Playing for Keeps

by Hill, Jamie

  "Thank you." Maddie smiled at him.

  He said to Stacie, "I got to play with mommy's boobies."

  Maddie swatted his butt with her dishtowel, and he scooted out.

  They spent the day relaxing and enjoying each other's company, and in the late afternoon decided to take the rental car back to the airport. Maddie and Sophie drove in the car, and Rob followed in the SUV, along with the two younger kids.

  They pulled up to a stoplight and waited for the light to turn green. Maddie proceeded slowly. Out of nowhere, a truck hurtled through the intersection. Maddie swerved, but the truck plowed into the front driver's side of the rental car and sent them spinning.

  Terror gripped her as she realized what happened. She was dazed for a moment, before she called frantically, "Sophie!"

  "I'm here, Maddie," the child answered from the backseat, voice shaky.

  "Are you okay?" Crunched in her seat, Maddie couldn't turn around.

  "I think so."

  Rob's face appeared at her window. "Maddie! Are you all right?"

  "I'm stuck," she answered.

  "What? Maddie, try to roll down your window." He tugged on the door, but it was smashed and wouldn't open.

  She pushed the window button and it lowered halfway.

  Rob stuck his hand in and touched her face. "Oh my God, are you hurt?" He looked stricken.

  "I don't think so. Check Sophie."

  He ran around to the other side and pounded on the door. "Unlock it!"

  Maddie hit the unlock button, and Rob opened Sophie's door. Someone behind him suggested, "Don't move her! We called 911."

  Maddie couldn't turn to look. All she could do was listen to hear what was going on. She heard Rob say, "Soph, baby, you okay? Thank God you were on the other side."

  "Daddy!" Sophie's voice cracked and she started to cry.

  The person behind Rob said, "I've had some first aid. You really shouldn't move her until the EMT clears her."

  "Okay, thanks." Rob reached one hand up to Maddie's shoulder. "Mad, you with me?"

  "I can't turn around, Rob. I'm really stuck."

  "Someone called 911. They should be here any minute."

  "Where are the babies?"

  "They're still in the SUV. I can see them from here. They're fine."

  "Oh, Jesus." Maddie breathed in and out a couple of times, fighting the fear growing inside her. "I'm so sorry. I just didn't see that truck."

  "I saw the stupid son-of-a-bitch!" Rob said angrily. "He ran the red light going about fifty."

  The man with him said, "I saw him, too. He plowed through the red, clearly going above the speed limit."

  Rob's voice shook. "I'd like to get my hands on the stupid jack ass."

  "Don't baby," Maddie said. "We need you here, not cooling off in some cop car."

  "Speaking of which." Rob said as she heard sirens approach. "Over here!" he called.

  "Sophie, you okay?" Maddie asked.

  "I think so, Maddie," she sniffled.

  "Rob, check the babies," Maddie ordered.

  "I can see them, Mad, they're fine. Just hang on, the cops are here."

  A police officer appeared in Maddie's window. "How you doing, Ma'am?"

  "I've been better," she told him. "I'm stuck."

  "Don't try to move. The EMTs are right behind me, they'll take care of you. Can you tell me what happened?"

  "That green truck ran the red light, and plowed into me. He was going really fast."

  "There are several witnesses," the man by Rob added.

  "Okay, great. I'd like to get statements before anyone leaves. Here come the EMTs."

  Two ambulance attendants approached Maddie and she said, "Check my daughter, please."

  "I'll get her," the woman EMT said and went around to Sophie. Maddie heard movement, obviously Rob stepping back and letting the attendant talk to Sophie. He opened the front passenger door and stuck his head in.

  "Do you feel any pain?" the other attendant asked Maddie.

  "Not really. I just can't move. I'm squashed at the waist."

  "Oh, Jesus," Rob muttered.

  "Let me get your vitals." The man took her blood pressure and listened to her heart. "Sounds fine. I'm going to put a collar on you to secure your neck, just in case." He snapped the big plastic collar on Maddie, and she could no longer turn her head at all.

  He looked over her situation. "We may have to get the Jaws of Life to open your car up. It'll peel back your car like a can opener, but it's the easiest way to get you out."

  "It's a rental car, I don't care," Maddie said.

