Page 12 of Born a Hero

Watching her scramble to where the boy slept, he saw her lift the blanket and roll in close to the small body. She turned back to him and whispered, “His temperature is normal now. Thank you.”

He gestured with a wave and a smile, not wanting to make any more noise than possible. Next he cleared away the food, putting it all back in the bag and scrambled over to where Sonja hadn’t moved. The early light through the window beckoned, and he settled himself there, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

The scene on the other side of the glass kept him spellbound. There were few people in his sight but those he did see were hustling on their rooftops, trying to keep warm, and obviously watching for help to come.

The neighbors across from him looked like they were freezing, and he felt sorry for their discomfort. There was a woman, a man, and two children that he could see. As he followed their movements, he saw that their danger had become extreme.

All they’d had to hold off the elements was one plastic cover that looked like an old blue tarp. They had been holding it over them as protection but now it seemed as if they were weakening. His heartbeats tripled when he saw the woman collapse and her man trying desperately to keep her from sliding off the roof.

He could almost hear the cries of the children as they too clung to the woman.

“Oh my God, Bryce. She’s going to fall.” Sonja had woken and crept close. He’d been so enthralled by the happenings across the street, he hadn’t even noticed her moving.

“They’re pulling her back.”

“But for how long? They must be exhausted if they’ve been out there all night.”

“I can’t see how they would have survived out in the open. They must have been on the other side of the roof. This is the first I’ve seen them.”

“I noticed them moving earlier but didn’t think they were in any trouble other than the obvious of course. Oh, no. She’s slipping again.”

Bryce watched the man reach out and haul her back once again to safety, but he didn’t know how long the poor guy could hold on. It was that final slide that showed her belly and made him wonder if she were pregnant.

Bryce stood and threw off the blanket.

Chapter Thirteen

“You aren’t planning to go out there again, are you?” Sonja’s voice wavered.

“There’s no choice, Sonja. You can see that, right? If she rolls into the water, she’ll never survive, and he has two kids to look out for and another on the way. I’ll take the floaters and that door I pulled off the closet.” He pointed towards the wooden barn door he’d hauled up with them. “Maybe now that the winds aren’t so bad, we can control the platform enough to get everyone back safely. Will you help me?”

“Of course.”

“What can I do?” Dena had appeared from the other side of the room. Her willingness to help couldn’t be questioned.

Sonja didn’t let him argue or tell Dena just to stay with Justin. She quickly intervened, “Come help us tie the floaters on each side of this closet door. We have enough rope.”

The two women helped him get the raft ready. Then he undressed to his underwear and before he could push off, Sonja took the tie off her robe and fastened it around his waist. “Tie it to the floaters so it can’t get away from you. The water’s running pretty fast. If you need to use your hands, you won’t lose the platform.”

Within seconds, he’d done her bidding and then slowly lowered himself into the water that had dropped a few inches from the night before and was a good three feet below the windowsill.

Shivering, cussing inside from the frigid cold, he pushed away from the house, clinging to the raft to keep himself afloat.

Sonja began yelling across the way to get their attention. Thankfully, the man noticed and seemed to understand that help was coming. With one arm, he waved back as did his two children. They looked to be about Justin’s age, both dripping wet and obviously terrified.

Pumping his feet to propel the raft, Bryce made it to their rooftop and looked up to see the others waiting for him. He yelled to the man. “Let’s take your wife first.”

Nodding, the man helped his semi-conscious wife down, and Bryce saw she really was pregnant, her poor frozen belly distended. Glad that Sonja had used her robe belt to secure the raft around his waist, he used both hands to take the weight of the woman so he could lay her over the raft. He used the thumbs-up sign to let the others know she was safe and then he quickly began to paddle his way back to where he’d come from.

Both Sonja and Dena were waiting for him, and Dena leaned out the window far enough that she could guide the woman’s feet while he shielded her head to move her from the raft to where the women could help her through the window. The poor woman’s weakness made her pitiful attempts to assist them almost negligible.

Once he knew she was safely inside, he began the slow, treacherous journey once again, this time to bring both the children. Their trembling little bodies brought tears to his eyes, and he used his soft doctor’s voice to keep them calm. “Don’t be frightened my little minion friends. You’ll be safe soon. We have dry clothes, warm blankets, and peanut butter sandwiches and cookies to fill your empty tummies. Promise.”

The boy grinned, seeming to get the quip. He held onto his sister protectively, and Bryce saw they were identical twins.

“There are two women waiting at our house to help you inside. Be ready to reach up so they can grab your hands. Don’t be scared. I’ll keep the raft from flipping.”

“What about my dad?”

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