Reckless Heart (Kauffman Amish Bakery 5.5) (20 page)

Lydia hesitated. “I’m not certain what my goal has been. I just knew I wanted to help out at the schoolhouse and work in the bakery.” She placed her plate with half of her lunch uneaten onto the grass beside her. “I’m just not ready to make that decision.”

“You should be ready because Barbie has made her decision.” Amanda glanced across the pasture. “There’s the volleyball net going up. The
buwe
are so predictable.”

Lydia studied Joshua and again wondered what his intense

stare had meant during the service. He looked over at her, and she quickly looked away, focusing on Amanda’s clean plate. “Are you done? Can we go check on my
mamm
?”

“
Ya
,” Amanda said, standing. “That’s a
gut
idea.”

They brushed off their skirts, picked up their plates and cups, and headed toward the trash cans lined up by the barn.

“Lydia! Lydia!” A voice hollered. “Lydia,
dummle
!”

Turning, Lydia found Irma running toward her at top speed. Her face was panic-stricken when she reached her. “Lydia, you have to come fast,” she said while panting. “
Dat
, Titus, and I went to check on
Mamm
. We couldn’t find you to ask you to come with us. We got to the house, and we found
Mamm
in the bathroom running the hot shower trying to help Ruthie breathe.”

Lydia gasped and her heart thudded in her chest. “Ruthie can’t breathe?”

“No,” Irma said, grabbing her hand. “
Kumm
. Titus ran to the phone shanty to call nine-one-one. The rescue squad is on the way. We need you to come home now.
Dummle
!”

“Go!” Amanda said, taking Lydia’s plate. “I’ll go tell
Mammi
and my
mamm
and
dat
. We’ll meet you there.”

With her heart in her throat, Lydia took Irma’s hand and ran across the pasture, pulling her little sister along beside her.

T
he rescue squad should be here soon,
ya
?” Titus asked while pacing on the front porch.

“
Ya
,” Lydia said, doing her best to hold back tears. “They will be. Why don’t you sit down?” She patted the swing beside her. “The best thing we can do is stay here while
Mamm
and
Dat
hold Ruthie by the shower.”

“I can’t sit,” Titus said through gritted teeth while he continued to walk back and forth in front of the railing. “I just can’t.”

Irma sniffed and climbed onto Lydia’s lap. “I’m scared, Lydia. What if the rescue squad doesn’t get here in time?
Mamm
said that Ruthie’s lips were turning blue.”

“She’ll be just fine,” Lydia said, even though she was inwardly frantic about her sister.
She has to be okay. She just has to!
Glancing behind her, she saw a large group of friends and relatives heading across the pasture toward her house, and her heart warmed.

Sirens blasted in the distance and quickly came closer and closer.

“They’re here!” Titus yelled, starting for the stairs as the
ambulance rumbled up the driveway with the lights flashing but the sirens now turned off.

“Wait!” Lydia said, putting Irma down and following him to the steps. “We have to stay back and out of their way,
ya
? We have to let them do their job.”

Her father rushed out the door and down the steps to the ambulance. Titus ran after him, but Lydia held Irma back.

“Why can’t I go see the ambulance?” Irma asked with a scowl.

“We have to let
Dat
talk to them,” Lydia said, keeping her voice calm despite the worry surging through her. “It’s best if we stay up here.”

Her father spoke to the driver and then pointed toward the other side of the house. The driver nodded and the ambulance rumbled forward.

Her father then climbed the steps, his eyes full of distress. “I told them to come to the back of the house. I think it will be easier for them to bring their equipment in and out through the back door.” He gestured toward the group of church members heading up the driveway to the porch. “Please ask everyone to stay in the kitchen and out of the way of the EMTs. I don’t want anyone getting in their way,
ya
?”

“I understand,” Lydia said. “I’ll keep everyone back.”

Dat
disappeared through the front door, and Titus stayed behind, nervously twisting his straw hat in his hands.

“Let’s go into the kitchen,” Lydia told her siblings. “But remember what
Dat
said—we don’t go any farther than the kitchen doorway.”

They waited in the kitchen, standing near the doorway, while four men and women in matching uniforms filed into the house and followed their father into the bathroom. Lydia stood with her arms around Irma and Titus while one of
the EMTs talked to her parents and then performed tests on Ruthie. Then they left and came back with a gurney and asked more questions.

Lydia’s body trembled with fear for her baby sister. She felt as if her life was being turned upside down again. Just when she thought things would get better, her sister’s illness was tearing their house apart once more.
Will this ever end? Will Ruthie ever be healed? Will life ever be normal?

“How are you?” a voice asked in Lydia’s ear.

Turning, she found her grandmother standing with her arms open. Lydia launched herself into her arms and held on tight.

