It took some foggy moments to realize where she was, she groped in her brain trying to recall what had happened. Jack had been speeding; they were racing to make the border crossing. She raised her head wincing with the pain of the movement and saw that the car was still on the road, she had been thrown. She could hear the rustling of the others stirring' and Joanne's' faint mewling. Jack and Roger were both cursing under their breath. The car was practically welded to the Farm truck they had hit head on at over 80 miles an hour. Luckily the farm truck had been rumbling along at a much slower speed, but the woman driving had been unable to avoid their oncoming car as it hurtled around the corner. Roger and Joanne had done up their lap belts, it wasn't the first time the seat belts in the 1959 Plymouth fury III had been used while Jack was driving. She waited with dread to hear her 6 month old baby, Cassidy's vociferous wail. Nothing. Her blood turned to ice. The baby had been with her in the back of the big car and sleeping peacefully in her basinet. "Katy?" it was Jack calling out to her. His voice sounded frightened, like a boy's, she thought vaguely, not the cocky young man he had been just minutes ago. "My baby" she hadn't meant to whisper. Then she screamed it over and over, louder and louder, until it was one continuous violent wail. The pain forgotten she ran towards the enmeshed vehicles. She was out of her mind, hysterically beating her fists and clawing at the wreck trying to get in, two strong hands spun her around and slapped her soundly on both cheeks. Katy's eye's widened momentarily, and then she slumped into the farm woman's embrace.
The woman's name was Abigail Barrington she had been delivering a baby at a neighboring farm, the birthing had been in the utility barn furthest from the main house, and the gestation and the delivery were still a secret' The girl was 14 unwed and wouldn't reveal the father. The desperate girl had threatened to run away if her sisters told of her secret, so they went to Abigail. Abigail always knew what to do in these situations and she would find a way to make the baby's life and the girl who gave birth to her safe again. Jack.
Roger and the three women frantically searched the fields around the accident thinking Cassidy had been thrown. It wasn't until the border patrol and sheriff arrived that the baby was found embedded deep up in the Plymouth's dash. Cassidy had suffered little and had died almost instantly. Katy was inconsolable, Jack silent and sick. Roger and Joanne were both treated for minor injuries and released from the small Hospital that served the farming towns that sprawled across the Mississippi delta. No charges were laid.
By eleven the next morning the couples were at the bus station waiting for the big dog to take them home. Katy was heavily sedated, Joanne had been given a prescription for valium and had it filled.
Abigail found them in the Bus Depot's Cafe. None of them had touched the small meal of toast and coffee the compassionate waitress had brought them. Abigail had with her the newborn from the previous evening, not a word was spoken. She offered the baby to Katy who cradled the new born like a greedy drunkard with the last bottle of bingo on earth. Cooing and giggling just a tad mad with it. My baby, my baby, my baby. The others looked on, still silent, but a glimmer of hope, even a modicum of relief was seeping into they're bruised emotions. Abigail saw that it would do, turned and left them there before any questions could be asked of her. As the couples boarded the Greyhound headed for Buffalo, even Jack had a hint of life returning to his eyes as he watched Katy nurse. This baby would never be his little Cass, but the infant had saved Katy from a despondency he was sure she would not have recovered from otherwise. He didn't think he would ever be over it, how could he, it was his fault, he had caused the death of his first and only child. His heart wrenched and his throat felt like he had swallowed a boulder. But as Katy cooed at the new Cass he steeled himself, he forced his mind to deal with this new reality. He would do it for Katy, but what about Cassidy his real baby? Could he ever love this imposter this foundling? He finally dared to look into the eyes of his younger brother Roger. Once again not a word was spoken, but just the look in his brother's eyes told him this was the right thing to do and that the tragedy would never be mentioned again. Somehow they would make it and carry on. Katy only had eyes for the new little stranger in her arms. Would she ever remember the terrible truth? Maybe someday but by then this new Cassidy would truly be her own. He would get some shrink and maybe an extra job to help keep his mind off of it. Hell he'd get two extra jobs, he would do whatever it took. He would find some way to forget, maybe even find redemption, hell he might even go to church. For the first time since the accident he felt sleepy, he allowed his eyes to close and dozed off.
