1947 was like a breath of fresh air on the Walton family. A sense of renewal. But also a wave of change.
Olivia never stopped missing John Boy, and waited eagerly each week for his letters. Jason had bought the Dew Drop Inn after the owner there had died, so he now lived in the back of it. Mary Ellen was getting ready for her wedding in August. Ben, Emma, Jim Bob and Elizabeth were at home. Erin and Paul still lived in Rockfish.
Elizabeth and Drew, how twenty, had broken up for the first time.
"Oo, Elizabeth, going to see Drew?" Fourteen year old Serena called from where she was perched on the porch.
"No, Serena, don't be so childish. I'm over him, and we aren't getting back together." Elizabeth said. "And don't you try to matchmake us, either!"
Erin got out from her car and waved to Emma, who was coming out from the barn with Charlie toddling behind. "Emma, over here!" Emma jogged over and gasped at seeing a puppy. "Yeah, it's for Elizabeth." Erin hissed.
The puppy yawned and Emma held her close. "Aww! She's adorable. Elizabeth, Erin has a present for you!"
Elizabeth tentatively walked over. "What is it-" She gasped at the sight of the puppy. "Erin, is it mine?!" At her sister's smile and nod, Elizabeth took Faith into her arms and stroked her head affectionately.
It was now June. Drew worked at the mill, and it was hard for Elizabeth and him not to talk. On Tuesday, Ben came crashing through the door of the store. "There was an accident at the mill!" Ben gasped. "Ben's been hurt real bad!"
All the blood drained from Emma's face, and she felt as if her legs were moving of their own accord as she raced to his side. "What happened?"
"The slicer went into his abdomen," Ben told her. "He's lost a lot of blood. The ambulance just rushed him to the hospital." Emma followed Ben out to his car, and he drove her to the hospital as quickly as he could. They entered the emergency room to find it nearly deserted.
Elizabeth was sobbing in the corner. Emma rushed over and hugged her waited for what seemed like hours until at last a doctor came to talk to them. "He survived the operation, so he's resting now."
"When can I see him?" Elizabeth asked. When the doctor said she could see him now, she entered the room to see Drew lying perfectly still. He was very pale, his eyes were closed, and his abdomen was covered with bandages. Elizabeth watched as his chest gently rose and fell.
Sitting beside the bed, she took his hand into her own. It felt warm to the touch. "Oh, Drew," she said softly, feeling tears well up in her eyes.
After a while, his eyelids fluttered and then blinked open. They looked all around, then fell on Elizabeth. "Elizabeth?" His voice sounded so tired and weak that it broke her heart. "What happened?"
"You were hurt at the saw mill, Drew," Elizabeth told him. "You got cut by a slicer, but you've just had surgery and you're going to be all right."
"It hurts..." Drew moaned, clutching his abdomen.
"I know."
When Emma peered into the room to check if they were okay, she smiled at the sight of Elizabeth kissing his forehead.
For several days Elizabeth rushed to the hospital to sit with Drew every day after college, and stayed with him until visiting hours were over. He slept a good deal of the time, and when he was awake, Elizabeth told him stories of what had happened at school that day or at home with her family. She was massively relieved to find out that he was recovering.
