Chapter 3

Josephine was yelling “HELP! HELP!” as she started running towards the house. Sarah met her at the kitchen’s back door.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“It’s Frank, he’s been bitten by two snakes. He needs help, PLEASE!”

Sarah was the only adult at home, the stable hands were working too far away from the house. Grace their mother was in town speaking at a campaign luncheon for their father, Senator Franklin Labelle Sr. That year he was running for re-election to keep his seat in the Congressional House as a Republican for Louisiana. This would be his second term if elected to office again.

Sarah panicked, she rushed outside with Josephine following.

“Frank!, Frank! Where are you?” she yelled but, he did not reply.

Frank was walking as fast as he could towards the garage thinking that he could drive himself to get help but, he collapsed in the driveway.

Running to the front of the house after she didn’t see Frank out back, Sarah and Jo saw that he had fallen down by one the cars parked near the garage. When Sarah reached him she grabbed his hand to see where exactly had he been bitten.

“OUCH! That hurts.” