24
Two months have passed since Jolene’s arrival into the Dawson clan. Everything had gone smoothly. Rose and Jolene were the best of friends and spent the time they weren’t with their husbands with each other. Jack and Richie were getting along great, much to Nancy’s delight. Kimberly had wed Branden Lakesworth on a Saturday and both Jack and Rose wished them well. It was the third month after Jolene’s arrival that tragedy struck.
It was a nice warm day in Chippewa Falls and the two couples and Jacklyn decided to spend the day at the lake. Jack and Rose are up ahead carrying a picnic basket while his brother and sister in law fall backwards holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes.
"How’s the little mother?" Jack asked, glancing at his wife.
"Wonderful. Jack I am so
happy and this is the perfect day for a picnic," Rose
smiled. "And one of your drawings."
"I have a pose in mind too," Jack grinned. "Here
we are. Right in front of the lake."
"This is perfect," Jolene leaned closer to Richie.
"My brother has a artist eye so it doesn’t surprise me he picks the best place to hold a picnic," Richie grinned.
The two couple laughed and ate. Jolene, Richie and Rose all posed for Jack as he did a portrait, placing himself right next to Rose. It was his first time drawing himself, and he thought he did pretty good for a beginner.
Two hours later it was getting hot and everyone was lazily laying by the lake, relaxing and talking. Rose happened to glance up and look across the water just to gasp. She thought she saw a old bearded man leering at them from behind the trees.
"Rose what’s wrong?" Jack asked concerned.
"A man. I saw a strange man looking at us over there," Rose pointed.
"What the heck?" Richie sat up, on alert. He knew Jolene’s family was looking for her and didn’t want to take any chances. He looked where Rose pointed but saw no one. "There’s no one there."
"But I saw him. I know I did."
"I’ll go check it out," Jack got to his feet.
"Jack no! You know the stories of that side of the Wissota woods," Richie grabbed his brother’s arm.
Jack laughed. "You mean that old legend that they’re haunted? Oh come on Richie that’s just a old story parents told us kids to keep us from wandering off. There’s no such thing as ghosts. Now I’m going over there to check things out. Stay here with the girls and I’ll be right back," Jack got up and disappeared into the thicket of the woods.
"Jack! Jack come back!" Rose began to go after him, but Richie grabbed her arm.
"I think he wants you to stay here with us Rose."
"But he may need my help!" Rose looked at Richie who had the look telling her to stay put and stay quiet in his eyes.
"He’ll be ok Rose," Jolene squeezed her hand.
Fifteen minutes later, Jack appeared at the other side of the lake. "There’s no one here!"
Just then, much to everyone’s surprise and horror, a heavy branch swung out and hit Jack in the back of his head, knocking him into the ice cold lake.
"Jack!" Rose screamed in horror. "Jack! Jack!"
"Jack!" Richie hollered.
"Richie he’s not resurfacing!" Jolene gasped with horror.
"Jack! No Jack!" Rose screamed heading for the lake, ready to plunge in but Richie got there first and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her back.
"No! Let me. I can bring him back up!" Richie plunged in.
"Richie," Jolene gasped, standing next to Rose, tightly clutching her hand.
Every five minutes Richie resurfaced just to take a deep breath of hair and plunge back under again. After a hour, they knew it was of no use. Jack was gone.
"Jack…please not
Jack," Rose collapsed onto the warm ground, taken back to
that freezing April night in the freezen Atlantic waters.
"Jack."
"Shhh Rose…Richie will find him," Jolene wrapped
her arms around the red head’s shaking frame.
"I couldn’t find him. I looked and looked, but the water was too dark and…I couldn’t find him…"
"NO!!!" Rose screamed in absolute horror. "NO!!"
Before they could stop her, Rose got to her feet and plunged into the ice-cold water. Richie immediately went in after her and pulled her out. He may not have been able to find Jack, but he wasn’t going to lose Rose. "Rose shhh. We’ll find him. We’ll take you and Jolene home, Pa and I will form a search party and we’ll come back and look. Maybe he floated down stream and is on the other side further down trying to find his way back. We’ll find him Rose. We will."
"Jack," Rose sobbed uncontrollably.
"She’s soaked. We better get her home," Jolene said. "Catching a cold wouldn’t be good for the baby."
Richie scoops the sobbing Rose into his arms while Jolene gathers the supplies.
"Come on. Let’s hurry. The sooner we find Jack the better," Jolene lead the way back to town.
*
Nancy and Charles were coming out of the kitchen when Richie rushed into the house with Rose in his arms and Jolene rushing in after him. Charles frowned when he noticed Jack wasn’t with them.
"My lord what happened and where’s Jack?" Nancy rushed up the stairs her husband right behind him.
"Jolene, stay in here and get Rose into some dry clothes. I’ll stay take ma and pa out in the hall and fill them in," Richie instructed then pushed his parents out in the hallway.
"Richard Gary Dawson! What is going on and where is your brother!" Charles shouted.
"Shhh. Rose is devastated enough," Richie placed a finger to his lips.
"What’s going on out here?" Jacklyn asked, exiting her room, her blue eyes dim with concern.
"It’s Jack. As you all know, the four of us went to the lake to spend the day together. Rose thought she had seen someone on the other side so Jack went to check it out. He was on the otherside of the bank in front of the lake when a branch came out of nowhere and sent him into the water," Richie explained.
"Oh my no! Is he ok? Is he hurt? Where is he?" Nancy gasped with fear.
"…I dove in immediately pa…I did. I searched and searched but the water was too dark…I couldn’t find him. I couldn’t find Jack anywhere," Richie hurriedly explained, glancing away from his parents horrified eyes.
"No! Not Jack!" Jacklyn gasped.
