Bootsteps clomped through the living room and into the dining room. Josh grabbed a hatchet leaning against the fireplace and held it like a weapon. He tiptoed up the stairs, his heart banging against his ribs.
He stopped halfway and gripped the handle. What was his plan? Chop whoever it was? He braced his feet. The basement door was cracked open, and he glimpsed blue jeans and cowboy boots. The hatchet slipped in his grasp.
“Anyone here?”
Josh froze on the stairs.
Someone yanked the door open, and a man stood there. Josh took a step backward, gripping the handle. He peered at the form. “Uncle Carl?”
“Josh? I wasn’t sure I’d find you here.”
Josh dropped the hatchet and took the steps two at a time. Carl crushed him in a bear hug.
“Is Dad with you?”
“No, and I’m fine. How are you?”
Josh pushed away. “Sorry. I just—”
“I know. Aunt Jan sends her love.” Uncle Carl winked.
“Have you been to Cedarville?”
“Yep.” He placed a hand on Josh’s shoulder. “It’s getting bad fast. Looters hit the Stuart’s place. Martha ended up in the hospital. Squatters broke into the abandoned farm on Belly Creek Road, burned it to the ground.”
“What?”
Uncle Carl wiped his face with his hands. “Enough of that. How are you guys? Where is Sis?”
Josh winced. How did he tell him? Just tell him. His tongue was thick as he tried to speak. “We were headed to the basement. She fell.” Josh fought against the pressure pounding between his ears.
“Hurt?” Uncle Carl’s gaze bore into Josh.
“Her arm—it’s bad.” Josh struggled to keep his voice steady.
“Well, let’s have a look-see.” Uncle Carl used his country drawl, the same one he used on heart attack victims or people with broken legs. It calmed them, and it calmed Josh now.
Josh led him down the stairs, but he jerked to a stop at sight of her still form.
“Mom, Uncle Carl’s here.”
She moaned but did not open her eyes. Josh’s neck tensed, and he moved to the fireplace to give Carl room.
“Hey, sis.” He bent at her side, leaned over, and lifted the sling. “Trying to fly, were you?” He glanced under the bandage. His frown deepened.
She didn’t respond.
“No antibiotics, I suppose.”
Josh shook his head, his middle quivering. Infection, page 236.
“Antiseptic and gauze then, quick.”
Uncle Carl slid her arm out of the sling and removed the bandage. Mom sucked air through her teeth in one hissing breath.
“I need more light.”
Josh grabbed the flashlight and pointed the beam on the wound. The long silence that followed stretched on. What did Uncle Carl see? Gangrene? His stomach tightened, and he gripped the flashlight with both hands.
“Carl?” she mumbled.
“That’s my name.” Uncle Carl held her arm in one hand, his banter bringing a grin to her lips. He poured antiseptic solution over the wound. “I’ve got you right where I want you.”
“Ha,” she snorted, clenching her eyes shut as Uncle Carl worked.
How could they joke? She was in danger, right? Josh held a towel underneath her arm to keep the antiseptic from her clothes. The bleeding had stopped, but the edges of the wound were an angry pink.
Uncle Carl nodded to the corner, and Josh followed him to the far side of the room. “It’s a pretty nasty break, but you’ve done a fine job of cleaning and splinting it. Still, infection has set in.” He looked Josh in the eyes. “We’re going to have to set the bone. Then we’ll get her to the hospital.”
“Wait? Set the bone before you go? But isn’t that dangerous?”
“I have to try, son. She’ll travel better with it set.” Carl’s drawl had disappeared, his voice quick and sharp. “I need your help. You okay with that?”
A cold chill settled over Josh even though the fireplace crackled. His neck muscles pinched, and he reached up to massage the tension. Setting the bones would cause her more pain. Using his right hand, he rubbed his neck. He stood pressing his shoulders back. He’d be faced with decisions like this every day as a doctor. How did they do it?
Josh gulped. His mother’s moans paralyzed him, but they had to get her to the hospital. Infection led to sepsis. He glanced at her form lying on the couch, gray and small.
“Okay. Let’s do this before I chicken out.”
Uncle Carl’s forehead grew smooth as he smiled. “We better wash up.”
He went through the motions on autopilot. Josh waited for instructions, wiping his damp hands on his jeans.
