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It was almost four in the afternoon when I tried to locate my kids again and found Emmy and Tyler on the far side of the fence for the horses. They were walking along the bottom rail from one section to the other, and suddenly Tonya appeared at my side.
“Nolan!” She grabbed my hand. “Something is wrong with Lauren.”
I was on my feet and following her as she pulled me toward the barn. “What happened?”
“She was jumping off the hay bales, and suddenly she said she couldn’t breathe.”
I heard other feet behind me, but I didn’t bother to see who they were. I raced into the barn to see Lauren on her side, wheezing and gray.
“Lauren!” I dropped to my knees, and someone else showed up on her other side almost immediately.
“What’s going on, Lauren?” Wes asked, and I’d never been so thankful to have a doctor as a friend.
Lauren said her chest hurt and she was obviously struggling to breathe.
Behind me, I heard Cara talking to someone, and it sounded like she was calling for help. Henley arrived and beside him was a medical bag. I was pushed aside slightly as Cara, Wes, and Henley provided aid to my daughter. Kayley stood at my side, holding me tightly.
Cara shoved her phone into her pocket. “Chopper is on its way.”
“Chopper?” I squeaked.
Brad appeared at my side. “They will fly her to Summersville. That is where Wes works. It’s the fastest way to get her the best treatment.”
“Can’t she go to the local hospital?”
Wes lifted his head. “No, she needs to go to Summersville. We’ll take good care of her there, Nolan.”
Suddenly, I thought of Emmy, and I turned to find her standing at the door to the barn. Tyler was on one side, and Tonya was on the other, and they were holding her hands, all of them wide-eyed and scared-looking.
Brad put his hand on my arm. “I got her.” Before I could say anything else, Brad took long strides to the door and scooped Emmy into his arms as he escorted the other kids out of the barn.
I didn’t have time to think as I turned back to Lauren to see they had already put an IV into her arm and an oxygen mask over her face. “Where did all that come from?” I asked stupidly.
“Henley is on call today, so he has his paramedic vehicle.”
Thank god! A couple of minutes later, we heard the chopper approaching, and Wes scooped Lauren into his arms while Cara held the bag of fluids, and they headed out of the barn toward a field behind the horse pen as quickly as they could go.
Henley came to my side. “You can’t go in the chopper, Nolan, but I’ll get you there as quickly as I can.”
“Thank you,” I told him as I ran to Lauren’s side when Wes and Cara paused to wait for the chopper to land. “Honey, I’m going to be at the hospital soon. Wes will take good care of you until we get there.” I kissed her forehead.
She nodded, and then she seemed to go limp in his arms. Cara and Wesley shared a look and ran for the chopper. As the chopper door closed, I saw Wes pushing down on Lauren’s chest, and I almost collapsed to my knees. The only thing that held me up was a pair of strong arms wrapping around my body.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Bradley
The picnic was in full swing, and everyone seemed to be having fun. The games on the side of the house were keeping the fourteen kids busy, and I saw Lauren laughing and talking with several of them. Emmy kept more to herself, but she would wander over to the other kids once in a while, play something, and then leave.
Tyler followed her around from time to time, and I learned that she enjoyed counting. Tyler said she liked to count all the posts on the paddock, and they took turns doing it as they went around and around.
I was damn proud of my kids for stepping up to the plate and making them feel comfortable. Since they did, the other kids accepted them too, and for that, I was even more grateful.
All that changed when Tonya screamed for Nolan to come and that Lauren was in trouble. I went to Nolan’s side, wanting to be there for her, but then realizing that the kids needed me more than she did. I didn’t even hesitate to pick Emmy up and move the kids along.
“Come on, guys, let’s go inside and find some ice cream.”
“Is Lauren okay?” Emmy asked as she looked over my shoulder.
