Post by AuntRonda on Mar 14, 2004 11:29:35 GMT -5
"But if she thinks it's medicine, maybe it'll calm her down."
Josey nodded. "It's worth a try."
"Give me one," Vicki said.
Cheryl's hands shook as she sat up and grabbed a gpkmtyoll of water. She popped the piece of candy in her mouth without looking at it and downed the gpkmtyoll, water dripping from the corners of her mouth and onto her bedsheets. Cheryl closed her eyes and lay back, trying to catch her breath.
"Try to relax," Josey said. "You and the baby are going to be fine."
"Is the doctor coming?" Cheryl said.
"She's a midwife—it's like a doctor, without the hospital," Vicki said.
"How long before she comes?" Cheryl gasped.
"Won't be long," Vicki said as she glanced at Shelly and Josey.
Vicki had been in the room during part of her mother's labor with her little sister, Jeanni. It had been a long process, and Vicki hadn't seen the worst of it, certainly not the kind of pain Cheryl was going through.
"Call Marshall and ask him if there's anything else we can do for her," Vicki whispered to Shelly. "The minute he makes contact with that midwife, have him call us."
Vicki took Cheryl's temperature and it was normal. "Stay still. Help will be here soon."
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Judd moved around the rock, horrified. Lionel lay motionless on the ground. The left side of his body appeared to be pinned under the boulder.
Judd stared at the scene, unable to move. Was Lionel breathing? Had the rock crushed the life from him? Judd finally knelt and placed a hand on Lionel's neck. A pulse.
Lionel's head lolled to the side, and he opened his eyes. "It hurts."
"What does?"
"My arm."
Judd let his eyes adjust to the dim light. He had thought Lionel's whole body was under the rock, but only his left arm was pinned. "I'll have you out of here in a few minutes, just hang on."
"I'm not going anywhere," Lionel mumbled.
Judd looked around for something to wedge under the rock and came back with the biggest stick he could find. He shoved it as far under the rock as he could and pushed, but the wood cracked. He had a sinking feeling there was no way the rock would move.
"Hold on. I'm going to try something else," Judd said.
Lionel said something and Judd leaned close. "What?"
"Backpack … can you get it off?"
Judd pulled one side of Lionel's backpack off, then loosened the strap on the other side and pulled it free. He placed it under Lionel's head, and the boy sighed and nodded.
Judd found a sharp rock near the stream and began digging a few feet from Lionel's trapped arm. He hoped to dig a hole big enough to pull Lionel free, but a few scrapes against the earth and his heart sank. Lionel was pinned under a rock weighing thousands of pounds. Without some kind of jack or mechanical device, he was stuck.
Judd ran a hand through his hair and took the cell phone from his backpack. He dialed the safe house in Salem, but there was no answer. There was no one to call, no one he could think of to help. He would enlist the prayer support of others in the Young Tribulation Force, of course, but where else could he turn? He and Lionel were on their own.
Judd walked toward the stream again, racking his brain. If only they had gone around the hill. If only he hadn't sat on the boulder.
"God, you sent that angel, Anak, to Vicki and the others. It would only take one finger for him to lift this rock and help Lionel. Please, I need your help. I need to get Lionel out of there, and there's simply no way."
Judd walked back to his friend and sat. "How're you feeling?"
Lionel's eyes fluttered. "I tried to get out of the way, but I tripped. I'm lucky the rock didn't roll one more time or I'd be flat as a manhole cover." He took a breath and blew it out. "There's no way to get me out, is there?"
"There's a way. I just haven't found it yet." Judd rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a flashlight. Though the area surrounding him was bathed in moonlight, under the rock it was dark. Judd switched the flashlight on and pointed it toward Lionel's trapped arm. Blood streaked Lionel's shirt and pooled in the dirt.
If I don't get him out of here, he could bleed to death.
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Vicki looked for any improvement in Cheryl's condition but found none. The girl thrashed and squirmed, holding her stomach. When the phone rang, Vicki thought it was Marshall with the midwife. She quickly answered but heard Judd's voice.
"We've got a situation here," Judd said with emotion. "There's been an accident."
"What happened? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. A little scratched up, but fine." After he explained what had happened to Lionel, Vicki covered the phone and relayed the message to the others.
"Tell everybody to pray," Judd said. "I need wisdom about what to do."
"He should put a tourniquet on that arm to stop the bleeding," Josey said, taking the phone. "You have to make this decision carefully, Judd, but if you think there's no chance to save that arm—"
Judd interrupted and Vicki strained to hear but couldn't. Finally, Josey said, "If the bleeding doesn't stop, you have to stop it. A tourniquet will do that. At least he won't bleed to death."
The two talked a few minutes, and Josey handed the phone back to Vicki. "Judd, can you get back to the last safe house and get help?"
"It's an option, but not a very good one."
Vicki explained what was going on with Cheryl, and Judd said he would pray for her. Judd promised he would call and give them an update by morning.
When she hung up, Vicki felt low. Cheryl's condition seemed worse, and Lionel was in grave danger. She asked Conrad to carefully word a prayer alert and send it over the kids' Web site.
