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Chapter One Hundred Forty-four
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FIRE!
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Loud neighs interrupted Nathan's sleep. Startled and immediately alert, Nathan opened his eyes to see an orange glow around the edges of his bedroom curtains and was up and at the window in a flash.
Shouting down the hallway to Allie as he quickly dressed in slacks and a cardigan for warmth, Nathan tried to rouse her, "Allie! Allie! There's a fire in the stable. Allie?"
"I'm awake, Dad. What are you going to do?" Allie called out as she grabbed her bathrobe and socks.
"I'm heading over to rescue the horses. You need to call Grampa Peter, then have the operator call the fire department. Hurry, Honey, Hurry!"
As Nathan donned his overcoat, stepped into his boots and grabbed his gloves, he instructed Allie to stay at the Cottage unless she wanted to go up and be with Gramma Carol. "I have to get to the horses right away." Seeing her hesitation, he added, "I will be careful, Allie. You need to call. Now…"
Nathan dashed to the barn, quickly assessing that the fire was in the storage end of the stable, so he hoped he had time to get the horses out from the other end. Since Sergeant was the farthest from the fire and closest to the open door, Nathan rushed past him to the second stall. Grabbing the halter and lead, Nathan moved quickly and tugged the frightened horse out, tying him to a nearby fence post.
Reentering the burning building, Nathan noticed the third stall closest to the fire was open and empty, realizing it had been kicked as the door was hanging on a hinge. With a split second decision, Nathan turned to rescue Sergeant next. With soothing words and gentle strokes he got the halter secured and, using all his strength, he pulled the strong steed outside to safety, securing him a bit further from the stable.
Although he could hear shouts in the yard, Nathan concentrated on his next steps, knowing he had to go closer to the raging fire. The third horse was backed into a corner, wild with fright, so Nathan approached slowly in spite of the urgent situation. He managed to grab him around the neck but without a halter it was difficult to move him. Glancing to the wall, Nathan seized a rope and, although not ideal, he struggled to get the rope tied around the horse's neck, finally able to yank him towards the open doorway.
Suddenly a timber from the burning rafters gave way and, falling, slammed Nathan's left shoulder causing him to stumble. Ignoring the searing pain, Nathan tugged the horse the last couple feet and handed the reins to Peter, who now stood in the doorway. Peter quickly secured the horse to the fence, only hoping he would stay as he was still in full view of the fire.
Peter hurried to Nathan who was holding his limp left arm while sliding down a fencepost and sinking into a heap on the ground. "Nathan! Nathan!" Peter yelled over the sounds of the fire and the distraught horses. Seeing the headlights of two firetrucks barreling down the driveway, Peter stood waving wildly towards Nathan.
Two firemen quickly reacted to Peter's summons and Peter explained they needed to carry Nathan onto the lawn, yet not touch his left shoulder or arm. "Get him further away."
Seeing Carol and Allie standing in the yard, Peter shouted, "Call Depot. Get the Doctor. Get the trailers." As two neighbors hurried towards them, Peter instructed Joe to help lift Nathan while the woman ran to hug Allie as Carol raced to the house.
It was awkward, but the firemen, Peter and Joe managed to lift, carry and lower Nathan onto the soft grass. Allie escaped from the neighbor's arms and ran screaming to her father, collapsing beside him. "Daddy… Daddy… Wake up… Daddy…"
Waving the other men back to fighting the fire and asking his neighbor, Joe, to tend to the horses, Peter knelt beside Nathan, quickly assessing his condition. Nathan's pulse was strong, but Peter was uncertain if Nathan passed out because of the acrid smoke or his injury. Still, he reassured Allie. "Your Dad is alive, Honey. He was hit by a rafter, but he's alive. Gramma is calling for the Doctor, so right now we stay with him and pray." Having barely kept his emotions in check up to this point, Peter wept along with Allie and they held each other tightly even while they both kept a hand on Nathan's uninjured arm.
In a flurry of shouts and engine noises, horses' neighing and a crowd of people gathering to help however they could, Carol returned and fell to her knees beside her family. While draping a blanket over Nathan, Carol breathlessly explained, "I called Depot. Everyone is on their way." She gulped, "I called William to bring Elizabeth too."
