dropped to her knees beside Penny, who was laying facedown in the snow. Lucky stood over her, whimpering.
Esther pushed the dog aside and quickly turned Penny over. “Ach, my!” she gasped when she saw blood oozing out of a gash in the little girl’s forehead.
Penny’s eyes opened and she looked up at Esther with a blank stare. “Wh–what happened?”
“You flew off the sled.” Esther removed the scarf she wore around her neck and wrapped it around Penny’s forehead to stop the bleeding.
“Is she okay?” Suzanne asked, kneeling on the snow beside Penny. Marla and Leon had joined them now, too, wearing worried expressions.
“There’s a nasty-looking cut on her forehead. I think she either hit the runner of the sled or the tree.” Esther felt deep concern, but she tried to remain calm for the children’s sake, as she didn’t want to frighten them. “She could have a concussion, and I’m sure she’s going to need stitches,” she whispered to Suzanne. “We need to get her back to the house right away.”
“Let’s put her on the sled, and I’ll pull it to the house. That’ll be quicker and easier than one of us trying to carry her,” Suzanne said.
Once they got Penny situated on the sled, Esther carried Jared, while Marla and Leon pulled the other two sleds, and they headed as quickly as possible for the house.
“Sure wish we didn’t have to quit sleddin’,” Leon complained as they trudged along.
“We can’t sled no more, dummkopp. Penny’s been hurt.” Marla’s chin quivered. “You don’t want her to die, like Mammi did, do ya?”
“I ain’t no dunce, and Penny ain’t gonna die,” the boy shot back.
“She might. Mammi died when she fell down the
schteeg.”
Leon’s face turned white as the snow beneath their feet. “Ya really think so?”
“Your sister is not going to die,” Esther was quick to say. “She’ll be fine once we get her cleaned up and see if she’ll need to go to the doctor for stitches.”
Marla gave a nod, but Leon didn’t look one bit convinced. It was obvious that the pain of losing his mother was still very real. Esther wished there was something she could do to bring healing to Samuel’s children. Samuel, too, for that matter, but she didn’t think he’d ever let her get close enough to offer comfort. He didn’t seem to let anyone get close to him—not even his children or Titus.
Esther had a tender heart toward those who were hurting. She’d been like that since she was a child. She remembered once when her brother James had broken his arm after falling from a tree in their yard. She’d felt his pain as if it were her own. Then there was the time her dog, Rascal, had gotten hit by a car. When they’d brought Rascal home from the vet’s, she’d stayed by his side for hours on end.
“We’re almost there,” Suzanne said, pointing to the house as it came into view. “I think I see Samuel out by the barn.”
When Samuel spotted Suzanne pulling Penny on a sled, he knew something was wrong. They hadn’t been gone very long, and he was sure the kids wouldn’t have agreed to quit sledding so soon.
As the group drew closer, he noticed that Penny had a scarf wrapped around her forehead, and both Suzanne and Esther wore looks of concern.
“Was is letz do?”
he asked, dropping to his knees beside the sled.
“Penny fell off the sled and cut her forehead on either the runner or a tree,” Suzanne replied, explaining what was wrong.
“Wasn’t anyone watching her?”
Esther stepped forward. “We were, but she jumped on the sled and took off down the hill, and then before we hardly realized what had happened, Lucky darted in front of the sled and Penny flew off.”
“I ought to get rid of that good-for-nothing mutt!” Samuel’s hand shook as he removed the scarf from Penny’s head. There was a fairly deep gash on her forehead, and he knew immediately it was going to need stitches. “I’ll take you into the house where it’s
Esther pushed the dog aside and quickly turned Penny over. “Ach, my!” she gasped when she saw blood oozing out of a gash in the little girl’s forehead.
Penny’s eyes opened and she looked up at Esther with a blank stare. “Wh–what happened?”
“You flew off the sled.” Esther removed the scarf she wore around her neck and wrapped it around Penny’s forehead to stop the bleeding.
“Is she okay?” Suzanne asked, kneeling on the snow beside Penny. Marla and Leon had joined them now, too, wearing worried expressions.
“There’s a nasty-looking cut on her forehead. I think she either hit the runner of the sled or the tree.” Esther felt deep concern, but she tried to remain calm for the children’s sake, as she didn’t want to frighten them. “She could have a concussion, and I’m sure she’s going to need stitches,” she whispered to Suzanne. “We need to get her back to the house right away.”
“Let’s put her on the sled, and I’ll pull it to the house. That’ll be quicker and easier than one of us trying to carry her,” Suzanne said.
Once they got Penny situated on the sled, Esther carried Jared, while Marla and Leon pulled the other two sleds, and they headed as quickly as possible for the house.
“Sure wish we didn’t have to quit sleddin’,” Leon complained as they trudged along.
“We can’t sled no more, dummkopp. Penny’s been hurt.” Marla’s chin quivered. “You don’t want her to die, like Mammi did, do ya?”
“I ain’t no dunce, and Penny ain’t gonna die,” the boy shot back.
“She might. Mammi died when she fell down the
schteeg.”
Leon’s face turned white as the snow beneath their feet. “Ya really think so?”
“Your sister is not going to die,” Esther was quick to say. “She’ll be fine once we get her cleaned up and see if she’ll need to go to the doctor for stitches.”
Marla gave a nod, but Leon didn’t look one bit convinced. It was obvious that the pain of losing his mother was still very real. Esther wished there was something she could do to bring healing to Samuel’s children. Samuel, too, for that matter, but she didn’t think he’d ever let her get close enough to offer comfort. He didn’t seem to let anyone get close to him—not even his children or Titus.
Esther had a tender heart toward those who were hurting. She’d been like that since she was a child. She remembered once when her brother James had broken his arm after falling from a tree in their yard. She’d felt his pain as if it were her own. Then there was the time her dog, Rascal, had gotten hit by a car. When they’d brought Rascal home from the vet’s, she’d stayed by his side for hours on end.
“We’re almost there,” Suzanne said, pointing to the house as it came into view. “I think I see Samuel out by the barn.”
When Samuel spotted Suzanne pulling Penny on a sled, he knew something was wrong. They hadn’t been gone very long, and he was sure the kids wouldn’t have agreed to quit sledding so soon.
As the group drew closer, he noticed that Penny had a scarf wrapped around her forehead, and both Suzanne and Esther wore looks of concern.
“Was is letz do?”
he asked, dropping to his knees beside the sled.
“Penny fell off the sled and cut her forehead on either the runner or a tree,” Suzanne replied, explaining what was wrong.
“Wasn’t anyone watching her?”
Esther stepped forward. “We were, but she jumped on the sled and took off down the hill, and then before we hardly realized what had happened, Lucky darted in front of the sled and Penny flew off.”
“I ought to get rid of that good-for-nothing mutt!” Samuel’s hand shook as he removed the scarf from Penny’s head. There was a fairly deep gash on her forehead, and he knew immediately it was going to need stitches. “I’ll take you into the house where it’s
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