Orchard of Hope Read Online Free PDF Page B

stay until you can provide proper transportation.”
    “I can try to get hold of Gordon Hazelton, but Albert Bowen’s funeral was this afternoon. I don’t know whether Gordon can spare anybody to bring the ambulance over today,” Jocie’s dad said. The only ambulance they had in Hollyhill was an old hearse the funeral director had fixed up for emergency runs. They rarely ever had an emergency in Hollyhill that conflicted with a funeral, so it usually worked out okay. And getting Wes home wasn’t really an emergency.
    “Then Mr. Green will just have to stay another night. Probably should anyway. His doctor surely believed Mr. Green was going to a nursing home when he signed the discharge papers,” the nurse said and started to turn the wheelchair back toward the doors.
    “Hold everything,” Wes said as he flicked the wheelchair brakes down so the wheels skidded on the sidewalk and stopped. He picked his crutches up off his lap and sat the ends down on the ground. “You ain’t taking me back inside that place.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous,” Nurse Army Boots said as she reached forward to release the brakes.
    “Don’t touch that brake.” Something in his voice made the nurse stop. Or maybe it was the way his white hair seemed to raise up off his head as if he’d just grabbed a hot electric wire. He kept his eyes hard on her and began pushing himself up out of the chair as he said, “Now stand back out of the way.”
    “Really, Mr. Green, don’t be difficult. I’m just here to help you, and I know your family wants to do what’s best for you as well,” the nurse said even as she took a step back away from the wheelchair.
    “I’m not the least bit kin to either one of these people. They just came down to give me a lift home, and I aim to take it even if I have to ride with my foot sticking out the back window.” Wes looked at Jocie. “Roll it down for me, Jo.”
    Jocie stowed the washpan of stuff in the front seat and rolled the back window down. Without a word, her father was helping Wes get his crutches fixed under his arms. Wes hopped over to the car and slowly turned on his crutches until his back was to the door. He handed the crutches to Jocie and then held on to David until he was sitting on the backseat. “Now hold up my leg a little while I scoot on in here. Just be sure the door on the other side is shut good, or I might scoot right out on the road.” He groaned a little as he inched himself back along the seat.
    Jocie crawled in the front seat and leaned over it to push down the lock on the back door. She looked at Wes. His face had gone white and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. “You sure you’re going to fit?” she said.
    “One way or another,” Wes said between pants. “I’ll chop my foot off before I go back in that hospital.”
    Jocie looked over the seat at him. “Maybe you should let Dad call Mr. Hazelton.”
    “Nope. I’ve ridden in worse shape and I ain’t so big that I can’t sit sideways in a backseat even with this contraption on my leg.” He smacked his hand against the cast.
    Jocie peeked back out at the nurse standing on the sidewalk, her feet spread apart and her hands on her hips. Jocie lowered her voice. “Nurse Army Boots is going to report you to your doctor. They’ll probably make you do a hundred leg lifts or something.”
    “I’m already doing that, and if I ever get away from here, I’m never coming back. Doc Markum has a saw. And if he don’t, I know where I can buy one.”
    Jocie forced herself to look at his cast. She didn’t like to. It made her stomach squeeze up in a hard knot and drop like lead inside her. Of course, it wasn’t as awful as his leg had looked the day the tornado had dropped the tree on it. Then she might have just fainted away at the sight of the blood and bones if she hadn’t been so busy trying to help Wes and taking pictures of what the tornado did to the Clay’s Creek Church building.
    Her father said the