"Good. Good." Peter embraced his wife as she leaned to gently stroke Nathan's forehead and run her fingers through his hair to comfort him.
Someone had brought a pitcher of cold water and a cloth, so Carol tenderly wiped Nathan's face until suddenly Wes Murphy could be heard shouting, "I'm the doctor, where is he? Where is the Sergeant?"
With tear streaked faces, Allie, Carol and Peter looked up, relieved. Peter stood, waved frantically and called out, "Wes, Wes! Over here. "
Immediately Wes was on his knees beside Nathan, opening his medical bag and moving the blanket Carol had thrown over his friend. "Tell me. What happened? What have you seen thus far?"
"I saw it happen," Peter quickly explained Nathan's injuries. "I hope we haven't further hurt him, we had to get him away from the stable, so we carried him out here."
Nodding, Wes instructed, "Peter? Help me get his clothing open and off his arms. If he awakens it is the pain and he might faint again. Here, hold him up. Good."
Carefully, Peter and Wes laid Nathan back on his open coat on the grass as his pain-filled eyes fluttered open and closed again.
Wes immediately diagnosed Nathan's dislocated shoulder, then felt for his pulse, felt around his head, and explained. "Okay. We need to get him to the hospital for an X-ray to confirm there isn't a fracture. With that confirmation, I can manipulate his shoulder back into place. Carol? Can you direct the ambulance men over here with a stretcher?"
"I'll go, Carol. You stay here." The neighbor ran up the driveway to direct the men to Nathan just as William Thatcher pulled in with Elizabeth flying out of the car before he had hardly parked.
"Where is he? Where is Nathan? Is he alright? Nathan? Nathan?" Her sobs prevented more cries, but she was immediately directed towards the lawn and the group surrounding Nathan, lying on the ground. "Nath…"
"Miss Bess!" Allie screamed and ran towards Elizabeth, hugging her hard before they began to run together, arm-in-arm.
"Nathan…" Elizabeth collapsed beside the love of her life, her present, and her future, taking his hand in hers. Without glancing away from Nathan, she asked, "Wes? What's happened? What's happening now?"
"Nathan dislocated his shoulder when a rafter hit him."
As the medics arrived carrying a stretcher, Wes addressed them, identified his profession and rank, and proceeded to give a brief explanation indicating the shoulder injury before instructing them exactly how they needed to transport the injured man to keep his shoulder immobile. His experience in war zones made Wes an invaluable doctor and director of operations in situations like this.
"Elizabeth, you need to step back so that they can lift him."
Elizabeth bent over to quickly give Nathan a kiss, then stood, wavering a bit. Swiftly supporting his daughter, William inquired, "What hospital, Wes?"
Hastily gathering his medical gear and stowing it in his bag. "Regina General. Elizabeth, do you want to come with me? Maybe you can bring Allie, William?"
"Yes. Allie, you want to come with me, right?" William put his arm around his granddaughter as Elizabeth moved beside Wes.
Squeezed close, Allie wrapped her arms around William's waist, nodding her agreement.
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"Wes? If his injury is a dislocated shoulder, why is he unconscious?" Elizabeth questioned Wes as he turned the car to follow the ambulance.
"The pain level is intense. Just think of pinching a nerve or hitting your elbow and multiply that many times. The body preserves itself by relaxing unconscious so it doesn't tense and aggravate an injury."
Elizabeth wiped her eyes, "What can be done?"
"X-rays first to confirm my initial diagnosis, then I will adjust his shoulder and move it back into place."
"Is this common? Have you ever done this before?"
"Many times. Remember I was a Military Medic, so we learned to assess and treat as quickly as possible." Wes turned into the hospital entrance and parked. "He'll be in pain, Elizabeth, but Nathan will be alright. Just pray for efficiency, speed and God to heal his pain. Let's go."
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At the hospital, Wes entered, instructing Elizabeth to stay with him. Giving his credentials and a hospital colleague's information Wes made arrangements for immediate X-rays, while Elizabeth gave pertinent birthdate, age, address and telephone numbers. "My fiancé is a Staff Sergeant Major at Depot. His daughter and my father are parking, so please allow them in as well? William Thatcher and Allison Grant. Thank you." She ducked her head as another wave of tears threatened, not aware of the impact the title and names had on the nurses at the desk.
