Fading Thunder_A Historical Romance Read online

  “Can you finish getting ready and help J.C?” I studied his face as his pain ebbed away.

  “I think so. Come on, J.C.” He held out a hand, and my son grabbed it.

  I wrapped up a couple of biscuits to take with us and fixed Momma’s plate, setting it on the back burner of the stove. After I swept up the broken glass, I went to her room to wake her.

  “Momma, your breakfast is on the stove. We’re leaving.”

  “Now? It’s too early,” she said groggily.

  I didn’t want her to know Zeke had another pain — she’d just make a fuss or maybe try to stop us. “There’s a fresh pot of coffee on the stove, too.”

  I hurried out of her room before she could say more and grabbed the biscuits on my way. The boys were ready, waiting at the door.

  The cool morning air greeted us. It helped clear my head and energized me. I hurried the boys to the truck and drove straight to Laurie’s. Her house was halfway between our house and Aunt Jenny’s, only about a quarter of a mile. Laurie came out on the porch when I pulled up.

  “Can you feed J.C. his breakfast?” I asked before she even had a chance to speak. James Colton called a goodbye and ran into her house, looking for Joe Joe.

  Laurie held a hand up to shield her eyes from the bright morning sun. “Reckon I can. Anything wrong?”

  “I’m taking Zeke to the doctor — he’s having pains in his side.

  Her face clouded with concern. “Y’all be careful.”

  “We will.”

  I hurried down the steps to the truck. I jumped in, waved a goodbye, and backed into the road.

  Zeke and I were both quiet while I drove. My thoughts were on Poppa and all we had gone through ten years ago, and I’m sure Zeke was thinking the same thing. Although he had only been four, the memories of those days were vividly sketched in his mind, he had told me.

  Sometimes my foot would get heavy, and I would have to remind myself to slow down. A wreck was the last thing we needed. Dr. Burch was not at his office when we arrived. I fretted for ten minutes before he pulled up. We followed him in, me jabbering in his ear about Zeke’s pain.

  He nodded, his face calm. “Have a seat. I’ll be right with you.”

  I wanted to shout at him to hurry but, instead, walked over to the chairs against the wall and did as he asked. I bounced a leg up and down as we waited. It was only a minute or two, stretching to eternity, before he called us.

  He took Zeke’s temperature and found it was 99.8 degrees. When he had Zeke unbutton his shirt, I moved to the back of the room to give them privacy, but didn’t leave. Zeke lay on the examining table, and Dr. Burch pressed different parts of his abdomen. Zeke winced once or twice but did not cry out.

  When he finished his examination, Dr. Burch gave Zeke’s shoulder a pat. “You can sit up and button your shirt.” He turned toward me and scratched his head. “Seems these things run in families. I can’t be one hundred percent sure, but I believe it’s appendicitis. We need to get him to the hospital in Andalusia.”

  I glanced over his shoulder at Zeke, who tucked his head down and continued to button his shirt.

  I pressed my lips tightly together and studied his blond head as if the answer lay there. He finished buttoning his shirt and slowly raised his clear eyes to meet mine.

  At his look, I shook my head. Zeke would not be going to the hospital where Poppa had died. I shook my head more vehemently and found my voice. “There has to be an alternative.”

  I knew no one was at fault for Poppa’s death — certainly not anyone at the hospital. Poppa’s appendix had burst. It had simply been too late to save him. My fears were irrational, but they threatened to close my throat. I swallowed hard.

  Dr. Burch laid a comforting hand on my arm. “This is difficult for you and Zeke. But things are different now, and we’ve caught this early. His appendix has not burst —”

  I cut him off with a wave of my arm, withdrawing from his touch at the same time. “Are you sure?”

  Dr. Burch’s patience, as always, didn’t waver. He scratched his chin and contemplated me for a second or two. “No one can say with complete certainty, but I’m reasonably certain —”

  I held up a hand, palm to him, interrupting him again. I was being rude, but my fear bubbled up so strongly that I could not stifle it. “Michael and I are Zeke’s legal guardians. I can take Zeke to the hospital at Fort Benning.”

