“Heath, make sure you put on a heavier jacket. It’s
going to be cold higher up.”
“I’m fine, Mother.”
Nick nudged him, “Listen to her, Heath. I’m not
draggin’ your butt back here when you catch cold.”
“We are only going for a tree, Nick. How long can
it possibly take?”
Jarrod chuckled with his mother, “I suggest you
dress warm brother Heath. You have never been tree hunting with Nick and Audra.
Only the perfect tree will do and it has been known to take all day.” Audra slugged him playfully for his comment
and Nick rolled his eyes and pushed Heath towards the stairs.
Heath’s shoulders dropped in defeat and he returned
to his room for warmer clothes. Nick and Jarrod both had on a couple layers
knowing the higher elevations would be cold and wet from the heavy snows. They didn’t have to go the distance, but
Father had always insisted going up to the mountains for a Christmas tree,
perhaps just to add to the anticipation.
This would be Heath’s first year and they were all anxious to include him
in the annual pilgrimage for a tree.
Within an hour they were making their way up the
mountain, Jarrod driving the buckboard with Audra and Victoria in back. Heath
and Nick both rode alongside on their own mounts. As they climbed higher the air became thinner and their warm
breaths began to mist as the temperature dropped. The snow was getting deeper and it wasn’t long before the horses
began heaving as they struggled to make a path through the drifts. As they entered a clear patch of ground,
Jarrod pulled back on the reins, “Whoa! We’re gonna have to stop here, Nick.
They can’t make it any higher.”
“Alright. Get ‘em unhitched while we
unsaddle.” Clapping his hands together,
Nick smiled, “Then we can find us a tree.”
Jarrod just shook his head as he helped Victoria
and Audra from the wagon. Nick could be
such a kid when it came to Christmas. Unhitching the team, he tied them off and
gathering his coat closer, traipsed up the mountain in search of a tree. As predicted, it took a couple of hours to
find the perfect tree. The search was
interrupted several times by an errant snowball and the tree would be forgotten
as retaliation was fought by whomever had been victimized. After a warm meal at lunch the men headed
back out to cut the tree while Victoria and Audra gathered greenery for the
house.
Holding one of the draft horses in place while Nick
and Heath rigged the freshly fallen tree to the animal, Jarrod was about to
tease his brothers when a loud rumble could be heard in the distance. All three men looked up sharply at the
source and were spurred into action as the noise grew louder. Adrenalin racing through his veins, Jarrod
grabbed his hat and sidestepping the horse, slapped him hard on the rear as he
yelled, “Yeehah!” The horse took off, leaving a clear path in its wake where
the tree was gouging out the snow.
Nick and Heath jumped clear of the tree as it
barreled down the mountain after the horse and Jarrod waited only long enough
to see that both were moving before he raced after them, all three trying to
outrun the danger behind them.
Struggling to stay on their feet and still get down the mountain to
where Mother and Audra were, they cast fleeting looks over their shoulders
hoping they were out of the direct path of the cascading snow. Looking higher up the mountain, trees and
rocks were tumbled about like children’s play toys.
Breathless, they arrived at camp and Heath
hurriedly pulled the lead line on the horses.
Throwing his hands in the air he scattered them, hoping they’d find a
way to safety. Nick and Jarrod were
trying to overturn the heavy wagon, thinking it might provide them some
protection against the wall of advancing snow.
Jarrod shouted over the increasing noise, “Mother, Audra, get under the
wagon!”
Victoria grabbed Audra and pulled her under the
wagon as the men flipped it over atop them. They all three tried to scrabble
under the makeshift cover but time had run out and they were slammed into and
around the wagon as the tail end of the avalanche overtook them. Nick was rolled over and over and he tried
swimming to the surface of the roiling mass.
He moved through it as if he weighed nothing when that same weight came
to a crashing halt against a tree. His
chest exploded in pain and the air in his lungs was expelled forcibly as his
body wrapped the tree. Covered in snow
and barely able to breath as he lay pinned against the huge trunk, he lost
consciousness.
The advancing snow knocked Heath off his feet and
he tumbled in the turbulent flow. He tried to keep his head above the snow when
he felt himself being dragged under against his will. Caught by a passing branch, his body was wrapped in the limbs,
further hindering his movements. It was only seconds, but it felt like an
eternity before the snow slowed and he came to a stop. He sat in the snow, cold and wet, but
thankful to be alive. He never saw the
large rock rolling down the slope, nor did he feel the damage as it bounced off
the back of his head, sending him into oblivion.
Jarrod was barely lifted off his feet when he heard
his sister’s screams beneath him. The wagon was being pushed downhill by the
wall of snow, but there was little he could do to stop it or himself. Time seemed to slow and seconds seemed like
minutes as he was tossed about. He wasn’t
sure if he felt or heard the pop of his shoulder, but he would remember the
pain. There was no time to reflect on
it as he came to an abrupt halt, his back taking the brunt of impact as he was
slammed into a wagon wheel. His back
exploded in a blinding light and he was unaware of the snow that settled over
his limp body.
