Mystery, Magic, and Miracles for Anny

By Karl A. Hooper

Terrorism, hope, and one white-haired old man. The love of a new family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781662400520

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Mystery, Magic, and Miracles for Anny

Karl A. Hooper

Copyright © 2020 Karl A. Hooper

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2020

ISBN 978-1-6624-0051-3 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-0052-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

The first plane had just hit the World Trade Center. Dr. Anny Potts was on break, heading back to work from the nearby coffeehouse, stopping and staring in disbelief.

Her cell phone brought her back from the trance of watching the second plane hit. Yes, yes, I understand, she said into her phone. Throwing her coffee into the street, Anny started running down the sidewalk. She knew too well what was going to take place in the next minutes, only turning once to look at the enormous plumes of smoke rising to the sky then turning back around just as a body slammed down on the roof of a car. Traffic came to a halt.

People gathered faster than she thought into the seats. Taking his arm, she checked for a pulse. He was alive, thank God. Looking him over, she knew him possibly. Please, she yelled, I’m a doctor, let me by! He might even be in a coma. She looked up, figuring he must have jumped from the second plane somehow. The crowd separated, letting her pass. He was an old man, a little on the heavy side. The roof of the car was smashed; bones would have been massively broken. Asking for help, four large men picked the old man out of the car, placing him on someone’s coat. Anny checked him over closer. It seemed strange that someone who fell far enough to push the roof of a car into the seats didn’t bleed. Not a trace of blood. No cuts, no nose bleeding, nothing. The four big men raised him off the ground in the overcoat. The five headed for the hospital where Anny worked. Calling, she told them she had the first victim of what ever was going on. Arriving at the emergency room, the men placed the old man on a stretcher. Thanking them for their help, she told them there would be others who would need it more than her right now. They turned, saying, We’ll do what we can, heading off toward the smoke.

Anny turned her attention to the old man. Ordering x-rays, he was pushed into the x-ray room. The x-rays revealed her worst fears. He had broken bones. Looking over the x-rays, she could see breaks and fractures over most of his body. She couldn’t find anything else wrong, other than he was unconscious. Fearing he was in a coma and more victims were on their way, she instructed nurses and interns to set his arms and legs then make him comfortable. Anny started walking out of the room, turning once more to look, saying to herself, I can’t believe he’s even alive. She was heading for help to set up for the onslaught of people that would start coming in any minute.

The next several hours were the most hectic in young Anny’s life. People came in from everywhere. She was trained to handle anything, thinking, I can handle it all, just not all at once. The hours clicked by. People kept coming. A few more hours and things started slowing down. After another hour, an intern told Anny to take a break; he would take over. Her shift was over anyway. The first time, since it all began, she had even looked at a clock, it was two hours past her shift. Heading toward the coffee maker, she was cut off by a nurse. That old man you brought in wants to see you. This was the first time since leaving him to the nurses she’d thought of him.

He’s awake? she asked.

Yes, and joking around, the nurse told her. The only thing, he doesn’t know anything.

Amnesia or Alzheimer’s? Anny asked.

I don’t know, the nurse said.

Still thinking it strange that he didn’t shed a drop of blood in the fall, Anny said, I’ll check him out.

You can go home anytime, the shift coordinator said, and you did a real fine job.

Smiling, I’ll do just that, she said. I have one more thing to do first.

As she walked into the old man’s room, he turned and looked at her.

Smiling, he said, Dr. Anny Potts.

Yes, she said, and how are you?

His smile quickly faded into a look of concern.

You all right? she asked. Any pain?

I’m fine, he said, I just don’t remember anything. Then looking at her, he said, I don’t know how I knew your name.

Looking down, Anny didn’t have her name tag on. Maybe one of the nurses told you, she said.