Fighting for breath, she turned to Hunter. “Help me. We have to dig him out.”
She fell to her knees, pulling at boards and bricks, flinging them away. Hunter joined in, and within minutes their hands were cut and bleeding. The silence coming from the rubble frightened her. How many were they even digging for? Who else had been in the bank besides Jesse? At least Paul Sommers, since the owner would be there until they closed. Other customers? The teller?
The storm had passed and the setting sun cast shadows over the two figures frantically digging through the wreckage.
Please God, let him be alive. Don’t take him from me. There’s too much I haven’t said, haven’t done. Just one more chance, please.
She swiped at her tears, feeling the slick of mud along her cheeks. She shook her head. No time for crying.
Light grew dim as strong hands gripped her shoulders and pulled her up. She met the sympathetic eyes of Pastor Dave.
“Tori, come away from there.” He shook his head. “Nobody could have survived this collapse.”
“What are you talking about?” she cried, pointing at the wreckage. “Jesse’s in there. I have to dig him out.”
“No, listen to me. If he was in there, he’s gone. The entire building collapsed. No one could have survived.” He lowered his voice. “We found Paul Sommers’s body across the street.”
Tori’s knees buckled, and the pastor caught her around her waist. Finding strength from deep inside, she straightened, trying not to wince at the compassionate expressions on those in the crowd. Hunter sat back on his heels and hung his head, tears running down his face. She yanked free of Pastor Dave and dropped to her knees, continuing to dig.
“No Tori,” he said again, touching her shoulder. “You must come away now. It’s getting late. It will be dark soon. In the morning we’ll search for bodies.”
Shrugging him off, she shook her head. “No. You don’t understand. I have to dig him out.”
Pastor Dave put his arm around her again and attempted to ease her up.
Tori flung his arm off and jumped up, slipping on the rubble. “Leave me alone! All of you. You can stop looking at me like that, too. No one is stopping me. Do you all hear me?” Her fists scrubbed at the tears running down her cheeks as she faced them.
“Jesse never gave up on me.” She pointed a shaky finger at the pastor. “He never gave up. Never! No matter how many times I pushed him away, he never, ever gave up. You didn’t know that, did you?” Her voice lowered, and she rubbed dirty, bloody hands down her skirt, her voice shaking. “I’m not giving up on him, either.” She flung her arm out. “So you can all go on home, but I’ll be here until I find him.”
She turned, fell to her knees, and continued to dig. Her fingers burned from the cuts and scrapes, her head pounded, and her lungs wouldn’t fill with air. But still she dug. Hunter watched her for a moment, then, wiping his eyes, resumed digging.
She flung wood and bricks behind her with a vengeance. Soon, out of the corner of her eye, Rachel, Michael, and Ellie knelt alongside her. One by one, Pastor Dave and most of the group joined in. Tori prayed, cried, dug, and prayed some more.
Dear Lord, please don’t take him from me. I’m sorry I said I didn’t want to get pregnant again. I’ll throw away the sponges and condoms. Anything, if you let me find him alive. And I never told him how much I love him. How much I need him. Please, please give me the chance to.
Darkness fell, and lanterns provided by friends dotted the area so the diggers could keep going. All around them, people shouted words of encouragement at each other. In the distance, unrelenting howls and the barking of animals added to the confusion. The moon rose, stars twinkled, and coldness crept into her bones, but Tori ignored it all and dug.
“I see a shoe!” someone yelled. Tori crawled over piles of splintered boards to where he pointed and saw Jesse’s shoe. Laughter bubbled up, along with tears as she dug furiously, pushing away debris as she uncovered his body. Her heart pounded in excitement, but terror took over at what she would find. Helping hands pushed and pulled until Jesse was completely exposed.
Dr. Hendricks nudged her out of the way, knelt, and put his fingers to Jesse’s neck. Tori’s fingernails dug into her palms, and she held her breath as the doctor leaned closer.
“He’s alive.” Dr. Hendricks stood abruptly and shouted, “Some of you men get over here and give me a hand.”
Tori sat back on her heels, panting and wiping the sweat from her forehead. Four men joined the doctor. They picked Jesse up and loaded him onto a wagon. Tori grabbed a blanket someone handed her and covered him.
“Michael,” she shouted, climbing into the wagon, “come with us. We’ll need your help. Rachel,” she said, turning to her niece, “You, Ellie, and Hunter go on home. I’m going with Jesse.”
“Can’t we go with you?” Ellie’s wide eyes moved from Tori to Jesse.
“No. The fewer people I have under my feet, the better.” Dr. Hendricks spoke calmly so as not to alarm Ellie, who already appeared on the verge of tears.
Hunter hugged his sister. “Come on home, Ellie. Let the doctor do his work.”
Tori was crying. At least Jesse thought it was Tori. He had to get up, see to her. Maybe she’d had another nightmare. So much noise and confusion bombarded him. his head and arm throbbed with every heartbeat. His cracked lips were dry, his eyes gritty. Strong hands had lifted him and placed him in a wagon. Try as he might, he couldn’t open his eyes. Soon the numbness of unconsciousness surrounded him.
The wagon rolled down the street with
Tori grasping Jesse’s cold hand and smoothing his hair back and babbling promises. Anything as long as he recovered.