Morning. 7:15AM. The Barkley household was buzzing with activity overseeing details for the annual trip to the Sacramento State Fair. Audra was bustling about in the kitchen with Silas making certain the jars containing her pickled cucumbers were tightly sealed. This year, she tried her hand at baking an orange sponge cake and her disgruntled brothers were chosen to be the guinea pigs for her experiment. She recalled their blenching faces as she sat them all three at the kitchen table one early afternoon. They looked as tough they had been sentenced to death and Audra’s cake was the weapon of choice. Warily, they each took a bite and carefully chewed the tender morsel that surprisingly tasted delicious. Much to Audra’s delight, Nick, Heath and Jarrod emptied their plates and even asked for seconds. Audra was pleased. If her cake passed the test with her finicky brothers, she was a shoe in at the baking contest.
Heath was in the study, removing his best rifle off the gun cabinet on the wall. He checked it thoroughly, making sure it was in good working condition. Last year he’d lost the target shooting contest to big brother Nick but this time, he had vengeance streaming down his veins. It was war. Brother Nick didn’t stand a chance.
Nick’s jingling spurs clattered as he walked up to Heath, a smirk carved on his face. « Give it to me, » he said with his arm extended.
« Give you what? » Heath snorted stoically.
« The fifty dollar bet. Better give it to me now than in front of all those people at the fair and have you flushing in embarrassment, » he bantered.
Heath cast Nick a mischevious smile. « Not this year, big brother. I aim to win, » Heath firmly stated as he rubbed a dust cloth against the muzzle of the rifle.
« Yeah, like you said last year! »
« Last year was different. Audra just had emergency surgery. My concentration was disrupted. My mind was obviously somewhere else. »
« Yeah, yeah, yeah, excuses, excuses. I too was worried about Audra. »
Heath shoved the rifle inside a travel bag and tapped his shirt pocket with his hand. « The fifty dollars is neatly tucked inside my pocket waiting for the other half to join him in a few days. » Heath flashed an impish smile at Nick, picked up his bag and walked out of the room.
« Ah! » Nick guffawed, following Heath to the foyer. « That fifty big one will see the other half alright, but in my pocket, »
« Ramble all you want, Big Brother. I’m going to beat the pants off you. »
Nick continued his hearty laugh. « This I’ve got to see! »
« See what? » asked Jarrod as he came down the grand staircase while straightening his tie.
« See Nick drop his pants, » Heath teased.
Jarrod stopped dead in his track. He pictured the image in his mind. « Hum, that could be an interesting sight, » Jarrod continued on the same bantering tone. He turned to Nick « Did you tell Heath about…. »
« Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh, » Nick interjected abrubtly, flailing his arms about.
« Tell me what? « Heath asked suspiciously.
« Now you’ve done it, » Nick admonished Jarrod.
« Tell me what? » Heath continued to probe, eyes darting from one brother to the other.
Victoria and Audra broke the tension as they briskly walked out of the kitchen with a wicker picnic basket containing the jars and the orange sponge cake.
« Is everyone ready to go? » Victoria asked frenziedly.
« Yeah. All set! » Jarrod replied.
« Okay let’s go! »
Jarrod offered his arm to Audra and Victoria and ushered them out the front door while Nick and Heath lagged behind.
« Tell me what? » Heath pestered Nick who wore a large grin on his face.
« It’s a surprise. »
« A surprise, huh?! » Heath was suspicious, knowing his big brother’s so-called surprises often got him in hot water. He closed the front door behind him and walked alongside Nick to the awaiting carriage. « Why can’t you tell me now ? »
« Patience, my boy, » Nick said, putting his hand on his fidgety brother’s shoulder. « You’ll see. » Nick was all too pleased by Heath’s expected reaction to the word ‘surprise’, getting him to lose his poise. He could already smell the sweet taste of victory.
