The Patient One

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  Though the words made sense, John only had one goal in mind. “Nee, I’m trying to get to Marie.”

  “We know, buddy. I promise, we’re working on that. Sit tight.”

  “But—”

  “Trust us. Let us do our jobs.” The voice was hard and firm but brooked no argument.

  John would have nodded his understanding if his neck and head didn’t feel like it had been wrenched from his shoulders. Now that his vision was working better, he tried his best to watch over Marie. She was sitting limply, strapped in as well. “Please, Lord,” he whispered. “Please be with Marie. Please don’t let her die.”

  Moments later, he heard the unmistakable sound of a saw cutting through metal. It was harsh and pierced through the rest of the noise and commotion circling them.

  John gritted his teeth as the sound rose to a higher pitch. He stopped praying and stared at Marie, hoping for any sign of life.

  As the noise at last abated, Marie jerked. All at once, she inhaled sharply and opened her eyes.

  “John?”

  Her voice sounded thin and weak. But she’d spoken. She was conscious. She was alive. Praise God. “I’m here, Marie,” he whispered, wishing he could at least free an arm. He needed to touch her. “I’m okay.”

  She started shaking. Tried to turn her head his way. “John!” she said again, this time sounding scared and panicked.

  “Hush, now, Marie. It’s over. It’s over and we’re okay, and people are here, helping us. Don’t you hear them?”

  “I was so scared.”

  “I was, too. But it’s all right now.” When she started to struggle against her seat belt, he called out, “Nee, Marie. Don’t move. Let the rescue workers help us.”

  Seconds later, a firefighter yelled out much the same thing from outside.

  Before John could offer any more words of reassurance, the saw continued. More men and women arrived, surrounding them.

  Beside him, Marie began to shake.

  John had never felt more helpless in his life.

  After what felt like hours but had probably only been a few minutes, a man came to his side and spoke to him through the broken glass. “What’s your name, son?”

  “John. I’m John Byler.”

  “Okay, John. Listen, I’m going to stay here with you, but it might be a little bit before we can get you out, okay? We’ve got to get the woman out first.”

  “I understand.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “She’s Marie Hartman,” John said.

  The worker called out to the men on the other side.

  Then, another worker leaned toward Marie. “Marie, hang in there, okay? We’re gonna get you out.”

  John wasn’t sure if Marie heard or not. Her eyes had closed again.

  Tears filled his eyes as he closed his eyes to pray again. But it was hard. He was suddenly too tired to do much but listen to the saw and the emergency workers’ raised voices.

  His head pounded and a searing flash of pain made him wince. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, but nothing mattered except Marie.

  As red and blue lights illuminated the air, he opened his eyes and gazed at Marie. And finally allowed himself a very selfish thought about how much it was going to hurt if he lost Marie the very night when he’d finally believed that she could one day be his.

  SIXTEEN

  “Somehow, I did get that kitten snuggled close. We all did. Then, with the rain still falling from the sky in heavy sheets, we all started walking. We might have gotten back to Will’s house without another thought, too. If lightning hadn’t hit a nearby tree.”

  The first sight of the hospital’s waiting room brought Molly up short. It seemed as if half the population of Walnut Creek was in the hospital’s waiting area. Everyone seemed to be sitting or standing on every available space—people were against the wall, on the tiled floor, or in one of the vinyl-covered chairs situated around the room. Two young women had even perched on the edges of one of the sturdy oak coffee tables.

  As Molly scanned all the familiar faces, she had a difficult time not dissolving into tears. Each person in the room was wearing an expression that likely mirrored her own. One filled with worry and pain. Though she supposed some might find comfort in being surrounded by people who felt the same way she did, she didn’t. The tension and tightly wound panic that filled the room only seemed to make things worse.

  Wheeling her chair toward the side, she scanned the room some more, anxious to find a friendly face.

