husband in faithful obedience would happen in the near future. How wonderful it would be when the others no longer viewed her as a girl, but as a married woman.
After making several stops to deliver eggs, they arrived in the city limits of Hope Falls.
Onkle Amos turned onto Oak Street and stopped the buggy at the front entrance of the medical center. “I’ll see if there’s a place to tie the horse,” he said as she and Aenti Lilly stepped down from the buggy.
While Aenti Lilly asked the woman at the volunteers’ desk for Samuel’s room number, Judith took in the new surroundings. She’d never been inside the hospital and marveled at how clean and modern the place looked.
Judith followed her aunt into the elevator and gripped the handrail until the ride came to a shuddering stop. Once the door opened, it was easy to see they had stepped into the children’s ward—zoo animals decorated the walls. Aenti Lilly read the room numbers on each door aloud as they walked down the hall to Samuel’s room.
Judith rushed to Samuel’s bedside, eager to hear how he felt and what he thought of the hospital.
“He’s asleep,” David said from the corner where he sat. His tousled hair looked as if he’d combed his fingers through it most of the night, and his eyes were bloodshot.
“This late?” Judith’s mouth dropped open. Samuel was an early riser. He never slept past seven. “Where’re Mamm and Daed ?”
“The neighbor drove them to the haus . They didn’t sleep.”
Aenti Lilly came around the other side of the bed. “What did the doctor say?”
David rubbed his beard. “The tests haven’t come back for them to determine the full extent of his injuries. But they don’t think his brain is swelling.”
Judith swallowed. “Does that mean he’s going to be okay?”
David shrugged. “Only God knows.” He glanced at Aenti Lilly. “Do I smell roast chicken?”
Aenti Lilly held up the lunch tin. “Enough for your mamm and daed as well.” She handed him the container and said, “There’s no reason to sit here and juggle the food on your lap. Judith and I will sit with Samuel.”
Judith gazed at how peaceful Samuel appeared while asleep, then looked over at David. “ Aenti Lilly is right, you need to eat something. You’ve sat with him all night.”
David seemed reluctant to leave the child’s side. “You’ll stay close to him?”
Judith nodded. “ Jah , I won’t leave him.”
He turned to Aenti Lilly. “I am hungry.”
Aenti Lilly walked him out, then poked her head back into the room. “I’m going to tell Amos what room Samuel’s in. I won’t be long.”
Judith slid the chair that David had sat in closer to the bed so she could hold Samuel’s hand.
“You muscht wake up, Samuel.” She closed her eyes, feeling them fill with tears. “Your steps are ordered by God.”
When she opened her eyes, a woman had entered the room. Dressed in what looked like a navy-dyed bedsheet made into a matching set of shirt and pants, the woman walked up to the bed rail.
“Hi, I’m Val, Samuel’s nurse.”
“I’m Samuel’s sister Judith.”
The nurse studied her watch while holding Samuel’s wrist. Next she listened to his heart. Judith stood when the nurse removed what looked like a pen from her shirt pocket and aimed it into Samuel’s eyes as she pried them opened.
“Why are you doing that?”
The nurse clicked the end of the pen, and the light went out. “I’m checking to see if his pupils react to the light and if they’re equal size.”
“What for?”
“It monitors for swelling after a head injury.” The nurse removed a clipboard from the foot of the bed and jotted something on the paper. Then she injected a syringe into the plastic tubing, and yellow-tinged medicine went into the IV line.
“What are you giving him?”
The nurse tossed the empty syringe into a red box. “It’s a steroid to help reduce the swelling around his spinal cord.”
Judith gazed at Samuel. He
After making several stops to deliver eggs, they arrived in the city limits of Hope Falls.
Onkle Amos turned onto Oak Street and stopped the buggy at the front entrance of the medical center. “I’ll see if there’s a place to tie the horse,” he said as she and Aenti Lilly stepped down from the buggy.
While Aenti Lilly asked the woman at the volunteers’ desk for Samuel’s room number, Judith took in the new surroundings. She’d never been inside the hospital and marveled at how clean and modern the place looked.
Judith followed her aunt into the elevator and gripped the handrail until the ride came to a shuddering stop. Once the door opened, it was easy to see they had stepped into the children’s ward—zoo animals decorated the walls. Aenti Lilly read the room numbers on each door aloud as they walked down the hall to Samuel’s room.
Judith rushed to Samuel’s bedside, eager to hear how he felt and what he thought of the hospital.
“He’s asleep,” David said from the corner where he sat. His tousled hair looked as if he’d combed his fingers through it most of the night, and his eyes were bloodshot.
“This late?” Judith’s mouth dropped open. Samuel was an early riser. He never slept past seven. “Where’re Mamm and Daed ?”
“The neighbor drove them to the haus . They didn’t sleep.”
Aenti Lilly came around the other side of the bed. “What did the doctor say?”
David rubbed his beard. “The tests haven’t come back for them to determine the full extent of his injuries. But they don’t think his brain is swelling.”
Judith swallowed. “Does that mean he’s going to be okay?”
David shrugged. “Only God knows.” He glanced at Aenti Lilly. “Do I smell roast chicken?”
Aenti Lilly held up the lunch tin. “Enough for your mamm and daed as well.” She handed him the container and said, “There’s no reason to sit here and juggle the food on your lap. Judith and I will sit with Samuel.”
Judith gazed at how peaceful Samuel appeared while asleep, then looked over at David. “ Aenti Lilly is right, you need to eat something. You’ve sat with him all night.”
David seemed reluctant to leave the child’s side. “You’ll stay close to him?”
Judith nodded. “ Jah , I won’t leave him.”
He turned to Aenti Lilly. “I am hungry.”
Aenti Lilly walked him out, then poked her head back into the room. “I’m going to tell Amos what room Samuel’s in. I won’t be long.”
Judith slid the chair that David had sat in closer to the bed so she could hold Samuel’s hand.
“You muscht wake up, Samuel.” She closed her eyes, feeling them fill with tears. “Your steps are ordered by God.”
When she opened her eyes, a woman had entered the room. Dressed in what looked like a navy-dyed bedsheet made into a matching set of shirt and pants, the woman walked up to the bed rail.
“Hi, I’m Val, Samuel’s nurse.”
“I’m Samuel’s sister Judith.”
The nurse studied her watch while holding Samuel’s wrist. Next she listened to his heart. Judith stood when the nurse removed what looked like a pen from her shirt pocket and aimed it into Samuel’s eyes as she pried them opened.
“Why are you doing that?”
The nurse clicked the end of the pen, and the light went out. “I’m checking to see if his pupils react to the light and if they’re equal size.”
“What for?”
“It monitors for swelling after a head injury.” The nurse removed a clipboard from the foot of the bed and jotted something on the paper. Then she injected a syringe into the plastic tubing, and yellow-tinged medicine went into the IV line.
“What are you giving him?”
The nurse tossed the empty syringe into a red box. “It’s a steroid to help reduce the swelling around his spinal cord.”
Judith gazed at Samuel. He
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