Ciego was sitting in front of the buggy while Jarrod assisted his mother and sister in the back. He then mounted Jingo. Heath tucked his bag on the seat beside Ciego next to the wicker basket. When Heath and Nick were settled on their respective mounts, Ciego flicked the horse at a steady trot.
bvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbv
They arrived at the train station. Nick, Jarrod and Heath tethered their horse to the back of the carriage and grabbed the travel bags. Nick grasped Audra’s basket in a roughly manner.
« Careful Nick! » she hissed, quickly holding the basket steady. « Here, let me carry it, » she said in a huff.
« Fine by me! » Nick grunted « Now I don’t have anything to carry, « he exulted with a satisfied smile.
« You can carry mine, » Heath said, handing Nick his bag. Nick’s arm dropped to the ground as he took a hold of the handle. He tried to lift the heavy load with his two hands. « God Heath, what’s in that bag? »
« My secret weapon. »
« Oh really? For your information Little Brother I’ve got one too, but not as heavy as yours. However it packs more punch I can guarantee ya. » Nick smiled mischeviously at Heath « You’re going to want to give me that fifty bucks when you see what I have for you. »
« Keep dreaming Nick » He gave a playful tap on the back of Nick’s shoulder. He noticed how Nick was having trouble with the bag and couldn’t resist teasing him further. « Boy howdy Nick! You’re really out of shape, Brother. I should let you do more of the share of the workload around the ranch from now on, tone up those muscles of yours. » He reached for the bag. « Here, I’ll carry it myself. » He grabbed it with only one hand much to Nick’s astonishment. Miffed, he squinted at Heath through fire-spurting eyes. Heath turned around. « Well come on, Nick. You’re holding off the parade, » he chaffed.
« I’m going to get you for this, Baby Brother, « he mumbled underneath his breath.
When they reached the private car at the end of the train, all four formed a circle around Heath with smirks plastered on their faces. Heath began to feel a bit uneasy by the stares. « What? » he asked, perplexed.
« After you, » Nick invited with a wave of the hand.
Heath eyed Nick dubiously. He warily climbed the steps and pushed open the door. He cautiously glanced around the wagon to see if anything was out of the ordinary. Nick relieved Heath of his heavy load and put it down. « Go to the rear compartment, » he said with a slight elbow shove in Heath’s side.
« Why? » Heath asked, squinting distrustfully.
« Just go, » Jarrod encouraged.
Heath eyed the brothers suspiciously one last time before padding up to the rear compartment of the wagon. He slid open the curtains. He was taken aback by what he saw.
She was sitting in the small armchair. When she saw Heath, she sprung to her feet and stood before him. « Hello Heath, » she said meekly, blushing.
« Maria. » Heath was frozen, riveted to the spot at the sight of his former love, Maria Montero. A gloating Nick walked up to Heath and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. « What do you think of my surprise? »
Heath turned to Nick completely stunned. « But how? »
« Remember the trip I took to Salt Flats two weeks ago? »
Heath nodded.
« I ran into Maria there. She teaches at the school. I invited to join us to the State Fair. »
Heath turned his attention back to Maria. « You live in Salt Flats? » he asked, sickened by the idea of an enthrallingly beautiful single woman living in such a rowdy town.
« Only temporary until I can find a nice place to settle, » she explained.
« What about your father? »
She hung her head to her chest. « He’s dead. He died a month ago in a fire that destroyed our home. »
Heath felt relieved that the hurdle that stood in the way of their love was gone but yet, felt sad for Maria’s lost. She was without a family and a home. He stepped up to her and clasped her hands. « I’m so sorry. » He cupped her chin with the tip of his fingers and lifted her head to stare into her betwitching eyes. « Why didn’t you tell me? »
« I was afraid you might not feel the same way about me, seeing how I left. I hurt you. »
Heath bit his upper lip, trying to curb his emotions as the memories of that day came flooding back. « That you did. »
Before Maria could bow her head down again in shame, Heath took her head in his hands and gazed tenderly into her glinting eyes. « The pain is gone but the love I had for you is still there. »
He tilted his head and slowly leaned in to kiss her.
« Ahem! » Nick hawked.