  He frowned at me. “Time is of the essence. It’s a three-hour drive to the hospital, and I know a little about the army. It’s hurry up and wait. I’d feel better if we took him to Andalusia. I can go with you.”

  One look at Zeke showed he was in agreement with me. His eyes darted between the doctor’s face and mine. Dr. Burch was still eyeing me, and he straightened his stance.

  “I realize the risk —” I began to explain.

  This time the doctor cut me off and turned to Zeke. “You’re old enough to give your opinion, young man. What do you say?”

  Zeke looked the doctor straight in the eye. “Sir, I appreciate your concern. However, I agree with my sister and prefer to be taken to Fort Benning.” His voice was calm, confident, and strong.

  My mouth fell open for a second at the strength in his demeanor. Zeke was not a little boy, had ceased to be one perhaps when Poppa died all those years ago. My heart swelled with pride at the man he was becoming. “If time is of the essence, we need to hurry. Come on, Zeke.”

  Before we reached the door, I turned back to face Dr. Burch. “Thank you, Dr. Burch. I hope you understand.”

  He stuck his hands into his lab coat. “Let me know what happens.”

  I nodded. “I will.”

  “Now hurry.” He made a shooing motion with his hands.

  Chapter 3—Ft. Benning

  I wanted to take off, straight to Fort Benning, but knew I had to gather a few clothes and get J.C. I couldn’t leave my baby for no telling how long.

  My hands were shaking by the time we pulled into Laurie’s yard. “Stay in the truck,” I ordered Zeke.

  I ran up the steps and pounded on the door. Laurie jerked it open and pulled back her hair that was tumbling around her face. It was hard for me to get used to seeing her without her braids.

  “My lands, Jay! You scared the life out of me. What did the doctor say?” Her eyes were wide with worry.

  “He thinks it’s appendicitis. I’m taking Zeke to Fort Benning, and J.C. is going, too. Where is he?”

  “He’s napping. You going to drive to Fort Benning with a three-year-old when Zeke is sick? What will you do with him when you get there? You can’t take him in the hospital, can you?”

  I hadn’t had time to plan it all out. Aunt Liza and Uncle Howard would be nearby. Surely they would help ... But I needed to get Zeke to the hospital right away and driving to Aunt Liza’s in Plainsville to drop J.C. off was out of the question.

  Laurie was still waiting for me to answer.

  I shook my head slowly. “Laurie, I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. I can’t expect you to —”

  “Jay, I’ll be happy to take care of J.C., for as long as you need me. I love him as if he was my own. And Joe Joe would miss him.”

  Could I be away from my child for a week or longer? Sorrow and fear clutched my heart at the thought of leaving him. But Laurie kept J.C. for me to work, and I completely trusted her. I peered at the truck where Zeke still waited. I had to decide now.

  “All right ... if you’re sure. And I’ll call when I can.”

  “Ain’t no need to worry. You take care of Zeke — he’s the one who needs you now.”

  I threw my arms around Laurie and held her close for a brief second before tiptoeing into the room where my son slept. I softly caressed his cheek then kissed him goodbye before I hurried back out.

  Laurie followed me to the truck and leaned in the window. “Don’t worry about us. I’ll go over and pick up some clothes for J.C. tomorrow. And I’ll tell Daddy and Momma. They’ll see to Aunt Molly.”
r />   “Thank you, Laurie. Oh ... and Dr. Driscoll. Can you call him? Maybe he can get Richard Short to help.” I chewed my bottom lip for a second, worried Richard wouldn’t be available.

  Laurie seemed to read my thoughts. “Go on, Jay. Dr. Driscoll can get along without you for a few days. If he can’t get Mr. Short, I’m sure he’ll find help somewhere. Heck, Walter could fill in for you, if need be. He knows a bit about doctoring.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I gave her a wavering smile.

  She pushed away from the truck and waved goodbye as I backed onto the red clay road. Now the only thing left to do was to run to the house and get our clothes. If only Momma would be cooperative — I had little hope of that.

  I was surprised to find Momma not home. She rarely went anywhere, not even to church. I didn’t have time to worry about where she could be. Zeke headed to his bedroom.

