Ryan's Crossing Read online

  Brittney took a deep breath and then asked the question that had weighed so heavily on her mind. “So are you going to take the promotion in McWilliam?”

  Suddenly, their waitress was at the table. “Here’s your pepperoni pizza. Please be careful. The pan is very hot.” She set the pizza down between them. “Can I get you anything else?”

  “I think we’re fine,” said Ryan with a smile.

  Brittney waited, tension building in her neck and shoulders.

  Ryan served a slice onto her plate. “Want to pray so we can eat while we keep talking?”

  Brittney shrugged her shoulders, willing the tension to leave them. “Whatever.”

  Ryan paused in the middle of grabbing a slice for his own plate. “Whatever?”

  Ashamed of the way she was acting, Brittney took a deep breath. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. I just worked four days in a row, and I’m exhausted and not good company. Maybe it would be better if I just went home.”

  Ryan looked critically at her. “I don’t buy it.”

  “What?”

  “You, my dear, are a lying chicken.”

  Brittney started to open her mouth but then closed it abruptly. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. He’s right. I am lying, and tonight I am definitely a chicken.

  “So, do my career plans have something to do with your distracted mind?”

  Brittney wasn’t sure how to answer that question safely. Everything she thought to say led back to her wondering if she and Ryan were just friends, or if they were working on more than that.

  “How about this,” said Ryan as steam from the fresh pizza rose between them. “Since we’re all expected in Crossing tomorrow for Rachel-Amber’s birthday party, I’ll pick up Pops in the morning. Then we’ll swing by your place to get you. I don’t see any reason why we should both drive.”

  “Okay.” She opened her eyes and looked across the table at him, grateful for the change in conversation. “Truce.”

  He looked at her and nodded. He picked up a piece of pizza—the melted cheese stretching before breaking free from the pie—and laid it on his plate.

  “I told Pops I would pick him up around nine in the morning. But riding in my car would be easier for Pops than your Mustang.”

  “So we switch tonight.” He shrugged as he took a bite.

  “We switch what?”

  “Vehicles.”

  Brittney’s eyes were huge. His prized ‘68 Mustang? He’s going to just hand me the keys? “You’re going to drive my Equinox home and let me take your Mustang?”

  “Why not? You can drive a stick shift, can’t you?”

  “It’s been a while, but yeah. I just didn’t think you’d ever let anyone else drive that car.”

  “Mom and Dad can’t drive a stick, and Keith’s not going near it for several more years.” He took a drink. “Kinda got the impression Pete would like to, but he hasn’t asked.”

  Brittney picked up her pizza, feeling a little better. “Okay, deal. We switch vehicles tonight, and I’ll be ready to go by nine-fifteen.”

  Chapter 19

  RYAN KNOCKED ON POPS’ FRONT door at 8:55 the next morning.

  “Morning, sir.”

  Pops looked him over and glanced at a clock hanging in the hall. “Early, huh. Like that.”

  Pops stepped back to a small table to grab his keys and then picked up his coat from a nearby chair. Ryan saw an overnight bag sitting near the door. “Can I carry your bag to the car?”

  “Yep. That’d be fine.”

  As they walked out to Brittney’s car, Pops said, “Just what are your intentions, young man?”

  Intentions? “Well, sir. Today my intentions are to get you and your granddaughter safely to Crossing for my sister’s birthday party.” Ryan put the bag in the back of the car and looked at Pops.

  “Yeah. And tomorrow?”

  “I would have to say my intentions tomorrow are to return you both safely home again.”

  “Blast it, boy. Are you always this irritating?”

  “Probably, sir,” said Ryan with a grin, leaning on the side of the car. “At least when the intent of the questioner is unclear.”

  Pops took a step closer and pointed in Ryan’s face. “What are your intentions with my granddaughter?”

  The grin left Ryan’s face. He knew this man could help or hinder his hopes with Brittney. He wanted the old man on his side. He’d hoped to have part of this conversation with Brittney last night, but whatever had been on her mind hadn’t given him the impression that it would have gone well.