Heath turned to Nick and over his shoulder he could see Victoria, Audra and Jarrod in the background, wearing happy faces. Heath rummaged through his shirt pocket and took out the fifty dollars. He grabbed Nick’s arm and slapped the money in his hand.
« What’s this? » Nick asked, puzzled.
« Your fifty bucks. »
Nick burst out laughing and gave Heath’s back a hearty patting. « So you like my surprise? »
« I owe you big for this one, Brother, » Heath said, emotions rushing to his throat.
Nick chuckled and clenched Heath into a bear hug. « Love ya, kid. » He pulled back and tousled Heath’s hair.
Heath gave Nick a meaningful smile. Suddenly, time froze. Nick was overcome by a strange sensation.
« What? What is it? » Heath asked a bit concerned.
Nick shook his head. « Nothing. »
« Are you sure?»
« Yeah. »
« Thank you, Nick, « Maria said, kissing him on the cheek. « Thank you for bringing us together, » she finished as she cuddled up to Heath.
« You make a damn cute couple, » Nick commented, misty-eyed. Although his heart brimmed with joy at Heath and Maria’s happiness, Nick couldn’t shake the hallow feeling in the pit of his stomach.
bvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbv
After dinner, The Barkleys were joined by several of their friends. In no time, the car was bustling with people, snacking, drinking, smoking and talking amongst each other. The women sat at the table swapping recipes while the men discussed cattle ranching. Jarrod was conversing with Andy Staler, a young man on his way to Sacramento to study law. Both men were engrossed in their conversation when a knock at the door interrupted them. Jarrod went to open it and recognized Dr. Travers from their last eventful journey. He was the doctor that saved Audra’s life by performing emergency surgery to removed her emflamed appendix.
« Dr. Travers?! »
« I thought the noise sounded familiar, so I came to check out my suspicions, » Travers said with a hint of tease in his voice.
Jarrod patted him on the shoulder and welcomed him in. « Can’t believe this! You were in Stockton and didn’t even bother to drop by the ranch? »
« There was no time. Elie and I, that’s my wife, were there to look at a property her late father bequeathed her in his will. »
« You’re thinking of moving to Stockton? »
« We are as a matter of fact. The farm is to our liking. »
Jarrod shook Travers’s hand « That’s great! We surely can use another doctor in the area. »
« I know. I heard you Barkley boys are Merar’s number one clients. »
« You got that right. Me I’m the quiet one, but my two brothers are magnets for trouble. They’ll keep you pretty busy. »
« I welcome the business. »
« Say, is your wife traveling with you?
« Yes she is. »
« Well, bring her in here. We’d love to meet her. »
« Alright. Be right back. »
Heath and Maria had retreated outside on the platform, away from the noise and the smoke. Heath had his back to the wall with Maria leaning on him, her head on his shoulder and their arms entwined at her waist. They were alone, contemplating the grandeur of the landscape.
« I don’t ever want this day to end, » she signed with melancholia.
Heath kissed her on the temple and rested his head against hers. They both closed their eyes and tightened their grip around each other.
« Me neither, » he whispered in her ear.
She turned around to face him and began caressing his cheek. « I love you, Mister Barkley. »
Heath reached for her hand and kissed it, squeezing it tightly. He gazed into her eyes « I love you too, Miss Montero. »
Heath leaned in and kissed her. Suddenly a rumble was heard. They looked at one another and laughed, thinking their kiss made their earth moved.
The rumble grew louder. Heath realized with fear that it was an actual earthquake. As he grabbed Maria’s hand the train wagon began to jerk violently, causing him to lose his grip on her hand and she fell off the wagon. « Maria! » Heath shouted, eyes widened in horror.
Before he could do anything, the train derailed, sending the four wagons down a steep rocky hill. The cars overturned several times. During the savage descend some passengers were thrown clear while others remained trapped inside, bouncing off walls and being crushed by steel beams and flying furniture before the mangled wagons crashed at the bottom of the hill.
