“Rhoda, you’re a gem. Never forget that.”
She chuckled. “Tell your mamm and the kids hullo for me. I miss them.”
“I’ll do that.” He jogged across the road to his car. Hard to believe the cookie in his hand had remained intact during their hug. He had to smile. The dove might’ve lost its head, but its beautiful, sparkly body was still intact, a reminder of how God had sent the dove to Noah after the flood, as a sign that all was not lost. His love remained and a whole new world—a whole new life—lay ahead.
And wasn’t that a thought worth holding on to?
“Mr. Knepp?”
Rebecca glanced up from her magazine as a surgeon in turquoise scrubs came out the swinging doors of the operating room. Thank you, God, she thought as Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Hiram eagerly stood up to meet him. The afternoon vigil had gone fairly well, with the Hooley sisters reassuring each other and chatting with her to pass the time—until Hiram had blown in like a thunderstorm.
The bishop had demanded to see the hospital’s chief of staff as well as the director of the emergency unit, and the fact that they were both women infuriated him more. He had complained vehemently about the fact that his sons had been transported here without his knowledge or permission—that the ambulance crew had gone against his religious principles. He had been ready to barge into the operating room to fetch the twins until the chief of staff had threatened to call security. She’d reminded him repeatedly that the boys were still in surgery and could not be wheeled out until they were sewn up.
“Hiram, they were so badly injured, you would’ve brought them here yourself to be patched up,” Jerusalem had insisted tearfully. “I assume full responsibility for your sons’ bein’—”
“And where were you when they took the sleigh from the barn?” he had shot back. “Had you truly been responsible, Joey and Josh wouldn’t be in this condition.”
Rebecca had nearly bitten her tongue in half to remain quiet. Nazareth had crumpled, sobbing. Jerusalem had backed down, but her stricken expression was a mixture of exasperation and resentment that was sure to explode later, after this crisis had passed.
Now, as the surgeon extended his hand and Hiram didn’t shake it, the Hooley sisters remained a few feet behind him. Nazareth gripped Jerusalem’s elbow.
“Mr. Knepp, I’m Dr. LaFarge, and I’ve overseen your sons’ procedures,” he said in a low voice. “I’m pleased to report that their broken bones have been set, we’ve repaired several torn ligaments, and we’ve stopped some internal bleeding. After a day or two of observation and follow-up testing, your twins will be on the road to recovery.”
“Glory be!” Nazareth murmured.
“Our prayers have been answered,” Jerusalem agreed as she wiped her eyes.
Hiram, however, stood ramrod straight. Even without his hat he cut an imposing figure, and his displeasure seemed to suck the air from the waiting room. “I’m taking them home with me. Now. With God’s care, they will heal.”
“You don’t understand, sir,” Dr. LaFarge stated. “When we learned that Joey had stopped breathing at the accident site, we ran tests that revealed a pulmonary weakness, which might well be hereditary. Though his lungs are functioning again, both boys should remain under observation—”
“That, too, is the way God made them,” the bishop interrupted. “I have already expressed my chagrin to your chief of staff. I have signed the necessary waivers to take them home. I’m their father, and I have that right.”
The surgeon crossed his arms, remaining deadly calm. “All right, then. But they can’t leave until they’ve regained consciousness and we’ve detached their monitors and IVs. They will remain in my care until I see that they are awake and mentally alert. We’re concerned about the possibility of concussions.”
Rebecca wanted to cry for the Hooley sisters. They felt bad enough that the twins had sneaked out with a horse and sleigh, and now they worried that the boys might not recover completely from an accident caused by a careless driver. She, too, was haunted by the images still flashing through her mind after witnessing that heart-wrenching wreck.
At the sound of Nazareth blowing her nose, Hiram turned to the two sisters. “It’s best that you go back,” he stated. “Your time would be better spent preparing the downstairs room beside my office to be the boys’ sickroom. I’ll see that they get home.”
Just that curtly, he dismissed them.
