Boots

"You can do that?"

"Not me, but your cell phone provider can." For the first time in almost two days Holly saw a glimmer of hope.

***

I didn't have a knife with me, or anything else that would cut through the seat belt. Even if I did, I don't think I would have had the strength to do it. All I had to do was reach around and push down on the seat belt release button. There were, however, two problems, neither of which would make it an easy task. First, my right arm was busted up and useless, so I would have to make use of my left arm to accomplish it. I'd find out shortly if it was dislocated or actually broken. Second, my left arm had been numb for the last twenty-four hours, but when I started moving it across the front of my body it came alive with a searing pain, letting me know it hadn't healed itself yet. With it pressed tightly against my body, I inched it across my chest. My plan was to use only the lower portion of my arm, keeping my shoulder as motionless as possible. I still didn't know if it was broken, but the pain made me stop and rest every couple of seconds. I have to do this I kept telling myself or they will find me dead in this wreck. I cried, cursed myself, and tried to work through the pain. I no longer had a choice. I had to succeed.

I was about halfway there when I got a stupid idea. I decided to grab my jacket sleeve with my teeth and pulled it to the right. It was already dark and I sure as hell didn't want to spend another night as some bug's dinner.

I know someone must have heard the scream or the sobbing that followed. My teeth released the jacket sleeve as my left arm dropped back onto my lap. I hung there quivering, waiting for the pain to subside, almost afraid to even breathe. Tears dripped down my cheeks. I didn't have anything left. I couldn't take any more pain and anguish—I think I'd finally reached my limit. No water, no sleep, no food, and now I realized I had no usable arms to get me out of this. For the first time I thought about the, what if.

***

Holly initiated the call to Verizon Wireless but was quickly replaced by Detective Roberson when they started giving her a bit of a hard time.

"Miss, this is Detective Robertson of the Westview Police Department. We are trying to locate a missing person and need your assistance, is there a problem?" Ken was immediately switched to the supervisor on duty.

Computers are wonderful. Everyone prayed Steve's cell phone was on and was still charged up. His account showed no activity for the last forty-eight hours, and it didn't take more than twenty minutes to get everything they needed.

Verizon gave them Steve's approximant location and Kenny pulled out a city map out of his desk.

"There's nothing there," he said. "David," he called out to another police officer two desks over. "You got your iPad with you?" He nodded.

"Bring up Google Earth on it for me, will you?" Kenny gave David the coordinates. He zoomed in.

It was a strip of land between Lake Harmony and Otter Lake.

"Maybe he lost his phone there," Kenny said.

"Or, maybe he's doing some night fishing," David added.

"Steve doesn't fish and this place is only a couple of miles from where we live. I wonder if his phone is moving. Maybe he's on his way home." Holly was getting excited. Kenny made a quick call back to Verizon to get another location confirmation.

"Nope, it's still in the same location, it hasn't moved."

"Well, I'm heading over there," Holly said, immediately standing up and grabbing her jacket.

"I'm coming with you," Kenny said, grabbing a Mag Light out his bottom desk drawer. "It's going to be pretty dark out there and we'll probably need a couple of these to really see anything."

Kenny wasn't feeling too good about what they might find. He knew the general area and besides a few cabins there wasn't much else. The road was narrow and the ditches deep especially down by the bridge. He wanted to make sure if they found something ugly, Holly wouldn't be alone.

***

Last chance, I thought, coming up with my final plan. Although the seatbelt release was just under my right arm, my damaged fingers never would have been able to push it down with enough force to open it. Maybe, I could use my right elbow to push down on the release button. It was worth a try, even though that wouldn't solve all my problems. I would still have to find a way to crawl out. At least I could get something to drink.

I took a deep breath and started pumping my legs to get the blood flowing. "It's now or never," I whispered out loud, psyching myself up for the task at hand. With both of my knees planted firmly against the dashboard, I pushed with all my strength driving my upper body deeper into the seat giving the shoulder harness just enough slack to pull my right arm out from under it. The sharp pain sent my head spinning, and made me nauseous. I had to stop and wait for everything to subside before I could continue.

