by Marta Perry
“My back burns like fire. I can’t move my legs.”
His heart sank. “All right, lie still. We’ll get you out.”
“Where is my boy, Louis? Is he okay?”
“He’s sitting in my car. I told him to stay there.”
“Goot.” She began muttering what he thought was a prayer. Amber scrambled down in the ditch beside them. Quickly, she checked Martha’s vital signs. Then, to Phillip’s horror, she lay down and wiggled as far under the overturned wagon as she could.
After a minute, Amber worked herself backward and Phillip helped her gain her feet. He said, “Don’t do that again.”
“Martha’s bleeding profusely from a gash on her left thigh. I couldn’t reach it to put pressure on it, but it’s bad.”
He wanted to wait for the fire department and EMS. They’d likely have the Jaws of Life to lift the vehicle. But if she were hemorrhaging as badly as Amber thought, time was of the essence. “Okay, we’ll have to get the wagon off of her.”
Phillip turned to the men gathered around. The one kneeling beside Martha rose and joined them. “I’m David Nissley, Martha’s husband. We were afraid to move the wagon and do Martha more injury.”
“You were right. However, we need to move it now.”
Mr. Nissley pointed up the lane. “My boy, Noah, is coming with the draft team.”
What Phillip wouldn’t give for a forklift or at least a tractor…something he knew had enough power and wouldn’t bolt in fright and pull the heavy wagon on top of his patient. He considered trying to use his SUV but there was no room to maneuver on the narrow road.
He said, “We need some way to brace the wagon in case that wheel comes off.”
“We can use boards from there.” Amber pointed to the white painted fence running alongside the road. An instant later, Mr. Nissley and the men were dismantling the boards by using their heavy boots to kick them loose from the posts.
Phillip watched the activity impatiently. “Once we have it braced so it can’t fall back, we’ll try pulling it off her.”
A boy of about fifteen came racing down the road with a pair of enormous gray horses trotting at his heels. Sunlight gleamed off their shiny flanks as their powerful muscles rippled beneath their hides. They made a breathtaking sight.
The boy quickly backed them into position. They stood perfectly still as they waited for their harnesses to be hooked to the wagon. Feeling dwarfed by the massive animals, Phillip decided a tractor wouldn’t be necessary.
He turned back to Mrs. Nissley just as Amber was once again working herself under the broken vehicle, this time with her bag. He caught her foot. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Her voice was muffled. “Once the weight comes off her leg, someone has to put pressure on that gash. It’s oozing bright red blood.”
“You think it’s a severed artery?”
“I do.”
He didn’t like the danger she was putting herself in. He let go of her ankle because he knew she was right. The weight of the wagon on Martha might be stemming the flow of blood. Once it came off, she could bleed out rapidly.
Mr. Nissley alternated between speaking comforting words to his wife, directing the men making braces and instructing his son on the best way to attach the horses to the rig.
In less than five minutes, they were ready. Mr. Nissley spoke briefly to his wife, then took the reins from his son.
The boy said, “I can do it, Papa?”
“Nee, das ist für mich zu tun.”
Phillip looked at Mrs. Nissley for an explanation. “He said, ‘This is for me to do.’ If it falls back, he doesn’t want my son blaming himself.”
Another man called the boy over to help with the braces. Mr. Nissley coaxed the big horses forward. The wagon creaked ominously but lifted a few inches. The men standing by instantly moved in with the fence boards to prop it up. Squatting beside Amber’s feet, Phillip prepared to drag her out of harm’s way if need be.
The wagon inched upward with painful slowness, but finally Martha was free. Amber was already staunching the flow of blood with a heavy pad as the team dragged the broken wagon across the road. Phillip rushed to help secure the pad with a heavy elastic bandage. Amber was right. It was arterial blood. Martha would have bled to death if they’d delayed any longer.
The Amish woman was conscious but pale. Phillip said to Amber, “What supplies have you got in your bag?”
