Chapter 22: Good News and Bad News

I heard from Ed that afternoon and he reported that the refinery took a hit and one of the buildings was reduced to a pile of scrap iron. (This was the building where Robert had taken refuge from the storm). The Texas City rescue team was called and a search for survivors was mounted. Ed said that he would get back to us when he finds out something.

My next door neighbor Jenny got a call on her cell phone ordering her to report for work in the ER at Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center in Houston. That is, by coincidence, where our injured neighbors were taken, it being the largest level one trauma center in the US. Since the roads in our sub-division had just been opened up she was able to drive into work. Her husband was pressed into service with one of the ambulance crews to work with the rescue operations in Texas City. Janet decided to stay with us at my house and help out where she could. A disaster like this one really pulls neighbors together to help wherever they can.

While we were cleaning up from the tornado at home, there was a rescue operation taking place in Texas City. Crews were sifting through the destroyed building looking for survivors when they discovered Robert pinned under some equipment racks in the instrumentation control room. He was alive and conscious but had some severe injuries. A paramedic was called to his side to stabilize him for transport. While talking they discovered that the paramedic lived across the street from Robert next door to me. When Robert asked about his wife and daughter he was told that both Grace and Janet are fine and that while most of their neighborhood had been destroyed their house was still standing with very minor damage. Once stable, Robert was transported to the local ball park by ambulance and then loaded aboard Life Flight helicopter to be transported to Herman Hospital.

Meanwhile my neighbor Jenny the RN made it in to work and reported to the ER where she dove right in working on the almost steady flow of patients. After she had been working for a couple of hours she overheard one of the paramedics who had just brought in a patient by Life Flight from Texas City say the patient's name was Robert Ridgeway, Grace's husband. She immediately rushed to his side. The ER head nurse, seeing this, told her to stay with him through treatment. Robert was sent to surgery so Jenny went back to the ER nurses station. While there she got on the phone and called Greg. When he answered she told him about Robert being there and his condition. She then asked to speak with Janet. Greg handed his cell phone to Janet telling her that her neighbor Jenny wanted to talk with her. Jenny related to Janet that Robert had been rescued and brought to Herman Hospital. She further said "Janet, your dad has some severe injuries but we're looking after him. He is going into surgery now and I'll let you know when he wakes up."

Janet thanked her and hung up.

The last of the minor injury patients left my house so I put the three girls to work helping me put my house back in order. We stacked the folding cots and blankets in the garage so they could be returned later. While we were doing this the Red Cross showed up. They had enlisted the help of the local school district to transport the now homeless survivors to a motel. They set up a shuttle service so the residents could move back and forth retrieving valuable and important possessions from their damaged homes. Some of them stayed in their damaged houses to make an attempt to start to return to normalcy. The Red Cross set up a field kitchen on my front lawn to keep the remaining residents and workers fed. Neighbor helping neighbor was the prevalent theme. It will take several days or weeks or even months before our little community gets back to normal.

Jenny called a few hours later to inform us that Robert had pulled through surgery and was expected to recover well. He would be hospitalized for about a week. Grace drove down there to be with Robert. In the meantime Janet stayed with us.

During this time I felt Janet and myself being drawn closer to each other. I noticed that she remained glued to my side all the time and I wasn't about to push her away. During stressful times people naturally gravitate to where they can find some comfort. I was more then willing to provide what comfort I could. She would kiss me on the cheek every chance she got and I guess I reciprocated in kind. Tammy and Kim mentioned to me that they noticed the closeness that was building. I think you could surmise that I was falling in love with Janet. That made three loves of my life.