Promises

Johnny held the 18 month old little girl up so she could put the angel on top of the tree. Together they placed it so that it was secure, if it did lean a little to the right. Johnny then nuzzled the little girl’s neck, tickling her to make her giggle. Hunching her shoulder up to her ear to stop his tickling, she giggled delightedly. They repeated this process several more times, both giggling,

Ever since the day just over a year and a half ago, when Amanda had been born, her grip on his heart had steadily increased. There was nothing he would not do for his daughter, nothing. He had never fully understood before, how fathers could say they would die to protect their children. He knew, all too well, self-preservation was one of the most powerful forces in the universe. When he had married Cindy, he had discovered that it was not the most powerful force. The most powerful force was the love he felt for his wife and the need he felt to protect her. Then, when Amanda was born, he experienced an equally strong force.

The love he felt for her nearly overwhelmed him now, as he played with her beside the newly decorated Christmas tree. The ringing of the doorbell interrupted the father and daughter moment.

“Bell.” Amanda announced; it was her newest word.

“Bell.” Johnny echoed, delighted with his daughter. “That must be Uncle Roy and Aunt JoAnne.”

“Unc Ro.” Amanda clapped her hands, smiling. “An Jo.”

It was still three weeks until Christmas, but John and Cindy had invited the DeSoto family over to help celebrate putting up the Christmas tree. Carrying his excited daughter to the door, he opened it. As expected, the DeSoto family stood on the porch, Uncle Roy, Aunt JoAnne, and both children, all smiling broadly. Johnny was beginning to understand how his close relationship with Jenny felt to Roy. As soon as the door opened, Amanda reached for Roy, repeating his name. Nothing loath, Roy took her from her father, returning her hug with enthusiasm. Johnny greeted his other three visitors as they entered the house.

Just as he was beginning to wonder where she was, Cindy came through the kitchen door to greet the visitors. The smell of cooking food had permeated the house for hours. Seeing her face lit with an inner glow, a feeling of satisfaction came over John. Contentment washed over him as he watched her smile and greet JoAnne and the kids.

“You’re all just in time for the lighting of the tree.” As he made this announcement, Johnny crossed over to the living room light switch and flipped it. No lights came on. “What the….” The others snickered as he walked over to the tree. On hands and knees, he crawled around the base of the tree. Finding the lights not yet plugged in, he pushed the plug into the socket. Above him the tree lit and he backed out from under it, standing to a round of applause from the others.

“Li.” Amanda chortled, bouncing in Roy’s arms, clapping. “Li.” No one could help but smile at the little girl’s delight.

While Cindy and JoAnne disappeared into the kitchen, John and Roy sat down in the living room with the newly lit tree. They watched Chris and Jenny playing with Amanda on the floor. Roy watched John as he watched the kids, and smiled at his former partner’s obvious contentment. It was a feeling very familiar to him. His kids were by no means perfect and they sometimes were contentious, but by and large he had a good life and he knew it. Now he saw his own feelings reflected in his friend’s face, and was glad.

In the nearly three years since his former partner’s marriage, they had grown even closer. Though promotions had separated them, they had continued to foster their friendship in a tacit agreement. No words had ever been exchanged; none needed to be. The bond, forged in the years they had worked so closely together, was so strong it would never be broken.

“So, you ready for our trip to Santa Rosa in a couple of weeks?” Roy asked, breaking the silence.

“Not yet, but I will be,” John said with his crooked grin. “It’ll be good to see Blain again.”

“I know. Who would have thought when we climbed up to rescue those climbers, we would end up doing training for Sheriff Blain Bintner’s EMTs?” Roy shook his head, thinking back to the incident several years before, and their subsequent friendship with the sheriff of Santa Rosa County who had been determined to find a way to get an emergency response team set up. Sheriff Bintner’s sheer force of will had set things in motion, but Roy felt partially responsible because he had been the one to suggest EMTs. The sheriff had taken his and John’s suggestions and run with them. Then, as they were the only two paramedics certified to practice in Santa Rosa, he had enlisted their aid in supplemental training for his largely volunteer EMT force.

Though his force had grown, and two or three paramedics had been trained, he continued to call on DeSoto and Gage regularly. Strictly speaking, he was imposing on them and their friendship, but neither minded. They liked the sheriff. Besides which, neither would miss a trip to Santa Rosa County. Often, after the training sessions, they would indulge in a fishing expedition.