“IV supplies, pain medication, sterile drapes, suture, anything you’d need for a regular delivery. I’m going to start an eighteen gauge IV with Ringer’s Lactate.”
“Once that’s done give her a bolus of morphine if you’ve got it. Martha, are you allergic to any medications?” “Nee.”
All color was gone from her cheeks and her breathing was shallow. Phillip’s concern spiked. She was going into shock.
“Amber, hurry with that IV.”
“Should we try and turn her over?” Amber asked as she rapidly assembled her equipment, donned gloves and started prepping Martha’s arm for the needle.
“I’d rather wait for EMS and their backboard.” Phillip grabbed his stethoscope from his bag and listened to Martha’s lungs through her back. They were clear of fluid. One thing in her favor.
Amber slipped the IV line in and started the fluids. Gesturing to one of the men nearby, she gave him the bag to hold.
After handing over the reins of his horses to his son, Mr. Nissley returned to his wife’s side. Once there, he sat beside her and simply held her hand without saying a word.
Relief ripped through Phillip when he heard the sound of a siren in the distance.
Within minutes, the ambulance arrived on the scene, followed by a sheriff’s department cruiser. Standing beside Amber, Phillip felt her grasp his hand as they loaded Mrs. Nissley aboard.
Louis jumped out of Phillip’s SUV and raced to his mother’s side. She patted his head and told him not to worry. One of his sisters took his hand and coaxed him away. Mr. Nissley climbed in beside Martha. Soon they were on their way to the hospital in Millersburg, red lights flashing.
Together, Phillip and Amber watched the vehicle disappear in the distance. As the adrenaline drained away, Phillip grew shaky. Looking down, he noticed Amber still gripped his hand.
* * *
Following Phillip’s gaze, Amber realized her fingers were entwined with his. Suddenly, she became aware of the warmth traveling up her arm from where they touched. It spread through her body in waves and made her skin tingle like a charge of static electricity.
Their eyes met. An intense awareness rippled around them. Her breath froze in her chest. Her eyes roved over his face, soaking in every detail and committing it to memory.
Sweat trickled down his cheek. His hair was mussed, his clothes dirty. None of that diminished the attraction drawing her to him.
Behind her, someone spoke and a discussion about where to take the wagon broke out. She let go of Phillip’s hand and wrapped her arms across her chest. It had to be the adrenaline ebb. Holding his hand surely wasn’t making her weak in the knees, right?
He said, “I should follow them to the hospital. She’s my patient, after all.”
Amber struggled to get herself together. “We’ll need to make arrangements for the family to travel there, too.”
Phillip reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Who shall I call?”
“Samson Carter has a van service.” She gave him the number and after someone answered, he handed the phone to the oldest Nissley boy. When the boy was finished with the call, he handed the phone back and then gave instructions to his younger brothers and sisters. Already, the neighbors who had come to help were busy repairing the fence. The sheriff was interviewing them.
“Will these kids be all right?” Phillip asked quietly as they made their way toward his SUV.
Walking beside him, Amber nodded. “Yes. Word will spread quickly, and they will be smothered with help. Men will come to do the chores
and women will come to take charge of the house. An Amish family never has to worry about what will happen to them in an emergency. It’s a given that everyone in the Church will rally around them.”
“That’s good to know. Martha shouldn’t have been driving that big wagon with her arm in a splint.”
“She wasn’t driving. Her son was.”
“That little one who ran to our clinic?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t his fault. Some teenage boys driving by in a pickup threw firecrackers under the wagon and spooked the horses.”
He stopped. “Does the officer know that?”
Amber glanced over her shoulder. “I doubt it. They won’t talk to the authorities about it. They will forgive whoever has done this. It is their way.”
“Someone should tell the officer. Can you get a description of the vehicle from them?”
“No. They won’t talk to me about it. I’m an outsider, like you.”
“But you’ve lived here for years.”
