The Return of Cassandra Todd by Darrel Nelson

Author:Darrel Nelson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781621360223
Publisher: Charisma House
Published: 2012-12-22T14:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 23

JUSTIN EXPLORED THE interior of the cave, finding wonders that captivated his four-year-old imagination. Several stalactites hung from a low section of the ceiling. They were several inches in length and resembled grayish icicles. He studied them with fascination before turning his attention to a small growth of yellowish-brown lichens nearby. He touched the fuzzy plants and giggled, saying they tickled him.

After exploring the interior of the cave for twenty minutes, his attention span maxed out, and he raced for the entrance. “Let’s go outside!” he said.

Cassandra came out of her reverie in time to see Justin flash by her. Instinctively she leaped to her feet and attempted to grab him so he didn’t get away. In the process, she stumbled over a rock and her ankle twisted sideways. She cried in agony and fell to the ground.

“Mommy!” Justin yelled, rushing back to her.

She felt nauseous with pain and began shaking uncontrollably. Perspiration beaded on her forehead, and she fought the urge to vomit.

Turner was beside her in an instant, cradling her head and wiping a smudge of dirt from her cheek.

“Stupid me!” she moaned through clenched teeth.

“Are you okay, Mommy?” Justin asked, starting to cry.

“Mommy’s okay,” she said, wiping his tears and grimacing as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. “Let me try to stand up.”

“Rest for a minute,” Turner said, dabbing her forehead with the bottom of his shirt. “I need to look at your ankle.”

She winced as Turner gently lifted the leg of her pants and rolled down her sock. The initial wave of nausea began to pass, and she found herself breathing a little easier. “How does it look?” she asked.

“It’s starting to swell. I’m going to leave your shoe on to keep compression on your ankle. Now I just have to find a way to immobilize it.”

“Got any splints in your back pocket?” she said, as a tremor shook her body again.

“No, but I can find something.”

While Justin cuddled up in her arms, Turner left for a minute. He returned carrying a small log. “It’s rotted in the middle so this should work,” he said.

She watched as he broke off two curved pieces, about the length from her ankle to her knee. He put them on either side of her leg and had her hold them in place. Then he removed his T-shirt and tore it into strips, which he used to tie the two pieces in place.

As he worked, she noticed the way his muscles flexed like strands of steel wire as he tied the strips at intervals around the splint. There was confidence in his expression and certainty in his eyes. “Pretty creative,” she said, wincing at the sudden pressure around her leg.

“I’m a handyman, remember?” he said, tying the last strip in place. “Ready to give it a try?”

She exhaled sharply and nodded. “Talk about giving me the shirt off your back.”

“I’ve got a dozen more just like it in my closet at home. Now let’s get you back to the cabin and ice your ankle.

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