The next training session was set for December 23. There would be no fishing on this trip. In order to spend Christmas Eve with their families, Roy and John would drive up the morning of the training day and back home the next morning.

**************

Three weeks later, Roy arrived at John’s house once again accompanied by his wife and kids who were going to spend the day with Cindy and Amanda. It was early morning and the kids were barely awake but excited to spend time with “Aunt” Cindy and the baby.

Roy and John climbed into the Rover and started for Santa Rosa County. The morning was gray and wet. Rain misted down on them as they headed north out of Los Angeles County.

“I hope this doesn’t turn bad.” Roy commented, peering out the windshield at the overcast sky.

“It’s supposed to rain all day. There’s some sort of front coming in.” John seemed unconcerned about the weather. Roy knew the other man was a competent driver so he sat back and tried to relax. The rain did indeed begin to come down harder, but posed no real threat. The two-lane road became steep and winding with ravines alternating on either side. John had traveled the road often enough that he had no trouble negotiating it. The only concession he made to the weather was to drive more slowly than he would have had it been dry.

After a quick stop for gas at a station about halfway to their destination, they continued up the winding road. Traffic coming from the other direction was moderate. As they approached a blind curve a small red sports car, low to the ground, flew around the curve. Rocketing straight towards them. Seeing the other car, Gage yanked the steering wheel to the left into the opposite lane. Luckily the low flying car continued in the other lane and passed them on the wrong side.

Johnny turned the steering wheel to change back into his own lane. The vehicle did not respond. As a matter of fact, the wheels were hydroplaning. The Rover, continuing straight when the road curved, flew over the embankment, plummeting into the ravine.

**************

Listening with half an ear to the children in the other room, JoAnne and Cindy chatted in the kitchen. Chris and Jenny were playing with Amanda. All three children laughing as Chris made goofy faces. Though the two women could not see him they knew he was doing it because of Amanda’s delighted giggles.

With a suddenness that startled everyone, Amanda began to wail. Both women jumped up and ran into the living room. The baby sat in the middle of the floor with Chris and Jenny on either side of her. She continued to wail while the other children looked on, bewildered. Cindy picked her up and began looking for signs of injury.

“What happened?” JoAnne asked of her children.

“I don’t know, Mom. One minute she was laughing, and the next minute she just started crying,” Chris said, obviously upset.

“She’s not hurt.” Cindy finished her examination of the baby, whose wails subsided into sobs. Holding her tight and trying to comfort her did no good. The girl simply continued to cry, inconsolable.

**************

Sheriff Bintner was worried. Uncharacteristically for them, John and Roy were late. Even allowing added time for the rain, they should have arrived by now. Instincts aroused, he felt restless. Going out to the car, he picked up the mic and spoke into it.

“Unit one. Have you heard anything from Gage or DeSoto?”

“No, Unit One, I haven’t. Aren’t they there yet?” Mabel’s familiar voice came back to him over the radio.

“No, not yet. Call their wives and see if they got off on time this morning.”

“Will do.”

**************

Though her loud sobs had subsided, Amanda continued to cry. Cindy tried walking with her, rocking her, changing her, and feeding her, but nothing worked. She wasn’t wet, refused to eat, and began to wail again if Cindy even tried to put her down.

JoAnne answered the ringing phone. The woman on the other end asked to speak with Cindy, and JoAnne asked if she could take a message.

“This is Mabel with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s...”

“Oh, hello, Mabel, this is JoAnne DeSoto.” JoAnne recognized her from having talked with the other woman several times over the years.

“JoAnne, I was calling to find out if Roy and John got off on time this morning.”

“Sure they did. They should be there by now.” A feeling of dread came over JoAnne. The day was going from bad to worse.

“Well they haven’t made it yet. We just wanted to be sure they weren’t running late or anything.”

“No, they got off on time.” JoAnne’s worried expression and words alerted Cindy. Something was wrong.

“I’m sure they’re just having car trouble, or had to sit out a downpour or something. I’m sure they’ll show up any minute.” Mabel, trying to sound reassuring, was less than successful.

“Yes, of course.” JoAnne tried to match the other woman’s cheerful tone. “Let us know when they get there, okay?”