He came around as a cold wetness seeped into his
collar, bringing him fully awake. There
was an eerie silence all around and opening his eyes to look around, he
realized he was buried under a layer of whiteness. Trying not to panic, he fought to clear away the suffocating
substance and was relieved to find it wasn’t deep. Pain was the next thing he noticed and he sucked in several sharp
breaths when he tried to free himself from the snow that was encasing him. His left arm didn’t want to cooperate, which
was just as well since it hurt like the devil to even move. Using his right hand he began to remove the
snow that was holding him in place and was eventually able to free his upper
body enough to sit up. As he righted
himself his back protested but the need to get moving preempted any regard to
the pain he was feeling. A quick look
at his shoulder confirmed it was dislocated but ignoring it for the moment, he
looked around. He’d been thrown against
the wagon wheel and was sitting on top of the wagon as it lay upside down. Covered with snow, it was hard to make out
and he pounded on the wood beneath him as he hollered frantically, “MOTHER!
AUDRA!”
He tried to clear away more snow, but the pain in
his shoulder and the knives in his back were seriously limiting his
movements. Desperate to find his family
and unconcerned about his own welfare, he turned back to the wagon wheel he’d been
pinned against and taking a deep breath, slammed his dislocated shoulder back
into place. Dropping his forehead on
the wheel, he took several breaths letting some of the shock wear off before he
scrambled off the wagon. The pain in his back took his breath for a moment but
he pushed it aside as best he could and shouted to those he hoped were under
the wagon, “AUDRA! MOTHER! CAN YOU HEAR ME?”
His heart pounding with fear, he heard the muffled
voice of his mother, “Jarrod?”
“MOTHER, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” He dropped closer to the
snow covered wagon and listened.
“Yes, were fine,” came a faint reply.
Jarrod sighed with relief and sent a prayer of
thanks skyward, “I’m going to look for Nick and Heath. Will you be alright?”
“Go find your brothers. We’re alright for now.” His
mother’s voice was strong, but he could hear the worry nonetheless.
“I’ll get back as soon as I can,” said Jarrod as he
patted the wagon and eased himself to his feet. His back screamed in protest
once more and a stabbing pain shot into his leg as it took his weight. He could use it and the pain was bearable so
he ignored it as his eyes darted all around hoping to catch some sight of his
brothers. The ground downhill from the
wagon was littered with trees and branches half buried in the snow. His heart beat frantically, fear setting in
when he could see no sign of either Nick or Heath. Squinting in the bright afternoon sun, he spotted the top of
Heath’s head amongst one of the branches. Wrapping his arm around his injured
shoulder, he ran as fast as he could towards his brother and stumbled several
times, his feet finding the slippery, hard packed snow difficult to
traverse. Dropping to his knees above
Heath, he looked down and could see he was tangled in the limbs of a large
branch. Heath was looking at him
through dazed eyes, his face battered and bruised. Jarrod asked worriedly,
“Heath, where you hurt?”
“Huh?” Heath wasn’t focusing and Jarrod used his
hand to feel for injuries to his head.
As his hand slipped to the back of Heath’s head, his brother groaned and
tried to pull away. There was a large
knot there, but when he pulled his hand away, Jarrod was relieved there was no
blood. “Heath? Are you hurt anywhere
else?”
Disoriented, Heath was barely able to shake his
head as he slurred, “No, don’t think so.”
Time was running out if Nick was still buried and
Jarrod made the decision to leave Heath as he had Mother and Audra. They were alive and as far as he could tell
not critically injured. Nick was still
unaccounted for and he spoke quickly to Heath, “I’ll be back in a minute. I
need to find Nick. You gonna be okay?”
Heath looked up, but his eyes were still unfocused
as he spoke, “I’ll help.” He tried to
stand but the branches and snow had him pinned and he slumped back down,
seemingly lost in his own little world once more. Jarrod turned away and hollered in every direction, “NICK! NICK!”
There was no answer and Jarrod hurried to check on
the downhill side of the wagon for any sign of him. His shoulder and back ached unmercifully, but he ignored it,
along with the trickle of warmness that ran down his leg. Spotting Nick’s half buried hat he rushed
forward and plucking it from the snow, screamed his brother’s name,
“NICK!” There was a sound, very faint,
off to his left in the trees that had stood up against the blast of snow. Moving closer, he called out again. There it was again, this time louder and
Jarrod’s eyes darted nervously from place to place as he tried to pinpoint the
sound. Thinking his mind was playing
tricks he was about to turn away when a slight movement caught his eye. Running now, he could see a hand sticking
from the snow and he dropped to his knees. His hands clawed at the snow and it
seemed to take forever to clear enough away to expose Nick’s head. He lay sideways in the snow, his body
wrapped around the tree and buried under a couple feet of snow. Thankfully, his own head had provided enough
of a barrier to give him a pocket of air as the snow covered over him on its
way by. Nick’s lips were blue and
Jarrod increased his efforts to free him, when suddenly Nick’s eyes shot open
and he gasped, “Can’t breath.”
Jarrod ignored the cold that burned his fingers as
he pushed away the snow that had Nick pinned to the tree. It took several
minutes before he made enough of a hole so he could roll Nick away from the
tree. Nick tried for several deep
breaths but the pain in his ribs stopped him short. Taking small, shallow breaths helped and he let Jarrod help him
sit. Surveying the damage around him,
Nick’s concern for the rest of the family came to the forefront of his mind and
wrapping an arm around his broken ribs, beckoned his older brother, “Help me
up. We have to find the others.”