  “Honestly, sir, my intent is to take a job at the Crossing clinic and convince your granddaughter to transfer to the nursing job so she can work alongside me—as my wife.” Did I just say that out loud?

  Pops looked at him intently, and Ryan didn’t relax during the scrutiny. Pops finally nodded. “Good.” He turned and opened his door. “Saves me the trouble of pushing you two together all weekend.”

  Shocked, Ryan watched him climb into the car and shut his door. He grinned as he walked around to his own door. One man of the family down, three to go.

  The short trip to Brittney’s was uneventful, and they quickly picked up the two-lane highway south. A few miles outside of town, they came across a line of stopped traffic.

  “Wonder what’s up?” said Brittney, glancing around.

  Ryan tried to look ahead but couldn’t see anything except the line of vehicles.

  “Probably an accident,” said Pops. “Always stupid people driving this road like it’s the autobahn. Particularly dangerous in late February!”

  “Brittney,” said Ryan. “Why don’t you move up here? I’m going to walk down and see if anyone needs help.” Ryan got out of the car and held the door for her to switch from the back seat to the front. “Keep your cell phone close.”

  Ryan zipped up his coat and jogged down the line of cars until he saw the accident scene and other people standing around. “Has anyone called 9-1-1?”

  “I did,” said a woman standing nearby.

  He quickly assessed the situation. One car upside down in the ditch, probably totaled, with at least one passenger inside. One lady hysterical on the outside of the car trying to get in. Another car fairly crunched in the middle of the road with at least one person inside.

  He looked around and pointed to a man nearby. “Sir, I need you to start working with the drivers of these cars to clear a working area for the emergency vehicles coming from Portland.”

  Then he looked back to the woman who said she called 9-1-1. “Ma’am, I need you to tell the drivers on the other side that they might want to turn around and find another road.”

  He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called Brittney. “I need you to pull the car as far off the road as you safely can and call 9-1-1 to give them an update on the accident on Highway 26. A lady says she’s already called, but tell them it’s a two-car accident with multiple injuries. We’ll need fire and rescue, maybe jaws of life. Also tell them a paramedic and nurse are on the scene, and then I need you to hurry down here to help me.”

  He shut the phone and went to the car in the middle of the road first. “Sir, can you hear me?” The man looked at Ryan, very dazed. “Can you hear me?”

  He slowly nodded.

  “Does anything hurt?” The man stared at him at him for a moment and then looked back out the windshield.

  Ryan did a quick check. Conscious, but probably in deep shock. Breathing, seatbelt on, no obvious signs of bleeding. Ryan touched the man’s hands that still held the steering wheel, noting both felt warm to the touch. He looked around again and caught the attention of another onlooker. “Sir, I need your help.”

  The man strode forward, eager to help. “This man seems to be okay, just in shock. I need you to stay here with him and try to get him to talk to you. Look in the glove box and see if you can find a name or address or something to see if that helps him refocus. Just don’t leave him until the paramedic
s get here. Let me know if he loses consciousness or you start seeing any blood.”

  Ryan jogged over to the hysterical woman, the sound of a crying baby getting closer. “Ma’am.”

  “My baby!” She grabbed Ryan’s sleeve and pulled him toward the car.

  “Ma’am!” He grabbed both her arms. “I’ll get your baby, but I need you to calm down.” Ryan glanced her over and only saw minor cuts and a goose egg forming on her right temple.

  “Please get my baby. Please…”

  “How old?”

  The woman tried pulling Ryan toward the car again. “Please, my baby!”

  “Ma’am. How old is your baby?”

  “She’s five months. Please!”

  “Okay. I’ll get her. You stay up here for me.”

  Brittney came running up past all the stopped vehicles. “What do you need?”