“You sit on the couch behind your mom and wrap your arms around for support, got it? I’ll set the arm, but it’s gonna hurt like-a-mother-bear. You have to hold her.”
Josh clenched his teeth and nodded. He raised mom’s shoulders and slipped in behind her. He wrapped his arms around her right arm and torso, leaving her left arm free. He shut his eyes and buried his face in her shoulder. The scent of her lavender shampoo filled his senses. Her body stiffened, and Josh tightened his hold.
Uncle Carl held her upper arm in his left hand and her lower arm in his right. She gritted her teeth and nodded. He pulled. She shrieked then went limp in Josh’s arms. It was over before Josh could say, “mother-bear.” He sat, his arms wrapped around her, holding her. Uncle Carl poured more antiseptic solution on her wound then examined her arm.
“It looks better with the bone set. We need to get her ready to travel. The sooner we get her to the hospital the better.” Uncle Carl went to the sink and washed the blood off his hands.
Josh eased his mother back onto the pillows and scooted off the couch. He joined Uncle Carl at the sink.
“How do you that? I mean it’s your sis…”
Uncle Carl’s eyes never blinked, as if removed from this basement and Mom’s broken arm. Josh wiped his hands on a towel.
“We need to re-splint now. Hold these while I wrap.”
Josh nodded and held the rulers. With sure and steady hands, Carl took them and placed them on her arm and began wrapping. Josh sat mesmerized watching him work.
Uncle Carl fastened the end of the wrap and stood. “She’ll be out for a while. Do you have any pain meds?”
“Just acetaminophen and ibuprofen. I checked the medi—”
“That’ll work. I have a stretcher in my truck.” Carl headed for the stairs.
“Truck?”
“Yep, four tires, steering wheel—you know the kind.”
Josh shook his head. Uncle Carl seemed unphased, and he was a mass of quivering jelly. “Yeah, I do.” He followed Uncle Carl up the stairs. “What were the roads like?”
“Pretty much like your driveway. I brought the chainsaw, had to cut through a dozen or more trees just to get here.”
Uncle Carl, the survivalist. Of course, he had a stretcher and a chainsaw. Josh watched from the porch as Uncle Carl disappeared behind a tangle of trees. He’d left the trees in the driveway so looters couldn’t see the house. He knew everything, and Josh couldn’t even take care of mom…
Uncle Carl climbed through the branches carrying the stretcher, and Josh grabbed one end. They stomped into the basement. Mom’s eyes sank into the dark circles above her cheekbones. Dehydration. He grabbed the ibuprofen and acetaminophen from the bathroom cabinet and filled a glass with R. He handed it all to Uncle Carl. “Easy now. Little sips.” She nodded, her eyes shut.
Uncle Carl motioned his head toward the corner, and Josh followed.
“Hey. You were a big help,” he said.
“I just did what you said.” Josh shrugged, but a warm glow filled his chest.
“We have to get her up the stairs and to the truck. It’s going to jostle her quite a bit, so be prepared.”
“Okay, but I’m not going with you.”
“What?” Uncle Carl did a double take. “Of course you are.”
“No. I’m not leaving the farm or dad’s equipment. Someone needs to take readings and record them.” He quivered inside, but stood his full height, his face a mask.
“Your mom probably needs surgery. We can’t wait any longer, and you are going.”
Josh glared at Uncle Carl. “No. Someone has to stay so it doesn’t get burned to the ground.” He scanned the kitchen floorboards. He had to convince Uncle Carl. “Dad needs the data for his research.” Josh frowned and clenched his fists. “I’m almost seventeen, remember?”
“How could I forget?” Uncle Carl ran his hands over his buzz cut, looking Josh up and down. “I hear the generator. Is the radio receiving messages?”
“Well, no.” Josh swallowed hard. He could have lied, but Carl would have checked.
“Thank you for telling the truth. I knew your radio didn’t work because I sent you three messages with no response. You can’t stay without a radio.”
“But—”
“No buts.”
“Uncle Carl, please.”
Carl’s frown deepened. “Let me double check your generator then see what’s up with the radio. Then I’ll decide.”
Josh nodded, crossing his fingers behind his back. Grandpa would never leave the farm in such a state, but he would have had the radio running by now. Josh tagged behind Uncle Carl.
The generator rattled and roared. Uncle bent down, and Josh leaned over his shoulder.