  Sure enough, there were Katie, Harley, Will, Logan, and Elizabeth Anne. The remainder of her brother’s original Eight. To see only five of them together was a difficult reminder of all that had happened. Now Andy Warner was up in Heaven while John and Marie were in one of the exam rooms of the emergency room.

  Before her thoughts turned darker, she scanned the space some more. Scattered around were their parents, some of their friends and siblings, and even some of John’s work friends, including his boss.

  Of course, Mamm and Daed and her siblings were there as well. For once the twins weren’t joking around. Instead they were sitting stoically side by side. Ezra was holding Amanda’s hand.

  In another section of the waiting area sat eight or ten kids that Molly had gone to school with. They were sitting close to each other but otherwise conspicuously silent. Molly’s mother had told her that the driver of the vehicle who’d hit Marie’s SUV was none other than Mary Jane. To make matters worse, there were even rumors that she’d been drinking.

  Molly hoped that wasn’t true. It was going to be hard enough for Mary Jane to deal with that fact that she was responsible for the accident—and for Evan’s death.

  Evan! Molly could hardly bear to even think about that. They weren’t close, but he’d been nice to her. Even if he hadn’t been, he’d surely been far too young to leave the world.

  Swallowing back the lump in her throat, Molly attempted to focus on the latest report from the nurse on duty. She’d shared that Mary Jane was in serious condition and the other two—Karl and Callie—were being examined and would likely be admitted. Molly really hoped and prayed that all of them were going to be okay.

  When she’d been in the waiting room earlier, a somber-looking doctor had come in and asked to speak to Evan’s parents. Thirty minutes later, the news that Evan had died in the ambulance had spread and several kids had started crying.

  When Evan’s parents walked out, Molly hadn’t been able to even look at them. Their expressions were a terrible combination of rage and shock—the same masks of grief that Mr. and Mrs. Warner had worn. As had John.

  She still didn’t understand why the Lord needed to take some people so early. She knew her parents would tell her that it wasn’t for her to question His will. But still, it was hard to accept things that seemed so unfair.

  After Evan’s parents left, even more people entered the crowded room. Now, interspersed among everyone were police officers, firefighters, and their Amish preacher and a Catholic priest.

  The only bright spot—if it could be called that—was that no one was trying to place blame on anyone’s shoulders or yelling. Instead, the group of almost seventy people were all whispering to one another or talking quietly. People were sharing snacks, bringing in trays of drinks, and even helping to entertain some of the young children in the room.

  “Hey, Molly?”

  She looked over at her fourteen-year-old brother, Ezra. She hadn’t noticed him walk to her side. “Jah?”

  He swallowed. “Um, I thought I’d go get Mamm a fresh cup of kaffi. Want to come?”

  She didn’t. By the look of things, it didn’t seem like their mother looked like she was eager for a cup either. But as she caught sight of the tension in her little brother’s face, she knew he needed to get out of there. That, she could understand.

  “Sure.” She turned her chair and used the battery-operated mechanism to glide down the hall by his side.

  Once they were out of s
ight of everyone, she slowed and looked up at him. “You okay?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “They said John was going to be okay. That’s something.”

  “I know. Daed talked to one of the firefighters. He said that John was probably in the best shape of everyone who survived.” He winced before looking away.

  “That’s a blessing.”

  He stopped and stared at her. “Is it?”

  “It has to be.”

  “What about everyone else?” He took a deep breath and blurted, “What about Evan?”

  Pain seared through her. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Ezra. You know as well as I do that death isn’t easy.”

  “I can’t believe that we were just in school with Evan and now he’s gone. I mean, he was in your grade.”

  “I know.”

  “Does his death feel real to you yet? It doesn’t to me.”

  She shook her head. “Nee, but it probably won’t for a while. I feel so sorry for his family. They looked like they didn’t know what to do. Almost like they weren’t even sure if they could walk out of the hospital.”

  “Everyone’s parents look upset. Did you notice Mr. and Mrs. Miller?”

