Plain pursuit

by Beth Wiseman

  “Carley, he is probably going to sleep on and off, but he’s not in a coma anymore,” Dr. Bolton said.

  “A coma?” Noah asked, focusing on Dr. Bolton. “For how long?”

  “Only a couple of days, Noah. You didn’t wake up after the surgery. We’re not sure why.”

  Noah crinkled his nose and cocked his head. “What is that smell?”

  “It’s Samuel,” Lillian blurted out. She waved her hand back and forth in front of her face. “He was working on the plumbing at your clinic. Smells like it too.” She cut her eyes hard toward her husband.

  Noah smiled. “Really? Thank you.”

  “A critter had gotten into the pipes and died. Everything is gut now,” Samuel said. His expression was closed, his voice reverting back to the distant tone he’d had before Noah slipped into the coma. “I’d best go check on David.”

  “Me too,” Lillian added. She smiled at Noah. “So glad to see you awake.”

  “David?” Noah asked groggily. “How is David?”

  “He is wonderful, Noah,” Carley said. “Just wonderful. You saved his life.”

  “We’d better go, Lillian,” Samuel pushed.

  “I will go too,” Esther said, but her feet seemed rooted to the floor.

  “Mamm,” Noah said tenderly. “Danki.”

  Esther nodded at her son, dabbing her eyes. And then she left.

  Carley realized that the temporary suspension of the shunning had ended. Noah was going to be all right. David was doing well. Things would go back to the way they were.

  After Noah ate a little dinner, his eyes searched Carley’s. Things were different between them. She wasn’t sure exactly to what extent, but they had crossed over into new territory.

  He reached for her hand. “Thank you for being here. And thank you for taking care of things at the clinic.” He smiled. “So Samuel is the one who took care of it?”

  “He offered,” Carley confirmed, hoping Noah wouldn’t get his hopes up too much where his family was concerned.

  “Maybe they’re coming around. I hope so.”

  She was trying to think of a way to lower his expectations when her cell phone started ringing. She was surprised she was getting reception in the hospital and quickly reached into her purse to answer it.

  “It’s Dana,” she whispered to Noah. And the girl was all wound up. “Dana, slow down,” Carley said. “What’s wrong?”

  “After you called and told me that Noah was all right, I decided to head up to the hospital. On the way, I stopped at the clinic because Jenna left her doll there. When I pulled up, there were huge boxes outside, like someone delivered something and just left them here.”

  “Hold on, Dana.” Carley turned her attention to Noah. “Dana said a bunch of boxes were delivered to the clinic. I thought they were going to be delivered on Tuesday. That would be tomorrow.”

  Noah took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. “Great. That’s most likely all the medical equipment. You’re right, it was supposed to be delivered on Tuesday.”

  Carley held up one finger to indicate that Dana was talking again.

  “It’s raining here, Carley. Everything is getting wet. I can’t get these boxes in by myself. I didn’t know who else to call. What should I do?”

  “Can you wait for me? It will take me about an hour to get there, though.”

  After hanging up with Dana, Carley told Noah, “I’m going to meet Dana at the clinic, and we’ll move the boxes into the waiting room for now.”

  “Carley, those boxes are very heavy.” Noah sighed. His eyes were droopy and he looked exhausted. She knew he didn’t need this type of aggravation.

  “We’ll figure something out.” She leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.

  “Carley, you look so tired.” He reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand. When he did, he flinched.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Sore,” he said, groaning before bringing his hand down and continuing. “And those delivery people should never have left those boxes outside, especially on the wrong day. There’s thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment in those boxes, and they are much too heavy for you and Dana. Maybe Samuel will help you.”

  “I’ll ask him.” Carley straightened up and reached for her purse on the chair. “Try to get some rest. I’ll be back to see you later.”

  “Carley, no.” He shook his head. “Go home. Get some rest. As much as I’d love for you to be here, you look exhausted. The nurse told me you’ve been here almost the entire time.”

  She sensed it was Noah who needed the rest more than she did. “Okay, but I’ll be back in the morning.”

