Chapter 8
The fire was in the kitchen. Flames
were licking up from the stove and reaching for more fuel. Paul took immediate
action; running into the parlor waking the girls up with his booming
voice.
“Fire!
Everyone up! Fire! FIRE!”
Lillian
ran back into the bedroom, grabbed Oakley out of the cradle with her left hand,
and with her right hand she grasped Nadia’s hand. When the three exited the
bedroom, Hannah, Jinger, Lynn, and Megan were already at the door. Faith,
Cassandra, and Elsie were running behind them. Belle and Danielle were coming
down from the loft.
“Get the
buckets in the barn!” Paul shouted as they ran out. He whipped off his
nightshirt and began slapping the flames with them.
“Get the
buckets in the barn!” Danielle repeated to the others. The twins—the fastest
runners—took off for the barn with Hannah and Jinger following. Danielle told
Belle and Cassandra to head for the creek behind the barn. Danielle ran into
the barn and led the Clydesdale mares down to the creek.
“We can load the buckets on
the horses and take them up faster!”
“Good
idea,” Belle said handing her a full bucket.
Danielle used
Paul’s yoke to hang the buckets on and she slung the yoke over Esther’s broad
back.
Lillian
took the little girls and Oakley to the barn. “You girls stay here. Don’t move.
Lynn, you’re in charge of Oakley.” Lillian set Oakley down on Lynn’s lap.
“Lillian,”
Megan whispered.
“Yes?”
Lillian glanced at the girl.
“Is
everything going to be okay?”
Lillian
forced a smile. “Everything is going to be fine.”
“You
promise?” Nadia’s voice inquired timidly.
Lillian
crouched down in front of Nadia, “I promise, honey.”
Nadia threw
herself forward and hugged Lillian. Lillian hugged Nadia back. “Now, stay
here.”
Lillian
raced back to the house where Cassandra and Danielle were bringing up buckets
full of water. Elsie and Faith seized the buckets and handed them to Lillian
and Paul, who threw the water on the fire.
“As quick
as you can!” Paul called as Danielle and Cassandra galloped back on
the horses to awaiting Belle. Paul’s face and body had a thin layer of sweat
from the raging heat from the fire.
~~~
Lillian grabbed a bucket and raced
into the house and doused the water onto the flames. As she poured out the
water she heard a snap. She lifted up her eyes to the rafters. The flames were
eating away at one of the beams holding up the ceiling. Suddenly, there was a
groan and the beam began to fall.
Lillian hurried to move out of the
way but she wasn’t quick enough. The beam caught her on the side of her head.
Lillian cried out in pain as the beam knocked her to the ground unconscious.
~~~
Danielle rode back to where Belle
was standing knee deep in the creek. Danielle dismounted Esther and led
the mare down to the water.
“Only four
more,” Danielle panted.
“Okay,”
Belle answered dipping the bucket into the water.
Suddenly, a scream pierced through
the night.
Danielle’s eyes widened as she
cried, “Lillian!” She took off on foot up the hill with Belle following.
Danielle reached the top of the hill and ran towards the house. Paul emerged
from the smoky house carrying Lillian in his arms. He placed her gingerly on
the ground. Danielle ran over.
”’What
happened?”
“Not
sure…she blacked out,” Paul said nervously. A burst of cold wind blew fiercely
by them. The girls shivered as the wind slapped them, but Paul remained
stoical the entire time; his full focus on his wife. Belle quickly looked
Lillian over.
“This is
bad,” she said turning to Paul. “We need a doctor.”
“You’re
the fastest rider, Danielle,” Paul said glancing at Danielle. “Ride like the
wind!”
He and Danielle ran into the barn where Paul boosted her
aboard Midnight—bareback. She galloped down the path and Paul returned to be
sure the fire was completely out.
