A Modern Day Persuasion (14 page)

As soon as the water partially receded, the men sprang into action. Charles, Ben, and even the injured Harve helped to take the unresponsive Louise from Rick, and despite Harve’s sprained ankle, the trio managed to get her to safer ground. Anne was the only one who offered the soaked and exhausted Rick a shoulder to lean on which he accepted with gratitude as he staggered to safety.

The group straight away surrounded Louise with Charles dropping to his knees to cradle his lifeless sister. Anne assessed the situation and realized immediate medical
attention was needed. Unlike Mary who was hyperventilating, Anne instinctively put her first aid skills to use, pushing aside the others to lower her head onto Louise’s chest to listen for any sign of life. Thinking she heard a slight beat, she placed her ear above Louise’s mouth to confirm.

“She’s breathing!” Anne cried out with relief. Etta gasped and steadied Mary, who was close to fainting.

“What should we do?” Charles asked, his voice quavering with emotion.

“We need an ambulance,” Anne ordered, sensing the men needed direction.

Out of the corner of her eye, Anne watched as Rick struggled to rise. It was only then that she realized he, too, was badly hurt. Catching sight of oozing blood coming from some cuts on his hands, Anne stopped Rick before he could rise further. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder which caused him to flinch. Horrified, she recognized that his shoulder was dislocated and now felt guilty for the discomfort the slight pressure had caused him.

“Rick, you’re hurt!” she said with concern, “Let Ben make the call.”

Rick recognized the wisdom of her words. He nodded to Ben who ran off with determination and speed, heading to where the group had left their belongings so he could retrieve his cell phone.

Forcing herself to once again focus on Louise’s more serious condition, Anne turned back to the unconscious young woman. Louise’s arms and legs were ice cold, putting her at risk for hypothermia.

“It’s vital we keep her warm,” Anne said with alarm, prompting Harve and Charles to quickly take off their jackets and sweatshirts. Anne accepted them and promptly laid the donated items over Louise.

Rick attempted to raise his arm with little success, grimacing with extreme pain. He paused, his eyes betraying his
anguish and wretchedness. “Anne, I should have stopped her…”

“It’s okay, it wasn’t your fault. Louise can be so headstrong at times,” Anne answered in an effort to soothe his conscience.

“But, I should have been more forceful…” Rick objected.

Anne stopped him. “And do you really think that would have worked on Louise?”

Rick sunk back in resignation, knowing that Anne was right. There was nothing he could have done to stop the willful Louise.

“But we can pray,” Anne prompted, turning to massage Louise’s cold limbs in an effort to keep them warm.

Rick and the others nodded in agreement to Anne’s suggestion. A peace descended over the group following Anne’s gentle reminder that God was in control. Each knew that Louise’s fate rested solely in their Heavenly Father’s hands.

Chapter 25

White walls and medicinal smells surrounded them as they huddled together in the cramped hospital room. All the faces present displayed concern, except for the motionless and unconscious Louise, whose lovely face was without expression. Once the doctor had declared Louise’s condition stabilized, Charles was able to secure permission from the hospital staff to allow the entire group to be in her room. Normally this wouldn’t have been possible, but since it was an outpatient facility the staff had been able to bend the rules a bit.

As they stood around waiting for the doctor’s return, Anne shouldered the task of bearing the bad news to the Musgroves. Normally Charles would have undertaken this duty, but he was busy trying to keep Mary and Etta from hysterics. Once the call was initiated, Anne had to wait patiently for Clara to calm down sufficiently for her to continue. She glanced at Rick, glad to now see his injuries properly bandaged and a sling in place. It had been a close call, and granted, Louise wasn’t totally out of danger yet, but at least she was alive and currently receiving proper medical attention.

In the background, she could hear Mr. Musgrove coaxing his wife to hand over the phone. “How is she, Anne?” Stanley asked with such gravity that a lump formed in Anne’s throat.