A deathly silence followed. The wind had died down. Not even a bird chirped. Only the dust from the wreckage twirled in the air.
bvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbv
Audra slowly regained consciousness. She felt a huge weight was nailing her down to the floor. Her left arm was smarting and felt as though it was being ripped apart. She opened her eyes and batted her eyelids nervously.
« Mother! » she wailed. When no response came she became frantic and shouted, « Mother! »
Audra’s hysterical cries brought Jarrod out of unconsciousness. He was trapped underneath a heavy steel beam. Audra’s squalls resounded like distant hums. Their repetition slowly nudged him to reality. He tried to open his eyes. The left was shut tight. The blood from the deep gash over his brow had trickled down in the eye and dried, glueing the eyelids together. His head felt as though someone was hammering a nail in it. He felt queazy and weak. He wished darkness would enfold him once more but Audra’s incessant wails wouldn’t allow him to lapse into it. He painfully struggled his way out of his cage and managed to crawl on all four towards the screams which became louder and embued with a fear that bordered insanity.
« Audra! » Jarrod called out.
« Jarrod? » she cried, eyes darting maniacally.
« Don’t worry, honey. I’m coming. »
« Hurry, please! » she sobbed. « It hurts. »
Jarrod reached his sister. He was repulsed by the sight of her bruised face. She was scared out of her wits. Jarrod stroked her hair to calm her down and then began removing the table lying on top of her. She yelped in pain as he accidently brushed against her left arm.
« Sorry, honey. » His physical efforts triggered a dizzy spell. He grabbed his head and sucked in a deep breath.
« Jarrod, are you alright? » she asked worriedly.
« I’ll be okay in a minute, » he heaved out, holding his pounding head.
« Jarrod, where are the others? Where’s Mother? »
« Right here. » Victoria’s faint voice echoed in the background.
« Mother, where are you? »
Victoria knelt down beside Audra and took her right hand. « I’m right here, Sweetheart. » Victoria looked worse for wear but aside from a few bruises and lacerations, she appeared to be holding up.
« What happened? » Audra asked, looking at both Jarrod and Victoria.
Mother and son exchanged glances, trying to jog each other’s memory of the accident. Their minds drew a complete blank after the jerking. Their concentration was broken by another muffled voice.
« Anyone? Can anyone hear me? »
« Nick! » Jarrod crawled over towards the throaty bellow.
« Is anyone out there? » Nick hollered with a voice tinged with fear.
« Nick! Hold on I’m coming. » Jarrod began removing the hindering pieces of broken wood to reveal Nick’s form. A pair of frantic dark eyes stared back at him.
« Brother Nick, you don’t know how happy I am to hear your hollering. »
« Jarrod, » Nick stopped to cough, his glass-slashed face quickly contorted with pain. He wet his lips and took in a deep breath which blunted the pain inflicted by his fractured ribs. « What…what happened? »
« I don’t quite know. All I remember is the wagon jerking violently. »
« What happened to your eye? »
« I can’t open it. And I dare not try right now.»
« What about the others? Are they alright? »
« Mother and Audra are alive, » Jarrod informed as he began to assess Nick’s injuries. « I suspect Audra might have a broken arm but otherwise she seems okay. « Jarrod’s hackles rose at the sight of Nick’s legs trapped underneath the car, his upper body sticking out through a broken glass window. Protruding from under the wagon was the bloody forearm of a woman. Jarrod closed his eyes in disgust and tried to swallow the vomit rushing to his throat.
« I can’t…I can’t feel my legs, » Nick lamented
«They’re both trapped underneath the wagon. » Jarrod informed sombrely.
Nick began to whimper like an helpless child, letting out a cough between sobs, causing excruciating pangs to his racked body. Jarrod sympathized with his brother’s torment and tried to appease some of it by running a comforting hand through his matted hair. « I’m cold, » Nick shivered.
Jarrod searched for a blanket. Instead he removed his torn jacket and laid it on top of Nick’s chest. « How’s that? »
« Thanks. »
« You’re welcome, Brother Nick, » Jarrod smiled reassuringly.
« What about Heath? » Nick asks as he regained his composure.
