Chapter 11
We waited for several minutes until the sound of a gunshot split the air. Then another. Then, from the sergeant’s radio, the words: “Area is secured. Shooters are down. Send in as many paramedics as you have.” An ambulance squealed past us. And another. Noah started running first, and then Rachel. I grabbed Anna's hand and we ran after them. Into destruction. Devastation.
People were crying and running out of the building and into the waiting arms of trauma personnel. Others were screaming the names of their loved ones as they frantically searched the crowd. Paramedics rushed in with stretchers, looking for victims. We caught up to Noah and Rachel and fought against the crowd to get into the building.
“Noah! What are you going to do?” I shouted as I grabbed his arm.
“We need to find Monica and Lexie!” He stopped and surveyed the sea of people. “Rachel, you and Anna stay out here and keep your eyes open. Jake and I will go inside.”
Anna squeezed my hand. “Jake, I . . . I . . . be careful.”
I grabbed her and gave her a quick kiss. So thankful that she was safe. So grateful for Rachel's vision. “Here, take this,” I said as I handed her my cell phone. “Call Eric and tell them what’s going on. It should be okay for them to come down now.”
We entered the lodge unnoticed as emergency crews ushered the unscathed out of the building and the paramedics helped the wounded. Dozens of people were lying injured, which was mind-numbing to witness. I wanted to help them, but first—where were Monica and Lexie? God, please let them be alive.
“Over here!” It was Noah, tugging at a Pepsi machine.
“Monica!” I hurried to help Noah. “How on Earth did you get in there?”
“I don't know; just get me out of here.” Monica’s face was stained with tears and her whole body was trembling.
Noah and I counted to three and edged the machine away from the wall just enough to get Monica out. She collapsed into my arms and cried uncontrollably. I tried not to imagine the scenes that had unfolded in front of her eyes only minutes earlier. I held her for a long time, rocking her gently and telling her it was going to be okay.
Pandemonium was all around us. A guy about my age sat on the floor with his head in his hands as he rocked back and forth and cried for his sister, whose body was covered with a white sheet at his side. A woman sobbed as she cradled her husband's lifeless body in her arms. A young child curled up beside his bleeding mother who lay still beside him. An arm, soaked in blood, reached out for help from behind the bar.
I stopped rocking Monica and stared at that familiar, blood-stained limb. Blue nail polish. Yellow watch. “LEXIE!”
Covered in blood, Lexie was lying on her back. By the looks of it, she had been shot in the shoulder. Her eyes were glazed over and she fell in and out of consciousness.
“Lexie, hang in there,” Noah commanded as he tore off his shirt and wrapped it around her shoulder. She didn't flinch. “Jake, stay here with Lexie. I'm going to take Monica out to Rachel and Anna. I'll get a paramedic for Lexie.”
Noah shot a meaningful glance at me as he led Monica away. He mouthed, “Fix her, Jake.”
I knelt down beside Lexie and reached out to hold her shoulder. She was breathing, but only just. She didn’t try to say anything, but her eyes found mine and pleaded for help. I peered back at her and tried to remember the thoughts I had when I was healing Anna's arm.
I started thinking about Anna and how thankful I was that this wasn't her. Not that I wasn't concerned for Lexie, but if it were Anna . . . well, I couldn't even think about that. I owed Rachel big time for this. As annoying and intrusive as she could be, she had saved some of us today.
Before I knew it, Noah was back. “Jake, how is she?”
“Where's the paramedic?” I demanded, angry that I hadn't made any healing progress.
“I couldn't get one. There are a lot of people who need help. Is she any better?” Noah asked.
“No! I can't concentrate. I . . . I can't do it.” I shook my head in frustration, admitting defeat.
“Snap out of it, Jake! You have to do this. She will die if you don’t.”
I closed my eyes and my hands kept the pressure on Lexie's shoulder. I tried to think of something positive. Something other than all of the devastation that was surrounding us. My mind was spinning. Think, Jake! Think!
“Jake!” Noah shouted as he knelt down beside Lexie and held her head in his lap. “Hang in there, Lexie. You're going to be okay.”
Lexie's eyes rolled back and her body started trembling.
“No, Lexie! HELP! SOMEONE HELP US!” Noah shouted over his shoulder.
I turned to see a female paramedic looking in our direction. I waved her over and moved aside. My head was still spinning and I felt queasy and drained. Noah and the paramedic carefully moved Lexie onto a stretcher as I watched, motionless.
And then I was alone, surrounded by chaos and blood. I frantically looked around the room for a familiar face. People were pleading and crying for help. I stared at the little boy who was still curled up beside his unconscious mother. He too was alone and scared. I walked toward them and crouched down beside his mother. The little boy looked up at me with hope in his big, brown eyes.
“Hi,” I said, my voice sounding as weak as I felt.
He tried his best to smile, but his lip only quivered as he whispered, “Can you fix my mommy?”
