"Crap, what was that?" Maggie wondered aloud. The noise had been indistinct but loud enough to notice amidst the creaking and groaning of the old house. The wind moaned around the house and through the trees outside. Rain slanted in against the windows, maybe even hail. She couldn't really tell what direction the sound had come from or even describe it well.
The dog whined and cowered behind the recliner as she got up. She'd been watching the latest CSI episode and hated to leave during the middle of the drama but she needed to check it out.
"Don't worry honey, it's just a little wind and rain. This house has stood for over a hundred years. I doubt this will do much to us."
She went into the kitchen and pulled the big flashlight from under the kitchen sink then grabbed her big slicker raincoat from the peg by the door. "As long as we don't end up with a tree branch through a window."
Lightning wouldn't strike the house. At least, she didn't think so. There were lightning rods on the barn. Surely those would attract any stray bolts... right? At least the horses were tucked up securely for the night.
Best just make sure things were okay, even if it meant getting a little wet.
Maggie stepped into the backroom and turned on the light but it just as quickly went out. Was that the bulb? She flicked on the flashlight, walked back to the kitchen door and stuck her head back into the kitchen. Nope, everything was dark and silent.
O-kay.
She went back into the kitchen and got down the hurricane lantern from the top of the cabinet in the corner. Better have that lit to take her wet clothes off by before she went out. She struck a match and pushed the lever to lift the glass in order to light the wick. Releasing the glass, Maggie blew out the match and flicked it into the sink before stepping back out into the backroom. She set the lantern on the old propane stove and pulled on her boots.
She didn't have far to go to find something the matter. As soon as she pulled the door in, something came with the rain and wind, landing on the floor. She started backwards. The hurricane lamp didn't provide enough light to see more than the fact that it was a person. She swept her flashlight down. A man was lying half in and half out of the doorway.
"That's gotta hurt," she said aloud. He was lying over the step down to the flagstone.
She bent over him and shone the flashlight over his face. He was completely impervious to any pain he might be feeling at the moment and he definitely wasn't going to be any help in getting him inside.
She set the flashlight down on the upper landing of the room and focused it on the pile at her feet. Drawing on every bit of strength she could muster, Maggie hooked her hands under his arms and heaved him up into the backroom. She had to at least get him out of the rain. Then she could call for some help.
"Good grief," Maggie gasped out as she hauled him up inside. She set him down and went around to his feet, accidentally looking into the flashlight herself. She shielded her eyes and blinked a few times then averted her eyes as she reached down and picked up his legs to swing them in out of the way of the door.
Maggie got the door shut and grabbed the flashlight, playing it over the body lying on the floor. He wore just sneakers with his jeans and a dark t-shirt under a lightweight jacket. What the heck had he been stumbling around out in this rain for? She couldn't see any obvious reasons for him to be out cold.
She played the flashlight over his face again and bent down. She ran her hand over his wet close-cropped hair, checking for bumps or sticky spots that would suggest blood. He was very wet, it dripped from his face, but no sticky patches.
Something must have happened to him but she didn't know what. Maggie kicked off her boots and shrugged out of her slicker then stepped into the kitchen. The cordless phone would be out but she always kept an old fashioned phone in the cupboard to plug in when something like this happened. She opened the cupboard and pulled out the old beige push button phone, unplugged the cordless from the jack and plugged in the old phone. She picked up the handset. No dial tone. She checked all the connections. No good. The phone was out too, and cell phones simply didn't work up here. There were no neighbors within several miles to go to for help either. Ugh.
She went back out to the backroom and looked at him again, not sure what to do with him. As she watched he seemed to stir a little then his eyelids fluttered. She knelt down beside him.
"Hey, hey hon, come on now, time to wake up." Maggie held the flashlight up above so it shone on his face but not right in his eyes.
His eyelashes fluttered then his eyes stayed open but they looked quite dazed, almost fevered, to Maggie.
"Where'm I?" he muttered. "Must've gahblownoffcourse."
"You're safe inside out of the storm," she reassured him. He must have had a car accident. She wondered if she should move him or not. Well, he'd made it this far and the chances of getting an ambulance out here tonight were pretty well nil. Knowing the roads, there were probably trees down along the route so getting out wasn't likely either. They'd have to do the best they could. "Let's get you up and into the house."
He took a deep breath and started to slowly sit up so Maggie put a supporting arm under his shoulders. With her help, he was able to get unsteadily to her feet and lean on her as they walked into the house. Maggie shone the flashlight in front of them to light the way. The dog had come out from her hiding place. She growled at first at the tall stranger but as they got nearer she quieted and started wagging her tail and even nuzzled his hand.
The dog followed as Maggie maneuvered him through the doorway into the guest bedroom downstairs. Maggie set the flashlight on a dresser to give them some light then eased him down onto the cedar chest at the foot of the bed.
"I think you need to get out of these wet clothes. Will you be okay if I leave you for a minute?"
"Ah'llbefffine."
Maggie wasn't so sure but she figured it was important to get him out of the wet clothes. She dashed upstairs and pulled out a pair of sweats with a drawstring waist and an oversize t-shirt along with the matching sweatshirt and a pair of her hunting socks. She hurried back downstairs and found him already sprawled backwards on the bed.
Crap.
The hurricane lamp might make this easier. She went out and got it and brought it into the bedroom, setting it on a dresser in the corner.
"C'mon mack, let's get you changed." She shook him a little but there was no response. He was breathing but out of it again completely.
Double crap.
She was going to have to get him out of these wet clothes on her own.
