With the wind behind them, it did not take long for Howard and Paul to deliver M&M’s Emergency Medical Team across the river in Howard’s longboat. Doris was aiming for an open beach, but saw a man waving a large signal flag between two wooden piers in the boating area, so she angled the boat, made her turn between the piers, and realized the oars were going to be just a bit too long.

“Oars, Up!” she commanded. Howard and Paul pulled through their last stroke, and pulled the oars up, water cascading down from the wet blades. “Oars, In!” Howard and Paul gently brought the oars back down to their stowage positions on either side of Doris. Seeing that momentum would take them right into the sandy shore, she tilted the rudder up to avoid the sand underneath the boat.

Several men waded into the water, manhandling the boat up onto the sandy beach. They helped everyone out of the boat, and lead them up the sloping beach to a tall, frazzled looking State Park Ranger.

Not knowing whom to look at, Ranger Stone looked at everybody equally.

“God, I’m glad you came! Any help you can render to us will be greatly appreciated. Martha said one of you was a doctor?”

Gunnar stepped forward. “I’m Doctor Iversen.” He shook the ranger’s hand. “Have you been able to do a triage? Prioritize your wounded?

“Yes, sir, we have. Almost everyone in the park is here under these four pavilions.” He pointed to the four large concrete slabs with overhanging roofs, and a plethora of standard picnic tables. Most folks were sitting down, but a few were lying out, either directly on a table, or on a surplus stretcher.

Gunnar looked concerned. “You said ‘Almost everyone!’ Do we have missing persons?”

Ranger Stone hung his head. “Unfortunately, we do.” Looking over to one of the other rangers, he asked, “Have we found everyone yet, or are we still missing people?"

The young female ranger he was speaking to gave a partial smile. “We’ve found all of the families, parents and their children, so the only person still missing is the young pregnant woman, Rachael Hilliard.”

Ranger Stone consulted his park map. He already had several rangers and volunteers out looking for any stragglers, just not enough to cover every zone.

“Can I have some of your people search this area to the north?” he asked, before he walked away to consult with another ranger.

Gunnar wasn’t pleased to have his crew assigned additional tasks, rather than providing the medical assistance that was initially requested.

“Patricia, why don’t you take all the nurses, plus Doris, and spread out through the pavilions. Toby, I want you to stay with me. We can spare Howard and Paul for the search. I’ll stay centrally located should anyone need me for something complicated!”

As Patricia began to walk away. Gunnar caught her arm and whispered “Do a quick triage through all the pavilions, and point out anything that looks really serious. Toby, keep your eye on Patricia.” Toby chuckled, and Patricia blushed. They had been considered a couple for a few months now. He had more than his eye on Patricia….

As it turned out, only Paul was put on search duty. Toby and Howard were soon busy moving some of the more critically injured to the pavilion nearest a vehicle access road, so that when ambulances were available, victims would not have to be moved far. Gunnar, Patricia, and Hannah began using that area to care for broken bones, head injuries and concussions, and those considered more serious. Terri, Paula, and Doris split up between the other three pavilions, and started the task of binding the more superficially wounded.

----------

The two boys watched Doris with growing curiosity as she worked on their mother’s wound. Doris placed the poultice she had just made on the young woman’s arm, who winced in pain a few times. She then wrapped it with a sterile bandage roll. One of the boys couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Are you a witch?” he asked, putting it right out there.

“Michael Conley Richards!! Apologize right this instant!! THIS INSTANT!” scolded the young woman, who was wearing a red and white one-piece suit. Her face quickly went from one color to the other, but whether from anger, embarrassment, or a combination of the two would be just a guess.

Doris looked at the young woman long enough to get her attention, and spoke while she looked back at the boys, who were 9 and 10 years old, about 18 months apart. “A teachable moment, if you will. Okay?”

The young woman quietly nodded her head, glaring at the boys as she did, as if saying ‘Get out of line!! I still have use of a good arm! And I WILL use it!’

