'Tradgedies Amidst Healing' Chapters 1-2

     Since some of you liked the prologue so much. Here is the next few chapters. I posted them early jsut for you guys. Here on out though it'll be once per week. enjoy



                                                          Chapter one
                   Ray watched as his fifteen year old niece shifted under the covers in hospital bed. He fought the tears that threatened to spill over. Taking  another swig of his coffee, in an attempt to keep the nurse from noticing. His mind roamed to three days before as Marie called him. He had known something was wrong as soon as he heard her voice. After she had said the word help, through the phone, he had jumped into his truck, just driving to find her. The phone had dropped to the ground. The clue being the loud clang and crackle that sounded as it hit the ground with a smash. She had fallen to the ground, crying in agony, followed not long after by her labored breathing. The stranger had run to her, as Ray could only stand by and listen in torture. He was no help. Not soon after he had given Ray directions. Ray than sped to the scene. Police and paramedics were already standing by when he arrived. Trying to get to her, had lead to five policemen holding him down. Threatening to lock him up if he did anything else that was stupid! Marie had been unconscious, in fact she still was. He remembered asking if there was any other survivors. They told him no, and that the truck driver had been killed as well. Ray shook his head back to the present. He forced his mind not to wander over the road to where her broken  body had lain on the road.  She was such in terrible shape, that she had looked dead. It was a nightmare alone just to see her bloody and beaten up.  She had made little improvement since arriving at St. John’s Hospital. He sat up. Marie was calling out to someone.
    “No…NO!! I don’t want to go home! Why can’t we stay!?” She was pleading with someone, though with whom, Ray wasn’t sure.
   “How is she?” Asked Mary-Lou. Ray’s wife.
   “I don’t know honey,” Ray looked from his wife to the hospital bed, to Marie.
    “Maybe we should try praying for her?” Ray ventured.
      Mary-Lou looked hesitant. Neither were christens, but both were strong supporters of Marie’s faith. “Why not. She’s too important to us, not to try.”
      With that Ray bowed his head and struggled to find the words, as he prayed aloud for his niece. “Dear Lord…I, um…don’t know why this happened. And frankly I don’t know why she loves you so. Because after what happened, I don’t know that I ever could. But she does, and I beg you, to please heal her broken body, and crushed spirit…amen.” Ray opened his eyes, and rubbed his hands over his worn out jeans. He felt different as he finished the prayer. But put that felling aside for later, and focused on the present.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Marie tried to open her eyes. It felt as though someone had tried to glue them shut. With another attempt, they finally flickered open, but than were forced shut again, due to a blinding light. She suddenly felt frightened. She tried again, this time succeeding. The room was dark, but soon found the source of light that had blinded her vision. It was the table side lamp. She looked around for a clock, and found that it read 2:12am. Marie looked around herself. Where was she? Why was she here? It dawned on her that this was a hospital. Without warning the accident came back in a rush. She was in pain, a lot of pain! She tried to get to the truck, her dad and mom calling to her for help. Turner was dead, as was Tommy, and Alisha. She struggled against the sheets, this caused someone to stir. She stilled her body in an instant. Who was that? Who was here!? 
     “Marie?” Her uncle was calling her. Suddenly her eyes filled with tears as she so desperately wanted to cling to him.
      “Unc-…uncle, Ray?” Her throat burned. It was so dry, she struggled to swallow. Her uncle immediately grabbed a cup for her to sip out of.
 “Slowly, Marie.” He was thrilled that she was finally awake. After she was finished drinking, she lay back down on the pillows and gasped in pain. It ached his heart to see her in this state of stress, pain and agony. The doc had said that she had suffered from three broken ribs. They also said it was a miracle that they were able to save her leg. The whole right leg had been completely shattered. They had to re-build it. His mind was forced from such tortured thoughts when Marie asked, 
      “How long was I out?”
      “Three days Marie…” He let the sentence hang. It had seemed more like forever, rather than just thirty-six hours.
      “Uncle Ray?” Marie asked him with hopeful eyes. It seemed like an eternity before he answered,
      “No.” He hung his head and held her hand. No other words were needed, to tell her that she was never going to see her family on this earth again.
      Marie’s body trembled and shook, but she wouldn’t let the tears come. Once she controlled the lump in her throat, she allowed her eyes to meet those of her uncle. “What now?” Was all she managed before Marie fell into another heavy Slumber.
