The Shortcut

Saturday, 1:04 P.M.

Missy had no qualms in letting her fourteen year old son drive home. It was a nice sunny day in April. It was less than ten miles by highway and even shorter if they drove four miles on gravel.Missy had rode with Justin while he drove on gravel before. There was no reason to think there would be any issues. Justin was a good driver, for only being fourteen.

Missy had been in town with Justin and her eight month old son, Joshua, to visit their grandma and grandpa. They had stopped by where her husband, Richard worked to say “Hi”. Missy decided it was time to be going home. She handed the keys to Justin, “You’re letting me drive?” “Sure, you’ve got this.”

Saturday, 1:07 P.M.

Justin had turned onto the gravel road.He was comfortable behind the wheel. Eight month old Joshua was a cooing and laughing in his car seat behind them. Missy was looking at the scenery as it went by, trying to think what sounded good for supper that evening. Food was not Missy's favorite thing early in this new pregnancy.

Saturday, 1:10 P.M.

Justin had driven about two miles. The right side of the wheels hit loose gravel. Everyone stayed calm, Missy calmly said “Turn the wheels into the skid and then you should be able to control the car.”

Justin calmly steered the car into the skid and drove out of it. Missy silently thanked God and sighed. For a brief moment the car and all four wheels were going in the same and correct direction

Saturday 1:10:30 P.M.

The sighs of relief cam a few seconds too early, The left side of the car caught loose gravel. This time there was no recovering.

Saturday 1:11 P.M.

Both sides of the gravel road were playing “Crack the Whip” with the car and its occupants inside. Whipping the car from the right side, to the left side ,back to the right side of the road.

Saturday 1:11:10 P.M.

It is amazing how much goes through one’s mind when time seems to freeze.

Saturday 1:11:10 P.M.

Time in Missy’s mind had stopped, the car seemed to be moving in slow motion. The only thing that was speeding, were all the thoughts in her head. Everyone seemed calm, no one, including the baby was making any sounds.

Missy with an odd sense of calm, looked at the bushes and shrubs in the ditch. “Great we are headed for the ditch. It doesn’t look like we are going to be able to drive out of this. Richard is not going to be thrilled that we will have to be towed out. But what can we do? We are gonna go in the ditch.

“There are a lot of bushes and shrubs, having the car in the ditch and needing it towed out is one thing but lots of scratches, which would lead to potential rust is problematic.”

“Maybe we should have just taken the highway.”

Justin had tried to correct the car, he did his best. Missy knew it. “It’s ok, Justin try to steer into it.”

Saturday, 1:11:16 P.M.

Missy saw the shrubs racing toward her. “We are going in! Jesus, protect us!”Missy felt for a moment all four wheels were off the ground. Like Wylie Coyote running off the edge of the cliff, momentarily suspended in mid air, defying gravity. Then like a switch that is flipped, the realization of how gravity works comes across Wylie Coyote’s face. Swoosh, Wylie falls to the ground and a cloud of dust billows up.

The realization of gravity hit Missy in that brief moment of being airborne.“This is gonna” THUD “HURT!”

A sharp pain in the middle of her back, between shoulder blades struck her, It felt as if someone had hit her with a ball and ping hammer.

Saturday 1:11:20 P.M.

Gasps from Missy and Justin and cries from Joshua were heard. The car in the ditch, for a brief moment seemed to defy gravity but could not escape its grasp. The car, that minutes ago was carrying three passengers on their way home, had dropped twelve feet and miraculously landed between a tree and a concrete culvert.

“I can’t breathe!” Missy cried. The pain in her back was severe. “Ok just need to relax, can I move my fingers and toes? Yes, good. How are my boys?” Looking toward Justin, shaken, holding the steering wheel with both clinched hands, Missy asked, “Justin, Justin are you ok?” Justin slowly shakes his head yes “ Can you move ok? Any pain in back or neck?” Missy’s medical training was kicking in but so was her instincts as a mother. She just wanted to hold her sons and tell them they were ok. They were, ok, comparatively speaking. “You have to get help.”

Saturday, 1:12P.M.

Justin gets out of the car. “I will find help and then come back. Hang in there mom.” Missy hated the thought of not knowing how far Justin would have to go before he found someone to help him or even the fact that she was sending him to find help after he had been in an accident. "There just isn't any other way. this is not a busy road and there's no way of knowing when someone would drive by and spot us. I would not have sent him if I thought he was hurt more than he was. He will be ok. Please Lord, protect him and let him find help quickly. Amen."

Saturday, 1:13 P.M.

Joshua was crying. Missy wanted to turn and check on him. She knew better. She knew that it was an unnecessary risk. “At least he is crying, that’s good. But I want to check on him. I hope Justin finds help soon. My back hurts! I have to see if Josh is ok.”

Missy slowly turned her back, trying to keep her neck in line with her the top part of her spine. Pain shot through her back, she stopped moving. “Have I moved too much?” She was able to see Joshua, still strapped in his car seat. The seat was twisted on its base.

Saturday, 1:14 P.M.

“You’re ok, sweetie. Mommy loves you. Hang on honey. We will be out soon. It’s ok,” “Is Justin ok? Did he find help? Where is help? How long has it been? The funny thing? We would be home by now if I had Justin take the highway, but no, I had to have him take a shortcut on the gravel so we would get home sooner, Get home sooner? Yeah, right. Ok, Missy, stay calm, take deep breaths.”

Saturday, 1:18 P.M.

“I can’t tun again, I shouldn’t have in the first place. Just take slow breaths, you do not know what injuries you may have sustained. Justin is getting help, Joshua is crying, not screaming, and hopefully the baby I am carrying is fine.”

Saturday, 1:21 P.M.

Missy, it’s Jack with fire department, we have EMT here We are going to get you out of here, just try to stay relaxed. Let us do all the work. We have your sons and will check them out. Richard is here also.

“Ok guys let's get the back board and secure her neck and back.”

“We’ve got you, Missy”

Saturday 1:21:05 P.M.

Missy closed her eyes, she knew she was in good hands. She thought of all the people that were there to help, some volunteers. Leaving their jobs or homes to help her and her boys. It was almost overwhelming but she was grateful. Tears of relief started to fill her closed eyes.

Saturday 1:21:10 P.M.

“What a Saturday! Next time we’re skipping the shortcut!”