With my left hand, somewhat supporting my right forearm, I slowly inched it lower. Sweat dripped off my nose, and the pain? Well it was constant, but I kept moving. There was no way in hell I'm going to end up dying over those damn eighty-dollar boots. I was going to get out no matter what it took. My right upper arm wasn't long enough. I was going to have to somehow move my upper body out of the shoulder strap and push it as far to the right as I could.

Time wise how long it took me I haven't a clue, but I think I lost a couple of pounds of water or in this case sweat. Grunting with every push and pull—ignoring the pain—I managed to move the shoulder strap to the left side of my chest, just enough so I could move almost freely. The bugs were back. I ignored them.

I started to slowly inch down until I felt the lap belt and shoulder harness connection. Because my car was older model, the release button was an outtie instead of an innie. Tears of exhaustion and pain were rolling down my cheeks as my elbow came in contact with the button. I had to stop again and take a short break, catch my breath, and get myself mentally ready.

There were no other options left. I would have to use my left arm to support the lower part of my right arm and use my full upper body to push my elbow into that release button. I tried to think about how much force it normally took to open it, but with all my weight resting on it, I knew it wouldn't be easy.

I thought about counting to three but said, "Screw It" and gave it everything I had left in me. It opened. When I heard the sweet click of the seat belt release, I smiled as I felt the seat belt and shoulder harness loosen around my body. Then my knees, which I had been using to brace myself, slipped off the dashboard and I fell head first into the water on the other side of the car.

If I thought I was in pain before, what I was now in can only be described as sheer and utter hell.

Your first instinct, when you're falling, is to put your arms out to break your fall. I started to do just that but thankfully my brain unfogged long enough to stop me at the last second. I pulled my arms in tight to my chest as my full weight came down on them. For the third or fourth time since this ordeal began I passed out. I was lucky enough to do it with my head above the water, or I probably would have drown.

I don't know if I screamed, cried out, or just wept before passing out, it didn't make much difference because no one would have heard me anyway. For a little while I got to feel nothing. Then I woke up. I was free but the drop had done considerably more damage, if that was even possible. My right arm was at an angle it shouldn't have been at and the heat it was giving off told me I was bleeding again. I was in a weird position with my feet above my body and I needed to somehow get them under me, but first I needed some liquid.

I was grateful for the darkness so I couldn't see the water I was about to drink. I closed my eyes and put my lips into the still pool of tepid water. Parched, I stuck my tongue in first getting it wet. No cold beer ever tasted this good. I fought the urge to gulp and just lapped at it until my mouth started to recover some of its feeling. My first swallow burned my throat. Three more swallows and I was starting to feel almost human again. Life wasn't good yet, but I was still alive.

It took everything I had left in me to achieve my final task. I gritted my teeth and rolled my upper body to the left. I think I was finally getting numb because, I was able to roll onto my back without passing out from the pain this time.

***

Kenny was driving as Holly tracked Steve's position on the i-Pad.

" How much further?"

"Only about two more miles," Kenny said, looking at the i-Pad.

It was dark out with only a sliver of a moon visible. This wasn't going to be easy, Kenny thought, looking out his window.

When they got to within a half-mile of the bridge Kenny slowed down. Without any surrounding lights it was like looking into an inkbottle even with his high beams on. At about a quarter of a mile from the bridge Kenny stopped.

"You drive and I'll walk in front of the car to see if I can see anything. Go slow and keep the high beams on even if another car comes down the road."

Kenny walked on the right side of the road shinning his flashlight into the ditch. They were almost to the hill before the bridge when he stopped and knelt down, broken glass, rust, and bits of paint.

"What color is Steve's car?" he yelled back to Holly.

"Dark blue, why? Did you find something?" Holly shouted, frantically getting out of the car running up to where Kenny was kneeling.

"Something happened here. Looks like a broken headlight and maybe some paint from Steve's car." He shined the light into the ditch.

"Steve! Steve, can you hear me?" Holly yelled out twice, but got no response.

"Maybe he's hurt and can't answer."

Kenny went to the edge of the road and shined the light into the ditch, then started moving the beam of light further out.

