Part 9 (1/2)
The gym had collapsed. There were kids on gurneys and lying out on the brick rubble as EMTs set up I.V.s and bandaged wounds. A lot of kids were covered in blood and two kids were covered all the way, with sheets. Fingers of fear closed around Bob Ray's windpipe, and his breathing came in shallow puffs. Death. It was here, too.
But these kids . . . they weren't like Renee. They were just . . . kids. Innocent. Young. They had their whole lives ahead of them. Just like Heather. And Robbie. Looking into their tear-streaked faces, Bob Ray felt about a hundred years old. Their parents were frantic and sobbing. Just like he'd be, if Robbie had been in there.
For the first time in his life, Bob Ray could understand parental fear.
9:00 p.m.
Justin jumped down off the top of an upended car and headed back to ”camp.” They'd been sitting in a circle around the flashlight, Chaz and Isuzu on one 3x3 dog bed, Abigail and Justin on the other and Jen in her lawn chair. They'd created a makes.h.i.+ft three-sided shelter out of some broken crates and sheet metal for Jen, just in case the now clear sky clouded up and it started to rain again. The temperature had lowered considerably, and they were huddling together to conserve a little warmth.
”Looks like they're inching their way toward us,” Justin said. ”I can see the lights flas.h.i.+ng on the police cars about three-quarters of a mile from here. It won't be long.”
He was wearing a men's suit jacket, as was Chaz. For the women, Chaz had selected an a.s.sortment of wool and mohair sweaters. He even managed to dig up a Pendleton blanket for Jen's lap. The world as they knew it might have ended, but at least they were stylin'. Well, except for the mud and the holes.
Hands on his hips, Justin turned his attention to Jen. ”How are you feeling?” he asked. ”Any contractions yet?”
”Don't you sound like you know what you're talkin' bout?” Chaz laughed up at him. ”He even kind of looks like a doctor now, wouldn't you say?”
”I say he is Handsome-guy,” Isuzu deadpanned with a glance at Abigail.
Abigail nudged her. ”Shut up,” she mouthed.
”Actually, my sister-in-law is a midwife,” Justin explained, pus.h.i.+ng his jacket aside and planting his hands on his hips, ”so, that makes me an expert-in-law. Plus, my brothers have six kids between them, and their wives aren't exactly shy about discussing childbirth over dinner. I tell ya, I know a lot more about breastfeeding than I ever wanted to, that's for sure,” he muttered.
Abigail smiled at his pained expression.
”Contractions?” Jen asked, and shook her head. ”No. But my back is killing me.”
”Is it a steady ache, or does it come and go?”
Jen's brows gathered in a pensive frown. ”It was hurting pretty bad about five minutes ago, but then it was better. But it's really bugging me again.”
”Back labor.”
At Chaz's amused snort, Justin said, ”Hey, I can't help it if my brothers' wives are the queens of TMI.”
”You should have been a doctor, man,” Chaz said, still ribbing Justin. ”Then she could be paying you for this house call.”
”Don't give him any ideas,” Jen said and grunted at the pain gripping her back.
Justin knelt down next to Abigail and s.h.i.+ned the flashlight at his watch. ”I have 9:02. Five minutes ago would have been 8:57. Next time it starts to ache, let me know, and we'll try to figure out how far apart the contractions are.”
”This can't be happening,” Jen said.
Justin gave her shoulder a rea.s.suring pat. ”Relax as much as you can, okay? I hear first babies are notorious for taking forever to arrive. My nephew took forty-eight hours.”
”Ohhh.”
”I'm not helping, am I?” Justin lifted his baseball cap and scratched his head.
”No, no. You are. It's just that I want Danny.”
”Of course you do.” Abigail shot Justin a helpless look. ”I don't suppose, now that the police are probably less than a mile away that, you know, maybe we should all try to walk Jen down there?”
They all pondered the idea and discussed the ins and outs. ”It's dangerous. There is gla.s.s and sharp stuff everywhere,” Justin said.
”But is having a baby out in the middle of it all such a good idea?” Abigail asked.
Justin lifted a shoulder. ”No, but then falling down when you are in labor isn't such a hot idea, either.”
”Auugh. I can't believe we live in this day and age and we are sitting out here without water or electricity or any way to communicate and get help. I didn't think this kind of thing was even possible,” Abigail said.
”I say we pray,” Isuzu said, and grabbing Chaz and Jen's hands, began to pray. In j.a.panese. For a long, long time. When she was finally finished, everyone sighed and echoed her amen, certain that she'd covered all the bases.
”I have sus.h.i.+.” A disembodied voice came from beyond their small circle of light.
”Bernard?”
”Yes, my lady. At your service. I also found several bottles of fresh water.”
Prayerfully, Isuzu looked up to the heavens. ”Thank you! That was quick.”
Abigail's jaw dropped as Bernard set a Tupperware container of Sakura Garden sus.h.i.+ before them and added two bottles of water. ”Eat!” he encouraged and then turned a five gallon plastic bucket upside down and took a seat. ”I have dessert, too. But that's for later.” He patted the cloth grocery sack at his side.
No one wasted a minute arguing. Justin pried the vacuum-sealed lid off and pa.s.sed the sus.h.i.+ around.
”Oh, this is so good,” Abigail said around a huge mouthful.
Isuzu nodded. ”I make this one. I know because I make the California Rolls.”
”Some day, you are going to have to teach me how to make this stuff.”
”Sure. Just as soon as restaurant is built.”
”Oh. Yeah. Well, I can wait.”
Jen's nostrils pinched as she inhaled sharply. Her words hissed out like a leaky balloon. ”What time is it?”
”Why?” Abigail asked, afraid of the answer.
”Baaack pain.”
”Uh-oh.” Abigail clutched Justin's arm in alarm.
”I've got 9:07.” Justin rubbed the back of his neck. ”Five minutes apart.”
Abigail gnawed her lip and glanced uneasily at Jen. ”What does that mean?”