Chapter Twenty Seven - Slow - Emergency Vehicle Access
I was still leaning against the gate, gazing out at the quietly long slow waves travelling across wheat field when I heard someone approach from behind and cough quietly. I turned enough to look over my shoulder and saw Wil standing there, then simply cocked my head to signal him to come over.
"If you're planning on taking Carissa to town in order to see Corinna and her folks, I think I should come along." He said quietly as he moved up and leaned on the gate beside me.
"Do you think that's wise?" I asked.
"Hell no, but I do think it's probably better to do that than it would be to sit here and mope around, blaming myself and everyone else for things." He spoke quietly.
"Well, before I say either yes or no, I think we need to talk to Carissa." I said unemotionally, looking him in the eye. "First off, I want to know whether she wants to go in to town despite her family's wishes. Secondly, I think before you go, we should talk to the folks and see what they think."
"Actually, I ran the idea past Dad already." He sighed. "He suggested the same thing you did, so we need to talk to Mom and Carissa. Dad's gone for a walk because he's trying to think of a reason for either of the Coulters insisting that Carissa stay away."
"Did he ever think about the fact that Carissa is a twin and that they might be worried about what seeing Corinna in a screwed up state might be more than Carissa can handle? That's what worries me, because I'm certain that she's going to want to be there at Corinna's side, no matter what happens."
I'd managed to say the words without breaking down, but I was feeling darn close to tears. I knew that whatever happened, this screwed up suicide attempt was going to change Corinna in ways I couldn't imagine. At the same time, I knew it was going to affect Carissa as well. If I admitted the truth, I was even frightened that it would affect Carissa to the point where it would change the way she felt about me, at the moment that was the really scary worry that hung in my mind. It left me with the same feeling a hail cloud on the horizon gives a farmer; it was coming my way and there was absolutely nothing I could do to protect Carissa or myself.
"Oh. I guess he didn't think of anything like that." Wil said quietly, rattling me for a few seconds until I realised he was talking about Dad and his worries.
I shrugged it off, deciding that Dad was going to have to figure that one out himself. At the same time I decided it was time to go find out what I could do for Carissa. With that thought in mind I spun on my heels and headed for the house. My sudden decision must have taken Wil completely by surprise because he took a moment before he realised I wasn't still standing at his side and turned to follow me.
In the house, I found Carissa on the phone as Mom stood by her, acting as support. In fact Mom simply held up her hand as if telling me to stop when I came into the hallway. I paused, but Carissa had seen me and signalled me over to her side and held out an arm as if she wanted a hug.
"Look, Mom, Chris just came in. We can be there if fifteen or twenty minutes. Can you hold the plane for that long or not?" She demanded.
I'd moved to her side, but couldn't hear what her mother said. Instead I concentrated on holding Carissa and giving her what support a hug would give while she listened.
"Fine, if the plane leaves before we get there, take off, but we're leaving now. I'll either be there or I'll see you at the hospital in Edmonton later, but I'll be there, no matter what else happens."
With that she slammed the receiver of the phone down and pushed me toward the door. "Let's go! NOW! Corinna has to get to the University Hospital in Edmonton and they talked Charlie Engels into flying her there in his plane. They're taking her to his place in the ambulance while he gets his plane ready to fly. I want to be with them."
It only took seconds before we were climbing back into the car. I've never driven on open roads like I did for that trip. All the way Carissa was trying to talk, but constantly losing her thread of conversation and breaking down in tears. I did manage to get the gist of what she understood had happened, but some of it didn't make sense to me at the time. However I was filled in to a certain extent later at the airfield, although even then I was slightly confused about a few things.
According to what I understood. Mrs Coulter had given Corinna some form of prescription medication as well as a sleeping pill on Monday when she'd gone upstairs, in hope that when Corinna awoke she'd be calm enough to talk. That had seemed to work, because that night they'd had a long talk which had seemed to leave Corinna quite calm and relaxed. In fact, she'd fallen back to sleep. The next day she'd seemed much more rational and Mrs. Coulter had thought she was well enough that she could be left alone. She'd gone to bed and relaxed herself.