The underbrush was tall and rugged. Kenny couldn't make out any details much less a car. He walked a little further up towards the bridge, shinning the light past the ditch looking for anything that seemed out of place.

"We're going to need help and a lot more light than what I've got with me."

Before he called for backup Kenny had another idea. He pulled out his cell phone. It was dead quiet except for the sounds of the night. He punched in the number and listened. Holly started to ask what he was doing and Kenny told her to be quiet and listen. They both moved to the edge of the road as he hit redial. His hearing wasn't as good as it once was, but Holly was sure she heard something.

"I heard something! Steve, Steve, can you hear me?" Holly yelled again.

"Holly, be quiet," He handed her his phone. "Hit redial when I tell you, and stay off the road, we don't need another accident."

The ditch was about six feet wide. Beyond the ditch the land sloped down rapidly, probably all the way to the water. Kenny knew if Steve was down there, it wouldn't be good. Kenny waded through the water and muck kicking up a million bugs in the process as he thrashed across to the other side of the ditch.

He walked down the ravine, stopped and yelled up at Holly. "Hit redial."

He stood there motionless, not even breathing. At first all he could hear was his heart beating until he heard something far off in the distance. It was faint and further over towards the bridge. Then he saw it. It was a path of broken brush leading down towards the water.

"Did you find anything?" Holly yelled down to him. He didn't answer her. "Kenny, did you find him?"

"Just keep hitting redial until I tell you to stop," he yelled back at her.

He followed the sound walking down the path of destruction shaking his head looking at the broken brush and glass fragments. Finally Kenny stopped and shined the light down the path. "Shit," he mumbled, looking at the dark mass of twisted metal.

Moving faster he made it down to the shoreline. It was dark and quiet. The car was resting on the passenger's side. He tried to see through the windshield, but the damage was too severe. Stepping on the muffler pipe Ken climbed up on the side of the car and shined the light through the missing driver's window. On the other side of the busted out window he saw a crumped body with two eyes staring up at him, there was no movement.

"Damn, he didn't make it," Kenny said out loud to himself in disgust. Steve blinked.

Kenny was yelling, "Call 911!" all the way back up the hill. "Call 911 and tell them you need a rescue squad and an ambulance immediately." Holly was crying and screaming something. When Kenny finally made it back across the ditch he grabbed his phone from her hands.

"I need a fire rescue squad and an ambulance four miles out on County Road Twenty-seven where Black Hawk Creek meets Lake Harmony by the Mathews Bridge. Tell them there's a car all the way down in the ravine resting on its side. The man inside is alive but barely. They may need a rescue chopper.

***

I saw the flash of light for only a split second. I just figured it was my mind playing tricks on me again.

I needed to rest. I closed my eyes. I was lying in the dirty water, but it didn't matter anymore, I had nothing left in me. I saw my beautiful wife on the inside of my eyelids. "I'm sorry," I said for the last time before falling back into unconsciousness.

My body had gone far beyond what it was capable of enduring. It finally shut down and was in what you might call a, Safe Mode. I never heard the commotion that was all about me for the next couple of hours. People were everywhere, shouting, screaming orders, as metal was cut, an I.V. inserted, and injections given.

Updates were relayed to Holly so she wouldn't go charging down the hill. There were a dozen professionals down there already attending to Steve's every need. They didn't need a frantic wife in their way while they were trying to do their jobs.

"Holly, get in the car," Kenny said, pulling on her arm. "They're taking him to Mercy Medical. If we leave now, and hurry, we'll get there about the same time."

"I want to go with him!"

"There isn't going to be any room." Kenny pointed to the helicopter that was hovering overhead.

"I want to see him!"

"You'll see him when we get to the hospital. Holly, just get in the car."

Some people shouldn't be allowed to own a driver's license. Our police car was flying down the road, lights flashing, sirens wailing, and still some vehicles weren't moving out of the way. Holly was going nuts, swearing at the drivers through her open window. Kenny was just glad his shotgun was locked up, or she probably would have taken out at least a couple of them.