Doris ducked her head slightly to be more on level with the boys. “Why would you ask me such a question? Do you really believe I’m a witch?”

Michael shook his head yes, and his younger brother Mark, followed suit.

Doris smiled. “Do you think if I was a witch that I would answer truthfully?”

The boys looked at each other sheepishly. They hadn’t thought about that.

“And if I was a witch, would I be an evil witch, or a good witch?”

Again, they looked at each other, again no answer.

“So, what made you think I’m a witch?” Doris asked, paraphrasing her earlier question.

Mark tapped the table to get everyone’s attention. “You pulled a root out of your bag, cut it up with that cool looking knife, and crushed it in that little white bowl with that weird stick.” He pointed to the items that sat on the table in front of Doris.

Doris put her hand over the mortar and pestle, and picked up the white handled knife, known as a boline, a gift from a former lover and fellow initiate, who was also the first man with whom she performed the Great Rite. Unlike the knife known as the athame, used in the symbolic rites, her lover gave her the more practical boline; because he knew she would use it, to harvest and cut herbs and plants for medicinal purposes, and vegetables. Both were practitioners of the more practical side of the craft, which some called ‘kitchen craft’.

Michael chimed in again. “And, you’re old!” as if that weren’t just a prerequisite, but the only prerequisite.

Doris wasn’t going to leave it go at that. “Ever see the Harry Potter movies?”

The boys smiled, and said together, “Mom read us all the books!”

Doris turned to their mother, smiling approvingly. “Good for you, dear!” Turning back to the boys, she asked, “Wasn’t Professor McGonagall old?”

Michael couldn’t hold back. “Older than dirt!” he said. Doris chuckled. His filter was just like Howard’s. Nonexistent.

“Well, I don’t think we’re that old. We were born in the same year, after all. I think I could teach at a school like Hogwarts, though.”

Mark tapped the table again. “Herbology!! You’d be a good substitute for Professor Sprout. You know all about plants and stuff.” Mark was more studious, or just more attentive, than his older brother.

“So, I’ve gone from being a witch to a professor, and all because I ‘know all about plants and stuff,’” she said, repeating the boy’s line. “Things aren’t what they may first appear to be. You boys would do well to keep your eyes and ears open, and not make rash judgments.” Turning to the boys’ mother, Doris asked how her arm felt.

She flexed her hand, and rolled her arm at the elbow. “There doesn’t seem to be any pain.” She spread her fingers, made a fist, rolled at the wrist and elbow again. “Definitely no more pain!” She touched the bandage above the poultice. “It’s like magic!!” She gave Doris a puzzled look. “Witch or Professor?”

Doris smiled, squinted her eyes, as she finished clearing the table of her tools and instruments. As she stood, she looked each of them in the eye, and declared “Or Professor of Witches?”

----------

Paul followed the White Trail markings through the woods, hearing a high-pitched whistling sound as he got closer. Before him was an open grassy area known as Northfield, a place for tent campers who didn’t mind hiking in with all their gear. The only camp facility in the region was Water Post #4, a combination men’s and women’s restrooms and showers, and a common sink area. It looked like an upgraded Pump House at M&M, but the facility was now flattened. The wind must have made direct contact with a corner, pushing against both walls, which were unable to sustain themselves against it.

Noticing nothing else, Paul made a mental note of the damage to report back to the Ranger team. The only thing intact was three picnic tables on the far side of the building, and the above ground water main valve. He saw that several pipes were spouting water all over the place, making a piercing whistling sound, so he turned the water main valve off.

Once the water stopped, he realized just how loud it was. He could now hear birds, the wind in the trees, and a small voice, a voice beneath the walls. He ran over to where the door was, opened it, literally upwards, revealing the inside “modesty” wall. Just above the top was a hand and lower arm, waving frantically to be noticed.