“I sure will. Don’t you worry none. I know they’ll show up safe and sound any time now.”

“Yes..yes of course they will.” JoAnne said good-bye then hung up the phone. Turning to face Cindy she said, “The boy’s haven’t shown up for the training yet. Mabel wanted to know if they’d left here on time.”

“You don’t think there’s anything wrong do you?” Cindy’s nerves, already on edge, began to fray.

“No, of course not. They just got held up somewhere along the way is all.” As she spoke, the sound of rain pelting the window sounded loudly. Amanda again began sobbing more loudly at the same time.

**************

Rain pelted loudly on the window and roof of the Rover. The sound penetrated the darkness engulfing him. John wondered, for a moment, where he was and how he had gotten there. The last he remembered, he had been driving the Rover on the highway. After a moments thought, he remembered the low flying red car headed directly for him. After that only chaos, pain, and darkness.

Roy! Roy had been in the passenger seat. Where was he now? His eyes flew open at the thought. Pain shot through his head. He squinted his eyes against the light. When the pain subsided, he slowly turned his head to look to his right. He was grateful to see his friend still there, seatbelt holding him fast. Seeing Roy seatbelted in made him realize why he himself could not move—he was seatbelted in. Releasing his own belt, he found it difficult to stay in his seat as the car was tilted just enough to cause him to slide toward Roy.

Slowing his movements, he allowed himself to slide down next to his friend. The other man had not yet made a sound and he was beginning to worry. Checking for a pulse, he was relieved when he found one, steady if weak. Peering through the shattered glass of the passenger window, he realized the car was resting against a tree.

Further examination of his friend found a gash on the left side of his head. John deduced that the shattering glass must have cut the other man’s scalp. Blood was still flowing sluggishly, and would need attention first. Though the pain in his own head was increasing, he ignored it.

Looking vaguely around the car, he knew he should be remembering something he was not. When his gaze fell on the large first aid kit he remembered. He had everything he needed to treat Roy’s wound in that box.

The kit, along with everything else in the back of the car, had been displaced and was out of his reach. To get to it, he had to get up on his knees and reach over the seat, bending almost double. When he did so, he felt for a moment as if he would pass out from the pain in his abdomen and chest. While the seatbelt had held him in place and kept him from flying out of the vehicle or smashing into the windshield, it had obviously done its own bit of internal damage. Gritting his teeth against the pain and nausea, he reached the extra inch and grabbed hold of the handle of the kit.

Panting, he sat back down on the seat, clutching the kit in his lap. When he caught his breath, he opened the box and took out what he would need to clean the wound. Turning his friend’s head so that he could get a better look at the wound, he was glad to see no large pieces of glass embedded in it. Johnny cleaned the area as best he could and applied gauze pads to the two-inch gash and began to wrap kurlex around Roy’s head. He was nearly through when Roy, beginning to awaken, moaned, scowled, and batted at his hands.

“Get off me. Stop it, that hurts.” Roy’s condition was such that he could only weakly bat at John’s hands.

“It’s okay. I’m almost through. Just stay still.” John tried to soothe the other man and went on wrapping his head and securing the gauze. Roy, still somewhat confused and in obvious pain, continued to move his head from side to side and bat at John’s hands with his own.

“Do you have to be right on top of me?” Roy asked, querulously.

“It’s because the car is tilted.” John explained, as he secured the gauze.

“Car…tilted…how…where…what happened?” Roy’s confusion was beginning to concern John.

“We were nearly hit by another car. Don’t you remember? We went off the road.”

“No. Last I remember…we were leaving your house. Where are we?” Roy said haltingly.

“We’re somewhere between LA and Santa Rosa Counties. In a ravine.” John went on to fill Roy in on the rest of the details. Rain pattering on the car provided a counterpoint to his tale.

*************

Sheriff Bintner, upon being informed the men had started out on time that morning, felt the adrenaline begin to pump throughout his system. Never would he have dreamed that the very emergency system Gage and DeSoto had been so instrumental in bringing about, would be used on their behalf. But now he knew it was time to set the search in motion. He hoped they would find the men sitting on the side of the road with car problems, but his gut instinct told him something was very wrong.