“She’s in stable condition. They took some x-rays earlier and we’re waiting to hear back from the doctor regarding the results.”

“Has she said anything? Is she awake?” he asked, trying to maintain his composure.

“No, she’s still unconscious,” Anne began, wishing she had better news to share. “The only thing we know at this point is Louise suffered a concussion and appears to have a broken wrist and collar bone.”

This discourse was interrupted when the doctor entered Louise’s room. Promising to ring Stanley later with the physician’s update, Anne quickly ended the call. Everyone’s eyes turned hesitantly to the doctor as they waited for him to speak.

“Well, all the neurological tests came back negative,” he began, which emitted grateful sighs of relief throughout the room. Anne quickly sent a prayer of thanks to God. The doctor continued, “Louise is showing normal brain activity at this point, but until she regains consciousness, all we can do is wait. Personally, I view the unconscious state as the body’s method of attempting to heal itself,” the doctor explained, trying to soothe the worried faces.

“How long do you think she’ll be unconscious?” Charles asked.

The doctor shifted, placing Louise’s chart under one arm. “Could be days, maybe even weeks. There’s really no way to tell. The biggest hurdle now is to watch for increased cerebral swelling.” Charles nodded gravely and the physician added, “As we suspected, her collar bone and wrist were broken in the fall. In addition, she has a fractured hip.”

At this announcement, Etta and Mary began to wail. Anne felt concerned too, but decided the better option would be to find solace in her Heavenly Father. What good would crying do? She decided to save her tears for later. What this group needed now was strength, and even though she felt weak, Anne knew she had to be strong for Louise.

“Is there any way we can move Louise to a hospital closer to Black Butte?” Charles asked, eager to relocate his sister so she could be nearer to their worried and distraught parents.

“That, I would not recommend. What she needs now is consistency,” the doctor explained.

Although disappointed by the doctor’s response in moving the patient, the group understood that Louise’s health was top priority. If keeping her at this present location would increase Louise’s chances of a full recovery, then so be it. The doctor left and promised an update later that night, if his rounds permitted.

As evening began to close in and there was still no update regarding Louise’s condition, Anne offered to get coffee for those needing a good dose of caffeine. None of them knew how long they would have to remain at Louise’s bedside, but felt it would be best to wait for the doctor’s recommendation before making further arrangements. Unfortunately, Louise’s physician was completing a double shift, having been swamped with an influx of new patients. Since the doctor wasn’t expected any time soon, Anne figured this would be a good opportunity to get the offered coffee. Even Anne was finding it a challenge to keep her eye lids open while watching
Full House
reruns, a program which Mary had found on the television. Gathering her purse to embark on this errand, to Anne’s surprise, Rick handed her a twenty dollar bill to cover the tab.

“No, thanks. I’ve got it,” she said, softly pushing his hand away. Rick was too exhausted to fight her and reluctantly accepted her decision as he fell back into his seat.

Anne studied his face and distraught manner.
Is Rick overly dismayed because he’s exhausted like everyone else? Or is it because his heart is being torn to shreds watching Louise lie lifelessly on the bed?
Anne pondered these depressing thoughts as she made her way to the hospital café and ordered three coffees. Rick’s actions earlier that day had impressed Anne though. Despite the pain he’d physically endured during the rescue,
Rick never complained once, even assisting the ambulance technicians as they carried Louise’s stretcher up the beach path.

Once the purchase was made, she headed back to the room, only to hear raised voices as she was nearing the door’s entrance. The group appeared to be in the midst of what sounded like an heated conversation. Deciding it best not to interrupt, she chose to wait outside until the coast was clear.

“I don’t want Louise staying here alone,” Anne heard Charles say, “Rick, would you mind driving Anne and Etta to Black Butte and then bring back my parents? At their age, I don’t trust them to drive right now, especially with them being so worried.”

“Of course, but I really think Anne should be the one to stay,” replied Rick.