“I see you,” he said, reaching down to grab her hand, careful not to step on the wall covering the woman’s body. “Are you Rachael?” She gave him a thumb’s up.

She croaked out in a quiet voice. “Sorry about my voice. I’ve been screaming for a long time now.”

“Are you in any pain?” asked Paul.

“No, but when the wall came down, I tried to block it from hurting my baby. A showerhead caught my shoulder and spun me around. My left arm is pinned under me. It doesn’t hurt, but it is extremely uncomfortable.”

With his free hand, he reached into his medic’s pouch and grabbed the old walkie-talkie.

“This is Paul. I’ve found her…. I’ve found Rachael. She’s pinned down inside Water Post #4! We’ll need tools, prybars and saws. The building has collapsed. She is still inside, with no apparent injuries. Does anyone copy?”

Ranger Stone and Gunnar were in what had become the pavilion for the more critically injured. Ranger Stone replied to Paul that they would send a rescue and repair party right away. Gunnar had planned to send Patricia, Hannah, Toby, and Howard to retrieve the pregnant woman, and Stone had his own team of rangers and camp volunteers ready to go.

Meanwhile, Paul was able to move part of the outer wall with the door, and the “modesty” wall, exposing the lower half of Rachael’s body. With her left arm pinned behind her back, she was unable to cover her exposed pubic area.

“I hope you like what you see, ‘cause if you move that wall any further, you’ll get the ‘full monty’.” She tried putting on a brave face, but Paul could tell she was embarrassed to be seen even partially nude. Paul shifted his position, and started to move the wall, but Rachael cried out.

“Stop!! There’s something sharp, probably a bunch of nails or screws, that just scratched my breast and my belly. Don’t move it anymore, please!” she implored.

“Don’t worry! And don’t be embarrassed! I’m from Magnolia and Moss, the nudist campsite across the river. I’ve seen enough nude women in the last week to last a life time. And more nude men than the locker room at college. And I’m working there for the rest of the summer.”

The young woman laughed, and regretted doing so, since it put pressure on her arm. “Oh, don’t make me laugh. It hurts my throat and my body.” She paused, as if thinking about her predicament. “Have there been a lot of people looking for me?”

Paul shook his head out of habit. “I don’t know. Certainly, all the available park rangers, and I’m sure there were a bunch of volunteers. Are you sure you’re okay? It’s got to be at least two hours since this came down on top of you.”

“That long, eh? I was sure it was longer. I waited for the wind to die down before I started yelling. I wasn’t sure anyone would come since this area was supposed to be closed.”

“So why are you here?” queried Paul.

“I was tired of everyone looking at me. ‘Boy, is she big! Looks like she’ll pop any moment now. Oh, honey, you shouldn’t be here this close to your due date!’ I’m due first week of June.”

“That’s just next week! Why are you even here?”

“I don’t know. I suppose it’s because my parents brought me here when I was a kid. Now with my own on the way, I wanted to have one more day of…. I don’t know…. childhood, innocent fun, a remembrance of my past.”

“And your husband? What did he…?”

“The jerk,” she interrupted, “who got me pregnant isn’t in the picture anymore. And no, he wasn’t a jerk, at least to me, until after I got pregnant. Then it was ‘skip to my lou’, or something like that."

Paul didn’t know how to respond. Nobody in his circle of friends, except for Peter, was ever that…. unfortunate. Irresponsible, yes! Unlucky, sometimes! Unfortunate…...not to that degree. Except, of course, his best friend, Peter. Private First Class Peter Addison, USMC, Killed in Action, Afghanistan, 2010, posthumously promoted to Lance Corporal. Paul’s middle name was Lance; Peter would have appreciated the irony.

Paul heard them coming. If ever there was a teacher that always said ‘don’t run with scissors’, she would have a cow. The man in the lead had a running chain saw, two others were carrying 6’ long pry bars, and the two after that, large tool boxes. Bringing up the rear was Patricia, Hannah, Toby, and Howard. It looked like Toby and Howard had some sort of stretcher.

