The Restoration (37 page)

Decatur, Illinois

David paced the floor as he waited with Priscilla’s parents and Elam for news on Priscilla’s condition. He had called his grandparents after the ambulance took Priscilla to the hospital. He’d told them what had happened, without giving all the details, and asked if they’d drive him and Elam to the hospital. Gramps had come right away, of course, and about the time he got there, Priscilla’s parents arrived home from their visit with the neighbors. David could still see Iva and Daniel’s horrified expressions when Elam told them what had happened to their daughter. After they’d all been dropped off at the hospital, David told Gramps it might be awhile before they heard anything on Priscilla’s condition and suggested he go on home.

This is my fault
, David berated himself.
In my hurry to get outside and check on my horse, I must have only thought I turned off the stove. If Priscilla’s burns are serious and she’s scarred for life, I’ll never forgive myself.

“You’re gonna wear a hole in the floor if you don’t stop pacing.”

David halted and looked at Daniel. “I’m worried about Priscilla. From what I saw, her hands and arms were burned badly.”

“We’re worried, too,” Iva spoke up.

“Worry won’t change a thing,” Daniel interjected. “We need to pray.”

Iva glanced at Elam. He hadn’t said much since they’d arrived at the hospital. “We know Priscilla was in the kitchen when she got burned, but can you give us more details about how it happened?”

Elam pinched the bridge of his nose. “Priscilla went to the kitchen to make popcorn. Then she said she had to get a tissue for her nose, so she asked David to take over at the stove. Shortly after she went into the bathroom, she hollered that she was going upstairs.” He paused and shifted his position in the chair. “Soon after that, I made a trip to the bathroom. When I came out, I heard Priscilla scream. I ran into the kitchen about the same time as him.” He glanced briefly at David. “I was shocked to see Priscilla’s
frack
on fire, and she was rolling on the floor, trying to put out the flames.”

Iva sucked in her breath, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand. “Oh, my poor girl. How on earth did her dress catch on fire?”

“It’s my fault,” David admitted, unable to bear the burden of what he’d obviously done. Daniel quirked an eyebrow. “How’s it your fault?”

David explained how he’d heard his horse acting up and had thought for sure he’d turned off the stove before going outside. “Apparently, I didn’t, though, because if I had, the corn popper wouldn’t have been ablaze when Priscilla returned to the kitchen.” Sweat broke out on his forehead and he reached up to swipe it away. “I feel terrible about what happened.”

“You should feel terrible!” Elam’s hand shook as he pointed at David. “You shouldn’t have gone over to see Priscilla tonight. She’s my
aldi
, not yours. I had planned to take her for a buggy ride this evening.” His voice raised a notch. “If you hadn’t interrupted our date, the accident would never have happened. Instead of her offering to fix us a snack, she’d have been with me in my rig.”

David shook his head. “You were over an hour late, and Priscilla never mentioned you were planning to come over.”

“Come on, boys, this arguing isn’t going to help Priscilla.” Daniel held up his hand. “Sounds like you’re both acting a bit immature. It was an accident.” He looked at David. “Even if you did leave the burner on, it’s not your fault Priscilla’s dress caught fire.”

David felt bad enough, but hearing Elam’s angry tone, plus the look of anguish on Priscilla’s parents’ faces, made it worse. If he hadn’t wanted to stick around to hear how badly Priscilla had been burned, David would have called Gramps right then and asked for a ride home.

They sat in silence for a while, until a doctor came in and told Priscilla’s folks the extent of her injury. “Your daughter has second-degree burns on her hands, arms, chest, and shoulders,” he said in a serious tone. “A burn such as this, covering more than ten percent of a person’s body, can be quite serious if not treated properly. We’ll keep her here a few days in case infection sets in, and to be sure the burns haven’t damaged the deeper layers of Priscilla’s skin.” He stopped talking for a few seconds, as if to let her parents take in what he’d said. “She will experience a great deal of discomfort, so in addition to treating the burns, we’ll give her something for the pain.”

“Can we see her now?” Iva’s expression was desperate; while Daniel looked like he’d aged ten years.

The doctor nodded. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to her room.”

Daniel and Iva rose from their seats. Clasping each other’s hands, they followed the doctor out of the waiting room.

Elam went to the door, watching Priscilla’s parents until they turned a corner, then he stood looking down the corridor. It was all he could do not to go with them, but Daniel and Iva needed time alone with their daughter.

Elam’s legs felt weak, as if they could no longer hold him, so he quickly took a seat. “I appreciate your grandfather bringing me and Priscilla’s parents to the hospital, but you should have gone home with him. There was no need for you to stay.” Elam looked at David and frowned. “You oughta go now.”

David opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he closed it, turned, and walked out of the room.

As Elam listened to the rhythm of David’s shoes as he headed down the hall, he leaned forward, buried his face in his hands, and wept.
Dear God, please let Priscilla be okay. Let her burns heal quickly, and help her not to feel too much pain.

Elam’s tears flowed until he felt none were left. If anything happened to Priscilla, what would he do? She’d been a part of his life for so long. He couldn’t imagine even one day without her.

Tonight was supposed to be a special night. It would have started a new beginning for him and Priscilla if she’d said yes to his proposal. She wasn’t supposed to be lying in a hospital bed, going through this horrible ordeal. If only he hadn’t worried about making extra money before asking her to marry him. Knowing Priscilla, she wouldn’t have cared if they had any savings or were just getting by. If he’d proposed sooner, maybe they’d even be married by now.