“I smell gas.” He ran his hand over the dent then sniffed his fingers and stood and wiped his hands on his jeans. “This old thing runs like a top, but you got a leak. If you can get a solar panel circuit connected, you can swap over and save gas. I expect your dad will be home before that.”
“Yes, sir.” Josh rolled his shoulders easing the stiffness. “With the storm over, Dad will probably be here by nightfall.”
“All right, all right.” Uncle Carl chuckled and held up his hands. “I still have to look at that radio. No promises.”
Josh nodded. “I’m sure it’s a simple fix, but I don’t have my license.”
“This is an emergency, so use it. Besides, the messages you receive are as important as what you send.”
Josh nodded, trying to suppress a grin. “So does that me—”
Uncle Carl scowled at Josh. “I haven’t decided yet.”
He marched into the basement. Josh hung over his shoulder as he turned the radio around to expose the back and unscrewed a panel. He checked the wires inside, mumbling to himself. Josh kept track of all the checks he made. He’d been as prepared as he could be, but he still didn’t know enough. Would he ever?
“Did you get a reading on those winds yet?” Uncle Carl asked.
“I haven’t had time to get out to the barn to check. How big is the outage area?” Josh clamped his jaw shut. Had he just given Uncle Carl a reason to change his mind? Josh wiped any emotion from his face as Uncle Carl stood and scratched his head.
“NOAA clocked the winds through Vandby Valley at 120 miles per hour. Explains all the downed trees, right? In Alaska they got up to 175.”
Josh’s mouth went dry. How did he stop this train wreck before it got any worse? He had to stay.
“The messages so far report power outages up and down the West Coast. Could this be Ed’s storm?”
Josh shrugged. He shifted from foot to foot.
“NOAA says there’s another storm moving in.”
Now he’d never let Josh stay. Josh rubbed his pounding temples. “It might be.”
“I figured as much.”
Why had Josh opened his big mouth? If he didn’t change the subject his head might just explode. He focused on Uncle Carl’s hand working on the wires at the back of the radio.
He pointed. “Is that a loose wire? Could it be the problem?”
“That wire’s fine, but your bushings are tarnished. No wonder it doesn’t work.”
Josh shrank. Of course. The bushings.
“Easy fix, though. I told your dad he should upgrade this equipment. At least it’s got a crank if your generator goes out.” Uncle Carl wiped his hands on his jeans.
“The crank is in the drawer.”
Uncle Carl took the crank, fit it on the knob, and turned it once. “Once the bushings are cleaned, you just turn until the dials come to life. You’ll get the hang of it.”
Josh nodded. Was he leaning toward letting Josh stay?
“Got an eraser?”
“Eraser?”
“To clean the bushings. I got one in the truck. Your radio will be as good as new, well almost.”
Josh nodded and trailed after Uncle Carl. Mom slept on the couch oblivious, her cheeks flushed.
“Fever,” Uncle Carl said. “Hurry.” He dashed up the stairs.
Josh ran after him but stopped on the porch and scanned the horizon. Clouds were building in the southwest, and all warmth drain from him.
“I’ll drive the truck around so we can load up Sis.”
Josh jogged to the barn and to the backside. He rolled the heavy door open, and Uncle Carl drove his truck down the center aisle and to the porch. Josh left the doors open for his departure.
“This will just take a minute.” He climbed the steps, a pencil with an eraser in one hand.
Josh would be alone if this worked, and Dad might not make it home before the next storm hit. A sharp pain pinched his neck, and he rolled his shoulders.
He cleared his throat. “What more could I have done?”
Uncle Carl stared at his boots. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Your mom must get to the hospital before the next storm. It’s a good thing we get this window of time. But you saved her life with your quick thinking. She’s going to be fine.” He cocked one eye at Josh. “Still want to be a doctor?”
The weight of what it meant to be a doctor hit him like a wrecking ball. “I just feel like I could have done more.”
Carl took Josh’s shoulders in his large hands and held his gaze. “That’s what will make you a great doctor. We all feel that—paramedics, doctors, nurses. You did everything you could with what you had. Now I’ll take her to the hospital, and she will be fine.”
“Yeah. You’re right. Thanks.” The pain in his neck released, and he nodded.
“Let’s get that radio working. Maybe you’ll have time to get a circuit repaired. That will set you up for the next storm, and by then your dad will be home. Just keep that radio on, and I’ll always be in touch.”