“She’s going to be fine, Lydia,”
Mammi
said softly in her ear. “Just have faith.”

Her grandmother’s words gave her a momentary feeling of solace. She hoped her grandmother was right.

“
Mammi!
” Irma called.

Lydia stepped back and her grandmother hugged Irma and then Titus. Looking behind her, Lydia saw a group of family members filing into the kitchen, including her aunts, uncles, and cousins.

“Lydia,”
Mammi
said. “Please come here. Your mother is asking for you.”

Lydia rushed into the family room, where she found her mother looking jittery.

“Lydia,”
Mamm
said. “I need you to listen to me carefully. They’re loading Ruthie into the ambulance right now. She has an oxygen mask on.” She took Lydia’s hand. “Your
dat
and I want to ride in the ambulance with her to keep her calm so that she can breathe better. I need you to get a ride and bring Titus and Irma to the hospital. Go ask your
onkel
Daniel to call his driver right now. Ask your
mammi
to ride with you. Do you understand?”

“
Ya
,” Lydia said. “Of course.”

“Daniel is already calling a driver,”
Mammi
said, standing behind Lydia. “Beth Anne, you and Paul go to the hospital. I’ll make sure Lydia, Titus, and Irma make it there.” She hugged her daughter and whispered something in her ear, and tears splattered down
Mamm’s
cheeks.

Lydia sucked in a breath to prevent herself from crying. She had to be strong for her parents and for her siblings, but inwardly she was falling apart.
When will I wake up from this nightmare?

“Beth Anne!”
Dat
called from the front door. “We must go now.”

“Go,”
Mammi
said, squeezing
Mamm’s
hand. “We’ll be there soon.”

Mamm
rushed out the front door, and Lydia moved to the window to watch her parents leave. The sight of their climbing into an ambulance with her baby sister on a gurney was completely surreal.

Soon the ambulance pulled out of the driveway and its sirens blared as the vehicle reached the road at the end of the driveway.

“The driver is on his way, but he was on the other side of town running some errands,” her uncle Daniel called. “He’s going to be delayed, but he said he’d rush over.”

Lydia looked up at her uncle. “I know how to get us a ride right away. My
English freind
lives down the street. I bet he could give us a ride right now, and you could come later in your driver’s van.”

“That’s a
wunderbaar
idea,” Daniel said. “Let’s go ask him.”

Lydia and Daniel hurried down the road toward Tristan’s house. She spotted Tristan in the driveway under the hood of his car, and she rushed to him.

“Tristan,” she called. “Tristan, we need help. It’s an emergency.”

Tristan looked up with a surprised expression. “Hey, Lydia. What’s up?” He looked at her uncle. “What’s wrong?”

“My sister …” Lydia worked to calm the quiver in her voice. “An ambulance just took her to the hospital, and my uncle Daniel and I need someone to drive me and my siblings there to meet them. Can you help? We’ll pay you for your gas and time. Please, Tristan. We’re desperate.” She folded her hands as if to beg.

“Of course we’ll help you. That’s what neighbors are for.” Tristan dropped the tool in his hand onto a nearby workbench and grabbed a red rag. “Let me go talk to my father. He has a big SUV that would hold quite a few people. I’ll be right back.”

Tristan hurried into the house, and Lydia and Daniel stood in the driveway. She hugged her arms to her chest. Her body shook with worry.

“Ruthie will be fine,” Daniel said. “I believe the doctors will take
gut
care of her, and God is watching over her.”

Afraid she might cry, Lydia looked up at him and nodded.

The back door opened and slammed shut as Tristan and an older man with the same dark hair and eyes rushed down the stairs.

“Lydia, this is my father, James Anderson,” Tristan said. “And this is Mr. Daniel …?”

“Kauffman,” Daniel said, holding out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. We appreciate your help very much.”

Mr. Anderson shook his hand and then motioned toward a large SUV parked in front of the garage. “I’d be happy to take you and your family to the hospital. Let’s climb in.”

Tristan, Lydia, and Daniel headed toward the truck.

“Dad,” Tristan said. “Should I wait for Mom and drive her car up to Lydia’s house so we can help take their other family members to the hospital?”

Lydia smiled.
How thoughtful of Tristan to offer another car to help my family
.

“That’s a good idea,” Mr. Anderson said. “Or wait.” He handed Tristan the keys. “You take Lydia and some of her family, and I’ll wait for your mother and bring the car up to the house to make another trip.”

Tristan’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re going to let me take your truck?”

“Yes.” James nudged Tristan toward the SUV. “Now go.”

Lydia climbed into the backseat while Daniel hopped into the front passenger seat. They drove in silence to her house, and she rushed out of the truck to the back porch where her siblings and family members were waiting. Daniel also exited the truck and stood by the porch.

