Chapter 4

The hours passed as the two sat in vigil in the waiting room, longing for news of their loved ones. Emma suddenly noticed the tea in her hand. It had gone cold long ago. Without looking at Flint she began to talk softly.

"I don't know what we're going to do. The fishing hasn't been very good, lately, and the boat has needed so much work to bring it up to the new safety standards. Sam had to get a second mortgage on the house, but it wasn't enough. Now that Sam is gone we will probably lose the house."

"Can't Ed buy out your part of the boat?"

"I really doubt it. The new fishing quotas cut so deep into our time on the water, that we didn't make a dime this last trip. Not to mention the upkeep on the boat, the costs were more than we could raise with the second mortgage."

"I didn't know things were so grim for you all."

"We're fishermen," said Emma flatly, as if that explained everything.

Flint waited for her to continue but after some few minutes it was clear that Emma was not going to expand on the statement.

"I don't understand."

Emma sighed, took a sip of her tea, grimaced and set the cup down. She then turned toward Flint.

"Fishing is much like playing poker, sometimes you get a good hand and sometimes you don't. It's not like you can see where the fish are."

"Ah ... I get it. It's just like farming and such. Good seasons and bad. You only hope that the good brings in enough to cover the bad, right?"

With a deeper sigh Emma nodded and then said, "That's it in a nut shell. Only it seems as if the Fisheries people are out to put all of us out of business with the new limits."

"I had no idea it was that bad. I mean one hears things on the news but I guess it doesn't actually sink in. You know what I mean?"

Emma stood stiffly and stretched as she said, "Oh, all too well. Just because we own part interest in the boat, people think that we are rich. They just don't get it!"

Flint was glad to see the anger. It meant that Emma was getting control back, at least to some degree.

"Well I do, now, Emma."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean you. I meant the family members that keep hitting us up for money. Like we're the Bank of Alaska, or Donald Trump, or something."

She sat down heavily again with an exasperated snort.

Morning had returned and the emergency room was filling with the injured and sick, once again. The sound of crying babies punctuated with the coughs and moans of the sick filled the waiting room with sound.

"I need to freshen up. Will you please call me if there is any word about Katie?"

"Of course."

While Emma went to the rest room her cell began to ring again. Realizing that it was most likely Ed calling back Flint dug in Emma's bag and retrieved and answered the phone.

"Flint?"

"Yes."

"Yah, good. This is Ed. The doc has released Aya. Were ya serious 'bout sendin' a plane for us?"

"Yes I was. Sit tight and I will get back to you with the arrival time, ok?"

"Yah. Any news 'bout the girls, and how is Emma?"

"No news on the girls yet, but Emma is doing a bit better. She is freshening up at the moment."

"Well, that's somet'ink, anyhow. I'll be waiting."

"Bye then," said Flint as he closed the phone and returned it to Emma's handbag.

"I forgot my purse and came back to get it and what do I find? You rummaging around in the damn thing! Just what are you doing?" asked Emma angrily as she stood with fists on her hips and a fierce look on her face.

"Your phone rang, so I answered it. Ed called and wanted to see how the girls and you were doing. Aya has been released and I'm going to send a plane for them. That's all," said Flint softly.

Emma's face crumpled, and she slumped into the nearest seat. She hid her face in her hands for a couple of minutes, and then raised her face to look directly into Flint's eyes.

"I'm sorry. I should have known that you weren't stealing from me. I guess that I'm too close to the edge."

"I understand, Emma. I'm not far from the edge myself. Amelia is all that I have..."

Just then a doctor in surgical scrubs entered the waiting room through the double doors at the rear, calling, "Mrs. Utek, is there anyone from the Utek family here?"

Emma began to shake and tried to raise her hand but could not, so Flint called out, "Over here, Doctor."

The doctor wearily walked toward them. Every minute of the past hours showed on his face.

Flint helped a wobbly Emma to stand.

"Mr. and Mrs. Utek your..."

"No, Doctor. I'm Mrs. Utek. This is Mr. Drow. Amelia is his Granddaughter," interrupted Emma.

"Amelia?" asked the doctor a bit confused.

"They came in together," said a frightened Flint. "Is she ok?"

"Ah ... I don't know. Didn't anyone tell you how she is?"

"NO! I haven't heard a damned thing all night!" a now angry Flint said.

Concerned, the doctor turned to the nurse that had followed him through the double doors and snapped, "Find out why this man was not told of the condition of the young lady..." he looked at Flint for help.

"Amelia. Amelia Drow."

"Yes! Amelia Drow," repeated the doctor. "Find out who was the attending, and get back to me, STAT!" he continued gruffly.

"We will get to the bottom of this sir! Mark my words!"

"Now, Mrs. Utek, your daughter is a very sick girl; but I believe that her youth will be the contributing factor that will allow her to survive. However I must tell you that we were not able to save her leg..."

Emma fainted!

"Nurse! NURSE! Get a gurney over here!" yelled the doctor.

A moment later, an unconscious Emma was wheeled into an ER station and revived. At hearing the rest of the doctor's report Emma became hysterical, and had to be sedated.

Katie had a laundry list of injuries that started at her head and went right down to her feet. The impact to her left side had just about broken everything! Once the Doctors had put her back together she had enough metal screws and plates in her to set off a metal detector in any airport, anywhere.

However the most traumatic thing for her would be the loss of her left leg, midway down her thigh. There was, thankfully enough left of her thigh to allow for the use of a prosthetic limb.