  "Is there anyone we can call for you? It's going to take some time to do this."

  Maddie reached her hand out to the side, and Rob took it. "My husband was driving right behind me. He's here."

  "Excellent. Let me go radio the station and tell them what we need."

  The other attendant leaned up and said, "The child looks fine. I'm going to recommend sending her to the hospital just to be sure. They can take some x-rays and rule a few things out."

  "Okay," Rob agreed. "You hear that, Soph? You're fine, but they're going to take you to the hospital just to be safe."

  "Daddy, can you come with me?" she asked in a small voice.

  Rob looked at Maddie. "Jesus," he swore again.

  She said, "Find someone who has a phone and call Dionne. See if she can meet Sophie there. If not, call your mom and see if either she or your dad can go. Ask if the other one can come get the babies. We may be here a while."

  "Okay." He nodded and eased out of the car.

  "Sophie, honey," Maddie said, "Daddy's going to call your mommy or Grandma to meet you at the hospital. Daddy has to stay here until Grandpa or someone comes to take the babies. I'm stuck in here, and they're going to get a big truck to pull me out."

  "Is it going to hurt?" Sophie sniffled.

  "No way! You and me are going to be fine, baby girl. You just have to be real brave for a little bit. Daddy wants to go with you so bad, but he can't leave your brother and sister."

  "I'll be brave if you will, Maddie," Sophie replied in a voice that was much more determined.

  "It's a deal. I'll tell them to bring me to the same hospital you're at, so we can be together in just a little bit."

  Rob reappeared, holding Sam and Stacie, who were both upset by this time. "Okay, Soph, Mom's on her way to the hospital. She'll probably be there before you are." He looked at Maddie. "She's totally freaked."

  "I'm sorry," Maddie said.

  "It's not your fault, and Soph is going to be just fine. It's just not a call anyone ever expects."

  "I know." Maddie nodded her head slightly. "Did you reach your mom?"

  "Yeah, she's on her way. I'll move the car seats over and she can take these two."

  "Don't forget the diaper bag. There's not much in it. She'll need more diapers and stuff."

  "She can handle it, Maddie. Dad's going home to be with her. He can get whatever they need."

  The police officer looked in Maddie's window. "The fire department is on its way with the jaws. Oh, and the driver of the truck blew two times the legal limit."

  "He was drunk?" Rob practically yelled. "The stupid son-of-a-bitch! I hope he broke his neck!"

  "Rob," Maddie said softly.

  The police officer smiled grimly. "He walked away unhurt. But don't worry, he's going to be spending some time in the jailhouse with us."

  "I can not fucking believe this," Rob muttered, the children still in his arms.

  "Disregard what Daddy just said, there, guys," Maddie said. "Rob, calm down, please."

  The EMTs wheeled a gurney over to Sophie and the woman said, "Sophie Cooper, ready to roll out of here?"

  "I guess," the girl answered quietly.

  From the corner of her eye, Maddie watched them strap Sophie on the gurney and secure her neck with a big plastic collar like the one she wore.

  Rob leaned down and kissed his daughter's forehead. "Mom will be there, Soph.
Maddie and I will be there as soon as we can." He looked at the EMT. "Please tell them her mother is meeting her there. Dionne Baxter. Please." He looked as if his heart was breaking, sending her off alone.

  "We'll personally see to it that her mother finds her," the woman assured Rob. "I promise."

  He smiled for the first time in an hour. "Thank you. See you in a bit, Soph!"

  "See you soon, sweetie!" Maddie called.

  "Bye, Daddy. Bye, Maddie," Sophie replied.

  They wheeled her off.

  He turned back to Maddie. "Hanging in there, sugar?"

  "I wish I could feel my legs. That makes me nervous."

  "You will. This is all going to be over soon."

  Maddie heard someone call his name from the side of the road, where the police had put up a barricade.

  Rob breathed a noisy sigh of relief. "Oh great, Maddie, Mom's here. I'll get the kids off."

  "Bye, babies," Maddie called to them, but she couldn't see them. She could only look straight ahead, where policemen and firemen studied the front of the car. "How's it look?" she asked the one next to her window.

  "Pretty crunched up. Your car's going to be totaled."

  "It's a rental. I was on my way to return it."

