Making Lemonade
Part Three
Peter Belden and his son, Bobby, were just finishing their hamburgers when the blizzard finally abated. They had been on the way home from White Plains when the snow started to fall. Just as they had reached the outskirts of Sleepyside, the blizzard had begun raging. Mr. Belden had quickly decided to pull over at Wimpy's and ride out the storm. Now, the wind was blowing the storm clouds rapidly west, taking the last of the snow with it.
As his father paid the bill, Bobby started the car to warm it up, and brushed the snow off of the windshield. Mr. Belden hopped into the driver seat, and they began the short jaunt to Crabapple Farm, driving slowly on the snow-drifted road.
"That was sure a short storm," Bobby commented.
"They're usually a lot longer than 30 minutes," Mr. Belden agreed.
As the car got closer to the Glen Road turnoff, Bobby noticed something in the right hand ditch. "Dad, there's a vehicle in the ditch!" he yelled.
Mr. Belden slowed even more, and parked just behind where the vehicle had hit the ditch. He jumped out the driver's seat, and crossed in front of his car. As he caught sight of the visible side of the vehicle, a feeling of dread flooded his body. That looks like the kids' station wagon! he thought worriedly. By the time he had reached the bumper of the ditched vehicle, he realized that it was the Bob-White car.
"Bobby, drive back into town and get the ambulance out here!" he yelled as Bobby was about to walk up to him.
Bobby hastened to obey. He had never heard his father sound quite like that. He sounds like he's- he;s afraid, he thought. Bobby backed up and turned slowly, then drove to Sleepyside as fast as he dared.
As soon as Mr. Belden was sure that Bobby had listened and was on his way to town, he stepped down into the snow-filled ditch. He brushed the snow off of the driver side window and peered anxiously inside.
"Mart!"
He could see his middle son, head hanging forward, body held upright by the seat belt's shoulder strap. Beyond Mart was another figure. Mr. Belden couldn't see her face, but he could tell by the long black hair that Diana was in the passenger seat. Her head was leaning on the passenger side window, and her left arm lay limply in her lap. Moving down the car, Mr. Belden tried to see if anyone was in the back seats. He couldn't see anyone else, but the passenger side behind Diana was crushed inward, making it difficult to be certain that only two people were in the car.
Mr. Belden went back up to Mart's door, and pulled gently on the handle. The door opened easily, undamaged in the accident. Kneeling beside Mart, ignoring the snow seeping into his pants, he reached for Mart's left hand. A huge wash of relief saturated his body as he found a pulse.
"Mart," he called into his son's face. "Mart, can you hear me?" There was no response.
He didn't dare try to move either of them. He knew that he could do more harm than good if they had neck or spine injuries. He pulled his winter coat off and draped it over his son's still form. Crossing in front of the station wagon, he pushed through the snow to reach Diana's door. But her door would not open. It was obvious that the most damage had occurred on the passenger side.
Mr. Belden went back to wait by his son, clasping Mart's cold fingers in his own. He kept up a steady stream of reassurances, telling Mart and Di that they were going to be all right, and that the ambulance would soon be here.
As he heard the wail of the rescue vehicle's siren, he let the tears that had been held off by sheer force of will cascade down his face.
The ambulance and fire truck arrived at the same time. Mr. Belden was pushed back, and told to stay out of the way. Bobby drove up a minute later, and stood fearfully by his father.
"Who is it?" he whispered, dreading the answer.
"Mart and Diana," his father replied, turning to look in Bobby's eyes. "Mart's still alive. I found his pulse. I couldn't get to Diana. They're going to be all right, son."
Bobby couldn't believe it. His own brother, lying in that wreck? But the look in his father's eyes convinced him that it was the truth.
The two Beldens watched silently as paramedics pulled Mart out of the car, strapping him to a spine board. The ambulance sped quickly away to Sleepyside. The Jaws of Life had to be used to cut open the passenger side of the car. By the time Diana was freed from the car, the ambulance had returned for her.
As soon as Diana was loaded into the ambulance, Mr. Belden hopped in his car and drove to the hospital, Bobby pale and quiet beside him.
A nurse met them at the front doors. She directed them to a waiting room, and told them that the doctors were examining both patients.
"I'm going to call your mother and the Lynches," Mr. Belden told Bobby. "You wait right here in case they have any news."
Going to the nearest payphone, he dialed his home telephone number. When his wife answered, he froze, not knowing how to tell her.
"Hello?" she repeated.
"Helen, it's me."
"Peter! Did the blizzard catch you in White Plains?"
"No, I'm in Sleepyside. At the hospital."
