Jeremiah by Kris Michaels
Chapter 21
Jeremiah jogged up to the edge of town where the helicopter had landed. He weaved through the men to get to where Eden was laying. It was then that he noticed Zeke had applied a tourniquet to the Guardian man’s leg just below the knee. He glanced at his watch. Far too much time had elapsed. He hated the man was going to lose his leg. Better that than his life, though.
Jeremiah knelt beside the stretcher that they had transferred her onto and pushed her hair back from her face. Her eyes fluttered open. She smiled at him softly and then jolted. “What happened?”
“Cyrus is gone. He’ll never hurt anyone again.”
“Gone? Back to jail?” Eden licked her chapped lips.
Jeremiah shook his head. “No. He’s dead. He attacked me with a knife. Phil gave me one and showed me how to use it. We fought. I walked away, he didn’t.”
She tried to move and gasped in pain. He grabbed her hand. She nodded to his shoulder. “You’re bleeding, fresh blood.” She gripped his hand tighter and asked, “Are you sure he’s dead?”
“It’s nothing, just a small cut. I’m sure, Cyrus is dead.” And he wasn’t responsible, at least according to what Ace saw. However, there was no way for him to know if it was his actions that killed the man or if Cyrus had purposefully fallen on his knife. He’d leave it to the law to sort out. At the very minimum, it was self-defense. He’d hire a damn good lawyer. After what Cyrus had put him through, no jury in the world would convict him. Which did nothing to ease the remorse and guilt that stood on the center of his chest.
Eden closed her eyes and whispered, “Thank you, Jesus.” Those blue eyes opened, and she stared up at him. “We’re going to rebuild. The clinic is gone.”
Jeremiah glanced back down the street. “You saw that, did you?”
“Or didn’t see it,” Eden chuckled softly. “I don’t know if the county has the resources to rebuild.”
Jeremiah kissed the back of her hand. “I do.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What?”
“I can build us offices. Enough room for us both to work from. Then maybe we can look for some property not too far away and build that house we’ve been whispering about at night.”
“Even after all of this, you’re willing to stay?” A tear slipped from her eye and he caught it as it trickled down toward her ear.
“Under two conditions.” He rubbed the tear between his fingers.
“Only two?” She lifted an eyebrow at him.
“First condition. We build proper tornado shelters. I’m ordering at least two from people who build them for a living and burying them within ten feet from the office and wherever we end up living.”
Eden moved her eyes to look at him because the hard plastic collar wouldn’t let her turn her head. “I won’t argue that point.”
He leaned forward and swept her lips with his. ”The second condition is that you love me for the rest of your life.”
“I won’t argue that point either. I love you.”
“Time to load up.” Zeke made to drop his hand on Jeremiah’s shoulder but stopped and pulled his shirt away from the wound. “That cut needs to be cleaned and there are at least five or six stitches in your future.”
Eden narrowed her eyes. “A small cut, huh?”
Jeremiah shrugged and stood up, still holding her good hand. “Zeke is overreacting.”
Zeke grabbed the head of the stretcher while a member of the helicopter flight crew grabbed the foot. “Zeke is not overreacting, although he is now speaking in third person.”
Jeremiah stood at the door to the helicopter as they strapped her in and waved as the crew closed the door. Zeke slapped him on his good arm and nodded away from the helicopter. He gave Eden one last wave even though he doubted she could see him and then cleared out of the way of the massive rotors on the aircraft.
When the engine powered up, they had to turn away. The powerful whoop of the long blades spit dirt and small debris outward as the bird lifted into the air and then swooped to the south.
“I wasn’t joking about that shoulder. Let me take care of that before we assess what’s going on here. Then we can find a truck to drive down to Rapid. I want to check on all of them.” They walked in silence to the garage. Phil had a portable generator running and the lights on.
Gen saw him and stood up to give him a hug. “How’s Eden?”
“Her arm’s broken, we’re worried about the blow she took to the head. She’s tough, but we’ll deal with what happened together.” Jeremiah released his sister and sat down, suddenly exhausted.
“Any other injuries?” he asked Zeke as the man sat Eden’s medical bag on the bench. The makeshift seating he was using was constructed out of broken boards and a couple of turned-over five-gallon buckets.