  “Stay with her. She seems coherent but has head trauma. I’m going to look closer at the car and see if I can get to the baby.” Ryan carefully made his way down into the ditch and looked at the driver through a cracked front window. Suspended in his seat belt, unconscious, bleeding, seems to be breathing, but tough to tell with jacket on. He looked into the back seat, but the car was at a bad angle. He couldn’t see the child, but from the sounds of the cries, he knew she was conscious and breathing without a problem. At least the car seat was still firmly attached to the back seat. He tried pushing on the car, stepping back as it moved.

  He crawled back up out of the ditch and looked at Brittney. “The car’s too unstable. I can’t get in without putting the driver and child at further risk.”

  He looked at the cars closest to the accident. Many of the drivers were standing around, watching the drama unfold before them. He called out, “Does anyone have a jack in their car I can use? I need two or three.”

  Four drivers went to their trunks and pulled out what they had. One man climbed down in the ditch with Ryan and helped place the jacks in various positions, stabilizing the car enough for Ryan to get in the back seat through a broken window.

  As he crawled into position, a small, red face looked down at him. “Hey, there, sweet girl.” Ryan could finally hear the sound of sirens in the distance. He reached for the baby, and she started to whimper. He moved slightly to be able to catch her more easily once he released the straps holding her into the seat. “It’s a good thing your momma made sure these straps were nice and tight around you, little one.”

  As the baby cried, he felt for broken bones or signs of bleeding. Not finding any obvious signs of injury, he reached up to release the latch. Just as he caught her, the car shifted in the snow. Hearing glass crunch under his shoulder, Ryan cuddled her close until the car settled. Carefully, he handed the baby out the window to his helper before crawling out himself.

  “Get that baby up to the women, then help me tighten up these jacks.”

  He began checking the jacks closest to him, tightening one against the bank a little more. He looked at the man who’d been helping him. “Make sure you’re up the ditch a bit in case this car shifts again. When Fire and Rescue get here, let them know that a paramedic is in the car and the driver is unconscious.”

  “Got it.”

  Ryan tested the car again before crawling in the back window, carefully moving toward the front seat. He pulled the man’s coat open and saw rapid movement in his chest. Okay. So you’re breathing, but it’s fast. What else is wrong with you?

  “What’s the situation?” he heard from the road above.

  “A paramedic went in the car after the driver who is unconscious,” said Ryan’s helper.

  A moment later a fire fighter looked through the back window. “Sir? I’m with Gilbert Fire Station. What do you have?”

  “Patient is unconscious with at least one broken leg and a fever,” said Ryan. “Several minor scrapes and a decent laceration on his head, but I’m concerned about a punctured lung.”

  “Roger that.” The man turned away from the vehicle. “Let’s get this car secure and that door open!”

  Ryan felt the first responders placing additional bracing to the car.

  The fire fighter from Gilbert Station handed some items through the back window to Ryan. “Here’s a neck collar for the victim and a coat to protect you while we get this door opened.”

  Ryan buckled the neck collar in place around the man and then held the fire coat around the man’s face, letting it fall down along the door to protect them both while the firefighters worked to open the door.

  “We’re all set in here,” Ryan yelled behind him.

  A second fireman responded to Ryan from the front passenger door. “We’re going to try to pry it open now.”

  He heard the man at the back window communicating Ryan’s assessment to the waiting paramedic. In just a moment, the passenger side door was open. Ryan got out of the way while the first responders laid a backboard on the inside roof of the car, then helped support the unconscious man while the seatbelt was cut. The team laid him as gently as they could on the backboard before removing him from the vehicle.

  Ryan climbed up the side of the ditch and surveyed the activity. One ambulance was preparing to pull away, while a fireman helped the woman and her baby into a second ambulance that waited for her husband. A wrecker stood by in the distance, ready to move close enough to begin hauling the mangled vehicles away.

  “Name’s Donovan,” said the fireman Ryan had been talking to through the back window.

  “Griffin,” said Ryan. He shook the man’s hand.

  “Good work today. You assigned someplace around here?”

  “I’m about to start working for Oregon Health and Science, assigned to the clinic in Crossing.”