“Tristan is going to take us to the hospital,” Lydia said to her siblings. “Quick, get into the truck.” She looked at her grandmother. “Will you come too? There’s plenty of room.”

Her grandmother, her grandfather, her aunt Kathryn, Amanda, Irma, and Titus all piled into the SUV, and Lydia sat up front in the passenger seat by Tristan. While they drove to the hospital, her grandparents spoke encouraging words quietly to Titus and Irma.

Lydia glanced over at Tristan, who kept his eyes focused on the road. “Thank you for helping us,” she said. “I’ll make sure you’re paid for your time. You’re truly making a sacrifice by dropping everything to help my family.”

Tristan gave her a sideways glance. “I won’t accept your money, Lydia. I meant what I said before — we help our
neighbors. That’s how I was brought up and I believe every word.”

“Thank you,” Lydia said, wiping a stray tear that had escaped her eyes.

“You’re welcome,” he said, stopping at a red light. “I’m just glad my dad allowed me to take his Excursion. He’s very protective of it, but I know he would do anything to help a neighbor in need too. And my mother should be home soon—she took Michaela into town for new shoes. I think she could get four people comfortably into her car.”

“We appreciate that very much,” Lydia said. “When my uncle’s driver was delayed, I thought of coming to ask you for help. But I never expected you to help this much.”

“What happened to your sister? If you don’t mind my asking, that is,” Tristan said as he accelerated through the intersection.

“We’re not certain what’s wrong, but she had trouble breathing,” Lydia said. “Her lips turned blue.”

Tristan’s expression was solemn. “I’m so sorry. I hope she’s better soon.”

“Thank you,” Lydia said.

They drove in silence for the remainder of the ride to the hospital. When they reached the hospital parking lot, Tristan pulled up to the emergency room drop-off.

Lydia turned to Tristan as she unbuckled her seat belt. “Thank you again. You’ve really helped my family today.”

“You’re welcome,” he said.

Lydia’s grandfather, Eli, came around to Tristan’s window and tapped on the glass. “Thank you, young man, for the ride.” He held up a few bills. “This is for your time and gas.”

“I can’t accept that, sir,” Tristan said, shaking his head. “I’m just happy I could help you out.”

Eli shook his head. “I would like you to take the money.”

“I can’t,” Tristan said. “I don’t charge friends.”

Her grandfather shook Tristan’s hand. “Thank you, son.” He looked at Lydia. “You have a
gut freind
.”

Lydia smiled. “
Ya
, I do,
Daadi
.” She opened the door. “Thank you again.”

“Lydia!” Amanda called from the sidewalk. “
Dummle
!”

Lydia jumped down from the seat, took Irma’s hand, and fell in step with Amanda and Titus as they moved through the whooshing automatic glass doors into the large waiting area. Her aunt and grandparents followed closely behind her.

A large desk sat in the middle of the room, where a woman in a uniform sat next to a phone that seemed to ring nonstop. Groups of people and children sat in the clusters of chairs spread around the large, open area, and flat television screens hung from the walls.

Lydia scanned the sea of people for her parents and found them sitting in a secluded corner, talking quietly. She rushed over to them, pulling Irma alongside her. “How’s Ruthie?”

“We don’t know yet,” her mother said with a frown. “They’re running some tests and will call us in when they’re done.”

Her grandfather touched
Mamm’s
arm and gave her an encouraging nod. “I’m certain everything will be just fine, Beth Anne.”

Lydia sat down and spotted a children’s storybook on the small table in front of her. “Irma,” she said. “Grab that book and I’ll read it to you while we wait.”

Irma retrieved the book, and Lydia pulled the little girl onto her lap. She began reading a story about a little bear that was afraid to go to school.

Soon a woman in pink scrubs came over to their group.
“Mr. and Mrs. Bontrager, would you please come back with me? Ruthie is asking for you. You can be with her while we’re waiting for the results of the tests.”

Lydia’s parents stood, and her mother looked over at Lydia. “Will you be okay?”

Mammi
touched Lydia’s arm. “We’ll take
gut
care of the
kinner
. You just go care for Ruthie.”

Lydia bit her lip while she watched her parents disappear through the double doors with the nurse. Then she continued reading to Irma to try to relieve the tension.

Amanda dropped into the chair beside her and rubbed Irma’s arm once the story was over. “What can I do for you, Lydia?”

Lydia shook her head. “I don’t know.” Her world was spinning out of control and she had no idea what would make it any better other than good news about her sister’s condition.

Kathryn stepped over to them. “What if we went to get something to drink? You must be thirsty after rushing around.”

“I don’t want to leave,” Lydia said. “I don’t want to miss my parents if they come out and have news to share about Ruthie.”

Amanda looked up at her mother. “We’ll go get you something, right,
Mamm?
”