  “Jah,” she said softly, remembering Mary Jane’s parents. “They were both staring at the wall.” They’d looked almost like statues.

  He lowered his voice. “And what if it really was Mary Jane’s fault? She was underage, drinking, and didn’t have a driver’s license.”

  “I imagine she’ll have to pay the consequences.”

  After looking around to make sure he couldn’t be heard, Ezra leaned closer to her. “Anton says she could go to prison. Do you think that could really happen? Would anyone send an Amish teenager to prison?”

  She wasn’t sure, but Molly had an idea that religion didn’t matter too much when it came to causing another person’s death.

  But even though she wasn’t too much older, she was old enough to want to protect her brother.

  “Let’s not think about what could happen. We don’t know all the facts.”

  “Molly, come on. Tell me what you think.”

  “Ezra, I’m not trying to be difficult, I’m just saying that there’s enough going on. We don’t have to borrow trouble.”

  “It’s still really bad.”

  “You’re right about that. It is.” She cleared her throat. “So, are we really going to get Mamm coffee?”

  “I guess. I thought I’d get a Coke, too.”

  “Do you know where the cafeteria is?”

  He pointed to a grouping of four elevators. “We have to go downstairs.”

  “Let’s go do that, then.”

  He strode forward and pushed the button. It was dinging by the time she got there.

  Then, just after they were in and the doors were about to close, Danny came running toward them.

  “Hold it, will ya?”

  Since she was situated near the front of the elevator, she leaned forward and pushed the button to hold it.

  “Danke,” Danny said as he smiled softly down at her.

  She felt her cheeks pinken as she looked back up at him. “It was no problem.”

  “Danny, what floor do ya need?” Ezra asked from behind her.

  “I don’t know and I don’t care. Where are you going?” Danny asked her.

  “We’re heading to the basement to the cafeteria. We decided to get our mamm a cup of kaffi.”

  “Sounds gut. I’ll go there, too,” Danny said as the doors closed.

  “You’re only going there because we are?” Ezra asked.

  Danny crossed his arms over his chest. “Jah. Is that all right?”

  “Of course it is,” Molly said quickly.

  When the doors opened again, she wheeled her chair out. Ezra mumbled something under his breath as he led the way.

  Danny stepped behind her. “Is it okay if I push your chair?”

  “There’s no need,” she said as she turned to look up at him. “I have a battery pack.”

  His light blue eyes didn’t even blink. None of him moved, not even his hands, which were now settled on the handles of her chair. “You might as well save the batteries, right?”

  Usually she didn’t like anyone to treat her like she wasn’t capable of getting herself around.

  But when she looked up into Danny’s face, she decided to make an exception. His expression was raw, like someone had brushed over his skin with a Brillo pad.

  No doubt about it, Danny was feeling like he needed to do something. He needed to help her, to feel useful.

  That, she could understand. Hadn’t she just been feeling the same thing?

  “Danke, Danny,” she said softly as she looked up at him. “If you wouldn’t mind pushing me around, I would really appreciate it.” When Ezra grunted in front of them, she pretended she didn’t hear him.

  And Danny? Danny simply smiled.

  SEVENTEEN

  “And then Marie had to go and sprain her ankle.”

  Danny Eberly would have been the first person to say that he didn’t usually like to tag along with people without being asked, but this time he couldn’t help himself. Fact was, he needed to be near Molly Byler. Molly had a way about her that made everything seem better. The evening had been so terrible, he wasn’t about to not be by her side if he could help it.

  The hospital cafeteria wasn’t crowded. It was actually fairly empty, and to his good fortune, there wasn’t a person inside who he recognized. That was even better. He and Molly could sit and talk without anyone coming up to them and asking what they thought about the accident.

  Even though her little brother Ezra was practically shooting daggers at him, Danny pretended not to notice. Ezra was just gonna have to deal.