Rocking back and forth, he felt the seriousness of the situation more acutely. Not knowing how long it would take Priscilla to heal, Elam realized this could delay them from getting married.

Never in a million years had he expected something like this could happen.

Arthur

I
have some bad news,” Adam said when he entered the kitchen.

Leah was washing their breakfast dishes and whirled around. “What is it, Adam? Did something happen to someone we know?”

“I’m afraid so.” Adam moved quickly across the room and grasped Leah’s hands. “I just came from the phone shack, and Daniel Herschberger left a message. An accident occurred at their house last night when he and Iva were away.”

Adam’s grim expression caused Leah’s heart to pound. “Did someone get hurt?”

He nodded. “Priscilla got burned.”

Clasping his arm, Leah gasped. “Ach, no! What happened?”

“I don’t have all the details, but from what I got out of Daniel’s message, something was burning on the stove, and her dress caught fire.”

“Oh, Adam, no! How badly was she burned?”

Adam shook his head. “I don’t know, Leah. Daniel just said she was in the hospital in Decatur.”

“I have to go to the hospital, Adam. Priscilla’s one of my best friends. I need to be with her right now.”

“I understand. I’ll make arrangements with one of our drivers to take us to the hospital. I’m sure your folks will watch the girls.”

Leah swiped at the tears on her cheeks. “I wonder if Elaine’s been notified. I’m sure she’ll want to go with us to see Priscilla.”

“Would you like me to call her, or should we drop by on our way to take the girls to your mamm and daed’s?”

“We should stop at Elaine’s house. I don’t know when she’ll check her messages, and since we’re hiring a driver, she can ride to the hospital with us.” Leah glanced at the door leading to the living room, where the girls had gone after breakfast. “It’s a good thing this is Sunday and the children don’t have school. They can go to church, and even spend the whole day with my parents if necessary.”

“They’ll be disappointed if we don’t take them on a picnic, like we talked about,” Adam said.

“I know, but I may want to stay with Priscilla.” Leah sighed. “Besides, I’m really not in a picnic mood anymore. All I want to do is see my good friend and let her know I’m there for her. Maybe my folks can do something special with the girls this weekend. I’m sure they’ll understand about postponing the picnic.”

Adam pulled Leah into his arms for a hug. “Try not to worry. Priscilla is in God’s hands. We just need to pray.”

“What are you doing, Davey?” Gram asked, looking in through his open bedroom door.

“I’m packing my duffle bag. I’ll be leaving soon.”

Her forehead wrinkled as she stepped into the room. “Are you going away for a few days?”

“No, I’m not. I’m leaving Arthur for good.”

She jerked her head back, as though she’d been slapped. “I don’t understand. Why would you leave now, when you’re preparing to join the Amish church? Not to mention Priscilla is in the hospital. Don’t you want to be here to offer her encouragement as she is being treated for her burns?”

“I’m leaving because of Priscilla’s burns.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.” She took a seat on the edge of his bed. “And I don’t understand why you’re leaving.”

David sank to the bed beside her. “Don’t you see, Gram? I’m the cause of Priscilla’s burns. If I hadn’t left the stove on, the pan wouldn’t have been ablaze, and if the fire hadn’t started, then Priscilla would never have gotten burned.” David groaned, leaning forward, his whole body trembling. “I can’t face her, and to make matters worse, Elam is furious with me. He told me to leave the hospital last night and said if I hadn’t stopped to show Priscilla my horse and buggy, she would have gone on a ride with him, instead of trying to fix popcorn for the three of us.”

Gram put her hand on David’s shoulder. “Of course Elam is upset, but you can’t carry the weight of this, Davey. It was an accident and could have happened to anyone. I’m sure Priscilla will not blame you for it. Running away won’t solve anything, either.”

“Yes, it will.” David raised his head, struggling not to give in to the tears pricking the backs of his eyes. “I’m in love with Priscilla. I’ll admit it: I’ve been hoping she would choose me over Elam. He obviously knows it, too. I’m sure it’s one of the reasons he’s so angry with me.”

“If you really do care about Priscilla, then you ought to be here to show your love and support as she goes through this ordeal.”

“I do, but I can’t.” David rose from the bed and tossed the rest of his things into the satchel. “This is a lot to ask, but will you and Gramps sell my horse and buggy for me? I’d do it myself, but I want to leave town today. Oh, and you can give my Amish clothes to the thrift store. They’re used, but I’m sure someone will buy them.”

“Does your grandfather know you’re leaving?” Gram asked.

David nodded. “I had a talk with him early this morning before he went outside to mow the lawn.”

“What’d he say? Did he try to talk you out of going?”

“At first, but then he said it was my life, and the decision was mine.”

“Aren’t you even going to say good-bye to Priscilla?”

“No, it’s better this way. I’ll drop a note in her mailbox, explaining why I left.”

Gram stood and gave David a hug. “I don’t agree with what you’re doing, but we’ll be praying for you. Should you change your mind, you’re always welcome to come back and live with us.”

David swallowed hard, and his vision blurred from more tears. “I love you, Gram, and I’ll let you know when I get to Chicago.”