Loving A Firefighter (Loving Series) (15 page)

Standing back where the officer directed her, she surveyed the carnage.  There were bodies on the ground, and debris all over.  Her cameraman panned as she talked into the mike.  She was saying, “I can see the driver of the pickup still in his cab.
  I don’t see the driver of the van but was told he crawled from the driver’s side window and ran across the freeway, and hopped the barrier and disappeared.  Looking at the rear of the van, the double doors were forced open by the impact and bodies are back here also.  This so horrific, it is hard for me to describe.  I would guess this is how a war zone might look.  Jim, can you get a shot of the traffic backup on the other side?

I
can hear the sound of a helicopter.  It’s probably Life Flight.  I’m told Channel 8’s helicopter is enroute and we should have some aerial shots for you shortly.  We will remain on the scene and report any developments.  Carrie Evans WFAA TV8 back to the studio.”  The red light blinked off.

“I have never seen anything like this in my life.  I thought I was going to lose it for a while,” she said to the cameraman.

“It’s pretty bad all right.  You did great, Carrie.

Two hours later, cleanup crews from the street department
were still sweeping up the debris. 

It required three vans from the Medical Examiner’s Office
to remove the deceased from the roadway.

The red light came on.  “This is Carrie Evans reporting to you from the accident scene we
we reported on earlier.  As you can see behind me, the cleanup crews are still at work.  All of the injured have been transported to local hospitals and we can now report there are ten dead and seven injuries.  The carnage is indescribable.  The engine of the pickup was inside the van.  It appears the driver did not brake.  There are no skid marks on the roadway.  It is unknown when North Preston will be open to traffic at this time.  Carrie Evans, WFAA, TV8.”

The red light went off.  The Bluetooth speaker in her ear told her and the crew to return to the station for a followup story.

Back at the studio, they worked with the producer to divide the portions of the report for the five and six o’clock news.  Carrie asked, “Do we want to say anything about other incidents involving coyotes and smuggling.  There was one outside Houston where a driver abandoned a trailer and 18 died?”

“Let me think about that.  We might want to do a special segment on that later.  Can you gather the salient points on that and any others you can
find.”

“I can do that.”

* * *

Carrie’s phone buzzed.  When she looked at the Caller ID, she read ‘Unknown Caller.  She answered, “This is Carrie.”

“Carrie,” said the voice through the receiver, “I’m not going to be called up this year.”

“Jonathan, you surprised me.  Why not?”

“I pulled a hamstring yesterday and they shut me down for the year rather than take a chance on something more serious.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.  I know how much you were counting on the callup.  I guess you’ll just have to wait for spring training.  Like Ernie Banks used to say, “Wait till next year.”  What are you going to do now?” 

“I thought I’d look around and see if maybe there was a wedding I could attend or something like that.”

“Mom told you?  We haven’t set a date yet.”

“Yeah, Mom said you wanting me to attend so you were going to wait until baseball was over.  So it’s over.  I’ll be home on Monday.”

“I can’t wait for you to meet Chip.  I hope you’ll like him as much as I love him.  He’s my dream come true, Jonny.”

“I’m sure if you like him, I will too.”

“Jonny, I want you to give me away.  Will you?
”

“It will be with great reluctance that I give you away, sis.”

* * *

“Chip, how are you feeling?  Is it
all right if I come over?”

“Honey, of course it’s all right.  I saw you on TV today.  That looked terrible.  You did it as well as it could be done and you looked great.”

“Yeah, well I almost lost it.  It was terrible.  Okay, I’ll be over in about an hour.  Love you.  Bye.”

“Mom, Jonny’s going to be home Monday.  Did he call you?  Well he pulled a hamstring and he’s finished for the year.  Mom, we don’t have to wait.  We can have the wedding whenever.  I’m so excited. She began singing
, “I’m getting married in the morning, Ding Dong, the bells are gonna chime.”  Well, maybe not in the morning but sooner than we thought.”

“I hope you’re not planning to sing at the wedding.”

“Probably not, but I might.  I asked Jonny to give me away.  He said he would never give me away.  Isn’t it wonderful, Mom?”

“I felt sorry for you this morning.  We got some of the accident victims in our OR.  They had nothing, their clothes were rags, and they were filthy.”

“The accident was the worst thing I have ever seen by far.  There were bodies all over the road.  They were afraid it might catch fire.  The driver of the van wasn’t hurt and climbed out the window and got away.  At least they hadn’t caught him when I left the station.  “I almost lost my breakfast it was so bad.”

“Well, you really kept your composure.  You were very professional, yet your face showed your shock.”

“The producer complimented me on the work.  We’re going to work up a special segment on incidents like this and the coyotes and just how bad it is for the illegals.  I really feel sorry for them, but I don’t want to just open the gates.

Mom, I’m going over to Chip’s for a while.  I want to tell him about Jonny.”

“Okay, be careful.”

* * *

She knocked on the door, which as opened by Mrs. Reynolds.  Carrie hugged her.  “How are you?  Has our boy behaved?”

“Pretty much but he’s getting bored with nothing to do but play video games and watch TV.  He saw you all three times today at that accident.  I don’t see how you got through it.”

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, Mrs. R.  There was so much death and hurting.  It was horrible.”

“I thought I heard the voice of my beloved,” said Chip as he
rolled into the room.  Hi, Honey.”

“Hello darling.  I need a hug.”

He obliged.

“I have great news.  Jonathan got hurt yesterday.”

“Since when is your brother getting hurt great news?”

“Since it means his baseball season is over and we can get married without waiting until the middle of November.  Besides, it was just a hamstring pull.  He would have been playing in ten days if it were the middle of the season.  Since it’s so late, they shut him down and he’s going to be home next Monday.