Seething, Rebecca fetched her parka. She waited patiently as the Hooley sisters helped each other with their heavy black coats and then tied on their black bonnets. Why did she suspect Hiram had something up his sleeve? His lack of compassion—his blatant arrogance—made her wonder yet again why her mother and the other good-hearted people of Willow Ridge tolerated this man. Did they consider it God’s will that such a tyrant was in charge of their earthly lives and their souls’ salvation?
Once out the doors, both women sighed loudly. “There was a time I thought Hiram was maybe worth my efforts,” Jerusalem muttered, “and I was happy to help with the kids while he was under the ban, but this is the last straw, Sister. I believe the Lord’s tellin’ me to move along. Maybe back home to Lancaster County.”
“Jah, I’m with ya, far as not puttin’ up with that pigheaded bishop any longer,” Nazareth replied in a wavery voice. “But what about the children? And what about . . . well, maybe I’m bein’ a silly old fool, but I’d like to keep company with Preacher Tom awhile longer, to see what comes of it.”
Rebecca clicked her key fob to unlock the car doors. “Forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn,” she said, “but I don’t see how you two have tolerated that man as long as you have. I think those kids—and your nephews—would miss you a lot, Jerusalem—”
“Not to mention me missin’ ya, Sister! We’ve done everything together, all our lives,” Nazareth pointed out.
“—but I bet other folks would offer you a place to stay,” Rebecca continued. “Mamma and my sisters love having you around. You fit in at Willow Ridge as though you’ve always been there.”
As Nazareth squeezed behind the front passenger seat to get into the back, Jerusalem smiled ruefully. The poor woman’s exhaustion was etched around her eyes and she seemed to have aged twenty years since the accident. “Jah, but there would be no stayin’ away from Hiram, no matter who we lived with,” she pointed out. “And then there’s the matter of my four goats and the wee ones that’re on the way. With the twins laid up, there’ll be no one I could trust to tend them.”
Rebecca smiled tiredly. “Mamma would probably say that things will look better come tomorrow.”
“Jah, that’s a gut way to look at it. The Lord’ll provide.” Jerusalem climbed into the back, and once they got on the road, it was a quiet ride to the Knepp house.
After Rebecca parked, she opened the door to assist the sisters out of the car, gripping their hands until they had a solid foothold on the snow-packed driveway. “Be careful, now,” she said. “It’s dark and slick out here.”
Jerusalem let out a little laugh. “Jah, that’s the way of it a lot of times in this life—dark and slick, with plenty of chances to land on your backside. Denki for lookin’ after us today, child. You’ve got your mother’s gut heart.”
As the two older ladies grabbed hands and made their way toward the squares of light coming from the front windows, Rebecca felt a glow inside. That felt like the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. She was cautiously walking around to the driver’s side when the front door of the house flew open and out rushed Cyrus and Levi Zook. They stopped a few feet in front of the Hooley sisters, shivering without their coats.
“We—we come over to ask how the twins’re doin’,” Cyrus stammered. “And we’re mighty sorry we double-dog dared them to race us in the sleigh, too. We helped them hitch it up, ya know. Didn’t mean for nobody to get hurt.”
“Jah, Mamm told us to sit tight until ya got back,” Levi joined in. “She sent some supper and says we’re to ask about
any chorin’ we can do for ya, too, on account of how Joey and Josh’ll be laid up.”
“Jah, and it’s gonna be a gut long while before we’re allowed to drive the sleigh again, too,” Cyrus added with a forlorn sigh.
“Well, now.” Jerusalem studied them in the light coming from the window. “I’m glad to see you boys ownin’ up to the trouble you caused today. Let’s go inside where it’s warm and talk about this, shall we? Mighty nice of your mamm to see to our supper, too.”
As Rebecca pulled out onto the blacktop, she smiled at the way the Hooley sisters had indeed woven themselves into the fabric of this community. How would it be when she moved into the apartment with Rhoda, though? Was she heaping more trouble on her sister and Mamma by bringing her technology and her English lifestyle into the Lantz household?
Show me what You’d have me do, Lord, she prayed as she drove down the dark county road. Things are getting tricky in Willow Ridge.
