As the trip continued, several of those on the bus decided to get into a hot and heavy game of spades. Dixie was an avid player and Ricky knew after the first few hands that they were a team to be reckoned with. After an hour of playing, they were winning. Then came the hand from hell.
"Dixie, why did you bid that amount when you couldn't make it from your hand?" Ricky asked, feeling disgruntled.
"Because usually you can cover my back and I didn't want to under bid and go over." Answered Dixie. She was totally flustered by that hand.
"Well, next time, don't over bid, okay? I'd rather take the points back at the end than lose now. Damn." Ricky was frustrated.
"Okay, relax, it's only a card game, Ricky. Why are you getting so mad? It's not like we are losing." Dixie didn't understand the edginess in Ricky's tone.
Just as Ricky was about to answer Dixie the bus swayed, and a huge bang was heard. The bus had hit something and was swaying all over the ice- and snow-covered mountain road.
Ricky looked up in time to see a white van going over the side of the mountain, front first. Dixie jumped from her seat as she heard the screams of other passengers and saw the van going over the side.
"Oh My God, Ricky. Did you see that? What the hell happened? Was that a van that just went over the side of the mountain? Do something!!" Dixie was screaming and shaking and crying all at the same time.
"Baby, come here. The bus has wrecked too. Sit down and let me go see what is going on. Let me see how bad things are. Stay here and sit still. Do you hear me?" Ricky warned her to stay where he had made Dixie sit. She shook her head that she understood.
A female passenger was running down the aisle toward the front of the bus yelling that she was a nurse and to let her off the bus so she could go check on the people in the van. The bus driver, being stunned, didn't seem to hear her. When she reached him, she checked him to make sure he was alright and then demanded to be let off. He obliged her and she and a male passenger ran back to the crash site. Dixie watched as the two of them disappeared over the side of the mountain.
Ricky took out his cell phone and called for help. Reaching the police dispatch he tried to describe where they were. Having been playing cards, he really hadn't been paying much attention to the road. He looked for landmarks, but with all the snow it was hard to tell. He went to the front of the bus to ask the bus driver where they were, but he was of little help. Finally, dispatch came back on and said they had tracked him by his cell and knew where they were. Help would be there soon.
The road seemed pretty desolate, and no cars were passing by. They were pretty much on their own till help arrived. Ricky had Dixie get blankets to keep the passengers warm and drinks to keep them hydrated. He then he grabbed a couple blankets and told Dixie he was taking them down to the victims at the van.
What he saw astounded him. A woman was laying prone on the ground, a leg twisted underneath her, very apparently broken. Her left arm was also twisted and broken. Her face was scratched and bleeding. She was unconscious.
Ricky saw a young man sitting over to the side, his head in his hands, shaking and crying. After covering the woman with a blanket he took another one and wrapped it around the man. The nurse was busy working on the woman, so he stayed with the young man.
"What's your name, man?" Ricky asked.
"James. James Simeon. I...I can't bee.. belll... believe. I can't believe this has happened."
"Hey, man, it was an accident. The roads are slick.....icy ya know. Don't beat yourself up over it. Help's on its way. Who's that over there?" Ricky asked.
"That's Lillian, my mom. Is she hurt bad? God, she looks so bad. Oh man, I'm soooo sorry." James was now crying uncontrollably.
"Sir, are you hurt anywhere?" the nurse asked when she came over to check him out.
"No ma'am. How is my mom? Is she hurt bad?" James asked with tears in his brown eyes.
"Well, yes, I'm afraid she is pretty bad. I have to go back to be with her. I just came over to check you out. Are you going to be okay?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. Please, take care of my mom. Don't let her die out here." James begged her.
"I'll do my best. I'll do all I can for her until help arrives. Okay? You have to stay strong for her." then she left and went back to Lillian.
Ricky heard a rustling and looked up in time to see Dixie sliding down the mountainside. "Damn woman"...he muttered to himself. "I told her to stay put and safe. Should have known better."
"Dixie, I told you to stay in the bus where it was warm and safe. What are you doing here?" Ricky grabbed her as she reached where the van had stopped.
"I knew you would need these." she held up his gloves that he had forgotten in his haste.
"Damn woman. You aren't dressed to be out in this weather. You'll freeze to death." Ricky was both angry at her not listening to him and pleased that she had thought enough of him to risk herself to bring him his gloves. What a woman.
He had his hands full, that was for sure. Ricky admired Dixie. She was stubborn and tenacious. Loving, kind and hot as hell. Whatever was he going to do with her? Then he smiled inside. Oh, he knew full well what he would do with her. Oh, yes, he sure did.
Several hours later, after the ambulance had taken Lillian and James to the hospital and they had switched to another bus, Ricky and Dixie settled back to rest and cuddle in each other's arms. It had been a long and trying afternoon and evening. Nerves were still on edge and neither one of them could really relax.
They lay in each other's arms, each in their own thoughts. Dixie had her eyes closed, her head on Ricky's chest. Ricky held Dixie in his arms, looking out the window watching the stars and moon as the miles rolled by.