Bursting through the doors, Allie ran to hug Elizabeth and the nurse directed all four of them to follow her. Leaving the family in a waiting room, the nurse led Wes to the entrance of the emergency room as Nathan was transferred to a wheeled bed.
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"Waiting is so hard. I want to know what they are doing. I want to watch Dad and be there when he wakes up." Allie asked, trembling, "Do you think he is in a lot of pain?"
"Dr. Murphy said, yes. That is why your dad fainted. Once his shoulder is manipulated back into place, he'll have less acute pain, and eventually will be alright." Elizabeth rubbed her hand over Allie's back in an effort to soothe the teenager and to calm herself. With a tear-filled expression, Elizabeth looked into the face of her father.
What she saw was William Thatcher's eyes closed and his lips moving, so Elizabeth closed her eyes and lifted silent cries to the Lord.
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"You are the family of Sergeant Grant?" A nurse entered the waiting room, clipboard in hand. "Please follow me?" As she walked them down the hallway, she whispered. "The Sergeant has been assigned a room and the doctors will fill you in. Here we go." She pushed open the door as Wes, another doctor and a nurse looked up.
After receiving the update from Wes, who indicated he had restored Nathan's injured shoulder back into place, the hospital physician assured the family that they had administered pain medication and would be checking him frequently.
"We are fortunate that Doctor Murphy is skilled in battlefield treatment as he did everything exactly as was needed. Sergeant Grant will sleep now with the painkiller and we will ice his shoulder throughout the night. We are monitoring his breathing after inhaling the smoke and will give him some oxygen as well."
The physician continued, "We should be able to release him tomorrow, but with restrictions. He'll need ice on and off for the first few days, plus a sling for a couple of weeks. Guided exercise for a few weeks should get him back to normal, with the exception of heavy lifting, of course. The Sergeant is a strong and muscular man, so he will not suffer any lasting effects."
It was decided that Elizabeth and Allie would remain in the room while William returned to the Collins's and called Grace and Hudson from there.
Wes excused himself for a while as he had paperwork to complete, but promised to return to sit with them as soon as he could.
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As the sunlight filtered through the curtains, Nathan opened his eyes, quickly aware he was in a hospital room, and his shoulder was in pain. The sight of Elizabeth and Allie in each other's arms was a balm for his soul in spite of his discomfort. Curled up on the hospital bed next to Nathan, their steady breathing confirmed his girls were sleeping. At the sound of a quiet snort and seeing sudden movement, Nathan noticed Wes Murphy, his chin on his chest dozing in the chair at the end of the girls' bed.
Nathan barely had time to breathe a prayer of thanks to the Lord before a nurse opened the door and whispered gleefully, "Sergeant Grant! You are awake!"
Clearing his throat, Nathan croaked, "I am. Can you give me some medication for the pain, then tell me what I am doing here?"
"Nathan!" Elizabeth was immediately alert. "Oh Honey, you are awake. Allie! Your Dad is awa…"
"Dad! Oh, Dad! I was so worried. We were all so worried…"
Now awake himself, Wes stood and stretched, rolling his neck. "Nathan! Thank God you are awake. How does your shoulder feel? You dislocated it in the fire. Do you need some water and pain medication?"
"Doctor? Let me get the Doctor on call and he can sort out the next steps for the Sergeant." The nurse pointed to the jug of water and a glass beside the bed. "You may help him take some sips in the meantime."
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From the hospital on Saturday morning, Wes called Chief Superintendent Tim Stewart to notify him of the situation.
"The Collins's stable was on fire and Nathan ran in to rescue the horses. He was successful, but a falling beam hit Nathan on his left shoulder, dislocating it. X-rays indicated nothing was broken so I manipulated it into place. I believe the pain caused him to lose consciousness, but eventually he slept well with the pain medication, and appeared in good spirits when he awakened. Nathan will require painkillers and a sling, however he'll need to be out of work for the coming week. I will advise that he refrain from riding, and we'll have to see about a comfortable position for typing. Fortunately the injured shoulder is on his left, so he will be able to write."
"Oh no! How did the fire start?" Tim inquired.