The helicopter beat them, but not by much. As soon as they pulled up to the emergency room doors, Holly bolted out of the car running towards the emergency room. Kenny didn't have the heart to tell her she probably wouldn't be able to see him. His job had been to get her to the hospital in one piece and that's what he'd done.

"Mrs. Moore, your husband is already in surgery. He's lost a lot of blood, and both of his arms needed to be stabilized immediately. Also, by the looks of his head injuries, your husband probably sustained a concussion. However, that and whatever else won't be known until the x-rays are reviewed and more tests are done and analyzed. Considering what he went through, he's lucky to be alive. You can see him when they take him to recovery."

"How long will that be?"

"My best guess would be about four or five hours. Why don't you relax in the waiting room? The cafeteria is open if you would like to get some coffee or something to eat."

Kenny looked at the doctor, and then Holly. He knew she wasn't going anywhere.

***

When I opened my eyes I was looking directly into Holly's beautiful face.

"Don't try to talk. You just came out of surgery and your throat is going to be pretty sore for a couple of days. You need rest, we can talk later." She smiled. I was alive. With that I faded away again. This going in and out of conscious was getting to be a real drag, but at least there were no bugs to contend with this time around.

The next time I woke up it was dark. For a split second I got worried that I was back in my car. Seeing the lights in the hall put my mind at ease. A cast on my right arm and a brace on my left shoulder told me I wasn't getting out of here anytime soon. I had some discomfort, especially when I tried to sit up, but it was nothing like I'd experienced over the last couple of days. Twenty minutes later a nurse came in to check my vitals and give me a pill.

"Can you tell me what time it is?"

"It's a little after three in the morning. If you're wondering, your wife left a little after eleven. I told her to go home and get some sleep. She didn't want to leave but I assured her I'd take good care of you. She was looking a little ragged around the edges, and it wasn't going to do you or her any good in the condition she was in. She's more than a little afraid you're still angry with her about something. She just kept telling you over and over again how sorry she is. Whatever she did, I think I'd let her off the hook, at least for now." She smiled, told me to get some rest because I'd probably have a few visitors in the morning.

I didn't have much of a chance to even respond before my eyelids became heavy, and again I was looking at my wife's face on the inside of my eyelids.

That first twenty-four hours, after they pulled me out of my car, I slept probably twenty of those. The following day I ate something, though I am not sure what it was. Between the I.V. in my arm, and the liquids they insisted I keep drinking, my body was recovering nicely. Holly was always there with smiles and kisses, tons and tons of kisses. Even though she put up a good front, her eyes told a different story.

The second day they allowed visitors in. I was glad to see them come and equally as glad to see them leave. I would be out of commission for about six weeks and would need physical therapy when the casts finally came off. My boss was great about it, telling me not to worry about my job, but to just get well. I would be on disability after my ten sick days and two weeks of vacation ran out. Financially it would be tight but in the end we'd be fine.

It was close to seven o'clock. Dinner was over, what there was of it, and all my visitors had finally left. For once, it was just Holly and I. My night nurse came in and after checking my vitals again handed me a pill and a little cup of water.

"Take this if and when your wife leaves, it will help you sleep." She smiled at me. Looking over at Holly the nurse bent down and whispered in my ear. "Remember what I told you." With that said she was gone.

Holly was sitting on my bed and looked like she wanted to say something but was struggling with herself. I took the initiative. "I'm sorry I got angry about the boots, it was a dumb thing to argue about. If you still want them..." is all I got out before the dam opened up and the tears started flowing. She threw herself into my arms, my two badly damaged arms.

"Holly, I love you and this isn't going to be the last disagreement or fight we ever have, but I can assure you, the next time I'm not walking out." I smiled and she kept on crying. I stroked her hair with the fingers of my one good hand.

"You could have died! I don't know what I would have done without you. You can't imagine how I felt when you didn't come back. I was frantic and over the next two days I don't think I slept a wink. If you died, it would have been my fault."

"Holly, the accident wasn't your fault or mine. The guy was probably drunk and probably doesn't even remember even hitting me. All I know is that I am lucky to have survived and fortunate to still have you." We took another break as the dam opened up again.