He picked up her wrist.
There it was, a faint pulse.
He knew enough first aid to know he shouldn’t move her, but he tried anyway. She was bleeding, and he needed to get her out. But she didn’t budge—her right leg was stuck under a beam. He pulled out his phone and called 911, then Eric.
“Come on Eric, pick up,” he shouted into his phone.
No answer.
Jayce.
“Hey.”
“The barn fell on Maizie,” Christian cried.
“What?” Jayce screamed.
“I can’t get her out.” Christian’s voice wobbled, and his body threatened to give out.
“Coming.” The line went dead.
“Please don’t take her,” he cried to the heavens. “Please, I can’t lose her too.” Sobs wracked his body as he tried over and over again to free her, but it was no use. Every second felt like an hour waiting for her to wake up.
“Christian!” Jayce’s voice carried through the wind as he ran to him. “Maizie,” Jayce whimpered.
“I can’t get the beam off.” Christian said.
Jayce knelt down by him, and they lifted and pushed. The beam finally gave way just as the ambulance screeched to a halt next to them. Paramedics jumped from the vehicle and took over.
“How long has she been like this?” the lady asked.
“I don’t know,” Christian said, watching the woman he loved lay still and knowing there was nothing he could do. He should have gone to her sooner. Why did he wait?
The clouds released floods at the same time his eyes did.
“One of you coming?” the man asked as they loaded her onto the board and prepared to enter the ambulance.
“Him.” Jayce pushed him forward.
Christian followed them into the vehicle, and they closed the door behind him. Maizie’s still body was strapped to the board, and the EMTs cut off her pants and shirt. Blood oozed from her leg and stomach and had matted her hair down. She was so small, so helpless. He wanted to hold her, make everything better.
He wanted to punch the side wall, because his mom was right. He couldn’t fix this problem. All he could do was pray.
Thirty-Five
Maizie’s eyes flitted open. Then closed. Then open. White lights blinded her, and she closed them again.
“Maizie?” She heard a voice from far away. She tried to respond, but she couldn’t move. She was stuck. Trapped. Frozen.
What was that awful taste in her mouth?
She tried to wake up from it all, but her eyelids were so heavy. She’d sleep for a few more minutes.
This was all a bad dream.
* * *
“Maizie?”Christian tried again. Her eyes had opened; he knew it. But now she was still again.
