Shelter from the Storm Read online

  “Not at the moment. I’ll be okay.”

  “Come over to the window.” She pulled him to the grimy glass where the light was better. She turned his hands over and inspected them carefully.

  “Satisfied?” he asked, pleased that she was making a fuss over him.

  “You have some blanched skin and some small blisters. I’ve seen worse frostbite. Go warm them by the fire, but be careful until all the feeling comes back. I don’t want you going out any more today. You’re trying to do too much. I could go to bed happy if all I had to eat was a few more stewed rose hips.”

  “Speak for yourself. I like meat and potatoes for my supper.”

  Her scowl disappeared, and she started laughing. He cocked his head slightly. “What’s so funny?”

  “You like meat and potatoes but you bring home tree bark and roots. I hope you know how to cook this stuff because I certainly don’t. Go warm up. What am I supposed to do with these dirty things?” She stared at the stringy rhizomes on the floor.

  “Peel them like a potato. You can use my knife.”

  Jesse sat cross-legged by the fire with his hands, palms up, on his knees. The dull numb sensation was giving way to painful pins and needles. He took his mind off the discomfort by watching Gemma deal with their unusual food. With instructions from him, she prepared their evening meal. Small strips of the pine bark were roasted on a flat stone in front of the fire along with the cattail roots. She served up the fare on two of the broken plates he had found. She sat down on her bedding with a sigh.

  “How is your ankle?”

  She held her foot out and wiggled her toes. “The swelling has gone down some. I should be able to get my shoe back on.”

  “Stay off of it for a while yet and use the crutch.”

  She munched a piece of roasted pine bark. “This stuff isn’t bad. Kind of sweet and crunchy. It doesn’t taste like wood, really. Still, I don’t think it will ever make the menu at a fast-food restaurant.”

  “It’s okay for now, but I’ll try for some meat tomorrow if the weather is clear. I’ve seen plenty of rabbit tracks in the snow. I’ll set out some snares tomorrow morning and check them tomorrow evening.”

  “If the weather is clear, don’t you think we should try to get back to the highway or the truck?”

  “I’m tempted to say yes, but the truth is I have no idea which way to go. I thought I was following the road we came in on, but I could have taken a wrong turn one mile after we left the truck or five miles after we left it. Gott was goot in leading us to this shelter. We are safest staying put. I will make a distress sign in the clearing that can be seen from the air in case someone is looking for us. The problem is, every time it snows, it will be covered up.”

  “The next time we end up in a situation like this, I’m going to ask for the sugarcoated version.” She pushed her food away.

  “Let us pray there won’t ever be a next time.”

  “Amen,” she said emphatically.

  * * *

  The next morning, Jesse woke to the sound of Gemma’s crutch tapping the floor as she hurried across the room and out the door. A few seconds later, he heard her retching. She was sick again. Concern pushed away his reluctance to confront her about it. He waited until she came through the door and returned to her bedding.

  “It’s not car sickness. What’s wrong with you? And don’t tell me you are fine.”

  “It’s not something for you to worry about, Jesse.”

  Too late. He was already worried. “But you’re not going to tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I’m going to be blunt. It’s none of your business.”

  “As long as we are stranded together, I think it is.”

  Sighing heavily, she lay down and turned away from him. “I’m going back to sleep now.”

  She had barely eaten anything last night. How sick was she? Maybe what she needed was real food, a hearty broth or rabbit stew. She couldn’t stand to lose much weight. She was tiny enough as it was. He took his responsibility to care for her seriously.

  He sat up and began to pull the laces out of his work boots. The sooner he got snares set, the sooner he could bring back fresh meat for her. When he had what he needed, he cut one lace in half, using it to secure his boots while he used the rest to fashion another snare.

  He quietly left the cabin. Outside, he found it had stopped snowing during the night. He took his hatchet and cut several armloads of pine branches. He arranged them into a large X about ten feet long in the center of the clearing. Satisfied with the result, he took his snares and walked into the woods.

  The sound of an airplane in the distance sent him racing back into the open. Were they searching for Gemma and him? He looked up but couldn’t see it.

  Gemma came out onto the porch. “Do I hear a plane?”

  “Ja, but where is it?” The sound told him it was moving closer but the tall trees around them blocked his view.

  “I can’t see it.”

  They kept looking but Jesse realized the sound was now moving away from them.

  “Where are they going?” He heard the panic in her voice.

  “They may be flying a search pattern. If they are, they will come back. We have to pray they fly over our clearing and see the distress sign.”

  “If we make a signal fire, the smoke will rise above the trees. Shall I add more wood to the fire inside?”

  “We need something quicker and bigger.” How much time did they have? He could still hear the drone of the engine.

  “Jesse, what about that dead cedar?”

  He looked around and his gaze fell on the brown cedar tree between the cabin and the pond. It was only about eight feet tall, but it would go up in flames easily and produce more smoke faster than building up the fire inside. “Get me the propane torch.”

  He raced to the porch. Gemma came out and tossed the canister to him. He rushed to the cedar, turned on the torch and clicked the striker. It caught immediately. He shook the snow from the tree and held the torch to it. The tinder-dry branches caught fire and smoke billowed into the air. He stepped back. The flames quickly engulfed the tree, sending orange flames leaping high in the air.