“He’s going to walk me down the aisle and give me away.  I’m so excited; I could bust, to use poor grammar.  I told Mom.  Let’s tell Mrs. R.”

She rolled him into the kitchen.  Hi
s hand covered hers on the arm of his wheelchair. 
“Mom, Carrie’s brother was hurt yesterday and his season is over.  We don’t have to wait until November.”

“I don’t think we can get everything done before then,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Then we’ll elope,” Carrie said.

“You would too.”
said Mrs. Reynolds.

“Yes she would, said Chip
. With Carrie behind the chair, both arms draped over her shoulders. 

“Now you
remember your promise about helping me find a place to stay? Now it will be a place for us.”

“You’re right.  We just have to let the moms tells when.”

“The moms as you call us need to get together and talk.  Carrie, what’s your mother’s schedule?”

“I’ll let you know.

“Carrie, did you check on the Ranger’s schedule?”

“Yes, and they’re home through next Thursday.”

Chip was going to therapy twice daily with the weekends off.  The therapist had been placing a TENS unit on his calf muscles. The word TENS, sometimes seen as T.E.N.S., stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator.  Today, he strapped a different type of unit on the calf near the near.  I’m going to give you a jolt to this nerve.  He did and the foot jumped.  The same thing happened on the other foot.  That tells us the nerves and muscles below this are good.

Two days later, with Chip lying on the table, the therapist asked him to concentrate on his big toe on the left foot.  “Tell it to move”

The strain showing on Chip’s was an indicator as to how hard he was trying.  There was a wiggle to it.  That afternoon, there was more motion.  Over the next two or three days, there was significant improvement in the motion. 

The neurologist confirmed the change by tapping his kneecap with a small rubber hammer.  “It is coming back,” he told Chip.

Chip had been keeping the improvement a secret from everyone.  That evening he decided it was time to break the news.  Carrie had been over for dinner.  Following the meal they were sitting in the family room.  Chip said, “Honey would you please raise my legs and remove the slippers please.”

“Watch,” he wiggled his toes on first one leg, then the other, and then both.  As usual, the women started weeping.  Chip’s father joined in the showers of tears.  “The neurologist said function is definitely returning.  Nest week, they are going to put me between parallel bars and start exercising that way.”

“When did all of this start?” Carrie demanded.

“Three days ago and I saw the neurologist today.”

Carrie was hugging him so tightly he said, “Hey, you’re going to crack a rib.”

She was apologetic having failed to see his grin.  She kissed him on the lips.  It won’t be long until we can go dancing.  Wow, this is the best news since the cardiologist said they had gotten the bullet out.”  She stood back to let the parents get there share of hugs.

* * *

The cardio-vascular surgeon had just told Chip, “Mr. Reynolds, all of your tests are back and all look normal.  The bullet removal was a success with no collateral damage.  I would like to see you again in three months.  You may resume normal activity with the exception of heavy lifting.” 

“Thank you Doctor, I have no doubt you saved my life twice.  There is no way to express gratitude for that.”  Chip extended his hand to the doctor, who shook it heartily.  He turned to his mother with a big smile pasted on his face.  “We made it Mom.  I can’t wait to tell Carrie.” 

“Thank God that is over.  You had an angel sitting on your shoulder son.”

“Yes I did.”

He took out his phone and hit the speed dial number for Carrie.  “Honey, I’m good to go.  The doc said everything looked good and he won’t need to see me for three months. We made it.”

“Oh darling,
things just keep getting better.”

“May I pick you up for dinner tonight?”
she asked.

“Yes you may.  Love you.”

* * *

Over the next month, Chip’s mobility improved.  He was able to ditch the wheel chair and walk a few steps unaided.  He continued working as hard as he could.  He would not get married in a wheel chair.  He would stand to take his vows.  Of that he was certain.

* * *

The moms had gotten together and selected October 12 as a good date for the wedding.  Since it was the church the Reynolds family attended, Mrs. Reynolds made the arrangements.

The reception following the wedding was to be held at the Wildwood Inn, just off I35.  The menu was set; invitations were ordered, received and sent out.

Carrie had selected her wedding
gown; Laurie was to be her matron of honor.  Carrie would have four bridesmaids.  WFFA was going to video tape the wedding, while Carrie’s mother had arranged the photographer.  The flowers were ordered.  The Fire Station personnel were having a bachelor’s party for Chip.  A fire truck was set to transport the bride and groom from the church to the reception, siren wailing, and horn honking. 

After the wedding and reception, the bride and groom would depart for a honeymoon in a location not identified to anyone.  Carrie had told them they would call when they arrived.

Mrs. Reynolds hosted a catered dinner for the Evans family, Laurie and her family at her home. 

Carrie walked around with Jonathan and introduced him to everyone.  Chip previously met Jonathan.  Jonathan told Chip about his baseball dreams and plans.  Chip in turn explained what he did in the fire department and his planned career. 
They seemed to get along well together.

On the Friday night before the wedding, on the ten o’clock news, the anchor man announced the wedding “of one of their own”
; the weather man had prepared a forecast of a long life and a happy marriage.  “However,” he said, “Since I only forecast the weather and don’t control it, there is a 70% chance of rain in the afternoon.”

Next, they showed a film clip of Carrie at work and smiling into the camera.

* * *

Carrie awakened early on the day she had been waiting for so long.  She went to the door and looked out at the north and west.  It was dark and ominous looking.  She could see lightning, but heard no thunder.  Looking to the east, it was too cloudy so to see the sun. 
“This is depressing but nothing can spoil this day for me,”
she thought.