  Donovan nodded. “You’re welcome at Gilbert Station anytime. Feel free to seek some first aid at the truck.”

  Ryan looked at his hands and saw several nicks and spots of blood. His pants had definitely seen better days. “Thanks. We’re not far from Crossing. I think I’ll just head there.”

  Ryan strode over to Brittney. Pops had followed her to see the action firsthand.

  “Impressive, young man.” Pops turned to look at Brittney. “You should hang onto this one, girl.”

  Ryan grinned. “You guys wait here. I’ll go get the car. The wrecker should have the road cleared soon.”

  Chapter 20

  BRITTNEY WALKED INTO HER MOM’S kitchen with Ryan and Pops bringing up the rear. “We’re here!”

  “Oh, good!” said Faye, getting up from the table. “How is everyone?”

  “Do you know how those involved in the accident are doing?” said Frank.

  “The worst one was the guy stuck in the car,” said Ryan, going to the sink to wash his hands. “He had a broken leg, probably a concussion, and a punctured lung.”

  “That woman had to be fine, the way she was carrying on,” said Pops, shaking his head at the memory.

  “You should have seen her before Ryan got the baby out,” said Brittney.

  “She was hysterical when I got on the scene,” Ryan agreed.

  “Mom, are your first aid supplies in the bathroom? Ryan needs some attention.”

  “Yes, in the medicine cabinet,” said Faye, approaching Ryan to see what he needed.

  Brittney found some antiseptic wash and gauze pads. Going back to the kitchen, she looked at Ryan. “Come sit on a bar stool.” She went to work on his hands first, then examined the rips in his pants for scrapes, working through the cuts in the material.

  “Happy now?” he said as she stood, a look of amusement on his face.

  She put the lid back on the antiseptic. “Better. Although when you take those pants off, you should probably use some more of this.”

  “Is anyone hungry?” said Faye.

  “Yes,” said Ryan, sliding off the bar stool.

  “Boy earned his meal today,” said Pops, taking a seat at the table, “crawling in and out of that car.”

  “How bad was the accident?” said Frank
.

  Faye started pulling out sandwich bread and lunch meats. Brittney joined her and began putting together sandwiches. Ryan took his place at the table.

  “One car wasn’t too bad, just banged up and sitting in the middle of the road,” said Brittney.

  “Other’n was upside down in the ditch,” said Pops. “Boy had to secure it before he could get in it.”

  “Secure it?” said Faye, glancing over her shoulder. “How’d you do that?” She put a sandwich on a plate and handed it to Ryan.

  “Thanks. You just put jacks in places where it doesn’t have any support,” said Ryan, setting the plate on his placemat. “Lots of onlookers, so a few pulled out their car jacks to help until Fire and Rescue arrived with theirs.”

  “I had no idea being a paramedic could be dangerous,” said Faye, obviously impressed.

  “It’s not always,” said Ryan dismissively.

  “Want something to drink?” asked Faye.

  “Water, please,” said Ryan.

  “Me, too,” said Pops.

  “Sure would be good to have someone like you down here in Crossing,” said Frank meaningfully before taking a bite of his sandwich.

  Ryan didn’t say anything. He really wanted Brittney to know his decision before the rest of her family. Pops had surprised him into sharing his plan, but Ryan felt fairly certain the old man would keep that information to himself.

  “John is moving down this weekend,” said Faye as she and Brittney passed out the drinks and took their seats at the table. “I believe Allie said that they are expecting him and Micah for dinner tonight.”

  “Is that Dr. Williams?” said Ryan before sipping his water.

  “Yes,” said Faye. “He hasn’t visited regularly in many years, but Micah is looking forward to him being here.”

  “Been thinkin’ myself about moving down here,” said Pops casually.

  “Dad?” said Frank, nearly losing his grip on his sandwich.

  “You’re leaving Portland?” said Brittney.

  “Think it’s time I was closer,” said Pops with a sideways glance toward Ryan. “Fresh air might do me good.”

  “Well, that’s certainly something for us to think about,” said Faye.