“The elementary school was damaged. If you give me your keys, I’ll have Nina drive my dad home. We can take my truck and head to Pleasant.”
Suddenly, her body started to tremble. “I’ve been fine all this time, but now I’m really worried for my daughter.”
“I know. Me, too.”
They found Mr. Davis. He was assigning jobs to those who had arrived to help. He saw them and nodded.
“Go, go. You don’t have to ask. Go check on Quinn. We have more staff coming in.”
“What about your family, Mr. Davis?” Avery asked.
“My wife and son just showed up. They’re safe and our home is fine.”
Within minutes, Grayson had his dad and Nina out the door, and he and Avery were in his truck on the road to town. The damage was immediately noticeable. Trees were scattered everywhere; power lines were down and there were parts of roofs and sheet metal wrapped in trees.
As they drove, he could hear Avery’s whispered prayers filling his truck’s cab.
As they neared the school, the damage became more extensive. Lights flashed as emergency crews worked. People, shell-shocked by what had transpired, stood in their yards, looking at what had befallen their community.
“This is terrible,” Avery whispered. “How did this happen? It was just raining.”
“I know.” Grayson reached out and grabbed her hand in his. “She’s okay.”
“I know.” She sobbed a little, covering her face with her right hand. “I hope. I keep telling myself she’s okay but then I think, what if...?”
“She’s fine.” It came out a little more harshly than he’d intended.
The driveway to the school was blocked by police and first responders. They directed people to park down the street. Grayson pulled into the first space he came to. His truck had barely stopped and Avery had jumped out. He followed, catching up with her.
“We have to be calm,” he warned as he took hold of her hand to slow her pace. “Avery, for Quinn, we have to be calm.”
Her steps faltered. “I know. I really do. But I keep thinking of my daughter inside that school, frightened, possibly injured. And Nan. I can’t reach Nan.”
“Tucker is sending someone to check on Nan. As far as he knows, there’s no damage in that area.”
They reached the front of the school and saw that they weren’t the only parents who had gathered. School administrators were organizing the crowds, explaining the process for connecting students with their parents.
Parents with injured children would be taken to a triage area. Ambulances were transporting seriously wounded kids to nearby hospitals. The superintendent continued to announce the protocol and Grayson could see the lines of uninjured children coming from the building.
Grayson continued to hold tight to Avery as they waited for their daughter. This was family, he realized. It came with a lot of responsibility. A family came with people who relied on him to always be his best.
His thoughts started to race down a dangerous path. Today he was someone they could rely on. What if next week he wasn’t? For a recovering addict, what-ifs could lead you down the rabbit hole.
As they stood there looking frantically at the groups of children emerging from the building, not seeing Quinn, he knew he wasn’t the only one with a future at stake. He wasn’t the only one depending on him to be sober, to be clean, to make the right choices each and every day.
Grayson’s perfect plan for coming home long enough to get his father settled had become anything but perfect and far from simple. He’d come back to Pleasant as the happily single son, eager to take care of his father. His new role of father had changed everything. As a man who always liked to have a plan, he had no plan for this situation. He didn’t have a plan for being Quinn’s dad and he definitely didn’t have a plan for handling Avery in his life.
While these thoughts were swirling through his head, he realized that they were being directed to go to the triage area, where the injured students were waiting to be taken to area hospitals. Avery clung to him, cutting off the circulation in his hand, expecting him to be the strong one.
Please, Lord, help me to be someone she can count on.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The moment she saw her daughter, Avery pulled away from Grayson and ran to Quinn’s side. Her baby girl was lying on a stretcher, her face pale, her eyes closed. She touched Quinn’s hand, her bruised face. While she’d been doing her job, her daughter had been here injured and alone.
“Quinn, honey, Mommy is here.”
“Mommy,” Quinn whispered, licking her lips. “It was scary.”
