Page 43 of Love's Harvest
They talked for a while and then one of the girls cried out in her sleep.“Talk to you later,” said Sarah, feeling as if she’d made great strides in finding a new pace between them.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
As the days moved closer to Thanksgiving, Sarah and April worked to get holiday merchandise displayed.Winter snows had yet to come to the town, but those days were not far off.It was a family tradition that the store window was changed the Friday before Thanksgiving, so visitors to Lilac Lake would have the chance to do some Christmas shopping at the store while they were in town.
Mia and Emily were thrilled to be able to be with Sarah as she worked in the evenings after the store had closed to do a few displays.And when it came time to dress the window, the girls played with the fake snow Sarah used and helped spread it around on the floor of the display area.She’d finish without their help.
###
She’d just climbed into bed that night when the phone rang.Her mother.
“Hi, Mom!What’s up?”
“It’s your father.He’s not feeling well.I think he may be having a stroke.”
“Have you called Dr.Chambers?”Sarah asked, sitting up.
“Yes, he told me to call 911 and he’d be on his way.But I thought you should know.”Her mother’s voice shook.
Aware she couldn’t leave the girls alone, Sarah said, “I’ll get a sitter and be there as soon as I can.”
She called Hazel and asked if she’d come to the house.
Hazel sleepily said, “Of course.Give me a couple of minutes to get dressed.”
Sarah ended the call and hurried to get herself dressed, her heart pounding with alarm.Her mother would not have called unless it was a true emergency.She was a very strong woman who sounded scared.That worried Sarah most of all.
She met Hazel at the door, gave her a quick rundown of the situation, and said, “I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
###
At her parents’ house, Sarah saw Emmett Chambers’s car and an ambulance in the driveway.Sarah parked in front of the house, got out, and ran to the front door.
Her mother rushed to greet her.“Thank God, you’re here.Your dad’s worse.They’re confirming he’s had a stroke.They’re preparing to take him to Portsmouth now.We can follow.”
Crystal’s husband, Dr.Chambers, came over to them.“It’s a good thing the EMTs got here so fast.Timing in these situations is so important.I’ll follow them to the hospital and make sure everything is right there before returning home.”
“Oh, thank you,” said Sarah’s mother, throwing her arm around Sarah’s shoulder and squeezing hard.Sarah knew her mother was as grateful as she that Lilac Lake had a small-town doctor who would give such kind service.
She went over to her dad lying on a gurney and with a nod from one of the EMTs, took hold of his hand and gave it a squeeze.“You’ll be all right, Dad.Love you.”
Watching him be placed inside the ambulance, Sarah’s heart skipped a beat.Her father was much too young to die.
After saying goodbye to her husband, her mother came up beside her.“Are you able to take me now?Are the girls taken care of?”
“Hazel is with them.Let me tell her what’s going on, and we’ll be on our way.If she can’t stay, we’ll ask her to get one of the Gilford women to take over for her.I know they will.I don’t want you to worry about it.”
Minutes later, after confirming with Hazel that she would stay, Sarah and her mother headed to the Portsmouth Hospital.
“How did you know what was going on with Dad?”Sarah asked her mother.
“I recently read an article about the symptoms of stroke.They call it the ‘FAST’ check.Face, arm, speech and time.Can the person smile?Can the person raise both arms?Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?If any of these signs fail, call 911.”
“Can they tell how bad Dad is?”asked Sarah, fighting tears.
“They’ll be able to assess him at the hospital.I’m praying it will be a mild stroke.We’re supposed to start our semi-retirement this winter.”said her mother, battling tears of her own.
With little traffic on the roads, Sarah made excellent time to the hospital and pulled up to the Emergency Room to let her mother out.
