Read Online Flying Home by Mary Anne Wilson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mary Anne Wilson
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slipped it on, and when the band came against his wound, he gritted his teeth and pulled it down. “Can you reach over and get the door handle up for me?”
She didn’t ask why she had to do it when he was so close to it. That saved him from telling her that he couldn’t do it himself and save any chance of further pain. He knew pain, and he knew that after enough of it from his ribs and head, he’d be unable to move at all. So, he had to get this over with as quickly as possible.
She stretched past him, over the console, her jacket brushing across his partially averted face. She twisted the handle, jerked it up and down. With a sigh, she moved back to her seat. “It’s stuck. The handle doesn’t even move much.”
Not opening the doors before impact might not have been so lucky after all. “How about your door?” he asked.
She twisted, grabbed her handle and thankfully it clicked, but just as quickly, it shut again. “The wind, it’s too strong,” she said, staring at him with a “what do we do now?” look.
He struggled to get to his feet, but he pushed beyond it, getting by the console as Merry scooted back in her seat and pulled her legs up to her chest to let him have room to get to the door.
“Okay, pull the handle again,” he said. When he heard the lock disengage, he added, “Push!”
He felt it give, inch by agonizing inch, until it was snatched out of his hand and surged up with a horrendous sound of metal slapping metal. Wind and snow drove into the cabin, followed by air so cold it almost hurt to breathe. He didn’t hesitate, but ducked into the storm and onto the wing. He reached it without letting the biting pain stop him, got to the door, then yelled at Merry. “Get back. It’s going to slam, and slam hard.” And it did as soon as he got it halfway down and let go of it. The force of the slam made the plane shudder.
* * *
M ERRY FELT THE impact of the door closing, then Gage was gone as if he’d never been there. She waited, willing to hear a sound, anything she could identify as a man moving around, but all she heard was the storm and her own rapid breathing.
She shouldn’t have let him go out there. What could he possibly see? She jumped when there was a metal on metal sound, and held her breath as she waited, but nothing else came. Visions of a piece of the plane hitting Gage bloomed in her mind and she forced herself to close her eyes and lay on the grass, counting bubbles.
She tried to think of something positive, but the only thoughts that came were of the kids and her miserable attempt to keep her promise. That promise was shattered, but she’d make it up to them, she’d do anything it took to make things right, as soon as she could. If she ever could...
It felt like an eternity before Merry heard a heavy thump near her door. Before she could figure it out, the door began to move slowly at first, then quickly. Gage ducked down to look inside. Snow clung to his cap and shoulders. He looked grim and pale, with one hand braced against the door frame. “Move,” he said abruptly. “Get over in my seat.”
She moved as quickly as she could, so thankful to have him back that she would have done cartwheels if he had asked. She dropped into his seat, and had barely turned when she felt the plane shift as Gage dove into the seat she’d just vacated. Less than a breath later, the door slammed with earth shattering force.
He twisted slowly in the seat, then collapsed back against the soft leather, his head on the support, his eyes closed. She started to ask him what he’d found, but stopped when she saw how his jaw clenched and his chest rose and fell rapidly. With an unsteady hand, he pulled off the cap and tossed it behind him. The bandage on his head was dark with blood, and she could see Gage shivering.
He exhaled heavily, and said, “I’m back.”
She felt his jacket. It was sodden and icy. Her eyes flicked over his snow encrusted jeans and books. “You need to get
She didn’t ask why she had to do it when he was so close to it. That saved him from telling her that he couldn’t do it himself and save any chance of further pain. He knew pain, and he knew that after enough of it from his ribs and head, he’d be unable to move at all. So, he had to get this over with as quickly as possible.
She stretched past him, over the console, her jacket brushing across his partially averted face. She twisted the handle, jerked it up and down. With a sigh, she moved back to her seat. “It’s stuck. The handle doesn’t even move much.”
Not opening the doors before impact might not have been so lucky after all. “How about your door?” he asked.
She twisted, grabbed her handle and thankfully it clicked, but just as quickly, it shut again. “The wind, it’s too strong,” she said, staring at him with a “what do we do now?” look.
He struggled to get to his feet, but he pushed beyond it, getting by the console as Merry scooted back in her seat and pulled her legs up to her chest to let him have room to get to the door.
“Okay, pull the handle again,” he said. When he heard the lock disengage, he added, “Push!”
He felt it give, inch by agonizing inch, until it was snatched out of his hand and surged up with a horrendous sound of metal slapping metal. Wind and snow drove into the cabin, followed by air so cold it almost hurt to breathe. He didn’t hesitate, but ducked into the storm and onto the wing. He reached it without letting the biting pain stop him, got to the door, then yelled at Merry. “Get back. It’s going to slam, and slam hard.” And it did as soon as he got it halfway down and let go of it. The force of the slam made the plane shudder.
* * *
M ERRY FELT THE impact of the door closing, then Gage was gone as if he’d never been there. She waited, willing to hear a sound, anything she could identify as a man moving around, but all she heard was the storm and her own rapid breathing.
She shouldn’t have let him go out there. What could he possibly see? She jumped when there was a metal on metal sound, and held her breath as she waited, but nothing else came. Visions of a piece of the plane hitting Gage bloomed in her mind and she forced herself to close her eyes and lay on the grass, counting bubbles.
She tried to think of something positive, but the only thoughts that came were of the kids and her miserable attempt to keep her promise. That promise was shattered, but she’d make it up to them, she’d do anything it took to make things right, as soon as she could. If she ever could...
It felt like an eternity before Merry heard a heavy thump near her door. Before she could figure it out, the door began to move slowly at first, then quickly. Gage ducked down to look inside. Snow clung to his cap and shoulders. He looked grim and pale, with one hand braced against the door frame. “Move,” he said abruptly. “Get over in my seat.”
She moved as quickly as she could, so thankful to have him back that she would have done cartwheels if he had asked. She dropped into his seat, and had barely turned when she felt the plane shift as Gage dove into the seat she’d just vacated. Less than a breath later, the door slammed with earth shattering force.
He twisted slowly in the seat, then collapsed back against the soft leather, his head on the support, his eyes closed. She started to ask him what he’d found, but stopped when she saw how his jaw clenched and his chest rose and fell rapidly. With an unsteady hand, he pulled off the cap and tossed it behind him. The bandage on his head was dark with blood, and she could see Gage shivering.
He exhaled heavily, and said, “I’m back.”
She felt his jacket. It was sodden and icy. Her eyes flicked over his snow encrusted jeans and books. “You need to get
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