Tender Mercy

Sunday morning (12/7) I woke up at about 1:20am and noticed that Brandon was not in bed. Normally this would not concern me too much. I don't consider him late until about 2:00am but for some reason I was really nervous. I got my cell phone and called him but when he didn't answer my heart sunk. I called him about 20 more times and left voice mail messages for him to call me and tell me that he was okay. I got up and paced the house, waited by the front window to see headlights. I had an overwhelming urge to drive towards Vegas to find him but I talked myself out of it. After all he wasn't even late yet. He carpools with Joe, another guy on his squad, I told myself to wait 5 more minutes before I called Joe and acted like a complete lunatic. When my 5 minutes was about up my phone rang with a number I didn't recognize. To make a long story short it was another officer who told me that Brandon had been in a serious accident and I needed to get to the hospital. He assured me that Brandon and Joe were alert and talking but nobody was sure of their injuries. I managed to ask him what happened and this is the gist of the story....a drunk driver was driving south in the northbound lanes of I-15. Brandon came up over a little hill the same time she did, the only thing he could do was to swerve. He hit an embankment and rolled the car a few times. The drunk driver was not hit and continued driving. Thankfully, a nurse and a retired EMT stopped to help them. The drunk driver was eventually caught (after she almost hit an NHP officer who was responding to the call). She was 3 times over the legal limit and had drugs in her system.

It was a long drive to the hospital that night but this is when living with the in-laws really came in handy. Becky watched the kids and Terry offered to drive me in. Brandon had to get stitches in his head and broke his wrist. He had to have surgery on it last Thurs. They put a screw in it. He is healing really well. Joe broke his C7 vertebrae, compressed a disk in his back, and has major road rash on his hands. The spinal surgeon says his neck will not require surgery to heal but he does have to be in a neck brace for 3 months. He was in the hospital for awhile but is home now. They are very blessed that their injuries were not more severe.

There are so many things that I am so thankful for. Of course that Brandon and Joe are going to heal and make a full recovery. This alone is a tender mercy that Heavenly Father has given to me. After we went to see the car at the wreck yard this was especially clear to me. THEY ARE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE!! I am so thankful for the department. So many of these guys are like our brothers and took such great care of us. Many responded to the call and went to the hospital immediately. They lined the halls when they brought Brandon and Joe in. They called me and kept me up to date until I got to the hospital and stayed there with us on their own time until about 5:00am. Their concern and love were sincere and I will forever be grateful to them!!

We had a WONDERFUL dinner brought to us by some great friends all the way from Vegas. Another friend came to the hospital and took me out to lunch and sat with me while Brandon was having his wrist surgery. We have had countless phone calls and so many people have been so supportive. The Sheriff even sent some cookies!! But most of all I am so grateful that my husband is still here to be a best friend to me and a father to my children. This Christmas season will be a little sweeter for me and I received the BEST present I could ever ask for!!