Coming Full Circle–Part 3
By Nancy F. Thysell (the Nifty Lady)
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Kansas City International Airport–10:30 p.m. CST
In a few short minutes, the entire airport community was in controlled chaos. Emergency vehicles roared to the airport from all over the city. Teams of disaster personnel were deployed to the scene. The runway lights, mixed with the flashing red, white, yellow and blue of the emergency vehicles cast a surreal glow over the wreckage. Baggage and pieces of the aircraft were strewn over the tarmac. Survivors were found wandering around in shock, bleeding and injured. Some were still stuck in the wreckage. Too many had already died. Confirmed deaths by this time included the pilot, copilot and two of the stewardesses. The body count on the passengers had reached forty. The flight manifest indicated that there were 198 passengers with seven crew members. A sad gloom fell over the field. Authorities had to close the airport to any inbound flights until the control tower could clear the traffic on the ground.
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Groups of family and friends crowded the conference room at the airport with more people showing up all the time. Doug and Annie Martin supported Chris between them. Chris had been revived but she seemed to be in shock. The officials had informed the crowd that there were survivors. Now they had to wait to be told if their loved ones had survived. Names of survivors were announced as they became available. Then the family members would be taken away to learn more details. Time seemed to stand still and the Martins prayed silently for Johnny’s survival.
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Roy waited on hold with the receiver to his ear while his eyes were glued to the t.v. He had been bounced from one person to another at the airline. No one was able to give him any information and now he was being kept on hold. He knew that Chris would have been waiting at the airport for Johnny’s flight to land. He hoped she wasn’t alone. The special news reports came sporadically so they kept the t.v. on, waiting.
They both jumped when the doorbell rang. JoAnne went to see who it was and opened the door to Hank Stanley.
"Hank? What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised at his appearance.
"I tried to call but your line was busy. I needed to know if..." he responded awkwardly.
"Come in Hank. Roy’s been trying to get confirmation from the airline," she explained as she ushered Roy’s captain into their home. Hank nodded with sad understanding. His worst fears were confirmed. It was Johnny’s flight. But he had heard there were survivors from the crash. If anyone could live through that, it would be Gage.
"Hi Cap," Roy acknowledged Hank’s presence.
"Roy. Any word?" he asked hopefully. Roy shook his head.
"Have a seat Hank," JoAnne offered. "Can I get you some coffee?"
"Yes. Thank you. Black," Hank responded as he stood awkwardly in the living room. He looked over at Roy noting the frustration on the younger man’s face.
"Roy?" he said to get his attention. "Maybe we should just go over to LAX and track somebody down over there. They can’t ignore us if we’re there in person."
A slight smile flitted over Roy’s face. "That’s a great idea Cap. Jo..."
"I heard. Go. Call me when you can. I have to stay up to watch the turkey anyway," she told her husband as she handed Hank his coffee. He took a quick sip of the brew so as not to ignore JoAnne’s hospitality. "Besides, that’ll leave the line open in case Chris or anyone else needs to call."
"You’re right. Cap? Would you mind driving?" he asked as he hung up the phone.
"Not at all, pal. You ready?"
"Just let me grab my jacket," Roy responded as he opened the closet door. He gave JoAnne a quick kiss as he followed Hank out the door. "I’ll call you as soon as I know anything."
"I’ll keep praying for Johnny," she told him as they left. Prayer was all they had now. They couldn’t give up hope.
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The injured passengers and surviving crew members had all been disbursed to numerous hospitals. A temporary morgue had been set up in one of the hangars. Airline officials were valiantly trying to verify the identities of the survivors so that the next of kin could be notified. The task was hampered by the fact that the passenger list had been altered in Los Angeles by some passengers giving up their assigned seats on the over-booked flight. Now they were having difficulties confirming who had actually boarded the flight. Identifying the dead was becoming a grisly endeavor.
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The numbers of people waiting in the conference room at the airport were dwindling. Chris and her parents waited restlessly.
"Why don’t they tell us something? Surely they would know by now, wouldn’t they?" Chris asked desperately. She was trying so hard to hold on to the hope that Johnny had survived the crash. Annie looked over Chris’ head at her husband, worry etched on her features.
"What should we do Doug?" she asked him. Doug shook his head.
"Honey, there isn’t anything to do until they tell us something. I’ll go check with...what was his name...the guy from United?"
"Mr. Stone. His name is Stone," Annie informed him.
"Yeah. Thanks. I’ll see if he can tell me anything."
