Moving Forward, page 16
Another fire truck arrived, bringing along two more guys from another station. They immediately brought out the Jaws of Life, and Greg worked with their probie to slice through the metal.
Once they got an opening, Greg called out, “Ma’am? Can you hear me, ma’am?”
“Sit rep?” Captain called out.
“Unresponsive.” As the probie pulled out another section of metal, Greg cut the woman’s seat belt. “Ma’am?” There was no response. Frustrated, he called out to the captain, “Do we have a name yet?”
“Terri.”
Greg concentrated on speaking slow and steady. “Terri? Terri, I’m Greg. I’m with the fire department and we’re going to get you to the hospital.”
He placed his fingers on her neck, searching for a pulse. It was there but faint.
Dave joined him. After they got Terri out of the vehicle and onto a stretcher, Greg put on a stethoscope and listened for a heartbeat.
Hearing nothing, his adrenaline kicked in. “We’re losing her!” he said as he began chest compressions.
While the other team pulled out the defibrillator, Dave stayed by Greg’s side, counting compressions.
When she was still unresponsive, they attached the defibrillator electrodes to her chest.
“Clear!” Dave shouted. When there was no response, he tried again as soon as the AED, the automated external defibrillator, recalibrated. And again.
Ten minutes later, it was apparent to everyone that Terri hadn’t made it.
“Damn it,” Dave said under his breath.
Gazing at Terri’s lifeless body, a wave of dizziness overtook Greg. He closed his eyes and tried to regain his composure.
Then he heard a new voice over his shoulder. “Is my wife okay?”
The man’s question pulled him out of his downward spiral but launched him into a whole new place of pain. “Sir, you need—”
“I got this, Tebo,” Captain DeWitt murmured before wrapping his arm around the husband and guiding him away. “Ken, I need you to stand to one side. We need to wait for the ambulance to take her to the hospital.”
Unable to look away, Greg watched the man process the news. “Can I see her?”
Again his captain redirected Terri’s husband. “It’s best if we stay to one side and let them work.”
As the ambulance pulled up, Ken clasped two hands over his mouth. “Oh my God. Oh my God! It’s bad, isn’t it? How could this have happened?”
Greg stood to one side as Ken peppered the captain with questions. Dave and the paramedic took care of transporting Terri to the hospital. Minutes later, a policeman escorted Ken into a squad car and left the scene.
Greg walked back to the truck as the fire chief arrived. He’d stay with the vehicle while a team of investigators took notes and photos of the accident scene.
While the police took over, Greg’s team headed back in silence. Greg kept reviewing everything in his head, wondering what he could have done differently.
Unfortunately, nothing came to mind. That was almost worse.
Almost as bad as knowing that he still had something like another forty-three hours of a forty-eight-hour shift to get through when all he really wanted to do was go home and collapse.
“What would you like me to do now?” Mick asked when they got back to the station.
“You can help us do what we always do,” Greg replied. “Clean the truck, check supplies, and get ready for the next run.”
“Hold on, what happened? Is everyone okay?”
Dave shook his head. “Nope.”
“Greg? What does he mean?”
“He means that one of the victims died.”
Mick’s eyes widened. It was obvious that he wanted to hear the whole story, but Greg wasn’t in the right frame of mind at that moment.
“Listen, let’s clean the truck now. I’ll talk to you about it later.”
“But—”
“Later, okay?”
Mick stared at him for a long moment, then finally nodded. “Okay. So, um, should I get out the hose and start washing?”
“Yep.” He smiled slightly. “Don’t embarrass us, probie. Make sure this truck looks sharp.”
“I’m on it.”
Greg pulled off his turnout gear, neatly hung it up, and then pitched in to help.
Chapter 21
The phone rang three times before Greg was awake enough to check who it was. As tempting as it was to let his mother go to voice mail, he couldn’t do it.
“Hey, Momma. You okay?”
“Hi, Greg. Oh, you sound tired. Are you exhausted?”
“I kind of am.” He lay back down and closed his eyes. “Can I call you back? I didn’t get any sleep last shift.”
“Of course. But I did call for a reason.” She took a breath. “I’m very sorry, but I can’t go to The Broadmoor after all.”
His eyes popped open. “Why not?”
“Meg fell and broke her wrist and needs surgery, so Rachel and Nash need me to help with the other kids. Plus Kristie and Drew and baby Jamie have the flu.”
So far she’d listed his two oldest siblings. There were four others who could help out Rachel and Nash. “Can’t Rachel ask her mother-in-law to help out with Meg for a spell?”
“Oh, you know how nervous Caroline makes your sister. She needs me.”
“What about Stacey or Hope?”
“Hope is heading back to college, son. And Stacey . . . well, you know.”
Stacey was flighty. “So it’s up to you to be there.”
“I’m sorry, but yes. See, Drew and Kristie were going to help out but they’re really sick.” She lowered her voice. “They just got tested for you-know-what.”
His mother treated the word Covid like a profanity. “I see.”