 
                                                Chapter Two  
Two weeks later
  
                  It was the day of the funeral. Marie wore black sweats with a crisp, clean white t-shirt. It was the closest thing to funeral clothing at the hospital that she had. She definitely stuck out like a sore thumb. She didn’t need the added attention. She was already overwhelmed with the amount of attention she was getting. Uncle Ray was half carrying her up the stairs. She had won the battle. She had argued against having a wheelchair, or crutches. So Ray had been sentenced by the doc to be her aid. She gasped in pain, as her toes brushed the tops of the stairs. He was a large man, carrying her in an awkward side motion. She hated being babied. But she swallowed her pride and let it be so. Truth be told she was in tremendous pain, and wished for that wheelchair mighty bad. Marie would never admit this, so she worked at controlling her emotions, and pain. Her heart felt broken, along with her ribs and leg. Her spirits were low, she didn‘t know how to keep them high. She didn’t know when she would ever feel whole again. Aunt Mary-Loy had stayed home with Nickolai and Emmy. The funeral wasn’t due to begin until two o clock. It was one at the moment. She had wanted to come early to get herself under control and have some sort of goodbye, alone. Before the church filled with family, loved ones, and friends. She hadn’t spoken of that terrible day to anyone. Robin and Lexi had begged her to. But she couldn’t bring herself to, and yes even wouldn’t bring herself to. Le-Roy Brown, the pastor of the not small, or large Mennonite Brethren Church, wanted her to release tears…to talk about it. But what was there to talk about! She didn’t want to relive what happened. She didn’t people knowing that it was her fault they died. She was a coward, and a disgrace. What more was there to tell?
     “Are you ready?” Ray asked looking down at her. They had entered the building and were now seated on a pew at the front of the sanctuary.
      Marie was forced back to the present. “No,” was all she gave him.
      Ray was sad for her. She did not cry…nor talk. He tried to get her to speak, but she just sat there motionless. Not moving, not really focusing. She was there, and yet not there at the same time. He finally gave up and put his arm around her in an attempt to comfort her. Instead he was met with a growl. He smiled wearily to herself. So protective was she of herself that even the smallest intimate touch caused her to become guarded and tense. This caused him to dwell on her past. He was enraged that someone would hurt her the way that that young man had. But that was past. And he constantly wondered if somewhere in the world, he ever thought about her and the way she had changed as a person because of what he had done to he
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Pastor Le-Roy Brown walked past the sanctuary. Than stopped and appeared in the doorway. That’s when he spotted the two seated on the front pew, in mournful silence. His own heart was pained. That family had been in his prayers many times throughout the years. He had watched them grow in the Lord, and also struggle in their walk of faith. He walked down the aisle toward them. As soon as he moved, Marie spotted him. She was such an observant, and timid creature. Though one was not to cause her timidity to blind them. She could easily become fierce and intimidating. Once Le-Roy reached them, Ray saw him and held out his hand. Once the two hands met, they shook in a firm grasp.
     “Good to see you Ray.” Le-Roy sincerely meant it. Though this man was not a Christian, he was a strong supporter of Marie’s faith. And saw to it, that she attended; church, Sunday school and even youth events.
     “Likewise Pastor!” He had great enthusiasm in his response. He generally like this man and all that he stood for. Ray than proceeded to ask for a chair and pillow to prop Marie’s leg up. He noticed the scowl on her face, and ignored it. Whether she admitted it or not, she was pale, and in a lot of pain. The pastor lead the way, leaving Marie on her own. Once they found; a blanket, pillow, chair and Ibuprofen with a glass of water…they returned.  The doc said that she would have to endure a long and painful process of physical therapy to hopefully gain back the damaged muscle and tissue. Only once the leg was healed a little more, and the pain reduced.
          It was one thirty now and people were starting to arrive. So Le-Roy excused himself and welcomed the people into the building. Mary-Lou with Nickolai and Emmy were the last few to arrive and take a seat. Robin and Lexi came and sat with her for support. Than everyone looked to the front as Le-Roy said in a quiet voice,
   “let’s bow our heads and pray.” With that he closed his eyes and began.
