eyes widened. She fell to her knees beside him, me following suit. His hips were smashed under
the frame of the cab. He looked at her. “It’s going to slide more, Kim, and I’m going with it.
Get away.”
She looked at his smashed legs, then bolted up. “Come on, Ben.”
I looked at her, not believing she would leave.
She ran toward her truck.
“Come on!”
she screamed, and I followed her. We
reached the truck, and I realized she was a step away from being hysterical. “Grab that shovel in the bed and go
back up. Hurry!” Then she popped open a toolbox and scrounged through it. I ran back up to Morgan with the
shovel. He looked at me through the rain and I asked him if he was all right. The words sounded hollow. Blood seeped
from his mouth, and through his torn shirt I could see that the first impact had crushed his ribs before the tractor slid to
his legs. He wasn’t all right. He was dying.
“Get on out of here, boy, and you take my Kim with you.”
Then she was there beside me, with several thick blocks of wood. She stared at her uncle, then turned to
me, her knees in inches of muck. “Start digging him out, then use the wood to brace it if you can. I’m
going for help.”
I stared at her.
She dropped the blocks. “You can’t drive, Ben. Not in this. I’ll be back as soon
as I can. Just get him out before it goes.”
I nodded, a bolt of lightning illuminating the panic on my face. Then she was gone, running back to her
truck. When Morgan saw what was going on, he leaned his head against the ground and closed his eyes. I studied his
midsection, and it was already swelling. I could actually see the broken ribs poking the skin out. I grabbed the shovel.
“I’ll try not to hurt you.”
He clenched his jaw. “Already does. Just do it.”
I started digging, afraid I’d cause the tractor to move.
“Hard and fast, boy; don’t be afraid.” He winced. “You see this thing go,
you get your ass away from it, understand? I won’t have your death on my name.”
I accidentally hit him in the leg with the blade of the shovel. He grunted. I kept digging.
“Sorry.”
He looked at me. “What’s your name?”
“Ben.”
He laughed, then coughed up blood, then groaned. “Figures I’d die with a
stranger.”
I ignored him, digging furiously even as the mud oozed back into the hole I was digging under him.
“I’m not a stranger now, and if you die, your niece is going to kill me.” I jammed two blocks of
wood under the cab, but they sunk in.
“Got a liking for her, do you?” he muttered.
I dug. The mud sucked at the shovel and fought me the whole way, and my arms ached as I slung load
after load to the side. It didn’t seem like I was making any difference, and then the machine shifted, sliding a
few inches to the side and grinding against his legs. A deep moan came from Morgan and I dug faster, panic and fear
flooding my chest with adrenaline. My ruined hands didn’t even hurt I was so scared.
Morgan groaned. “Get out.”
“Shut up.” I could barely talk, and it came out a gasp. I was tired of being told to go
away. Rivulets of water ran down the slope, filling the trench I was making beside him. “Shit.”
He laughed. “Nothing like a good rain.”
I began digging under him, scooping out mud as quickly as I could and ignoring his pain as I bumped him
with the shovel. Time dragged on forever, and the only way I could tell that it was passing was my shoulders screaming
at me, the air that wouldn’t get to my lungs, and a dying man cracking jokes about the rain.
So I dug. I dug like a madman until I thought I couldn’t do any more; then I dug some more.
Morgan leveraged his elbows into the muddy stubble, crying out as he inched himself to the side. “Keep going,
boy.”
I kept going, and a few minutes later, I leaned over his chest and grabbed his shoulders. “Going
to hurt again, but you’re going to have to help.” Then I yanked, digging my knees
the frame of the cab. He looked at her. “It’s going to slide more, Kim, and I’m going with it.
Get away.”
She looked at his smashed legs, then bolted up. “Come on, Ben.”
I looked at her, not believing she would leave.
She ran toward her truck.
“Come on!”
she screamed, and I followed her. We
reached the truck, and I realized she was a step away from being hysterical. “Grab that shovel in the bed and go
back up. Hurry!” Then she popped open a toolbox and scrounged through it. I ran back up to Morgan with the
shovel. He looked at me through the rain and I asked him if he was all right. The words sounded hollow. Blood seeped
from his mouth, and through his torn shirt I could see that the first impact had crushed his ribs before the tractor slid to
his legs. He wasn’t all right. He was dying.
“Get on out of here, boy, and you take my Kim with you.”
Then she was there beside me, with several thick blocks of wood. She stared at her uncle, then turned to
me, her knees in inches of muck. “Start digging him out, then use the wood to brace it if you can. I’m
going for help.”
I stared at her.
She dropped the blocks. “You can’t drive, Ben. Not in this. I’ll be back as soon
as I can. Just get him out before it goes.”
I nodded, a bolt of lightning illuminating the panic on my face. Then she was gone, running back to her
truck. When Morgan saw what was going on, he leaned his head against the ground and closed his eyes. I studied his
midsection, and it was already swelling. I could actually see the broken ribs poking the skin out. I grabbed the shovel.
“I’ll try not to hurt you.”
He clenched his jaw. “Already does. Just do it.”
I started digging, afraid I’d cause the tractor to move.
“Hard and fast, boy; don’t be afraid.” He winced. “You see this thing go,
you get your ass away from it, understand? I won’t have your death on my name.”
I accidentally hit him in the leg with the blade of the shovel. He grunted. I kept digging.
“Sorry.”
He looked at me. “What’s your name?”
“Ben.”
He laughed, then coughed up blood, then groaned. “Figures I’d die with a
stranger.”
I ignored him, digging furiously even as the mud oozed back into the hole I was digging under him.
“I’m not a stranger now, and if you die, your niece is going to kill me.” I jammed two blocks of
wood under the cab, but they sunk in.
“Got a liking for her, do you?” he muttered.
I dug. The mud sucked at the shovel and fought me the whole way, and my arms ached as I slung load
after load to the side. It didn’t seem like I was making any difference, and then the machine shifted, sliding a
few inches to the side and grinding against his legs. A deep moan came from Morgan and I dug faster, panic and fear
flooding my chest with adrenaline. My ruined hands didn’t even hurt I was so scared.
Morgan groaned. “Get out.”
“Shut up.” I could barely talk, and it came out a gasp. I was tired of being told to go
away. Rivulets of water ran down the slope, filling the trench I was making beside him. “Shit.”
He laughed. “Nothing like a good rain.”
I began digging under him, scooping out mud as quickly as I could and ignoring his pain as I bumped him
with the shovel. Time dragged on forever, and the only way I could tell that it was passing was my shoulders screaming
at me, the air that wouldn’t get to my lungs, and a dying man cracking jokes about the rain.
So I dug. I dug like a madman until I thought I couldn’t do any more; then I dug some more.
Morgan leveraged his elbows into the muddy stubble, crying out as he inched himself to the side. “Keep going,
boy.”
I kept going, and a few minutes later, I leaned over his chest and grabbed his shoulders. “Going
to hurt again, but you’re going to have to help.” Then I yanked, digging my knees
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