#43d
Wayne went tearing around the corner just in time to grab Mark by the feet and drag him away from the fully engulfed home. The skillet he threw toward the woodshed and then he noticed Mark was knocked out cold. The lump on his head open and bleeding, The huge blond giant was barely breathing, and Wayne had a heck of a time pulling him. Finally he screamed for Clora to get Ben, he needed help.
It took both Ben and Wayne to move Mark. Finally they had him around to the front of the house, shielded from the heat by the tractor they used to take him away from the fire.
"Damn Clora, I told you to find a smaller man," Wayne was panting and ashen faced, being that close to his inner demon...fire.
"Let's go down to the house," Ben suggested. "I guess the quake has stopped, I was so involved with getting Mark away from the fire, I didn't pay attention."
Mark was delivered all scrunched up in the tractor bucket, and helped out to fall in a lumpy smoosh on the porch. Clora and Milo sat with him, as Ben and Wayne went back up to the burning house. Suddenly there was a huge whoosh as a new source of fuel was involved.
"What's that about?" Ben muttered as they stepped back, another and then another explosion blew outward, scattering burning boards and debris. "Sounds like something propane just ignited." he mentioned to Wayne.
"That's funny, I don't think they had any propane, I wonder where that is coming from?" Wayne puzzled as he moped his face with a dirt crusted handkerchief. Sooty streaks gave him an aboriginal look, but Wayne didn't care. "I need to back up more," he told Ben, "I can't be this close to the fire."
"Sure thing," Ben agreed. "There's no wind so I think the fire will behave and we can watch it from afar."
Wayne was already beating feet back to Ben's, and he was welcomed by a crying and thankful Clora. She kissed his cheek, thanking him for saving Mark, giving him hugs. Teddy was squished and yelled his disgust at the indignity. Wayne finally said, "Clora, what kind of propane did you have stored in the house?"
"None," she replied, "Mark didn't want to keep any in the house, just because of this," and she motioned toward the fire.
"Humm, well, something really exploded and it sounded to propane to me. Will couldn't have had something in his room, could he?"
"I don't know, I never went in there, he always took care of his own," Clora answered as she gently washed Mark's face. He was awake, but his noggin had been scrambled once again and he wasn't quite with it.
"I think your Grandmother hates me," he muttered as his hand went to his head, feeling the swelling on the top. "She's out to get me with her skillet, you didn't tell her where I was, did you?" he asked Clora as he closed his eyes and leaned back against the porch railing.
Shaking her head at his silliness, Clora grabbed for Milo as he prepared to run up to the fire. "Oh no you don't, you stay right here please." Milo looked at her with a 'Mark' expression on his face.
"I'll stay back," he promised.
"Darn right you will, from right here," Clora stressed sternly. "I have enough problems right now without worrying about where you might be. Tell me, what happened at school when the earthquake hit?" That was all Milo needed. he launched into this long and involved, drawn out explanation of how he was saved by super hero Uncle Mark and how Super Mark saved all the rest of the kids and how he kicked in the door and then held them out so other peoples could get a hold of them and how he drove really, really fast to get home, running while carrying him and a thousand other details that only a four year old could imagine.
Lainey brought out a quilt to cover Mark while he stretched the length of their porch. Ben had visually inspected the foundation and roof of his house and gave it an OK to occupy. Lainey nervously stood outside, but California raised, she was used to the rock and roll but she had Anne to consider and that changed everything.
"I've got to go down and check on Ev and Cheryl, make sure they are alright. I see Christy out on the porch, but not Ev. I'll be right back." Wayne stood up and started down toward the Wilson's. A series of aftershocks rumbled and shook once again. As the shaking started again, several more explosions happened in the remains of the main house.
Fresh flames shot upward, fueled by an unknown source. This time Mark was staring dully at the conflagration and frowned. The flames should be dying down, not leaping skyward as they were doing. "Strange," he muttered and Clora looked up as another blast rocked the area.
"That is strange, what could be causing that?" she questioned the group standing under the porch roof. The weather was cooling rapidly, clouds scudding in on the winds of an advancing cold front.
"Come in," Lainey urged, "It's too cold for the kids out here and we need something warm to drink. Clora can you and Ben get Mark in here?"
"I can get up," Mark protested and slowly gathered himself by hanging on to the porch standard. Ben shouldered the bulk of Mark's weight and the other arm around Clora was mostly for show. They shuffled in the house and put Mark on the couch. His feet had to hang over the end and his head was pillowed awkwardly on the other couch arm.
"Good heavens, Clora I knew Mark was some taller than Ben, but he is long, just plain long." Lainey sounded amazed beyond words.
Milo stood beside Mark, carefully keeping track of every eye blink and breath his super hero made. "I gots to care for him," Milo was solemn and careful as he stood watch, sitting down finally with his head against the couch to go instantly asleep with exhaustion.
Mark had his eyes closed and even breathing was painful to his mega sized type migraine. He was holding the nausea in as best as possible and it made his saliva run copiously. Swallowing hard, he tried again and again to ease the pain by moving slightly.
Clora brought a cold washcloth to put on the top of his head, patting gently at the reddish blob that was slowly clotting. "You really did this on Grandma's skillet?" she said quietly, "I'm so sorry I thought that old pan was so important. It's not as important as you. Please don't listen to me again," tears formed again as she realized the magnitude of her actions.
"I'm find, I mean fine," thick tongued and fuzzy brained the huge man stirred as he tried to find a comfortable spot.
Ev and Cheryl were fine, their house basically unharmed with only a few dishes and jars broken. Nerves were rattled plenty however, and Christy was chattering like a magpie as her world danced and shook.
"Easy kid," Wayne held up his hand, "you're making your Dad panicky by jittering so. Step outside and get collected, will ya," Wayne motioned to the door, and Christy skedaddled for the coolness of the oncoming stormy night.
"Let me check your stovepipe," Wayne pulled on his gloves and went to wiggle the sectioned metal. Cheryl had shut the damper the minute the quake started, killing the fire. The pipe was still warm, but acceptable to touch. It was solid, so he opened up the firebox and started a new fire. The warmth started creeping into the room, making Ev smile. "Thank you," he said.
"A double thank you," Cheryl patted Wayne's shoulder. "Did you ever get lunch?"
Wayne stopped stacking wood in the wood box and considered her question. "I don't remember," he finally said.
"How about a meatloaf sandwich? Maybe with a dill pickle?" Cheryl offered an irresistible combination and Wayne didn't have the strength to resist. Huge bites demolished the thick sandwich with methodical precision. "Good, thank you," he rubbed his belly and went for another armload of wood. Since Christy was outside, she brought in a armful when she came in to warm up.
"It's starting to snow, the fire is pushing it away with the updraft, but it is. Nasty weather and conditions." she reported. "I think I'm gonna sleep in my clothes tonight."
"I think we all will," Cheryl said with relief, "Thank you Wayne, we so appreciate you coming down to check on us. Is there anything we can do for Clora and Mark?"
"I'm sure there will be, right now they are kinda numb and not really comprehending what has happened." Wayne replied.
"Let us know what ever we can do," Cheryl stood by Ev, her hand on his shoulder. He nodded his agreement.
Wayne walked up to Ben's past his dark and silent house. There was no reason for Clora and Mark not to use his place, he concluded, and went in to tell them.
Lainey was dishing up a baked spaghetti and once again Wayne felt his weak willed appetite succumb to the lure of food. He was forced to eat a plateful and then have seconds on account of Mark not being interested in eating. There was no refrigeration, so left overs would spoil, he told himself.
It was a long night, hundreds of aftershocks and snow seeping it's icy fingers into the human resilience.