Page 51 of Till The Cows Come Home
Weaving between cows, I made my way towards the opened gate, but they were disoriented, reentering and exiting the barn in their confused panic. Their confusion was understandable, though. The further I entered the barn, the thicker the smoke, and after a few feet, I dropped to a crouch, attempting to navigate under the haze. I ushered the ones closest to me away, shooing them to safety, and as I turned further into the chaos I was almost knocked off my feet by a group of calves stumbling past me, nearly knocking me over.
A sob of relief escaped me as they made it into the pasture, and I turned back silently begging for Miles to emerge through the smoke. I just got him, just allowed him in; I couldn’t lose him, not now. I pushed forward, hesitant to go too far into the heat, but as each moment ticked by, my panic rose.
“Damn it, Miles. Come on.”
Panic dissolved my restraint, and I dropped to my knees, crawling against my better judgment in what I hoped was the direction of the calve pen. It didn’t take me long to spot Miles, and I flinched at the fear that stung my soul when I saw his massive body slumped into a pile.
“Miles,” I pleaded, shaking him with every ounce of strength I had until a small groan escaped his lips.
His eyelids fluttered for a moment before settling closed and if not for the surrounding carnage, I may have marveled at how peaceful he looked amongst the chaos. Instead, I crouched again, looping both of my arms under his armpits, tugging with everything I had left. Thick air filled my lungs, my chest rising and falling with such intensity that I thought it may burst. I continued pulling though, motivating myself with every inch we gained, and as we got closer to the exit, I began to hear the firefighters calling out.
“Here!” I screamed again and again, watching their flashlights flash through the darkness in an attempt to locate my muffled cries.
My muscles stretched to their limits as I continued to pull, desperate to reach either the threshold or another human being. Because I knew if I stopped I’d end up unconscious like Miles and I cried out in relief as I saw the firefighter locate us through the last remaining haze.
“You’re okay,” he said, reaching for my arm, “I got you.”
“No,” I said, pulling back. “Take him first. I can still walk.”
“Hold on to my jacket, I’ll guide you,” he instructed, before slinging Miles over his shoulder.
I had to admit I was impressed with the ease he carried him, wobbling only for a moment as he settled Miles’ weight on his own broad shoulders. Once he steadied, I grasped at whatever fabric I could, allowing my eyes to close as we were guided to safety. As we walked, I could feel the smoke thinning and when we finally cleared into the open air, I inhaled deeply, savoring the breaths I thought I’d never take. More firefighters met us, and helping hands attempted to guide me away from Miles as an oxygen mask covered my face.
“Please, no!” I protested, gripping the fabric of Miles’ shirt as I fumbled with my mask in an attempt to follow him. My heart cracked as the fabric slipped through myfingers, and I watched as his body was loaded onto a stretcher.
“Sit,” one said while the other lowered my mask back onto my face. “You can’t help him if you pass out. Let us clear you and then you can be with him.”
I nodded, sucking in deeply to combat the dizziness I was experiencing, grateful when they draped a blanket around my shoulders. The shift from blazing inferno to the cool Virginia evening air shocked my body and the crunchy foil they’d unfolded around me curbed the shivers shaking through me.
My head began to clear and despite the pounding headache coursing through my head, I felt okay.
Not Miles, though. A crowd circulated around him and I watched as one of the medics placed an IV into his arm, hanging a bag of fluids. No matter how the crew moved, some part of his body stayed visible, and I focused on what I could see of him, begging for him to move.
The smallest twitch of his foot had me on my feet, desperate to get a glance at his face to confirm what I saw, that he was okay. But I was unable to see through the crowd, so I removed my mask, shrugging the blanket off my shoulders. A medic stepped into my path, attempting to persuade me to sit back down, but my attention was on Miles. Tears slid down my cheeks as I saw him being sat up by the paramedics, his eyes wide open, scanning the crowd. Relief spread across his face when his eyes landed on me and nothing in the world could hold me back from him. The medic blocking my path looked between us, and with a small nod, he stepped aside.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Miles
“Where’s Sage?” I questioned, attempting to sit up, but the words were muffled by the mask covering my face.
The surrounding people helped pull me up, and I tugged the oxygen down, repeating my question. Before it was answered, I saw Sage speaking with a paramedic and the pleading look on her face broke my heart.
“You need to keep that on,” the paramedic nearest ordered.
“Can you put us together, please?” I asked, and I could tell Sage was having a similar conversation with the man in front of her.
“You were unconscious, and she needed to be examined. Now that you’re awake, I don’t see a reason to keep you apart.”
Sage’s paramedic seemed to think the same because moments later she approached me, throwing herself across my chest.
“I thought you were gone,” she sobbed.
“Shhh, I’m right here.” I whispered, pulling her into mychest, ignoring the hiss of pain I felt as she made contact with my skin.
The medics moved our masks back across our faces and we sat there waiting for an update, savoring each breath we thought we’d never get a chance to take. As we sat, I began to feel Sage’s shoulders shake, and as much as I wanted to comfort her and tell her everything would be okay, I couldn’t. Instead, I allowed my own tears to escape, grieving before I’d even known all that was lost. After a while, a group of firefighters approached us, and we leaned forward, eager to hear the prognosis.
“Hi guys, my name is Jenny. I’m the fire chief here in Lox. Which one of you does this farm belong to?”
