Chapter 7

"Yes, I guess you do. The known dead are Erol and Joanne, Chuck and Annie, Joan, Melissa, and Eudora. All four of our teens are seriously hurt but should recover. Also, injured were Mickey and Linda. Missing are Andy and Marjorie, Bill and Elaine, Elwood and Maureen, and Andrew and Mary. Those who are okay except for minor bumps and bruises are Billy and Jenny, Jack and Della, and Ben and Sue.

"We haven't found anything about the missing yet. They and the four of you were in the central part of the tornado. Mickey and Linda had all four teens with them. They were around the edge and the most serious is Shirley. She may have spinal injuries but we don't know yet.

"What's your story?"

"Arnie, tell Doreen while Wendy and I go see our injured, please."

Arnie and Melody stayed with Doreen and told our story to her. Wendy and I went into the hospital proper and talked to our people.

Mickey and Linda had the kids with them when the edge of the tornado struck. They quickly abandoned the horses and wagon and got low. They were injured when a tree fell on their hiding place. Doreen was riding with Billy and Jenny and came out unscathed. They found Mickey and Linda and the kids. They loaded them into their wagon and came into town. After the injured were put into the hospital, Billy and Jenny were ready to head out to search.

We wondered about those on the missing list. I realized there was some realistic hope because of our circumstances. I wanted our missing found, one way or the other. I said as much to Wendy and she agreed.

The hunt was now on. The Antwerp people were helpful though they had their own problems. We borrowed a four horses and Wendy, Melody, Arnie, and I started searching.

We went back to where our party had started to split up because of the storm. Arnie suggested we go just a little further in case someone turned back. I'm glad we did. We had gone around a bend and found the remains of one of our wagons. We found Mary beside Andrew. Both alive but in bad shape. Both of their horses had been killed.

Andrew had been thrown out and hurt. Mary had stayed with him. She had kept him with water to drink and warm blankets. Melody went back to town for a buggy while we helped them as best as possible. Andrew had his left arm and leg broken. We moved him very little and only to make him ready for transport. We told Mary that we had help, a hospital, and Doreen in town. She fainted. We put her beside Andrew under a blanket to keep her warm and comfortable.

We heard a horse and buggy hurrying down the road. Doreen was with the driver and Melody was beside them. Doreen looked at the situation and had us pick up Andrew and get him arranged in the back of the buggy. Wendy shook Mary and she climbed aboard. They headed back to town.

We continued our search for our remaining three couples. We went still a bit further but did not see anything that would indicate anyone back tracked other than Andrew and Mary. We started toward town moving slowly trying to ascertain any indication of a wagon or wagons leaving the road. Melody saw the next trace with a track going off road toward an old barn. We followed the trace and found a wagon in the barn. We recognized it as Bill's and Elaine's. We began calling out their names. At the back of the barn, we found them lying together dead.

They had been shot. We moved more carefully then. I sent Arnie and Melody off to look around and stay out of sight. Wendy and I went back inside the barn and inspected the wagon. It had been lightly looted and the horses were gone. I could see where they were led out. When Arnie returned, I would have him look. We knew the horses that Bill and Elaine had and could identify them if we ever saw them again. There were shovels in the barn. Arnie and I found a spot in a grove of trees and buried them together.

It was late afternoon, but we kept searching. Doreen had mentioned to us that, if there are injuries, they need help or it would be too late. We continued to search but were more careful because we now knew there were murdering looters in the area.

We found Elwood and Maureen next. They were in a barn that had collapsed and were killed by falling wood. Their horses were dead, also. We buried them together quickly and, though it was twilight, continued on searching for Andy and Marjorie, our last missing couple.

Two farms later, we found them. Both by now badly hurt from the shock as well as from their injuries. Melody was sent back again to get help while we found their horses, one dead, and got their wagon cleared off and able to carry them. We cleared the tree limbs off them, covered them with blankets, and fed and watered them. Both were in bad shape from laying on the ground, but alive. Perhaps with Doreen and the other woman ministering to them, they would return to health. That was my hope. Marjorie had both legs broken and Andy's right side was crushed. We could cushion Marjorie's legs and get her into the wagon on their bed. Wendy stayed with her while Arnie and I watched over Andy.

We were afraid to move him until Doreen could tell us what to do. We kept him covered and gave him some water. He was in a lot of pain but it appeared to me that his injuries were internal except for the obvious broken bones in his right arm and leg. I had no idea how to handle it. It took a while, but Melody returned with Doreen in a buggy. She went to the wagon and Marjorie. She looked in on her and nodded. Then, she came over to Andy. She carefully looked him over and then started to gently prod his right side. He moaned as she touched him. She moved back and motioned to me as Arnie covered him again.

She said, "Jim, it's not good but we can't leave him here. We need a back board to slide him on and then put him on the wagon and get them both into town."

"Go back to him. Arnie and I will figure something out." She moved to Andy. When Arnie came out, I said, "Arnie, we need to put together a back board." He nodded. We went over to the farmhouse and found some wide boards to make a six foot long, two and a half foot wide, back board. We carried it over to Andy and Doreen and carefully slid him onto it. We carried him to the wagon and slid him in beside Marjorie. He was still breathing though you tell he was in serious pain. We hooked up their remaining horse and mine and I drove the wagon into town with Doreen and Wendy in the back.