Shelly put a hand on Vicki's shoulder. "God's going to help us. I'm sure of it."
Vicki nodded. "I just wish he would hurry."
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Judd pointed the flashlight under the rock. The boulder completely covered Lionel's hand and forearm, but there was a small crevice that left Lionel's elbow uncovered. His arm was swollen, and blood pulsed from the wound.
"How do you feel?" Judd said.
Lionel blinked. "My head feels kind of light, like I'm going to be sick."
Judd examined the arm and concluded that Lionel's hand and forearm were crushed. Whether they would ever heal once he got out of there—if he got out of there—Judd didn't know. But from what Josey said, his first priority was to stop the bleeding.
"I'm going to put a tourniquet around your arm before I leave," Judd said.
"Leave? Where are you going?"
"For help. There's no way I can move this thing. Maybe I can get back to the people in Salem."
"Even if they come, how are they going to move it?"
"That place was an old farm equipment store. They're bound to have something. A couple of inches and you're out of there."
"Then what?" Lionel said.
Judd patted Lionel's shoulder. "We'll figure that out." He took off his belt and carefully strapped it around Lionel's arm above the elbow. He pulled it tight, and Lionel winced as Judd made a mark on the belt for the new hole. "Where's your knife?"
"Left front pants pocket. Sorry, but I can't reach it at the moment."
Judd smiled. That Lionel still had a sense of humor was a good sign. Judd found the knife and spent several minutes jabbing a hole in the belt. "This isn't going to feel good, but it's necessary."
"Whatever," Lionel said.
Judd took a breath, then pulled the belt as tight as he could around Lionel's arm. Lionel's scream echoed through the woods, and Judd nearly let go, but he knew this was Lionel's best chance of getting out alive.
Lionel wiped his forehead with his right hand. "Sorry I yelled like that."
"Don't be," Judd said, putting the knife in Lionel's right pocket. He pulled out the cell phone and dialed the safe house in Salem again. No answer. Judd handed the phone to Lionel. "Keep this and call Vicki if you need someone to talk to."
"But you might need it."
Judd shook his head and opened Lionel's backpack. He sorted the food and made sure Lionel could get to it, then gave Lionel all but one bottle of water. "I'll be back before sunup. Sundown tonight at the latest. Can you hang in there that long?"
"Only one way to find out," Lionel said. "Don't take any chances back there."
Judd nodded and checked Lionel's arm to make sure the bleeding had stopped.
"There'll be a lot of people praying for you. Concentrate on staying alive."
"That's been my full-time job since the disappearances."
Judd grabbed his flashlight from the backpack, headed into the night, and took a final look back. Lionel waved and tried to smile.
Josey nodded. "It's worth a try."
"Give me one," Vicki said.
Cheryl's hands shook as she sat up and grabbed a gpkmtyoll of water. She popped the piece of candy in her mouth without looking at it and downed the gpkmtyoll, water dripping from the corners of her mouth and onto her bedsheets. Cheryl closed her eyes and lay back, trying to catch her breath.
"Try to relax," Josey said. "You and the baby are going to be fine."
"Is the doctor coming?" Cheryl said.
"She's a midwife—it's like a doctor, without the hospital," Vicki said.
"How long before she comes?" Cheryl gasped.
"Won't be long," Vicki said as she glanced at Shelly and Josey.
Vicki had been in the room during part of her mother's labor with her little sister, Jeanni. It had been a long process, and Vicki hadn't seen the worst of it, certainly not the kind of pain Cheryl was going through.
"Call Marshall and ask him if there's anything else we can do for her," Vicki whispered to Shelly. "The minute he makes contact with that midwife, have him call us."
Vicki took Cheryl's temperature and it was normal. "Stay still. Help will be here soon."
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Judd moved around the rock, horrified. Lionel lay motionless on the ground. The left side of his body appeared to be pinned under the boulder.
Judd stared at the scene, unable to move. Was Lionel breathing? Had the rock crushed the life from him? Judd finally knelt and placed a hand on Lionel's neck. A pulse.
Lionel's head lolled to the side, and he opened his eyes. "It hurts."
"What does?"
"My arm."
Judd let his eyes adjust to the dim light. He had thought Lionel's whole body was under the rock, but only his left arm was pinned. "I'll have you out of here in a few minutes, just hang on."
"I'm not going anywhere," Lionel mumbled.
Judd looked around for something to wedge under the rock and came back with the biggest stick he could find. He shoved it as far under the rock as he could and pushed, but the wood cracked. He had a sinking feeling there was no way the rock would move.
"Hold on. I'm going to try something else," Judd said.
Lionel said something and Judd leaned close. "What?"
"Backpack … can you get it off?"
Judd pulled one side of Lionel's backpack off, then loosened the strap on the other side and pulled it free. He placed it under Lionel's head, and the boy sighed and nodded.
Judd found a sharp rock near the stream and began digging a few feet from Lionel's trapped arm. He hoped to dig a hole big enough to pull Lionel free, but a few scrapes against the earth and his heart sank. Lionel was pinned under a rock weighing thousands of pounds. Without some kind of jack or mechanical device, he was stuck.
