by Goodwin,Mark
By the time they’d gotten Kevin in the boat, it was apparent that he might not be okay. He was squirming in pain and seemed to be close to losing consciousness.
The second Sarah was in the boat she shouted, “Go, go, go!”
The man sped off quickly, still shaking his head as if he was really regretting his decision.
Sarah took the pistol still gripped in Kevin’s hand. She placed it with her own into the pack and retrieved a small first aid kit. She pulled out a pair of EMT shears and began cutting Kevin’s shirt off. She handed some gauze to Courtney. “Press against the wound with this.”
Courtney followed her instructions.
Everett held Kevin’s head in his lap. Blood was coming out of his mouth and his eyes were beginning to roll back. “Come on, buddy, you’re going to be just fine. Stay with me.”
Sarah blotted the continuing flow of blood from Kevin’s body with the cut up shirt. “Oh, no! He’s been hit three times. He’s got two in the gut and one in the chest.”
Everett wiped the blood from Kevin’s mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. Kevin had completely lost consciousness and his breathing was growing more shallow.
Sarah pointed to the spurts of air coming out the hole in Kevin’s chest. “His lung has been punctured.” She took a circular bandage from the kit which read ACS on the packaging. It had a short rubber flange in the middle. Sarah centered it over the hole in his chest. Air and blood continued to come out of the tube with each breath, but the tube closed to prevent air from going back in.
“See if you can lean him up, so I can wrap this around his gut wounds,” Sarah said.
Courtney helped Everett lift Kevin into an upright sitting position. Sarah then opened another package which said The Emergency Bandage. It looked like an Ace bandage with a large piece of gauze and a compression cleat. She strategically attempted to cover both wounds with one bandage. “Okay, lay him down.”
Everett looked up and saw the I-495 bridge. He pointed to the left. “You can drop us off on the bank about a mile up.”
They soon reached the shore, close to where they’d parked the car. Normally, Everett wouldn’t have been dropped off so near the vehicle, but they were not going to be able to move Kevin very far. The needed to get him to the vehicle immediately.
The man pulled up to where Everett had instructed. They fireman carried Kevin’s limp body out of the boat then Courtney gathered the backpacks from the small craft.
Everett handed the man yet a fourth coin. “Take this for your time and head on up river another few miles before you turn around to go back. That’s the best thing for you and for us. Sorry about all the blood.”
The man gladly accepted the tip. “Don’t even worry about. I’ll wash it out when I get back to the dock. And trust me, I’ll take my time about getting back. I hope your friend makes it. Good luck.”
“Thanks.” Everett waved as he pushed the boat off from the shore.
Everett held his flashlight with his teeth as he carried Kevin by the feet. Courtney and Sarah supported him by one arm each as they made their way through the woods and back to the car. Once they arrived, they laid Kevin out in the back seat. Sarah sat in the rear with his head in her lap. Everett shined the light one last time back towards the bank. “I don’t see Elijah. We’ve got to get Kevin back to the apartment. I’m sure he can find his way back from here.”
“I agree.” Courtney gave a short nod and got in the passenger’s side.
Everett started the engine and drove at a steady clip back to the apartment, being careful not to do anything that would attract the attention of a police car. They arrived back at the apartment without incident. Everett and Courtney quickly jumped out and opened the back door to help Sarah get Kevin out of the vehicle.
Sarah sat silently, stroking Kevin’s hair with tears streaming from her eyes. “He’s gone.”
Everett’s heart sank. Unwilling to accept what he’d been told, he said, “Let’s get him upstairs. Maybe we can revive him with CPR.”
Sarah stayed still. “It’s no use. Even if we could revive him, he’d need serious surgery at a fully staffed, fully stocked trauma unit. We can’t take him to the hospital. It would jeopardize us and if they could save him, he’d be a prisoner. He wouldn’t want that.” She stared at his lifeless face. “He never had a chance with those wounds.”
Courtney put her hand on Sarah’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, but we can’t stay here. Let’s get him upstairs. We can at least get him cleaned up. We’ll take him home and find a peaceful place for him to rest.”
Sarah seemed to have no energy, no will to go on. “Okay.”
