in a hospital waiting room when a doctor came out to talk to me about my parents. He told me, in front of everyone, that they were dead.”
Stepping to her side, he reached out and rubbed her arm. “Nothing like that will happen today. Your uncle ain’t gonna die. Mr. Kinsinger was simply being extra careful when he sent Jacob to the hospital. I bet he’s going to be ready to leave by the time you get there.”
His voice sounded firm and knowledgeable. Comforting.
In the wake of such maturity, she felt silly and childish. But sometimes she felt like she still needed to be childish. “Everything you are saying makes sense. But I . . . I just can’t go, Peter. Not this time.”
He looked pained. “I hate leaving you, especially if you are going to be waiting here by yourself. But I gotta go.”
“I understand.”
After giving her a tight smile, he turned and started walking at a good clip.
“Lilly, are you ready?” Mommi called out.
“Nee. I’m going to stay here.”
Her voice hardened. “Don’t you think you need to be there for your uncle?”
“I’m sure that would be best. But I can’t go. I want to, but I canna do it, Mommi. I can’t go back there.” When her grandfather looked about to argue, she blurted, “Dawdi, I’ll clean the house and start supper. Just please, don’t make me go.”
They exchanged glances. But to her surprise, instead of attempting to convince her, her grandfather enfolded her in his arms. “I understand, Lilly. Jah, you take care of things here. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
Sighing in relief, she walked with them to Meghan’s car. “Mommi, Dawdi, this here is Meghan.”
“Good to know ya,” her grandfather said as he opened the passenger-side door.
Lilly walked back to the front porch and waved good-bye, then went inside to make good on her promise. After fishing around in the refrigerator, she found enough vegetables to make some soup. Getting out her grandmother’s favorite wooden cutting board, she started slicing carrots. Anything to keep her mind off the memories.
THE NEXT SEVERAL hours passed for Rebecca as if they had been seconds. The moment she got to her desk, she quickly typed up a note telling the bare minimum about Amos and Jacob. At the bottom of it, she added some lines about how they would do everything possible to update all the workers on Amos’s and Jacob’s conditions and that she and Lukas would appreciate everyone keeping the men in their prayers. To Rebecca’s relief, Mercy had been professional and intent on following Lukas’s directives to a T.
Rebecca was fairly sure that Mercy’s willingness to comply no doubt had something to do with Rebecca’s fierce glares. And likely, her thinly veiled threat that Mercy would lose her job if she didn’t take her orders seriously.
Peter, though he was four years younger than Mercy, had reacted like a true adult. He’d barely blinked when Rebecca told him to go to the Yoder house and gently impart the news about Jacob’s injury.
Practically the moment after Peter left, the phone started ringing. Then, true to Lukas’s prediction, her reception area soon became as busy as the flea market on a Saturday morning. Concerned workers stopped by, anxious for news about Amos and Jacob. Other people called, all wanting information. Most everyone was polite and respectful. Rebecca smoothly handled their myriad concerns as patiently and competently as she could. She also took care to follow Lukas’s orders. She gave information as she learned it, sending Mercy back out with new information twice.
The first bit of news was that Jacob Yoder was going to be just fine. His cut had been terrible, for sure. He had needed seventeen stitches. However, the blade hadn’t cut anything vital, and that was a blessing. He was still at the hospital, but was expected to be sent home within the hour in the company of his parents.
Amos Taylor had suffered a heart attack. However, it was a relatively minor one. He had survived, was conscious and talking to people, and was currently undergoing tests. An hour after that, Lukas had been told that Amos was expected to be in the hospital for another day at the very least. If the doctors recommended surgery, Amos would be transferred to a different, larger hospital, most likely in Mansfield or Cleveland.
Later, the vans had taken all the Amish workers home, and most of the team leaders had locked their sections of the mill. The reception area had cleared out and the phone had finally stopped ringing. She’d sent both Peter and Mercy home earlier, fervently thanking both for all of their help.
Lukas was still on the phone. However, his tone had lost its staccato rhythm and he was both listening to others with ease and answering with care and patience. She noticed that even the lines of stress around his eyes had softened.
While he finished up his latest call, Rebecca cleaned up her area, then entered his office. When he smiled at her, she sat in one of the chairs directly across from his desk and stretched out her legs. They had done it. They had survived this crisis.
A few minutes later, when Lukas at last hung up, clicking the phone off with a resigned jab, he pressed a palm to his temple and rubbed. “I didn’t think I was ever going to get to say good-bye to that man.”
“You going to be okay?” she asked.
He said nothing at first. Finally, when he opened his eyes, his gaze was piercing. “Jah. You?”
She nodded. “Jah. I’m going to be fine, too.”
“What a day, huh?”
“Definitely one for the books. We’ll be talking ab
out it for years to come.”
His lips curved. “Probably.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry if I was too curt with you back there in Warehouse Four. I was about to lose it myself.”
“You weren’t too curt. And even if you were, I can take it.”
“Jah, you can.”
“Hey, were you thinking about the fire, too?”
He looked startled to be asked, then he nodded slowly. “I couldn’t help but think about it. There was something about hearing those sirens. In a flash, it all came back. I panicked. I . . . I could feel my heart beating like crazy. And even though everything inside me was telling me that this was nothing like the fire, I felt that same lump lodge in my throat.”
“Me, too.” If she had been able to put all her jumbled thoughts and feelings into words, she would have said the same exact thing.
“Thanks for getting that note out. I think it prevented a lot of panic.”
“Mercy did a good job today.”
“I’m glad she didn’t tarry.”
Rebecca grinned. “I think she was afraid to. I was pretty firm.” She decided Lukas didn’t need to know about her threats. “I hope you don’t mind, but I let Peter leave work an hour early, at four, so Lilly wouldn’t be sitting at home alone.”
“That was gut thinking. Poor thing.” Standing up, Lukas said, “I need to go to the hospital and talk to Amos’s family. Lock up and then get on out of here, too, okay? I’ll see you later.”
He looked so alone. “Do you want me to go with you? I don’t mind.”
“Danke, but Darla’s going to go with me. She’s upstairs in the break room waiting for me. I’ll go up and get her.”
She was surprised that she hadn’t realized Darla had arrived, but then again Darla was very cognizant of Lukas’s work. Most likely, she didn’t want to be in the way.
“I’m going to go home and see Amelia, then head over to Jacob’s haus.”
“Gut.” He was about to turn, but then strode right up and gave her a hug. “Thanks again,” he whispered.
Too emotional to do anything but nod, she went to her desk, grabbed her purse, and then left. She needed to get cleaned up and go see Jacob.
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