  “Where do you want to sit?” he asked before realizing how bad that sounded to a person in a wheelchair. “Sorry. I mean—”

  “I knew what you meant,” Molly said quickly. “How about we go sit over at that back table? It looks kind of private.”

  “That sounds gut. What do you want to eat or drink? I’ll go get it and bring it to you.”

  She frowned. “I’m sorry. I only came down here to keep my brother company. I didn’t bring any money with me.”

  “That’s okay. I did.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh, nee, Danny. You don’t have to get me anything.”

  “I don’t mind.” Molly really was the sweetest girl.

  “I’ll have a Sprite then.” She smiled. “Danke.”

  Ezra was still looking at him like he’d pushed his way into a private party. Which, of course, he had.

  “We weren’t going to stay here, Danny,” he said. “We only came down here to get a cup of coffee.”

  “Is there a reason you want to rush back? The nurse said we wouldn’t likely hear any news for at least another thirty minutes.”

  Ezra sighed. “Nee, but—”

  “I’d like to stay for a little while,” Molly interjected.

  “Molly,” Ezra muttered. “What about Mamm’s kaffi? I’m sure she’s expecting it.”

  And, there was his opportunity. Trying his best to look sincere and not foolishly pleased, Danny said, “I can help Molly get back to your family if you don’t want to wait.”

  Before he could say anything to that, Molly spoke up quickly. “Ezra, let’s all sit down for a couple of minutes. I need a break from that stuffy waiting room.”

  “Well. All right.” Looking at Danny like he didn’t have much of a choice, Ezra said, “Let’s go get Molly that Sprite.”

  After making sure Molly was perfectly fine next to a table in the corner, Danny walked to Ezra’s side. “Just to let you know, I’m not trying to do anything besides hang out with you two.”

  “You mean my shveshtah.”

  Danny had been going to treat the kid gently but changed tactics. “Jah. I mean your sister,” he said.

  “Why? Do you like her?”

  With anyone else,
even Molly’s older brother John, Danny would have said he was trying to figure that out. Or he probably would’ve asked Ezra why it mattered to him, since it wasn’t any of his business anyway.

  But the kid had gotten himself worked up, and Danny could understand what it felt like to feel protective of a sister. He didn’t have a sister but he had his cousin Rachel who he’d been practically raised with. He never gave into other men easily when they were flirting with her and wanted him to step aside.

  “Jah. I do like her.”

  Ezra stopped and searched his face, almost as if he thought that Danny was joking. “Her chair doesn’t bother you?”

  “It might, if she acted like it stopped her. I don’t think it does though.”

  “It doesn’t.” Sounding a little more relaxed, Ezra said, “Molly can just about do anything she wants.”

  Danny thought that was because she actually could. He figured Molly could do anything she wanted except stand on two feet and take off running. “To be honest, half the time I’m around her, I forget that she’s in a wheelchair.”

  “Really?” Ezra’s expression was incredulous.

  “Really.” He almost added the fact that she was sweet and really pretty with her hazel eyes and golden hair. But he wasn’t ready to share that opinion with her little brother.

  After waiting in line, Ezra bought himself a soda and his mother a small coffee. Danny bought two Sprites and a package of pretzels. He wasn’t sure how long Molly had been at the hospital, but he knew she hadn’t eaten when they’d been together.

  She smiled at both of them when they approached.

  “I got you some pretzels, too,” he added. “I didn’t know if you were hungry.”

  “That’s nice of you.”

  He shrugged off the compliment. “So, have you heard anything new? I just got here.”

  After glancing at her little brother, Molly said, “Only that Callie has a broken arm and Karl was just taken into surgery. I overheard his older brother say that the doctors fear he is bleeding internally.”

  “Karl’s hurt that bad? Is he in danger? What if he—” Realizing what he had been about to say, Danny quickly shut up. No way did he want to worry Molly further—or give in to the tears that were now threatening.