“Clay, we can’t get rid of him and you know it. Besides, it’s almost Christmas. You’re just emotional this time of year. Don’t take it out on the dog.”
“Mary, I’ve told you I’m done with him. We’ve had him long enough. I’m tired of cleaning up after him and I just don’t want him around anymore.”
“You just don’t want him because he reminds you of what happened. It wasn’t his fault.”
“I don’t care whose fault it was. We don’t need a dog anymore and I want him gone by the time I get back.”
“Why do you have to fly every Christmas? This is the fourth year in a row. I need you here.”
“Mary, it’s not my fault. I just drew the unlucky number again.”
“Four years in a row?”
“Apparently. We don’t have many pilots right now and all the guys with families want time off.”
“You have a family too!”
“I just can’t be here for Christmas. We’ll celebrate the twenty-sixth instead.”
“It’s not the same and you know it.”
He couldn’t deny that she was right, but at the same time was unwilling to accept it. Christmas just wasn’t the same for him anymore. Clay put his coffee in a travel mug and gathered his papers and briefcase and headed to the airport. Mary’s hands trembled as she cleaned up the breakfast dishes. The small beagle waddled over and planted himself next to her feet. His inquisitive eyes looked up to meet hers. As she knelt down to embrace him her eyes couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. She knew that if he went to a shelter this time of year they would most likely put him down. Shelters were overcrowded and he wasn’t a puppy anymore. It was just as hard for her to keep him around as it was for her husband. A gentle paw reached out and rested on her foot to console her. He was a naughty dog and training him had never worked out. He still messed frequently in the house and many shoes had fallen victim to his afternoon games, but when Clay was away the little dog was all she had.
Clay arrived at the airport and reported to the dispatcher’s office for his assignment. He had been hoping for the overnight flight to Beijing. The international flights meant that he got to captain the 757. His first officer, Tyrique, was fairly new to the airline, and had just had his second child. He left a larger airline hoping to have more time with his family. Just by looking at his face Clay could already see that he was not happy about their Christmas assignment.
“Hey Clay, here’s your paper work. Looks like you’re taking the San Francisco to Boston run. On the return you’ll be flying from Boston to Houston, then back to San Francisco. Sorry to give you such a long run on Christmas Eve, but I had to.” The short and plump dispatcher handed Clay a folder with all the details of his flight. It wasn’t what Clay had been hoping for, but it was long enough. It would keep him away and busy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which was exactly how he liked it. “Oh and Clay I heard you’ve got a special passenger on the first flight. It’s a little girl with serious cancer. She’s being taken to a hospital to hopefully save her life. It might delay you a little bit with boarding. She’s been given all of the resources available for pre-boarding, but it will still be a struggle for her family to get her and all of her equipment settled on the plane.”
“That shouldn’t be an issue.”
Clay and Tyrique went out to their jet to begin their pre-flight checklist. Still donning their formal uniforms including their jackets and white peaked caps, they made their way around the cockpit flipping switches and checking gauges before their flight.
“I can’t believe they gave us such a long flight over Christmas. I was hoping to be home tonight. The whole reason I transferred to this airline was to be home more. We do more in-state flights than anybody and I get stuck on the coast to coast. What do you think about it?”
“I requested it. Not a big fan of Christmas. I like keeping busy this time of year. Let’s just get our passengers where they’re going safely and keep the complaining to a minimum.”
Stunned at his response, Tyrique laid his clipboard down and began testing his headset. Air Traffic Control on the other side replied, stating that all of the equipment was working properly. The two discussed their flight plan with the dispatcher as they looked over the charts and instructions in the files they had both been given. It should be a smooth flight. The skies were exceptionally clear for late December. No signs of snow anywhere on their route.
“So why don’t you like Christmas? Doesn’t your family want you around?”
“It’s just me and Mary now and the stupid dog she’s so attached to. We don’t exchange presents or even put up a tree. Honestly it’s just another day to me. I’d rather be here in the sky.”
