Part 16 (1/2)
”It's not safe down there.”
”I want to see what's happening.” More accurate- 353 Marbam Devasky ly, she wanted to stay near Judd. She was wanting that a lot lately. He exuded a confidence and competence that gave her comfort, not that she lacked either herself, just that he had more. He hadn't touched her since he'd learned she was pregnant, and she could accept that. There was nothing s.e.xual about what she wanted now.
She just wanted to know what he did and see how he did it. Rung by rung, she went down the ladder. The breeze blew her blazer away from her body, chilling her, but she didn't stop. When she reached the first ledge, she crossed to the ladder leading to the next. She was halfway down that when the breeze gusted again, and while she was huddling against the chill, she heard a shout from one of the men, followed by a thunderous crack and an earthshaking smack. The machines stopped. For a split second there was total silence. In its wake rose a flurry of frightened shouts. She turned to see every man in the area running toward where a huge boulder had fallen from the cables that had been lifting it. She looked for Judd in the rush of men but couldn't pick his hard hat from the rest. Frightened, she hurried down the last of the rungs. She was halfway there when Hunter caught up with her. He snagged her elbow this time. ”Stay here,” he ordered, and ran on ahead. She ran right after him. When he pushed his way through the men, she followed. She came to an Abrupt stop, crowding into his side, when she saw the two men on the ground. Her heart stopped, then raced on. One was Judd. The other was the man who'd been drilling the dog holes. Judd was moving-she breathed a sigh of relief for that, but the sigh caught in her throat when she saw the other 354 The ftlsm089 of Cbeiaw Xane leg pinned beneath the rock. AA 1% Ju was s outing directions. He had gone pale his tan.
The other men were similarly pale. one cradled the injured man, one was running toward the crane. Hunter had left Chelsea's side and was scrambling up a ladder carrying a drill, while another man held the ladder steady. Two more men were on ladders, securing dog hooks in previously drilled holes. The growl of Hunter's drill came again and again. He put pressure on it with his stomach, leaning one way, then another to widen the hole. He grabbed a waiting hook, secured it inside, and slid down the ladder. The crane operator s.h.i.+fted into gear. The cables creaked and tightened. The stone lifted just enough for Judd and several of the others to drag the man beneath it free. His lower leg was crushed. They set him down carefully, but his cry of pain tore into Chelsea's gut. one touched his boot; his leg was a b.l.o.o.d.y mess. She stood there, unable to take her eyes from it, while the activity went on around her. It wasn't a frenzied activity, but a deliberate series of acts per- , by men who weren't strangers to accident ... Quarrying was the second most hazardous occupation in the country, a fact that the men joked about in lighter times. Chelsea didn't hear any joking now.
Their voices were a low, tight rumble of concern. ”Smittie's bringing the truck to the bottom-”
”-need an ambulance-”
”-nearest is two towns over. Truck')] do-'-onto the board, s.h.i.+ft him, careful, careful-”
”-my leg-”
”Okay, Wendell, you're doin' fine-” Three on each side and one on either end, the 355 men lifted the board and began carefully working their way down the side of the hill.. Judd was in their midst. So was Hunter. Chelsea followed closely, along with the remaining quarrymen.
Wendell moaned. The men rea.s.sured him. Fallen leaves and twigs snapped beneath their boots,. and through it all the low voices droned on. ”d.a.m.n dog holes weren't balanced-”
”-signaled the crane too soon-” '@-hooks slipped--2' ”Where the h.e.l.l's Smittie?”
”What's she doin' here?” At the last, Chelsea's eyes flew to Judd, who had only then seen where she was.
His eyes were livid. He jerked his head toward the top of the quarry.
But she shook her own, no. She wasn't leaving. He repeated the gesture.
Still she didn't move. ”Hunter!” he roared, though Hunter was right beside him. ”Get her out of here!” The low rumble of voices went on.
”Last thing we need's a woman-”
”-don't know her [email protected] ”-knocked up anyway---m”
”-pregnant as Stokey's [email protected]” Hunter was suddenly before her, a solid body blocking her way. ”I'm going with them,” she whispered. But he shook his head. She slipped to the right, then the left, and managed to evade him. She ran on in an attempt to catch up with the others. They reached the bottom of the hillside just as the truck chugged up and swung around. Chelsea moved aside to watch the wide board on which Wendell was lying being lifted and put into the back 356 The Pa.s.siom or Chasm AMC His leg was covered with blood. Needing reas- ”Orance that he would be all right, she instinctively her eyes to Judd, but his face held no reasrance. It was ashen, his features pinched. His left ;, from shoulder to waist, was soaked with blood. a.s.sumed it was Wendell's-until he staggered . to climb into the truck. ”Oh, G.o.d,” she breathed, and started forward, but hauled her back. ”He'll be all right. They'll both be all right.” She pulled against his hand. ”I want to go in the ck.”