  He smiled. "Hope you have good insurance."

  Maddie smiled back. "My dad sells insurance. We have insurance out the wazoo." She watched them walking around in front of her for a while, and then closed her eyes.

  She opened them when she heard Rob return to the passenger side. He brushed some glass out of the seat and slid in next to Maddie. "Hey, baby."

  "Kids get off okay?"

  "Yeah. Mom's going to feed them. They'll be fine. Dee just called her, she met Soph at the emergency room already."

  "Thank goodness. I hated sending her off like that."

  "Me, too." He brushed the hair back from her face. "Shit, I wish they'd open this cracker box up and get you out."

  "It seems to be taking a long time. I'm getting sleepy."

  "Maddie, stay awake, baby." He patted her cheek. He stepped out of the car and yelled "Hey, she's getting sleepy in here!"

  An EMT came to her window. "Mrs. Cooper, wake up. Don't go to sleep, now." He took her vitals and said, "She's still stable. She's probably just hot and tired of waiting. Keep talking to her, and keep her awake if you can."

  Rob smirked. "You don't know my wife. Maddie, wake up, baby." He patted her face again.

  "I'm awake. Quit talking about me."

  He chuckled. "Then open your eyes and talk to me. I know you're tired."

  "I'm okay. Our insurance will cover this, won't it?"

  "Yeah, we're good. We might sue that jackass for everything he's got, though."

  "What's taking so long?" she complained.

  He looked around. "I think the Jaws of Life thing is here. Holy cow, it's big."

  "Finally." She sighed.

  A fireman approached Maddie's window and said to Rob, "Mr. Cooper, we're going to get hooked up, here. You can stay until we do, and then we're going to ask you to step out while we open up the car."

  "Okay." He slid a hand through Maddie's hair. "See, baby, they're almost ready to get you out."

  "Good." She closed her eyes once more to fight a wave of nausea.

  They hooked equipment up to the car and the fireman came back around to Rob's side. "We need you to step out, now. You can stand with the police, over there."

  Rob gave Maddie a kiss on the side of her head. "I love you, Mad. I'll see you in a few minutes."

  "Love you, too," she said nervously, as Rob left the car.

  The fireman pulled a heavy blanket in over Maddie. "The windshield is going to break when we do this. I'll cover you up, and I'll be standing right here."

  She nodded.

  "When it starts to go, if you feel pain like it's pulling you somehow, yell at me. I'll stop them. The plan is to peel the top off and lift you right out."

  "I like the plan." She smiled at him.

  "Here we go." He covered her face, and the jaws started up.

  It made a horrible sound, and she waited for pain, but none ever came. The steering wheel pulled away and she could suddenly move again. She wiggled her toes and felt them. Tears of relief flooded her face.

  The noise stopped and the fireman pulled the blanket off her carefully. "How you doing in here?"

  "It feels like I'm out."

  "Any pain?"

  "Not yet. I can feel my feet."

  "Excellent." He motioned to the others and three men came to the car with a long board. Two got in each side and they raised Maddie carefully and slid the backboard under her, securing it. They lifted her out of the car and on to a gurney, then rolled her to the ambulance.

  Rob ran to her side and took her hand. "Mad, I'm here. Are you okay?"

  "I can feel my legs!"

  "Thank God!" He squeezed her hand. "I'll be following right behind you, babe."

  "Okay." She gave a little wave, and they loaded her into the ambulance. "Oh, my purse," she remembered. "Ask him to look for my purse, will you?"

  "Mr. Cooper!" one of the attendants hollered out the back of the ambulance.

  "Yeah?" Rob was back in a moment.

  "She wants you to look for her purse. Ask the police to help you, that car's not safe."

  "Sure, thanks." Rob went toward the police, and the ambulance left with Maddie.

  She was whisked off to emergency to be examined and x-rayed. When the tests were completed and she was back in her cubicle in the ER, Rob was finally allowed in.

  "Hey." He poked his head in.

  "Get in here." She held her arms out to him.

  He went to her and they hugged. "I've been going crazy out there. They won't tell me anything. How are you?"

  "I thought I was perfectly fine until they asked me to walk a few steps. I couldn't put any pressure on my right foot. It might be broken. Other than that, I think I'm okay."