Several hours later, a report came in that a white Land Rover with two men fitting Gage and DeSoto’s descriptions, had been seen at a filling station. Both men had been in good spirits and had left the station without incident. The only conclusion that could be drawn was, somewhere between the gas station and their destination, the Land Rover had met with an accident. What worried the sheriff and the search and rescue team was that there was no sign of either the men or the Land Rover.

Heavy rain continued to obscure the search. Any signs of the Rover seemed to have long since been washed away. When darkness fell, the search was suspended. Reluctant as he was to do so, the sheriff knew he could not risk the lives of his men when the odds of finding the victims in the dark were so low.

*************

JoAnne found mother and daughter on the sofa in the dark. When Cindy had tried to put Amanda in her crib, she had begun to sob again. She now lay with her head in her mother’s lap, sleeping. Cindy absently ran her hand trough the little girl’s dark hair. She stared at the Christmas tree, which was still lit.

Mabel had called again several hours before, to let them know that a search for the two men was underway. And then again, later, to let them know the search had been suspended, but would be resumed, at first light the next day.

JoAnne had seen the fear in Cindy’s eyes when she relayed the news. Putting aside her own growing fear, she comforted the other woman. Now, as Cindy stared at the tree, JoAnne knew she wasn’t really seeing it.

“Cindy,” JoAnne spoke softly so as not to startle Cindy or disturb Amanda. “Are you okay?” Sitting down in a chair next to the sofa, she looked at the other woman in concern. A firefighter’s wife of long standing, she had too much experience in these situations. By comparison, Cindy had virtually none.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Cindy replied without looking at her friend. Looking away from the tree lights, she watched Amanda’s hair as it flowed through her fingers. With her dark hair and warm brown eyes, the baby resembled her father. Tears welled at the thought. Would she be able to go on without him? Apprehension filling her eyes, she looked up at JoAnne. “Do you ever get used it?”

“No.” JoAnne shook her head ruefully. “At least, I haven’t.”

*************

The only good thing about the situation was when the car came to rest, almost everything in the back shifted forward. After a short search, John located the blanket within easy reach. At least it would have been easy, if he had not been in so much pain. Any movement at all was painful, and reaching over the seat was almost enough to cause him to pass out. Finally, he had the blanket within his grasp and was able by sheer force of will, to pull it into his lap.

After pausing to rest, he spread the blanket over himself and Roy. When he placed the blanket over Roy, the other man moaned and began to bat at the blanket weakly. Johnny stilled his hand, speaking comfortingly to him.

“Hurt…,” Roy said, as he struggled against the other man. “….cold….”

“I know you’re cold. That’s why the blanket.” Roy seemed to accept this and stopped struggling. Both men huddled under the blanket. John could feel how cold and clammy his friend was and it worried him. After several minutes warmth began to creep over them.

John woke with a start, realizing he had fallen asleep or passed out. For a moment he was disoriented. Something was missing, but he could not think what. Then a gust of wind blew through the trees overhead and he realized the rain had stopped. He no longer heard it pounding on the Rover.

He checked the other man’s pulse and found it rapid and weak, he could only be grateful it was still there. He allowed himself to relax. Listening to the wind blow outside the Rover, he was glad the driver’s window and windshield had remained intact. The rhythm of the wind became soothing and John allowed himself to drift and doze.

Roy’s moaning woke him, again. How long he had drifted this time he didn’t know; time had little relevance at this point.

“Roy? What is it?”

“…hurt…” the other man mumbled. “…cold…”

“I know it’s cold. You just have to hang in there. It’ll warm up.”

“No….too late….too cold….” John knew Roy was talking about the cooling that took place in severely injured people as the body shut down. A process frequently ending with death.

“No it’s not…you just have to hang in there….”

“Don’t know…if…I can…no choice…”

“Roy, several times you’ve told me you would do anything for your family…right?” A long pause ensued, so he tried again, “Right?”

“Yeah.” The answer was faint but distinct.

“That included…dying for them,…right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, now you have to…live for them…. Can you do that?” Once again silence was his only answer. “Look…you can’t have…your family…waking up…Christmas morning…without a father…can you?” John paused as much to rest as to wait for the other man to answer him. When there was no answer, he continued, “…you can’t do that to them…can you?”

“No.” Once again the answer was faint.

“So will you hold on? Will you stay alive? Until help…comes?”