“Cuts, bruises, scrapes. I’m trying to keep these macho S.O.B.s here. I don’t need one of them stepping on downed power lines.” He took off his shirt at Zeke’s demand and spent the time it took Zeke to clean and suture his knife wound talking to Phil and the rest of the men about the damage. Gen leaned on his good side, and he could tell when she fell asleep. The events of the night over, everyone would start to crash sooner rather than later.
Zeke took off his gloves. “You know the drill. Keep it clean, keep water out of the wound until it closes, any redness or heat…”
“I got it.” Remi nodded. “Gen’s building is still in one piece. What say we all head up there and find a nice, clean, protected place and get some sleep. None of us are fit to drive to Rapid even if we had a truck.”
“My truck is fine.” Gen sat up and yawned. “I started it right after Phil pulled it back onto four wheels. The passenger side looks like crap, but it can make the trip.”
“Fine, we’ll go in the morning. As much as I want to see Eden, wrecking because I fall asleep at the wheel isn’t ideal, either.”
“I agree. We all need sleep.” Phil nodded. “Has everyone contacted their family?”
“I got word out via my CB to the Hollister Ranch. They’re making calls for us. Everyone will be here at daylight to clean up,” Carson Schmidt spoke as they all rose, and Phil turned off the generator.
They scaled the stairs to Gen’s apartment, cleaned up as best as possible, and bunked out. He slept with his sister and let the other men duke it out for the guest bed, the couch, or the floor. He took off his clothes down to his boxers and pulled the blanket at the foot of the bed around him.
Gen stepped out of the bathroom in her pajamas of an oversized t-shirt and silk bottoms. She slid under the covers he was lying on top of and turned away from him. “You okay, Remi? I heard the guys talking. They said you took out the serial killer.”
He thought hard about his response, searching the corners of his mind for emotions he wasn’t feeling, for thoughts that fleeted through his mind, but he couldn’t find any extraneous clouding of his thoughts. “If I killed him, it was in self-defense and defense of others. He threatened to kill each of you, and I know for a fact he would have followed through with that threat. Ace said he believed the man killed himself. I guess we’ll wait to see what law enforcement says.”
Gen turned over and looked at him. “Yeah, but are you okay?”
He flicked a quick look her way. “I’ll be fine. Either way, I know I’ll be okay. I did what I needed to do. I wouldn’t change a thing about what happened against that man tonight. Other than, you know… the tornado.”
Gen snorted. “I missed it all. Thank God. Night, Remi.”
“Night, Gen.” He closed his eyes and rolled through his memories of the night from start to finish. It could have ended so much worse. If one thing had happened out of order, the night’s tragedies would be tenfold. He turned to his side and stared out the window. He’d never been one to believe too much in a higher power, but tonight had changed his mind. There was a God, and He was merciful tonight.
* * *
Eden blinked awake and listened to the machines in her room. She glanced over at the walls and sighed. Surgery, that’s right. She remembered glimpses of the nurse in the surgical recovery area but not much more. They had to use hardware to secure her fracture and the orthopedic doctor explained in detail how he would repair the bones that had broken. She was looking at a minimum of six weeks in a cast and then a month or so building the strength back up in her arm.
A nurse walked in and smiled. “Well, there you are. How are you feeling?”
Eden blinked several times and rolled her head to the side. She stopped. “No collar?”
She’d had it on when the surgeon was talking to her. Hadn’t she?
The nurse flipped open her chart. “That’s right. Doctor Frederickson said you were very lucky. Although that bump on the side of your head did a number on your eye. You’ve got a serious shiner.”
Eden sighed. “No, a serial killer punched me in the face. That’s how I got the shiner.”
The nurse stopped what she was doing and looked at her. “Okay. Can you tell me your name?”
Eden snorted. “Eden Wade. I’m a nurse practitioner up in Hollister, and I’m not insane. Ask anyone else that came in with me last night. Speaking of which, how are they? The Guardian and Kerry?”
Her nurse nodded and smiled. It was the type of smile you give a child that is trying their hardest but not quite getting it right. “The guardian.” She shut the lid of the chart and smiled again. “I’ll just be a minute.”