Courtney wiped the tears off of Sarah’s chin. “You just get yourself upstairs. Everett and I will get Kevin to the apartment.” She motioned for Everett to pull Kevin by the arms as she took his feet.
Everett walked backwards up the stairs while Courtney followed. Everett had to rest him on the ground when they reached the landing, so he could open the door. Next, they carried his body to the bedroom and laid him on the bed. Sarah was still sitting in the car. Courtney went back to help her out and up the stairs. Everett grabbed the bags, locked the car and followed the girls to the apartment. As he climbed the stairs, he went over the day in his mind. How had this happened? Wasn’t God supposed to protect them? Why had God allowed Kevin to die? He was on the verge of placing his faith in God. Now, not only was Kevin’s soul lost for eternity, but Sarah would never trust in him. And why should she? Everett had gone from not believing in God, to wondering if he existed, to believing, to trusting, to anger. As he thought through how they’d come to go on this asinine quest, he shook his head. “Why did I listen to this idiot? This crazy old man who thinks he’s a prophet? Why am I blaming God? I’m the moron that believed this old fool.”
Immediately, Everett felt bad for blaming Elijah. He found the larger packs they’d brought and fished out some clean clothes and wondered where Elijah was. “It wasn’t his fault. He can’t help it if he’s insane. Kevin is dead because I didn’t have the good sense to tell the old man no.”
Everett took the cleaning bucket from under the kitchen sink and walked downstairs to the service water faucet that the landscape crew used. He filled the bucket and took it to the bathroom to clean himself up by candlelight. As he emptied his pockets, he looked at the last gold coin. He wondered what mind easing substance he could buy from Vanessa. Anything that would take away this sense of self-hatred and guilt.
He stared into the mirror as he rinsed his face with the cool water. He continued to wash up. He knew he wasn’t going to get high or drunk. As tempting as it sounded, that wasn’t the answer. He felt a strange peace coming from somewhere deep inside and he wondered if that could possibly be coming from God. This was all new to him. He wiped his face with the damp cloth and looked up. “God, even after I’d blamed you, even after I’ve been angry with you, would you still try to comfort me?”
He began to cry and the tears seemed to cleanse his soul, just as the washcloth wiped away the grime from his face. “I’m sorry, God. I’m trying to trust you but this isn’t easy and it’s not what I expected.”
Once he’d finished washing and changing into clean clothes, he walked into the bedroom with Courtney and Sarah. Sarah was holding onto Kevin’s hand and weeping. He was the only person she had left in this brutal world.
Minutes later, Everett said, “I’ll get him washed. If you girls want to go freshen up. We’ll give Elijah a few more hours to get back, but we should probably try to get home before sunrise.”
Courtney held Sarah’s hand as she led her away to get cleaned up. Everett went back downstairs, drew a bucket of water to fill the bathroom sink for the girls, and then filled his bucket to wash Kevin’s body.
Afterwards, Sarah and Courtney helped Everett put clean clothes on Kevin’s cold stiffening body and wrapped him in a fresh white sheet. Once that was finished, Sarah laid her head on the corpse and cried.
Everett an
d Courtney sat next to her, but she refused to be comforted.
Everett patted Sarah’s back. “Do you think you can eat something? We’ll need our energy if we hit any trouble on the way home.”
Sarah shook her head, but said nothing.
Everett tilted his head toward the door, signaling to Courtney that they should leave her alone to grieve for a while.
Courtney nodded. She gave Sarah a hug. “We’ll be right back. If you get hungry, come on in the living room.”
Courtney and Everett retrieved some food from the packs, ate together, and then took turns taking naps. Even without the toll on their emotions, the stress, and physical exertion of the day, they’d been up for nearly twenty-four hours and both of them desperately needed some sleep.
At 2:30 AM Everett lightly shook Courtney to rouse her from her slumber. “Time to wake up.”
She rolled over, rubbing her weary eyes. “Is Elijah back?”
“No, we’ll give him another half hour, but we’ve gotta go.”
Courtney sat up. “Are there any instant coffee packets?”