When Mrs. Coulter awoke in the morning, she'd gone to see if Corinna had slept well. Corinna's bed was empty. A quick search of the house soon had her worrying and she was just heading out the door to get into her car to look for Corinna when she heard sirens wailing. She'd followed the sirens, fearful of what she'd find. When she saw where they stopped, she simply pulled over and slammed the car into park, then abandoned it at the side of the road, intending to run the last hundred feet or so on foot.
The police and ambulance had pulled up at the entrance to the Jesus' Penitent's Evangelical Church which boasted the tallest bell tower of any church in the foothills of Alberta. The bell tower was built above a wide entrance over a tall covered porch and vestibule and reached a long distance further into the air after separating from the lower roof.
Approaching from the direction she was coming toward the church, Mrs. Coulter could see a jagged hole in the front portion of the lower roof and near the base of the bell tower. Fluttering from the edge of that hole was a rag, a distinctive coloured rag. It was a pale blue, the exact colour of the nightgown Corinna had worn to bed the night before.
As soon as she noticed that she started to run to get closer, but an RCMP officer intercepted her and kept her back. In fact he escorted her to a squad car and had her sit in it, effectively blocking her view of the church front as well as any activity there. She never saw the stretcher carrying Corinna as it was removed from the church and transferred to the ambulance. In fact she didn't see Corinna at all right then, even though the RCMP officer drove her directly to the hospital in his car.
In actual fact she never saw Corinna until after the initial operation to save her life had been performed. By the time that had happened, not only Mr. Coulter, but Frank Dolens and his wife, Jennifer, were there to help her handle the situation. That was probably a good thing because the operation lasted for hours and all of the were on edge.
According to the doctor, Corinna had suffered amazingly few cuts and abrasions, but her left arm was broken, her left ankle was fractured, and so were several ribs on her left side. Those however were minor problems. The reason the surgery had taken so long was the fact that a portion of the wooden roof had splintered and been driven through her abdominal cavity. Removing that splinter and repairing the damage it had caused took hours. It was too early to tell if there were any other minor internal injuries, but they did suspect that there probably were some.
However, the doctor had found something else that he considered even more worrisome. There was a slightly depressed area as well as bruising on the left side of her skull and her ear was definitely damaged. Unfortunately the hospital wasn't capable of handling an operation involving brain surgery and the doctor felt that was essential in order to keep Corinna alive. He was certain that the depressed area was exerting pressure on the brain itself and if that pressure wasn't eased, she could die.
At the moment Corinna was stable, but comatose, in other words she was hanging in the balance. The doctor was reluctant to try anything further himself in fear he would do more damage than good, but he suggested that she might be helped if she could be taken by an air ambulance to the University Hospital in Edmonton.
He'd hardly gotten the words out of his mouth when Frank Dolens swung into action. Inside of moments, Frank had called Charlie Engels who lived less than a mile out of town and had both a plane and an airstrip. Charlie was willing and able to fly to Edmonton within the hour, carrying Corinna on a stretcher, as well two attendants and their equipment. He even told Frank that he could take two passengers as well.
That was about when things started to really happen to prepare for the flight and it was shortly after that time that Carissa had called the hospital and spoken to her mom.
Carissa and I pulled into Charlie's place and driven to the edge of the airstrip before the ambulance arrived followed by an RCMP car. Minutes later the plane was taxiing down the runway. I was left with an empty feeling in my gut as I watched the plane lift off and the feeling was being heightened because the adrenaline of driving at high speed on relatively rough country roads was burning away. I simply flopped back against the fender of my car and sighed. At that moment I was wondering once more, 'Just what the hell else can happen?'
In fact, Frank Dolens, John Coulter and I probably all felt about the same way about then, at least their faces looked as blankly worried, yet as lost as I felt. I suppose it was the words of the RCMP officer standing there with us that snapped us all out of our doldrums.
"I've been adding up facts and doing some figures in my head." He said quietly. "And, I'm left with a puzzle that I can't seem to solve."
I just frowned at him, but Frank Dolens bit on the open-ended question.
"What puzzle?" Frank asked.