  Before she reached the door, Noah called her back. His face was serious. “Carley, I’m going to make this up to you. You should not have to do all this—any of it. I’m going to make it up to you somehow. And don’t forget to see if Samuel can help you with those boxes. He might be ready for a ride home anyway.”

  She nodded and walked down the hall toward David’s room. Lillian was sitting in the chair cradling Anna. No Samuel. No David.

  “Can you believe David is already up and walking?” Lillian asked. “Samuel and the nurse took him down the hall. You just missed Mary Ellen, Rebecca, and Sadie,” she added. “They came to see David, and they just went downstairs to get something to drink. Barbie brought them. We’re so fortunate to have such nice friends to give us car rides. If they hadn’t brought Anna up here for a visit, she would have already been asleep by the time I got home tonight. We’re staying at home tonight since David is doing so gut. Annie Lapp is here with her car also.”

  Carley needed to get on the road, but she had a question for Lillian. “Are Mary Ellen and Rebecca going to see Noah while they’re here?”

  Lillian looked down. “I don’t know.”

  “They should,” Carley said impatiently, even though she knew Lillian had no control over what the women did.

  “I agree, Carley. I really do. But Noah is doing gut now, and—”

  “So now that Noah is okay, everyone’s conscience is clear? Don’t you think he would enjoy a visit from his sisters after everything he’s been through? Or is the shunning automatically back in force now that Noah is awake?”

  “Carley, I can’t speak for them, but—”

  “I have to go,” Carley interrupted. It was clear based on what Lillian wasn’t saying that the chances were slim. “There’s a problem at Noah’s clinic. I’ll see you later at home.”

  She headed down the hall after deciding not to ask Samuel for help with the boxes. It suddenly seemed awkward, and she decided she would figure something out. She felt bad about the way she had spoken to Lillian, but she just couldn’t grasp the on-again, off-again ways of these people. Convenient love. That was how it seemed to her.

  What about unconditional love? Wasn’t that what God offered to anyone who chose to seek Him out? Forgiveness no matter what the sin? The Amish weren’t God. What right did they have to shun anyone? God never turned His back on anyone, and neither should they. She was never going to understand.

  Almost instantly, Lillian’s explanation about the light switch and God came into her mind. Carley knew she had been guilty of an on-again, off-again relationship with God. She pondered if she had also been guilty of convenient love, only turning to God during times of trouble. Or just the opposite—turning her back on Him because she felt betrayed by Him when events became too difficult to bear. Who was she to judge anyone? Only God could do that.

  Which brought her back to where she’d started, thinking about the practice of shunning and how she couldn’t accept it.

  She slid into her car, buckled her seat belt, and slid the key into the ignition. But before she started the motor, she took a moment to pray for Noah and his family.

  It started raining about ten minutes into Carley’s drive from the hospital to the clinic. Hard pellets pounded the windshield and her wipers swooshed at full capacity. She hated to drive in the rain. It had been raining the day
of the accident. As her heart began to race, she realized that despite her preoccupations in Pennsylvania and her distance from Houston, the vision of the red pickup was flashing before her. She could barely see the road.

  “Please, God, help me to stay focused.” She drew in a deep breath. “Help me to see clearly what lies before me and not to focus on things from the past.”

  The rain was still pounding hard when she pulled up at the clinic. She bolted from the car and entered the waiting room soaked. Dana was sitting on the tile floor, leaning against the wall and reading a book to Jenna.

  “Carley!” Jenna jumped up and ran to her. “You’re all wet. Even wetter than us.”

  “Yes, I am. But it won’t stop me from giving you a big wet hug.” She grabbed Jenna playfully and pulled her into her arms. Jenna giggled, returned the hug, and didn’t seem to mind the extra moisture.

  “Those boxes outside are pretty big,” Carley said. “Guess we’d better see if we can carry them in.”

  “Wonder what’s in them?” Dana asked.

  “Noah said it’s medical equipment.”

  “Thank God he’s awake and doing so well. We’re going to go see him when we leave here.”

