Aftermath Read online

  “I hope not long. It sounds like the worst of the storm has passed.”

  “How will they know where to look for us?”

  “They’ll know because the others will tell them that we were still inside the gym when the storm hit.”

  Syd said a silent prayer that the rest of the kids had survived. She had no idea what had happened to the rest of the school building. Thinking about that made her feel nauseated, and she was already close to passing out from the pain surging up her leg. It was tingling now. If she didn’t get it worked free soon, she’d . . . well. Better not to think about that right now. Besides, whatever was wrong, Maddie would find a way to fix it.

  Maddie.

  The storm hit the school at about seven forty-five. Maddie would have been on the road with Henry by that time. Were they safe? Where were they now? Dear god. Please let them be all right.

  “Miss Murphy? I have to go.”

  Roma Jean was starting to sound desperate. Syd needed to keep her calmed down. There was no way to predict how many more hours they would have to wait for a rescue team to reach them.

  “I know how hard this is, and how scared you are. But we have to stay calm. They will find us. I promise you that.”

  “No, Miss Murphy,” Roma Jean said with even greater desperation than before. “I mean I have to go. I can’t hold it much longer.”

  Syd blinked, then fought to stifle a laugh. “You mean you have to pee?”

  She could feel Roma Jean nod.

  “Oh, honey. I’m sorry.”

  “I can’t hold it.”

  “Then don’t. It’s okay. Go ahead and pee if you have to. Believe me, it won’t make anything worse.”

  There was silence for a moment.

  “I just did.”

  An acrid smell filled up their tiny space. Then Syd laughed. And once she started laughing, she couldn’t stop. Soon, Roma Jean joined her, and Syd could feel her small frame shaking beneath her. She didn’t even mind that Roma Jean’s movement caused her body to fill up with pain.

  Soon, their small chorus of laughter spiraled its way up and out of the pile of debris that covered them and drifted out across the open air.

  WHAT THE HELL was that?

  It sounded like . . . laughter? She listened again. Yeah. Laughter. That’s exactly what it was. And it was coming from beneath the rubble on top of what once had been the south side of the gymnasium.

  Charlie Davis looked around. “Sheriff Martin! Over here.”

  The sheriff was standing with Dr. Stevenson near the north side of the building, where most of the crew was sifting through the damage. They understood that two people were likely trapped near the bleachers when the building went down, but there were sets of bleachers on both sides of the gym. Since the north end appeared to have sustained less damage, the small crew decided to search there first. But Charlie had an instinct to try nosing around over on this side of the rubble, just in case.

  Sheriff Martin quickly picked his way across the mounds of rubble and came to stand just beside her. Dr. Stevenson followed as quickly as she could. Charlie could see that she was having a difficult time walking.

  “What did you hear, Charlie?”

  She gestured toward the mammoth pile of blocks and twisted metal that lay before them. “I swear I heard laughter coming from in there.”

  “Laughter?” Martin sounded dubious.

  She bent down and picked up a crumpled license plate. 2BAD4U it read. “Yes, sir. Laughter.” She held up the tag. “Isn’t this Deb Carlson’s?”

  Byron nodded. “Looks like it.”

  Dr. Stevenson joined them. “What is it?” she asked, looking back and forth between them.

  Up close, Charlie thought Dr. Stevenson looked pretty rough. She’d only seen her in person a couple of times before, and she remembered being impressed by her height and her good looks. Today, though, she didn’t look so well put together. She was still really beautiful, but it was hard to reconcile the rumpled and mud-covered woman before her with the cool professional who always turned heads when she entered a room.

  “Davis says she heard something like laughter coming from this area.”

  Stevenson’s eyes met hers. Damn. What an amazing shade of blue.

  “Is that right?” she asked.

  Charlie nodded.

  Dr. Stevenson looked at Sheriff Martin. “What are we waiting for, Byron? Let’s make some noise.”

  Sheriff Martin shrugged. “Have at it.”

  She looked around, picked up a broken rod of metal, and limped to the edge of the rubble. Then she carefully tapped on anything that might conduct sound.

  “Syd! Roma Jean!” she called out, over and over. “Can you hear us? Are you in here?”

  She stopped and waited, rooted to her spot like a statue. She repeated the process for several minutes.

  Beside her, Sheriff Martin sighed. “Maddie . . .”

  She held up a hand to shush him and craned her neck toward the center of the pile. Then she sagged to the ground and rested on one knee.

  She finally turned to them with clean lines running through the mud on her face.

  “They’re here,” she said. “Alive.”

  THE RESCUE CREW of five men took the better part of three hours to uncover the section of bleachers that still stood, semi-erect, on top of Syd and Roma Jean.

  It was the permanently extended part of the broken unit that had collapsed and was pressing on Syd’s leg. Once the majority of the heavy pile of metal and masonry had been cleared away, the pressure eased-up, and Syd could feel the tingling in her foot subside.