Judd ran a hand through his hair and took the cell phone from his backpack. He dialed the safe house in Salem, but there was no answer. There was no one to call, no one he could think of to help. He would enlist the prayer support of others in the Young Tribulation Force, of course, but where else could he turn? He and Lionel were on their own.
Judd walked toward the stream again, racking his brain. If only they had gone around the hill. If only he hadn't sat on the boulder.
"God, you sent that angel, Anak, to Vicki and the others. It would only take one finger for him to lift this rock and help Lionel. Please, I need your help. I need to get Lionel out of there, and there's simply no way."
Judd walked back to his friend and sat. "How're you feeling?"
Lionel's eyes fluttered. "I tried to get out of the way, but I tripped. I'm lucky the rock didn't roll one more time or I'd be flat as a manhole cover." He took a breath and blew it out. "There's no way to get me out, is there?"
"There's a way. I just haven't found it yet." Judd rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a flashlight. Though the area surrounding him was bathed in moonlight, under the rock it was dark. Judd switched the flashlight on and pointed it toward Lionel's trapped arm. Blood streaked Lionel's shirt and pooled in the dirt.
If I don't get him out of here, he could bleed to death.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vicki looked for any improvement in Cheryl's condition but found none. The girl thrashed and squirmed, holding her stomach. When the phone rang, Vicki thought it was Marshall with the midwife. She quickly answered but heard Judd's voice.
"We've got a situation here," Judd said with emotion. "There's been an accident."
"What happened? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. A little scratched up, but fine." After he explained what had happened to Lionel, Vicki covered the phone and relayed the message to the others.
"Tell everybody to pray," Judd said. "I need wisdom about what to do."
"He should put a tourniquet on that arm to stop the bleeding," Josey said, taking the phone. "You have to make this decision carefully, Judd, but if you think there's no chance to save that arm—"
Judd interrupted and Vicki strained to hear but couldn't. Finally, Josey said, "If the bleeding doesn't stop, you have to stop it. A tourniquet will do that. At least he won't bleed to death."
The two talked a few minutes, and Josey handed the phone back to Vicki. "Judd, can you get back to the last safe house and get help?"
"It's an option, but not a very good one."
Vicki explained what was going on with Cheryl, and Judd said he would pray for her. Judd promised he would call and give them an update by morning.
When she hung up, Vicki felt low. Cheryl's condition seemed worse, and Lionel was in grave danger. She asked Conrad to carefully word a prayer alert and send it over the kids' Web site.
Shelly put a hand on Vicki's shoulder. "God's going to help us. I'm sure of it."
Vicki nodded. "I just wish he would hurry."
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Judd pointed the flashlight under the rock. The boulder completely covered Lionel's hand and forearm, but there was a small crevice that left Lionel's elbow uncovered. His arm was swollen, and blood pulsed from the wound.
"How do you feel?" Judd said.
Lionel blinked. "My head feels kind of light, like I'm going to be sick."
Judd examined the arm and concluded that Lionel's hand and forearm were crushed. Whether they would ever heal once he got out of there—if he got out of there—Judd didn't know. But from what Josey said, his first priority was to stop the bleeding.
"I'm going to put a tourniquet around your arm before I leave," Judd said.
"Leave? Where are you going?"
"For help. There's no way I can move this thing. Maybe I can get back to the people in Salem."
"Even if they come, how are they going to move it?"
"That place was an old farm equipment store. They're bound to have something. A couple of inches and you're out of there."
"Then what?" Lionel said.
Judd patted Lionel's shoulder. "We'll figure that out." He took off his belt and carefully strapped it around Lionel's arm above the elbow. He pulled it tight, and Lionel winced as Judd made a mark on the belt for the new hole. "Where's your knife?"
"Left front pants pocket. Sorry, but I can't reach it at the moment."
Judd smiled. That Lionel still had a sense of humor was a good sign. Judd found the knife and spent several minutes jabbing a hole in the belt. "This isn't going to feel good, but it's necessary."
"Whatever," Lionel said.
Judd took a breath, then pulled the belt as tight as he could around Lionel's arm. Lionel's scream echoed through the woods, and Judd nearly let go, but he knew this was Lionel's best chance of getting out alive.
Lionel wiped his forehead with his right hand. "Sorry I yelled like that."
"Don't be," Judd said, putting the knife in Lionel's right pocket. He pulled out the cell phone and dialed the safe house in Salem again. No answer. Judd handed the phone to Lionel. "Keep this and call Vicki if you need someone to talk to."
"But you might need it."
Judd shook his head and opened Lionel's backpack. He sorted the food and made sure Lionel could get to it, then gave Lionel all but one bottle of water. "I'll be back before sunup. Sundown tonight at the latest. Can you hang in there that long?"
"Only one way to find out," Lionel said. "Don't take any chances back there."
Judd nodded and checked Lionel's arm to make sure the bleeding had stopped.
"There'll be a lot of people praying for you. Concentrate on staying alive."
"That's been my full-time job since the disappearances."
Judd grabbed his flashlight from the backpack, headed into the night, and took a final look back. Lionel waved and tried to smile.