The obstetrics wing was very quiet on this Friday evening, so Andy slipped downstairs. When he saw that Hiram wasn’t in the recovery room with his boys, he went over to check on them. Josh was just waking up and had a disoriented expression on his bruised, scraped face, while Joey—who had undergone more extensive surgery—was still sleeping off his anesthesia. Both boys sported casts and bandages, and with IV tubes and monitors all around them, they looked frail and vulnerable. After a glance at Josh’s chart, he went to the boy’s bedside. “Hey there, Josh,” he murmured. “Do you know where you are? Do you remember what happened to you?”
The boy blinked and turned away, as though he wanted to be left alone.
“Your dad’ll be here any minute,” Andy assured him. “Joey’s right here in the bed beside yours. Just rest now, okay? I’ll get your nurse.”
Andy felt a tug on his heartstrings when he imagined his own son in such a painful predicament. From the talk around the nurses’ station, Hiram had made quite a scene and might well be taking his twins home tonight, against the advice of every medical professional here. Dr. LaFarge had instructed everyone on duty to tread lightly: despite the fact that the Amish preached forgiveness and peacemaking, Knepp was a textbook example of a man most likely to file a lawsuit.
Andy paused at the nurses’ station to smile at Kayla Burke, who had attended nursing school with him. “The Knepp twins are coming around,” he said in a low voice. “Has their father seen them yet?”
“No, and I’ve heard he’s a handful,” she replied. “I’ll check on them and let Dr. LaFarge know how they’re progressing.”
Andy headed for the elevator to return to Obstetrics, but when he heard a familiar voice coming from the waiting room, he paused.
“Yes, Mr. Hammond, we Amish believe that God directs us to forgive and submit to His will,” Hiram was saying in a low, purposeful voice. “But God also holds us accountable for our misdeeds. I lost a fine horse today—a Belgian I was ready to sell for around four thousand dollars, as that’s how I make my living. And my sons have undergone hours of extensive surgery because of your careless driving. Your negligence.”
Andy peered quickly into the waiting area. The bishop was using the courtesy phone, his back to the door as he gave Conrad Hammond an earful. Curiosity made Andy wait on the other side of the wall to get a sense of how high Hiram might be hanging this verbal noose.
“Yes, we Plain people prefer to stay out of court and to not get involved with the police,” Hiram continued archly. “And indeed, Mr. Hammond, once you’ve paid the bill for today’s ambulance fee and my sons’ extensive hospital procedures, plus any physical therapy they might require, you’ll be finding other ways to compensate what I’ve endured today. As a Realtor and a representative of your political district, you’ll be in quite a predicament if it gets out that two young boys were maimed—or died—because you lost control of your car while talking on your cell phone.”
Andy blinked. The bishop was certainly using the details from Officer McClatchey’s accident report to his advantage.
“I’ll be in touch with you after I ascertain the extent of my twins’ injuries. They should be in the recovery room by now.”
The next part of the conversation was drowned out by a page requesting Dr. LaFarge to come to the emergency room. Instinct prodded Andy to return to the nurses’ station rather than go upstairs. His head was spinning as he tried to wrap his mind around the bishop’s strategy—he was going for Hammond’s financial jugular, after protesting that the emergency crew and the hospital staff had ignored his rights. Andy was surprised at how knowledgeable Hiram Knepp seemed when it came to legal affairs and worldly procedures.
“You’re back?” Kayla asked as he slipped behind the counter of the nurses’ station. “I’m taking ice chips and teddy bears to the Knepp boys. They’re a little scared, waking up in a strange place, but I wheeled their beds closer together so they can talk.”
“Their father’s headed this way. After the conversation I had with him at the scene of the accident, I’d like to be here, uh—in case he has any questions,” Andy added quickly. He was reviewing the details of the boys’ surgery on the computer . . . checking their vital signs on the monitors, in case Hiram made good on his threat to take the twins home tonight. “Come and get me if he becomes testy.”
Kayla selected the two biggest bears from the toy basket and went on her way, while Andy went down the long list of injuries and conditions the surgical team had documented. The boys were stabilizing well, considering the body trauma they’d sustained, but another day—even spending the night here—would greatly increase their chances for a full recovery. As he heard the quick, purposeful tread of boots coming down the hallway, he prepared himself for whatever Hiram might do.
