The Blizzard Night

The fire sizzled and cracked in combat with the cold air. My wife, Skyler, and I were bundled up in our thickest coats and huddled with our dog, Echo, in front of the fire. Word in the town is that it was supposed to be a record cold night as it is early January. A glance out the window confirmed that the snow was already coming down in sheets. The plan was to stay in for a few days. We were stocked up with wood, food, and water. The sun was barely showing in the sky, but I knew the night was nearing. I made sure to pull extra blankets from the closet that night as we changed into our warm PJs. 

“I hope Adrian and his parents are okay.” I mentioned right before going to bed. Adrian is our neighbor, and his parents cannot move and often have to go to the hospital. I hope that they all catch a break these next few days. 

After we were under the covers and ready to blow out candles, I caught Echo looking at me with the saddest eyes, so I patted the bed for her to get up. Her tail started to go as she jumped up and wiggled under the covers between Skyler and me. The candles went out, and soon, everyone was peacefully sleeping. 

*BANG* *CRASH* This echoed through the woods around us. It woke both of us up, but we thought nothing of it until there was a frantic knocking at the door. 

“Quinn, Skyler, please, come help!” The voice was desperate. I got up quickly and threw on my jacket. At the door was Adrian; I could feel the time was around 3 AM. 

“Adrian!” I gasped, “Are you okay? Are your parents okay? What’s going on?”

“A tree managed to fall on our house from the intense winds out there, and I am not able to get my parents out as we are pretty much blocked in with the snow!”

“Let me get Skyler up, and we will be over as soon as we can.” I closed the door again and rushed to get all of my snow gear on while waking Skyler. I grabbed our snow shovel and a flashlight and started to head over. Adrian was not joking when he said the wind was insane. I had to hold onto everything with all I had. Skyler caught up to me quickly with another shovel, and we made it to Adrian’s within a few minutes. He was already outside with his own snow shovel plowing away at the snow at the front door. Once I got close enough to see the house, I was shocked. A tree had gone straight through the roof and down the middle of the house. I did not know the layout of their house but knew it was similar to mine. I started shoveling at the back door and got myself in. Adrian told me that the tree separated both of the parents, and they were on different sides of the house. 

Once inside, the wind was still strong, and all of Adrian’s items were flying all over the place. I was able to dodge a tea kettle flying at my head narrowly. The tree looked worse from the inside, the fire was smothered out from it, and there was broken furniture everywhere. I spent what felt like forever climbing over pieces of ceiling and branches, but I heard a small voice from the other room.

“Help me, please!” It called out in desperation. I ran to the voice to find Adrian’s mother trapped under a small tree branch. She has items hitting her left and right, and she was only in her nightgown, so her entire body was being exposed to the cold and elements. I ran over to her and managed to get the tree branch off. She has wounds across her chest, and her breathing was labored. I grabbed a blanket and wrapped her in it. I went to pick her up and found her to be fairly light. I grabbed a piece of wood nearby and laid it across her head. It could not be comfortable, but it can offer a small bit of protection against the things flying every which way. I finally got out of the building, but not before a piece of wood went shooting into the back of my knee. I fell forward, and Adrian’s mom went rolling into the three-foot snow. I ripped out the item and wrapped my scarf around it as quickly as possible before diving into the snow for the frail woman. She seemed alright, but was turning blue, and I noticed she was moving less. I ran to the front of the house, relieved to see that Skyler and Adrian had gotten the older man out safely, the only problem being he was barefoot. He was not able to be carried like his wife was. Adrian had a bit of blood running down his face into his eye, but he seemed functional.

“Let’s get them to our house as soon as possible,” I yelled over the whistling of the wind. We trudged our way back; this time, it took an extra ten minutes because of the extra people. When I finally saw our front door, the relief was overwhelming. I ran the last few steps and was able to get the mother on the couch and covered in more blankets. Adrian and Skyler were soon after me and set father into the lounger. I was attempting to start a fire in the fireplace, but my numb fingers were failing me. Adrian grabbed the supplies from me and started the fire with no issues. I ran to the bedroom to grab wool socks and was able to cover their feet. The fire immediately started warming up the house, much to everyone’s relief. 

Everyone started to take off their winter items, and I noticed everyone was in worse shape than I thought. I grabbed the first aid kit and started tending to the worst wounds first. I had forgotten completely about my own; it didn’t even hurt. The mother was breathing very heavily and would not open her eyes; something seemed seriously wrong.

“Mom?” Adrian asked tentatively, “She needs medical help!”

“There’s a hospital about 10 miles out. I have an electric sled, but it usually only fits one person, and there is no way she is getting there on her own.” I stated.

“There has to be some way. She’s small. Do you think we could strap her behind you?”

“Me?” I asked with surprise. I didn’t think Adrian would trust me with that.

“If you could, I need to stay back and look over my father. He seems okay but needs some attention.”

I nodded in thought. I started throwing my winter gear back on and then searching the closet for back-up gear. I managed to get the mother as bundled up as she will ever be. Adrian carried her with me to the small garage that we have. I grabbed some straps and got on the sled. Adrian gently placed her behind me and put the straps around us both. Her warmth was giving me some of the needed strength as my heart was pounding furiously. I didn’t want to mess this up.

The garage door opened to reveal what we had just escaped, the terrible blizzard that awaited us. They helped push us out, and I was on my way. I could not see far ahead of me, as the meager headlight did nothing against the thick sleet. I could hear the mother groaning with every bump we hit, and I prayed with everything I had that we both got there alive. The drive was longer than I remembered it being. We were about a mile out when I realized that there was no longer that comforting warmth coming from behind me. I started to panic even more.

Finally, the lights reading “HOSPITAL” came into view. I slid to a stop in front of the entrance and didn’t even bother to unstrap us. I supported her legs and ran inside.

“I need help! Something’s wrong! She was trapped under a tree branch, she had labored breathing, and I no longer feel her warmth.”

Relieved, I saw a slew of nurses come running out with a bed and start to unstrap her from me. She was finally on the stretcher and being brought to the back. It was going to be okay. The nurse said something to me, but I didn’t hear her. I looked over to get clarification, but my vision seemed to have gone blurry as well. 

Suddenly, everything went back, and all I could hear was the nurses’ radio asking for another stretcher.

I hope she’s okay.