  Gemma hobbled toward him through the knee-deep snow. She stumbled, and he caught her before she fell. She clung to his arm as she searched the sky. “Do you think they saw it?”

  Chapter Seven

  Gemma clutched Jesse’s arm as she strained to hear the plane returning. She prayed fervently for their rescue. “Surely they must see the smoke.”

  He covered Gemma’s hands with his own. “Wait, I think I hear it again.”

  She caught the sound then too. “Please, dear Lord, let them see us.”

  Suddenly a small aircraft burst into view, barely skimming the tops of the trees. Gemma and Jesse began to shout and wave their arms. The plane circled back once, and it dipped its wing to acknowledge them.

  “They saw us!” Gemma threw her arms around Jesse’s neck. His bear hug lifted her feet off the ground. She captured his face between her hands. “We’re going to be rescued.”

  As she stared into his eyes, something changed. His pupils darkened as he gazed at her.

  “I’m almost sorry we can’t stay a little longer,” he said softly.

  “Why?” The word sounded breathless as it dissipated in the cold air.

  “Because I was just beginning to get to know you.”

  His revelation gave way to a warm comforting sensation followed by sharp loss. She was in his arms. Exactly where she had wanted to be so long ago, and he was still completely out of her reach. Now more than ever. She didn’t deserve this man’s affection.

  Tears pricked the back of her eyes. She moved her hands to his shoulders and he slowly lowered her to the ground. He didn’t release her. She couldn’t look into his eyes. “And I have learned a lot ab
out you. You enjoy eating bark. Who would’ve guessed that?”

  “And you like to keep secrets,” he said, tipping his head to see her face better.

  “At least we don’t have to do a lot of packing,” she said, trying to change the subject.

  He seemed to take the hint. “It may be a while before they can get snowmobiles to us. I should get you back inside.”

  She looked around for her crutch, but he simply swept her up in his arms and walked slowly toward the cabin. She relaxed in his arms. It would be the last time he held her. She wanted the moment to last forever. He stopped at the porch steps. “We’ve had quite an adventure, haven’t we?”

  “We did. I imagine you’ll be glad to be rid of me.” She bit the corner of her lip as she waited for his answer.

  “I think I’m going to miss your scolding but not your rose hip tea.”

  “I wasn’t that hard to get along with, was I?”

  “Not at all. Well, not most of the time.” He smiled slightly. She caught sight of his dimple again. Perhaps she would see it more often now that they had gotten to know each other better.

  “At least we won’t have to eat bark for supper again tonight.”

  He chuckled as he gazed into her eyes. “I can always bring some to your house. You should try it fried in a little oil. It’s a lot better that way. I think your daed might like it.”

  She looked down. If only she could enjoy his company at home with her parents. She wasn’t sure how they would react to her news. She could be shunned. Until she figured out what she was going to do, she couldn’t make any plans. “I’m getting cold. You had better take me inside.”

  “Oh, sure. The last thing you need is frostbitten toes on top of your other problem.”

  Her gaze snapped to his. Had he put two and two together and come up with her pregnancy as the cause of her illness each morning. “What do you mean?”

  “Your sprained ankle. What did you think I meant?” He walked up the steps and carried her through the door, and then he placed her gently on her bedding in front of the fire.

  “It doesn’t matter. Can you help me get my shoe on?”

  “Sure.” He knelt and tenderly slipped her walking shoe over her foot. He pulled the laces snug and tied a neat bow. “How does that feel?”

  “Good enough to get home. I’m anxious to know what happened to Dale.”

  He straightened, took a step back and thrust his hands in the pockets of his coat. “Me too. I sure hope he’s okay.”

  “He must be, or they wouldn’t have known to look for us.” She glanced at their collection of broken pottery, plastic bottles and the sad skillet missing its handle. “I think I’m going to miss this place.”

  “I’m ready for my own mattress and quilts.”

  She smothered a smile. “I’m ready for my mother’s home cooking.”

  It was several hours before their rescuers arrived. Two men on snowmobiles as Jesse had predicted. One snowmobile pulled a sled behind it. Jesse went out to speak with the men. After a few minutes, he brought them in to meet her. “These fellows are members of the Wilderness Search and Rescue Team. Bradley is a paramedic. He needs to check us out before they can transport us.”

  Jesse and the other rescuer stepped back outside to wait. From Bradley’s pointed questions, Gemma knew Jesse had told him about her brief bouts of sickness. Satisfied with her blood pressure and pulse, he examined her foot. “Someone did a nice job of stabilizing it with duct tape.”

  “Jesse thought of it.”

  The paramedic cut off her stocking and the gray tape. After gentle probing, he looked her straight in the eye. “This will need an X-ray. You may have a broken bone.”

  “I’ll see a doctor when I get home.”

  “We will take you straight to the hospital from here. Did Jesse have any injuries that you know of?”

  “You should check his hands. They were red with white patches of frostbite yesterday.”

  The paramedic put his equipment away. “I will have the sled ready in a few minutes. We’ll have you both checked out at the hospital. It’s protocol.”