As he spoke he looked out at the front of the plane. It offered all the holiday comfort he needed. The blue nose pointed towards the boarding ramp and the two men began to move the plane in place for their passengers to board. Clay loved flying. It was where he felt most at home. It was his place in the world and he was in control. He was the Captain of his vessel and he liked it that way. He was in charge of everything that took place on his plane and he saw to it that everyone got where they were going safely. Clay got up and strolled through the empty aisle of the passenger cabin. The smell of chemicals and stale air filled his nostrils. The cabin had been freshly cleaned, but for some reason airplanes never truly smell all that fresh. Clay had been in the game for a while so he’d grown accustomed to the smell. Soon the plane would be filled with people, so he decided to enjoy the solitude for the few minutes it would last. He ran his hands along the seats, counting them in his mind. His polished shoes reflected the lights moving above as they stepped down the aisle. In the back he inspected the lavatory and the flight attendant’s carts and first aid kits. All of the doors of the overhead baggage compartments were flung upward and every seatbelt was fastened in place. The plane was ready to fly and the captain was getting antsy for takeoff. He began to make his way back to the cockpit when the sounds of clanking metal and squeaking wheels make their way down the boarding ramp. In front of him appeared an elderly couple, burdened with bags, tubes, wires and beeping monitors, who were accompanying a small, frail looking girl in a wheelchair much too big for her.
He hurried their way and asked them “Can I help you with any of this?”
They welcomed the help and told him where they were to be seated. They had to buy two extra seats to make room for all of the girl’s necessities. They had a heart monitor, an I.V. rack, some sort of device to help her breathe, and other cases that Clay had never seen before. The man lifted his adopted child out of her chair and gently placed her in the seat. As she drifted in and out of consciousness, she was able to look up at the pilot.
“Are you flying this plane?” her weak voice uttered.
“Yes, I am. Is there anything that I can get you folks before the rest of the passengers arrive?”
“No, no I think we’re all set.” The older gentleman replied.
“Thank you sir, for flying us on Christmas Eve. I’m sorry you’re away from your family.” It took all the effort the girl had just to say those few words.
“It is my pleasure miss. Please, make yourselves comfortable, and if you need anything else don’t hesitate to ask. The attendants will be available the entire flight.” He tipped his hat to them and returned to his cabin and his grumpy first mate.
“What’s wrong?”
“Dispatch is saying that we might be delayed over an hour or more due to congestion at the Logan airport.”
“Well it is Christmas and Logan is one of the busiest stops in the country. If you can’t keep your attitude together then I can’t recommend you for that promotion you’ve been looking for. If you ever want a predictable schedule and not be an assistant to anyone and everyone then I suggest that you keep your personal business from professional matters. The passengers will be boarding soon and it’s your turn to greet them. Even if we sit here on the runway, or have to take a longer route, we’re going to do our jobs as directed. Straighten up that tie and put on a big smile and we’ll have a great Christmas Eve flight.”
Clay had been doing this job long enough to know that complaining wasn’t going to change the way the airports filter flights in and out. He was actually pleased that they were getting held up. Home was the last place he wanted to be. The longer he could be away, the better. The extra pay on the holidays was pretty good too. He let himself relax in his captain’s chair as he read through the weather reports and air pressure readings.
The crowd filtered in and the crew helped them all get settled. The pre-flight safety speech went as it always does. The plane wasn’t delayed as long as they were originally told and after about thirty minutes waiting on the runway they were permitted to take off. San Francisco was home for Clay so naturally it was his favorite airport. The familiarity made take-offs and landings much easier. As usual Clay’s takeoff went flawlessly. They reached cruising altitude and the flight attendants moved around the cabin providing snacks and making sure everyone was comfortable. Clay turned over the controls to his copilot and got up to stretch his legs. He removed his tie and hat, hung his jacket in the closet, and left the cockpit to talk to the head flight attendant. She was a Latin woman named Luciana, who had worked with him on countless flights. They both had an understanding of how the other operated and were able to work well together. Clay was surprised she got assigned to work this flight. She, as well as Tyrique, had a family and small children to celebrate with.
“So how did you wind up working over Christmas weekend this year?”
“We needed the money. Jerry still can’t find work. You?”
“I’m not sure. I was supposed to take the international run, but a cross country will work just fine.”
“It always baffles me that you don’t want to spend Christmas with your wife. Isn’t it hard for her to be alone this time of year?”
“Yeah but it’s almost harder for both of us if I’m there. It just works better this way. Hey, I need you to keep an eye on that family in row twenty-seven. If they need anything make it complementary. Make sure they’re as comfortable as possible. I want them to have a good flight.”
“Sure. You’re talking about the older couple with the sick little girl right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s too bad we couldn’t move them to first class, but the flights too full.”
“Yeah I know, but we’ll do what we can.”