“That makes no difference. I’m not Amish.”
The sheriff came over to them. Tall and blond, with eyes only a shade lighter than Amber’s, he smiled at her fondly. “Hey, cuz. Can you give me any information about what happened here?”
“Hi, Nick. I can tell you what I overheard but not much else.” She relayed her story while he took notes.
After a few minutes, he put his notepad away. “Thanks. Not much chance of solving this but I’ll give it my best shot. How about you, Doc? Can you add anything?”
“Sorry, no.”
Amber said, “Dr. White, this is Nicolas Bradley, my cousin. Nick, this is Harold’s grandson. Phillip’s taking over the clinic until Harold gets back.”
The two men shook hands. Nick said, “Sorry we didn’t meet under better circumstances. Ordinarily, this is a pretty quiet place. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get back to work. Amber, see you later.”
As he went to finish interviewing the witnesses, Amber turned to Phillip. “We should get to the hospital.”
Reaching out, he gently brushed some dirt from her cheek. “I should get to the hospital. You should get home.”
Her heart turned over and melted into a foolish puddle.
Don’t do this. Don’t go falling for a man who’ll be gone in a few weeks.
It was good advice. Could she follow it?
Drawing a quick breath, she forced her practical nature to the forefront. This rush of emotion was nothing more than a reaction to their working together during a crisis. It would soon fade.
With a logical explanation for her irrational feelings, Amber was able to smile and say, “Dr. White, you can’t find your way to the grocery store. How are you going to find your way to Millersburg?”
He looked as if he wanted to argue. Instead, he nodded toward his car. “Get in.”
Chapter Six
Phillip tried to concentrate on the road ahead, but he couldn’t ignore the presence of the woman seated beside him. Her foolish bravery, her skill and quick thinking under pressure impressed him to no end. He saw now why his grandfather valued her so highly.
He said, “You did a good job back there.”
“Thanks. It’s not the first horse-drawn vehicle accident I’ve been to. Although there’s usually a car involved.”
“If they’re so unsafe, why do the Amish continue to use their buggies?”
“It’s part of being separate from the world. It’s who they are. Turn left at the next corner. You handled yourself well. Your grandfather would be proud of you.”
“I hope so.”
“He means a lot to you, doesn’t he?”
Phillip glanced at her. “Yes. More than you can know. How did you end up working for him?”
“Long story.”
“Longer than the drive to Millersburg?”
Her smile slipped out. “Probably not.”
“So tell me.”
“When I finished my nurse-midwife program, I started looking for a place to set up my practice. I knew I wanted to do home deliveries among the Amish. I know you don’t approve. Rest assured, you aren’t the only doctor who feels that way.”
“But my grandfather sees things differently.”
“Yes. I began talking to Amish families at local farmers’ markets and other gatherings. It was at the produce market in Millersburg that I heard about your grandfather. He’s held in very high regard in the Amish community.”
“He’s devoted more than thirty years to these people. They should think highly of him. I’m sorry. Go on.” He might not approve of their lifestyle, but he had to remember she did.
“I came to Hope Springs and explained to Harold how I wanted to practice. He was delighted. We both knew it wouldn’t be easy building a practice for me, so he hired me to work as his office nurse, too. Those first couple of years he mentored me every step of the way.”
“I envy you knowing him so well and working so closely with him.” Surprised that he’d admitted that out loud, he checked for her reaction.
“Your grandfather has taught me so much. The Amish say if you want good advice, seek an old man. It is true—but don’t tell Harold I called him old.”
Phillip laughed. “It will be our secret. I wish I could get him to act his age.”
“How is he supposed to act?”
“The man is seventy-five years old. He should be retired and enjoying his golden years.”
She waved a hand, dismissing his assumption. “If Harold is able, he’ll be back. We need him.”
Phillip needed him, too. He’d longed for a father figure all his life. His mother’s string of “Uncles” who lived with them over the years hadn’t filled that need. If anything, they made it worse. Meeting Harold in person had finally started to fill the hole in Phillip’s life.
