Free The Slow Road by Jerry D. Young

under the cherry picker truck. Though their radios were still working, and they called in the accident to the country hospital it was four hours before an ambulance could reach the accident site. And it was on the wrong side of the downed bridge.
    It took another hour to rig lines to get a basket stretcher over to Jasper’s side of the ditch and bring him back to the ambulance in it. He was in pain most of the time, but conscious and managed to get a cell call through to Millie to tell her to stay home with the children while he was being taken to the hospital. Only when things were safe should she try to get to the hospital to see him.
    Their definitions of safe were a bit different in the situation. Millie bundled the children up in the Suburban and made her way to the hospital. It took her five hours of searching for passable bridges between their home and the county hospital. She and Jasper had learned about BOB’s from the internet and kept enough supplies and equipment in both the Suburban and pickup to take care of the entire family for two weeks.
    Millie and the children arrived shortly after Jasper did. His left leg was broken in three places, two of them compound fractures. His right leg also had two compound fractures. Jasper’s right shoulder was dislocated and he had a concussion.
    The doctors wouldn’t let the children in to see their father, but allowed Millie a few minutes with him before he was put in the ICU so they could deal with his concussion. The children were well behaved and stayed quiet at the nurses’ station while their mother was gone. Millie took them down to the cafeteria after she’d seen Jasper.
    Greg showed up not long after the family sat down to get a bite to eat. “How is he?” Greg asked, coming over to Millie’s table.
    “Too early to tell, but the doctor that talked to me said that as long as there weren’t complications with the concussion, he should be all right. The legs may give him some trouble, but there is no doubt about him being able to walk again.”
    “Is there anything I can do, Millie? I’d like to help. He’s the only real friend I have.” Greg was on the verge of crying.
    Her heart went out to him. He was a good hearted soul. Greg just couldn’t control his drinking. At least not all the time. Jasper had commented a couple of times that Greg was drinking considerably less since he’d put down the well for Jasper. He was trying to clean up his act.
    “Could you watch the children for me for a few minutes so I can go to the bathroom in peace?”
    Greg’s eyes widened. “You’ll let me watch the kids?”
    “It’s just for a few minutes and if you don’t mind.”
    “Of course I don’t mind. Sure. Go ahead.”
    Millie didn’t realize had badly she needed to be alone until she was. She started crying and couldn’t stop until she knew she needed to go back out to the children.
    The children, despite their young ages, had been well brought up, and were familiar enough with Greg from his occasional visits to Jasper that they were behaving themselves beautifully for Greg.
    Still, he looked up thankfully when Millie came back, her eyes a bit red, but not crying.
    “You’ve got angels here,” Greg said, getting up from the table.
    “You should be around them when they’re teething. They may be little darlings, but they sure aren’t angels.” Millie said, picking up the youngest. She patted her bottom and asked, “A few more minutes? Darla needs changing.”
    “Okay,” Greg said, sitting back down. “Like I said, they’re angels.”
    When Millie got back, Angel One was in a determined, though surprisingly quiet, battle with Greg to get as much Jello on him as could be done.
    “Junior,” Millie said softly, and Jasper Junior immediately quit struggling and his lower lip started quivering. When Millie didn’t pursue the action he was back to his smiling self in a few moments. Millicent was just sitting there quietly. But Millie knew her little