  He exhaled. "A broken foot we can deal with." He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "The idea of a broken Maddie scared the bejesus out of me."

  She chuckled and held on to him. "Can you stay with me? I really don't want to let you go."

  "Let them try to kick me out."

  A tall, be-speckled man in a white lab coat entered the curtained off area. "Mrs. Cooper?"

  Rob moved to her side, and Maddie said, "Yes."

  The man smiled. "I'm, Dr. Houghton. I've read your x-rays and it looks like you've fractured a bone in your foot. Pretty lucky, all things considered."

  "Will she need a cast?" Rob asked the doctor.

  "That's the best course of treatment. I'll cast it, and give her some crutches. In a week, she can come to my office and we'll revise it into a walking cast. It'll probably need to stay on about six weeks."

  "Okay." Rob nodded and looked at Maddie.

  Dr. Houghton said, "Let me get my things set up, and we'll be back to get you."

  "Oh, Doc," Rob said. "Our daughter was in the accident, too. She's been examined and released. Can she come in and see Maddie for a minute before she leaves? She's pretty worried."

  "Sure." He nodded, and left.

  Maddie looked at him. "Sophie's okay?"

  "She's perfect. Let me go get her." He left and returned with Sophie and Dionne.

  "Maddie!" Sophie ran to her and they hugged.

  "Oh, Sophie Belle, I'm so glad you're okay." Maddie ran her fingers through the child's hair.

  "Sounds like you're going to be okay, too," Dionne said. "Thank God."

  Maddie looked up at her sheepishly. "I'm really sorry. I just didn't see him."

  "Hey, it wasn't your fault," Dionne told her. "That son-of-a-bitch blew two times the legal limit!"

  "Thanks for being so nice about it. I feel awful, really."

  "It could have been any of us." Rob touched Maddie's arm.

  "That's right," Dionne agreed. "And that jackass is going to pay. I plan to sue the pants off his drunken
ass."

  Maddie smiled at Sophie. "Who does she sound like?"

  Sophie nodded knowingly and pointed to her father.

  Maddie grinned. "Can't tell you guys were together for nine years."

  "It's only logical!" Dionne threw her hands in the air. "He screwed up, and you and our daughter had to pay. Well, now it's his turn to pay."

  "Damn straight," Rob agreed.

  Maddie shook her head. "I'll leave that up to you. Do whatever you think is best."

  Dionne crossed her arms. "Good. Now, do you have your rental car agreement?"

  Maddie thought about that. "It was in my purse." She looked at Rob. "Please tell me you found my purse."

  "It's in the Expedition."

  Dionne said, "I'll get it before I go. I'm calling the company for you. When I'm finished with them, they'll be offering to pay you money."

  "They didn't do anything wrong."

  "I'll handle them, with your permission, of course." Dionne shrugged. "It's one of the fun parts of being a lawyer.

  Maddie nodded. "Thanks."

  Rob brushed a lock of hair off Maddie's forehead. "Soph's going to spend the night with Dee. I'll pick her up tomorrow."

  Maddie looked at Dionne. "You don't have to work?"

  "I'm taking the day off. After today, I just want to spend some time with her. You know."

  "I do. Okay then, I'll say goodbye to you, and I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed Sophie. "I'll be the one with a big ol' cast on my leg."

  "Cool!" Sophie grinned, and they all chuckled.

  "Take care, Maddie." Dionne squeezed her hand, and led Sophie out.

  "Yeah, thanks," Maddie said, still surprised at Dionne's cordiality. She looked at Rob and raised her eyebrows.

  Smiling, he leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek. "She was scared to death, too."

  "Give her a little hug for me. Not too big of one, of course, just a friendly little one. Okay?"

  He laughed. "You got it. I'll be right back, with a big hug just for you."

  "I'll be here," she said wearily, and she was.

  They finally got the cast put on an hour later, and they fitted Maddie with crutches. She was very tired and cranky, and not in the mood to learn to use crutches. The nurse wheeled her out in a wheelchair and Rob lifted her into their SUV. He tossed her stuff in the back, and got in the driver's seat.

  "I am so fucking tired right now, I can't stand it," Maddie complained. "And I'm hungry. Jesus Christ, what time is it?"