Free Admissions by Jennifer Sowle Page B

just socks. We’ll freeze to death.”
    “Where’s Estee?” I shout to Isabel. She shrugs and frantically swings her head around, searching the crowd.
    “I thought she was right behind me,” Beth cries.
    I motion to an attendant. I yell, “We know who the missing patient is.”
    The attendant takes the news to Nurse Reinbold. “The lost patient is Estee Weisman.”
    I duck as an explosion shakes the ground, flames shoot up from the library roof. Patients standing in the courtyard scream and wail. Fire trucks round the corner of Cottage 21. As they pull up, shiny black figures spill from the doors like ants, shouting orders, running to their posts.
    “We need more manpower, more hookups.”
    “Willy, grab any extra coats or blankets we got. These women are half naked.”
    “There’s a patient missing. Ground floor, Hall 9.”
    “One missing.”
    “Del, we got at least one rescue. First floor.”
    “Get the squad in there.”
    “Any missing? Any missing? Any missing?”
    “Another one, second floor, back.”
    “Any missing, any missing?”
    “We need more men, more equipment.”
    “All we got are volunteers, Benzie, Antrim and Leelanau counties, that’s it.”
    “Get ‘em here. Call the station. Tell them to put out a 410.”
    “Storm’s pretty bad.”
    “Get ‘em here! We don’t have room for no pussies. Get the damn help. Now.”
    “Jack, where’s the rescue team?”
    “We got three men in the north wing.”
    “Start them pumps.”
    “Start pumpin’, for Christ sakes, get them pumps started!”
    Nurse Judy puts her arm around my shoulder.
    “Luanne, when did you last see Estee?” I try to tell her we were all sitting in our place by the window when the alarm sounded. I thought we went down the stairs together. It’s hard for her to hear me above the voices of the firemen and the screams of the patients. A man runs up to her. He brings his face close to hers.
    “Judy, are you okay?”
    “Carl! Thank God.”
    He grabs her forearms. “We got people coming from all over the hospital, bringing coats and blankets.” He looks out over the group. “Some of these ladies don’t have shoes, and them thin smocks…” He wraps a blanket around Nurse Judy’s shoulders, briskly rubs her back. “Your uniform is like tissue paper.” He shouts to another attendant, “Joe, where are them blankets?”
    “Plows and trucks can’t get through. Fire trucks got the roads blocked. I just got word we’re evacuating this group north to Cottage 21.”
    “On foot?” Carl asks.
    “Only way to do it,” Joe says. “We can’t wait—these gals won’t last much longer out here. With the spray coming off the hoses, they’ll turn into icicles.”
    “Carl, can you lead the evacuation?” Judy says. “I need to stay here and see if they’ve found the missing patients. Luanne, this is my husband, Carl. He’ll lead you all over to 21.”
    Carl takes me by the arm and waves goodbye to his wife as we struggle through the deep snow in the courtyard. He instructs the patients to line up by twos. We follow orders, clutching warm clothing around us. Carl motions the line through the iron gate of the courtyard, away from the back of the building.
    “Okay, ladies. Start walking. Hold the hand of the lady next to you. Walk quickly, but do not run.”
    As the line clears the rear wall of Hall 19, I see the fire running along the attic, the entire length of the south wing. I come to a dead stop. The patients behind me trip over my heels. My knees buckle, and I fall into the deep snow.
    “Lady, what’s wrong. Keep moving,” Carl pulls me up by the waist. I put my arm around his neck and point up. “Look!”
    Silhouettes of men set against a glowing background fill the second floor windows. Their arms are raised. I can’t see their faces, but I can imagine them.

Chapter 16
    W hen I wake up the next morning, I rise up on my elbow, scan the cots set up in the halls of Cottage 21. Drugged, most of the refugees