“Wait. So, I can stay?” Josh stared at Uncle Carl’s back.
“I haven’t decided.” He disappeared down the stairs chuckling.
****
Uncle Carl tipped the radio on its side and started rubbing the bushings with the eraser. He blew off black eraser pieces and tightened a loose wire with some needle-nose pliers. He checked several wire connections and pushed the plug into a socket.
“Ready?” He motioned to Josh.
Josh turned the knob, and the dials leapt. “Yes.”
Uncle Carl grinned.
“That’s it?” He should have known how to fix this, but he did now. He dialed in the NOAA channel. “It’s like magic.”
“No magic here.” He held up the eraser and pliers. “They don’t make radios like this old set anymore. It’s in good shape, but you’ll need the solar panels connected and running before the generator runs out of gas. Who knows when the power will be back on, right? It pays to have a backup plan.”
“I saw several panels in the yard. I can get that sorted out, no problem.”
Carl nodded. “Remember to stay hydrated, don’t work too hard, and keep your eyes on the weather. I want to hear as soon as your dad arrives.”
“So, it’s official? I can stay?”
Uncle Carl nodded. “Sure. Now, let’s get your mom ready.”
Uncle Carl grabbed the stretcher, and Josh dragged the coffee table out of the way. Carl laid it on the floor next to the couch. The fireplace lit the space with a cozy glow.
“She’ll have to ride in the back seat. She’ll be more comfortable than sitting up front.”
“What roads are open?”
“Thomas Road is clear for the most part. I’ve already cut a way through. We’ll have to cut through some fences and drive through a couple pastures. Not ideal, but we’ll get there.”
“Poor Mom.” Josh glanced at her, his belly tightening at the sight of her chapped lips. “This is a worst-case scenario, isn’t it?”
Uncle Carl raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak. He shook her shoulder. “We’re going to get you to the truck now, then to the hospital.”
She opened her eyes, nodded, but did not speak. The light reflected off her watery eyes.
“Listen. I’m not going to lie. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”
She nodded.
“Josh is staying here.”
Her eyes popped open and glared at Uncle Carl. “No.”
“He’ll be fine. He’s got a plan. Ed should be home this evening if he left Vandby as soon as the storm ended.”
She frowned. Then, with a sigh, she closed her eyes and nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek. Josh had expected a fight, but she was too weak.
It made sense for him to wait for his dad, though. She had to know that he could do this.
Uncle Carl leaned down and gathered her by the shoulders. “Josh is going to lift your feet. Easy now.” They eased her onto the stretcher. She was lighter than Josh expected. Uncle Carl fastened the straps.
“Now, up on three.”
Josh gripped the handles, and his mother gripped the side with her good hand.
“One, two, three.” She clenched her teeth as they lifted her off the floor. Uncle Carl took the stairs backward one at a time. Josh tightened his grip on the handles, moving with each step.
“Slow and easy, here.” Uncle Carl lifted his end, and Josh lost his grip as he reached the top of the steps. She gasped.
Josh clenched his jaw and adjusted his hands on the stretcher, his eyes on her feet. He couldn’t look at her face.
“You got her,” Uncle Carl said, his voice low and steady.
Josh made it around the corner. They crunched through dining and living rooms strewn with glass, onto the porch, down the steps, and to the truck. Josh’s hands were slick with sweat, but he gave Uncle Carl the okay nod.
Uncle Carl situated her head and shoulders on the back seat of the truck and ran around to the other door. He grabbed the handles, and Josh pushed her onto the back seat as Uncle Carl pulled her. She moaned, clamping her eyes shut. She lay with her knees bent so Josh could close the door.
Josh jogged around the truck. Her gray face startled him, and he stumbled against the truck. Uncle Carl put a hand on his shoulder to steady him.
Josh wiped his lips on his sleeve, then kissed her forehead. She reached up and clasped his hand.
“It’ll be okay, Mom.”
Uncle Carl jiggled his keys.
“I’ll have the radio on, so if you hear anything—” Josh said.
“Ditto.” Uncle Carl grabbed his hand and drew him into a hug, then held him at shoulders’ length. “You’ll need that solar circuit, right?”
Josh nodded. Uncle Carl climbed into the truck. It roared to life and bumped through the barn and down the driveway. Josh slid the barn doors closed and locked them. Then he turned and stumbled to the house, the front porch a blur.
He was on his own now.