Gunner by Judy Andrekson Read Free Book Online Page A

testy and fragile. Medical supplies and fresh water were running low. Heather caught sleep when she could and tried to maintain sanity when she was awake. All she really wanted was to go home and see her family.
    After a full, agonizing week, Heather had the opportunity to have contact with home. Sanderson Farms, one of the largest and richest chicken producers in the United States, was based out of Laurel and employed E.W. The enormous farm had suffered its own severe losses, with millions of chickens killed in the hurricane, but they possessed a means of transport that would become vital to the relief effort in New Orleans. They became a major contributor in many ways over the coming months.
    The medical team stranded in Touro hospital could not just drive away to check on their homes and families. Most of their vehicles were under water, the roads were flooded or badly damaged, and hospital workers wereexpected to remain within contact range until the worst of the emergency was under control. That could be weeks! But the Sanderson’s Blackhawk jet helicopters could get people to and from the hospital for short periods, and in this way, Heather was finally brought home.
    Heather was shocked to find her house destroyed and appalled by the amount of damage to the farm and surrounding area. She learned that the eye of the storm had passed directly over Laurel, and while they were far enough away from the coast to be protected from the storm surge that had devastated New Orleans and other coastal communities, the fierce winds and rain had taken a huge toll. There was no community in Mississippi that was unaffected.
    Despite all of this, she was overjoyed … so grateful to hold her son and husband in her arms again. She tried, unsuccessfully, to reach her mother in Picayune, but communications had not yet been restored. It would be
another
week before she would hear her voice and know she was fine.
    Heather could only stay for a short visit before heading back to the hospital, but it was long enough to rejuvenate her for the grueling weeks ahead. E.W. didn’t mention Gunner’s disappearance. All Heather wasconcerned about at that point was keeping her family safe. She had never contemplated losing them before, and to come so close changed the way she looked at everything. Her gratitude was immense. To face that kind of natural power and be blessed enough to see the following day with your family safe and unharmed seemed like nothing short of a miracle.
    Heather, E.W., and Wes would call the horse trailer home for the next six weeks, which meant they were better off than many in the region. At least their home was repairable. At least they had each other and a way to stay on their own land in the meantime. So many people lost everything, including loved ones, and the Goodwin family was grateful for all they had.
    They would remain cut off from the rest of the world, without running water or electricity for another three weeks. Their fuel supply was limited, and the roads were so damaged and blocked with fallen trees, downed power lines, and other debris that travel was next to impossible. The Sanderson helicopter was Heather’s only means of transport back and forth, and she was only able to stay for a day or two at the most, but every time she returned, she could see how hard E.W. and Wes had been working to get their lives back in order.
    E.W. continued to ride out almost daily in search of missing animals, including Gunner, but there was no trace of the colorful gelding. When he finally told Heather, she was devastated. Her focus had been entirely on her family and her patients, but now it felt as though a child were missing from their family. When she was able, she joined in the search for him, and prayed that somehow, he would have survived.
    Although ranch life slowly began to take some form again over the next month, the situation remained desperate in New Orleans – and would for a long time to come. Heather was