As much as he felt for little Meg, he hated how Rachel always acted like their mother was the only person capable of giving her a helping hand. “I guess it’s too much to think of Quinn or Copeland to step up.”
“You know Quinn is working full-time and it’s Copeland’s National Guard weekend.” Sounding more distressed, she said, “Honey, I promise I tried to find someone else to take my place.”
He was tempted to call every one of his six brothers and sisters and tell them not to deprive their mother of this much-deserved weekend at The Broadmoor, but he couldn’t. One of them would complain to Mom and she would have plenty to say about that.
“Mom, I’m really disappointed. Can’t Rachel and Nash figure something out? Don’t forget I already bought you a plane ticket.”
“I know, honey, but changing it wasn’t a problem. I already called the airline. A nice lady named Sue couldn’t have been more sympathetic. She said that she has grandchildren, too.”
So, she’d already made up her mind. “Mom—”
“I’m going to come out around the middle of August. I’m sure we’ll still have a good time. We always do when we’re together.”
“Yes, ma’am. But—”
She cut him off again. “Please don’t be mad, honey. I know you’re used to army life and now saving lives and whatnot, but everyone else is used to depending on me.”
“Yes, ma’am. I was just really looking forward to giving you this.” Because, well, between the army and living out west, he’d been awfully out of touch.
“Gregory, as much as I’d like to tell you that I can leave everyone in the lurch, I just can’t.” When he didn’t answer immediately, she added, “I really can’t, honey.”
He bit back his disappointment. Yeah, he was feeling a little salty with Rachel, but he also realized that Mom liked being in the thick of things. It made her feel useful. There was simply no way she could physically bring herself to leave Meg when she was having surgery. “I understand.”
His mother proved that she was still as perceptive as ever when she softened her voice even more. “Honey, it’s okay if you don’t. I know you may feel like I’m putting everyone else in the family ahead of you, but I really am trying my best.”
All of a sudden Greg remembered getting his appendix out just after graduating from officer training. The whole family had caravanned to North Carolina to see him get his bars. Two days later, while he was out partying, he was struck by the most horrific pain he’d ever had. By the time he got to the emergency room, he barely had time to call his mom before the doctors rushed him into surgery.
In her sweet, calm voice, she reassured him that she was praying for him and he would be all right.
Greg learned later that she’d called all his siblings and her pastor, then got on a plane that night.
All he knew was that when he woke up the next morning, she was sitting next to his hospital bed, reading a magazine and sipping a Diet Coke like there was nowhere else she’d rather be.
To his shame, he realized that all this time he hadn’t thought to wonder how she’d managed to do that.
It was the same after he got back from his deployment and Quinn found out he was suffering from nightmares. Mom made a dozen phone calls, found him a therapist, and lived in his crappy apartment for a week, cooking for him, doing laundry, and decorating the dingy place like she had an unlimited budget.
When he tried to stop her, she simply smiled and told him to stop fussing.
That’s how she was.
Armed with the memories—and the knowledge that she wasn’t perfect, but she was perfect for him—he said, “I love you, Momma. Don’t worry about it.”
“Maybe you can reschedule for August? That resort does sound awfully nice.”
“I wish I could, but the room is just for this upcoming weekend.”
“Honestly, honey, I can see you having a good time on your own. You’d get to relax. But is there someone else you could take?”
“Maybe. I have a friend I might be able to ask. She’d love the place almost as much as you. If she can’t go, then I’ll pass the tickets on to someone else at the station.”
“She?” Mom’s voice perked up. “Gregory, do you have a girlfriend?”
“Not exactly.”
“Who is it? Is it Kristen?”
Pleased his mother had remembered, he smiled. “It is.”
“Where’s she from?”
Knowing that she’d like hearing that Kristen was kinda, sorta from their background, he couldn’t help but grin. “Texas.”
As expected, she sounded like he’d just found the perfect woman. “Oh, Greg. How nice is that? You found a nice southern girl right in the middle of Colorado.”
He chuckled. “Mom, she’s a nice woman, yeah?”
“Whatever. What matters is that you’re seeing someone. Tell me about her. What does she do?”
No way was he going to dive down that rabbit hole. If he answered one question his mother would ask two dozen more. “That’s a discussion for another time, I think. I really am exhausted.”
“Oh. Of course. I’ll call you soon. Get some rest now. And, Greg, thank you for understanding.”
“There’s nothing to understand. Rachel and Meg need you.” And she needed to be needed. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too. Now, tell me the truth. Did you get hurt on your shift?”
“No, Momma. Just tired.”
When he hung up, he stared at the ceiling and wondered how to ask Kristen to spend the night with him at a fancy hotel.
He had a feeling it might take a little more finesse than he was capable of.
* * *
• • •
The next morning, sitting across from Kristen at Jo’s Kolache Hut, Greg explained all about the calendar, the gift certificate, his mother, and Meg’s wrist.
Throughout his spiel, a variety of expressions flitted across Kristen’s face—amusement, surprise, admiration, and concern. She stayed quiet, just taking in the whole shebang—whether she did it for his benefit or hers, he didn’t know.
