Four months later Sandra was still in the hospital. Twenty nine surgeries and twelve minor procedures had been performed on her legs. Metal was inserted and removed. Artificial veins and arteries were inserted and some were removed. Recovery was an elusive gem. Her legs were supported by frames with pins though them to hold the bones in place. Dressings covered the various surgical sites. The vibrant young woman who fought capably to live while trapped in the woods was now a drugie, addicted to prescription painkillers. Her muscles that were firm and strong were now flabby from inactivity. She had survived a bout of pneumonia and a blood clot in her left lung Her throat bore the scars of two tracheotomies to save her life. The valiant fighter was tired. She had nearly lost the will to fight. One more assault and she could easily go down for the count.

It was a Friday evening and Amanda was home from school for the weekend. Her mom worked till eleven and would be home at midnight. Her dad was to be home early but a traffic accident with multiple injuries had taken him away at just before seven. Mandy knew it was likely they would both be late. At one time she would have smarted at not having her parents when their work took extra time. Then one evening when was fourteen years old they were waiting in line for movie tickets. A couple came up to them as they waited. She learned her dad had been first on the scene of an accident and had put out a fire that endangered the trapped family. Her mom took care of the wife in the ER. It was that night she decided to become a nurse.

A year later Joan came home just after one AM, two hours late. An accident victim died that night in the ER. Amanda was on the sofa waiting for her. Jim was asleep.

“Mom.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll never be able to be as good at nursing as you are.”

“Why not?”

“Because you seem to do everything right.”

Joan hugged her daughter. “As long as you are sure you will not, you will get very close. When every day you pray to God you will not make a mistake that will cost a life, you study continually to know every thing you can and you never let one thing go without checking it, you will be a nurse. Anything less is nothing. And even when you do it all right, sometimes it isn’t enough.”