~~~
As Danielle rode through the dark
night, she felt a sinking feeling creep up on her. She couldn’t stop thinking
about Belle’s fearful face. Danielle had never seen Belle so scared before…except
for when Mama had…
Danielle choked back a sob as she
remembered that day from long ago. The nightmare had returned. It was like déjà
vu. Her body was tense and her throat felt dry. Her mind screamed at her to go
faster. She pushed Midnight to the absolute limit. After a record time of
reaching Fairburn, Danielle dismounted and ran to the doctor’s house.
She banged on the door while shouting.
“Doctor Young! Doctor! Doctor!” she
cried, her voice becoming more panicky each time.
Presently,
Doctor Young opened the door in his nightshirt. “Danielle! What is wrong?”
he asked rubbing his eyes.
“It’s
Lillian!” Danielle gasped. “She’s hurt badly! She is unconscious and Belle said
it was really bad!” Danielle said close to tears.
“Give me
two minutes,” the doctor said returning inside. Danielle left Midnight at the
Young’s house and rode in Doctor Young’s wagon.
~~~
Paul and
Cassandra bunked everyone in the barn for the remainder of the night. It was
still smoky and wet inside the house and Paul would have to do some work
to fix up the house. Belle, Cassandra, and Paul were waiting for Danielle
and Doctor Young. They had cautiously moved Lillian back inside her
bedroom. Thankfully, the fire hadn’t done any damage there and it was fairly
smoke free. When the doctor and Danielle arrived, he asked for everyone to
wait in the parlor while he worked. Paul paced nervously in front of the
fireplace while Belle twirled her gold hair on the sofa. Cassandra chewed on a
fingernail while Danielle sat in Lillian’s rocking chair. The doctor
left the room after several minutes.
Paul hurried over to him. “How
is she?”
The doctor shook his head. “I’ve
done everything I could. If she doesn’t wake up soon, the chances are…very low.”
“What…?”
Paul said drawing out the word.
“I’m
sorry. She received a blow to the head…if you need anything, come to me.”
The doctor
strolled outside to his wagon and Paul walked slowly into the bedroom. His
body trembled and he felt as if the whole world had stopped. His stomach was
knots and his head was spinning. Paul entered the room and looked at his wife;
his beautiful wife. He knelt beside Lillian’s bed and took Lillian’s hand
in both of his.
“You gotta
wake up, Lillian. Don’t go, Lillian. Stay with me. My life changed when I
met you. My life has been the best ever since. We have a son and ten daughters.
We have a successful life…we did it together…and…I love you.” Paul ran out
of words and bowed his head. “Lord,” he began praying, “don’t take her! I
need her…help me. Amen.” He stood up and bent his lofty build over Lillian’s
slim figure in the bed. He dropped a kiss on Lillian’s rosy lips and left the
room.
~~~
When Paul
left, Danielle came in next. She watched Lillian with tears in her eyes. She
sat on the bed beside Lillian and tried to hold back tears.
“You can’t
leave,” she begged quietly. “We need you! It is too soon for you to go. We all
love you…I love you! You and Paul have been the best…I can’t lose you.”
Danielle broke into weeping on the bed. It was now near five a.m. and Lillian
was still breathing, but her breaths came slower and slower. Danielle’s
tears ceased after a few minutes and she laid her head against the bed and
closed her tired eyes.
~~~
Presently, Belle walked in the room
and found Danielle asleep and Lillian barely alive. Belle knelt down
beside the bed and folded her hands.
“Dear
Heavenly Father, You know that Lillian is dying. But…we need Lillian and Paul.
We need both of them together. Lillian and Paul have worked miracles for us. We
can’t lose them now. Everyone has grown attached to them…except me.” Belle
paused painfully. She opened her eyes and gazed at the dying Lillian. “Lord,”
she returned to her prayer with a shaky voice. “Don’t let Lillian die. If
You want to take a life, take my life. I’m the only one who hasn’t warmed up to
Paul and Lillian. My life deserves to me taken. If You take Lillian’s life…all
the girls will be hurt. They need Lillian…more than they need me. You already
took Mama away from them…don’t take Lillian. I really do like
Lillian...she’s a good person. Please don’t take her away right now…not
yet.” Belle ended her prayer. Something gently touched Belle’s head.