  “I hate the hospital, Dana. Can’t I go with Carley?” Jenna’s bottom lip curled under in a frown.

  “Jenna, don’t you want to go see Noah? I know he’d want to see you.”

  Jenna stared down at the floor and pouted.

  Dana squatted down in front of her. “But we need to go see Noah.”

  Jenna looked up at Carley. “Can I go home with you tonight?”

  “No, Jenna. That’s rude,” Dana snapped.

  “I don’t mind, Dana,” Carley answered as she smoothed back Jenna’s blonde waves. “But I’ll leave it up to you.” It suddenly occurred to Carley that Lillian and Samuel may not appreciate her inviting Jenna to spend the night. Besides that, Carley still had a little something to discuss with Dana.

  “Are you sure?” Dana asked.

  Carley wasn’t sure but said, “Yes, that’s fine.”

  “Goody!” Jenna jumped up and down.

  “We’d better get the stuff moved in.” Carley opened the door. The rain had let up, but the dark, lingering clouds overhead hinted that more might be on the way.

  Carley eyed the boxes, each of them about six feet long, then grabbed the end of one and lifted. ”It’s awkward, but not as heavy as I thought.”

  Dana lifted the other end, but with much effort.

  “Are you sure you can get it?” Carley asked.

  “Definitely. I don’t want Noah’s stuff to get ruined.”

  Six boxes later, they both collapsed on the floor. Carley pushed back strands of wet hair and studied the clutter. The large boxes added to the mess of smaller boxes scattered throughout the clinic, along with file cabinets, piles of papers, phones, and miscellaneous office supplies.

  “How long is Noah going to be in the hospital? A week?” Dana asked.

  “Yes, but his full recovery is going to take several weeks. He won’t be able to organize this place for a while.”

  Dana rolled her eyes. “Have you seen Noah’s house? He’s not exactly the most organized person to begin with anyway.”

  “No, I haven’t seen his house, but I suspected as much.” Carley paused then cut her eyes sharply at Dana, just enough to let her know she was onto her. “I’m sure his girlfriend will help him get things organized when she gets back into the country.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Dana twisted her hands together while her eyes veered away from Carley’s.

  “You must care for him an awful lot.” Carley squinted at Dana and wondered exactly how much. “It sounds like he’s been very good to you and Jenna.”

  “Yes, he’s taken good care of us.” Dana curled a strand of hair around her finger and continued to avoid Carley’s eyes.

  Carley resisted the urge to tear into her in front of Jenna. “So when did you say his girlfriend will be back? Oh, and what’s her name, by the way?”

  “Uh, I’m not sure. When she’ll be back, I mean.”

  “Dana—” Carley hesitated when Jenna’s big blue eyes rose to hers. “I . . . Never mind.”

  Dana stood, put her hands on her hips, and took a deep breath. Then she looked hard at Carley. “You know, she’s not really much of a girlfriend anyway. More of a friend.”

  “Really?” Carley didn’t hide the sarcasm in her tone. She stood too. “Because Noah sure is going to be disappointed not to have this place ready to open when he planned.” Carley glanced around at the mess. “I think he underestimated how much work there is to do. All the big stuff like painting and plumbing has been handled, but look at this mess.”

  Carley wasn’t sure what the rush was. She doubted the Amish community would be knocking the door down with business. But it was important to Noah. She looked around and wondered if she could pull off what she was thinking.

  “When Noah gets home from the hospital, he’s not going to be able to do a whole lot for a while. That includes getting this place ready,” Carley said. She began walking from room to room, Dana and Jenna following her.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Dana said. “And I’ll help you. Together we can do it.”

  Carley looked in one of the boxes in the reception area. A fax machine. It would be a project, no doubt. She turned to Dana. “Do you have time, with your job and all?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to partner with Dana on this project, but she didn’t think she could do it alone either.

  “I work about twenty hours a week right now, but I’d love to do this for Noah.” She grinned. “Let’s don’t tell him. Let’s make it a surprise!”