"Hospital! Is Bobby okay? What are-"
"Bobby's fine. It's Mart and Diana. They were in a car accident."
"Are they all right? They were just here a couple of hours ago!"
"The doctors are with them right now. Helen, I don't know how bad it is. I have to call the Lynches. "
"I'll call Manor House and get someone to drive me into town."
The Beldens said a quick goodbye. Helen phoned the Manor House and Miss Trask and Regan picked up her up two minutes later.
Peter knew the Lynches would want to know as soon as possible, but he couldn't resist checking with Bobby to hear if there was any news. Bobby had nothing to report.
Putting another quarter in the payphone, he called the Lynch residence. Carolyn answered.
"Hello, Carolyn. This is Peter Belden."
"Oh, hello, Peter. I imagine you're calling about Diana and Mart."
"Yes, I am. You already know?" Mr. Belden couldn't understand how calm she sounded.
"Yes, they told me this morning. If you're trying to talk me into going along with their plans-"
"Carolyn, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm at the hospital. Mart and Diana were in an accident with the station wagon."
"What?!"
"We're waiting to hear from the doctors. Bobby and I found them, and they were both unconscious."
"No-". There was a loud clatter in Peter's ear, then Thomas Lynch's voice.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Thomas, it's Peter Belden. Mart and Diana were in a car accident, and they're being treated at Sleepyside Hospital."
"Are they okay?"
"We don't know yet. I haven't been able to talk to any doctors."
"We'll be right there."
Peter hung up the phone and hurried back to the waiting room. Bobby shook his head at his father's unasked question. Still no news.
Less than five minutes later, Helen, Regan, and Miss Trask hurried into the waiting room. Peter and Helen embraced, holding on to each other tightly. Peter told them that they still had not talked to any doctors.
As Peter and Helen murmured quietly, Bobby related how they had come across the accident. Miss Trask and Regan exchanged glances. On the drive to Sleepyside, they had passed the station wagon, but had kept Helen distracted so that she hadn't seen the wrecked vehicle.
The Lynches soon joined them. Thomas was practically carrying Carolyn into the room.
"I was so harsh to Diana," she sobbed. "I wish I could take back everything that I said!"
Helen realized that Peter had not yet heard why the couple had driven from New York City that day. In all the turmoil, the news of the baby had been briefly forced from her mind. She glanced over at Bobby, and decided he was old enough to hear the whole story.
"Peter, Bobby," she began, "Mart and Diana came to Crabapple Farm today. They wanted to share the news that they are expecting a baby in the summer, and that the wedding would happen next month."
Peter stared incredulously at his wife. Then the full meaning of her words hit him- Diana wasn't only fighting to save herself, but her unborn baby, as well.
"The accident is all my fault!" Carolyn cried. "If I hadn't tried to act the proper way, they wouldn't have left so soon. We'd all be having lunch right now."
Peter and Helen shared a look. They knew exactly what Carolyn had meant by "the proper way". The Society Club had been lecturing every woman in town on the right way to act, talk, and think. Most people just ignored them, but some impressionable women, who were old enough to know better, got swept up in their crusade to "educate" the public.
"Carolyn, I don't want you blaming yourself for this accident," her husband admonished her. "I'm not excusing your behaviour, but you are not responsible for the crash."
"Actually," Peter said, "I don't think that they just went into the ditch. >From the way the car looked, another vehicle was involved."
Thomas was about to ask if another vehicle had been found at the scene when a doctor strode into the waiting room.
"Mr. and Mrs. Belden?" she inquired.
"I'm Peter Belden, and this is my wife, Helen. How is Mart?"
"I'm Dr. Savage. I examined your son in the emergency room. Martin is conscious and lucid. He has a mild concussion, and his left ankle needs to be x-rayed. I think it's just a sprain, but the x-ray is to rule out the possibility of fractures."
"He's going to be all right?" Helen cried.
"He has no long term injuries, and he should make a complete recovery."
"What about Diana?" Thomas asked anxiously. "She was in the accident with Mart."
"Dr. Stoll is treating her right now. He'll be out as soon as possible to update you on her condition."
"Can't you tell us anything?" Carolyn begged.
"I'm sorry. I didn't see Diana. Dr. Stoll will be out as soon as he can."
"Can we see Mart?" Helen asked.
"He's on his way to x-ray. I'll take you there right now."
Helen, Peter, and Bobby followed the doctor out of the waiting room. Miss Trask and Regan stayed with the Lynches, silently praying that Diana would be all right.
It was another long ten minutes before Dr. Stoll finally made an appearance in the waiting room.
