she’d been doing—installing the strip to the studs—when the damn thing had gone over. It didn’t make sense that something that large could tip over, but clearly it had.
Andrea looked at her nephew. His eyes were closed and in the somber light, he seemed dead, too. Except for the smudges on his face, his skin had no color and he hadn’t moved since pointing to his mother. Turning her attention to his trapped legs Andrea tried to gauge the extent of his injuries. Her stomach clenched as she realized the cabinet’s edge had missed him by an inch, an inch that had meant his life.
She stretched her fingers as far as she could, but she couldn’t touch him. “Kevin? You need to wake up now, okay? You have to talk to me and tell me what hurts.”
Vicki’s explanation of his silences rang in Andrea’s mind, but she had to think something this traumatic would jar him to speak.
“Kevin?” She raised her voice. “Kevin, can you hear me?”
His eyelids quivered for a bit, then he opened them and looked at her.
“Talk to me, sweetie,” she pleaded. “Tell me where it hurts. Besides your legs, does it hurt anywhere else?”
He stared at her with a strange kind of intensity and she felt as if he were trying to decide if she was one of the good guys or not. With the distance that had grown between her and Vicki, Andrea hadn’t seen the little boy in more than a year, she realized with a catch. He was only six. Did he even remember her?
“I’m Aunt Andrea…your mommy’s sister. Remember last Christmas? I’m the one who gave you the teddy bear. The little brown one with the black eyes.”
His gaze flickered but he didn’t speak.
“Talk to me,” she whispered. “Please, Kevin…you have to talk to me.”
He stared at her for another long second, then he turned away.
Her frustration swelling, Andrea considered the possibility of moving him on her own, but she dismissed the idea quickly. It was too risky. The piece was too unstable and she didn’t have the right equipment.
She had to have help.
Twisting awkwardly, she slipped her hand down to her waist. Her fingers found only her belt and she moaned in disbelief. Her cell phone wasn’t there. Had she left the damn thing at home? Today of all days?
Then she remembered. When she’d edged in beside the armoire, she’d felt something give. It had to have been the phone’s holster, not her belt, as she’d thought. Patting the floor to her right, she found only bits of wood. Repeating the action on her other side, her hand grazed the holder. She quickly wrapped her fingers around it, scared it might somehow move.
The operator answered before the first ring finished.
“Courage Bay Fire Department. Please state the nature of your emergency.”
“Dispatch, this is Andrea Hunt, PRS, Squad One. I’m 10-7 but I need a unit for a 902 at 1425 Ocean View Drive, Code 3. I have a six-year-old juvenile down, possible broken ankle, possible internal injuries and one…adult…uh…926.”
She stuttered over the radio jargon she’d rattled off countless times, the numbers stalling in her head, cold and harsh. Her big sister and 926, the code for a fatality. They shouldn’t go together.
“Ten-twelve, Officer, while I call for unit.”
Andrea stood by as the dispatcher instructed. She didn’t want to look at Vicki again, but she couldn’t help herself. The light had shifted and she could see more of her sister’s face. It was untouched and exquisitely made up. Andrea guessed the accident had happened earlier that morning, but with Vicki, she couldn’t be sure. All her life, her sister had kept her makeup fresh and perfect, looking as good at midnight as she did first thing in the day.
The operator’s voice pulled Andrea back. “Units en route, Code 3 per your request.”
“Ten-four.” Andrea acknowledged the information then she closed the phone. Before she could decide what to do next, it rang. She answered instantly, an illogical fear swamping her that the noise might somehow cause the armoire to shift.
She answered, her voice shaky. “Hunt speaking.”
“Andie, it’s Alex! We caught the call and we’re on the way. What the hell’s going on? Isn’t 1425 your parents’ old place?”
Alex Shields was the captain of the other rescue squad and a close friend as well. Hearing his voice fueled a rush of relief—unfortunately it also made everything more real.
“It is their house,” she said thickly. “I came over to help my sister unpack. She moved in yesterday, but when I got here, she didn’t come to the door. I went inside and found…found my grandmother’s armoire had fallen over. They’re…they’re trapped beneath it, Alex. Vicki and her son, Kevin.”
“Oh, shit…” Over his curse, she could hear the sirens. “Andie…sweetheart…which one’s the 926?”
“She is.” Andrea swallowed hard then went on. “Kevin is right beside her with both his legs stuck. I hope you’ve got a full crew. We’re going to need it to lift this thing, then we have to get him to the hospital, full code.”
“I’m bringing everyone, don’t worry. Our ETA is five minutes, maybe less. Hang on, we’ll be right there.”
She hit the end key and looked over at her nephew. He had grown even paler. Holding her breath, Andrea scooted as close as she could. Her fingertips brushed his sleeve but he didn’t respond when she called his name. She continued to try and rouse him even though she had the feeling it was pointless.
After a few minutes, he blinked and stared right at her. There were questions in his gaze…but they stayed where they were and remained unspoken.
WHEN SHE HEARD the sirens drawing near, a mix of relief and anxiety washed over Andrea. Courage Bay was not a large town. By this time, everyone at the Bar and Grill probably knew what had happened and it would be only a matter of time until her parents heard, too. She didn’t want them learning the news of their daughter’s death from a stranger but she couldn’t call them now. Her phone had died a second after she had talked to Alex, the tumble from her waist apparently taking its toll.
She considered what their grief would be like, then she pushed the thought away. Getting Kevin out took precedence over everything else, including anyone’s sorrow.
Outside the siren grew louder and louder then ended abruptly, leaving only the rumble of the ladder truck’s engine. When it shut down, a swell of men’s voices replaced the momentary silence, Alex’s deep baritone ringing out above the others. He was in charge of an engine crew of four, a ladder truck crew of five, and the other paramedic rescue squad, which had two members. He was also responsible for all their air rescues. It sounded as if he’d brought every person under his command. The only thing she didn’t hear was the chopper.
Within minutes, they were on the front porch, Alex calling out for her.
“Break down the door,” she cried. “I’m in the living room.”
She gave the motionless Kevin another look, then eased up to stand against the
