Free Eastland by Marian Cheatham Page B

Please.”
The Red Cross worker stood. “Then follow me.” She marched
down the corridor.
I started after her. Karel grabbed my arm.
“I should go alone, Dee.”
I’d opened my mouth to protest, when I remembered the
reports of those bell divers.
Bodies mutilated beyond recognition.
“I’ll wait here.”
But I couldn’t sit. So I paced the lobby for what felt like
forever until at last, Karel returned.
I flew at him. “Well? What did you find?”
He just shook his head.
“Maybe Mae made it home.” I was groping for even a scrap
of hope. “Why don’t you call your father?” Mae might even
answer. Tease us for being so worried. “Please, Karel, call
your father.”
I half-dragged, half-pushed him toward the candlestick
phone at the end of the table. I seized the receiver. “May we?”
I asked the newest volunteer. She nodded. “What’s the number,
Karel?” I had to ask, since I’d never made a call to Mae before.
“Cicero 3152.”
I repeated the number to the operator. When the telephone
rang, I thrust the receiver at Karel.
“Hello!” Mr. Koznecki shouted from the other end. “That
you, Mae?”
Karel put the receiver to his ear. “No, Father. It’s me.”
Karel listened for a moment and then asked, “So, she’s not
there?” Another hesitation and then, “No, not at Iroquois. We’re
on our way to Franklin Emergency. We’ll check in later.”
A sob came through the receiver as Karel hung up.
As prearranged, Salvatore and Lucille met us at the rear entrance of the hospital. Our driver took one look at Karel’s fallen
face and removed his top hat.
“We may yet find her, Mr. Karel.” But Salvatore’s tone revealed his true feelings.
As far as our driver was concerned, we were wasting a trip to
another hospital. Best we head straight to the morgue. I knew
Karel shared those feelings, but he instructed Salvatore to proceed to Franklin. We climbed inside.
“Thank you, Karel, for not giving up.”
He patted my hand and then turned to stare out the window.
I gazed out my own window, lost in thoughts too terrifying to
utter out loud.
“You wait in the cab,” Karel said as Lucille came to a stop
near the emergency entrance. “No point in the both of us going
in. If I find her—”
“When you find her.”
“I appreciate your optimism, Dee, but I need you to be prepared.” He flipped up the collar on his sack coat to ward off the
rain and disappeared inside.
I put a hand over my heart and pleaded with my watch. Make
Mae be here. She had to be here. I didn’t think I could stomach
the morgue, yet as I released that thought, I knew I’d have to
bear up. I checked the time. It was nine-forty. Fourteen hours
had passed since the capsizing.
How many lives had been forever altered in that time? How
many families had been ripped apart? How many hearts had
been broken? And what about work? How many employees had
survived? How could Western Electric go on with so many lost?
I folded my hands and prayed.
Karel poked his head inside the carriage. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t
mean to disturb you.” He ducked back out.
“No! Please, come inside. Tell me what you found.”
Karel climbed into the cab and sat close beside me. His lips
were knotted so tightly, I could barely see them. My heart raced
with fear.
“You’ll need those prayers tonight.”
“Then she’s not …”
Karel dropped his head. My mind swirled as my scrap of
hope shrank to a thread.
“I’ll take you home.” He tapped the back of Salvatore’s seat.
“We need to return to Cicero.”
“No!” I screamed, louder than I’d meant to. “I’m going with
you!”
I had to follow this through to the end. I thought of Mrs.
Koznecki, the strain of not knowing. It had to be better to know
the worst than to know nothing at all.
Karel inclined his head and studied me. “Okay, you win.
Sal,” he called. “Please take us to the Second Regiment Armory.
Washington at Curtis.”

12
    Since it was nearing midnight,