Eden rolled her eyes and stared at the frosted plastic over the fluorescent lighting. Just what she needed, a psych eval.
A soft clearing of a throat to her right startled her. She glanced over and smiled. “Mr. Marshall, what are you doing down here?”
“I’m here checking on someone for a friend and I heard you were down here. They cleared Kerry almost as soon as he arrived, and his cousin picked him up earlier.”
“What about the Guardian? He risked his life to get me away from that madman.”
Frank shifted his feet and stared down at his cowboy hat he held in his hands. “He’s lost a leg. He’s got a long road ahead of him, but he’ll get the help he needs.”
Eden frowned. “How do you know that?”
“My friend is with Guardian.” The man nodded at her. “How long is your wing out of commission?”
She glanced down at her arm. “At least six weeks. Did the ranch suffer any losses?”
Frank Marshall shook his head. “Went north and east of us. Tori tells me your man is helping her. Would you tell him I appreciate what he’s done?”
Eden’s heart softened. Those girls and that ranch were Frank Marshall’s world. “I will. Jeremiah will be here shortly.” Or she assumed he would be. She glanced at the clock. “You must have been on the road early.”
“Before sunlight. We’re packing up supplies and heading into Hollister.”
“Thank you so much. You don’t know how much that means to the town.” For some reason, she started crying. She wiped at the tears and chuckled, “I do not know why I’m crying.”
“You’ve been through one hell of a lot in the last twenty-four hours, I reckon.” He walked forward and popped two tissues out of the small box on her bedside table, handing them to her. She dabbed at her eyes.
“Thank you.”
There was a knock at her door and the nurse who’d stepped out came back in with another person. “Hi, I’m Doctor Frasier. I understand you were looking for a guardian?”
Eden snorted. “No, I was looking for the people who came in with me, one of which is a Guardian.”
Frank grunted. “He’s next door. Works for Guardian Security.”
Doctor Frasier lifted an eyebrow. “I see. And the serial killer?”
“Killed last night after he took her hostage.” Frank crossed his arms and stared at the man. “Seems you don’t know much about what’s going on. Homework before knee jerk.”
Eden tried to snuff out the laugh from Frank’s gruff response, but it was impossible. The Doctor spun and looked at the nurse. “Words to live by in my book.”
The nurse, flushing from her toes to her hairline, followed him out of the room. Eden let the laugh she’d been suppressing out. “Mr. Marshall, you are the best.”
“Nah, just don’t suffer fools. I’ll get out of here and let you rest. If you need anything, you got our number out to the ranch.” He nodded and stepped out of the door.
She chuckled and closed her eyes. Her arm ached, but from what she remembered, the nurses in recovery said everything went well. When the doctor showed up for rounds, she’d find out when she could go home. Her thoughts stopped right there. Everything else swirling in her mind slammed into the back of that thought, but she couldn’t get past the blaring issue. She didn’t have a home anymore. The clinic was gone. Some broken 2x4 studs still stood around the exam table, but there was nothing else. Her possessions were easy to replace. Oh, God. Except for the pictures of her and Riley. She’d have to contact Riley’s parents to see if she could get copies of the ones they had.
A soft knock at the door drew her attention. “Ready for visitors?” Jeremiah stepped into the room holding a small paper bag. She reached out with her good arm, screw the IV. He was beside her in an instant and hugging her a moment later. The tears showed up again. It wasn’t because she was weak; rather, she was so relieved to see him, to hold him. His handsome face was the confirmation that they’d made it through the long, dark night. His big, hard body filled her arms while his presence healed her soul. He was her touchstone, the only stable place amongst the chaos that swirled around them.
Jeremiah held her until she pulled away. The smile on his face was tentative. “I hated not being able to be here when you went through surgery.”
She reached up and touched his face. “You’re here now, that’s all that matters. How is it? In the daylight, I mean?”
He sighed and shrugged. “Pretty much what it was in the dark. The clinic is gone. I walked through what was left this morning as the sun was coming up. I could follow the debris trail for about three hundred feet, which is where I found this.”