“I know. I was scared, too.” Avery kissed her daughter’s cheek gently. Grayson stood behind her. Glancing up at him, she noticed he was rocking back and forth and looked unsure. “Your dad is here.”
Quinn blinked at him, then half smiled. She grimaced in pain. Avery glanced around, looking for a medic, someone to tell her the reasons why her daughter was on this stretcher. Grayson’s hand on her shoulder reminded her to stay calm.
Just then, a paramedic approached them. “Are you Quinn’s parents?”
“We are,” they said in unison.
The paramedic pulled on clean gloves as she spoke. “We’re going to transport her to Springfield. She was unconscious for several minutes. No broken bones. She was just a little confused when she woke up. Do you have a preference for which hospital?”
Avery gave them the name of the hospital, then slid her hand into Grayson’s. The gesture was automatic and necessary. It seemed the only way to hold on and to keep from falling apart.
“We’ll be loading her and leaving in a few minutes,” the paramedic assured them. “We’ll take good care of her.”
“Of course. We’ll follow you up there,” Grayson assured the paramedic.
Avery leaned close to Quinn. “I’ll meet you at the hospital. You’re safe and you’ll be fine.”
“Can’t I just go home?” Quinn’s bottom lip trembled and a tear trickled down her cheek.
“I’m afraid not, sweetheart. But I’ll be right behind you. I’ll be with you as soon as possible.”
Quinn nodded as her eyes closed. “I’m scared, Mommy.”
“I know, sweetie. But I promise you everything will be okay.”
Grayson squatted next to their daughter. “Let’s pray before you go.”
Quinn nodded and Grayson reached for her hand. At that moment his role as father, as protector, as someone they could count on, was the most important thing in the world.
The paramedics gave them their moment, and when they were done, they loaded Quinn on the waiting ambulance. Avery stood next to Grayson and watched as their daughter was driven away in the vehicle, lights flashing.
“Let’s go,” Grayson told her. “She’s going to need us there with her.”
Tucker called him while they were driving. That meant at least some phone lines were up and working again. He told them that Nan was fine. But the farm didn’t have electricity. He’d convinced her to let him take her to the judge’s place, because Mathias Stone’s old farmhouse was safe and still had power.
Avery closed her eyes and leaned back against the headrest.
“It could have been worse.”
“That’s really optimistic.” She gazed out the side window, resting her forehead against the cool glass. “Has anyone checked on my house?”
“Not that I know of. I’ll be honest. It was the last thing on my mind.”
“Mine, too.” She reached to turn down the radio. “I can’t take much more of the news.”
“I agree,” Grayson said.
They drove in silence until they finally reached Springfield. Grayson turned on the road that led to the hospital, and soon they were in the parking lot, following arrows to the emergency room.
“I’m glad you’re
here, Grayson,” she told him as they walked through the parking garage. “It would have been very lonely and frightening to do this by myself.”
“I’m glad I’m here, too.”
All sorts of dark thoughts threatened to rob her of the thin strand of peace she’d been clinging to. She pushed those thoughts aside. She wasn’t alone. Grayson was here. Quinn would be fine. She kept repeating that to herself until she believed it.
They entered the emergency room and approached the front desk. “We’re Quinn Hammons’s parents,” Grayson said to the receptionist.
“Okay.” The young woman typed into the computer. “Have a seat.”
“We’d like to see our daughter,” Grayson said, his voice taking on an edge of anger.
“As soon as I can, I’ll get you back there. While you’re waiting, if you could fill out this information for me...”
Grayson opened his mouth to speak again. Avery had to put a hand on his arm to stop him. She took the electronic tablet from the woman and shot him a warning look.
“Give it a few minutes,” she told him.
“She’s only ten years old and she’s alone,” he said.
If she hadn’t been so worried, too, she might have smiled at his outrage. “Yes, but she’s with doctors and nurses right now. She isn’t alone.”