« I don’t know. I haven’t found him yet. »
« What are you waiting for?» Nick chided.
« Will you be alright? »
« Yes! Go find him! Hurry! He must be outside. »
« I doubt it. I saw him come in through the door when… »
Nick’s fave puckered. « Oh no. Find him! » Nick urged between shudders.
Jarrod took a few deep breaths to avoid passing out and proceeded with the gruesome task of searching for other survivors in the wreckage. He sifted through the heap of rubbles and exposed the mangled corpse of young Andy Staler. Jarrod froze in horror. He started to dry heave but managed to gulped down the wave of nausea.
Meanwhile, Nick tried to stretch out his stiff neck. As he did, he felt something soft behind his head. He slowly lifted his left arm and reached for the object. He groped it and realized it was a human limb. « Jarrod! »
Jarrod quickly responded to Nick’s call and hurried over to his brother. « Nick, what is it? »
« Som…something behind my neck. Feels like a leg. »
Jarrod removed a scraps of metal and exposed a man’s leg. He couldn’t identify its owner since the rest of the body was hidden underneath other debris and the remnant of a huge train steel wheel which was impossible to move. Jarrod managed to remove the lighter parts off the upper body. His face registered terror upon seeing Heath’s bloody face. He retched and vomitted.
« Jarrod, are you okay? » Nick asked, frowning with concern at the belching sound.
« Yeah, » Jarrod heaved out, coughing the last of the vomit. « I found Heath. »
« How is he? »
He wiped his mouth clean and reached for Heath’s neck with a quivering hand. He couldn’t feel a pulse. He shook the tremors in his hand and tried again. He felt a faint pulse. «He’s alive. »
Nick closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. Victoria who was kneeling beside Audra praised the Lord in silence for sparing all four of her children.
« How is he, Jarrod? « Victoria asked, concerned.
« He’s in a pitiful state, Mother, » Jarrod explained as he gave Heath’s body a cursory examination. « I don’t think he’s going to make it. »
« Go get Doctor Travers, » Nick urged.
« I don’t know where he is or if he’s still alive. » Jarrod answered, flustered.
« Go! » Nick shouted, letting out a painful cough.
Jarrod remembered that Dr. Travers had momentarily left the car to get his wife before it all went black. Had he been thrown clear off the train or was he pinned in one of the three other wagons? Jarrod hoped for the former for his family’s sake. Nick requested Jarrod to place Heath’s left hand in his before leaving. Jarrod acquiesced « Hold on to him, Nick. Don’t let him give up. »
« I won’t. Hurry back Jarrod. »
Jarrod caught a glimpse of part a table cloth sticking out from underneath the sofa. He turned the couch over and pulled at the cloth. He strode back to Heath and mantled his upper body with it. He went to check on Audra and Victoria before heading outside through a giant tear in the wall.
Nick groped Heath’s wrist and felt a pulse. Relieved, he folded his fingers around his baby brother’s cold hand, his thumb rubbing his knuckles. « Hold on, kid. We’ll get out of this together. You hear me? You and I and the rest of the family, we’ll make it. So don’t you quit on me. »
Outside Jarrod was stricken by another shooting twinge. His face crumpled as he fell to his knees and hung his head, taking deep breaths. He gagged and coughed as he teetered to his shaky legs and dragged his heavy feet along to comb the grisly site of the hecatomb which compared to the aftermath of a blitz. Maimed bodies scattered everywhere. Jarrod feared more passengers were trapped inside the wrecked cars but couldn’t hear any groan, wail or scream. The ghostly silence made his blood run cold. He felt strangely semi-present, as if in a dream. He gulped in a few more deep breaths and drudged onwards.
The scorching hot sun had reached its zenith. The buzzards were already circling above. He knelt down beside a water canteen and emptied its content to replenish his weak body of the energy it needed to continue. He wiped his mouth and risked touching his blinded eye. He felt the crusted blood and removed his hand quickly in fear that it might be punctured. In the distance, he discerned the form of a man kneeling down beside a corpse. He squinted to establish focus. He staggered to his wobbly legs and dragged his feet towards the grieving man who was Dr. Travers. Jarrod’s face lit up. Travers was staring blankly at Ellie’s corpse. Jarrod hunched down beside the doctor and laid a consoling hand on his shoulder when he realized that the body sprawled on the ground was Travers’s dead wife.