Jarrod tried to reassure his anxious and worried
younger brother, “I found them all Nick. I need you to sit here and rest while
I dig them out.”
“Where are they? I’ll help ya.”
Jarrod looked at Nick, who was grimacing in pain
and could barely breath without straining. He shook his head, “You’re in no
condition to help anyone Nick. You start moving around you’ll send them ribs
right through your lungs. Just sit here. I’ll bring them to you as I get them
out.” It pained Nick to be so helpless,
but the agony of moving confirmed Jarrod’s diagnosis. He was sitting with
several busted ribs and would only be in the way if he tried to help. He nodded and watched as Jarrod limped back
up the hill. Shivering from the cold,
he leaned into the tree behind him and pulling up the collar on his jacket,
closed his eyes and tried to breath through the pain in his chest.
Jarrod made a quick check on Heath first, then
returned to the wagon, “Mother?”
“Jarrod, did you find them?”
Her voice
was as frantic as he’d ever heard it and he quickly reassured her, “They’re
both alive Mother. I need to do some digging to get Heath out. How are you and
Audra?”
Audra’s voice chimed in and he could hear the panic
in her voice, “Jarrod, are they hurt? Are they going to be okay? Please get us
out.”
Jarrod heard his mother calming Audra but couldn’t
make out the words and he needed to get to Heath, “I’m going Mother. I need to
get Heath out. Nick is free, but he’s
got some broken ribs. I left him where he was until we can wrap them.”
“Go get Heath, son. We can wait a while longer.”
“I’ll be back as quick as I can.” He stood up again, and found it harder and
harder to get up and moving. Relocating
his shoulder had helped, but it still sent waves of pain through him with every
movement. His back was throbbing
painfully with every step, and it was worsening with each passing moment. Ignoring it for the time being seemed his
only option and he took a brief second to see what was making his leg hurt
so. Grabbing for the tender spot, he
wasn’t surprised when his hand came away bloody. Pulling his handkerchief from within his coat, he wrapped it
around his leg and tied it off tightly to stop the bleeding. It didn’t look too bad and was enough to
stem the worst of it. Heading back to
Heath, he began clearing the snow to get him out. The whole time he worked, he talked to Heath, making sure his
brother stayed awake. Judging from his
sluggishness, Jarrod was certain Heath was suffering from a concussion.
“Jarrod?”
He continued to dig and pull what branches he could
away from Heath’s frame as he answered his brother, “What Heath?”
“This Christmas tree hunting isn’t as much fun as I
thought it would be.” Jarrod looked up and smiled at the lop-sided grin on
Heath’s face.
Patting his now exposed shoulder, Jarrod chuckled,
“Maybe next year, little brother.”
Heath was soon free, but his head wound made him too unstable to be of any help. Leading him down the hill to where Nick sat, Jarrod put his brother in charge of him. “Keep an eye on him, Nick. I don’t need him wandering off.”
Nick nodded as Heath plopped down heavily beside
him. Heath blinked a couple times and dropped his head on Nick’s shoulder.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“Looks like he took a hit to his head. He’s
probably got a whale of a headache.”
Looking at Jarrod as he struggled to his feet, Nick
asked with a furrowed brow, “How you doin’ big brother? You don’t look so
good.”
If truth be told, Jarrod felt like hell but he was
the only one left to free his mother and sister and he waved off Nick’s
concern, “I’ll be fine, Nick. I need to get back to Mother and Audra.” He
tilted his head at Heath and half-smiled, as he cupped his hands to his mouth
and tried to breath some warmth into his half frozen fingers. “Take care of him
and I’ll see about getting them out.”
Seeing Jarrod’s bright red fingers, Nick took off
his own gloves and handed them to his brother, “Here, put these on ‘fore ya get
frostbite.”
Jarrod tried to push them back on his brother but
Nick wouldn’t have it, “You need ‘em more than me.” Nick already had his hands
in his coat as Jarrod took the gloves.
He’d lost his somehow in the avalanche but there hadn’t been time to
really look for them, and he doubted it would have done any good. The fur-lined gloves started warming his
fingers and he looked at Nick, grateful for the protection from the cold,
“Thanks.”
He trudged up the hill again and gingerly eased
himself to his knees next to the wagon, taking a minute to catch his breath and
ease the pain in his back. The thought
of digging again made him pause but he shook away his reluctance. Digging Heath out had been difficult and painful
with his shoulder and back hurting as they were, but with no one else to ease
the burden he took a deep breath and began pushing snow away from the bottom
edge of the wagon. Alone with no help,
there was no way to turn it over and the snow on top would have made it
impossible even with his brother’s help.
His only hope was to dig a hole large enough to have his mother and
Audra slip through. When he finally
broke through to the space under the wagon, Victoria joined his efforts from
the other side and they soon had a small tunnel from which to crawl
through. Victoria pushed Audra through
to Jarrod and he had his hands full of his sobbing sister. “It’s okay, honey. Everybody made it, albeit
a little worse for wear.” He pointed
off to the side and spoke tenderly, “Sit over there while I help Mother.”
Audra nodded and scooted out of the way. Victoria was under the wagon gathering
whatever she could find in the dark space.
Jarrod grabbed the offerings as she shoved them through the tunnel. An
axe, some rope, a couple canteens, a broken lantern, the remains of lunch and
three blankets were more than he’d hoped for and he left them in a pile as he
helped Audra to her feet. She cried out
as she put weight on her sprained ankle and grabbed for her older brother, “It
hurts!”