When we arrived, people helped us move him out and the other nurse took Marjorie into the hospital with some help. We moved Andy in on the board and Doreen took us to the x-ray room. Power could be made for emergency use by running a motor that powered a generator. It was cranky and gasoline was running out. She wanted to take x-rays of his side. Broken arms and legs were now routine but his injuries concerned her a lot. We placed him on the table, board and all. The motor was cranked after a number of tries and some tinkering. Doreen lined up the machine, and started taking pictures. After five, she went into the dark room and developed them. She came out even more concerned. She motioned me outside leaving Arnie with him.

"His back is broken. This is beyond my skills. I will talk to Angela and see what she knows. I am not optimistic. Even if it heals, he may not walk."

'Please talk to Angela. Should we get him into a room?"

"Yes, put him in eight. Keep him on the board. Angela and I will be in later."

We moved him into the room laying the board on the bed. Doreen and Angela came in and began to cut his clothing off. They put his arm and leg in splints. They checked his reactions at his feet and didn't look happy. One of the ladies from Antwerp came in to sit with him.

I was waiting outside the room. They came out and Angela started, "Jim, he has some paralysis. I don't know how to handle it. I will have to read up but I am not hopeful."

Doreen said, "We have a doctor back at the Woods. Jim, can we make contact by radio?"

"At this time, no. Arnie and I will go out with a wagon to Fort Wayne and look for a radio and determine how to make enough electricity or get what they have here a little more reliable. Wendy and I had the radio equipment in our wagon and it's all gone. How's my grandson? If he can travel, it would help."

"He can't travel. His legs were broken. I don't want him moved for another week at all. Even then travel, unless he's on his back, will be painful."

"We will have to make things work. I guess I can talk to him?" I questioned. They nodded and told me his room number.

He and Jeremy were roomed together. I went in and was greeted. Joanna was there with her arm in a sling and a bandage on her head. She was at Tom's bed. "That's interesting." I thought to myself.

"Tom, how are you feeling?"

"Okay, Granddad. It doesn't hurt too bad."

"We have a problem. The radios are gone along with Wendy's and my wagon. We need to contact the Woods and talk to Doc as well as report."

"Then we will have to find new radios."

"Correct, you will have to explain to me what I need to find and all. We will obtain it and bring it back. I am guessing that producing power is the most difficult issue. Is that right?"

"Yes, Sir. Most decent sized cities will have stores or hams. Before the power died, Uncle Ed downloaded all the hams and stores divided by state and then zip code. The list of stores is not very good. However, if you can find a ham, you can find equipment there. Then we can hook up some power. Some of the portables are okay and will help but their range will not reach to the Woods."

"Where is the list?"

The list was in his baggage which he pulled under him in the storm. He knew that that piece of knowledge might be very important. He's a smart kid. I found his baggage, a large pack, and went through it finding the list, thick and closely spaced. I found out some local zip codes and looked up those codes. I found the names and addresses of four local hams. There were a number in Fort Wayne, but I hoped we wouldn't have to go into the city. I took my list, found one of the Antwerp people, and showed them the list explaining what we wanted to do and why. He knew two of them. They were dead but he agreed to take us to their homes.

We went to the first. We could see antennas still in the air and probably there were some on the ground, too. I saw wire on the ground. We went inside and found the radio room. I wrote the names of the radios on a sheet of paper and described in writing everything I saw that might be radio related. Outside, I wrote descriptions of the antennas still up as well as tried to describe those on the ground. In looking in the barn, we found a gas generator but no gas. There were two cars parked there, also. There were also electrical testing tools. I wrote descriptions of everything for Tom.

At the second house, we saw a lot of destruction from weather. We found the radios but I doubted if any were usable. However, in the garage, we found some batteries, what was left of solar panels on the roof, and a hand generator. That was something I could put to work with a bicycle. We did not find anything much for antennas.

We headed back to the hospital with the information. Return visits with a buggy would be in order, I thought. Tom agreed. He marked off a few things at first and then said to bring everything from the first house. We went back out with a buggy and loaded everything up and brought it to the hospital. We decided to use the building next door to avoid crowding. We set the radios up as I had seen many times before. We found a big tree and mounted an antenna from it. After charging some batteries, we tried to contact the Woods. We could hear them but they couldn't hear us. I talked with Tom and he asked about some of the test equipment. He had us check with it. When I came back with the results, he gave me specific recommendations for modifications that I made. My next attempt was successful.

I told Ed to get Paul and Doc to the radio because we had been in some bad weather. The sound was scratchy, but readable. Paul and Doc arrived and I explained everything to them and anyone else listening. I told Doc what Doreen and Angela told me. He asked for one of them to come to the radio. I sent Melody for either one. While she was fetching one of them, Paul and I talked updating him in more detail and getting current information on their contacts and happenings in the Woods.

Both Angela and Doreen arrived. They talked with Doc who was not optimistic either but gave them lengthy detailed instructions on what to do. He also went over what they had done with the other injured and approved their efforts.

Doreen and Angela worked over Andy as the rest of their patients healed. Andy was in pain from his injuries and, other than his leg and arm, not getting better. Angela and Doreen had been in frequent contact with Doc and were doing what they could but a small town clinic was not a big city hospital with a trained medical staff. From what I heard, Andy needed a major operation that still might not be successful.