Read Online Cousin's Challenge by Wanda E. Brunstetter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Wanda E. Brunstetter
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tried to sit up, but his head hurt too much. It was all he could do to keep his eyes open.
The woman shook her head and her lips moved, but Lonnie couldnât make out what sheâd said. It must be because his head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton.
âWh-where am I?â He winced. That was strange. He couldnât hear his own voice, either.
The woman picked up a notepad by his bed and wrote something on it. Then she held it in front of his face. The words were blurred, but he could make a few of them out. Parents. Waiting room. Iâll get them.
Lonnie grimaced as the truth set in. He was in the hospital, and his folks were waiting to see him. He must have been given some pills that had made his brain feel fuzzy and clogged his ears. But why was he in the hospital?
When the nurse set the tablet down and hurried from the room, Lonnie closed his eyes, struggling for some memory that would let him know how heâd gotten here.
He remembered getting up, eating breakfast, doing a few chores in the barn, and going to feed the smelly hogs. Then, as heâd headed back to the house, heâd smelled something funny.
Another jolt of pain shot through Lonnieâs head as the memory of everything that had happened flashed into his mind. Heâd been heading to the phone shed to report a propane leak. Then heâd heard a terrible explosion, turned, and saw a fence post coming straight at him. It had hit him in the head with such force that heâd been knocked to the ground. That was the last thing he remembered.
Lonnie felt the pressure of someoneâs hand on his arm, and his eyes popped open. Mom stared down at him with tears in her eyes. Pop stood beside her, wearing a grim expression.
âWh-what happened to me? H-how bad am I hurt?â Again, Lonnie couldnât hear his own voice, and that scared him a lot.
Mom picked up the notepad from the table by his bed and wrote something on it. Her lips were pinched, like she was holding back tears, as she held the notepad in front of Lonnieâs face.
Our propane tank exploded. Apparently you were hit in the head by one of our fence posts. Your daed found you lying near the phone shed.
Popâs lips moved as he leaned over Lonnie, shaking his head.
Lonnie put both hands against his ears. âIâI canât hear you! Why canât I hear what youâre saying?â His throat hurt, and he knew he must be shouting.
Pop stepped away from the bed, and Mom wrote something else on the tablet and showed it to Lonnie.
When the post hit your head, it caused a concussion, and the doctor just told us that there was severe damage to the auditory nerves in both your ears.
âIsâis that why I canât hear?â She nodded.
âHow long until I can hear again?â
Mom slowly shook her head as tears pooled in her eyes and dripped onto her cheeks. The doctor isnât sure, but you may never get your hearing back, she wrote on the tablet. Weâll have to wait and see how it goes.
Lonnie swallowed around the lump in his throat. If he couldnât hear, he couldnât tune chimes. If he couldnât tune chimes, he didnât have a job. If he didnât have a job, he couldnât get married.
CHAPTER 10
Joleneâs heart pounded as she stood on the Troyersâ back porch, prepared to knock on their door. As soon as school was over for the day, sheâd pedaled her bike over here, hoping to arrive before Irvin and Sylvia, who had walked to school. She wanted to speak to the childrenâs parents without the children knowing sheâd been here.
Mary, the childrenâs mother, opened the door before Jolene was able to knock.
âI was looking out the kitchen window and saw you coming up the driveway,â Mary signed as she spoke. âIf you came to see Irvin and Sylvia, they arenât home from school yet.â
âIâm glad theyâre not here, because I wanted to speak to
The woman shook her head and her lips moved, but Lonnie couldnât make out what sheâd said. It must be because his head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton.
âWh-where am I?â He winced. That was strange. He couldnât hear his own voice, either.
The woman picked up a notepad by his bed and wrote something on it. Then she held it in front of his face. The words were blurred, but he could make a few of them out. Parents. Waiting room. Iâll get them.
Lonnie grimaced as the truth set in. He was in the hospital, and his folks were waiting to see him. He must have been given some pills that had made his brain feel fuzzy and clogged his ears. But why was he in the hospital?
When the nurse set the tablet down and hurried from the room, Lonnie closed his eyes, struggling for some memory that would let him know how heâd gotten here.
He remembered getting up, eating breakfast, doing a few chores in the barn, and going to feed the smelly hogs. Then, as heâd headed back to the house, heâd smelled something funny.
Another jolt of pain shot through Lonnieâs head as the memory of everything that had happened flashed into his mind. Heâd been heading to the phone shed to report a propane leak. Then heâd heard a terrible explosion, turned, and saw a fence post coming straight at him. It had hit him in the head with such force that heâd been knocked to the ground. That was the last thing he remembered.
Lonnie felt the pressure of someoneâs hand on his arm, and his eyes popped open. Mom stared down at him with tears in her eyes. Pop stood beside her, wearing a grim expression.
âWh-what happened to me? H-how bad am I hurt?â Again, Lonnie couldnât hear his own voice, and that scared him a lot.
Mom picked up the notepad from the table by his bed and wrote something on it. Her lips were pinched, like she was holding back tears, as she held the notepad in front of Lonnieâs face.
Our propane tank exploded. Apparently you were hit in the head by one of our fence posts. Your daed found you lying near the phone shed.
Popâs lips moved as he leaned over Lonnie, shaking his head.
Lonnie put both hands against his ears. âIâI canât hear you! Why canât I hear what youâre saying?â His throat hurt, and he knew he must be shouting.
Pop stepped away from the bed, and Mom wrote something else on the tablet and showed it to Lonnie.
When the post hit your head, it caused a concussion, and the doctor just told us that there was severe damage to the auditory nerves in both your ears.
âIsâis that why I canât hear?â She nodded.
âHow long until I can hear again?â
Mom slowly shook her head as tears pooled in her eyes and dripped onto her cheeks. The doctor isnât sure, but you may never get your hearing back, she wrote on the tablet. Weâll have to wait and see how it goes.
Lonnie swallowed around the lump in his throat. If he couldnât hear, he couldnât tune chimes. If he couldnât tune chimes, he didnât have a job. If he didnât have a job, he couldnât get married.
CHAPTER 10
Joleneâs heart pounded as she stood on the Troyersâ back porch, prepared to knock on their door. As soon as school was over for the day, sheâd pedaled her bike over here, hoping to arrive before Irvin and Sylvia, who had walked to school. She wanted to speak to the childrenâs parents without the children knowing sheâd been here.
Mary, the childrenâs mother, opened the door before Jolene was able to knock.
âI was looking out the kitchen window and saw you coming up the driveway,â Mary signed as she spoke. âIf you came to see Irvin and Sylvia, they arenât home from school yet.â
âIâm glad theyâre not here, because I wanted to speak to
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