"Get the horses together. We’re heading to the town hall and calling a search party. We’re going to find your brother and bring him home. Jacklyn and Nancy…go and stay with Rose and Jolene. Rose is going to need all your comforting until Jack gets back. Come on," Charles rushed downstairs, his voice void of emotion.
"Pa…"
"Richie, no arguments. From here on out you do as I say," Charles glared at his eldest. "Goodness knows how lazy you can be and right now is not the time to be lazy. It’s bad enough you half looked."
"Half looked?! I searched long and hard for Jack pa! The only reason I stopped was because Rose was beside herself, and cold and I knew Jack would never forgive me if she got sick! So I got her home and also came for help! Not to be kicked around!"
"Stop it you two! Arguing and placing blame is not going to bring Jack home to us any sooner," Nancy scolded. "Now go on out and search for Jack while us women keep the home fire burning. Go!"
"We’ll be in touch," Charles grumbled, already out the door.
"Ma it wasn’t my fault and I did look hard for Jack," Richie turned to his mother for the last time.
"I know sweetie and so does Jack. Now go help your father," Nancy shooed her son out the door. Glancing up the stairs her heart went out to poor Rose. If Jack wasn’t found, she hoped the young woman could find the strength to carry on.
"Momma…they have to find Jack. They have to…he’s more than a brother to me…he’s…my twin," Jacklyn wiped away the coming tears.
"I know darling. Come on, let’s go upstairs and stay with Rose. That’s all we can do for Jack now. He’d want us to take care of his wife and child," Nancy hugged her daughter before leading her up the stairs to join her daugther in laws.
*
It’s half past mid-night when Charles and Richie return with two more men. Jacklyn stand up on top of the stairs listening.
"I hate to stop searching Charles but we’re not doing the boy any good now. It’s just plum too dark out there. We’ll pick up again Tomorrow," Lester Burkington sighed, running a work-worn hand through his thinning gray hair.
"Listen, this isn’t only Jack we’re talking about here. He has a young wife and a unborn child. They need him Les. Heck, I need him. He’s the only thing I done right so far besides marrying Nancy."
"We’ll start again tomorrow. Heck, maybe Jack will show up all by himself. For now, go upstairs with your wife and get a good nights rest," Brian Williamson squeezed his best friend’s shoulder. "Hey don’t worry. We’ll find Jack. That kid has nine lives."
"Make that eight," Richie sighed.
"Night fellas, and thanks," Charles waved as his friends left.
"Pa…"
"Don’t Richie. Ok. Just don’t say nothing. Let me tell you the only reason you’re in this house is because your brother wouldn’t want me to kick you out. It wouldn’t be a pretty sight all if he came home to see his brother long gone. Just go upstairs to your wife."
"Yes pa," Richie began to walk upstairs and stops when he saw Jacklyn.
"Where’s Jack?" She asked.
"We haven’t found him yet princess. It’s too dark now so we’re going to start in the morning," Charles answered. "Go on to bed now. It’s been a long day for us all."
"How are you going to tell Rose? She’ll be devastated daddy. She already is devastated."
"I’ll tell her. Now get to your room," Charles pushed past his daughter and headed for Rose’s bedroom where she sat up in bed staring expectantly at the door while Jolene and Nancy sat at her side.
"Did you find Jack?" She asked expectantly, her clear green eyes full of hope.
"I’m sorry Rosebud. We haven’t found yet. It had just gotten so dark. So we’re starting again tomorrow," Charles sat at Rose’s feet, taking her hand in his.
"But it’s so cold out there. He’ll freeze…oh my God! The hypothermia! What if he has a relapse! He could die! We have to go find him now!" Rose cried out trying to get out of bed just to be pushed back onto the mattress.
"No Rose no," Richie protested. "Jack doesn’t want you out there by yourself at night."
"But Jack needs me!"
"He needs you to stay put Rose. Stay put and watch out for the baby. Stay put for the baby Rose," Jolene pleaded with her friend.
"The baby…" Rose softly replied and nodded. "You’re right. I have to take care of the baby."
"Go to sleep," Nancy stroked the girl’s red hair. "When you wake up it’ll be a bright new morning."
"Sleep? Without Jack?"
"We’ll be right in the next bed if you need anything," Jolene softly stroked her friend’s hand.
"But I can’t sleep without Jack…I never slept without him…"
"Rose…" Nancy began.
"I’ll stay with her momma. I’ll take care of her," Jacklyn appeared in the door.
"Jacklyn I thought I told you to go to bed," Her father growled.
"I had a feeling I’d be needed. Besides, I can’t sleep knowing that my brother is out there somewhere. So I’ll stay in here and take care of his wife. I know that’s what he’d want me to do."
Nancy nodded. "That may help. Ok. But you both must get some sleep. Understood."
Jacklyn nodded. "Perfectly. Now good-night," She hopped into the bed beside Rose. "Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her."
*
Meanwhile, deep in the Wissota woods, on the other side of the lake, a hermit by the name of old man Bill was boiling more water for steaming hot tomato soup. His unexpected guest was going to need plenty of it. Sighing, he leaves his pot and goes check on the young man who layed on the couch unconcious, shivering violently under the woolen covers that Bill had covered him with.
He had found the young man hours ago shivering upon the banks of the lake, delirious with fever. Bill had somehow gotten him back to the cabin and began to nurse him back to health. With any luck, the kid would stay on and help with the chores. Plus the company would be welcomed.
"Rose!" The man groaned in his sleep. "Don’t jump!"
"Who’s Rose?" Bill wondered. "And who are you?" Shrugging his shoulders Bill went back to the soup and stirred, thinking of when his guest would wake up and what his reaction will be.