She entered Quinn’s information into the tablet, handed it back to the woman and led Grayson to a couple of chairs in the waiting area. Aqua-blue chairs in an aqua-blue room. Magazines on the table were about hunting, fishing and local restaurants.
“Mr. and Mrs. Hammons?” A nurse appeared by the sliding doors that led to the exam rooms. “If you want to come with me...”
Grayson tossed a magazine on the table and stood, not waiting for Avery. She caught up with him in a few strides. The nurse led them down a blue hallway to a gray hallway. Quinn was in a room with glass doors, the tan curtains pulled closed. A doctor was examining her as they entered.
“Mr. and Mrs. Hammons, I’m Dr. Sylvester. Quinn and I have been talking about her experience today. It sounds as if they had a day of school they’ll never forget.” He smiled down at Quinn. “We’re going to do a CT scan, and I’m inclined to go ahead and put her in a room tonight, for observation. She’s had a pretty rough day and it’ll be good to keep an eye on her. I’m assuming you do have a safe place to go with her tomorrow?”
“I...yes, our home...” She looked at Grayson, who had accepted his role as “Mr. Hammons.”
“Our home wasn’t damaged in the storm,” he assured the doctor.
“I’m glad to hear that. The two of you can wait here. If we have a room ready before the CT is finished, I’ll have someone let you know and give you the room number.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Avery managed to say. She moved to her daughter’s side. “You’re okay.”
“I know,” Quinn said. “I’m just sleepy. And hungry.”
“That’s always a good sign,” said Dr. Sylvester. “Once we have you settled, we’ll get you something to eat. It probably won’t be a cheeseburger.”
“I do like cheeseburgers but I feel kind of sick.” Suddenly, she leaned over the side of the bed, barely missing the doctor’s very expensive shoes.
Avery grabbed a trash can and supported her daughter’s head.
“Can they give her something for the nausea?” she asked.
“Yes, let me take care of that.” Dr. Sylvester glanced at his shoes, grinning. “That was pretty impressive aim.”
Quinn mumbled an apology. He told her not to worry and then he told her a story that made her smile. An attendant came in to take her to get the CT scan, and pushed her gurney from the room.
Grayson and Avery returned to the waiting area but they didn’t get to sit down. The receptionist pointed them in the direction of an alcove with several chairs. Tucker, Nan, Judge Stone and Nina were all waiting.
“We couldn’t let you all sit up here alone,” Tucker said. “We wanted to check on Quinn. How is she?”
Avery nodded, but her throat tightened and she couldn’t make any words come out of her mouth.
“She’s fine,” Grayson jumped in. “They’re doing a CT scan on her, and then they’re going to keep her overnight.”
“I don’t know why we couldn’t just take her home. I know she’d prefer her own bed.” Nan seemed adamant. Avery was confused by it.
“Nan, we don’t have electricity at the house.”
Nan blinked. “I know that, but we do have flashlights and candles.”
“You can all stay with us until your power is back on,” Judge Stone offered. “We have plenty of room in that old farmhouse. It isn’t fancy but it’ll keep a roof over our heads.”
“Thank you, Judge Stone. That’s very generous of you.” Avery gave him a gentle smile and started to turn the offer down. But she quickly realized she couldn’t, though. They would need a place to stay. And where else could they go?
“Mr. and Mrs. Hammons?” An aide approached cautiously. “We have a room for your daughter. If you want, I can lead you all up there.”
“That’s mighty nice,” the judge said.
Avery gave him a curious look. Once upon a time, she had been driven off his porch when she’d tried to tell him she was pregnant. Now here he was, opening up his home to her and her daughter. He wanted to be here with Quinn. She shouldn’t harbor any resentment for their past. She should be thrilled, for Quinn’s sake.
“Who is Mr. Hammons?” Tucker whispered to Grayson.
“We are Quinn’s parents,” Avery addressed the aide. “And we appreciate the offer but I’m familiar with the hospital. Could you just give us the wing and room number?”