  Jesse came in a few minutes later with a large orange blanket. “This should keep you warm on the ride.” He draped it around her and scooped her up again. He carried her out to the snowmobile. She was going to miss this easy familiarity. She knew he would behave very differently once they were back in New Covenant. “Did you ask about Dale?”

  “I did. He hit his head much harder than we thought. He made it down to the highway, but he passed out at the side of the road. Someone found him and got him to the hospital. He didn’t wake up until the next day. The weather was too bad to look for us then.”

  Their second rescuer was a teenage boy. “Mr. Kaufman gave us directions to his truck. When we discovered it was empty, we started an air and ground search for the two of you.”

  “We are certainly grateful for your help,” Jesse said as he settled her onto the sled and tucked the blanket around her.

  Gemma bit her lip. Had he noticed her rounded tummy? If he had, his expression hadn’t changed. The men then covered her with another blanket and strapped her in. It was an odd sensation to be lying flat while the men prepared to get underway. It was even more so once they were moving.

  Her view consisted of the blue sky overhead and the tops of the tall pines that bordered the trail. It wasn’t long before the speed of the trees zipping past made her queasy. She closed her eyes for the remainder of the trip. When they finally stopped, she opened them to see more men in uniforms waiting for them beside an ambulance.

  She was transferred from the sled to a gurney in the ambulance. Jesse was allowed to ride beside her. She was grateful for his solid, calm presence.

  Once they reached the hospital, they were taken to separate rooms in the emergency department. The nurse who took her vital signs and asked all manner of questions was extremely kind and curious about her adventure. She gave Gemma a gown to change into and stepped out of the room. Gemma was waiting to be seen by a doctor when Jesse spoke on the other side of the curtain. “May I come in?”

  Although the hospital gown she wore was perfectly modest, she drew the sheet up to her chin and turned on her side to hide her growing waistline. “Come in, Jesse.”

  The concern in his eyes warmed her heart. “How are you? And don’t say fine.”

  “I am wonderfully warm, but this bed isn’t the most comfortable. How are you?”

  He held out his left hand. He had a bandage wrapped around it. “They say I am in perfect health, except for some small patches of skin on my hand that may slough off. They gave me some cream to use.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. The cattail roots were not worth it.”

  He grinned. “I thought they were pretty good. You just weren’t hungry enough to appreciate them. Maybe a little bird like you could live on rose hips, but a man my size needed something more substantial. As soon as they let us out of here, we are going to get some burgers and fries.”

  “That sounds wunderbar.”

  A young man wearing a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck stepped into the room. He held a clipboard in his hand. The nurse who had questioned Gemma earlier came in and stood behind him. He read silently for a minute or two and then looked up with a smile. “Miss Lapp? I’m Dr. Johnson. It sounds like you have had a tough time of it lately.”

  Jesse tipped his head toward the door. “I’ll be out in the waiting room. I want to call the bishop and explain what happened to us. I’m sure he is concerned.”

  The nurse nodded. “I’ll come get you when we’re finished. You might want to go by the registration desk. They have questions about insurance.”

  Jesse stopped at the doorway. “We Amish don’t carry insurance. Our church will cover what is owed if it is more than we can pay. I’ll take care of your bill, Gemma.”<
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  “Danki, Jesse. My father will repay you.”

  “I know. I’m not worried about that.”

  Once Jesse was out of the room, Gemma took a deep breath. “There is something you should know doctor. I’m pregnant.”

  “Congratulations. We’ll make sure to shield your baby while we x-ray your foot.”

  She managed to thank him. He had no way of knowing this wasn’t a happy event for her, and she didn’t share that part of her history. He gave her a thorough examination. His friendly smile changed to a look of concern as he listened for the baby’s heartbeat.

  Gemma started to worry. “Is everything okay?”

  “Your little one seems to be hiding from me. Have you noticed any changes? Has there been a decrease in movement?”

  “Nee.” Her hands clenched the sheet tightly.

  “Let’s make sure everything is all right with the baby. We’ll do a sonogram while we have you down in X-ray.”

  * * *

  Jesse placed a call to the community phone booth, expecting to leave a message for the bishop and Gemma’s family. On the second ring, someone answered. “Elmer Schultz speaking.”

  “Bishop Schultz, this is Jesse Crump.”

  “Jesse, we have been wondering what happened to you. Dale left a message saying you and Gemma Lapp were lost in the wilderness.”

  Jesse went on to explain the detour, the accident and admitted he was responsible for getting them lost in the woods. He assured the bishop that their injuries were only minor ones.

  “I praise Gott it was not worse. What can I do to aid you?” the bishop asked.

  “If you could arrange for our transportation home that would be great. And let Gemma’s family know she is okay.”

  “I will as soon as I finish speaking with you.”

  Jesse hung up the phone. He eyed the vending machine in the corner. He strolled to it and noticed a package of beef jerky among the candy bars. He inserted the correct amount of change and enjoyed the snack even while he felt guilty that Gemma hadn’t had anything to eat yet. For all his praise of pine bark, it hadn’t satisfied his appetite.