Chapter 2:

An Unexpected Accident

She smiled as she imagined herself as the main character of the mystery book that lay in her lap. Katie loved to imagine going through all of the mysteries, and adventures. "Wouldn't it be exciting to be a detective?" she sighed, "Steve always said that I could work with him in LA. I guess he thinks I'd be a good detective."

At the thought of America, Katie sighed and looked at a picture of her uncle and cousin that she had on her dresser. She hadn't seen them since she was five. They had come to England for a visit once, but because of their jobs, they hadn't been able to return. Mark was a doctor in LA at Community General Hospital, and his son, Steve, was a police officer in the LA Police Department.

Katrina missed them so much. She faithfully prayed for them every day, and wrote them letters every week. Katie always asked about America, and what it was like. She hoped to one day visit her family and see it for herself.

Katrina's thoughts were brought back to England when she heard her sister playing outside. She looked out of the window and smiled as she watched Emily play with the dog on the back lawn, in the last few minutes of light that the sun provided.

"She's so full of life," Katie said. "I hope she always stays so sweet and energetic."

"Isn't it fun to watch her?" Katrina's mother asked as she walked into the room.

"Yes it is."

"I wish you didn't have so many years between the two of you."

Katie smiled. She was quite a bit older than her sister; nine years to be exact. Katie was fifteen, but she seemed so much older than she actually was. She was very responsible, and very mature for being in the eleventh grade. Katie remembered when she had been encouraged to skip a grade, yet she had chosen to finish high school with her best friends.

Katrina pushed those thoughts aside when she heard her sister running up the stairs calling to her.

"Katie! Katie, where are you?"

"In my room, Emmie."

"Guess what? I taught the dog a new trick!"

"Did you?"

"Yeah. I'm going to have the best trained dog in the country!"

"Not before you get your rest, little one," Mrs. Sloan said. "Now kiss your sister goodnight, and lets get you to bed."

"Yes, Mama. 'Night Katie."

Something told Katie that she ought to hug her little sister a little longer tonight. Katrina whispered to her sister, "I love you so much, Emily. Don't ever forget that."

When Katie finally let go of her sister, she smiled and told her mother that she would be in bed shortly as well. She went down stairs, and knocked on her Father's study. "Daddy, can I come in?" she asked.

"Sure, Katie." he replied.

Katie opened the door, and walked to her father's desk. "Hi. How was your day?"

"Good. I was busy at work, but it was a good day. How was yours, Katie?"

"It was okay. Peter keeps picking on me, but Mary says that's normal for a boy to do when he likes a girl."

"And do you like Peter?" Mr. Sloan questioned with a smile.

"Yes," Katrina replied simply, "What do you think of him, Dad?"

"I think he's a nice boy. He's a Christian like you, and he's got a good attitude about

life, and he is good looking. Not that that's a top priority, but it's a plus."

Katie grinned, and kissed her father, then pulled up a chair and sat down. She loved talking with her dad in the evenings.

"So what does he tease you about?"

"Oh, the usual. He insists on calling me 'Carrots' because of my red hair, and he says that I dream too much about my books. He thinks I should just keep my thoughts on cooking and cleaning and how I'm going to take care of him and his children. I told him that he needed to stop dreaming about me becoming his wife, and he just grinned that stupid, irresistible grin of his."

Mr. Sloan smiled. He and Katie continued talking about various things until nine o'clock. Katrina yawned and said that she needed to go to bed. She kissed her Father, and told him that she loved him, then went back up the stairs to say the same to her mother.

Katie crept by her sister's bedroom so as not to wake Emily, and closed her own bedroom door softly behind her. Katrina got down on her knees, and began to pray to her heavenly Father. "Lord Jesus, thank you for being so wonderful to me. I pray that you would protect my family and I through the night, and may Your will be done in all things. Help me to be used as a tool in your hands, Lord. Please protect Uncle Mark and Steve in America. I ask that some day I would be able to see them. Please don't let them forget that I love them, and miss them. Thank you for being my heavenly Father. I love you. In Jesus' name, amen."

Katrina crawled into bed, and began to think about America again. She had never lived there a day in her life, but she had heard stories of it from her uncle. It sounded wonderful. She had always lived in England, yet she wanted to live in America, and work with her Uncle Mark at Community General Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Katie's thoughts slowly drifted away as sleep came over her.

Katrina was asleep for only an hour, when she was awaken by a sickening scream. She sat bolt upright in bed, but fell back coughing as smoke filled her lungs. As she coughed, a horrible thought came into her mind; the house is on fire! Katie heard her sister scream once again. "Katie, help me! Katie, where are you?"

I'm coming, Emily!" Katrina called back. She dropped to the floor, and began to crawl toward her sister's bedroom. When she got there, Katie's heart sank. Emily's clothes were on fire, and the girl was frantically rolling about the floor to try to extinguish the flames. Without hesitation, Katrina grabbed her sister, raced down the stairs, and out the front door.

When she reached the front of the house, Katie felt someone pull her and her sister apart, and beat the flames out with a blanket. At first, Katrina didn't feel any pain, and she tried to move. As she did, however, she was ordered to lie still, and the pain began to be unbearable. Katie would later discover that she suffered from second and third degree burns on her arms, legs, back, and face.

In the distance, Emily was screaming in pain, and Katrina wanted to go to her, but she herself was in too much pain to move. Katie wondered where her parents were. Her mind began swirling with questions. "Where are Mom and Dad? Are they all right? Is Emily going to make it? Am I going to make it? What will happen if Emily and I are orphans?" Soon, the pain that Katrina felt caused her to slip into unconsciousness, and Katie didn't wake up until she was in the hospital alone, frightened, and in terrible pain.

Katie would not find out what had happened to the rest of her family for two weeks. Emily was covered from head to toe in third degree burns, and did not survive through the night. Katrina's parents were both killed in the fire, leaving Katrina an orphan.

Katie had so much to think about, yet her doctors told her that at the moment, she had to focus on recovery. She was transferred to a hospital in London that had a special burn unit. It was there that she began her long painful recovery.

Katrina had no idea that recovery from burns could be so difficult. Every day, she was given long, painful baths in special tubs, with special soap. A nurse would help her get into the tub, and would begin to scrub at Katie's skin with a brush. The charred, dead skin would begin to fall away, revealing raw irritated skin underneath.

Katrina had at least three of these baths every day. After each one, she was put back into bed, and had to have ointment rubbed on her body. Then a protective plastic sheet was placed over her. It was an extremely painful process that Katie dreaded having to go through every day. She only managed through constant prayer, and the strength that only God could give to her.

Katie knew that she was quite a sight to see. Her friends could only visit her from the outside of her room, looking in through a glass window, and she could talk to them on the speaker system. She wanted to be out of the hospital, and living her life as if none of this had occurred, but she knew that was impossible.

Katie often wondered what would happen to her when she was able to go home, and who would take her in. She wanted to stay in England, but she was not sure whom she would stay with. Katrina had to rely on God for answers and comfort every day.

"I never meant to hurt them!" Trent said, "I just wanted to scare them."

"But you did the right thing, Trent," Richard Maxwell replied.

"You said this would help; that I would feel better!" Trent shot, "You tricked me!"

"Trent, you have to trust me, not as your leader, but as your friend."

"But how does this help our cause?"

"If you stay with me, Trent, I will train you in the ways of the cause. You will understand in time."

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