Doug Martin got up wearily and headed over to where the airline officials were gathered. He doubted that they could tell him anything more. They would have already said something but to appease his wife, he’d try. He needed something to do. This waiting was killing him. He couldn’t begin to imagine what Chris was feeling. Poor thing. It wasn’t fair.
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Roy and Hank made their way to United Airways offices just off the concourse. There was no one at the counter. Both men looked around in frustration.
"Now what?" Roy wondered. Hank shrugged his shoulders.
"Let’s look for someone from airport security. They’ll probably know," he suggested. Roy agreed and they headed toward the gates. It was hard to tell if the airport was crowded due to the holiday travelers or the disaster in Kansas City but LAX was filled with a mass of people. No telling how long it would take to find someone.
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Doug Martin waited patiently for someone to notice him standing there. Finally, Mr. Stone turned in his direction.
"May I help you sir?" Mr. Stone inquired. Doug could tell the man was under tremendous stress.
"I hope so. My daughter’s fiancé was on the flight that crashed and we were wondering..."
"What was his name, sir?"
"Gage. John Gage," Doug supplied. Mr. Stone studied the passenger list and slowly shook his head.
"I’m sorry but I don’t see his name here," he finally told Doug. Doug blinked a couple of times.
"What do you mean you don’t see his name?"
"I mean the printout I have here doesn’t show his name. Maybe he was one of the passengers that gave up their seat?" Mr. Stone offered hopefully.
"No, I don’t think he would have done that without telling us! He knew we’d be here to pick him up and..."
"He might not have been able to reach you sir. The next flight out of LAX would have left at 5:56. So he would have only been an hour later coming in. In addition he would have had to change gates and get a new boarding pass. There might not have been time to call you."
"So that flight might have landed by now?"
"Well, not here. They had to divert all inbound traffic. Why don’t you give me a few minutes and I’ll see what I can find out for you...uh...Mr. ?"
"Martin. Doug Martin. Thank you."
"Why don’t you go back and join your family? I’ll be with you as soon as I can," Mr. Stone promised.
"Okay." Doug walked away numbly. Could Johnny really have taken a later flight? Man, he hoped so. Especially for Chris. He decided not to say anything about that until he had more information.
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Johnny was dozing when he heard the captain make some sort of an announcement. His seat mate hadn’t stopped snoring since he fell asleep. He checked his watch. They should be landing soon. What was it the captain had said? He rubbed his eyes and reached up and punched the call button.
Lisa responded to the summons. She turned off the light before addressing him.
"Yes sir? May I help you?"
"Yeah, I was half asleep and didn’t hear what the captain said. Could you...?"
"Yes, he just announced that our flight has been diverted to Chicago because of a crash at Kansas City."
Johnny was completely awake now. "What?"
"We’ll be landing in Chica..."
"No! I mean...who crashed?"
"I’m sorry sir. They didn’t tell us."
"Oh. Thank you." Johnny couldn’t explain why this information disturbed him so much.
"Can I do anything else for you?" she politely asked.
"Uh yeah, could I get a soda or something?" His mouth suddenly felt parched.
"Sure. Will a cola do?"
"Yeah. That’d be fine. Thanks."
"I’ll be right back," she promised and headed for the galley. Johnny stared out the window. All he could see in the blackness was the blinking wing light. Chris would be beside herself with worry he knew if the flight that crashed had been the one he was originally supposed to take. Man, I wish I could call from here! Waiting was so hard.
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After finally finding a security officer, Hank and Roy, with the use of their fire department i.d.s, got to the airline officials they needed to talk to about Johnny’s flight. The representative, a Kendal Potter, was a man in his forties. He was short, pot-bellied and wore horn-rimmed glasses. He was also about to go out of his mind with the disaster on his hands. He was being besieged by family members and friends of the passengers on the ill-fated flight. Roy and Hank joined the throng of people waiting for answers.
Mr. Potter stepped up to the podium and spoke into the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention please," he said as he waited for the crowd to quiet down. "Thank you. On behalf of United Airways, I want to thank you for your patience. My assistants have just arrived with copies of the survivors list. Let me make this clear. This list is NOT complete and it may not be accurate. Please take that into consideration. We have been informed that there are confirmed forty-eight fatalities. We do not--I repeat–we do not have the names of those people. We cannot release the names of the dead until their identities can be confirmed. As we have the information available, you will be notified. Thank you."
