I gasp at that one word.Auger. On a combine, the auger is what is used to cut the cornstalks. It rotates and forces the seed corn back into the grain tank.
Mom pauses, and I want to ask a million questions, but I wait. “His arm….” Mom wipes a tear that started to roll down her cheek. “He went into shock. They, uh, had to do CPR in the ambulance. That’s when they called for the helicopter. They said he needed to get to a trauma center.”
I can’t think about shock and CPR right this second. It’s too much. “You rode in the helicopter?”
She nods. “They took him right to surgery. They said they’d come out and talk to us as soon as they know more.”
“How long has he been in there?”
“Oh….” Mom looks around the room for a clock then down at her wrist where she usually has a watch. “I don’t know. Several hours?”
I wrap my arm across her shoulder and pull her closer. “He’s going to be okay, Mom. I know it.”
“Yep, he’ll be fine.” Her voice betrays her. It sounds flat and defeated.
“He will be. Dad is the strongest, bravest man I know.” I feel warm tears slide down my cheeks. Doing my best to keep it together, I sniffle and add, “He’s got to be okay, Mom.”
“Oh, honey….” Mom turns and wraps me up in her arms. “He’ll make it through this. We’ll make it through this. We’re Harmons. We’ll work together.”
I nod against her shoulder but can’t get any words out. She’s right though, Harmons work together.
25
Nash
It’s beenfive hours and Isabelle and her mom were just now allowed into the Intensive Care Unit to see Bruce. After his lengthy surgery, the doctor came out and told us what I already suspected. He lost his right arm up to the shoulder. Honestly, he’s lucky to be alive. Farming is a dangerous profession, and auger accidents are one of the most common ways to go. I don’t know the whole story, but Isaac was able to get the important parts from one of Bruce’s hands. The auger was jammed by some foreign object it picked up in the field. I’m not sure what it was, but it could have been anything from a large tree limb that blew into the field to a deer carcass.
Apparently, Bruce stopped the combine, jumped down, and attempted to free up the blockage. He must not have had the thing completely shut down because it started to move as he was working. It takes less than a second for that part of the machine to pull you in. Honestly, he’s lucky he’s alive. It could have pulled him all the way in, but fortunately, his farmhand Ben was there to pull him free. Honestly, I’m surprised. That’s a rookie mistake. Bruce should never have put himself in that position, but I wasn’t there, so I shouldn’t judge the man too harshly. I’m just thankful he’s alive––thankful Isabelle didn’t lose her dad like I did.
“He’s going to be sleeping for a while.”
I’m brought out of my thoughts by Isabelle’s tired voice. “You want some coffee? You hungry?” She hasn’t eaten a thing since I picked her up.
“You know, I am hungry. Let’s go find something for Mom too. She needs to eat.”
I stand from my seat and take hold of Isabelle’s hand. I’m not sure why I’m doing that, but it feels right, so I’m going with it. I lead her back down the long corridor to the bank of elevators. I step up to the hospital map in search of the cafeteria. “Up one floor,” I say, pointing to the spot on the map.
We ride up in silence. When the doors open, I lead her into a large cafeteria. There are food stations all around the space. There’s a salad bar and a grill area where they make food to order. There’s also a pizza station, a sandwich making area, and a large dessert section. “Wow.” I smile down at her. “This is pretty nice. They have something for everyone. What are you hungry for, babe?”
She’s distracted. Understandable. “Oh, um….” She looks around the space. Her eyes land on the dessert station, and I chuckle. “We definitely need dessert, but let’s get you something more nutritious first.”
“Right.” She steps over to the salad bar, then back at me. She doesn’t want salad. I can tell.
“No salad.” I point to my left. “Let’s get something from the grill, yeah?”
“Okay.” I take her hand again and pull her toward the grill. “I’ll take a grilled chicken sandwich.”
“I’m getting two double bacon cheeseburgers and an order of fries.”
I hear her snort, so I look down to see her little eye roll.
“What?”
“Of course you can eat two giant burgers.” She pats my flat stomach. “You’ll probably lose weight after you eat those.”
“I’m a growin’ boy.” I pat my own stomach. “I need lots of food.”
Then I hear the prettiest sound in the world—Isabelle’s laugh. “If you say so.”