  Maddie was there while the men worked to free them, constantly talking to Syd and Roma Jean and offering words of encouragement.

  Syd felt the hand of hell loosen its grip the instant she heard Maddie’s voice drifting down through the darkness. She didn’t know which relief was greater: the certainty that she and Roma Jean were finally going to be freed from their dark prison or the dramatic proof positive that Maddie—and Henry—were both alive and safe.

  “Hang on, you two.” Maddie sounded closer now. “We can see the bleachers, so it won’t be long now.”

  Maddie. It was hearing Maddie’s voice. That was the greater relief.

  Syd hadn’t told Maddie about her foot yet, but now that they were close to being freed, she knew she had to.

  “Be careful when you try to move the bleachers,” Syd called up to her. “My left leg is pinned, and my foot is twisted around at a bad angle.”

  All movement above them ceased. More light was visible now. Syd could see shadows moving through it.

  “How bad?” Maddie’s voice sounded closer. And now it had that tone. Syd could tell that she had shifted into doctor mode.

  “I think it might be broken.”

  There was momentary silence, and then Syd heard another voice. She thought it sounded like Byron Martin.

  “Can you tell which end of the unit is on top of you?”

  “The extended part—the side that never retracts. We ducked under it just before the building collapsed. Roma Jean is trapped beneath me.”

  “All right. Then we’ll try to lift that section all at one time. Try not to move.”

  Syd laughed. “I think we can guarantee not to do that. Right, Roma Jean?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Roma Jean said, in a small voice. “I promise not to move.”

  “Syd,” Maddie’s voice was back again, “I have some things here that I can use to stabilize your leg. So wait for me to get to you so I can turn it before you try to move.”

  Oh, honey, Syd thought. I’d wait forever for you to get to me.

  “Okay, Syd,” Byron said, after ten minutes that seemed like ten hours. “We’ve got some pry bars ready to lift this thing. Then we’re going to prop it up so we can pull you and Roma Jean out.”

  She closed her eyes. Thank god. “Hang on, Roma Jean. We’re almost free.”

  There was a loud, groaning noise. An explosion of li
ght filled their tiny cavern as the wooden ceiling was lifted up. A cascade of dust surrounded them. It stung her eyes and piled up in the back of her throat. She coughed, and so did Roma Jean. The instant relief she experienced when the bleachers were lifted off her leg was so extreme, she thought she might pass out. When, finally, she felt a familiar set of hands touching her, she was grateful she hadn’t.

  Maddie gently ran her hands up and down her arms and along her left leg.

  “Stay still, okay?” Maddie’s voice was very close now. She felt a soft touch on the back of her head. “We’re going to have to straighten your leg out so I can stabilize your foot before we move you, and it’s going to hurt.”

  Syd nodded. “Okay. Please hurry.”

  “I’ll be as quick as I can. Roma Jean? You okay?”

  “I’m okay,” Roma Jean said. “I just want outta here.”

  “I know, honey. We’ll have you up in just another minute, but just lie still until we move Syd, okay? Byron! Bring that stretcher over here and get ready to help me lift her.”

  Syd felt Maddie take hold of her left foot.

  “Okay, honey. I want you to turn over onto your left side, but let me hold your foot. Don’t try to move it. Got that?”

  Syd nodded.

  “All right. Go ahead and roll over.”

  Syd took a breath and turned her body so she was facing up. The pain was excruciating, but nothing like the white-hot sensation she experienced when Maddie gently placed one hand on her leg and pushed her foot beneath the steel support beam to free it. The pain was so intense it was surreal. She almost laughed—just because crying seemed like such an inadequate response. Tears mixed with the dust in her eyes.

  When her dizziness abated, she could feel Maddie gently running her fingers over her foot and ankle, then up the sides of her leg and over her knee.

  “That’s my girl. My brave girl,” Maddie whispered as she worked. “It should get a little better now. I think you might have some torn ligaments, but I can’t feel any broken bones right now. We won’t know for sure until we get some x-rays. But the pulse in your foot is good. Can you wiggle your toes for me?”

  Syd was taking deep breaths, still struggling not to throw up. But she did her best to comply and moved her toes. It hurt like hell, but Maddie was right: the worst of the pain was receding. Already, it had retreated from the borderline of intolerable and settled back into the realm of merely excruciating.

  Maddie attached the splints to the sides of her leg.

  “All right. We’re going to lift you to the stretcher now. Just let us do all the work, okay? Byron?”

  She felt another pair of hands take hold of her shoulders, then she was on the stretcher, and Maddie’s beautiful face was right above her. They were both fighting back tears.

  Beside them, Roma Jean scrambled up into a sitting position. Charlie Davis helped her crawl up and out of their prison.

  Syd took hold of Maddie’s hand and squeezed it.