He lifted the paper bag and pulled out the frame holding her and Riley’s wedding picture. She reached for it, her hand shaking as she held it. Jeremiah cleared his throat. “I took the glass out, it shattered. Gen is in town with me. She’s taking her truck to the insurance agent’s office to give us some time alone. When I leave, I’ll find another frame for it.”
She placed it on her chest and closed her eyes, whispering, “Thank you for understanding.”
Jeremiah pushed her hair off her brow. “He was your first love. You’ll always have special feelings for him. I’m not jealous of your love for Riley. It doesn’t threaten what we have.”
She left the picture on her chest and reached up, placing her hand on his cheek. “It doesn’t and it never will. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Jeremiah leaned down to kiss her.
“I guess I should come back.” Zeke’s happy declaration made her laugh and Jeremiah groan.
“Dude, if you don’t quit interrupting my quality time with my woman, I’m going to start hating you again.” Jeremiah lifted but winked at her as he chastised the other man.
“Admit it, my timing is impeccable.” Zeke crossed the room and picked up her chart. “And you, young lady, have made a laughingstock of one of the hospital’s nurses. I got the scuttlebutt as soon as I walked out of the locker room just now.” He pulled a pen from the pocket of his light blue scrubs and scribbled something on the paper sheets inside her chart.
She snorted. “I didn’t, Frank Marshall did.” Both Zeke and Jeremiah shot her a questioning look. “He was here to check up on someone for a friend and stopped in. The nurse, bless her heart, thought I was a little loose in the noodle.”
Jeremiah snorted a laugh. “Loose in the noodle?”
She opened her eyes wide and lifted her good arm. “I asked where the Guardian was and told her the shiner I’m sporting wasn’t from the tornado but from a serial killer who clocked me. She heard guardian and serial killer and thought I was the crazy one.” She flicked her hand dismissively. “Serves her right for not believing me.”
Jeremiah looked at Zeke and then they both busted up laughing. She reached up and gently pushed Jeremiah. “Stop it. Both of you.”
Zeke shut her chart while still chuckling. “The surgery went well. You’ll probably be released tomorrow morning.”
She rolled her eyes. “I want to go home today.” She stopped and glanced at Remi. “Except there is no home.”
“We’re staying with Gen until we remedy that situation. Her building is missing shingles, but it was almost as if the tornado skipped some buildings and wiped out others.”
“Usual.” Zeke nodded. “I’m heading next door to check on our friend. I’ll be back north as soon as I can, but with the clinic being gone, I need to talk to the hospital administrators and see if they can put me on a month-by-month contract until I can figure out what I’m going to do.”
Jeremiah glanced at her and she smiled, seeing the question in his eyes. She nodded and mouthed the word ‘yes’.
Jeremiah cleared his throat. “Zeke, I’m going to build a professional space for Eden and me. Adding exam rooms and an office for you wouldn’t be a problem. I made calls on the way down. I can get a construction company from Wyoming to come in and build it after I buy the land from the Hollisters.”
Both she and Zeke shook their heads. “They won’t let you buy it,” Eden spoke for both of them. “They will give you a hundred-year lease on the land for a song, but they won’t sell the land. It’s theirs and they want to keep it.”
“Who would I contact?”
“Andrew Hollister the fifth,” Eden spoke, but she looked to Zeke for confirmation.
He nodded and added, “Andrew the sixth is overseas. He’s in the service. I don’t remember what branch. Depending on the rent for that office space, I’m in.”
“I’m sure we’ll come to some agreement, and if you agree to quit cock-blocking me, I’ll even consider lowering it.”
She gasped at Jeremiah’s words and felt the blush rise from her toes to her cheeks. Zeke chuckled and rubbed his neck. “How about I’ll try to stop? I mean, with my perfect sense of timing, talent like this is hard to keep in check.”
“Deal. Now, go away.” Jeremiah turned his back on Zeke and smiled at her, waggling his eyebrows. She peeked around him and waved at Zeke, who took no offense to the dismissal and laughed as he walked out of the room.
“Now, where were we?” He leaned down and swiped his lips over hers. “Oh, that’s right. You were telling me you loved me.”
