Mark Sloan was telling CJ a story when the phone rang. Setting down
his coffee mug, he went to the kitchen to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Mark, hi. It's Jesse."
"Jess? I'm having trouble hearing you, are you on a cell phone?"
"Yeah, Mark. I'm at Bob's, the phone here is out."
"Sorry Jesse? You're where?"
"At Bob's! Tell Steve I'm on my way. I'm going to close up. The power might go too," Jesse was now yelling into his phone.
"Just stay where you are, Jesse! It's not safe for driving."
"What?!?"
"I said stay put! The roads are a mess out here! Jesse.. Jesse? Darn it! I hope he heard me. The phone must have died."
"Don't worry Dad," Steve offered, "He's not an idiot."
Jesse was halfway to the Sloan's house when he started to notice the roads getting worse. Dammit! It wasn't this bad near the hospital. When he came across the entrance to their subdivision, he began to realize his car was not going to make it to their driveway. Grabbing his duffle bag, he decided to hike the last stretch. Though the sidewalks were flooded, he could walk across the elevated lawns. I hope they have understanding neighbors. He muttered, as he stomped through a flower bed. Jesse was soaking wet from head to toe. The water, even on the highest ground he could get to, was nearly a foot deep. Two houses away, he was startled to find a woman sitting on the front steps of a two story house.
"Hello there!" he called "Are you in need of assistance?"
The 30-something woman raised her head to look at him, and he realized she had been crying.
"My daughter.. She's out there somewhere!" cried the woman.
Jesse could see that she was shaking, and trudged over to the steps to better evaluate her condition. "I'll find your daughter. But you need to get somewhere warm. Why don't you go inside."
"I've lost my keys!" she cried.
"Listen, can you see the blue house two doors down? That's my friends house. Just knock on the door, and they'll let you in ok? Tell them Jesse sent you. Just explain what's going on, ok?"
"J-Jesse?"
"yeah."
"I'm Jennifer."
"Hi Jennifer. Can you do what I said?" His question was met with a nod. "I'm going to look for your daughter."
"She's wearing a black backpack, and a baseball hat. She went that way," Jennifer said, pointing.
"OK. No problem" said Jesse, but it clearly was a problem. The woman had pointed at the top of the subdivision, where Jesse knew the water and mud was running deep on either side of the road.
He helped Jennifer stand and watched her start towards the Sloan residence. He turned and began to trudge back up the street, sticking to as much high ground as he could find. Jesse couldn't imagine anyone out in weather like this, least of all a child. He hoped she had had the good sense to go to a neighbors house. Jesse's jacket was heavy with rainwater. His hair was plastered to his forehead. His shoes were full of water, and each step he took made a slushy suction sound. It seemed to take forever to reach the end of the street. He now stood on top of a concrete and brick median. Even with this point of elevation, He was pressing against a foot of water as it moved in the opposite direction. That's fine, he thought, go back out to sea. just please don't take me along.
Jesse surveyed his surroundings. To his left, mud rivulets swept along the ditch. To his right, water coursed along with increasing intensity. The road was a high point in between. On his second look around, he noticed something. Far on his left, across the mud, was a brick wall with the name of the subdivision in large brass letters. There appeared to be a black bag hanging from the top corner. Instant alarm washed over the young doctor, followed by a surge of strength. He set out towards the sign wall.
Progress was slow. Each step required Jesse to force his foot down in search of solid ground. It took him a considerable amount of time to progress the twenty yards or so to the wall. Jesse was physically exhausted now, and it took all his remaining strength to haul himself up the wall. He sat on the edge, his feet supported by the brass letters and looked closer at the bag. It was a large black backpack. Jesse began to search his surroundings frantically, hoping to glimpse the bag's owner. There was nothing but motion. Water, mud, and wind pressing around him. It was hopeless. From his perch on the wall, Jesse leaned out to grab the bag. He would at least retrieve it. The exhaustion, the weight of his soaked clothes, the wind, and the slick brass letters proved too much, though, and Jesse slipped. His head careened off the corner of the wall, and the mud rushed up to grab him. Jesse dropped out of sight.
