Sweet Tea and Secrets (31 page)

A siren wailed, getting louder as it got closer. Clyde howled.

“It’s okay, Clyde.” Jill stroked the dog’s back to keep him calm. Drool ran down her arm and soaked her shoulder, but it didn’t bother her right now. She wiped the rope of drool from his chin, then brushed her hand in the grass.

A convoy of four volunteer firemen raced up the driveway in their pickups. The tanker truck rumbled up and parked near the edge of the woods. She heard the heavy echo of another one on the road side of the fire, blocked from her view by the trees.

Jill sat in the grass out front to stay out of the way. The smoke hung in the humid air. The burn ban had been in place for weeks and people in these parts weren’t fool enough to burn this time of the year, anyway. Everything was too dry and the winds, too unpredictable. A recipe for disaster. There’d been times when the county had delayed hunting season until rain because the risk of fire was too high when the underbrush was extra dry. A simple spark from a vehicle, gunshot, or cigarette could touch off an inferno.

An ambulance pulled up. A female medic jogged over to check on Jill. She dropped a medical kit to the ground and took a knee next to Jill.

“I’m fine,” she told her. “Clyde got burned though.”

“Was he in the woods?”

“No, he was in the backyard. I’m not sure how it happened. He was barking. That’s when I went out and saw the smoke.”

“Does he bite?”

“Never,” Jill said, smoothing his coat.

“Let’s take a look.” The medic took Clyde’s big paw into her hands. “That’s got to hurt like the dickens, big boy.” She took out scissors and swiftly clipped the hair surrounding the burn. Clyde pulled his paw back hesitantly as she dabbed salve with pain reliever on the fresh wound, and then dressed it with burn bandages so they wouldn’t stick. “This should keep him from licking it, too.”

Jill wrapped her arms around his fluffy neck. “Thank you.”

“He should be okay. I’d run him over to Dr. Tinker tomorrow, and let him check it out.”

“We’ll do that, won’t we Clyde?” At least she wouldn’t have the problem getting him into the car, since she didn’t have one anymore. He seemed to love riding in Garrett’s truck. Where was Garrett anyway? Had he been called into fight the fire?

The sun had sunk low behind the tall trees. Jill shifted her watch to check the time. Already eight o’clock and the fire hadn’t let up. The air sizzled with the loud snap and pop of twigs. The underbrush continued to fuel hot flames.

Firefighters from the next county came to help with another fire truck. Volunteers traded places at intervals. The incredible heat, combined with the already sweltering summer temperatures, were a dangerous duo.

After a while, the wind shifted and the smoke began blowing away from the house. Good news for Jill, but not good for the firefighters. The fire gained ground as it lapped greedily over fresh territory. The firefighters wielded noisy chainsaws and took down small trees, trying to slow the progress.

Jill headed to the house to see if Garrett had called. When she opened the screen door, something fell to the ground at her feet. She stooped to pick it up.

A matchbook?

No one she knew even smoked these days. She turned the matchbook over in her hand. In black marker, someone had scribbled
YOU LOSE
over the logo of one of the restaurants in town.

Jill squeezed the matches in her fist, then tucked the matchbook in her back pocket. She dialed Garrett from the house phone.

His voicemail picked up. As she began leaving a message, call waiting beeped.

She hit the flash key. “Garrett?”

“Jill?”

The female voice caught her off guard. “Yes?”

“It’s me, Patsy Malloy.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I was trying to get a hold of Garrett. The woods next to the house are on fire. He was supposed to come pick me up and he’s not answering his cell phone.”

“Jill. We just took him to Regional.”

The words stunned her. “The hospital? Why?”

“He stopped at the house on his way home. He was having chest pains and vomiting. He couldn’t even make it to his place.”

A shiver of panic shot through her. “Oh my God.” His parent’s house was at the front of the lane to his house. If he couldn’t make it home it had to be bad.

“They’re trying to stabilize him.”

The phone slipped in Jill’s sweaty hand and her other hand balled into a fist. “I’ve got to get there.”
I can’t lose him again.

“He’s in ICU. He’s asking for you, but he said you don’t have your car. I’ve sent Elsie to pick you up, dear.”

“Thank you,” Jill hung up and dialed Carolanne as she ran back outside to wait for Elsie. Thank God Carolanne would be there the next evening. Jill had barely told her about the fire and about Garrett in the hospital when she saw Elsie’s car skidding between the trucks parked randomly around the yard, finally sliding to a stop in front of the house. Jill wrapped up the call and shoved her cell phone into her purse as she raced toward Elsie.

“What happened? I saw the smoke earlier. I thought they were burning fields or something. Ya’ know, like planned burning.” Elsie talked as fast as she drove.

“The fire started late this afternoon. They’ve been fighting it for hours.”

“These guys won’t let your house catch on fire. They’re the best.”

“They said that once the wind shifted we were okay. I just hope it doesn’t shift again.” Jill prayed silently. She’d done more praying in the last couple of weeks than she had in the last year. She was afraid to ask what else could go wrong.

“I’ll take you to the hospital. Clyde can come home with me.”

Jill opened the door and Clyde jumped right in. No problem. She slid into the passenger seat and Elsie punched the accelerator. Elsie took the winding curves of the back roads at a speed that tossed Jill from side to side and had her grabbing for the dashboard. The next curve sent Jill’s purse flying and the contents spilled across the floor board. She righted her purse, put the wayward items back inside, and clamped it between her ankles. But she didn’t complain. She needed to get to Garrett’s side. The sooner the better.