   Marie’s mind wondered to a prayer of her own. She asked for strength as Le-Roy was going to start in her mind, the beginning to a long healing process.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
          As soon as she was able, and without the watchful eyes of her uncle…Marie slipped outside. She made sure she wasn’t followed, and proceeded a slow and tedious process to just sit inside the edge of the woods. She hadn’t realized that while she was doing this, she had indeed been watched. Not only by Robin and Lexi, but Weston and Ray as well.
        Robin noticed that Lexi was concerned and was heading out to follow her. She went after Lexi and told her to give her some space.
     “She needs to grieve.” She told Lexi. “And you know she won’t grieve with us around…let’s go see if we are needed anywhere around here.” Robin waited and finally Lexi agreed.
       Though staring out any windows whenever possible, she dropped the matter of going after Marie. Little did she know that Weston had other ideas.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Marie leaned against a large tree trunk. She had felt like a fool, Le-Roy had asked her to come up and say a few words. Marie had agreed and went up to the pulpit…but she had just started stuttering. After a while her mind flashed back, like playing a movie very…she had let the tears roll down, without letting any sound escape her being. Shaking and trembling she had fallen to the floor in a heap and just sat there. It had seemed like forever before Pastor Le-Roy had come up and gotten her. She sat down; red with embarrassment, red with anger, red with shame, sorrow and regret. So many mistakes she had made…so many things she had taken advantage of.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Weston was leaning against a tree. He had followed Marie and was now beginning to think that this was a bad idea. She was weary, he could tell. She was also sad, and appeared angry as well. Weston readjusted his position, that’s when he was heard.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Marie heard the snap of a twig and looked up to find Weston leaning against a tree. How long had he been there? She wasn’t sure. She did know, however that he had been there awhile, because his face masked disappointment that he had been caught. There was care and understanding in his eyes as he watched her. It felt like some time before he actually came over. When he did so, he just sat down and prayed aloud,
   “Dear Lord…I ask that you’d be with Marie. Let me rephrase that…Lord I know that you’re with Marie. I just pray that she would feel your nearness in this time. She’s hurting, even if she doesn’t admit it. Help her Lord, with your Almighty strength. Bring her to you, when she feels empty…and alone. Lord I ask that you help her to see your will in all of this. Lord you know that in our earthly minds, we call this Tragedy…but in your mind Lord, it’s one step closer in fulfilling your plan…Amen.” After Weston finished praying he kept his head bowed. He felt his shoulder droop from weight, and looked over to see Marie asleep. Her head laden against his shoulder. Weston smiled a weary smile. Today marked the tenth day of the accident that had had killed the remaining five of the Sawyer family. He was her friend, he felt her pain. Her way of moving on in life, was to get over it and to keep going. But that just caused a ticking time bomb inside of her that would one day come released. Her head slid from his shoulder, Weston caught it just before it hit the ground. He laid it in his lap and began a prayer for himself. It hadn’t been long before he heard someone coming. He looked up to find both Lexi and his sister Robin coming toward him. He nodded in greeting and put his finger to his mouth.
    Lexi and Robin both looked down to find Marie asleep. They were glad. Though she did not look at all peaceful…at least she was sleeping.
     “You alright Weston?” Robin’s expression held great love for her older brother.
     “Yes. But I’m not sure she is…why Robin?”
     Robin was surprised that her brother asked her this. He had a deep connection to God, and it was normally Robin, that came to him with these questions. He had often helped not only her, but Lexi, Marie and others as well. He was also the Sunday School teacher of the senior high kids at their church.
     “You know the answer to that Weston.” Lexi answered. She was unsure whether she should’ve taken the question. But Robin had seemed deep in thought. So she had taken a stab for her.
     “Weston…You know that God allows circumstances to happen to further his perfect plan.” Robin added to Lexi’s statement.
     “Something good is going to happen through this. Marie knows that, whether she accepts it or not.” Lexi finished. Robin and Lexi exchanged a smile. They were satisfied, and confident that they had answered his question correctly.
        Robin scooted over to Weston’s side and put her arm around him. “I know you two have become good friends. So I understand your concern for her. But Weston…she’s in God’s hands. Not yours.”
      “I know, “ Weston went on, “I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else…thanks, to the both of you.” He gave them one of his knowing smiles.
      Marie had awaken some time ago, and was content just to listen. Her heart lifted at the reassurance of this being in God’s plan. Though it hurt to hear, she knew that he Had something great planned from this. And when that day would come, she would be grateful that she was a part of what was to come. She just hoped she realized it before she took matters into her own hands, and did something she would regret…