  “Bring all your clothes,” I called after him. I had no idea how long we’d be gone. We had to be prepared.

  I yanked my own clothes off their hangers and stuffed them in my suitcase before tearing open drawers to empty out their contents.

  I hastily scribbled a note for Momma before helping Zeke pack the truck.

  I took a few shuddering breaths to calm myself and smiled reassuringly at Zeke. “How are you feeling?”

  “Okay.” He smiled back at me, and I was glad to see the color in his cheeks.

  Everything was going to be fine. All I had to do was get us to the hospital at Fort Benning safely.

  After three long hours, we arrived and soon discovered how right Dr. Burch had been. I had driven directly to the hospital, and we’d gone into the entrance with the wooden sign that said Emergency. Once inside, it was obvious they didn’t think Zeke was sick enough to constitute emergency status. I had to fill out paperwork, and we waited an hour before the male nurse even looked at him. When his temperature registered a mere one hundred degrees, we were given a number and told to sit on one of the folding metal chairs in the large waiting room. I protested, explaining the possibility of appendicitis, but the nurse merely shook his head and moved away. I knew the military well enough to do as I was told.

  Chairs were lined up in the middle of the room, back to back, and also against every available wall space. Every chair held a person, some with mothers holding children in their laps. We scrunched up against a doorframe until two chairs became vacant.

  After we were seated, Zeke leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor.

  I touched the small of his back. “Are you in pain?”

  He shook his head but the tenseness of his muscles made me wonder. Perhaps it was fear of being here, so far from home. Why wouldn’t he be afraid in a room packed with people and knowing he might have the same thing that killed his father? I was terrified. I could only imagine how he felt. Beside the tenseness of his muscles, he appeared calm. I wished he would act more like he did when he was little, instead of always so serious and grownup.

  He had been so excited the day Velvet was born, pulling me out to the old barn to see the newborn calf. That little boy, so happy and full of life, was gone. I had done my best to protect him from Momma, after Poppa died. Momma had expected Zeke to do the work of a man, picking cotton from dawn to dusk. I thought I had rescued him early enough. Yet, somehow, sadness had seeped into his soul. Now, I was helpless and could offer no protection, only a few words that were totally inadequate.

  “Everything will be okay,” I said, trying to comfort myself as well as him.

  He tilted his head toward me. “I’m fine, sis. Don’t worry.”

  “That’s like telling a rooster not to crow.”

  He let out a soft chuckle. “Remember that time you took the rooster to Dozier? And we chased it all over town?”

  I smiled at the memory, even though it hadn’t been funny at the time. “You were so mad at me that day.”

  “I got over it. And I’ll get over this. People have operations every day. It’s no big deal.”

  “Those people are not my little brother.”

  “Your worrying makes me worry.”

  “Well, I’ll just stop it. Deal?” I didn’t know if I could, but I’d try, for his sake.

  “Deal.” He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

  The tenseness had left his body. He could have been at the pond fishing for all the stress he showed. He was right. My worry did nothing but cause him stress. I attempted to mimic him and sat back to relax.

  Hard to do for two hours, in metal chairs, before Zeke was called in. His vital signs were taken once again. He was still running a slight fever. A few more minutes passed before we saw an actual doctor. He didn’t speak to me but went straight to Zeke and pressed his lower right side. My brother winced in pain.

  “Might very well be appendicitis,” the balding doctor said. “Let’s get some blood work. Take him down the hall to the right, and the lab will be the third door on the left.” He picked up a brown folder with Zeke’s name written in black across the top, thrust it in my hands, and walked away, without ever making eye contact.

  Zeke hopped off the table, and we made our way to the room the doctor had directed us.

  Again, it was a matter of hurry up and wait. This smaller room was also crammed full of people, although one chair was available. I urged Zeke to take it — after all, he was the one who was sick. But he shook his head and sank down to the floor against the wall. I settled in the chair to wait. When Zeke’s name was called, I jumped up, and Zeke slowly got to his feet.

  But when I started to follow, the orderly held out an arm and shook his head. “No, ma’am. Wait here.”