”I'll take you.”
”I want-”
”We'll get there before they will, Chelsea.” He had Started back up the hillside with her arm still firmly his grasp. The instant she heard the truck roar off d stopped fighting, he let go. She ran ahead of him now, trying to get him movfaster. ”What's wron with Judd?” 9 Got gouged with a hook. Doc Summers'll st.i.tch Im UP.”
”There was so much blood.”
”Gouges run deep.”
”Do you think it tore something vital?” Hunter looked at her face, then her stomach. ”,”Nothing you have to worry about,” he drawled as ,,”.they ran, and all she'd forgotten at the sight of ..Judd's blood came rus.h.i.+ng back. They had seen she was pregnant. The wind had done it.
”It's not Judd's,” she told Hunter, because that eemed like the most important thing to say. ”NO?” 357 Barbara Defins1ky ”Timing's right.
You two have been doin' it since July.”
”Not since July. It's over now.
But the baby happened before I left Baltimore.”
”You're a real swinger.”
”One man. One time. Hunter, what'll happen to Wendell?”
”Depends. He may lose the leg.” Hunter was in the lead now. She was feeling less steady and had to make more of an effort to keep up. ”is he one of the new men?”
”Nope. Been with us fifteen years.” They reached the ladder at the bottom ledge. ”You go first,” he said, and waited until she started up.
At the top of the quarry he held out a hand. ”Give me your keys.” She pa.s.sed them to him as they ran toward the Pathfinder, then climbed onto the pa.s.senger's seat. ”Is the local hospital all right?” she asked.
Hunter started the car. ”If it isn't, Doc Summers will say so.” He wheeled them around and took off down the back side of Kankamaug. ”He's good that way-”
”What's his specialty?”
”No specialty. When you're the only doctor in town, you do everything from st.i.tching cuts, to setting broken bones, to delivering babies.” He took his eyes from the road just long enough to give her stomach a good stare. ”That's rich.” He chuckled. ”Are they ever gonna love this.”
”Who?”
”Everyone in town.” He chuckled again. ”We're talldn' scandal with a capital S.”
”Come on, Hunter. No scandal. This is the nineties.” 358 me Pa.s.sions of Chelsea Kam FI..'ONO matter. This Is Norwich Notch.”
”Women get pregnant all the time.”
”Not ones who are visible in town and unmar- ed.” He shot her a fast, uncertain glance. ”You ', are you?”
”Would I have ever been with Judd if I was?”
”You tell me.”
”No.” Hunter swung onto the main road and picked up ed. They drove in silence for a while. Chelsea Judd in her mind's eye, saw the blood on the t of his. s.h.i.+rt, imagined the torn flesh beneath. Ill someone know enough to staunch the blood?” asked.
”This happens all the time.” That wasn't much of a comfort to her. She'd seen on Judd. There was a small one on his forea more jagged one on his calf. But it was one ng to see something old and faded, another to see ething open. ”So who's the father of your kid?” Hunter asked.
,.-,'-”,She swallowed back a sick feeling in the pit of her ach that had nothing to do with Carl. ”A man in more.” on't he marry you?” yz,””I won't marry him. Or I wouldn't have, even if'd wanted to. Anyway, it's a moot point. He's mar- to someone else now.” @”*So fast?” e turned to the window just as Hunter came up the rear end of a station wagon. He honked, then past the instant the car pulled to the right. ' much longer?” she asked. ,@Six minutes.” isn't there an ambulance?” 359 Harbwa Definsky ”Town can't afford one.” Her hands were like lee. She clenched them in the folds of her sweater. ”So you're gonna have the kid yourself?”
”Uh-huh.” ”What're you gonna say when it asks about its father?”
”I'll say who he is.” Having spent her own life wondering who her parents were, she would never keep something like that from her child. Carl would know about the child long before then. He and Hailey would just have to cope. ”That's good,” Hunter said. For a minute she thought he was done. Then he said, ”My mother wouldn't tell me. I used to ask all the time. It's not right that a child shouldn't know.”
”I agree.” He shot her another fast glance. ”Don't you wonder?”
”All the time.”