Page 41 of Her Steadfast Hero

“Of course, they are.”

* * *

“My God,” Aiden breathed as they pulled up to what must have been a house at one point. They parked beside the jeep the women had used. An elderly man stepped over a pile of rubble as he headed toward them and he looked sick.

“Who are you? Where are the women who drove the jeep?” Aiden demanded.

“What?” the old man was dazed. David scowled at Aiden.

“Hello, sir. Do you live here?”

“My grandchildren…” He waved his hand toward the crumbling house.

Aiden pushed past the man and stepped through the ruined doorway.

“Sir, can you tell me what happened?” David asked.

“My little angel is dead. But my daughter she will not accept it. She just holds and rocks her while her other two children, Oscar and Pira, suffer.”

David shook his head. He couldn’t imagine the woman’s pain. “Where’s the person who reported this?”

“He left. He’s gone to look for more victims.”

“Stay here, I’m going to see if I can help.” David went into the house. It was quiet. Too quiet. The ceiling was missing. He saw an opening that led through the kitchen, and there were two rooms. One contained a bed, but had no people, the other had all the people.

There were no blankets covering their battered little bodies, just underwear. He guessed the one in the pink panties was a girl. She couldn’t have been more than five, and her legs were at awkward angles. There wasn’t a wound, but her chest was caved in.

The little boy was in Spiderman underwear with a bone jutting from his broken arm. Same with his right leg. He was writhing around and moaning. The mom was just as the grandfather said, sitting in a chair, rocking her dead infant.

Carys knelt next to the little girl, she had a grim look on her face and a stethoscope to the little girl’s chest.

Sarah was kneeling next to the little boy. She looked up at David, her expression determined. But beneath the determination, he could see her heart aching. Breaking.

The little girl gasped. Then seized. Blood trickled from her mouth. David watched in horror. He looked at the mother. Her rhythm didn’t change, she kept rocking her baby as if nothing was happening. As if her other daughter wasn’t dying right in front of her eyes.

David looked helplessly at Carys, Aiden, and finally at Sarah. She shook her head, tears in her eyes. The wounds, what he’d seen, he’d known. It was amazing the child had still been alive when they had come through the door.

“We need to get the boy splinted,” Aiden said as he put his hand on Carys’ shoulder. She wiped the blood away and closed the girl’s eyes. She nodded at Aiden. David watched as the three of them worked to get the boy taken care of.

The old man came in and explained that the man had returned with three other local men. David went out and met with them.

“I know Margaret,” one man said. “I was friends with her husband. I am sorry it took me so long to get here.” He looked down at the dirt, then back up at David. “We will take care of her.”

“We’re going to take her son with us. We will be able to care for him.”

“He will be well?” the man said hopefully.

“Yes, we think so,” David answered.

“Thank God,” the man said fervently. They all turned to see Aiden carrying the small boy out of the house. He placed him in the back of the jeep, where they had made a pallet for patients.

“We’re following you,” Aiden said to Carys.

“Thank you,” the man said to them.

“You’re welcome.”