'Tradgedies Amidst Healing' Chapter 7

                                        Chapter Seven

                 It was 6:45am. Marie stared at her bible and decided against reading it. She got up brushed her hair into a ponytail bun and put on her running clothes. She always went for a 20k run every morning. That is, If her leg wasn't too tired from therapy. She went upstairs, saw that a light was on and took a deep breath. She walked the rest of the way up the stairs. And froze for just a brief moment.

        Le-Roy knew Marie was up. Every morning he heard her get ready and go for a run. He usually did his devotions at that time, and had a cup of coffee. This time however, he made sure that she would have to go right past him in order to go for her run. At last she appeared. She didn't look all to happy that she was going to have to talk to him. But he decided to ignore it.

      "How did you sleep?" He asked, acting as though he weren't really interested. He did this whenever he asked her these types of questions. Knowing that they could set off any number of emotions still going through her body.

           "Fine," she lied. Truth of the matter was, the nightmares were always there when she closed her eyes. They never went away, and she was losing more sleep than gaining it.

          "Uh-huh." He replied. Knowing the answer to that one. "Are you headed out for your run?"

        "Trying to." She bit back.

       "Marie, you need to stop giving me this attitude. It's getting old and quite frankly, it's enough!" Le-Roy's voice had raised significantly as he spoke..."Forgive me Marie. I shouldn't have raised my voice at you...you wanna talk about what happened that day?"

"Nothing to tell. You know what happened."

"I may know the facts. But I don't know the mood set, or the emotions that were hanging. Listen Marie, don't lose your faith over this. All right?" He waited and when she didn't respond or look at him, he let her go. "Have fun on your run." With that he went back to reading the word. He knew that she hadn't been reading her bible lately either. This bothered him. But he didn't want to force it on her. That would just cause her to walk away completely. Instead he just prayed.

    Marie only hesitated a moment before going out the door. She let Levi and Nikita out of the pen and off she went. She started her Ipod and started out at a light jog.

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                Weston watched from his window as Marie ran past his little farm. His heart still ached over her loss. He was keeping tabs on her through Robin, and knew that Marie was not doing good. He bowed his head right than and started praying. He prayed with all his heart, that she would find her way back to the path, and God's light. Rather than wander off of it and follow darkness...

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                Mari was unaware of the change from her B-93 pop songs to Brandon Heath. She listened to him in the past, he was her favorite artist of all time, and had all of his albums. As she jogged, she allowed the song to play through. As he was singing, she started to pay attention to the words;

     "Love does not run, love does not hide. Love does not keep locked inside. Love is a river that flows through...love never fails through..."

    She had forgotten that this song was on her playlist. Marrie's mind focused as the next set of lyrics picked at her heart strings.

   "When my heart won't make a sound, when I can't turn back around...when the sky is falling down! Nothing is greater than this, greater than this...cause love is right here. Love is the life. Love is the way, the truth, the life. Love is a river that flows through, love is the arms that are holding you! Love is the place you will fly to...love never fails you..."

               With those final words, Marie's eyes burned from the unreleased tears. She picked up speed. She had been at a dead run for thirty minutes, when she collapsed in a pond behind a house. She had been so focused, that she hadn't realized that there was a pond of water right in the path where she was running. She had managed to come off the road onto a field. She gasped as the shock of the frigid water fianlly hit. The water hit her like a thoousand needles being jabbed into her skin. She managed to crawl out. Only to stand up in pain. She tried to walk, but the pain was so intense in her ribs, that she fell back in. Who's pond this was she couldn't place her finger, but the last thing she notciced before she blacked out was; the smiling face of man with kind eyes and wearing a white bright Robe. She closed her eyes and her heart filled with a serenity and peace that she hadn't felt in a long time...this what she had hoped death would be like...

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               Weston noticed someone in his field. He was on top of his grain bin. Weston watched in horror as Marie clutched her side, gasping for breath. She tried to get back up off the ground, but collapsed once again in the pond. her nose just poking above water as her face was sitting on a sheet of ice. She was facing in the direction of his house. He grabbed his jacket and ran as fast as he could. He reached her side and pulled fer out. Luckily she was close enough to the edge that he could pull her out, without having to go in. Her face seemed surprisingly calm. Almost as if she were smiling at him. Weston picked her up, and than noticed the low rumble coming from out of Levi's chest. Followed not far behind with Nikita. They too were wet. They had obviously tried to save her, before he arrived on the scene

" Come on boy, it's ok." He cooed as he jogged back to the house with Marie in his arms.  He thrust open the door, and out her on the couch in front of the fire. He turned on the furnace, which made to look like a fireplace. Without even thinking he tore off her clothing and put on her an old t-shirt of his and some sweats. He rolled her up in a thick wool blanket and called 911. It wasn't winter yet, but there was frost on the ground, and water almost at below freezing tempratures. Marie was turning blue, her body shivering violently. She was unconsious, mumbling sorry over and over again. Before he could pin-point why, the paramedics arrived. They found them on the couch, Weston rubbing her arms fiercly. They took Marie and left with Weston in towe. On the way to the hospital he called; Ray, Le-Roy, robin, along with Lexi and her family of course.

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                   Ray recieved a phone call that caused him to fly out of the vetrinary clinic in the middle a surgery on a dobermin pincher. He grabbed his keys and flew down the road and landed rright in  front of the hospital.

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                      "Where is she!" Ray yelled at the top of his lungs, as he let the door hit the wall with a bang. Weston had noticed Ray approaching and had been expecthing this reaction.

                      "She's alright Ray," Weston spoke up from the far corner of the room. "She's being warmed as we speak. But her heart rate is back to normal, and her body temprature is climbing steadily. "

                     Weston noticed Ray's inake of breath. And His own heart was relieved.

                     Ray inquired of Weston what happened. And he told him that he only knew what he witnessed. "I saw her from my grain bin, she fell into the pond out back in my field. I came upon her, put her in some of my old clothes and warmed her as much as I could before the ambulance arrived." He finished.

                    "Thank-you Weston...you saved her life. I am truly grateful that you were standing in the right place at the right time." He wanted to say more but the doctor showed up just than. Told them that she was doing great. She'll be out of here by noon tomorrow. If everything goes smoothly.