Read Online All My Tomorrows by Karen D. Badger - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karen D. Badger
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man.
"Help is on the way, Don. Hang in there, buddy. Are you feeling pain anywhere?"
Don blinked his eyes twice.
"Is the pain in your neck?"
Two blinks.
"How about your arms and legs?"
One blink.
"Can you move your fingers and toes? Do it gently, and don't lift your hand or foot."
Jordan watched as Don wiggled his fingers and moved his foot. "That's good, Don. Just lay as still as possible. I think I hear the ambulance coming."
"I'll flag them down," Maggie said as she rose to her feet and ran out of the barn.
Moments later, two EMTs rushed into the room carrying medical kits. Maggie followed close behind. One EMT took over Jordan's position by Don's head while the other assessed his bodily injuries.
"What happened?" asked one of the EMTs.
"He fell from the rafter," Dave replied.
The EMT looked upward. "Wow. That's at least fifteen feet."
The EMT who was kneeling beside Don's head looked up. "What's his name?"
"His name is Don. Don Feldman," Dave answered.
"Who secured his neck?" he asked.
"I did," Jordan replied. "I also assessed his respiration, which appears to be even. There doesn't appear to be any radiating pain. Most of the pain is centered in his neck. He is also able to move extremities such as fingers and toes. With any luck, the injury will be isolated to muscle pain and not affect the vertebra beyond C2."
Maggie's eyes grew wide as she listened to Jordan speak with the emergency personnel.
The EMT attending at Don's head glanced up at Jordan. "You seem to know a lot about spinal injuries. I take it you're either a doctor, or you've had such an injury yourself?"
Jordan shrugged. "Something like that," she replied as she met Maggie's gaze.
"Okay. Jim, we'll need the backboard, neck brace, tape and gurney," the EMT instructed his partner. He then looked down at Don. "We'll have you out of here in a jiff, Don. You're in good hands."
Over the next ten minutes the EMTs worked to carefully secure Don to the backboard before loading him into the ambulance.
"I'd better follow them to the hospital," Dave said.
"Yes, of course," Maggie replied quickly. "Do whatever is necessary. I'll cross my fingers that his injuries are not too extensive."
Jordan, Maggie, and the remaining carpenters watched as the ambulance drove away. While Maggie dismissed the rest of the crew for the day, Jordan walked away and collected her tools, then headed toward the old farm truck she had driven to the construction site. As she climbed into the driver's seat, Maggie ran toward her.
"Jordan," she called out.
Jordan remained in the truck and waited for Maggie to reach her. She sat quietly looking out the windshield.
Maggie stopped by the driver's door. "Hey," she said.
Jordan nodded but continued to look straight ahead.
Maggie shoved her fingertips into the back pockets of her jeans and kicked the dirt around gently with her toe. "Look, Jordan, I know you're angry with me, and I don't blame you, but that was quite a bombshell you dropped on me a few weeks ago."
Jordan looked at her. "I hoped it wouldn't matter."
Maggie shrugged. "I don't know if it matters or not. It… it just took me by surprise."
"Well, for that, I apologize," Jordan replied stoically.
"Jordan, don't be that way," Maggie exclaimed.
Jordan's head turned sharply in Maggie's direction. "How the hell do you want me to be?" she asked angrily.
"Honest, for one," Maggie replied.
Jordan could feel the anger rising in her chest as she gripped the steering wheel tightly.
"I have been completely honest with you, Maggie."
"Not completely. You said yourself there were things you couldn't explain right now."
Jordan continued to stare straight ahead.
Maggie sighed deeply. "Look, Jordan, I don't want to argue with you."
Jordan shook her head. "You just don't understand."
Maggie put both hands on the window frame and leaned forward. "Then why don't you explain it to me?" she suggested firmly.
Jordan reached across the bench seat and threw the passenger
"Help is on the way, Don. Hang in there, buddy. Are you feeling pain anywhere?"
Don blinked his eyes twice.
"Is the pain in your neck?"
Two blinks.
"How about your arms and legs?"
One blink.
"Can you move your fingers and toes? Do it gently, and don't lift your hand or foot."
Jordan watched as Don wiggled his fingers and moved his foot. "That's good, Don. Just lay as still as possible. I think I hear the ambulance coming."
"I'll flag them down," Maggie said as she rose to her feet and ran out of the barn.
Moments later, two EMTs rushed into the room carrying medical kits. Maggie followed close behind. One EMT took over Jordan's position by Don's head while the other assessed his bodily injuries.
"What happened?" asked one of the EMTs.
"He fell from the rafter," Dave replied.
The EMT looked upward. "Wow. That's at least fifteen feet."
The EMT who was kneeling beside Don's head looked up. "What's his name?"
"His name is Don. Don Feldman," Dave answered.
"Who secured his neck?" he asked.
"I did," Jordan replied. "I also assessed his respiration, which appears to be even. There doesn't appear to be any radiating pain. Most of the pain is centered in his neck. He is also able to move extremities such as fingers and toes. With any luck, the injury will be isolated to muscle pain and not affect the vertebra beyond C2."
Maggie's eyes grew wide as she listened to Jordan speak with the emergency personnel.
The EMT attending at Don's head glanced up at Jordan. "You seem to know a lot about spinal injuries. I take it you're either a doctor, or you've had such an injury yourself?"
Jordan shrugged. "Something like that," she replied as she met Maggie's gaze.
"Okay. Jim, we'll need the backboard, neck brace, tape and gurney," the EMT instructed his partner. He then looked down at Don. "We'll have you out of here in a jiff, Don. You're in good hands."
Over the next ten minutes the EMTs worked to carefully secure Don to the backboard before loading him into the ambulance.
"I'd better follow them to the hospital," Dave said.
"Yes, of course," Maggie replied quickly. "Do whatever is necessary. I'll cross my fingers that his injuries are not too extensive."
Jordan, Maggie, and the remaining carpenters watched as the ambulance drove away. While Maggie dismissed the rest of the crew for the day, Jordan walked away and collected her tools, then headed toward the old farm truck she had driven to the construction site. As she climbed into the driver's seat, Maggie ran toward her.
"Jordan," she called out.
Jordan remained in the truck and waited for Maggie to reach her. She sat quietly looking out the windshield.
Maggie stopped by the driver's door. "Hey," she said.
Jordan nodded but continued to look straight ahead.
Maggie shoved her fingertips into the back pockets of her jeans and kicked the dirt around gently with her toe. "Look, Jordan, I know you're angry with me, and I don't blame you, but that was quite a bombshell you dropped on me a few weeks ago."
Jordan looked at her. "I hoped it wouldn't matter."
Maggie shrugged. "I don't know if it matters or not. It… it just took me by surprise."
"Well, for that, I apologize," Jordan replied stoically.
"Jordan, don't be that way," Maggie exclaimed.
Jordan's head turned sharply in Maggie's direction. "How the hell do you want me to be?" she asked angrily.
"Honest, for one," Maggie replied.
Jordan could feel the anger rising in her chest as she gripped the steering wheel tightly.
"I have been completely honest with you, Maggie."
"Not completely. You said yourself there were things you couldn't explain right now."
Jordan continued to stare straight ahead.
Maggie sighed deeply. "Look, Jordan, I don't want to argue with you."
Jordan shook her head. "You just don't understand."
Maggie put both hands on the window frame and leaned forward. "Then why don't you explain it to me?" she suggested firmly.
Jordan reached across the bench seat and threw the passenger
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