With that he stepped away from the podium and disappeared through a rear door. Roy felt his frustration mounting. Hank went over and snagged a copy of the survivors list and brought it back to Roy. Together they scanned the list for Johnny’s name. They didn’t find it.
"Well, the man said that it’s not complete or accurate. There’s still a chance, ya know," Hank said hopefully. Roy nodded numbly.
"I hope so Cap. I hope to God," he responded solemnly.
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Johnny finally forced himself around his seat mate and into the aisle. He had to find out about the plane crash. He made his way to the curtain separating the two classes of passengers on the plane. Kim was there and stopped him from going any further.
"I’m sorry sir. Only first class passengers are allowed beyond this point," she told him nicely but firmly.
"Could you get Pam Forester for me? I really need to speak to her," Johnny pleaded.
"Just a moment. I’ll see if I can get her," Kim responded as she lifted the intercom. "Pam? One of my passengers says he needs to speak to you...Your name sir?"
"Johnny. She’ll know."
"He said his name is Johnny...okay...I’ll tell him. Thanks." Kim hung up the handset. "Pam said for you to go ahead and go up to the first class galley."
"Thank you," Johnny told her as he moved the curtain aside and entered the first class section. Pam was waiting for him as he approached.
"You needed to talk to me?" she asked suspiciously. Johnny gave her a nervous smile.
"Yeah, Pam. I really need to find out about that plane crash," he told her earnestly.
"Why? Is someone you know on it?"
"Yeah. Me."
Pam gave him a startled look. "What do you mean? You?"
"I need to know if that was the flight I gave up my seat on," Johnny explained. Pam understood then.
"All I know is that it was one of our flights. 1935 I believe," she told him. She watched the color drain from his face. "That was it, wasn’t it?"
"Yeah and I couldn’t get a hold of Chris before I left to let her know that I changed flights. Oh man. She is going to be sick with worry. Is there any way I can get a message to her?"
Pam shook her head. "Sorry. But we’ll be on the ground soon at O’Hare. I’ll see to it you get to a phone as quickly as possible. Okay?"
"I guess. Do you have any idea how bad the crash was?"
"No. They haven’t released hardly any information at all."
"Okay. Thanks Pam. Man! What a way to end a flight!" he observed before he turned and returned to his seat. Pam watched him disappear behind the curtain. She couldn’t tell him that she knew there had been fatalities. He’d find out soon enough.
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Another twenty minutes had passed without any further information. Chris suddenly started to sob. Annie put her arm around her shoulders and held her daughter.
"He’s dead. I just know he’s dead! If he was alive, we know it! Oh Mom! What am I going to do?" Chris was becoming hysterical. Annie tried to calm her down. She looked around desperately for Doug. He had gone to find coffee for them. He’d only been gone for a few minutes. She whispered soothing words to Chris, rocking her gently in her arms as she sobbed.
Doug came around a corner, carrying three cups of coffee in a small box. He looked up as he approached his wife and daughter and was shocked to see Chris crying uncontrollably. He rushed to his family.
"What happened?" he asked with concern. Had Mr. Stone been wrong? Had Johnny been on that flight after all?
Annie shook her head. "She can help it, Doug. She’s convinced herself that Johnny’s dead."
"Oh, baby!" Doug pulled his little girl into his arms. "Don’t give up hope. Mr. Stone said Johnny might not have even been on the plane."
Both Chris and Annie stared at him, uncomprehending.
"What?" Chris whispered pushing away from his arms.
"He said that Johnny’s name isn’t on the passenger list. He might have given up his seat and taken a later flight," he told her, now wishing he had told her sooner.
"No! You’re lying! Johnny wouldn’t do that without telling me! He’s dead! You know he’s dead! Why are you lying to me!" she sobbed, her voice rising several octaves.
A nurse that had been called to the conference room approached the Martin family.
"Is there anything I can do?" she asked with concern.
"My daughter believes her fiancé was on the flight that crashed and that he’s dead. I’ve been trying to convince her that he took another flight," Doug explained. The nurse nodded with understanding.
"I could ask the doctor for a sedative if you like," she offered.
Chris shook her head violently. "Not until I see him! Daddy, I’ve got to see him!" Dead of alive, Chris knew she had to see him with her own eyes. Her eyes beseeched her fathers’.
Chris dug her hands into his arm. "Find him, Daddy. Please find him!"
"I don’t know where he is baby," Doug responded feeling helpless. He turned to his wife who now cradled Chris in her arms.