Everett handed her a plastic water bottle filled with a dark liquid. “I already thought of that. It’s cold, but it’s coffee.”
Courtney gave it a shake, unscrewed the cap and took a long swig. “Thanks. How is Sarah?”
“She’s lying on the bed, next to his body. I think she fell asleep.”
“That’s good. Just let her sleep until it’s time to go.” Courtney took another drink.
Two taps on the door were followed by a series of two more taps.
“That’s him, that’s Elijah. I know his knock.” Everett stood up from the couch.
“Check the peephole, just to be sure.” Courtney was excited.
Everett peered out the small aperture, unlocked the dead bolt, and opened the door. “Hey, you made it!”
Courtney walked over and hugged him. “We were so worried about you!”
Sarah walked into the room, her eyes swollen from crying and fatigue. She didn’t smile. “Your God let Kevin die. He was all I had. Ask God why he doesn’t just kill me, too.”
Elijah’s face lost the tender smile he’d had while hugging Courtney. “That is between you and him. You should ask him yourself. But, I’m sorry for your loss.”
Sarah broke down in a fit of sobs and anger. “You’re sorry for my loss? You? Man of God?” Her voice grew louder as she vented. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry we came on this idiotic quest of yours. I’m sorry I ever met any of you.”
“Shhh.” Elijah walked over to put his arms around her.
She fought him at first, but finally relented and let him hold her in his arms. She cried, “It’s not your fault. I didn’t mean that.”
Elijah sat her on the couch and motioned for Everett and Courtney to come sit by Sarah. They did so and Elijah walked to the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Ten minutes later, Sarah was calming down and her sobbing had subsided. Everett stood and checked his watch. “I’ll start taking the packs and the rifles to the car.”
Courtney nodded and continued to comfort Sarah.
Everett completed the task in two trips. He walked to the door to knock and tell Elijah that they needed to go. But as he put his ear to the door, he heard him praying. The old man’s voice grew in volume slightly with each sentence. Everett walked away.
Courtney stood. “What’s he doing?”
Everett shrugged. “Praying, I think. I can’t understand the language he’s using. It might be Hebrew.”
Courtney pursed her lips. “But we’ve gotta go. And we still need to put Kevin’s body in the car. Have you thought about where you’ll put him?”
“We have to put him in the trunk. I know Sarah isn’t going to like it, but we can’t be driving around with a dead body visible to passersby.”
Courtney crinkled her nose. “It sounds so rude, but you’re right. I can’t think of any alternatives. Anyway, tell Elijah we should get going. He can pray in the car if he wants.”
Everett nodded, and pecked on the door. “Elijah, we have to leave. Every second counts.” Everett could hear through the door that the old man was still praying in what sounded like his native tongue. He seemed to be ignoring Everett. Everett rolled his eyes and shook his head.
Courtney walked over. “He’s not listening?”
“No.” Everett crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “What should I do?”
“Give him a few more minutes, I guess.” She leaned next to him.
Suddenly, the prayers stopped and the old man’s voice fell silent.
Everett looked at Courtney. “You try knocking.”
She did. “Elijah, sweetie, we have to go.”
The door opened and Elijah stood in the doorway. “Bring him some water.”
Everett was getting anxious to leave. “We cleaned him up before we wrapped him in the sheet. We need to get him to the car so we can get on the road.”
“No!” Elijah’s eyes were filled with fire. “Water to drink!” Elijah slammed the door closed.
Everett was taken back by Elijah’s sudden change of demeanor, and even more so by his peculiar request. He looked at Courtney. “I don’t even know what to say to that. We’ve got to leave now.”
“Just get him some water. Elijah is probably really thirsty. He walked the whole way back from DC.”
Sarah was up from the couch. “What’s going on in there? What is Elijah doing to Kevin’s body?”
Everett shook his head and went to retrieve a bottle of water from the small pack next to the door.
Sarah wasn’t waiting for him to come back. She barged into the bedroom.
Everett returned with the water just in time to see Sarah’s expression of extreme confusion as she fell unconscious and dropped to the floor. Everett and Courtney rushed to her side to wake her up.