"Mr. and Mrs. Lynch, I'm Dr. Stoll. I examined your daughter in the emergency room. She has a severe concussion and will need to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days."
"What about the baby?" Carolyn whispered fearfully.
"So far, so good. We performed an ultrasound in the emergency room, and everything looks okay. But," the doctor continued, "we'll have to keep a close eye on the pregnancy."
"Can we see her?" Thomas asked.
"She's being moved to a room right now. Someone at the nurses' station will be able to tell you the room number. Please keep your visit brief. Diana needs rest right now."
The Lynches hurried away to find Di. Miss Trask and Regan looked at each other with relief shining in their eyes. They hadn't lost either of the young people who were so dear to them.
Meanwhile, the Beldens had been reunited with Mart. Helen couldn't stop smoothing his hair back from his forehead, and there were constant tears welling in her eyes.
"Dad, this car just came out of nowhere!" Mart exclaimed. "We were turning, and it just plowed straight into us." He called to the x-ray technician, "I need to see Di! How much longer is this going to take?"
"Mart, I have good news," Dr. Savage said as she walked into the room. "I talked to Dr. Stoll, and Diana is going to be okay. She too has a concussion, but hers is more severe than yours."
"Thank you, God," Mart breathed. "What about the baby? Is the baby-" Mart couldn't finish the thought.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed, but everything looks good for the baby too. Diana will have to stay for observation for a few days, maybe as long as a week."
Mart's parents squeezed each other's hands tightly. Trixie had had a lot of close calls over the years, but they hadn't found out about them until the danger was well passed. This was one of the few times that they had had to wait to hear that everyone was okay.
As the Beldens stayed close by Mart, Carolyn Lynch stood outside of Diana's hospital room, deeply regretting the way she had behaved to her daughter. Thomas could read the guilt etched on her face, and gave her a brief hug.
"Diana will forgive you," he told her. "She's never one to hold a grudge. But I think you should choose your words carefully, because we don't have time to have a long drawn-out discussion."
Taking a deep breath, Carolyn pushed open the heavy brown door and stepped into the quiet room. Diana was in bed, but with the head tilted up to let her sit rather than lie. Her black hair was a startling contrast to the white of the sheets and the pallor of her face. She turned her face towards her parents when she heard the door swing open.
Thomas strode the three steps to his girl's bedside, and wordlessly clasped her hand between his own. Carolyn approached Di from the other side, and hesitantly touched Di's hand.
"Diana, what I said to you was unforgivable. At the time, I thought I meant what I said, but as soon as the two of you left, the realization of my own stupidity hit me. Then, when we heard about the accident, I thought that those could be the last words we said to each other." Tears filled both women's eyes as Carolyn continued, "I can't take back what I said. But I do know that they were said in the heat of the moment, and they don't reflect how I really feel about you, Mart, or your baby."
"Mom-". Diana didn't know what to say. She knew her mother was sincere, but the memory of those hateful words was so fresh. Then she looked at her father. His love for her was beaming down at her, and she knew that she would not continue the fight with her mother, if only for his sake. He would be caught in the middle if she couldn't forgive her mother. "Mom, I'm still angry at you. But I want to start over with you- if you can accept the decisions that Mart and I have made, and if you aren't going to be ashamed to be with your own grandchild."
"I promise that I will help you in any way I can." She glanced at her husband, and said, "And I could never be ashamed of your child. Your father has been telling me for months that I need to develop my own opinions, and not let others dictate my life."
Thomas added, "Your mother would have come around eventually, Diana. The accident just speeded up the process."
Di believed her father's words. She had been so surprised by her mother's over the top reaction because it seemed so unlike her. She too thought that her mother would have been unable to keep away from the wedding preparations once she realized that the wedding was inevitable.
The Lynches kissed Diana goodbye, telling her they would see her in the morning. The doctor wanted Di to get as much rest as she could, to stay strong for the baby. She had only been alone for a minute or two when Mart pushed open the door.
When he saw Di looking so helpless in the bed, tears spilled from his eyes down his hospital gown. He swung into the room on crutches, causing Di to gasp.
"It's okay, it's only a sprain," Mart told her softly. He sat down gently beside her, and brushed her hair back from her face with one finger.
Diana pulled him into a fierce embrace. The nurse had told her that Mart was basically all right, but she'd been afraid anyway until she saw him again.
Ten minutes later, when the nurse eased open the door, she saw the two of them fast asleep in Diana's bed. Diana's left arm was cuddling Mart close to her, and his right hand lay protectively above the spot where their baby's heart beat softly.
To Be Continued