Paul smiled down at the young woman’s hand he was still holding. “De-de-de-det ta-da. Looks like the cavalry is here.”

The men in the work party didn’t seem too concerned. With Paul’s help, they determined how her body was configured under the collapsed walls. Within a few moments the debris was removed, and the nurses, along with Paul and Toby, were able to lift Rachael out to safety.

Gingerly, she tried to move her left arm from behind her back. That’s when everyone realized she had dislocated her shoulder. Toby held her from behind, and Patricia and Hannah were able to reset it. The pain she felt there, however, prevented her from feeling another, more pressing, pain.

One of the workers found her clothes, and ran them to her. The blouse was ripped to shreds, caught by the wind, and blown across some nails; the pants were not very wearable for much the same reason. Paul offered Rachael his shorts, and she stood next to him to steady herself, still holding his hand.

Before she could get anything on, however, she grabbed her abdomen with her free hand, bent over, then stood straight up. Looking Paul in the eyes, she said “I’m so sorry!”, went into a partial squat, as a cascade of fluid flowed from between her legs. That’s when the first contraction, severe enough to overtake the pain of her shoulder, hit her. Her hand was like a vise on Paul’s hand.

Patricia was the first to recognize what was happening. “It looks like we’re going to have a baby today!” She and Hannah walked Rachael over to a picnic table, and laid her down on top of it. Paul stood next to her, his hand in hers, the only person she felt she could count on in the moment. The women brought Rachael’s feet up onto the table, and Hannah did a quick examination.

“Did you know you were having contractions?” she asked.

Rachael shook her head. The dull pain from her dislocated shoulder was too much; it blocked out the fact that she was having contractions. “She’s almost fully dilated. The baby could come at any minute,” said Hannah.

Another contraction, and Rachael’s eyes rolled back in her head, her back arched, her breasts pushed out, and her toes curled, as she continued to squeeze Paul's hand.

By this time, both Ranger Rick and Gunnar were making their way across the field toward Water Post #4. Gunnar asked Patricia and Hannah about Rachael's condition, then looked over at Paul, who was now nude and holding his shorts in one hand, Rachael's in the other. He looked down into Rachael's face, getting her attention.

"Hey, young lady! I'm Doctor Iversen. I'm a surgeon, but I've delivered a few babies in my time. How are you feeling?"

Rachael started to smile, but grimaced. Another contraction. Paul shifted his hand, and looked at Gunnar.

"Do you need me to go somewhere else? I don't want to be in the way!" said Paul, clearly a little uncomfortable where he was standing.

While Gunnar could appreciate Paul's predicament, it was his opinion that Paul was right where he needed to be. A naked man, holding the hand of a naked woman, who was clearly uncomfortable with herself, whether because she was nude, or nude and pregnant, wasn't clear. It was obvious, however, that the young woman had bonded with Paul, by the way she held his hand. Sometimes the right person, in the right place, at the right time was the best medicine, and Gunnar wasn't going to fool with that.

"No, Paul. Stay right where you are. You're doing more good right there, holding her hand, then you would be helping to dismantle that water shed over there.”

Rachael’s contractions were becoming more frequent and intense. Patricia and Hannah were coaching Rachael to push and relax, push and relax. Paul, despite his best efforts, couldn’t help but look at Rachael’s vaginal opening, hoping to catch a glimpse of actual childbirth. Gunnar was doing the same, but in his role as the senior medical person on site, looking for any issues or trouble.

After a few more contractions, Rachael’s baby was on its way. Both Patricia and Hannah got her into a rhythm, and soon it was “push, push, push, push, …. and.... it’s a boy!!” By this time, Gunnar had retrieved several clamps for the umbilical cord, a small towel to wipe off the baby, and a light weight space blanket from his doctor’s kit. Knowing Rachael was safe with the ladies, he took the baby’s vitals, and after returning the baby to Rachael’s arms, helped move her onto the stretcher, and covered her up with the blanket. Paul was able to put his shorts back on.

