Rattlesnake Crossing

"Well," Voland conceded, "I suppose they are."

"Besides," Joa

"I'd prefer to call it amazingly obnoxious," Voland re-turned, "but you're right. If anyone can charm the old lady into leaving town for the duration, Frank Montoya is it. Especially when there's overtime at stake. I'll have him go to work on it first thing this morning. As soon as the briefing is over. Anything else?" he asked.

"You tell me."

"I'm just now collecting my copies of the overnight incident reports. It doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary."

"Good," Joa

"Right," Dick Voland said. "In the meantime, I hope things work out all right for Jeff and Maria

"I hope so, too." Joa

The trip from High Lonesome to Tucson should have taken about two hours. It was accomplished in a little less than ninety hair-raising minutes. And if Butch Dixon had any objections to the way Joa

As they walked from the hospital parking garage toward the lobby entrance, a wave of panic suddenly engulfed Joa

Somehow, without her saying a word, Butch must have sensed what was happening. He reached out, captured her hand, and squeezed it.

“Yuri have to do this,” he said. "Jeff and Maria

Bolstered by his words, Joa

When they entered the pediatric ICU waiting room there was a lone figure in it, an elderly gentleman standing next to the window, staring down at the hospital entrance far below. It wasn't until he turned to face them that Joa

"Mr. Maculyea," she said, hurrying toward him, "I don't know if you remember me. I'm Maria

The older man held out a massive paw of a hand the permanently callused and work-hardened mitt of a former hard-rock miner. "Tim's the name," he said to Butch. "Glad to meet you. I came as soon as I heard, but-" He stopped and pursed his lips.

"How are things?" Joa

He shook his head. "Not good," he said. "Not good at all."

"Where's Jeff?"

"Down in the room. It's the ICU, so they let only one person in at a time."

"And Maria

Tim Maculyea swallowed hard before he answered. "She's down in the chapel," he said, his throat working to expel the words. "I haven't seen her yet. She doesn't know I'm here."

"And Mrs. Maculyea?" Joa

Tim shook his head once more. "Vangie isn't coming,. She's always been a stubborn, headstrong woman. Not unlike her daughter."

Joa

He nodded. "Sure," he said. "You go ahead. I’ll stay here and keep Mr. Maculyea company."

Minutes later, Joa

"It's bad," she said.

"I know," Joa

"Why?" Maria

"I don't have an answer," Joa

Maria

"Oh, Mari," Joa

Maria

"What?"

"Promise me that when the time comes, you'll officiate at the service."

"Me?" Joa

Maria

"Please," she added after a pause. "Promise you'll do it."

"Of course," Joa

For the next several minutes the two women sat together, lost in their own thoughts, neither of them saying a word. Joa

"And my mother?" Maria

"No," Joa

"That's all right," Maria

"I don't know. He was in the waiting room when we arrived."

Maria

"Yes I am." Joa

The morning passed slowly. Several times Joa

Word of the impending tragedy had spread throughout Bisbee, so in the course of the morning, more and more people showed up-some of whom, in Joa

At twenty after one that afternoon, Jeff emerged from the ICU, sank onto a couch, covered his face with his hands, and a

Trying to stifle a sob of her own, Joa

For the next half hour Butch and Joa

Maria

Jeff reached in his pocket and fished out a set of car keys, which he immediately handed over to Butch. "Maria

"Not at all. I'll park it on the street somewhere near the Copper Queen. And if I'm going to be out, I'll leave the keys at the desk."

"Good," Jeff said. "Thanks." Then, with a gentle hand on Maria