"Well, I was there when Mrs. Coulter was speaking to her daughter on the telephone. I understood her daughter to be calling from the Crawford farm at that time and according to my watch, she hung up the phone less than fifteen minutes ago. That farm is seventeen miles from where we're now standing. In between here and there, the road is not only gravel surfaced, with several long curves, but it also makes two right angle corners and crosses one intersection that legally requires a full stop." The officer lifted his arm and held his watch near his ear, then smiled crookedly as he looked me in the eye. "I think I'd best have my watch checked because if I have my figures worked out according to the time it registers, you would have had to travel exceptionally fast to achieve that feat. I'm quite certain that a law-abiding citizen like you would never do that, would you?"
I was going to say something, but didn't get a chance. John Coulter lifted his elbow and rested it on my shoulder as he stripped his watch off his wrist, then he shifted his arm to rest it lightly on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Here officer, you can use my watch for the day." He offered, holding out his Bulova. "I know you'll need one, and after what you've done for us, I'd be honoured if you'd let me take yours into the jewellers to have it cleaned and checked. No cost to you of course."
"Oh, I couldn't allow you to do that." The officer smiled and winked. "I think instead I may be less diligent than normal in mentioning time spans in my report. Now, who is riding back to town with me and who is riding back with young Mr. Crawford?"
I was surprised to find that both Mr. Coulter and Frank Dolens wanted to ride with me.
"Just how fast were you going, Chris?" Frank asked, once we were in the car and the cop couldn't hear anything.
"Unh, I didn't really look at the speedometer." I admitted quietly. "Carissa was telling me about what her mom had said and I did listen, but mostly, I was concentrating on the road. I didn't want to be involved in an accident to add to everyone's grief, so I was doing my best to be careful while hurrying as fast as I could. I had an idea how long it was going to take for the ambulance get to Charlie Engel's place so I was just trying to make it in time. Luckily, I seem to have managed."
"Well, I'm glad you did, Chris." Mr. Coulter said quietly. "Now, are you heading back to the ranch or what?"
"I think I have to." I sighed. "There isn't much else that I can do right now. We've got hydro and the phone being surveyed in this week, along with other things that need to be done. I should really be there for that, so although I'd like to be as supportive as I can be for Carissa, I just can't be in two places at once. This is a real screw up as far as I'm concerned."
"It is for everyone." Frank spoke up from where he was riding in the back seat. "John has to go to Edmonton and I don't think he should drive. I don't suppose I could convince you to drive his car and act as his chauffer for the trip as well as while he's needed there, could I?"
"Frank, I'll be fine." Mr. Coulter said firmly.
"You probably would, John, but you've been my friend for too damn long for me to let you risk your life on a long drive when you're this wound up and this worried. Chris happens to be one of the best drivers around and if I can hire him to see that you're safe, I damn well will."
Somehow Frank's comment about long term friendship struck a raw nerve for me.
"Excuse me, but before the two of you get into a major argument, I think my going anywhere is impossible at the moment." I said shortly, breaking into the discussion. "I know Carissa would like me to be there and I know you trust me to drive fairly well, Frank, but I simply have too much going on in my life right now to do anything like that. It may sound slightly selfish and inconsiderate on my part, especially considering how close I and Carissa have become, but I still feel that my commitments to my own family come first. Grampa Bender is in the hospital too, and he's not doing all that well either, so I really shouldn't be that far away if he takes a turn for the worse. I'm already committed to looking after the ranch while he's stuck in the hospital. I simply can't back out of that right now. Instead of trying to pressure me, why don't you ask your sons, Frank? I'll bet Jerry or Billy would be happy to do it."
I think my comments and my suggestion surprised both men. At least they both stopped bickering and became relatively quiet for the rest of the drive back to town. I didn't know where they wanted to go, but I guessed they had some kind of transportation at the hospital, so that was where I drove. When I stopped, Frank clapped my shoulder and said thanks as he got out, but Mr. Coulter sat there for a moment longer and looked at me quietly.
"Chris, I have to say that you keep on impressing me more each time I listen to your reasoning about problems and your general ethic about things." He sighed softly then. "I don't imagine I need to impress on your our wish to keep rumours about what happened with Corinna to a minimum. I don't mind you telling your family what you know, especially Wil. I have a feeling Corinna gave him a raw deal."
