Ethics of a Thief by Mary Gale Hinrichsen Page B

back of the front seat lowered. He reached under the front seat and then pushed the seat as far back as he could.
    “He looks pretty bad. He’s in shock, his eyes are open, but he’s not responding.”
    Together, they worked by moving the driver, inch by inch, away from the metal pinning his legs. Finally, he was free, and they lifted him to the stretcher. Once secured, they slowly carried him up the hill. Randy’s footing slipped so he dug the side of his work boot into the ground. Once back in control, they advanced up the mountain. When they reached the van, Jim called the coroner.
    Jim drove as fast as weather permitted while the paramedics did their job. When they reached the hospital, the young man was taken into the emergency room. The doctors worked on the driver for hours before he was placed in the recovery room, but he remained in critical condition.
    Randy found the admitting doctor to inquire as to the progress of the woman. He said the CAT scan didn’t reveal any severe internal signs of injury, but she still remained in a coma.
    The coroner’s office found the man’s wallet. His name was David Glover. They also found the woman’s purse and her wallet. Her name was Alisa Glover, but the two passengers had different addresses. The police department arranged to notify the nearest of kin. They discovered that the woman had an address book. They called the phone number next to Mom.
    Steven Wilson sat comfortably in his parents’ living room, talking with his father, John, when the phone rang. John got up, went into the kitchen and grabbed the phone. “Hello.”
    Steven heard his father say, “The police department? What happened? Are you sure? When? Are you sure it’s my Alisa Glover?” John dropped the phone and leaned against the wall.
    Within seconds, Steven grabbed the phone. “Who is this? You were speaking to my father. What’s going on here?”
    “I’m sorry. But, we have unpleasant news,” the policeman’s voice was solemn. “There’s been a tragic car accident. It occurred in Hawaii. Mrs. Alisa Glover is in a coma.”
    “Where’s David?”
    “I’m sorry, but Mr. Glover didn’t make it.” Steven doubled over and was unable to speak. He forced himself to regain his composure and asked, “Are you sure? My parents just spoke with her. When did this happen?”
    “Eleven o’clock this morning.”
    “Where is she?”
    “At the Hawaii Memorial Hospital,” the officer said, and then he gave the phone number, address and the admitting doctor’s name and phone number. “You can call and receive updates.” He felt as if the life had been sucked out of him. It was hard for Steven to breathe.
    “My name is Sergeant Thomas Loo. We need to reach David Glover’s family. We noticed he had a different address; were David and Alisa sister and brother?
    “No. Husband and wife. They just renewed their marriage after being separated for a while.”
    “Can I get the name and phone number of his parents?”
    “Yes. I’ll have to call you back. My mother isn’t here, and she has their phone number.” Steven wrote down the sergeant’s information.
    It took a while for Steven to get his father settled down in the living room. John sat, his eyes low as he whispered, “I can’t believe it. It can’t be true. We just talked to her last night. Now, he’s dead and she’s in a coma.” He looked up at Steven and stared.
    They heard the back door open and close. “It’s Mother. You have to tell her. I can’t move right now. Please, Steven. Go talk to her.”
    Slowly, he walked toward the kitchen. He saw her short, heavy frame holding an armful of flowers from her garden. She wore her favorite sundress with her apron over it for protection. When she saw him, she smiled and revealed her dimples.
    Elizabeth placed the flowers in the sink. She looked for and found a vase. “How long have you been here?”
    “Not long.”
    After putting water in the vase, she carefully arranged each