expected intelligent questions from them?
“The head injuries aren’t severe. He has a concussion. There’s some damage to his left eye, but we believe it will heal in time. He’s very bruised, so don’t be alarmed by that when you see him.”
Anna nodded. “What else?” She clearly didn’t intend to let him get away until they’d heard everything. Her years in the English world had taught her something of persistence, it seemed.
“The injuries to his chest were more serious. Several broken ribs, a punctured lung.”
Myra sagged a bit at that, leaning against Anna’s shoulder.
“He will be all right in time?” Samuel put the question he knew was in Myra’s mind.
“He has a long recuperation in front of him, but he’s young and strong. I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t get back to normal, given time.”
Elias put his hand against the wall, relief coming over his face.
“Denke.” Myra’s voice was little more than a faint murmur.
The doctor nodded. Then he walked briskly away.
Myra wiped at her tears with the palm of her hand, the way she had as a tiny child, and the gesture tugged at Samuel’s heart.
“He’s going to be fine,” Anna said. “You see, Myra. Everything will be all right.”
All right, in time. Samuel’s mind spun with the changes it would mean for all of them until Joseph was well again. The shop, the horses, Myra’s pregnancy . . .
Myra murmured something to Anna, their heads close together. She’d grown to depend on Anna so quickly, he thought again. It was gut, surely, to have Anna there at the house with all that the future held.
Except that Anna might not be the best person to depend upon. She might do exactly what she’d done before—she might run away.
Anna slipped out of Joseph’s hospital room. With all the rejoicing going on, she wouldn’t be missed. After nearly a week’s stay in the hospital, Joseph would be coming home tomorrow.
Myra had seemed a different person when she heard the news. She couldn’t be happy until she had him home with her, to spoil and care for.
Thank you, Lord . Anna murmured the silent prayer as she hurried into the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby.
For days she’d been looking for an opportunity to call her friend Liz in Chicago, but that normally simple task had proved unexpectedly difficult. Phone booths seemed to be a thing of the past now that everyone had cell phones. Everyone but the Amish, of course.
However, she’d spotted a lone pay phone in a hall off the hospital lobby. She could call her friend, find out what she needed to know, and be done in time to meet Rosemary, Myra’s English neighbor, in the lobby for the ride home.
Rosemary had been a huge help with rides over the past week. The church members had taken over everything else that needed to be done, but that they couldn’t do.
The woman intrigued Anna. Childless, with a husband who traveled for work much of the time, Rosemary nevertheless didn’t have a job. That fact had certainly worked out to the family’s benefit this week.
Anna started down the hall at a quick pace, saw the woman at the reception desk glance up at her in surprise, and slowed down. That was something else to get used to. There was seldom a reason to hurry in Amish life, unlike the frantic pace of her routine in Chicago.
Her luck was in—the pay phone wasn’t in use. She dug out a huge handful of coins and stacked them on the ledge. Now, if only Liz wasn’t working the lunch shift . . .
The phone rang four times, and then the machine picked up. Anna bit her lip in frustration. When would she have another opportunity to call?
“Liz, this is Anna. Annie. I’m sorry to miss you—”
“Annie!” Liz picked up, cutting off her message. “Is it really you? Girl, I’ve been worried. Why haven’t you called? Is Gracie all right? Where are you?”
It took a second to get back into the rhythm of Liz’s rapid-fire questions. The last one Anna
“The head injuries aren’t severe. He has a concussion. There’s some damage to his left eye, but we believe it will heal in time. He’s very bruised, so don’t be alarmed by that when you see him.”
Anna nodded. “What else?” She clearly didn’t intend to let him get away until they’d heard everything. Her years in the English world had taught her something of persistence, it seemed.
“The injuries to his chest were more serious. Several broken ribs, a punctured lung.”
Myra sagged a bit at that, leaning against Anna’s shoulder.
“He will be all right in time?” Samuel put the question he knew was in Myra’s mind.
“He has a long recuperation in front of him, but he’s young and strong. I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t get back to normal, given time.”
Elias put his hand against the wall, relief coming over his face.
“Denke.” Myra’s voice was little more than a faint murmur.
The doctor nodded. Then he walked briskly away.
Myra wiped at her tears with the palm of her hand, the way she had as a tiny child, and the gesture tugged at Samuel’s heart.
“He’s going to be fine,” Anna said. “You see, Myra. Everything will be all right.”
All right, in time. Samuel’s mind spun with the changes it would mean for all of them until Joseph was well again. The shop, the horses, Myra’s pregnancy . . .
Myra murmured something to Anna, their heads close together. She’d grown to depend on Anna so quickly, he thought again. It was gut, surely, to have Anna there at the house with all that the future held.
Except that Anna might not be the best person to depend upon. She might do exactly what she’d done before—she might run away.
Anna slipped out of Joseph’s hospital room. With all the rejoicing going on, she wouldn’t be missed. After nearly a week’s stay in the hospital, Joseph would be coming home tomorrow.
Myra had seemed a different person when she heard the news. She couldn’t be happy until she had him home with her, to spoil and care for.
Thank you, Lord . Anna murmured the silent prayer as she hurried into the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby.
For days she’d been looking for an opportunity to call her friend Liz in Chicago, but that normally simple task had proved unexpectedly difficult. Phone booths seemed to be a thing of the past now that everyone had cell phones. Everyone but the Amish, of course.
However, she’d spotted a lone pay phone in a hall off the hospital lobby. She could call her friend, find out what she needed to know, and be done in time to meet Rosemary, Myra’s English neighbor, in the lobby for the ride home.
Rosemary had been a huge help with rides over the past week. The church members had taken over everything else that needed to be done, but that they couldn’t do.
The woman intrigued Anna. Childless, with a husband who traveled for work much of the time, Rosemary nevertheless didn’t have a job. That fact had certainly worked out to the family’s benefit this week.
Anna started down the hall at a quick pace, saw the woman at the reception desk glance up at her in surprise, and slowed down. That was something else to get used to. There was seldom a reason to hurry in Amish life, unlike the frantic pace of her routine in Chicago.
Her luck was in—the pay phone wasn’t in use. She dug out a huge handful of coins and stacked them on the ledge. Now, if only Liz wasn’t working the lunch shift . . .
The phone rang four times, and then the machine picked up. Anna bit her lip in frustration. When would she have another opportunity to call?
“Liz, this is Anna. Annie. I’m sorry to miss you—”
“Annie!” Liz picked up, cutting off her message. “Is it really you? Girl, I’ve been worried. Why haven’t you called? Is Gracie all right? Where are you?”
It took a second to get back into the rhythm of Liz’s rapid-fire questions. The last one Anna
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