The scene was worse than Lucas had been able to describe. There were four vehicles that had been hit by the rolling car or by the other driver, class and metal littered the street. The people in each of those vehicles were more shocked than anything. They were wrapped in grey wool blankets. Two firemen crouched with them receiving instructions from Anna for monitoring them for level of shock.
The black burned out shell of a car had been dragged backwards into the parking lot once they had put the fire out. It had once been a red Honda Civic, a fireman told Brett when he asked, it must have had NOS or another chemical on board because it took a lot more than water to put it out. The driver had not made it. The car would not be moved until the coroner was there to supervise the extraction: yellow caution tape surrounded the car and an area around it. The smell of burnt flesh in the air reminded Brett of a time they had done an rotisserie of a whole pig and decided he wouldn't be able to eat pork for a long time. The car that had smashed into the grocery store was still there. They hadn't dared to move it until they could get crews in to make sure there were no people underneath it or the debris that would settle when they moved it. Nate and the firemen had found a way to get the driver and two passengers out, they were on some of the cots awaiting transport to the hospital: concussions for sure but anything worse Andy couldn't assess where they were.
The police chief put them to work under direction from a local builder. Electrical and gas trucks sat in the lot, having turned off the dangerous utilities and the technicians monitoring for more problems and assessing panels for damage. The builder instructed on safe removal of the debris, how to watch for shifting materials and other safety measures as he handed out hardhats and gloves. Someone had found large garbage bins for sweeping the glass and smaller debris into. The larger manageable pieces were to be carried out but two excavators were being brought up the street to deal with any of the pieces that could not be lifted out by hand.. The debris was making it impossible to make sure everyone was out.
One of the staff members guesstimated there had been about forty five people in the store, twenty six had been accounted for and were huddled under more blankets, giving statements to the police.
Brett and Lucas got to work. When a worker called out that they'd found someone: Andy immediately moved to the spot to assess the person they found. Brett and Lucas kept working, praying everyone would be okay. It was the worst accident they'd ever seen in this small town. Fire crews checked for hot spots. Nate towed away damaged vehicles to and empty lot until they could be assessed. In the distance sirens could be heard coming from Medicine Hat.
It was nearing dark when the final person was found: there had been buffets of food brought in from farmhouses around and jugs of water for drinking and all the construction lights in town had been set up to light up the accident scene. They had been able to remove the car about an hour earlier Occasionally a fireman or one of the paramedics would come around to check the workers, a few had to be forced into taking breaks. Anyone who couldn't help with lifting helped with the food or was shown by Anna how to help keep patients hydrated while they waited for one of Medicine Hat's ambulances to return to take them into the hospital.
"We can rig up a couple trailers faster than those ambulances can get back and forth," Lucas told Andy, wiping sweat on his sleeve before guzzling some water. "Get a couple of the 5th wheels, drop the bunks, strap people in."
"Not a bad idea," Brett agreed, "throw a couple first responders in every trailer and get the Chief to get an escort and call it in the the hospital: we'd have the rest there before the ambulances made it halfway back." Andy hesitated, "you said yourself the worst cases already went."
"You're right, make it happen." Andy nodded, "I'll fill Anna and the chiefs in."
Lucas jogged toward the feedlot office, calling out to Addie and her father. It didn't take long to convince them to get their personal 5th wheel ready to go and call Mr Johnson about using his that was stored there. They went about setting up beds and strapping down anything that could pose danger. The feedlot had trucks: Lucas volunteered to ride with Addie and her father took one of the other hands with him.
By the time they were ready the chief had cleared people back off the road so the trailers could be backed in. Andy rode in one trailer and Anna in the other, each with firemen for help. Two of the deputies escorted them out of town, lights and sirens cutting through the early dusk.
With everyone accounted for and the trailers on their way, the chief told everyone to go home. Even Slim's would not be open that night. Brett was exhausted. Between his hangover, working for a couple hours in the field and helping with the accident scene he just wanted a shower an bed.
Ned was waiting with a truck from the Bogs, "I heard the sirens," the older man told him, "Figured you'd been asked to help out. Terrible thing, heard there was four people dead."
"Just one," Brett told his uncle and climbed into the passenger seat, "The driver of the burned out vehicle. Everyone else left here alive." Ned nodded and drove back toward the Bogs. It was a comfortable silence, and Brett nodded off thinking how his uncle hardly spoke about anything that wasn't important. He jarred awake when the truck stopped. "Her truck isn't here," Brett said groggily, "She wasn't in that mess in town either." Ned went into the house, "What are you not telling me Uncle Ned?"
Ned hesitated, the boy had a lot to deal with but he knew Brett would badger him, "She lit out of here about ten this morning like the devil was on her tail. She took all her things."
"She's gone?" Brett stopped in the doorway, his fist wrapped tightly around the doorknob of the door he was closing, "Not a word about it? Just left?"
"She seemed out of sorts when she was in the kitchen," Ned admitted, "But didn't say anything different than usual." He put a hand on his nephew's shoulder, "She's a strong girl, give her some time."
"And if she doesn't come back?"
"Then she's not meant to be here."
The answer was simple but Brett couldn't accept it, "I can't lose you both right now."
Ned nodded, "Go get cleaned up, there's some things I should start showing you."
Brett's eyes were haunted: he needed to remember what happened the night before so that he could be sure it wasn't his fault that she'd left; but Ned was right. He needed a shower and food.
Ned had put away most of the baking Maisey had done that morning: a loaf of bread and a half eaten pie sat on the counter.
"Did she seem upset last night when she and Andy brought me home?"
"No. After Andy left I heard the shower going and fell asleep. At breakfast she was in the middle of coring apples and I hadn't had my coffee yet." Ned put a laptop on the table and opened the lid.
"I didn't know you had one of these," Brett teased, watching his uncle log in.
"Accountant said I had to. Once or twice a week I sit down and enter the bills and expenses even." With a few mouse clicks Ned brought open an email attachment.
Brett read through the information, not fully understanding everything, "Uncle Ned, does that say what I think it does?"
"Debt free and you could go 10 years with no profits and still have money in the bank with twenty men pulling salary."
"Do we have 20 men pulling salary?"
"No," Ned admitted. "I hire for harvest and for sales and a few other times but usually no. You'll need to invest in some capital, but it's been budgeted for. Take a loan only to build your own reputation with the lenders."
"I always thought we couldn't afford to hire more men." Brett was floored, he struggled to know what to say. Junior must have had no idea about the value of the place or the finances Ned had managed. "This is nuts!"
"You should consider hiring on some of the men that will be helping at the sale, many have helped every year." Brett saw the wisdom in the recommendation.