« We’d been married six months, « a teary-eyed Travers bemoaned, his eyes refusing to tear away from his wife’s body. « Why? Why? » he bellowed.
« I can’t answer that. All I know is there has to be a reason. »
Travers stared at Jarrod contemptously. « A reason? HE had a reason to allow this to happen? » he snapped.
« This is a crossroad in our destinities. Our lives will never be the same. »
« Don’t you get philosophical on me! » Travers lashed out. He turned his attention back to his wife.
« Doctor, my sister and brothers are injured. They need your help. »
« Your family? They’re alive? »
« Yes. But they’re hurt, my younger brother especially. His pulse is extremely weak and he’s still unconscious. »
Travers continued to stare at his wife, not acknowledging, numbed by grief.
« Doctor, did you hear what I said? » Jarrod asked, grabbing Travers’s arm.
Travers flung his arm’s free from Jarrod’s grip. « I heard what you said! » he roared. He lowered at Jarrod before his eyes traveled back down to his wife’s body. « I’m not going to help. »
« What? »
« You heard me, Barkley. Leave me alone. » Travers snarled.
Jarrod violently seized Travers by the shoulders and forced him to look at him. He shook him in a desperate attempt to snap him out of his torpor. « You’re a doctor for God’s sake! »
« DON’T mention his name again or I’ll kill you, » he threatened, his eyes ablazed with vengeance.
Jarrod recoiled in shock. He stared at Travers in complete disbelief. He painfully hoisted himself up and pleaded with Travers one last time. « Please. »
« Go away, Jarrod! »
Jarrod shuddered with fear and concern for his family, knowing the only doctor available for miles refused to lift a finger to help the injured. He was at the end of his emotional tether, feeling weak, despondent and shaking from adrenalin. His family needed medical attention. He had no choice but to convince Travers at gun point. He bent down to pick up a colt revolver lying on the ground and cocked it at Travers’s head. « You’re coming with me, « Jarrod threatened quaveringly, desperation mirroring in his eyes.
« Or what? You’re going to kill me? »
The two men stared at each other. Jarrod yielded aware that his action was futile. He lowered the gun and let it drop onto the ground. « Please, I beg of you. »
Travers simply shook his head. Ters flooded Jarrod’s good eye. Defeated, he turned around and staggered back to his family. On his way, he grabbed as many water canteens and unbroken bottles of whiskey as he could find.
As he doddered on, he noticed a young woman wandering not far ahead. As he picked up the pace, he identified the woman as Maria.
« Maria! » he shouted.
She stopped and looked around. She saw the man hurrying towards her but didn’t recognize him. She started to run back the other way. Jarrod caught up with her and grabbed her by the shoulders. He turned her around to face him.
« Maria, it’s me, Jarrod Barkley. »
Maria focused on Jarrod and fell unconscious into his arms. He put his items on the ground and carried Maria down to the wagon.
He entered through the opening in the wall.
« Maria! » Victoria gasped, putting her hand to her mouth.
« She’s alive. She’s just unconscious. Mother, can you turn the sofa over so I can lay her down? »
« I’ll try. »
Victoria applied her body weight against the overturned couch and pushed it up. She uncovered another bloody corpse, one that Jarrod failed to see the first time he moved it to get to the table cloth. She stared at it with numbed horror. Jarrod snapped her out of her trance by requesting her help in settling Maria down to a comfortable position.
« I’ll get some water. Be right back. »
As Jarrod went back out to get the water and bottles, he saw Travers walking up to him. He stared at the doctor expectantly.