Rick’s comment caused Anne to freeze. Fearing her knees might lock on her, Anne rested against the wall while continuing to unashamedly eavesdrop. She was hoping to hear Rick say more, but instead Mary’s upset voice came next.

“What do you mean by that? Anne is
nothing
to Louise.
I
, on the other hand, am her sister-in-law!” argued Mary, obviously disgruntled about the suggestion that she be the one sent home.

Mary’s attitude exasperated Anne. Everything was always about Mary. Her sister rarely every considered what was best for the group. Anne leaned her head against the wall, silently venting her annoyance until an unexpected shrill phone rang loudly at the nurse’s station, startling Anne’s already shattered nerves. Jerking upright, Anne nearly spilt all the cups of coffee on the tray she was carrying. Anne was fortunate that she was able to recover her composure just in time to pin her back against the wall, albeit awkwardly, which steadied the filled cups of coffee. Surveying the floor, Anne was pleased to find that very little liquid had dropped to the ground. Her balancing act was working until Anne realized she was stuck. During her masterful recovery, her feet had
distanced themselves nearly three feet into the hallway, leaving her in a precarious position. She knew that any sudden movement could cause her to be upended and all would be lost—surely someone from inside the room would hear the crash of her fall and know that Anne had been listening in on their conversation. Feeling her legs ache and tremble as they fought against the uncomfortable position she was maintaining, Anne had to make a quick decision. Hoping that mini steps back towards the wall might help relieve the pain and regain her balance, Anne slowly began this task. Instantly, Anne felt the strain to her muscles slightly diminish. She began to believe all was safe until one of her shoes came into contact with a bit of the spilt coffee, causing Anne’s left foot to slip out of control. Foreseeing herself doing the splits, Anne elected the less painful of the two and chose to let her bottom cushion the inevitable fall. Anne muffled an exclamation of pain as her rear came crashing down with a loud thump on the floor. The noise aroused the attention within the room.

“I just heard something,” Charles announced. “Maybe it’s the doctor.”

Anne was aghast, unsure of what to do next. As Charles moved towards the open hallway, she panicked. Giving herself no time for second guesses, Anne surrendered the tray, leaving it temporarily on the floor so she could stand up unhampered. Knowing she had mere seconds, Anne quickly retrieved the beverages, then moved swiftly several paces away to make it appear as if she was just approaching the room.

“Yes, but I believe Anne the more capable…” Rick said, continuing his point with Mary. In his mind, Mary would be more work than help, creating an extra burden which no one needed at this time.

“I am just as good as she is!” Mary responded in an affronted tone.

Positioning herself in a walking stance, Anne greeted Charles just as he stepped out into the hallway. Overly bright, she said, “Hi Charles, here’s the coffee!”

Somewhat surprised, Charles expressed his thanks and motioned her into the room, “We just started discussing who will be staying here to watch over Louise.”

“Oh,” Anne said as she followed Charles inside.

Mary gave Anne a scowl, then moved in defiance towards Charles as if to say,
Who are you going to choose
?

Anne brushed off her sister’s rudeness and handed one of the coffees to Charles and the other to Rick, smiling at the latter as she did so. Anne hoped her smile might convey a measure of her appreciation, knowing that she’d probably never get the chance to personally thank him for his confidence in her. Rick reciprocated the smile, unaware that Anne had overheard his kind words. Immediately Anne was transported back to a time when special looks between the two of them came so effortlessly. It felt so wonderful to once again lock eyes with Rick and be able to truly smile. Savoring these warm thoughts, Anne sat silently while the arrangements were sorted out concerning who would stay.

Mary fought bitterly to the end and achieved victory. No one could really blame Charles though for giving in. What choice did he have? If he didn’t let Mary stay, he’d be in the doghouse all week, maybe even longer. Pressing the point just wasn’t worth the cost for him, and since he would remain behind as well, Charles felt his contribution in caring for his sister would be enough.