The man gave them careful directions to Quinn’s room. Glancing at the group of visitors, he also gave them the directions to the waiting area nearest to Quinn.
Avery instantly felt the tension easing. Quinn would be okay. Grayson was with them. They had family here. Or friends who were like a family. Right now she wasn’t worried about what would happen next week or next month. It was better to take things one day at a time.
God’s word told her not to worry about tomorrow. Worry wouldn’t change a thing about her circumstances or her life. She’d always relied on those verses in Matthew and now wasn’t the time to forget. Worry wouldn’t change their circumstances but faith could.
Grayson’s hand grasped hers. She wasn’t alone. And it felt right.
* * *
Grayson’s heart caught in his throat as he sat in the darkened room watching his daughter and her mother as they caught a few fitful hours of sleep. He hadn’t been able to close his eyes once. He had needed to watch Quinn, to make sure that she was all right.
“Hey,” Avery said as the gray dawn light spread across the eastern sky. Her blond hair framed her face and her green eyes held a sleepy haze.
“Hey,” he answered.
She rubbed her hands down her sleepy face, then she quickly redid her messy bun. With narrowed eyes she studied him. “Did you sleep at all?”
“No. I couldn’t.” He let his gaze track back to their daughter. She still slept, although she had tossed and turned through the night, sometimes making a sound that indicated she was in pain.
Her concussion had been mild. He didn’t want to argue with doctors but as far as he was concerned, no injury to his daughter would ever be mild.
Every few hours a nurse had come in to check her vitals. He’d asked once or twice if Quinn might need something for pain. The nurse had been very sympathetic, still calling him Mr. Hammons as they assured him she might have a headache but she would be fine in a few days’ time.
“You need sleep, Grayson.” Avery moved her lounger chair to an upright sitting position. She smiled at their sleeping daughter.
“She’s a pretty perfect kid,” he told Avery. “You did an amazing
job with her, raising her to be so solid, confident, happy.”
“I had a lot of help. From Nan,” she said.
“Right, of course. But most of it has been you. Thing is, I’m not sure where I fit in.”
Quinn started stirring but didn’t wake up.
“I need coffee. Let’s walk down the hall and see what we can find.” Avery stood and he followed her to the door.
But he couldn’t let the conversation drop. “Seriously, Avery, where do I fit in here? I couldn’t stop thinking about it all night.”
“When you should have been sleeping,” she teased him.
Yeah, he should have gotten some sleep. But how could he sleep when his daughter looked so pale, so fragile, in her hospital bed? Not to mention Avery, curled up in a chair, her hand on her daughter’s as she dozed.
“No way could I sleep,” he told her.
They approached the nurses’ station on the floor. She smiled at all the nurses and techs and she asked about coffee. They pointed her to a break room down the hall with coffee, snack cakes, crackers and chips.
A few minutes later Avery poured herself a cup of coffee.
“Grayson, you’re her father. I couldn’t be both mom and dad, even though I tried. She needed you. I just didn’t realize that you were the thing missing from her life. You fit.”
Not in Avery’s life, he noticed, just in Quinn’s. At least it was something. It was a start, a place to begin.
“Do you want some coffee?” she asked, holding up the pot.
He grabbed a paper cup and she poured it for him. “Thank you. For the coffee and for letting me be a part of her life. It was unexpected, but I’m glad to be here.”
He fit in his daughter’s life. The truth of that washed over him, warm and unexpectedly fulfilling. As if Quinn was the thing he’d been waiting for to make his life complete.
As long as he didn’t mess up, he would be the father she needed. But what if he did mess up? What if nine years of clean living was all for nothing and he slipped?
“What are you thinking about?” Avery asked him as they walked down the silent hallway.
“Nothing,” he assured her. Then he decided to be honest. “I’m worried about the future, about being the kind of father she needs me to be.”
Love Inspired June 2021--Box Set 1 of 2 Page 26