Howard and Toby lifted the stretcher for the walk back to the pavilions. By the time everyone arrived, there were several ambulances lined up, the EMTs scurrying around, putting two or three victims into each one.

As Rachael and her baby were transferred from the old stretcher to a newer one, to be loaded into the last remaining ambulance, she asked Paul “Hey, I think you’re a real nice guy. And I was just wondering if I could maybe see you again?”

Paul laughed. “Well, you know where I work. It’s also where I live, for now!”

Hannah was close by, handing the notes that Gunnar made about Rachael and her baby to the EMT. "You'll see all of Paul if you come over to Magnolia and Moss," she laughed.

Before Rachael could say anything more, she and her baby were loaded onto the ambulance, the door was closed, and off they went.

People were moving away from the pavilions, back to their tents and RVs. Ranger Stone expressed immense gratitude and thanks to Gunnar and the M&M Emergency Team, as did many of the Park Rangers and campers. He escorted them down to Howard's longboat, which had been maneuvered for its return across the river to Magnolia and Moss.

As he settled down in front of Doris, Gunnar saw Paul looking immensely pleased with himself. Gunnar agreed that he should be. Today had been a busy day for him: his first M&M Annual Meeting; dressed down by the Chairman of the Board; showing significant cash savings in getting bricks; that impressed a lot of people. Getting consumables to those who needed them. Helping people into the shelter, and bandaging the wounded. Then searching for, and finding, a young pregnant woman, and witnessing the miracle of childbirth. He deserved to be pleased with himself.

A cell phone in Gunnar’s doctor's kit started ringing. Martha must have added it to the kit at some point. Removing it from an outer pocket, Gunnar recognized the number as the cell phone Martha keeps with her when she’s not in the office.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hi, Gunnar! Please, please, please tell me that Paul is still with you! And will you be back soon?" He could tell by her voice that she was stressed about something.

Not knowing what was going on, he purposefully did not look at Paul.

"Well, we’ve finished at Turtlehead, and we just shoved off. We should be back in thirty to forty-five minutes. Everyone’s fine!" At that moment, all he could hear were two chainsaws in the background, and he turned around, thinking it was onshore, only to realize it was coming through the phone.

After a moment, Martha was back. "All day today, people have been hearing a snapping sound above High Noon, just north of Central Avenue. Harry and Larry called it a ‘Widow Maker’.” Harry and Larry were woodsmen, in older times they would be loggers. Gunnar correctly assumed that a large branch had come down, and that Harry and Larry were at the controls of the chainsaws.

Gunnar asked "Was anyone hurt?"

Martha sounded relieved to say "No! But the large branch came straight down on the McKendals’ tent, completely smashing it, and a section of it hit Paul's tent, collapsing the whole left side where he sleeps. It looks like just his air mattress got flattened. Fortunately, the McKendals called to cancel for the weekend, and I was hoping Paul wasn't back here yet." Gunnar knew the McKendals. Their tent was on the other side of Paul's tent from theirs. The Iversens were in 19, Paul was in 17, the McKendals, 15.

The chainsaws started again; Gunnar took a moment to look at his team, either the back of someone's head, or catching their eye. He thanked God that nobody was injured. When he looked at Paul, he held his eyes for a moment. 'Should I tell him his tent is a shambles, or let him remain pleased with himself for a while longer?' In a second, he decided. 'Since everything that can be done is being done, and he can't do anything from here, let him keep having his moment.'

As Paul and Howard navigated back to Magnolia & Moss, rowing in perfect sync, Paul was smiling to himself. He was having the best time of his life.

* * *

End of Memorial Day Weekend - Saturday Afternoon

Part 2 of 2

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