  “Be sure to look at Roma Jean,” she said quietly. “She fell. That’s why I went back for her.”

  Maddie nodded and started to release her hand.

  Syd gave it a short, reflexive tug. Maddie looked down at her. Syd opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

  “I know.” Maddie stroked the side of Syd’s face. “Me, too.”

  Syd nodded and let go of her fingers.

  MADDIE DECIDED TO have Syd transported back to her clinic instead of to the hospital in Wytheville, rightly assuming that the ER was overwhelmed with cases, and Syd would be consigned to wait hours for treatment. Besides, she had everything she needed at the clinic to x-ray and cast Syd’s foot herself, and afterward, she could remain on hand to relieve Lizzy and Peggy.

  Syd had torn several medial ligaments, and Maddie suspected a corresponding malleolus fracture—although none showed up on the x-rays. This was the good news, and the bad news. Consequently, Syd was getting a cast below the knee on her left leg.

  Henry had been ecstatic when Maddie arrived with Syd, and he begged to be allowed to stay in the room while Maddie applied the short, fiberglass cast to Syd’s leg. Syd, who was equally thrilled to be reunited with Henry, did her best to disguise her discomfort so he wouldn’t be too disturbed by the procedure.

  It wasn’t easy. More than once, she bit back expletives.

  “Uncle David is here,” he said to Syd, as he sat next to her on a small stool.

  Syd fought a grimace. “He is?”

  Henry nodded. “He has Astrid with him, too. They got hit by a big flower pot.”

  Syd looked up at Maddie with a perplexed expression.

  “One of his porch urns got picked up and thrown by the wind. He wasn’t seriously hurt, but the impact did knock him out.”

  “The dog, too?” Syd asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Maddie laughed. “I hope not. Astrid probably has half a dozen personal-injury lawyers on speed dial.”

  Syd rolled her eyes. “How bad was the damage to the inn?”

  “We’re not sure. David told Michael it was pretty torn up.”

  Henry nodded energetically. “Uncle David said it got broke by a big red car.”

  Syd looked at him. “What did?”

  “The house.”

  “David said the house got hit by a car?”

  Henry nodded and looked at Maddie for corroboration.

  Maddie shrugged. “That’s what he told Michael. But you know his fondness for excessive statement.”

  Henry looked confused. “What’s ’sessive statement mean, Maddie?”

  Maddie was nearly finished wrapping Syd’s leg with the damp purple fabric. “It means that sometimes Uncle David makes things sound more . . . unusual than they really are.”

  “He most certainly does not.”

  They all looked at the doorway of the small treatment room to see David holding Astrid.

  He turned his attention to Syd. “Hi ya, Goldilocks. Get to see the governor’s initials while you were on your little field trip?”

  Syd shook her head. “Nope. I shoulda sprung for the higher-priced tour. All I saw were some prehistoric Cheetos.”

  “Oh, really? Maybe you should’ve picked them up for later.” He jerked his head toward Maddie. “You never know when they’ll come in handy.”

  “That’s true,” Syd agreed.

  She jumped when Maddie rapped on the side of the hardening cast—a tad too forcefully. “Ouch! Hey?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Maddie gave her an innocent smile. “Were you saying something about needing Cheetos?”

  Henry looked back and forth between them.

  “I want some Cheetos, too, Maddie. Can we get some on the way home?”

  David cleared his throat. “Speaking of homes. We appear to be without one. Any chance we can crash at your place until we can sort out the extent of the damage at the inn?”

  “Of course you can,” Maddie said without hesitation. “And you can begin your tenure there by giving the rest of my family a ride home.”

  Syd opened her mouth to speak but Maddie shushed her.

  “I’m probably going to be here for a good, long while, honey, and you need to go home and get this thing elevated.” She rested a hand on the knee of Syd’s unaffected leg. “I’ll be home as soon as I can, I promise.”

  “Come on, Henry.” David put Astrid down and cinched up her lead so she couldn’t wander off. “Let’s go find Michael and bring the car around back for Syd.”

  “Okay.” Henry followed David out into the corridor.

  “I’ll be back for you in two shakes,” David said to Syd. Then he left, closing the door behind him.

  Syd looked at Maddie. “This whole thing is a nightmare.”

  Maddie sighed. “I know. But what else could I do? They’re homeless.”

  Syd gave her a puzzled look, then rolled her eyes and socked her on the arm. “You’re such a jerk.”

  Maddie laughed and took hold of her hand. They stared at each o
ther. “You scared the shit out of me, you know that?”

  Syd nodded and touched her forehead to Maddie’s. “I know. I’m sorry about that. It all happened so fast. I had to go back for her.”

  Maddie drew back so she could kiss Syd on the forehead. “I know. I’m proud of you for that. We’re damn lucky that all you ended up with are some torn ligaments.”