Diamond S Ranch

10-Explanations and Repercussions

Elle forced her eyes to open but nothing was clear, everything was hazy and her head, oh, how her head hurt. She cried out.

"Shhh.hey, it's okay love. You're going to be fine. I just need you to lay still."

Her eyes fluttered again, she saw flashes of lights, she heard voices, so many voices, but whose voices? Where was she, and oh why wouldn't her head stop hurting? She started crying. She tried to lift her arm to touch her head but she couldn't move it, she started to panic, she cried out again. Then she heard someone talking, Jake, was it Jake? She couldn't focus, her whole body felt as if she was swirling, like she was caught in a whirlpool, she felt like she was sinking, sinking into a darkness that was drawing her in, she briefly wondered if this was what if felt like when someone was drowning. Then everything went black.

If someone had just come up at that moment and not known what was going on they probably would have thought the scene before them was pure chaos. For those whose profession, this was not, it sure did look and feel like it, but to those who are trained to deal with these kind of situations, it was organized chaos. Holly, with the sheriff's department had arrived almost immediately after the 911 call came in. A few minutes later the county police, the fire truck and the ambulance arrived. As did Kaison, Garrett, Jordan and Gage. Along with James, Cappy and the ranch hands all arriving in various vehicles from the ranch, all strewn up and down that dirt road. It would have appeared that something happened, something bad happened. But in all the uncertainties and unknowns, all the first responders were ever so professional and moved immediately into doing their jobs.

The medics assessed the situation first and working with the fire department were able to secure Elle onto a sled. Then with ropes they managed to hoist her up the steep incline back to the main road. Once at the top they quickly got her over to the ambulance, were all the Steele's had gathered and were anxiously waiting.

Jake walked up with the medics, "I'm going with them to the hospital." He stated, no one doubted he wouldn't.

"We'll finish up here and join you there," Zach said.

They all just stood there awkwardly all lost in their own thoughts. It was Garrett that broke the silence, "She's going to be okay, isn't she Jake?" He asked, the uncertainty etched in his eyes, pained Jake. He swallowed hard.

"I hope so, kiddo, I hope so." He said it was all he could say right then.

"Hey, Jake, sorry but we need to go." the medic said as he leaned out the back of the ambulance.

"Yeah, sure, thanks Phil," he said as jumped up into the back of the ambulance.

He sat in the back of the van with his hands resting on his knees, he gave a nod to his brothers as Phil closed the doors. With the lights flashing they took off towards the hospital.

Kaison, Jordan and the twins ended up getting to the hospital with in the hour of Jake arriving. They didn't want to wait and ride with Zach. He was still wrapping up with the police and fireman along with communicating instructions with James. In fact when they left they saw he was still standing down the road talking to his ex-girlfriend Holly. He finally joined them about an hour later.

They had been there for almost over three and a half hours and the waiting was becoming unbearable when a doctor stepped into the waiting area looking for the family of Elleana Steele. All of six of them stood up and approached the doctor, who was standing there with a rather bemused look on his face.

"Um, are all of you here for Miss Steele?" He asked.

"Uh, yes sir we are," Kaison politely answered, "we are her brothers, but Jake here, he's her legal guardian." He explained while he pointed to Jake.