Chapter 12
2 years later
Marie sighed in contentment. She finally graduated from high school. She was eighteen, and was enjoying this last summer as a teen, before college in the fall, where she would become an adult. Lexi was sixteen, and had just one more year left. The two of them had decided to come out to fish, and have a day with them just as they always did every other weekend as kids. They had been friends since childhood, and still were. Robin was home for the summer. She had been in the Toronto Bible Institute for a year, and was preparing to go back a final year in the fall. That’s where Todd was, this would be his third year going back. The four of them were a tight bunch. Now with two of them missing, it was hard. Lexi and Marie were tighter, than Robin and Todd. None the less, they were all tight, and it was odd not having them here with them.
“What’s that look on your face?” Lexi asked Marie from where she was standing with her own fishing pole. They had hiked up a steep trail to do some trout fishing. Though Marie was not much of a fisher, it was an enjoyable time for relaxation, companionship, and to enjoy the serenity of the mountains. The beauty captured by God himself.
“What? Oh, I was just ah, thinking about how blessed my life is. I have come such a long way in two years….it’ll be two years, next month…” Marie went silent. Her family had died last August on the 15th. The day she had gotten baptized three years previous. She hadn’t completely moved on, and was becoming weary, because of it. It was still all so fresh in her mind, and even though she was finally at peace with what happened. It was painful, and she didn’t think she could take any more loss…
“I’m proud of you Marie. You have come a long way, and it does my heart good…to see you finally move on….”She looked at Marie then.
“Hm.” Marie looked as worn as she felt.
“Marie?” Lexi jumped in.
“Yeah.” Marie didn’t bother asking, she knew what her friend was going to say.
“You’re so tired…” Lexi was so overwhelmed with love and compassion for her friend, that she couldn’t get her voice around the lump in her throat.
“Uh hum.”
“Marie.” Lexi said with a bit more authority after she composed herself.
Marie finally turned to look at Lexi from where she stood, opposite of Lexi. Her eyebrows were raised. Her shoulders ached from the intense pressure of her tight muscles…she let her shoulders droop.
“You have to move on. You are doing great. There is no more need or excuse to think it was your fault. There is a time to mourn…and then there is a time to rejoice, Marie. You need to look at all the bright times. Focus on God. He has a plan mapped out for you.” Lexi waited for an answer.
“I know Lexi. And I’m moving on honestly. It’s just that, when I get to thinking about it…I uh, lose it. Sorry. I’m having fun, really.” Marie said it with conviction, and Lexi seemed to relax instantly. Marie smiled for added affect…it worked. Lexi nodded and went back to her usual humming, with Marie always happy to listen to her angelic voice…
Striker crouched low in the bush. He had taken off his glasses an hour ago, and was now looking at two deer. He took aim and fired.
“POOO! POOO! POOO! POOO!” Four shots rang out. He put his gun aside, put his glasses on and peeked from behind the tree. His smile turned to one of panic. “OH NO! NO! What have I done!!” He decided to run. He was not going to get caught. He was not going to get his licence taken away! Not again!
Marie heard the shots, followed by a yelp of pain. It was quick. She didn’t really know what had happened. She just knew that she was hurt. Ignoring the pain with every fibre of her being, she ran to where her old friend stood. Lexi had been shot. Marie called out to her and ran. Remembering to call 911 in emergencies, she did so. It took her all of two seconds to reach Lexi. She threw off her sweater and ripped it in two. Then searched for the wound…she found it…Lexi was shot in the chest just above her heart...Marie tried not to think about the severity of the damage. She wrapped the sweater tight around her chest. She then put the other half of the torn garment under Lexi’s head. Marie was in shock, she was unaware of her own injury, only aware of Lexi’s. Her mind recalled everything she learned in school. She was hopefully going to school in the fall to become a paramedic. Now wishing her mom hadn’t pulled her out a year in kindergarten. Because then maybe, just maybe, she would be a medic by now and would have the situation under control. She felt for Lexi’s heart beat and found it quickly slowing down. She began CPR, trying to pump the heart back to life. After what seemed like forever, Lexi’s heart finally stabled. Marie made sure that Lexi was comfortable. She then flushed the wound with water, to see the extent of the injury. It was deep. It was a through and through shot. It was clean but efficient. She prayed, prayed hard that Lexi was going to make it…
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There was a tree nearby, so Marie leaned against it, with Lexi’s head not three feet away from her. It had been twenty minutes. She let out a long painful sigh. The adrenaline had begun to subside and that’s when a paralyzing pain set in. In her belly just under her rib cage, she found three bullet holes. She had also been shot. She pushed her condition aside and made sure Lexi was alright. She went unconscious a while ago-probably from the pain. And Marie hoped she would stay that way until hospitalized.