Taking her arm, he draped it over his shoulder and
took her weight. Clenching his teeth, he dropped his head and started down the
hill. “Mother can you carry those blankets.
They might help warm everyone?”
Victoria reached for the blankets and followed
Jarrod to where Nick and Heath were sitting, “How is everyone?”
“Busted up but alive,” said Nick, his face pale and
his breathing labored as he spoke.
Heath was sleeping or unconscious, it was hard to tell. Nick saw his mother’s concern and reassured
her, “He’s sleeping. He seemed a lot more focused before he drifted off.”
Jarrod spread a blanket for them to sit on and he
used one to cover his sister and Mother and the other to cover Heath and Nick,
before sitting down himself. Exhausted
and hurting, he could have laid down and fallen asleep right there but there
was still too much to be done. They
were all tired and no one made an attempt to speak as they sat quietly just
resting. Jarrod took only a few minutes
before getting up again. He bit back a moan and began gathering sticks to get a
fire started, hoping it would help warm the family while he searched for the
horses. He dropped the armful of wood
and asked reluctantly, “Can you start a fire, Mother? I need to look for the
horses.”
His weariness didn’t go unnoticed by his mother,
“You need to rest, son. Let me look at your leg.”
Shaking his head, Jarrod refused, “It’s just a
scratch. I need to get us out of here Mother. It’s going to be dark in a couple
of hours and we need to get out of the cold. We don’t have enough blankets to
keep warm through the night.”
Nick agreed, “He’s right Mother. It’s gonna get a
lot colder once the sun goes down.” Looking up at Jarrod, Nick could see the
pain etched in his brother’s face. “You gonna make it, big brother?”
His body was responding to his demands by sheer
will alone and he nodded to Nick as he joked half-heartedly, “I hope so,
because none of you are in any shape to get us out of here.”
“Jarrod, there’s a line shack about a mile from
here. It ain’t much, but it would get
us out of the cold and it has supplies.”
Sighing, Jarrod scrubbed his face, “It might as
well be ten miles if I can’t figure out a way to get us there. You are in no
shape to be walking, Audra can’t and Heath there can’t even stay awake.”
Nick started to argue, “I can walk...” his words
were cut off by a cough and he doubled over, struggling to breathe through the
pain. Jarrod was instantly at his side, holding him as he tried to get air to
his lungs, “Try to relax and take little breaths.”
Nodding in Jarrod’s shoulder, Nick finally eased
himself back into the tree, his eyes closed. Jarrod just shook his head at his
brother’s stubbornness. “I’ll see about the horses Nick.” He teased as he
added, “You’ll be here when I get back, won’t ya Nick?”
Sighing with frustration at being so helpless, he
huffed, “Yeah, I’ll be here.” Jarrod winked at his mother and went in search of
the horses. Even walking was becoming a
chore and he rubbed at his lower back while he held his injured arm tightly to
his side. He was about to turn back in
defeat, when he spotted one of the horses grazing in an open spot of
ground. Sending a word of thanks
skyward, he moved closer, speaking softly as he went, trying to keep the
nervous horse from bolting. His worries
were unfounded. It was the same horse
they’d rigged to the tree and the heavy load had succeeded in slowing him down,
preventing him from escaping off the mountain.
Unhooking the tree they’d lovingly selected, Jarrod lead the docile
animal back up the mountain to his waiting family, his legs seemingly heavier
and heavier with each step.
Heath swayed on his feet and Victoria grabbed for him at the same time Jarrod reached out to support him. Between the two of them they managed to get him settled next to Nick. Jarrod then helped Audra to her feet then boosted her onto the horse’s back. Victoria looked at her battered children and Jarrod caught her concern, “They’ll all be fine, Mother. We just need to get everyone out of the cold.” Even wrapped in blankets, everyone was bitterly cold from wet clothes and dropping temperatures.
Victoria was thankful for Jarrod’s optimism during
this crisis. He’d taken control of the whole situation, only asking for help
tending to their injuries. She’d
wrapped Nick’s ribs and Audra’s ankle in his absence and it seemed to ease
their pain to some degree. When Jarrod returned with the horse, his limp was
more noticeable and attributing it to his leg wound, she insisted on taking
care of it as well. She knew he was
hurting but he was more concerned with his siblings than himself and no amount
of Mothering would convince him to rest while she took over. Years of caring for his siblings was too
deeply ingrained and until they were safe, he wouldn’t relinquish his
responsibility. He was as stubborn as
his brothers, and had one of them been in his position, they would have done no
less. It wouldn’t be the first time she
cursed the stubborn Barkley pride, nor she thought, the last.
Stepping beside him as he took the reins, Victoria
asked, “Can this horse handle such a load?”
Jarrod nodded, “It’s only a mile.” Pulling the
horse through the snow, he turned towards her, “I’m sorry you have to walk,
Mother.”
“I’ve walked through worse. Remember I crossed the
country with your father.”
“Well this is just a short journey, so I’ve no
doubt you’re up to it. We’d better get a move on. It’ll be dark soon.”
