Again she nodded.

"Becca, hang out with the kids until Frank is briefed. Give him the medicine. Make sure these little ones are getting what they need. Tell him Jeremy has been dosed and should stay in bed. He gets more Tylenol and cough syrup in four hours. And try not to breathe the air if you can help it. No kissing sick kids, no matter how tempting!"

"Right," Becca said, thinking that all she wanted to do was pull Megan onto her lap and cuddle her, reassure her.

Mel disappeared into the bedroom. In just seconds, Cameron Michaels came through the living room, carrying a child wrapped in a blanket. Right on his heels came Mel, also carrying a little boy. Behind them came Lorraine, her coat hanging open, carrying two doctors' bags. She leaned down and kissed Megan's forehead. "Tell Daddy I'll call home as soon as we know what the chest X-rays say. Can you remember that?"

Megan nodded.

"It's going to be just fine, Megan," Lorraine said. "Dr. Michaels and Mel know exactly what to do."

"I know...."

Becca watched Lorraine quickly race out the door, closing it.

She was filled with emotions she couldn't quite label, but one of them was a fierce longing. She wanted to throw down the crutches and walk; she wanted to carry one of these children to safety.

She patted Megan's hand. "I brought some soup. I'm going to warm it for you."

Fifteen

Denny stood back and watched as Jack, up on a ladder at the Thicksons' shed, dumped a pile of snow on top of Preacher's head as Preacher was backing out of the same shed, his arms laden with firewood.

"Hey! Watch it!"

"Sorry, Preach."

"Like the three stooges," Frank Thickson muttered.

Preacher filled Denny's arms with the firewood. "Here. Make yourself useful."

"Gimme a load," Frank said.

"Since we're here and willing to help, why don't you go back to the house and check on the family. We'll bring your wood."

"I don't like being done for," he said.

"Get over yourself," Jack said from up on his ladder. And then he scooped another pile of snow on his cook's head. He grinned. "Sorry, Preach."

"Come down here and do wood!" Preacher commanded. "I'll clean the roof!"

"That's okay, buddy," Jack said. "I got it."

"You're gonna get it!" the big man threatened.

Denny chuckled and started moving toward the house with his load of wood. Frank followed and Denny slowed. "Say, Frank, you have a lot of property out here. You ever keep a garden?"

"Summertime," he grunted.

"There's a reason I'm asking. I'm leaving my job out at Jilly Farms. You know, it used to be Hope McCrea's place and Jillian Matlock has been farming it. Very interesting work. They're going to be looking for someone-"

"Someone with one arm or two?" he asked.

"Jack's right, you should get over yourself. I served two tours in the sandbox with the Marines-I know an unfortunate number of guys with missing limbs. I know it's a struggle, but the crankier you are, the bigger your load is gonna be. You seem to do okay with one arm and you're probably due to get a prosthesis before too long. You could at least talk to Jilly. You could at least try."

Frank stopped walking. "You think I don't try?"

Denny stopped. "I couldn't say for sure whether you try or not. I can say for sure that it would all be a lot easier if you weren't so angry and a little more grateful for what you've got instead of all pissed off about what you're missing."

"Oh, yeah? And what is it I'm supposed to be grateful for, Mr. Know-It-All?"

Denny lifted both brows. "Let's see. A brain that works, eyes that see, ears that hear, two legs and one arm, for starters. Then there's the wife, four good-looking, smart kids and a roof over your head. A lot of people would give their right arm for that." Then he walked to the house and deposited the wood on the porch. He walked right past Frank on his way back to get another load.

Denny heard a sound and turned to look back. He saw Dr. Michaels and Mel hustling out to the Hummer, carrying small children. He moved back toward the house and Frank.

"What are they doing here?" Frank asked.

The doctor lifted his bundle into the back of the Hummer before he addressed Frank. "I think they're going to be just fine, Frank, but they have to go to the hospital. They both need X-rays and antibiotic therapy. We have to be sure it's not pneumonia. If this has settled into their chests, and it sounds like it has, they'll just get worse out here without the right medicine-and there's another storm on the way."

"I can't afford no hospital!"

"If you can't afford it, they'll still be treated. Mel can help you with some paperwork for assistance-that can be done later," Cameron said.

"They'll just heap the bills on me-they'll get their pound of flesh eventually. I'll never get on my feet this way!"

"Well, Frank, I believe the price of not taking these little ones to Valley Hospital could be a lot higher than that. I aim to get 'em taken care of so they can get well."

Then, ignoring any further argument, Cameron got behind the wheel of the Hummer.

Lorraine Thickson hurried out the door and across the porch, carrying two doctors' bags. "Frank, please watch over Megan and Jeremy. I imagine I'll stay the night with the boys. I'll call you later to tell you how they are."

She climbed in the back with Mel and the little ones, the hatch closed and the Hummer backed away. Frank tromped up the porch step and into the house.

Knowing Becca was in there with Megan, Denny abandoned the idea of another load of wood and jogged through the deep snow to the house. He kicked the snow off his boots before opening the door, just in time to hear Frank angrily bellow, "I don't need no goddamn charity!" With a swipe of his arm, he knocked the care box off the table and sent the food scattering across the floor. The frozen turkey bounced twice; canned goods rolled around.

Becca was supported by her crutches at the stove, a pan steaming and a spoon in her hand. Her eyes were round with fear. Megan sat straight up on the sofa and screamed, "Daddy!" Then she covered her mouth and began to cry.

Denny took two giant steps into the house and grabbed Frank by the front of his jacket and with a snarl, pulled him right out the front door. He closed the door and pushed Frank right up against it. Denny's face felt purple with rage and Frank had the intelligence to look a little intimidated, if not scared.

"Listen to me, Frank. Listen! You ever shout at my girl again, I swear to God you'll be sorry! She is nothing but kindness! I doubt she gives a crap about your sorry ass, but she insisted on coming out here because she loves your little girl." Frank's jacket still in his fist, he gave him a little shake and pushed him against the door again. "How can you do something like that in front of that little girl? She loves you! You'd turn your anger on a child of your own, who loves you? Who's counting on you? What's she going to think? That it would be wrong for her to eat that food because it makes you so angry? She's sick!"

Frank's eyes glittered with unshed tears. "Mind your own business."