"Find him, Doug. Now!" she commanded. Defeated, Doug rose and crossed again to the information desk.
"Mr. Stone. My daughter is sick with worry. We need to know if John Gage took that later flight. I need to know NOW!" he demanded.
Mr. Stone looked on him sympathetically. "We’re doing all we can."
"Can’t you radio the flight or something?" he grasped at straws.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Martin. That flight will be landing at O’Hare in just a few minutes. Wait, I have an idea. Come with me," he ordered. Doug followed blindly hoping that the representative could somehow help him so he could calm Chris down.
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Back in Los Angeles, Roy was beginning to lose his patience and Hank wasn’t far behind him. He crossed over to the information center. A harried young woman was fielding a rush of questions from the confused people seeking information about their loved ones on the ill-fated flight. It was apparent that she was unable to give anyone much of any type of concrete answers. Roy finally made his way to the front of the line.
"Miss, I want to know how to verify if my friend was a passenger on that flight," he said tersely. The young woman looked up and sighed. Everybody wanted to know that. Before she could say anything the telephone on the desk rang and she answered it, holding up a finger, silently asking Roy to wait.
"Yes? ...Mr. Potter, do we have a complete passenger list available yet? ...Yes, thank you...Please send me someone to help out here...Mr. Potter? ...Damn!" she slammed the phone down. She looked back at Roy and pasted on a smile.
"Mr. Potter informs me that we will have a printout of that available in about fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen minutes!" Roy almost exploded. "We’ve been waiting for hours!"
"I’m sorry sir. That’s the best I can do. We’ll announce it as soon as it’s available. They’re making copies of it as we speak."
Roy’s demeanor softened. He realized it wasn’t the young woman’s fault. His paramedic training kicked in.
"I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to yell. I know you have a lot on your plate. Thank you for doing your best." With that he turned away and rejoined Hank nearby. All they could do was wait.
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JoAnne answered the door bell, wondering who it could be so late. She peeked out and almost laughed to herself. It wasn’t a surprise at all. Marco Lopez, Chet Kelly and Mike Stoker stood on the porch. She opened the door.
"Hi guys. Come on in."
"Hi JoAnne. Any word?" Chet asked as he passed into the house.
"No. Not yet. Roy and Hank went over to the airport to see what they could find out," she informed her husband’s coworkers. "Have a seat. Can I get anything for anyone?"
"Not for me, thanks," Marco responded. Mike shook his head as he eased himself on the couch.
"I’ll take some coffee if you’ve got it," Chet told her. JoAnne smiled.
"There’s always a pot going around here," she responded. She started toward the kitchen.
"I’ll get it Jo," Chet offered.
"No, that’s okay but you can come with me to get it."
"Thanks." They disappeared into the kitchen together. Marco looked over at Mike.
"Looks like it’s going to be a long night," he commented as another news bulletin interrupted the program on the t.v. Mike nodded in agreement.
* * * * * * * * E! * * * * * * * * *
United Airways’ Flight 2047 touched the ground flawlessly at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Johnny was getting antsy to get to the gate and get off the plane. He could only imagine the hell he was putting Chris and her family through. And he figured by now, Roy and his family were probably wondering the same thing. Slowly the aircraft taxied to the gate. Finally they docked and people began retrieving their belongings from the overhead bins. The aisle was blocked with so many people that Johnny couldn’t move and he still had to get his garment bag. His frustration grew at the slowness of the passengers ahead of him and all he could do was wait.
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Chris had finally stopped crying. She just didn’t feel anything now. She broke away from her mother and wandered around the conference room. Her father had disappeared with that airline representative some time ago and hadn’t returned. She just wanted to be alone now. She just felt so empty. How could this have happened? Am I being punished for something? Why am I being foresaken? Oh, Johnny! Where are you? Are you hurt? Are you okay? Or are you dead. I just need to know. Chris wrapped her arms about herself and walked aimlessly. She tuned out the suffering of the other people that remained. Most of them, like her, were reconciling themselves to the reality that their loved one had not survived the crash. The authorities had not yet begun the unpleasant task of asking them to identify the dead.
After a few minutes of wandering around, Chris found a secluded spot in the corner of the conference room. Tall potted plants created a small alcove out of the glare of the flourescent lighting. She slipped behind the plants and knelt down. She didn’t pray on a regular basis but at the moment she felt the need to be close to her creator. She looked heavenward and began a silent but fervent prayer.
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THE END OF PART 3–CONTINUED IN PART 4
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