"Mr Coulter, I can't very well talk much about this, because I don't really know much." I shrugged my shoulders. "Carissa wasn't certain about too many things herself, after all she was only talking to your wife on the phone for a few minutes. As for the thing between Wil and Corinna, I really don't know what happened and it's not my business to ask."
"Well, to start with, I'd like you to call me John, not Mr. Coulter, although I imagine you do that out of respect." His face twisted into a sad smile. "As for the rest, I'm not exactly sure that I even know everything that happened today, but I think you deserve to know as much as I do."
So for the next few minutes he filled me in on the happenings of the day as he understood them. I was surprised that so little of it differed from what Carissa had told me. The only real facts that were added to what I knew already was how the whole thing had come to be reported.
It seemed that one of the old timers from down the street had gone outside to work in his garden and had seen Corinna standing in the bell tower. He'd run inside to phone the police, thinking that it was someone bent on causing damage. He had been on the phone to them while watching out his window as Corinna jumped, so the police, volunteer firemen and ambulance were on the way almost before she hit the roof. The old guy had even phoned the hospital to warn them that a victim of a fall was on the way.
By the time he was finished telling me about it, Mr. Coulter was quite upset. At that point I agreed with Frank Dolens that he shouldn't drive himself to Edmonton, especially if he left that night. In fact when he got out of the car, I got out as well, then waved to Frank, calling him over to where we were.
In a way I was glad to know the additional information, but now I was worried about John Coulter's condition. He just didn't look good. However Frank Dolens took over and that made me feel better. He actually insisted that John talk to the doctor or a nurse and we escorted him inside.
Once we were in the hospital, I felt like a fifth wheel so I split away from them. I paused for a few moments to ask how Grampa Bender was and found that he'd had a decent day, but was now resting quietly. The nurse on duty didn't think I should disturb him, so I called home. After I'd explained a bit of what was going on, Mom suggested I should come eat with them before I went back to the ranch, that way we could talk things out in more detail.
After talking to her, I only stayed long enough to catch Frank and explain that I was leaving. Since John was talking to one of the doctors, I asked him to give me excuses and tell him that I was there if I was badly needed. Frank nodded, and gave me thumbs up, then asked me to drop by and talk to him the next time I was in town.
The drive back to the farm felt about ten times as long as it had ever felt before. Carissa had only been gone for an hour or so, but I was already missing her company.
That evening as we sat down to eat there were only four of us there, Mom, Dad, Wil and I. Beth was spending a few days in town with the McAdam twins. I was able to apologise to Wil for running off with Carissa when we heard about the rush to fly Corinna out, but he just waved off my apology, saying that he understood my hurry. After that they wanted to know what had happened, so we discussed what had happened with Corinna.
I could see that it was hitting Wil fairly hard, so as soon as I could, I swung the conversation around to my discussions earlier in the day with the Hydro surveyor. When I mentioned that the surveyor seemed to be thinking about running the lines down our access road into the valley both Wil and Dad suddenly frowned.
"What's up with the frowns?" I asked immediately.
"Well, we were talking about something along those lines earlier today." Dad frowned. "Wil was saying that he didn't see the sense in them running the Hydro lines five miles up the public road, then across to Double canyon. Then after that coming back down about three miles along its edge, they just turn around to go back north again."
"Yeah." Wil carried on. "We've got an easement across crown land that angles across that same area and ends up less than a mile from where they'd end up. Why the blazes don't they come in that way?"
"Well, we weren't talking about running in power to the ranch before. At the time they planned that route, they were taking the shortest and easiest route they could arrange in order to supply power to Jason Dumfries' ranch." Dad chuckled. "On top of that, they'd have to come to an agreement with us and with the government about using our easement since it's tied to the lease."
"Well, should I suggest that to the surveyor if he comes around tomorrow?" I asked.
"Actually, I think that's a good idea, but I think I should go in and talk to the folks at the Hydro office as well." Dad sighed.
"Well, I doubt if I'll go along." Mom said quietly. "I think someone should stay in the house for the next few days since Carissa is in Edmonton. She's quite liable to call with messages for you, Chris."