Victoria dropped back to keep an eye on Nick and
Heath while Jarrod guided them to the line shack. The thought of a warm fire
and a chance to rest was the only thing keeping her going. Her own small frame
had been bruised in the avalanche and she was feeling the affects as the walk
grew longer.
Jarrod trudged through the snow, concentrating on
simply raising one foot and then the other. His back screamed out with each
step and by the time they made the small shack, only sheer will kept him on his
feet. He got everyone inside and after
starting a fire, took care of the horse while his mother got Nick, Heath and
Audra settled. Never had he been more
grateful to Nick for making sure the line shacks were well stocked for the
winter months. Wood was stacked neatly
outside, food lined the small shelves, and there were plenty of blankets to
keep the occupants warm. It would be a
tight fit but he doubted anyone would be complaining about the
accommodations. By the time he made it
back inside, everyone was already bedded down.
Nick occupied the top bed of the small bunk, while Audra rested on the
bottom one. Heath was already asleep on a palette Mother had made up and two
more were set out for her and Jarrod.
Removing his wet coat was torture on his sore shoulder and he bit back a
moan so as not to wake his siblings.
Victoria caught the sharp breath he couldn’t hide and was there to help
him.
“Jarrod?”
Her frown was enough and he answered her unspoken question.
“I dislocated my shoulder, Mother. I put it back,
but it’s sore.”
She shook her head, shocked by his admission “Why
didn’t you say something?”
He flashed her a strained smile, not wanting to
worry her any more than she was, “It didn’t seem all that important at the
time.”
Helping him with the sleeve of his damp shirt, she
insisted on looking at his shoulder. Speaking in a hushed tone she admonished
her eldest, “You were hurt. That makes it important.” She paused a moment as
the day’s events seemed to catch up with her, “We wouldn’t have survived
without you, son. What you did saved us all.”
“I only did what I had to. I was the only one able
at the time.” He grimaced in pain as
she prodded his shoulder and tried to pull away. Pulling his shirt back on, he
stretched out on his stomach hoping to relieve some of the agony in his back. “I just want to sleep...” Already his body
was giving into its demands for sleep and rather than argue, Victoria let him
rest.
“Alright, but tomorrow I’m taking a better look at
it.”
“Hmmm.” Jarrod was fading fast and after a quick
check on the others, Victoria took her place beside him and let her own body
succumb to sleep.
**********
Pain plagued his dreams and he wanted free of it,
but even when the dreams shifted, the pain remained constant. His body was exhausted and it resisted his
attempts to waken, but eventually the discomfort became too much for even his sluggish
mind to ignore and he came awake. The
cabin was still warm, and the fire cast a slight glow, but all he could see
were shadows. Lifting his head enough
to turn it, sent daggers through his back and he cried out as his head dropped
back to the floor. Panting for air, tears gathered in his pain glazed
eyes. His left shoulder had stiffened
in his sleep, so using his right arm for leverage he tried to roll over. Panic set in when he realized he couldn’t
move his legs. Helpless to get away from the pain, he called out for help. The family slept soundly and clenching the
blankets, he again tried to lift his head but the intensity of pain that shot
up his back sent him into blackness.
The next morning brought not only worsening
weather, but stiffness and pain for all of them. Only after some cautious
moving around were Victoria and Heath able to help the others. Heath was still burdened by a headache and
occasional double vision but he was certainly thinking clearer than the
previous day. Jarrod lay at the end of the beds and they left him alone,
assuming he was sleeping off the previous days exertion. Heath was startled
when he neared Jarrod’s makeshift bed and a hand darted out, grabbing him
firmly around his ankle. Dropping down
closer, his eyes widened in alarm at Jarrod’s contorted and sweat-soaked face.
“JARROD!” Heath’s concerned voice alerted the
others and as they gathered at his side they could see him trembling.
Victoria bent closer, “Jarrod, what’s wrong?”
Opening his eyes, he blinked away tears and
struggled with a half strangled whisper, “My back...can’t move. Oh god...it hurts!”
They tried removing Jarrod’s shirt to see how badly
he was hurt, but even the slightest movement caused him pain. His cries of pain were too much and when he
lost consciousness, Heath ripped the back of his shirt up the middle, revealing
the damage done by the avalanche. A
collective gasp filled the room at the bruising all along Jarrod’s back. His shoulder was also bruised but it was
nothing compared to the purple swelling up and down his back. Tears gathered in Victoria’s eyes as she
muttered, “Oh Jarrod, why didn’t you say something?”
Heath jumped up and gathering his coat, bundled up
when Nick’s voice boomed out, “Where the devil do you think you’re goin’?”
“I’m goin’ for a doctor.”
Nick nodded to the window and raised his voice,
thinking louder would get through to Heath, “You ain’t goin’ nowhere! It’s a
blizzard out there! You’ll get yerself killed and everything he did will be for
nothin’!”
“You heard him, he can’t move. He needs a doctor.” retorted Heath, his
frustration at being so helpless showing in his voice.
“Neither of you are going anywhere!” Victoria’s
attention was still on Jarrod and she wasn’t in the mood for the bickering.
Taking command of the situation, she began issuing orders. “ Heath, get a
bucket of snow we can use to bring down the swelling. Audra, you’re going to
have to move so we can get him into bed and off the hard floor. Tear off the end of that wool blanket so we
can use it for his back.”
Nick attempted to move from his own bed and was
stopped short when his mother pointed a finger his way, “YOU! Get back in bed!