  “He’ll be in the hospital for a week and then probably won’t be able to leave the house for another week. After that, he’s going to want to at least come up here, even if he can’t work.”

  “I can start early in the morning,” Dana said. “As early as you want to get here. We’ll still visit Noah at the hospital, of course. He doesn’t have to know we’re doing this. It would be a small way for me to repay his kindness for everything he has done for me and Jenna. I mostly work in the afternoons, and the lady next door watches Jenna. She’s really old, but Jenna likes her.”

  Carley glanced around again at the project they were preparing to undertake. She couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do. But she and Dana needed to clear the air. Although she suspected Noah would take care of that this evening.

  “Six o’clock too early for you?” Carley asked.

  “Yowsers! That is early. But I’ll be here.” Dana turned to Jenna and pointed a finger in her direction. “Are you going to be able to keep this a secret? You can’t tell Noah what we’re doing. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes,” Jenna answered before she turned to Carley. “Let’s go to your house now.”

  “Well, it’s not exactly my house, but if it’s okay with Dana, I’m ready. It’ll be dark soon.”

  “I don’t have any clothes or anything for her,” Dana said as Carley locked the door behind them.

  “I bet Jenna can wear one of my T-shirts to bed. She’ll be okay for one night,” Carley said, Jenna bouncing behind her as they made their way to the car.

  “It will be good to go see Noah and then have some time to myself. I don’t get that too often.”

  Carley thought about how difficult it must be for Dana to raise Jenna on her own. She supposed it would be natural, under the circumstances, for a girl her age to have a crush on Noah.

  “Be good, Jenna,” Dana said.

  “We’ll have a good time,” Carley assured Dana. She snapped Jenna’s seat belt across her in the backseat.

  The rain had stopped, and the sun was bearing down on the horizon when Carley turned onto the dirt driveway. Jenna was delighted, pointing to the cows grazing to her left. Then at the two buggies parked by the house.

  “Have you ridden in a buggy since you’ve been here?” Carley asked her.

 
Jenna’s eyes widened in anticipation. “No, never.”

  “Well, when things get better for Noah and David, we’ll just have to see about making that happen.”

  Lillian and Samuel were on the front porch. Carley assumed it had been awhile since they’d had some quiet time together away from the hospital. And now she was bringing a strange child into their home. She wasn’t sure exactly how they’d feel about that.

  Knowing Lillian, she should have known better than to worry.

  “And who is this?” Lillian asked merrily when she met Carley and Jenna in the front yard.

  “Lillian, this is Jenna. I hope you don’t mind that I brought her to stay tonight. She’s the little girl I was telling you about—the friend of Noah’s.”

  “Mind?” Lillian asked. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her apron as she faced Jenna. “Of course I don’t mind. And it just so happens that I have some cookies on the table inside with your name on them.”

  “What kind of cookies?” Jenna shyly asked.

  “They’re called raisin puffs. They’re David’s favorite. I’m taking him some to the hospital tomorrow.” Lillian offered her hand to Jenna. “Want to come try one?”

  Jenna nodded as she latched onto Lillian’s hand. Lillian was such a natural mother. Carley worried that since she was now infertile, perhaps the mom gene had abandoned her too. “Thank you, Lillian,” she whispered.

  They walked up the porch steps to where Samuel was sitting in the rocker, sipping a glass of tea.

  “Samuel, we have company for tonight,” Lillian said. “This is Jenna, and she wants to try my raisin puffs.”

  Samuel smiled. “Well, hello, Jenna. You’ll save me one of those cookies, no?”

  Jenna’s face lit up and she nodded. Carley followed her and Lillian into the house, pleased Samuel didn’t seem to have a problem with her bringing Jenna to stay.

  “It’s dark,” Jenna said when they walked into the kitchen.

  “Lillian and Samuel don’t use electricity,” Carley said as Lillian lit the lantern suspended above the table and another one on the counter.

  “Ooh,” Jenna purred. Her eyes grew wide and she seemed in awe of Lillian’s kitchen. “I like this place, and it smells good.”