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Burk came up onto the top of the clearing. He was a heart surgeon at Virginia hospital. They were short paramedics, so he volunteered to step in this day. He quickly scanned the scene and found a woman leaning against a tree. She was aware of him, she indicated to her left, and he obliged. He found the other woman in worse shape than this lady. He called to his buddy on the radio and ran to the passed out woman.
“What’s her name?” Burk asked the woman sitting against the tree, as he examined her friend’s injury.
“Lexi,” escaped a haggard rasp from that lady.
“How old is she?” Burk waited for her response.
“She’s 16…we came out to do some trout fishing…we were…talking. Than some shots rang out…next thing I know she’s on the ground. She has a bad chest wound. She was slipping so I did CPR. Her heart beat is steady but slow, bout 62 counts per minute.” Marie gasped in pain.
Burk was impressed. “What’s your name?
“Marie. I’m a graduate from Fountain High.”
Burk’s partner showed up then. He went to Lexi and took over. Burk moved over to where Marie was sitting. He touched her abdomen and she growled, flinching backwards, causing her to react in frustration and pain. He backed off immediately.
“Sorry, but I need to examine the wound.” Burk waited for the go ahead to do so. She watched him wearily and guarded, but she nodded, and he proceeded.
Marie held her breath as his hands touched the wound. His face looked grim. But she didn’t even notice, all that mattered to her was that Lexi was alright. She had to make it…she had too. Marie swallowed the lump in her throat, and clenched her teeth. They started moving Lexi, and that’s when she awoke. She thrashed about as the pain hit her like a rock.
“Lexi,” Marie shouted. “Lexi…Lexi no! It’s okay, you’re okay Lexi. They’re going to get you better….” Marie tried to get to her friend.
Burk stepped in and held her back.
“Please no! She needs to calm down, she’s putting too much stress on the wound. Please, she needs help! Please! No…Lexi…” Marie’s rage was evident on her face.
Burk stepped in and held her back.
“Please no! She needs to calm down, she’s putting too much stress on the wound. Please, she needs help! Please! No…Lexi…” Marie’s rage was evident on her face.
“Mam! We need you to stop moving, because you are doing exactly that to yourself what you just described to me. Understand?”
Marie nodded and stopped moving.
Burk let her go, and as soon as he did so, she lunged toward Lexi, he was unable to restrain her as she stumbled and rolled to the other woman.
“Lexi? Lexi look at me!” Lexi finally responded and looked to Marie. She was frightened, unaware of what had happened. Marie got her to slow down, and lie still as the other medic put a needle in her arm. She went limp not thirty seconds later...
Burk watched as Marie finally relaxed. Her arm went to her middle and she fell over. her middle bleeding in an endless flow. He ran to her as fast as his long legs could carry him.
Marie’s world slowed down. She lay flat on her back, looking at Lexi’s limp form. Tears rolled down the side of her face in a gentle stream. Her eyes went heavenward. “Not again,” she whispered. She begged the Lord God to heal Lexi and bring her safely to the hospital. Her vision was clouded then with the sight of a tall, handsome dark stranger. Burk. He was calling her name, but she couldn’t hear him. Everything was in a haze. She didn’t know what to think-how to respond. Her mind was not registering. Her hand gripped Burk’s firm muscle. “Please,” She rasped in agonizing pain. “Please, help her. Please…”
Burk watched as she went unconscious. He felt for this woman, there was something about her that stirred him. He was going to do everything in his power, to make sure that she and her friend were going to live to see the next day...
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