“Yes” The answer was faint but firm this time. “I…will…if you…will”

“Promise…” A long silence ensued once again. “Promise?”

“Yes…promise…you?”

“Promise.”

After that, all that could be heard was faint steady breathing, and the wind blowing through the tree’s overhead.

When the wind stopped blowing, the clouds had been scattered. As the sun rose, a clear blue sky appeared and birds chirped, heralding the new day. The two men huddled in the Rover were unaware of the changes. Both had long since lost consciousness.

***********

Standing at the window, Cindy watched as the wind cleared the sky of clouds. A full moon lit the night and stars began to wink in the dark sky. She held Amanda close and prayed her family would be reunited and whole again. Inactivity was the worst of it. If only she could do something. But with them so far away, all she could do was wait and pray. The need for activity of some sort seized her, and she made a sudden decision.

“JoAnne,” she called to the woman dozing in the chair. “JoAnne, let’s drive up there.”

“What?” Groggy, JoAnne was puzzled.

“Let’s go up there.” Cindy said, urgently. “I have to do something. Let’s go up there. If they’re hurt, we’ll need to go up there anyway. Why not go now?”

JoAnne started to protest, but then she saw the look on the other woman’s face. Determination mixed with desperation. “Okay, let’s get the kids loaded into the station wagon and we’ll go.”

Minutes later, with a sleepy Chris and Jenny belted into the back seat and Cindy holding Amanda in the front seat, JoAnne started the car. Backing it out of the driveway, she headed in the same direction Johnny and Roy had less than 24 hours earlier.

*********

At first light, the search party resumed their efforts, covering both sides of the road on foot. Sheriff Bintner, fully aware of the length of time since the men had disappeared, could only hope they were still alive. Though aware they could simply have been trapped in their vehicle all night, he had a gut feeling there was more to it. Walking along the shoulder of the road with the others, he searched for any sign of a vehicle.

EMTs Murphy Jacobs and J.J. Howes climbed into their truck and began the slow drive down the road toward the filling station where the two men had last been seen. Both men scanned the side of the road, hoping against hope to find some trace of the Rover. Staying in radio contact with the sheriff and other members of the search and rescue team, they drove slowly ahead and would explore any by-ways or turn-offs they came to.

Murphy, scanning the shoulder of the road intently, was startled when a man suddenly appeared before the truck. As they approached a bend in the road, a man in tattered jeans with long hair and a fringed denim jacket stepped out into the road and flagged them down. As the truck pulled onto the shoulder of the road and stopped, the man jogged up to the passenger side window.

“Hey, there’s a car down there!” he exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement.

“Where?” Murphy asked, as he felt his heart begin to race. There was no discernible evidence of a vehicle anywhere.

“Down there, man. Come on, I’ll show you.” The man turned and began to make his way down the incline past the shoulder of the road. Murphy and J.J. leapt out of the truck and ran after him. Before long, they saw the white Rover leaning against a tree.

Murphy wrenched open the driver side door and found the two men huddled on the far side of the vehicle. Leaning in, feeling for pulses on both men, he heaved a sigh of relief when he felt them. “J.J. get the equipment and call the Sheriff, tell him we found them. They’re both alive. But they need help…fast.”

J.J. was nearly halfway up the hill before Murphy finished speaking. Soon he was back with equipment and reported the others were on their way.

*********

Both men were bundled up and loaded into the waiting ambulance to be taken to the hospital. After seeing the ambulance on its way, Sheriff Bintner stood near the Rover looking around at the area. What struck him was the lack of damage done by the Rover in its descent to its final resting-place. It was almost impossible to differentiate the damage done by the Rover from that done by the storm. J.J. and Murphy were nearby, gathering equipment.

“Hey, Murphy,” Sheriff Bintner called out, “how did you guys find the Rover?”

J.J. and Murphy looked at one another. Both men had forgotten about the man who had stopped them and led them down the hill.

“We didn’t,” Murphy said. “There was a guy…in hippy clothes, long hair, he led us to the Rover. Come to think of it, I don’t remember seeing him since then.”

“You mean he just took off?”

“I guess so.” Murphy frowned, trying to remember. “I don’t remember seeing him after we got down here. He was here, and then he wasn’t.”

“Well if you ever see him again, tell him thanks for his help.”