Heath, help me get Jarrod on the bed.”
Heath moved next to Jarrod and spoke softly even
though his brother was still out cold, “Sorry, big brother.” Rolling him over and sitting him up, Heath
and Victoria managed to shuffle him onto the bed. “Let’s put him on his back. Laying on his stomach all night
didn’t seem to help any,” Heath said.
Victoria eased away the damp strands on Jarrod’s
forehead and sighed softly, “I hope this helps.”
Leaning over his bed, Nick dropped his hand to his
mother’s shoulder, “He was walking Mother. That has to be a good sign.” All of them did what was necessary to help
ease Jarrod’s pain but none of them could erase his anguished cries of earlier.
It didn’t help that all his suffering was the result of his rescue efforts for
each of them. They couldn’t even be
angry with him for stubbornly ignoring his own injuries, none of them would
have made it out of the avalanche alone without his help.
It was a long day for everyone. Under normal circumstances the small
confines of the cabin would have been intolerable, but between caring for
Jarrod and nursing their own injuries, they found sleep a welcome reprieve from
the boredom. The cold packs seemed to
help with the swelling, but Jarrod’s greatest relief came with the hot packs
and by midafternoon he could at least tolerate the pain if he didn’t try to
move. The afternoon also brought a
break in the storm but it left behind a foot of fresh snow so when the door
burst open and a bedraggled Duke McCall hurried in they all just stared at him
in disbelief. Even more surprising was to see Doc Merar step through a second
later, their surprise mirrored on his face.
He shut the door behind him and looked at the bruised and battered
family and shook his head, “As if I don’t have enough work, you have to make me
come looking for it now.”
Victoria rose from her place at the table and greeted
both Duke and the doctor. “How did you know?”
Duke shook off the snow and answered, “When you
didn’t return, we started looking. We found where you was hit by the avalanche
but the snow kept us away. I sent for the Doc and as soon as it cleared up we
headed out again. Saw the smoke from yer fire and hightailed it over here.”
Looking around the room, he said incredulously, “Didn’t figure on y’all bein’
in one piece.”
Howard already had his bag out and Victoria said
worriedly, “Please look at Jarrod first. He hurt his back.”
“He isn’t the only injured from the looks of
things. Judging from what I saw
earlier, you’re lucky to be alive.”
All of them turned to look at Jarrod, and Victoria
spoke solemnly, “We didn’t know he’d hurt his back until we woke this morning.
We’ve been icing it and using heat to ease some of his pain.”
Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, Howard
noticed Jarrod’s grimace of pain as the bed sank with his weight, “Let’s take a
look.” Pulling the covers down, he noticed the bruising on Jarrod’s
shoulder. “What happened to your
shoulder?”
His eyes closed against the doctor’s prodding,
Jarrod hissed through gritted teeth, “Dislocated.”
“Hmmm. We need to wrap it, might help with the pain
some. Can you turn over?”
Jarrod shook his head, “No.” The last thing he
wanted was to move again. Every time they shifted the hot and cold packs
brought back the debilitating pain and he’d finally relaxed after the last
change. Doc Merar looked at him and
sighed, “I’m gonna need to look at your back, Jarrod. That means sitting up.”
As beads of perspiration gathered on his brow,
Jarrod gave him a resigned nod. Turning to Heath, Howard spoke, “If you’ll hold
him up, I’ll try to make this as quick as possible.”
As Heath gently reached under Jarrod and helped him
sit, Nick told Howard of Jarrod’s work to free them. Jarrod stifled a groan, but his hand gripped Heath’s shirt in a
tight fist as his breathing came in sharp gasps. With his head buried in his brother’s shoulder, Jarrod felt the
darkness encroaching as Howard examined him.
“Alright Heath, lay him back down.”
Victoria hovered close while the rest of the family
waited anxiously for Howard’s prognosis. “Other than some serious bruising and
torn muscles I don’t think it’s too bad.
Overworking it probably didn’t help and it’s going to take some time to
heal.” Looking over the cut on Jarrod’s
leg, he was satisfied with it and covered him up, taking note of the pain he
was in. “Jarrod I can give you something for the pain, but the pain is telling
you not to move.” He looked around the
room and shook his head, “I don’t think he’ll will be going anywhere for at
least a week.”
Audra whined sadly, “But Christmas is tomorrow.”
“It can’t be helped Audra. Besides, Nick is no
condition to travel either.” Victoria
shook her head at Audra, who had the sense to feel ashamed of her outburst and
then turned to Howard again, “Nick broke several ribs so he is your next
patient.”
Looking up at Nick as he lay in the top bunk,
Howard could see the young man’s discomfort. Rather than make him get down,
Howard grabbed a chair and setting it beside the bed, climbed up to exam his
patient. Nick gritted his teeth as
Howard unwrapped his ribs and after much prodding finally spoke, “Four busted
ribs. Your mother is right. You won’t be doing any traveling either.”
Small shallow breaths were all Nick could manage as
Howard rewrapped his ribs and he gripped the bed frame to ease himself back
down when it was finally over. He lay
with his eyes closed tightly, concentrating on getting air into his lungs
without causing added pain to his aching side.
Heath took a damp cloth and wiped away the dampness on his face as the
doctor turned his attention to Audra.
“So even you couldn’t stay out of trouble this time.”
