Page 52 of Healing Fate

There was a loud commotion on Kelsey’s end. Everyone was cheering.

“What’s going on?”

“Micah found the last boy we’ve been looking for. I think everyone might finally be accounted for, but there are so many injuries that I still need your help.”

“Okay,” I said hesitantly.

Emma appeared to have been waiting for me as she ran outside and snatched Vada from her seat. My daughter started to cry.

“She’s fine,” Emma said as Shelby slid into my passenger seat. “Go!”

“Do you need me to drive?” Shelby asked.

“No, I’m fine. Just tell me where.”

As I was backing out of her driveway, it sounded like a bomb went off and I wasn’t sure I was just hearing it through the phone.

“Kels, what happened?” Shelby asked.

“Oh my God!”

My heart sank and I knew something terrible had just gone down.

“Kelsey?” she tried again.

“The cave collapsed. They got the kid, but it doesn’t look like Micah made it out. I have to go.”

She disconnected the phone call, and I thought my heart stopped.

I was shaking all over.

“Pull over. Let me drive,” Shelby said. “Lucy? Can you hear me?”

I nodded swiping at tears as they streamed down my face.

“I pushed him away. I told him I needed space. I was too chicken to tell him the truth. What have I done?”

“Lucy, this isn’t your fault.”

“I should have been with him.”

“You will be. Turn here. Just up there. Park next to the trucks. Anywhere is fine.”

As soon as I did, she jumped out of the car and then waited for me to follow. We ran up the hill. People were covered in mud from head to toe. I couldn’t tell who was who and it didn’t matter. They were working together as one moving debris and digging through the mud.

Kyle stood nearby barking orders, and everyone obeyed. It was like watching a machine at work until at last, there he was. They were pulling Micah out, and despite the caked on dirt, I knew it was him. I could feel him.

“I can feel him,” I yelled to Shelby. “He’s alive!”

I pushed my way up the hill even as they were passing him down. Arms reached out to stop me, but I pressed on. When I reached a safe landing, I demanded they set him down on the ground. It was enough to stall the well oiled pack machine.

Kyle looked down and saw it was me. He nodded and instructed them to listen to me.

They laid him down on the ground and I put out my hands to feel his life presence searching for any damage within his body.

A broken wrist was an easy heal.

A torn ACL took a couple seconds longer.