"Hello?"
"Mark, hi. It's Jesse."
"Jess? I'm having trouble hearing you, are you on a cell phone?"
"Yeah, Mark. I'm at Bob's, the phone here is out."
"Sorry Jesse? You're where?"
"At Bob's! Tell Steve I'm on my way. I'm going to close up. The power might go too," Jesse was now yelling into his phone.
"Just stay where you are, Jesse! It's not safe for driving."
"What?!?"
"I said stay put! The roads are a mess out here! Jesse.. Jesse? Darn it! I hope he heard me. The phone must have died."
"Don't worry Dad," Steve offered, "He's not an idiot."
Jesse was halfway to the Sloan's house when he started to notice the roads getting worse. Dammit! It wasn't this bad near the hospital. When he came across the entrance to their subdivision, he began to realize his car was not going to make it to their driveway. Grabbing his duffle bag, he decided to hike the last stretch. Though the sidewalks were flooded, he could walk across the elevated lawns. I hope they have understanding neighbors. He muttered, as he stomped through a flower bed. Jesse was soaking wet from head to toe. The water, even on the highest ground he could get to, was nearly a foot deep. Two houses away, he was startled to find a woman sitting on the front steps of a two story house.
"Hello there!" he called "Are you in need of assistance?"
The 30-something woman raised her head to look at him, and he realized she had been crying.
"My daughter.. She's out there somewhere!" cried the woman.
Jesse could see that she was shaking, and trudged over to the steps to better evaluate her condition. "I'll find your daughter. But you need to get somewhere warm. Why don't you go inside."
"I've lost my keys!" she cried.
"Listen, can you see the blue house two doors down? That's my friends house. Just knock on the door, and they'll let you in ok? Tell them Jesse sent you. Just explain what's going on, ok?"
"J-Jesse?"
"yeah."
"I'm Jennifer."
"Hi Jennifer. Can you do what I said?" His question was met with a nod. "I'm going to look for your daughter."
"She's wearing a black backpack, and a baseball hat. She went that way," Jennifer said, pointing.
"OK. No problem" said Jesse, but it clearly was a problem. The woman had pointed at the top of the subdivision, where Jesse knew the water and mud was running deep on either side of the road.
He helped Jennifer stand and watched her start towards the Sloan residence. He turned and began to trudge back up the street, sticking to as much high ground as he could find. Jesse couldn't imagine anyone out in weather like this, least of all a child. He hoped she had had the good sense to go to a neighbors house. Jesse's jacket was heavy with rainwater. His hair was plastered to his forehead. His shoes were full of water, and each step he took made a slushy suction sound. It seemed to take forever to reach the end of the street. He now stood on top of a concrete and brick median. Even with this point of elevation, He was pressing against a foot of water as it moved in the opposite direction. That's fine, he thought, go back out to sea. just please don't take me along.
Jesse surveyed his surroundings. To his left, mud rivulets swept along the ditch. To his right, water coursed along with increasing intensity. The road was a high point in between. On his second look around, he noticed something. Far on his left, across the mud, was a brick wall with the name of the subdivision in large brass letters. There appeared to be a black bag hanging from the top corner. Instant alarm washed over the young doctor, followed by a surge of strength. He set out towards the sign wall.
Progress was slow. Each step required Jesse to force his foot down in search of solid ground. It took him a considerable amount of time to progress the twenty yards or so to the wall. Jesse was physically exhausted now, and it took all his remaining strength to haul himself up the wall. He sat on the edge, his feet supported by the brass letters and looked closer at the bag. It was a large black backpack. Jesse began to search his surroundings frantically, hoping to glimpse the bag's owner. There was nothing but motion. Water, mud, and wind pressing around him. It was hopeless. From his perch on the wall, Jesse leaned out to grab the bag. He would at least retrieve it. The exhaustion, the weight of his soaked clothes, the wind, and the slick brass letters proved too much, though, and Jesse slipped. His head careened off the corner of the wall, and the mud rushed up to grab him. Jesse dropped out of sight.