“I hope so,” I said as I unzipped his mother's jacket to reveal the hole in her chest. I quickly covered it up again and took a deep breath. “What’s your name, little man?”
“Liam,” he said softly.
“Well, Liam, why don't you hold your mommy's hand and I'll see if I can fix her for you?”
Please, God. Please.
I hesitated as I decided where the best place to put my palms would be. I closed my eyes, took another deep breath and placed my cold, trembling hands onto her chest. The warm blood saturated them.
I tried to think positive thoughts but all I could think about was this little boy without his mother. I watched as Liam pulled his mother's hand to his lips and kissed it. A tear trickled down his face and onto her fingers. I could hear his quiet pleas for her to wake up: “Please wake up, Mommy. I want to go home. Please, Mommy.” This poor child was waiting for his mother to sit up and give him a big, warm hug. He needed her. My eyes filled with tears.
“Hey, excuse me! This lady needs help over here,” I called to a paramedic, as calmly as possible.
The paramedic turned to me and answered with confidence, “That one's gone. I've already checked her. Move on to someone who has a chance.”
My eyes jolted back to the lifeless woman. Until that moment, I hadn’t noticed the white sheet that had been covering her body. Oh, no.
“That man said he can't fix my mommy,” Liam told me with wet eyes. “Can you do it, please?” He pulled a Band-aid from his pocket and handed to me. I slowly took it, and that’s when I noticed the dozen or more Band-aids stuck to his mother’s face, arms and chest.
I wanted to fix her. I had wanted to fix Lexie too, though. I just couldn't do it. I wasn't strong enough. I started getting angry at my gift. Why me?
I looked again at Liam and at his lifeless mother whose chest was still beneath my hands. My eyes stung as I thought about this woman tucking her little boy into bed at night. I thought about all of the times that she had kissed his bumps, wiped away his tears and held him in her arms for just one more minute before letting him go off to school on his own.
“You're doing it, mister.” Liam's excited voice broke through my train of thought.
I looked down and watched as his mother turned her head ever so slightly toward her son and let out a small, but definite, sigh. I jumped back and called over to the paramedic, “She's alive! I need help over here!”
The paramedic came running with a stretcher and took over. I looked at Liam who was still holding his mother's hand, and staring at me with pure adoration.
“Thank you,” he choked, as the tears poured out of his eyes.
I managed a wink as I held back my own tears. I hadn't exactly healed her, but at least she wasn't dead.
Several minutes later I found Anna and the others huddled together by an ambulance. Eric and Tyler were now with them, safe and accounted for.
“Jake!” Anna shouted as she ran to meet me. She looked pale and frightened. I held her in my arms and kissed her forehead.
“How is she?” I asked as I pulled away from Anna and nodded toward Monica who was wrapped in a blanket and surrounded by friends.
“She's been better. She's really shook up. They took Lexie to the hospital. We were just waiting for you so we could all follow together,” Anna said. She looked down at my blood-covered hands and gasped, “What happened to you? Where were you?”
“I . . . I was trying to help someone . . .” my voice trailed off as I caught sight of Liam and his mother being carried out of the lodge on a stretcher.
Anna followed my gaze and asked, “Is she okay?”
“I hope so.”
Rachel and Noah joined us and we watched as they loaded the pair into an ambulance.
“She'll be okay,” Rachel whispered.
“And the kid?” I felt for this little boy. For this child who had seen way more than his little eyes should have.
“You helped him, Jake. You helped him get through the worst minutes of his life. And in doing that, you helped to heal his mind,” Rachel said as she tried her hand at comforting me. It worked a little.
“I just wish I could have done better.” I looked back toward our group of friends who were still deep in conversation.
“Lexie will be fine too. You're new at this, Jake. You need practice. You need training.”
I knew she was right, but I couldn't help but feel guilty for not being able to help Lexie. If she died, I would never be able to forgive myself.
A sound intruded my thoughts—my cell phone. Anna handed it back to me.
“It's my mom,” I announced as I read the caller ID. “Mom?”
“Jacob? Jacob! Where are you? Are you okay?” Mom had heard the news.
“Mom, I'm fine,” I confirmed. “We weren’t here when it happened, but we turned around and came back as soon as we heard.”
“Oh, thank God!”
“But Lexie was here, Mom. She’s been shot. We're going to the hospital now.”
Mom gasped, “Alexis Stevens? Little Lexie?”
“Yes, that Lexie. I'm not sure of her condition. She’s on her way to the hospital in an ambulance now, but will you do me a favour and take a drive over to her house to let her mother know what’s going on?”
“Yes, darling. I'll do that. And I'll see you when you get home. I love you, Jake.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
I hung up the phone and looked over at Anna who had been listening. I felt like kissing the smile on her face. Then I thought—why not? Several seconds went by with my lips pressed to hers as I thanked God for sparing her life. My life.