Audra blushed and let the doctor look at her
swollen ankle. It was a brief examination, and he confirmed her sprain. Turning to Victoria, he asked “And you and
Heath, how did you fare?”
Heath piped up, “I’m fine Doc.”
Victoria took Heath’s arm and sat him down without
a word, “No he isn’t Howard. He took a blow to his head and was unconscious off
and on yesterday and very disoriented.”
Howard looked closely at Heath’s eyes, noting the
slight dilation, “Headache?”
Nodding reluctantly, Heath answered, “Yes.”
“Double vision?”
Looking around at the expectant faces, Heath
sighed, “Some. It comes and goes.”
His mother was not happy with his admission, “I
want you back in bed young man. I don’t need you collapsing on me.”
“Your mother is right, Heath. You need to rest with
that kind of head wound. None of you
are in any shape to be doing anything.
Rest is what you need most.” Looking at Victoria, Howard spoke firmly as
both doctor and friend, “That includes you. You may not have injuries like your
children, but you are no doubt feeling the affects of being tossed about. There is nothing you can do for them that
good old rest won’t do, so you might as well take advantage of the fact that
none of them are going anywhere.
Besides, I suspect no one here feels like doing anything besides sleep
anyway.”
Turning to Duke, who was wisely staying out of the
way, Howard addressed the foreman, “Do you think you could bring Silas up here
with some supplies?”
“Sure Doc. Won’t be ‘til morning tho. Too late to
get back up here by nightfall.”
“That will be fine. I’ll leave some headache powders for Heath and some liniment for
Jarrod’s back. The hot packs should help if the pain gets to be too much. As
long as he stays still, you shouldn’t have to do too much.” Shaking his head at
the pathetic faces around him, Howard smiled warmly, “I’ll try to get back up
here after Christmas, see how you are all doing.”
Heath stood up to see them out and was chastised by
Victoria, “You sit down! You heard what
the doctor said.”
Flashing her a smile, Heath already had his coat on
and was holding the door for Duke and Howard, “I’m just gonna give Duke some
instructions for the hands Mother, I promise to come right back.” Without giving her a chance to argue, he was
out the door and speaking in hushed tones to the foreman as Doc Merar mounted
up.
Howard wasn’t sure what was said, but he could see
the curious look on Duke’s face and his reply, “I’ll remember. I’ll tell Silas
to get what you ask and have him here with it in the morning.”
Patting the man on his leg, Heath backed away with
a renewed smile on his face, “Thanks Duke.”
Turning his mount, the doctor issued his final
order, “Get some rest, Heath. You aren’t fooling me, young man.”
Heath ducked his head and returned to the
cabin. The solemn faces inside showed
what their hearts couldn’t hide. They were all contemplating spending Christmas
away from home. No one said anything,
but it was clear they weren’t looking forward tomorrow. Hopefully he could show them that Christmas
didn’t have to be fancy and festive to be enjoyable.
Christmas morning dawned bright and cold and Heath
shrugged into his jacket despite his mother’s protests, “Heath, you heard the
doctor, you need to rest.”
“Someone
has ta tend to the horse Mother. I’ll be quick as I can and I promise ta rest
after that.” He gave her a kiss as she stood glaring at him, then hurried
outside before she could argue further.
Once outside he looked around, marveling at the beauty of freshly fallen
snow on the landscape. His breath was
visible in the cold morning air and he hurried towards the lean-to, anxious to
feed and get on with his real reason for escaping the house so early. It took a
little effort but he finished quickly and dropping the results of his labor on
the porch, he stomped the snow from his clothes and thankfully entered the warm
cabin. Nick was teasing Audra for
moping and Jarrod was enjoying the banter.
He’d woken up feeling better and after much cajoling he’d talked them
into helping him sit more upright.
Moving was terribly painful, but once he was settled, the pain eased off
and he could at least interact with the family instead of lying flat on his
back. Victoria was settled at the small
table watching her children and seeing Heath enter, gave him a look that
demanded he rest. Flashing her a
lopsided grin, he removed his coat and in one leap landed on the top bunk with
Nick.
The bounce made Nick grab for his ribs and Heath
winced, “Sorry Nick.”
“Go find your own bed,” growled Nick.
“Ain’t much ta choose from and yours is softer than
mine,” teased Heath.
Frowning, Nick asked grumpily, “What are you so
damn happy about?”
“Nicholas!” admonished Victoria, and Nick had the
sense to look chastised for his language.
“Well, it’s Christmas, Mother and he’s just too...
happy. Ain’t nothin’ to be happy about,
stuck here with no tree, no food, no presents.”
Jarrod chuckled, “Ah the truth comes out. You’re
just upset you don’t get to open your presents today.”
“That’s not it. It just don’t feel much like
Christmas,” sighed Nick. Audra nodded
in agreement but her words were cut off by a knock at the door. Heath leaped off the bed and was at the door
before his mother could even stand.
She shook her head at his enthusiasm, and spoke
sardonically, “Heath, you do recall what the doctor said, don’t you?”
Ignoring her, Heath opened the door and smiled
broadly. “Silas! Merry Christmas!”