« Still need a doctor? »
Jarrod’s grin spread across his face, grateful that Travers had finally come to his senses. He gave him a hearty slap on the back and both headed towards the wagon.
bvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbvbv
After cleaning Jarrod’s eye and patching up the gash above his brow, Travers went to assess Audra’s injuries. She was still complaining about her left arm. Travers concluded to a dislocated shoulder. He knew that resetting it would sent her in the throes of agony. With no morphine to dull the pain, Travers resorted to an alternate tactic. He instructed Jarrod to snap a piece of wood on his signal. He told Audra to brace herself as he took a firm grip of her shoulder and arm. He started counting and on two, he nodded to Jarrod to break the wood, distracting Audra and thus averting her concentration from her pain. Travers yanked the shoulder back into its socket. Audra shrieked.
« How does it feel now Miss Barkley? »
Audra rubbed her sore arm and with an edge of apprehension, slowly stretched it out. « It feels better. Thank you. »
« You’re welcomed. » Travers tore the edge of his shirt to fashion a makeshift sling for Audra’s arm.
Travers went over to Maria who was still lying unconscious on the sofa. He gave her a cursory examination and found only a head concussion and a slight elevated temperature. The fact that she was unresponsive worried him that it might be more serious than the wound appears to be. Rest was the best thing for her until help arrived.
Jarrod and Travers strode over to Heath and Nick. The doctor started examining Nick but he waved him away, insisting that he concentrate on Heath.Travers and Jarrod attempted to remove the weighty steel wheel from Heath’s lower body but their efforts were unavailing. It was pressing against Heath’s abdomen and Travers feared it had caused severe damage to his internal organs. He managed to squeeze his hand through to palpate the injured area. As he suspected, the abdomen felt rigid, evidence of internal bleeding. Heath’s pulse was extremely faint, barely perceptible. His chest and face were covered with deep gashes inflicted by fragments of shattered glass. His pallor was evidence of blood lost.
Upon lifting another beam off Heath’s body, Jarrod gasped in horror. « Doctor Travers, look » Jarrod pointed to Heath’s right side. A sharp piece of glass was sticking out of his flesh. The frightful wound was oozing blood profusely, forming a pool underneath his body. Travers’s first priority was to stem the haemorrhage but feared by removing the glass, it would generate further blood lost and had nothing handy to stitch the wound with. Instead, he opted for a temporary solution. He instructed Jarrod to tear off a shred of his shirt and ball it up. With it, Travers applied pressure against the wound while taking heed not to touch the protruding fragment.
« Jarrod I’m going to require your help. I have to stitch up the wound or your brother will bleed to death. Try to find my medical bag. All of my instruments and medicine flasks are in it. »
« What if I can’t find it? »
« Then w’ll have to make do with what we can find. »
« I’ll do my best. » Jarrod staggered to his feet and felt another twinge.
« You’re going to have to rest a bit. »
« I will, » he sighed painfully, wrinkling his forehead while pinching the bridge of his nose, « when I know my brothers are out of danger. »
« While you’re out searching, you might want to pick up as many bottles of water and whiskey you can find.
« I already have. He left them out there when I carried Maria in. »
« Get some blankets too. I have a feeling we’re going to need them tonight. »
« Tonight? That’s over seven hours away. »
« The nearest town in 50 miles from here. By the time they notice the train is late and dispatch the rescue teams, it might be awhile. »
« Will they…? » Jarrod choked on his sentence.
« I’ll do my best to keep your brothers alive. I haven’t assessed Nick’s injuries yet, but Heath…. » Travers voice trailed off, knowing Jarrod didn’t want to hear the answer.
As soon as Jarrod passed through the opening, Victoria gave Audra’s forehead a kiss and went over to Heath and Nick. She wasn’t prepared for what she saw. Travers tried to soothe her anguish by assuring her that Heath’s injuried appeared worse than they actually were, but the mother wasn’t fooled. She knew her young son was in bad shape. She turned to Nick whose hand still held his brother’s.
« His hand feels colder, Mother. It’s bad, isn’t it? » Nick asked with angst in his voice.
