Meleah's Western - Part 43

Oh wow, I forgot it was Wednesday. Is
it really Wednesday? My brain seems frizzle-frazzled since the tornado
hit on the 22nd. Yesterday we started off our day by standing around
for two hours watching a large, old, brick building where my dad has a
storage unit for his roofing supplies and some of J's Light of Faith
stuff burn to the ground. It was quite an intense fire! The wind was
blowing and there were firefighters all over. The smoke was so thick
that most of the time you couldn't even see up the road. Well, the
entire building except a few walls is now a large pile of chard,
smoking (at least in Dad's corner) twisted mess. We went down and
looked at it last night. At least no one was hurt.
And we''re still waiting for Baby to come . . .

Here's your Wednesday Western since you are sure it is Wednesday.:)

Part 43

“Sally! Where is she?” he demanded of Joe, his breath fast and uneven.
“She’s sleeping in the next room--”
“I said, where is she!” Ty was growing frantic and struggled under
Carson’s restraining hands to get up. “My gun,” he panted, eyes darting
around the darkened room. “Carson, let me have it. Where is she?”
Jack rushed into the room. “Joe, get Sally. Hold him still if you can,
Carson. I don’t want that shoulder to start bleeding again. Easy, Ty.
Joe is getting Sally.”
For a brief moment, Ty relaxed under the soothing words, then he began
to struggle anew until Sally pushed past Carson and grasped her
brother’s hand.
“I’m here, Ty, an’ I ain’t leavin’ again.” She glanced at Jack as
though defying him to order her away, but Jack was intent on his
patient and didn’t appear to notice. “Now ya just rest, that’s right,”
as he lay back struggling to catch his breath.
“They ain’t hurt ya none?” Ty mumbled.
Sally smiled. “I ain’t hurt a bit. Why Ty, everything is goin’ ta be
fine once ya get well.” She laid her face against her brother’s hand.
“Ya have ta get well, Ty,” she begged. “Please.”
And thus the long days wore slowly away. Ty tossed with fever, calling
frantically for Carson and Sally, talking of ‘them,’ asking about the
sister he was looking for and muttering words that no one could make
any sense out of. Jack used every ounce of skill he had and prayed. The
whole Fields family was praying for this unexpected guest.
Carson also prayed, often going out alone when it was dark and Ty was
sleeping. He found great rest and peace in those times alone and would
come in ready to take up the watching with renewed strength. At other
times, when he could be spared from Ty’s bedside, he ate and slept,
knowing how important it was to keep up his strength.
With Sally, however, it was different. She had no place of real rest.
Vaguely she knew of the Father who would help her, but though she
prayed, she often felt as though her prayers never went higher than the
ceiling. It was with great difficulty that she was persuaded to eat or
sleep. Her one desire was to be with Ty. Even when he was sleeping she
would often refuse to leave his side. Only Joe seemed to be able to get
her to follow orders somewhat. Whether it was his tender, sympathetic
spirit that found a response in the girl’s nature, or whether it was
the fact that he had been with her through that long, trying first day
when Carson and Jed were off, no one knew. Perhaps it was a combination
of it all. Whatever the reason, Joe, by coaxing or ordering, could get
Sally to do almost anything.
It was several nights later; Jack came out of Ty’s room, and there was
a look on his face that caused everyone to pause. What was it? Surely
Ty wasn’t -- dead? Jack walked over to the window and looked out at the
setting sun a moment. Then turning, he looked at those gathered in the
room and spoke quietly. “Tonight is the crisis. There is to be no noise
if it can possibly be helped. Carson and Jed, I am going to let you two
watch, each for a two hour shift before changing.”
He gave other orders, but Sally scarcely heard them. For the first time
since the accident she realized that Ty might not live. Could she go on
without him? Knowing that she was going to cry, and realizing that even
her tears could be harmful to her dearly loved brother, she pressed her
hands over her mouth and fled from the house.
Carson watched her go with troubled eyes. Why did life have to be so
hard for this young friend? No mother’s love and care, her father taken
from her by sickness, her only sister unknown and only God knew where,
and now, her only brother lying at death’s doorstep. If only she would
go to her father and mother’s Friend, yes, and his Friend too.
Almost as though reading his thoughts, Jack asked quietly, “Carson, do
you want to go to her?”
Carson shook his head sadly, “She won’t listen to me. I’ve tried. I
just don’t know what to say.”
“The poor, weary girl,” Mrs. Fields sighed. “She isn’t used to a
woman’s help or I would go to her, but she doesn’t open up to me.”
“Send Joe.”
All eyes turned to Mr. Fields. He nodded as though he knew what he was
talking about. “I don’t know what Ty is really like, but for some
reason his sister will take from Joe what she won’t from anyone else.
Send him if he can be spared from the sick room.”
As a result of that talk, Joe, relieved of his post, was soon moving
quietly towards Sally. He prayed as he walked. He doubted that he was
the best person to send, yet his heart, stirred deeply by all that had
happened, beat rapidly as he drew near, whether from pity and a longing
to help or from some other cause, he didn’t know.
Sally had thrown herself on the grassy slope of a hill and was sobbing
bitterly, crying out as she sobbed, “Ty! Ya can’t die! Ya can’t, ya
can’t!” Her whole soul cried out with each passionate word revealing
something of the terrible agony she was going through. Never had she
felt so forsaken and alone. Even when her father was so ill and Ty and
Carson were so far away, she had the comfort of prayer. Now, however,
even that refuge seemed to have forsaken her and she cried out, “Ya
can’t leave me, Ty! I’m all alone!”
A hand touched her shoulder and Joe’s steady, tenderhearted voice broke
into her sobs. “You aren’t alone, Sally. There is a Refuge!”

Comments? Questions?