Thank goodness there were no stoplights between the house and Regional hospital.

After what seemed a prolonged roller coaster ride, Elsie braked in front of the Emergency Room.

As Jill jumped out of the car, Elsie held Clyde’s collar. “Call us with an update.”

“Thank you, Elsie. I will.”

Jill raced through the automatic doors almost slamming into them as they took their sweet time opening. She gave her name to the receptionist at the registration desk, then paced until a nurse came to take her back to Garrett.

“One visitor at a time,” the nurse said with a glance toward Garrett’s mom.

Patsy got up from the chair and came to the door. “I’m sorry we’re seeing each other under bad circumstances again, Jill.”

“One at a time,” the nurse reminded them.

Jill looked to Garrett’s mother, praying for a sign of hope, but she looked as worried as Jill felt.

From where Jill stood, Garrett’s skin looked the color of ash. “He was fine this afternoon. What? Do they know what’s...”

Patsy shook her head. “No. They haven’t given us an update yet. They ran tests to see if he had a heart attack. They’re doing blood work now. His blood pressure is off the charts and he’s havin’ trouble breathing.” Garrett’s mother choked back tears and pointed toward the room. “Go. He’s been asking for you.”

She walked slow, losing Pearl and now Garrett hanging on for dear life made her feel as if she was walking in lead boots. She prayed with every step closer to Garrett’s bedside. She pushed her hand slowly under his, careful to not disturb the IV. “Hey.”

His eyes fluttered, his movements slow and shaky.

She wouldn’t have recognized him. His color was all wrong. “I’m right here, Garrett.”
I can’t lose you too,
she thought, but put on a brave face.
No negative thoughts.

Garrett squeezed her hand. “It hit me…out of…nowhere.”

Patsy stepped up behind Jill. “That one at a time crap is for the birds. He needs us.”

Jill nodded.

Patsy continued, “He was vomiting like a fountain. Projectile, they called it. I never saw anything like it before. I sent his daddy over to the Swishy Wash to wash out his truck. He was so clammy. Near scared me to death.”

“I bet.”

“I thought maybe he’d eaten something bad,” Patsy said, folding her arms across her chest. “Like food poisoning.”

“No,” Garrett shook his head, frustrated.

“We were planning to go out to dinner,” Jill said. “He probably hadn’t eaten since lunch time.”

“Just one of those…bananas you…love…so much,” he tried to joke but the words were slow and stilted.

“I told you bananas are bad for you.” As the words came out of her mouth, her mind raced to the possibility. Her hand touched her back pocket where the note from the fruit basket and the matchbook were tucked. “Garrett. Where’s the fruit basket?”

Patsy gave her an awkward stare. “Honey, I don’t think he’s going to be eating anytime soon.”

“Garrett. You hear me?” She shook his arm to get him to rouse again. “Where is it? Where’s the fruit basket?”

“Truck,” Garrett grunted, wincing.

It couldn’t.
Jill felt the blood drain from her face, and she became lightheaded.
No. Bradley?

“Jill?” Panic crossed Patsy’s face.

A nurse stepped between them. “One at a time, ladies. Our patient needs rest.”

“You stay, Patsy. I’ll be right back,” Jill said.

The nurse checked Garrett’s blood pressure and spoke to him in a loud voice. “Your EKG looks okay, Mr. Malloy. We’re going to check a few more things.” She tied a length of rubber around his arm, balled his hand in a fist and probed for a vein.

Jill dashed toward the door. When she turned back to look, Garrett lurched over the side of the bed and puked on the nurse’s shoes. He convulsed, then dry heaved uncontrollably. Patsy grabbed a washcloth and held the cold rag to the back of her son’s neck.

Jill ran from the room and asked to see Garrett’s doctor. She was told to wait, but there was no time for waiting. Jill grabbed the phone book off the nurse’s station counter and headed for the visitors’ waiting area. She used the courtesy phone to call Scott Calvin at home.

“Hey, Jill. The whole town’s over your place trying to reign in that fire.”

“Not the whole town, Scott. Garrett’s in ICU.”

“I didn’t hear any injuries reported. Was he working the fire? You okay?”

“I’m fine. The fire was under control when I left, but Garrett is in ICU and the doctors don’t know what’s wrong. You’ve got to help me.”

“Are you at the hospital?” Scott asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m on my way.”

“I’ll meet you in the lobby. But wait. I need you to get something on the way. There was a fruit basket in the front of Garrett’s truck. Garrett’s dad just took it to the Swishy Wash on Main. Get that fruit basket.”

“What?”

“If I’m right, I think it has to do with Garrett’s sickness. The nurses won’t even let me talk to the doctors. They told me to wait. I know they won’t listen to me, but I know they’ll listen to you.”

“Okay. I’ll see you shortly.”

Jill covered her face with her hands.
Breathe. God, and Pearl, please don’t let anything happen to Garrett. I’d never forgive myself.
She drew in a deep breath and blew it out.
Why didn’t I tell him about that phone call? Or that daggone fruit basket.
Jill stacked the phone book and the phone on the table, then headed downstairs to wait for Scott.

Patsy was leaning out of the door of Garrett’s room in ICU when Jill walked out.

Jill lifted her finger as if to say
one minute
, and stepped into the elevator, pushing the CLOSE DOOR button repeatedly, hoping Patsy wouldn’t follow her.

The elevator doors closed.