to get the air into her lungs.
“You saved our lives,” she murmured. Her body began to shake, as though she was cold, which she wasn’t. It was most likely from the shock of almost losing her life. Of almost losing her mother so soon after her father.
Jason pressed her back against the pillows and rang for the nurse. A heavy-set, middle-aged woman appeared at the door seconds later.
“Our patient’s awake, I see.” She bustled over to check Maxi’s vital signs. “Back on the oxygen you go, miss,” she ordered, and attempted to replace Maxi’s nose tube, which had come out during her struggles.
Maxi put up a hand to stop her. “I want to see my mother first.” She couldn’t rest until she saw Mama’s condition for herself.
The woman darted a look at Jason who nodded.
“I’ll take her.”
“Only five minutes. Then I want her back here.”
In the room down the hall, Bernice lay still beneath the sheets of her hospital bed. A little too still for Maxi’s liking. Jason wheeled her chair to the side of the bed, and Maxi reached to take her mother’s hand. The skin was paper thin and cool to the touch. Bernice’s lips had a bluish tinge, her cheeks looked almost gray. Maxi swallowed hard to quell the tears that threatened again.
“I want to talk to her doctor.” It hurt her raw throat to speak.
“I’ll see if I can find someone.”
It registered in the dim recesses of her brain that Jason was being far too accommodating. He usually argued with her about everything. Did that mean her mother’s condition was worse than everyone was letting on?
When Jason left, she laid her head on her mother’s arm, longing for her to wake up and tell her everything would be all right. “Please be OK, Mama. I can’t lose you, too,” she whispered.
A few minutes later, Jason returned with a different nurse. This woman was tall and slim with short dark hair and a kind air about her.
“Your mother will be fine,” she assured Maxi. “We’ve sedated her, so she’ll rest. Because of her illness, though, we’re going to keep her for a couple of days of observation.”
Maxi sensed no deception, just honesty. The tension in her shoulders eased a fraction. “Thank you.”
“If there’s any change, I’ll come and let you know.” The woman flashed a warm smile. “Now I think you should get back to bed yourself.”
The last bit of energy drained from Maxi’s body. All she could do was nod. She felt the wheelchair moving, was vaguely aware of being lifted into bed and the oxygen tubes attached before she succumbed to oblivion.
7
Jason ran his hands through his hair in disbelief as he surveyed the ruins of the Norths’ barn. Nothing left but a pile of ashes and part of one wall. This would delay the sale of the farm for sure.
The first light of dawn peeked over the rolling hills of the property as Jason turned toward the house to see what state it was in. Kingsville fire chief, Steve Hamilton, descended the porch stairs as Jason approached. Fatigue etched the lines of Steve’s face. He was probably finishing the tail end of the midnight shift.
Jason strode over to him, noting a dejected Shep lying on the porch.
“Hey, Steve. How bad is the damage in there?”
Steve looked up from his clipboard, his face grim. “Main floor’s not bad, but the second story will need extensive repairs. The roof over the far bedroom is gone.”
Maxi’s room.
“Lots of water damage, too,” Steve continued. “Looks like Charlie let the batteries wear out on the smoke detectors."
Jason shook his head, not wanting to think ill of the dead, but it was typical of Charlie. “So the family won’t be able to come back yet?”
“Not for a while, I’m afraid.”
Jason tried not to think about telling Bernice and Maxi they were homeless for the time being. “Any idea how this started?”
Steve threw him a dark look. “There’ll have to be an investigation to know for sure, but it looks
“You saved our lives,” she murmured. Her body began to shake, as though she was cold, which she wasn’t. It was most likely from the shock of almost losing her life. Of almost losing her mother so soon after her father.
Jason pressed her back against the pillows and rang for the nurse. A heavy-set, middle-aged woman appeared at the door seconds later.
“Our patient’s awake, I see.” She bustled over to check Maxi’s vital signs. “Back on the oxygen you go, miss,” she ordered, and attempted to replace Maxi’s nose tube, which had come out during her struggles.
Maxi put up a hand to stop her. “I want to see my mother first.” She couldn’t rest until she saw Mama’s condition for herself.
The woman darted a look at Jason who nodded.
“I’ll take her.”
“Only five minutes. Then I want her back here.”
In the room down the hall, Bernice lay still beneath the sheets of her hospital bed. A little too still for Maxi’s liking. Jason wheeled her chair to the side of the bed, and Maxi reached to take her mother’s hand. The skin was paper thin and cool to the touch. Bernice’s lips had a bluish tinge, her cheeks looked almost gray. Maxi swallowed hard to quell the tears that threatened again.
“I want to talk to her doctor.” It hurt her raw throat to speak.
“I’ll see if I can find someone.”
It registered in the dim recesses of her brain that Jason was being far too accommodating. He usually argued with her about everything. Did that mean her mother’s condition was worse than everyone was letting on?
When Jason left, she laid her head on her mother’s arm, longing for her to wake up and tell her everything would be all right. “Please be OK, Mama. I can’t lose you, too,” she whispered.
A few minutes later, Jason returned with a different nurse. This woman was tall and slim with short dark hair and a kind air about her.
“Your mother will be fine,” she assured Maxi. “We’ve sedated her, so she’ll rest. Because of her illness, though, we’re going to keep her for a couple of days of observation.”
Maxi sensed no deception, just honesty. The tension in her shoulders eased a fraction. “Thank you.”
“If there’s any change, I’ll come and let you know.” The woman flashed a warm smile. “Now I think you should get back to bed yourself.”
The last bit of energy drained from Maxi’s body. All she could do was nod. She felt the wheelchair moving, was vaguely aware of being lifted into bed and the oxygen tubes attached before she succumbed to oblivion.
7
Jason ran his hands through his hair in disbelief as he surveyed the ruins of the Norths’ barn. Nothing left but a pile of ashes and part of one wall. This would delay the sale of the farm for sure.
The first light of dawn peeked over the rolling hills of the property as Jason turned toward the house to see what state it was in. Kingsville fire chief, Steve Hamilton, descended the porch stairs as Jason approached. Fatigue etched the lines of Steve’s face. He was probably finishing the tail end of the midnight shift.
Jason strode over to him, noting a dejected Shep lying on the porch.
“Hey, Steve. How bad is the damage in there?”
Steve looked up from his clipboard, his face grim. “Main floor’s not bad, but the second story will need extensive repairs. The roof over the far bedroom is gone.”
Maxi’s room.
“Lots of water damage, too,” Steve continued. “Looks like Charlie let the batteries wear out on the smoke detectors."
Jason shook his head, not wanting to think ill of the dead, but it was typical of Charlie. “So the family won’t be able to come back yet?”
“Not for a while, I’m afraid.”
Jason tried not to think about telling Bernice and Maxi they were homeless for the time being. “Any idea how this started?”
Steve threw him a dark look. “There’ll have to be an investigation to know for sure, but it looks
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