“That’s quite a story,” she murmured when he finally stopped. “I don’t know what to say. Is Meg okay?”
He nodded. “I called Rachel early this morning. Meg had some problems with the anesthesia, so they’re keeping her overnight. She should be heading home tomorrow, though.”
“That’s a relief, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “I’m sure my sister’s glad Mom arrived. My mother is the best ‘sick mom’ around. I don’t know if it’s because she had seven of us or if she’s just special. She really does have the patience of a saint, though.”
“She definitely does sound rather saintlike.”
He winced. He really had made it sound like his mother walked on water. “I guess I exaggerated. She’s not a saint, of course. She can yell orders like a drill sergeant. All seven of us are pretty different, but not a one of us willingly tells her no.”
Kristen reached out and squeezed his hand. “Greg, I’m teasing you. It’s a blessing to have a mother like yours. You’re lucky—and she’s lucky to have children and grandchildren who appreciate her, too.”
“I promise I didn’t ask you to breakfast just so you could hear me sing my mother’s praises. I really do want you to be my date for this weekend. The Broadmoor is too nice a place to visit alone.”
“Thank you, but—”
“Listen, I don’t expect anything other than for us to have a good time together.”
“Are you sure?”
“I haven’t forgotten our conversation at your place, honey.”
She ran a finger around the rim of her coffee cup before meeting his gaze. “I don’t know how to say this, but, uh, I’m still not ready for us to take things further. I don’t want you to be disappointed.” Looking even more awkward, she added, “And yes, I realize that I sound like I’m the biggest—”
He rushed to interrupt. “You don’t. All I want is a fun weekend at a ritzy resort.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel like I’m giving you mixed messages.”
“Babe, I’m positive. I already made sure the room will have two queen beds. I’m not going to do anything to sabotage where our relationship is going.”
Kristen gave him a searching look. Picked up her coffee, took a long sip, and then set it back down. “Okay.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She smiled. “But I’m warning you, I’m going to want to explore the whole resort.”
“I can handle that.”
“Oh, I bet.” Lowering her voice, she added, “And, just for the record, I’m going to want one of those calendars with your autograph, Mr. March.”
“No way.”
Eyes dancing, she folded her hands on the table. “Oh yeah. If you want me to go to The Broadmoor with you, I’m going to want a signed calendar.”
“If I say no?”
“You’ll be going to the resort without me, and I’m not only going to buy a dozen calendars, I’m going to reach out to the photographer—for all the outtakes. I’m sure he or she took tons of photos.”
He was both amused and impressed. “You know what? You look mild-mannered, but there’s a lot more to you than meets the eye. You’re pretty scrappy, aren’t you?”
“Oh, Greg. You have no idea.”
Feeling like he could finally breathe again, he laughed. He couldn’t wait to take her someplace special. He wanted to spend a lot of time with her so they could get to know each other. He wanted to show her off.
He wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her until they both regretted their promise to sleep in separate beds.
Yep, without a doubt, she was special. Sweet yet fiery, stubborn but kind. He was starting to hate the idea of ever being out of Kristen Werner’s life.
Chapter 22
Sam was standing outside one of the garage bays, sipping a cup of coffee, when Bill pulled up to the fire station. When Sam spied Jen, she waved.
“Do you know her?” Bill asked his sister.
“Yes. Her name is Samantha Carter. She’s who I talked to at the garden center.”
“So she’s the reason you’re here.”
“Kind of.”
Noting that Sam still had her eyes on her, Jen lifted a hand in a half wave. “I better go.” She reached for her backpack. “Thanks for the ride.”
Bill put his car in park. “Would you like me to walk over with you?”
“What, like it’s the first day of second grade? No.”
“Fine. Call if you need a lift home, okay? If I can’t get you, I bet Brittany can take off work.”
“Thanks, but I bet I won’t.” Sam had said if they weren’t on a call then one of the probies could probably run her home, since it wasn’t very far at all. Or she could walk. She opened her door.
“Wait a second. I think you should call me when you’re done, no matter what.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I’ll want to know how it went.”
“Because?”
“Because I’m going to want to know that you’re okay and didn’t hurt yourself.”
If Bill wasn’t such a great brother, Jen would probably roll her eyes or something. But he’d come through for her again and again. Whether it was making sure she had food at home, or helping out with her homework, or just giving her hugs and offering an ear to vent to. “Okay, I’ll call, but I think I’ll be fine.”
“I hope you will be.” Turning to face her, he added, “I better not hear you decided to walk home because you didn’t want to bother anyone. Call.”
“Fine. I will.” She opened her door.
“Hey, Jen?”
Someone else was now standing with Sam watching her. “Bill, I’ve got to go.”
“All I want to say is good luck, Jenny. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks.” Her heart felt full as she smiled at him. “Bye.”
As soon as she closed the passenger door, he pulled into a parking space and turned around. She looked back over at Sam. Anderson Kelly had joined her. She remembered him well because he had scars on his arms and face.