Help me stay calm, Lord, and say the right things.
As the bishop stopped beside the counter, Andy had the satisfaction of watching his startled reaction.
“Leitner. You work here?” Knepp masked his surprise by glancing toward the recovery room. “I looked in on the twins about an hour ago, but they were still unconscious. May I go in now?”
“I’m sure they’d love to see you. I was with them as they were coming around,” Andy replied. He noted the discrepancy between Hiram’s statement and Kayla’s, but kept a benign smile on his face.
“After assessing their condition, I’ve decided they should remain here until Dr. LaFarge releases them.” Hiram sighed as though he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Perhaps it was God’s will that they come here, after all.”
“You’ve made a wise decision, Mr. Knepp. We’ll wheel them to a room after the doctor looks in on them. We can roll in a bed for you, if you’d like.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
As Hiram headed toward the curtained room where Kayla was tending the twins, Andy bit back a smile. Oh, but this change of heart suggested some interesting scenarios, considering what he’d overheard in the waiting room. The bishop was now thanking Kayla for her attention, and then he talked briefly with his sons, who answered in hoarse but eager voices. After he assured them he would be back tomorrow, Hiram emerged from behind the curtains. With a nod at Andy, he put on his black broad-brimmed hat and then swung his long black coat over his shoulders as he strode toward the exit.
Andy signed off from the computer, almost wishing he worked tomorrow morning. The rest of his shift in the obstetrics wing went quickly, as he had patients to check on and plenty to think about.
As he climbed into his cold car, Andy realized how tired he was, yet how satisfied he felt. He’d answered Rhoda’s frantic call and saved Joey Knepp’s life. He’d been invited into the Sweet Seasons as though he were one of the family, to lend support as Rhoda talked with the police officer. He’d immersed himself in Rhoda’s compassion again . . . had hugged and kissed her and admitted he was considering a change of faith.
You’d do that for me?
Her sweet, unassuming smile warmed him all over again. And she hadn’t missed a beat when
it came to responding, either. New Haven and Morning Star have different bishops, but the faith is the same.
He would have to approach this very carefully . . . couldn’t misrepresent the life-altering consequences for his kids and his mom, if he talked to them about this idea.
When I talk to them, he corrected. That’s got to happen. Soon.
Chapter Nineteen
I wish this preachin’ service could be over soon, Rhoda thought. She sat on the front pew bench of the women’s side with her head bowed, as folks needing to confess were supposed to do. It didn’t help that church would take about three hours before the Members’ Meeting convened, when she could at last admit her sin and await her punishment for kissing Andy and riding in his car.
It didn’t help that Hiram sat directly across from her, either. He rested his elbows on his knees, his gaze fixed on the Riehls’ plank floor, awaiting the members’ decision about reinstating him, fully forgiven. It was a highly unusual fix for a bishop to be in, yet he seemed unconcerned. Had he made some kind of a deal with Enos Mullet and Jeremiah Shetler, the bishops who had assisted their congregation during his ban?
Who gets to go first, Lord? If Hiram is welcomed back into the fold before I make my confession, will he insist that I be shunned? After all the hurtful things he’s done to us, it hardly seems fair—
Rhoda stopped that thought before she finished it. God tude, and his owning a fancy car. The tension in Reuben and Esther Riehl’s crowded home was so thick, she felt it pressing her nearly to her knees.
Preacher Tom’s sermon on the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, announcing she was to be the mother of a Savior, lifted Rhoda’s heart. Such courage Jesus’s mother had shown when she had praised God for the huge responsibility He had placed upon her. Tom spoke more eloquently than usual, carried away by the miraculous event of Jesus’s birth. He reminded them that no matter what trials and tribulations they had encountered in this season, the Christ Child was to be loved and celebrated. Jesus, too, had endured great pain in His brief lifetime, to better understand human suffering . . . her suffering, Rhoda realized.
Winter of Wishes Page 19