Entering with his hands full, Silas placed his load
on the table and looking at the condition of his employers, shook his head,
“Reckon Duke was right when he said you s’all needed some help. He’s unloading
the rest of the things.” Glancing at
Heath, he noticed the small shake of his head and remained silent regarding the
supplies he’d specifically been asked to bring. Grabbing his coat, Heath was out the door and Victoria just
rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Silas, it’s nice to have you here. We could
certainly use a good meal.”
Silas was already unpacking and he nodded, “Yes
ma’am. I’s got a Christmas dinner all fixed up fer later.”
Nick piped up, smiling. “That is the best news I
heard all day, Silas.”
“I have to agree with Nick in his sentiment. Nothing like a good meal on Christmas,”
Jarrod said.
Victoria dropped a hand on his shoulder and Silas
could see the appreciation for his thoughtfulness in her eyes. “Thank you.”
Dropping his head, Silas returned to unpacking all
he’d prepared the night before. It was a long night trying to get everything
ready by morning, but seeing their faces brighten made it all worthwhile and he
happily went about caring for his family. Duke made his goodbyes after assuring
a much worried Audra that the he and the hands would make sure the children at
the orphanage were taken care of. They
all got a good laugh at the thought of the hands entertaining the children and
their spirits were in better shape since Duke and Silas’s timely arrival.
Heath poked his head in after Duke left and smiled,
“I got a surprise for ya’ll!” Opening the door wider, he pulled a small tree
off the porch and propped it up on the table.
They all stared in disbelief at the tiny three-foot tree and he added
with a lop-sided grin. “Now I know it
ain’t the one ya picked out, but it’ll have ta do.”
“Oh Heath it’s beautiful!” exclaimed Audra, her
eyes losing the gleam as she added with a slight sadness, “Too bad we don’t
have an decorations.”
Turning to Silas, Heath nodded and the man
retrieved the sack he’d put aside earlier. “Here’s what ya asked for.”
Reaching in the sack, Heath pulled out a tin and
handed it to Silas, “If you’ll take care of that, I’ll hand out the rest of
this.” Taking out a bundle of material
and sewing supplies, he handed it to Audra, “I reckon you can come up with
something to hang on the tree with that. Mama used to cut bells, stars, and
animals outta scraps and we’d hang those.” Glancing at Nick, he smiled, “Silas
is gonna make some popcorn and you can string it.”
“Popcorn?”
“Surely you’ve strung popcorn before.”
“Well...not since I was a kid.”
“Good, then you remember how.” Victoria watched as Heath handed out jobs
and the sudden anticipation each of them showed as they waited for their
assignment. Even Jarrod couldn’t hide his amusement when Heath informed him he
would be reading to all of them as they worked. He’d had Silas select a couple of Christmas stories and Jarrod
decided that Charles Dickens The Christmas Carol would be the best way
to fill the day. As Heath finished, he
announced he would be working on carving a star for their little tree. Jarrod, Nick and Audra questioned, “What about
Mother?”
Heath turned and winked at her then nodded at a
smiling Silas, “Mr. Heath had me bring the makin’s fer cookies knowin’ how much
you like to bake fer Christmas. Reckon you can do that while I work on that
meal I was tellin’ ya about.”
Tears gathered in her eyes and Victoria hugged her
newest son, “Oh Heath, this is wonderful.”
His own eyes misting, Heath spoke softly in her
embrace, “Yer welcome, Mother.”
********************
Late in the afternoon, they all sat and watched as
their small tree went from drab to a true masterpiece. A far cry from their normal fancy
decorations, none of them could deny it was the best tree they’d ever
seen. As Heath placed the star atop the
tiny tree they all applauded his efforts, not only for carving the star but for
making it all possible. They had spent
the day together listening to Jarrod and laughter would fill the room as they
worked on their individual projects.
Feasting on Mother’s cookies and Silas’s meal they couldn’t have asked
for a better time. As the day drifted
to evening they lounged about the cabin lazily enjoying the remainder of the
day.
Jarrod turned his head to Heath and spoke with
genuine sincerity, “I don’t recall a better Christmas, Heath. You’ve made it a
truly memorable day.”
“Here, here!” Nick said, from his perch on the top
bunk, “This is one tradition we may not keep, but I reckon none of us will ever
forget your first Christmas. I hope it’s the first of many more to come.”
Heath blinked away the gathering moisture in his
eyes and smiled at Nick. He had been
the last to accept his presence in the family and his words spoke volumes.
Heath felt as if he finally belonged somewhere and a heartfelt look passed
between them before he turned his attention back to Jarrod. “I’m sorry you was
hurt so bad Jarrod, but I’m glad you was able to help us all. Wouldn’t none of us be here to enjoy this
Christmas if you hadn’t done what ya did.”
Jarrod blushed, “I only did what any one of you
would have done in my place. It’s what family does, little brother.” Taking in
the faces of family as they sat around the room, Jarrod looked Heath in the eye
and added warmly, “You have taught us all something very important this year.”
Heath looked puzzled, “What do ya mean?”
“You have shown us that Christmas isn’t about fancy
decorations and presents. It’s about family and the time you share with one
another, a time to reflect on what you do have instead of what you don’t. Thank
you, Heath.” Jarrod eye’s reflected the love he held for the newest member of
the family and Heath found the same look on everyone’s face as they uttered a
single, “Amen.”
MERRY
CHRISTMAS TO ALL! LET US NOT FORGET THE
TRUE MEANING OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON!