SWNOVELS Chapter 728
Herman was in bad shape when they pulled him out of the tunnel. Most folks didn't make it, and those who did were hanging by a thread. That morning, he was on his way to Maplewood when the landslide hit. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late to turn back. They were already in the tunnel when disaster struck. Nelson and Dailey got taken to the hospital by the volunteer rescue team, but the rescue efforts were still ongoing. Sandy was urging Sean to get Herman to the hospital quickly. "Skip the county hospital. Head straight for the big one in the city," she insisted. She figured the city hospital had better facilities and thought if Herman woke up and realized how much effort she put in, he'd be grateful forever. Sean was worried. "Sis, the city hospital's a long drive at least two hours. Can Herman make it that far?" "Just floor it. The city's got the best care, trust me," Sandy insisted, checking Herman's breathing. He was still alive but cold, so she cranked up the car's heater. Following her orders, Sean drove towards the city hospital.
Meanwhile, another landslide hit shortly after Sandy left, making headlines everywhere. Back in Riverdale, Anastasia was restless, her eyelids twitching like something was about to go wrong. She tried calling Herman but got no answer. He'd called her last night, saying he had to visit Mr. Culliver from Sunshine Factory in Maplewood first thing in the morning. Now it was almost dark, and she hadn't heard from him. She tried calling Dailey and Nelson too, but no one picked up. Panic set in. Could something have happened?
"Ana, are Emmie and Nancy asleep?" Katelyn asked as she came in, bringing stuff for the babies.
"Mom," Anastasia replied, "Emmie and Nancy just fell asleep. They were fussy last night, cried all night..."
Before she could finish, the babies' cries echoed from upstairs again, loud and clear. Katelyn put her things down and hurried upstairs, muttering, "Pattie's probably up to something again."
In Katelyn's mind, the babies crying like that had to be Pattie's fault. Her tone carried a hint of blame. Anastasia felt a twinge of discomfort. Katelyn was clearly playing favorites. Seeing Pattie wasn't in the nursery, Anastasia felt a small relief. With Pattie absent, Katelyn couldn't pin the blame on her.
Katelyn picked up Nancy from the nanny, scolding, "Can't you calm a baby? Crying like that are they hungry, wet, or just uncomfortable?"
The nanny explained, "They ate an hour ago, so they shouldn't be hungry or wet. Maybe they had a nightmare or got startled."
Anastasia picked up Emmie. "Mom, it's normal for kids to fuss. Let me handle it."
She too was feeling inexplicably anxious. Katelyn was about to say more when Christen rushed in, breathless. "Miss Ana, it's terrible Mr. Salstrom's in trouble."
At those words, Anastasia and Katelyn both went pale. Anastasia's heart sank. "What happened?"
Christen explained, "There was a landslide in Maplewood, the tunnel collapsed, burying dozens of cars. Over thirty people have died, and it's all over the news. Nelson and Dailey are injured and in the hospital. Dailey called me; Mr. Salstrom isn't there." The living were taken to the hospital; the dead were either in the morgue or already claimed by their families. If Herman wasn't at the hospital, then... the odds were grim.
Hearing this, Anastasia felt a wave of dizziness and almost lost her footing. She handed the baby to the nanny and rushed to check the news. Katelyn, stricken by the news, was too shocked to care about the crying babies and hurried after her to find out about Herman.
The TV was flooded with news about the Maplewood landslide. A heavy rain was complicating the rescue efforts. The sight of bodies being pulled out was chilling. In the rain, the cries of families who lost loved ones mingled with the grim task of recovering the icy remains. "My son," Katelyn gasped, overwhelmed by grief. She fainted from the shock.