All he’d wanted was to spend more time with his grandfather. Their weeklong visit had been drawing to a close far too quickly. Phillip’s suggestion that Harold think about relocating to Hawaii had been met with an unexpectedly harsh response.
His grandfather had made it abundantly clear that his place was in Hope Springs. Harold’s anger seemed entirely out of proportion to the suggestion. Phillip still didn’t know why. Was he wrong to want his grandfather near him for what few years the man might have left? Were these backward Amish more important than Harold’s own flesh and blood?
Phillip glanced at Amber. “Harold has given enough of his life to this backwater burg. He deserves a few years of peace and relaxation.”
Her smile faded, replaced by a puzzled frown. “I think that’s up to Harold to decide.”
Phillip reined in his sudden anger because he knew she was right. For the rest of the ride, neither of them spoke. When they pulled into a parking space outside the hospital’s E.R., Phillip turned off the engine. Sitting with his hands still gripping the steering wheel, he said, “I’m sorry I snapped at you. I have issues with my family but that’s no reason to take it out on you.”
She stared at him for a long moment. The spark of annoyance in her eyes gradually died away.
“You’re forgiven. Care to talk about what happened between you and Harold in Hawaii? I’m getting the impression that something is seriously bothering you.”
“So you’re a mind reader as well as a midwife?”
She waved her hands back and forth. “Some people say I’m sensitive that way.”
He chuckled at his own line being thrown back at him. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got to deal with things in my own fashion.”
Reaching out, she laid her hand over his where it rested on the steering wheel and asked gently, “Are you sure that’s best?”
The touch of her hand made his heart stumble, miss a beat and then race like it did when he was surfing into the pipeline at Oahu. And like being inside the curl of a giant wave, Phillip knew he’d just entered dangerous waters.
His next move could shoot him into the clear or send him headlong into a painful battering.
* * *
Amber meant her touch to be comforting, an offer of friendship. It turned into something more in an instant. The warmth of his skin sent her heart racing. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his. What was he thinking? Did he feel it, too, this strange and wonderful chemistry that sparked between them? On some purely feminine level, she knew he did.
The attraction both thrilled and frightened her. She’d never reacted to any man this way, and she’d been in a few relationships over the years.
The ambulance pulled out of the E.R. bay as they sat staring at each other. Phillip slowly withdrew his hand. Looking out the window, he said, “We should go in and find out how Martha is faring.”
Embarrassment flooded Amber to her very core. Did he think she was making a pass at him? She’d only known him a few days. He was her boss. Nothing had been further from her mind, but that might not be the way it looked to him. She quickly opened her car door and got out.
Inside the E.R. doors, the charge nurse came to greet them. “Hello, Amber. I heard about your excitement.”
“Yes. Give me pregnant women and crying babies any day. Gloria, this is Dr. Phillip White, Harold’s grandson. Dr. White, this is Gloria Bender. She’s the head of the ER department.”
The two shook hands. Gloria said, “Dr. White, I received the notice just this morning that you’ve been granted privileges here.”
“Excellent. Where is Mrs. Nissley and who’s seeing her?”
“Dr. Kline was on duty when Mrs. Nissley came in. X-rays confirmed a spinal fracture. She’s been taken to MRI to assess the complexity of her injury. The two of you did a good job stabilizing her in the field. It made our work much easier.”
Wearily, Phillip rubbed a hand over his face. “Thanks. Do we know yet if her spinal cord is compressed or if it is severed?”
“I haven’t heard. Dr. Kline started her on steroids to reduce any swelling. I know he wants to speak to you as soon as he’s done. His plan is to take her straight from MRI to surgery where he’ll clean out and close the gash on her leg. If she needs spinal surgery, she’ll be airlifted to Akron.” Glancing at her watch, she noted, “They should be finished in about thirty minutes.”