She handed him a soda and he turned to head back into the cockpit, but just as he reached for the door a hand was placed on his shoulder.
“Sir, we have a bit of an emergency.” It was Monica, one of the other attendants. She was young and fairly new. “The girl in the middle of the plane, with all the medical stuff, well it’s all going crazy. Her parents don’t know what to do. I’m not trained beyond basic first aid and CPR. Something is going wrong.”
“Just calm down. We can’t let people panic. How bad is her situation?”
“I think we need to land the plane.”
“Luciana go check on her and her parents. I’m going to talk to dispatch. Find out if it’s as serious as she says. Hurry!”
“Tyrique, get dispatch to find us an airport to make an emergency landing. We may have a situation. We’ll need medical attention waiting on the ground.”
“He wants to know if it’s the girl with cancer.”
“Yes, we’re not equipped to handle whatever is going on. We can’t let her die. I’m going back to see what’s going on. Stay the course for now, but if it’s as bad as the attendants say then I’m coming to take the controls and we’re landing this bird.”
Clay rushed to the back of the plane to check on the girl. Her parents were in tears and her machines were letting off loud sirens that almost blocked out the noise of the jet turbine completely. Some of the passengers looked irritated, but most of them were worried for the girl’s life.
“Sir what is going on? Does this happen frequently?”
The father frantically searched the screens to make sense of the reading, but he just shook his head frantically. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen her readings go this low. The oxygen levels in her blood aren’t even registering. She’s still breathing and she’s still alive, but something is going wrong. She might be bleeding internally. I don’t know what to do! I don’t know what to do…” He searched for meaning in the numbers he was looking at, but there wasn’t any sense to it. Her eyes opened briefly to look up at the pilot and then she was gone again into her sleep-like state. “Please sir, is there anything you can do to save my daughter’s life?” The father’s eyes were pleading as they met Clay’s.
“I don’t know, but we’re at least going to try.” Clay moved through the aisle elegantly, but with purpose. His body snaked around the people in his path who were crowding around to see what was going on. “Everyone please return to your seats. Let the crew do their job.” Clay barked. The flight attendants tried to force everyone back to their seats because the crowd was getting out of hand, but the people wouldn’t cooperate. After what felt like a lifetime Clay was back in his captain’s chair donning his headset.
“We need to land now or this girl might not make it.”
“I understand your situation Clay, but there’s just nowhere to land. All the cities you’re flying over are too full. There’s no runway free that can take you safely.”
“We can’t wait. If we keep flying, she dies. Is there anything you can do?”
“Give me a minute to talk to my supervisor. I’ll be in touch within five minutes.”
“That may be too long, but it will have to do. Tyrique, turn on the seat belt sign and announce to the crowd what’s going on. Have the Flight attendants prepare for descent.”
The cabin was chaos. Everyone tried to make it back to their seats, but the walkways were congested and people were heading in all directions. Voices were yelling, and some people began to panic because they didn’t understand what was going on. The girl’s machine continued to wail all throughout the passenger cabin. The seat belt sign illuminated and the flight attendants did their best to manage the commotion. The intercom let out a “bing” as it came to life and the Copilot’s voice came over the speakers.
“This is your copilot speaking. We have lit the fasten seat belt signs because we are most likely going to be making an emergency landing. There is a girl on board who is having a serious medical emergency and we are going to descend shortly. Once she is safely in the care of medical professionals we will continue our journey to Boston. Please remain seated and out of the flight attendants’ way so that we can have a smooth and safe descent. We will update you with our new arrival time in Boston as soon as that information is available.”
“Here’s the best I can do. There’s an airport that will take you, but it’s going to take you over an hour to get there.”
“No, that’s too much!” Clay slammed his earpiece on the console. He looked over his charts and his route information one more time hoping that something would jump out at him.
“There just aren’t many airports underneath you right now.”
The attendants were all gathered around waiting for instructions. Tyrique continued flying the plane waiting for Clay to give the go-ahead to alter course.
One of the younger flight attendants looked back through the window in the cockpit door. It was hard to see through the crowd, but she could still hear the frantic beeping of the girl’s monitors. “If only an ambulance would reach thirty thousand feet” she said.
“That’s it!” Clay yelled.
“Clay, you don’t really think we can hookup with a life flight this high right? We’d die before we got close enough to hand her off.”
“No, no of course not. She just gave me an idea. Dispatch, come in.”
“I’m still here Clay.”
“Can you clear me a section of interstate?”
