A Stranger In Texas

“Those things don’t do good in wrecks.”

In the time the man talked into the receiver, seemingly so aloof, he was checking the three people who could not speak.

When he finished with the CB, the stranger came to Zachary and talked to him, evaluating his condition. “It’s best to wait. My name’s Paul Butler,” Paul told the man called Zachary Thomas. “We could do more harm if we was to try to get him—them to the hospital. Let’s let somebody do it that knows how.”

“Yes.”

And since the stranger seemed on the verge of shock, Paul went on carefully, “You traveling?”

“We’re still some distance from Corpus.”

“They’ll take hi—’em to the hospital in Sea View. It’s not far. The hospital is a good one. And there’s a good hotel there. The Horizon. It’s called that because that’s all you see.” Paul spoke slowly. “But when you look out, the colors of the water and the clouds are a beautiful sight.”

“Sea View? Is it on the map?”

“Not very many,” Paul replied as he shook his head. “The map has to be pretty current and specific to get Sea View on it.” He slid his eyes over to the woman who was so dead. The man held her hand.

“You been to TEXAS much?” Paul asked.

“This is our first time.”

“It’s a shame Ike got in your way thisaway.”

Zach looked up at Paul and blinked. “You know him?”

“Yeah, I did. He always drove like a bat out of hell. I don’t think they insure him anymore, but your insurance ought to be okay. You got some, don’t you.” It was a statement.

“Yes.”

“You look the careful type. I’ll go to court with you and explain how this happened.”

Within Zach, some thread of curiosity made him ask, “You would testify for me?”

“Sure. I’ve known Ike all his life long. He’s one hairy driver. Or he was one. No more. He’s bought the farm.”

“He bought a farm?”

“It’s just an expression. His life insurance will pay the bills.”

Zach had been looking at Paul, but then he looked down at his wife and at his son.

The distant siren came almost immediately. Neither man spoke. The sound came closer, louder. It was a surprise that it came around the bend slowly. It was a moxie driver who knew to be careful.

Quickly, the men checked out the bodies, and it was the boy whom they stabilized, lifted onto a stretcher and took into the ambulance. They looked at Paul, who nodded minimally, then he asked Zach, “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You going with the boy?”

Startled, Zach asked, “What about Hannah?”

And his expression was such that one man said to the other, “We can fit her in.” Then they carefully, needlessly stabilized her head and put her on another stretcher.

The highway police arrived by then and told Zach to go along with Paul. They’d see them at the hospital.

Paul stayed with Zach for the time left of that day. He was a rock. He led Zach through everything very discreetly, including a check on his condition. Zach didn’t mention his headache. He thought it was stress. The medical people weren’t fooled.

To Zach, Paul was a godsend. How could such a casual man, as Paul was, be so knowledgeable? He knew what a victim of circumstances in a strange place needed.

Paul asked, “Would you want to see the minister?”

“Not now.”

When the doctor finally came out to Zach, he asked, “You been looked at? Are you all right?” And he frowned at Zach.

“Yeah.”

The doctor said, “You may have guessed it already and right away that Hannah didn’t make it. She did not suffer. It happened instantly.”

It only confirmed what Zach had suspected. He was silent for a while. So was the doctor. And so was Paul, who was there.

Peripherally, even then, Zach was aware of Paul’s empathy and presence.

Finally, Zach asked about his son. “How is my boy?”

The doctor replied, “It doesn’t look good. His pupils are dilated and don’t react to light. We’ve done the first EEG, which measures brain waves. Those next two tests will be at twelve-hour intervals. That’s to test whether the brain is functioning. We’ll have to wait for tomorrow.”

With the pupils fixed and dilated, those at the hospital already were sure, but the doctor knew that two such blows might be too much for this torn man. “Would you like to sleep here? You may. But I would advise you to go to the hotel where it will be more restful. Come with me to see Michael, now. Then decide where you want to sleep.”

Paul asked Zach, “Want me along?”

Zach turned to look at the stranger who was a substitute guardian angel. The man was silent and unin-trusive. Zach said, “Please.”

They went to the emergency room and there lay Michael. A budding man. He lay there with myriad tubes and monitors connected to him. The lung machine pumped air. The stem of his brain kept his heart beating. Mike was still and peaceful.

And Zach knew. He asked the doctor, “There is no hope at all?”

He hadn’t planned to tell the father until the next morning. There was no getting around it. “We need two more EEG’s. The third will be tomorrow morning.”

“Yes.”

“We hope for a miracle. It may not come.”

“I…understand.” Pain washed over Zach’s alive body. It was reality. Then he asked, “May I see Hannah once more? Or have they taken her?”

“She’s here. Would you like to be alone with her for awhile?”

“Yes.”