The object on her head moved away and down onto Belle’s clasped hands. Belle
opened her eyes and looked up and saw Lillian’s hand resting on Belle’s
hands.
“Lillian?” Belle asked sitting
up.
Lillian’s sky blue eyes shone with
unshed tears as she smiled at Belle. ”Belle…” she said in a soft
voice, barely a whisper. “That was so sweet of you.”
Belle
continued to stare. “The doctor said you were going to die!”
Lillian
cocked her head. “There was a doctor here?”
Belle then
remembered that Lillian had been unconscious when the doctor was at the house. “What
was the last thing you remember?”
“I was
throwing a bucket of water on the fire. A beam fell from the ceiling and
knocked me over…” Lillian paused for a moment, deep in thought. “Then
everything went black.”
“You went
unconscious and Danielle sent for the doctor. He looked you over and said
you were going to die!”
“I suppose
God had mercy on me.”
Danielle
stirred on the other side of the bed. Lillian and Belle both glanced over.
Lillian moved her hand slowly over to Danielle’s hand. Danielle’s eyes opened
and she glanced around the room. Her eyes stopped on Lillian.
“Lillian?”
she asked in disbelief.
Lillian
smiled in reply.
“You’re
alive!”
“I guess I
am,” Lillian laughed. Her laughing turned to a painful cough.
“Come,
Danielle, we need to let Lillian rest,” Belle said beckoning to her sister.
“I am
feeling a little weak…” Lillian trailed off and closed her eyes.
Danielle followed
Belle out of the room. Belle shut the door and went to the couch where Cassandra
was holding a sleeping Oakley.
“How is
he?” Belle asked.
“Fine,”
Cassandra responded. “He only woke up twice.” Cassandra looked nervously at
Belle. “Is she gone?”
“No!”
Danielle burst out excitedly. “She woke up!”
“Really?!”
“She’s
awake,” Belle cut in, “but I want Doctor Young to come check on her.”
Danielle
was about to volunteer when Paul opened the front door and walked in.
“Is she…?”
Paul asked timidly.
“No! She’s
alive and well!” Danielle said running over to him.
“What!?”
“Belle
wants to get Doctor Young back to check on her again, though.”
Paul
rushed into the bedroom to see if Lillian was alive. He spent a few
minutes with her before he returned with a smile. “I’ll go fetch the Doc. You
girls take care of Oakley and fix breakfast for everyone.”
“Yes, Sir,”
Belle said heading for the kitchen.
Cassandra
handed Oakley to Danielle and followed Belle into the kitchen. They would
try to get something together for breakfast. Danielle rocked the baby and
watched Belle and Cassandra in the kitchen. Moments later, Nadia walked into
the parlor in her school dress. Her hair was already braided and her shoes
on. The only thing missing was the little girl’s happy face.
“Elsie
told me that Lillian was going to heaven. She is in heaven now?”
“No!”
Danielle cried out to the girl. She set Oakley down in his cradle and placed
Nadia on her lap. “We thought she was going to die but the doctor was wrong!”
“She’s
alright?” Nadia asked with wide eyes.
“Yes. She’s
going to be alright.”
“I’m going
to go see her!” Nadia said jumping off Danielle’s lap.
“No, wait!”
Danielle said as the girl disappeared into Lillian’s bedroom. Danielle followed
her. “Nadia!” she hissed. But Danielle stopped when she saw Lillian was awake.
Nadia was babbling away to Lillian who was listening patiently.
“…and you
promised me that everything would be alright, and you were right!”
Lillian
smiled, “I always keep my promises.”
“Nadia,”
Danielle said reaching for her sister’s hand. “We need to let Lillian rest
now.”
“Okay,” Nadia smiled at Lillian and
left with Danielle.
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