“We will.”

************

On a straight stretch, JoAnne saw two vehicles parked on the side of the road in the bend ahead. Recognizing the sheriff’s car, she pulled the wagon onto the shoulder in front of them. As she stopped the car and killed the engine, the Sheriff and two men walked up onto the shoulder of the road. Climbing out of the car, she followed Cindy over to them.

“Where are they?” Cindy asked. “Are they…alive?” The last word came out reluctantly, almost a whisper.

“Yes, they’re alive.” Sheriff Bintner replied. “They’ve been taken to the hospital. You gals follow me, I’ll show you where.”

The two women hurriedly climbed back into the wagon while the sheriff climbed into his own car. JoAnne waited while the sheriff turned his car around then followed him on up the hill.

************

Along with a concussion, the gash on his head, and internal injuries, Roy had a broken arm. Johnny also had a concussion and internal injuries, along with several broken ribs. IVs to replace the lost blood and surgery were immediately performed on both men. Still unstable and in critical condition, both men were placed in ICU.

Amanda sat on the floor between Chris and Jenny in the waiting room. She had become less clingy, and Cindy had been able to put her down when they reached the hospital. Now she played quietly with the other two children while the two women waited for an update. Watching her daughter playing on the floor, Cindy replayed the last 24 hours in her mind. Why had Amanda been so upset? Thinking about it, an idea came to her, one it was virtually impossible to believe.

“You don’t think she knew about the accident some how, do you?” she suddenly asked JoAnne.

“What?” JoAnne looked startled at the question coming out of the blue.

“Amanda. They said that the accident must have happened about the same time she started crying. You don’t think she somehow knew, do you?”

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t think so, but I suppose it’s possible. Stranger things have happened.”

A nurse approached them and said they could both see their husbands. Minutes later Cindy was pushing open the door to John’s room slowly; afraid of what waited on the other side. The nurse nodded encouragement.

“He’s been in and out, see if you can’t wake him,” she encouraged further.

Cindy was appalled to see how pale John looked. His dark hair was a stark contrast to his pale skin. Taking his hand, she took comfort in its warmth.

“Hey, handsome prince, wake up.” Cindy’s voice penetrated the fog surrounding John. Opening his eyes, he saw her smiling down at him, and a sense of peace came over him. Feeling her hand in his, he squeezed it with what little energy he had. Then he thought of his friend.

“Roy?” His voice was raspy and faint, but Cindy heard and understood.

“He’s alive. No one’s quite sure why or how. They’re not quite sure how either of you survived.”

The ghost of a smile crossed his face. “Prom…ised.” Energy spent, he drifted off again.

***********

John lifted 2 ½ year old Amanda so she could put the angel on top of the Christmas tree. Doing so reminded him of the year before when they had done the same thing. When the angel was safely perched on the treetop, he hugged his daughter tightly causing her to squeal. The doorbell rang and she squirmed to get down.

Placing her on her feet, he followed her to the door. The DeSotos, all smiling their greeting, were standing on the porch. Amanda grabbed hold of Roy’s legs, hugging him. Roy reached down and lifted her into his arms to hug her back.

Johnny felt emotions well up in him. No one knew better than he did how close they had come to losing Roy. Not even Roy knew, having retained only a vague recollection of the events of that day. Though they had kept their promises and hung on for their families and each other, he hoped never to have to go through another such ordeal.

“Well, are we just going to stand here, or are you going to turn on the Christmas tree lights?” Roy asked, startling him out of his reverie.

Looking around, Johnny saw six expectant gazes fixed on him. Grinning, he turned and led the way into the living room. Standing by the light switch he waited for the others to enter the room.

“Do you have them plugged in this year?” Roy asked as he walked into the room still holding Amanda.

“Of course,” John replied, indignant.

“Well, it’s just that last year…”

“That was last year…this is this year.”

“Let’s hope so, we don’t want a repeat of last year.” As Roy said the words, John knew he was referring to more than tree lights.

“No, we don’t.” With those words, John flipped the switch. This year, with the flip of the switch, the lights on the tree lit up.

Ooos and ahhhs went up from the others, along with a smattering of applause acknowledging the successful lighting of the tree. Johnny and Roy exchanged nods; both grinned.

The end

Thanks for the beta read, Jane!

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