"Yeah, I was actually hoping she'd call this evening and let me know that they made it okay." I sighed.
"Chris, it's awful soon. Once she gets there, she's going to be up to her ears in things for quite a while. I imagine if anyone calls anyone else, it will be Wilma phoning John. I imagine if there's anything special that Carissa wants passed on to you, he'll call here."
"Well actually, he's planning on driving to Edmonton to be there with them." I told her. "Frank Dolens even wanted me to drive him to Edmonton, then chauffer him around after we got there. I explained that I was already tied up at the ranch though. Oh by the way, when I was at the hospital they told me Grampa Bender had a good day, but that he was sleeping right then. They didn't think I should disturb him, and now that I think about it I'm wondering why."
"Did you ask, or did the person know?" Mom demanded.
"To be honest, I didn't ask. I didn't think of anything like that at the time. Let's face it, I was just back in town after putting Corinna, Carissa and their mom on the plane. I was a bit wound up with other things."
"That's completely understandable." Mom smiled, then glanced at her wristwatch. "However, I think I'll phone later and ask just how he's doing."
"I was planning on dropping around the hospital to see him tomorrow." Dad offered.
"That's fine, dear, but I want to know how he is tonight." Mom smiled at him with one of her men-are-so-slow smiles that I knew so well.
"Mom, could you call me on the CB about ten or so?" I asked her. "That will give me time to get back and do the chores before you call. I'd like to know what's going on myself, especially since I feel a bit guilty about not asking for more information when I was there."
"Certainly, Chris, and don't worry about what happened. You were under a lot of stress. Besides, if there had been anything wrong, I'm sure they would have told you. I may call a bit earlier if Carissa does phone here, but like I said, I doubt it"
"I guess that would be okay, but I may not be inside until ten." I said quickly, then pushed back from the table. "Which reminds me, I hate to eat and run, but I've got chores to do yet and Carissa left some laundry out on the line. I'd better get my butt in gear if I want to get everything done tonight before dark."
Dad walked me out to my car.
"I'll let you know what Hydro says." He said just as I was getting into the car. "If the surveyor shows up tomorrow, you might show him what you mean on a drawing or something. We may end up being able to save some money for both Jason Dumfries and ourselves. We'd certainly cut down on the distance Hydro would have to run lines."
"He was talking about improving the road too." I mentioned. "Something about culverts across the fords and things like that."
"I wouldn't turn that down either." Dad grinned.
"I didn't think so, Dad." I grinned back. "For now, I'd best get mobile. Let me know sometime tomorrow how that meeting goes."
"No problem, Chris. Have a good trip home."
It wasn't until I was out of the yard and on my way down the road toward the ranch that his words really sank in.
"Have a good trip home." Those five words gave me a strange feeling, because they meant that even Dad now seemed to think of the ranch as my home. In one way, that was eerie, because the ranch was Grampa Bender's home, yet with those words it sank into my mind that even I saw the place as my new home. It wasn't as if Dad had been inferring that I was no longer welcome in the house where I'd been born and where I'd lived all my life. It just meant that he'd accepted that I had moved on from there now. The other more chilling side of that fact was the idea that he seemed to be admitting to me, and more importantly to himself, that Grampa Bender might never be back living back in his cabin again.
Yet, I was only sixteen. Did I have what it took to make it on my own, even with Dad and the rest of my family helping out? Was I man enough to turn the High Top Ranch into a money making business that would support me and any possible family I might raise?
That thought crossed my mind in many different ways on the trip along the dirt roads to the cabin that evening. It was still plaguing me as I crested the ridge to look down into the valley and again saw the silvered logs of the cabin and the weathered wood of the old barn. I stopped the car and got out to have a good long look at the job I had tackled. I was leaning back against the grill of the car and I could see some of the work Carissa and I had done since we came. That's when I got a smile on my face.
"Yeah." I said quietly to myself, knowing no one else could hear me and not caring. "I could stand to call this place home for the rest of my life and I think I've got what it takes to do it damn well."
With that I slipped back into the car to drive the rest of the way home so I could get started on the job I'd set for myself.