Victoria’s sorrowful smile confirmed Nick’s suspicions. He closed his eyes in grief and wet his lips. « I’m thirsty. »
« Jarrod has gone fetch some water. He should be back shortly, » she assured Nick as she stroke his damp hair and felt his slightly warm forehead. « How do you feel? »
« Lousy. »
« Your legs. Do they hurt much? »
« I can’t feel them, Mother. »
That answer send chills down her spine. She feared his legs might have to be amputated. She looked at Travers still holding Heath’s side. He saw the desperation in the mother’s face but was helpless to do anything. He stretched his neck towards Nick. « I’ll be right with you, son. »
« That’s okay, Doc. I ain’t going anywhere, « Nick gasped out. His fractured ribs were beginning to prick him. Each breath caused him great smart. Victoria sensed her son was in greater pain than he let on.
Audra tried to sit. Her head stared swirling. She shook the dizzeness away and managed to thread her way through the debris to reach her brothers. She nearly fainted at the sight of Heath.
« Miss Barkley, go lie down, » Travers insisted.
« No, I’m okay. » She knelt down beside her dying brother. « I want to help. »
Jarrod returned through the opening with the water canteens , bottles of whiskey and four folded blankets. After handing the stuff over to Dr. Travers he headed back out to search for the medical bag.
The sweltering heat was raging. The boys had to be cooled down. Audra and Victoria each tore a piece of fabrics off their dresses and doused them with water. Audra carefully bathed Heath’s forehead while Victoria applied the same procedure with Nick.
« Doctor, he moved, » Nick informed excitedly as he felt a light tug in his hand.
Audra switched places with Travers while he checked Heath’s eyes. The corneal reflexes were back to normal but the eyes remained vacuous.
Heath began to moan.
« Heath, can you hear me? » Travers coaxed, leaning over him.
Audra attempted to peek at Heath’s face over Travers’s shoulder and by craning her neck, she momentarily released the pressure on the wound. To make matters worse, she brushed against the fragment of glass causing Heath to grunt in pain.
« Careful Miss Barkley, « Travers admonished.
« Sorry. »
Victoria placed her hand on Heath’s brow. « Heath, it’s Mother. Open your eyes for me, son. »
Victoria’s muffled voice sounded like a faint murmur. He wanted to reach out to her, do what she asked but was too weak to try.
« Heath, come on son. Open your eyes, » she begged. He plea was answered when two glassy baby blues opened halfway.
« M…Mo…Mother! » he stuttered just above a whisper.
She caressed his cheek and kissed him on the forehead. « I’m here, Heath. »
« Why…why is it so dark? » he wailed, batting his eyes frantically.
Victoria’s and Audra’s eyes widened in alarm as they stared at Travers who feared Heath’s eyes might have been damaged by flying glass.
« Heath, it’s Doctor Travers. Can you tell me how many fingers I’m holding? » Travers held two fingers a few inches above Heath’s face. The eyes roved around nervously but never really focused on the doctor’s hand. Heath’s respiration increased as he got all flurried.
Travers examined Heath’s watery eyes very closely. There were no sign of ruptured capillaries or damaged cornea. The pupils responded normally to light. Travers deduced the blindness was a result of the head trauma.
Heath wrung Nick’s hand, thinking it was Victoria’s, frightened at the darkness encasing him. « Mother, where are you? » he cried out, gasping in pain with every breath he took.
She stroke his cheek. « I’m right here, Heath. »
« I can’t..I can’t see! »
The words stabbed Nick mercilessly in the heart. He began to weep, squeezing Heath’s hand to let him know he was not alone.
« It hurts. It hurts so much, » Heath bellowed, trying to move to a more confortable position.
« I know. » Victoria was powerless at easing Heath’s pain. She looked up at Travers, her eyes begging for a stop to her son’s agony. His vials of morphine and laudanum were in his medical bag. All they could do is pray for Jarrod to find it.
« Mother! »
She craddled his right hand into her own.
« Nick? »
« I’m right here Brother, » Nick said, tugging at Heath’s left hand.
Heath squeezed Nick’s hand as hard as he could before he lost consciousness.
...Continued