Everett looked up at the bed. Elijah was sitting next to Kevin’s body. The old man had removed the sheet and had Kevin sitting upright next to him on the bed. Everett fought to process what was going on. Was this some type of morbid prank? No wonder Sarah had passed out.
“The water. Give him the water!” Elijah stretched out his hand.
Everett looked at Kevin. His eyes were open. “He just blinked!” Everett’s heart nearly stopped as he pointed at Kevin.
Elijah stood and grabbed the water bottle from Everett, handing it to Kevin who took it and proceeded to drink. Everett was dumbfounded.
Courtney just stared at Kevin, with her mouth open.
Kevin handed the bottle to Elijah and knelt on the floor next to Sarah. He shook her gently. “Wake up. Sarah, it’s me. Everything is okay.”
Everett watched in amazement as Sarah came back around, slowly realizing that Kevin was alive.
“Kevin?” Sarah’s face was filled with confusion, as if she thought it might be a dream.
“It’s okay. I’m here . . . I’m . . . alive.” He pushed her hair back out of her face and kissed her.
“But, how did . . .” Her hand gripped his arm as he pulled back from the kiss.
“We were wrong. I was wrong.” Kevin shook his head. “I’ve been so proud, I stood in judgement of God Almighty. I had no right. He’s sovereign, I don’t have to like everything he does, I don’t even have to agree, but he is God of all and I’m just a man. And hell is real. It’s a place of unfathomable misery and suffering, a place without hope. I can barely remember, thank God, but I was there. And I never want to go back. I’ve been given a second chance, we’ve been given a second chance, Sarah. We have to commit our lives to him, right now. Don’t risk going there for one more second.”
Tears of joy now streamed down Sarah’s face, replacing the tears of sorrow. “Okay. So you believe in heaven and everything, right?”
Kevin nodded. “I’ve seen hell, so yes, if it’s true, heaven must be also.”
Sarah sat up and looked at Elijah. “What do we do? What do we say?”
Elijah pointed up. “Te
ll him. Tell him you’re sorry for your pride, and all your sins. And tell him, where he leads, you will follow. Tell him that he is the God of your life, and it is no longer you yourselves. Then live according to that commitment.” Elijah stood. “Come, this is between them and their father. Let us go, we must leave soon.”
Everett and Courtney followed Elijah out of the room, leaving Kevin and Sarah alone to speak with God. Everett tapped his finger against his forehead. “Could Kevin have been merely sleeping? No, his skin was cold, his body was stiff. That man was dead, but now he’s alive.” Everett muttered to himself as he walked, contemplating all that he’d just witnessed.
A few minutes later, Elijah walked back to the bedroom. “Come along, we must go. You have the rest of eternity to commune with your father, now that you have become his children.”
Kevin and Sarah finally emerged, both smiling.
Kevin looked at Everett as he struggled to get up from the couch. “I don’t want to weird you out or anything, but I’m . . . really well rested. I don’t mind driving back. You guys look beat.”
Everett smiled with one side of his mouth. “Yeah, I’ll take you up on that. If you see any trouble, give me a nudge and wake me up.”
Indeed, it was strange to have a man who’d just returned to the land of the living driving them home, but Elijah, the man who’d resurrected him, was the greater source of Everett’s uneasiness. Never again would he wonder whether the man was a lunatic or a true prophet of God. And neither would Everett question why they’d been summoned to accompany the old man on the bizarre expedition. Not only had his and Courtney’s faith been strengthened, but it had been a monumental awakening for Kevin and Sarah, who probably wouldn’t have come along, had he and Courtney not followed Elijah in his adventure.
The team loaded into the car expeditiously. Within minutes of getting back on the road, Everett was out.
He awoke when Kevin turned onto the winding mountain road which led up to the cabin from Woodstock. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by the loyal tail wags of Danger who had faithfully guarded the cabin, even though he’d not been left enough food for a forty-eight-hour trip. Sarah made feeding him a priority. Sox was less forgiving over not being adequately provided for as evidenced by his loud protests and his persistent weaving in between Everett’s and Courtney’s feet as if he wanted to trip them, until his food bowl had been filled.