“Shouldn’t be too hard. You’re entering western Kansas. There isn’t much there. Let me get ahold of the state police and have them block a stretch off for you.”
“Tyrique, when he sends you coordinates, start to make our descent. I’m going to go back and check on the family.”
He removed his headset and leapt to his feet. His legs couldn’t carry him fast enough. He found her father knelt down beside her in the aisle trying to figure out what was wrong.
“Sir, we’re going to be landing shortly. I’m going to need you to strap yourself back in. Both of the girl’s parents were frantic. His voice was trembling and he tried to explain to the captain what he was doing but the words weren’t legible.
“What he’s trying to say is that her IV unit was clogged and he was trying to find where the issue was. Are we going to be able to get our baby to a hospital soon?”
“We’re doing the best that we can, Ma’am. In the mean time I’m going to need you both to be safe as well. Please stay buckled in so we can land. Do you need anything?”
Her father’s voice still trembled as he spoke. “We need a miracle, Captain.”
The captain tried to maintain his professional composure, but he couldn’t do anything to keep his voice from cracking. He said “It is Christmas. Isn’t that the best time for miracles?”
The girl’s breathing sounded loud and sloshy. It was almost as if she were drinking water. Her eyes were still closed and her heart still wasn’t performing adequately. Liquid was filling her lungs. She swayed back and forth as she tried to lift her head. Through tightly clenched eyelids she tried to make out what she was looking at. To her, the Pilot, all dressed in white, looked like a doctor in her dulled consciousness. “Thank you …” and with those two words she had been pulled back to sleep.
The Pilot had Luciana retrieve some blankets to try to keep the girl warm and make her comfortable. Her blood wasn’t circulating and her lips had begun to turn blue.
“Tyrique what’s our situation?”
“Everything has been taken care of on the ground and we’ve already begun our descent.”
“I’ll take over the controls now.”
“Yes sir. The coordinates are already in the computer. Just follow the route and we’ll be able to land in the designated clearing on Interstate Seventy. Sir, do you think the girl is going to make it?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
The two exchanged minimal communication the rest of the flight. The captain needed to concentrate and he was in constant communication with dispatch. Tyrique helped where he could, and watched on in hopeful silence. The plane touched down on the three lane eastbound highway. The landing was relatively smooth considering the circumstances. An ambulance arrived and took the girl to a doctor. The passengers were all cleared from the cabin and shuttled to a nearby truck stop where they could get something to eat while the plane was being checked over. They wouldn’t be able to takeoff from the interstate so the plane would be towed to Hays International Airport over a hundred miles away. The passengers would have to be bussed to the airport and would pick up a new flight. The crew were all still aboard the plane doing safety checks and making sure their equipment was undamaged.
“Captain?” Luciana opened the cockpit door to speak with Clay.
“Just a moment. Let me finish this up.” He flipped threw a few more papers making notes and writing numbers. He looked up and could see from the tears running down her face that it was more important than he realized. He put his papers down.
“What is it?”
“I found this on the floor where the girl had been sitting. I think you should have it.”
She handed him a folded piece of paper, crumpled and damaged from all the commotion during the flight. As he began to open it he saw a crudely drawn picture of himself in blue crayon. At the bottom in a child’s handwriting it said “Thank you very much for being my Christmas miracle. Sincerely, Olivia.”
The captain folded it back up and excused himself to the lavatory. He sunk to the floor and pulled out his wallet. Inside it was a similar picture. This one was in bright orange and depicted a beagle that said “Thanks Daddy, for the Christmas puppy.” It was dated December 26th four Christmases prior. Because of him Christmas was always on the 26th. As he held it in his hands all of the emotion that he had held back for so long overwhelmed him. There, in an airplane bathroom, on a blocked interstate after an emergency landing on Christmas Eve, he wept.
The phone rang and Mary answered it. “Hello?”
“Hi honey. It’s Clay. We had to make an emergency landing.”
“Oh gosh! Is everything alright?”
“Yeah we’re all OK. There was a girl who had a medical emergency. She’s being seen now. Listen, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry I’ve been away so much. I’m going to take a leave of absence when I get back. I think we need some time together.” He could hear his wife crying on the other side. “And Mary, I’ve thought about it and I think we should keep the dog.”
Please take a moment to remember those whose holiday season might not be quite as jolly as your own. Pray for those who struggle this time of year. Speak life and share love. Merry Christmas and God Bless!
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