"We surmise that the fire began in the part of the stable that workman were using to saw the lumber for a house renovation. The fire chief believes it was a lantern that ignited the sawdust and hay. All three horses were rescued and will be temporarily stabled at Depot, Peter's two and Sergeant, who was Jack Thornton's horse that was retired and given to his widow.
Wes continued his report, "According to Peter, the horses' stalls were at the other end of the barn and the items normally stored in the area that burned had been relocated to the back porch and covered with tarps. They were only moved within the last couple of weeks to clear space for the workmen, so that is Providential."
"The barn is a total loss and there is some damage to the finishing lumber that may delay completion of the renovations, but Peter also said that most of the lumber had already been cut and stacked in the main house to be readily available. He is expecting the construction crew to assess the situation this morning."
A true Mountie, Tim voiced his concern, "How are the horses?"
"Unharmed physically for the most part, but traumatized. Dunne was called and he sedated all three horses, loading them into the wagons and was planning to settle them and board them at Depot. I haven't spoken to him since I left to follow the ambulance, so you'll have to call him for an update."
"Peter came and took Allie home after Nathan awakened this morning, however I am staying here with Elizabeth until Nathan is released. I want to get him safely settled at home, then maybe I'll get some sleep." Wes paused. "I know he's only been at Depot for a few months, Tim, but Nathan has become a brother and a friend… I just want to make sure he is resting comfortably."
"Maybe not exactly the same, but I do understand and he is that to me as well, Wes." The Chief Superintendent cleared his throat. "Tell Nathan that he has leave for the coming week and we will reassess his condition on Thursday or Friday, please?"
"I can do that. You'll spread the word at Depot? Oh no!" Wes exclaimed, "Someone needs to tell Zachary before word gets out. Will you do that?"
"I will handle that once we are off the line and won't tell others until Cadet Grant knows. Thanks for the update, Wes, and take care of yourself too."
"Yes, Sir."
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Elizabeth gripped Nathan's arm after he was settled on the sofa with a cup of coffee and a scone. Wes had showed her how to prop his left arm to relieve pressure, how to position the ice bag, how to properly wear and remove the sling and when to schedule his next painkiller, promising to return later in the day to assist Nathan with bathing and dressing. For now it was best to limit his movements and let him continue to rest.
"May I pray with you before I depart, Nathan?" Wes offered.
"Yes, please, Wes."
Sitting on the coffee table in front of Nathan and Elizabeth, Wes, took their hands in his and led in a heartfelt prayer.
"Heavenly Father,
Thank you for sparing Nathan's life and thank you that his injury wasn't worse. Your hand was upon him and I pray that will continue. Keep Nathan in Your care, heal his shoulder and any memories from last night. Please let his recovery be swift!
Thank you that Nathan effectively saved the horses and that they will have good care at Depot for the time being.
Thank you that so many rallied to help here this morning… and some have even promised to provide meals too!
Guard, guide, heal and bless Nathan and Elizabeth. Allie too! Help them to know how much they are loved.
I am grateful for each one of them and in Your Great Name I pray,
Amen."
"Amen. Thank you, Wes. I don't know how you arrived so readily but I am indebted and grateful for your field experience too." Nathan chuckled, adding, "You are a good man to know!"
"And you know what this means don't you? I have to be the one to bring you coffee once you are back at work!" Wes smirked. "That will make your debt to me permanent!"
"Pay back for introducing you to Ardis, my friend. The scales are still tipped in my favor!" Nathan grinned.
Glad to hear Nathan was up to their back-and-forth banter, Wes donned his coat and turned towards the door. "True. Not to be compared with saving your life…" Wes ducked as if Nathan would throw something at him then, chuckling, said his farewell. "I'll check on you later today. Bye, Elizabeth and rest, Buddy, rest!"
"Bye, Wes, and thank you," Elizabeth called out.
Nathan added, "Yes, thank you for everything, my friend."
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Soon after Wes departed, Elizabeth fell asleep, her head nestled into Nathan's good shoulder, but the ringing telephone startled them both.
Hurrying to answer the telephone, Elizabeth cleared her throat, "Hello? Grant residence. Elizabeth Thornton speaking."
"Ah, Elizabeth, you are just the one I wanted to talk to. Tim Stewart here. Can you come to the stables at Depot? It's Sergeant."
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