  When I turned around, my seat had been taken. I sighed and leaned against the wall where Zeke had been. When the orderly came out again, he motioned me over.

  He looked down at the clipboard in his hands. “We won’t have the results of the lab work until tomorrow. We’ll call you. Is this the correct number?”

  He pointed to Aunt Liza’s home number I had written on the form. “Yes, that’s correct. What time will you call?”

  But he was already walking away and did not acknowledge that he had heard me. I sighed.

  When we got in the truck, I couldn’t help but fuss. “Call us? I doubt they’ll call us. We wasted hours. Hours! Why didn’t I listen to Dr. Burch and take you to Andalusia?” My knuckles tightened on the steering wheel.

  “I’m sorry,” Zeke mumbled.

  Immediately I was stricken. “Zeke, I’m not blaming you ...” I swallowed the lump in my throat.

  “I could have gone to the hospital where Poppa died,” Zeke said flatly.

  “We’re here now. We’ll wait and see what tomorrow brings.”

  I reached out to pat his arm. He drew away and plastered his face against the window. I sighed. Well, if they didn’t call by lunch, I’d call them! And if they refused to see him, I’d take him to a hospital in Plainsville. Maybe I should just forget Fort Benning and take him somewhere else.

  After a few minutes, I studied him for a moment. His body had relaxed, but he still stared out the window.

  “How do you feel?”

  He shrugged his shoulders without turning his head. “Fine.”

  Was he telling me the truth? He had been running a fever — a slight fever but still a fever. Should I chance it and wait until tomorrow? Indecision had my heart pounding crazily in my chest. I almost decided to get a hotel room near Fort Benning. But I wanted the comfort of family. Aunt Liza and Uncle Howard were not that far away. And maybe they could help me come to a decision.

  I had not had a chance to call them ahead of time, but Aunt Liza was all smiles when she opened the door and saw us standing there.

  “Howard! You won’t believe who’s here.”

  He came out of the kitchen. “Bless my bones! Y’all are a sight for sore eyes. Zeke, how you’ve grown!” He ushered us into the sitting room, still talking. “We’re going to have to put som
e bricks on your head to stop you from growing. You’re going to plumb grow through the ceiling if we’re not careful.” He laughed, and I was glad to see the grin on Zeke’s face.

  Aunt Liza pulled me toward the couch. “What’s wrong, sweetie? You look like you’re about to fall over.”

  I sat on the edge of the couch and clasped my hands together. Zeke settled in one of the rockers, and Aunt Liza took a seat beside me.

  “We’ve had a rough day. Dr. Burch thinks Zeke has appendicitis.”

  “Oh, dear!” But her face immediately brightened. “Such a blessing that we have penicillin now.”

  I nodded my head. Uncle Howard had claimed the other rocker and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

  “Zeke and I decided to go to the hospital at Fort Benning —”

  “Can’t say I blame you,” Uncle Howard said. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.

  His appearance surprised me. He looked as if he had aged ten years since the last time I had seen him, less than a year ago.

  Aunt Liza turned sideways to face me. “What happened? Did they turn you away? I thought Zeke was Michael’s dependent?”

  “He is. That wasn’t the problem. We waited all day, and they finally told us to go home, that they’d call tomorrow. I gave them your number. I’m hoping we can spend the night here ...”

  “Of course you can. You’re always welcome! Y’all must be starving.”

  “We’re fine. I stopped, and we got Cokes and peanuts.”

  “That’s not a supper! Come on. Let me see what we can scrounge up.”

  I looked down at my watch. “Eight thirty! I was going to call Laurie to check on J.C.”

  “Go ahead and call. I’m sure she’s waiting to hear about Zeke.”

  I nodded and went into the small nook where their phone had been installed. I called Aunt Jenny’s house, since Laurie and Walter didn’t have a telephone yet. Walter was more stubborn than Uncle Colt about getting one of “them newfangled contraptions” as he called them. I smiled to myself. Walter was worse than Uncle Colt!

  Aunt Jenny answered the phone.

  “Aunt Jenny ...”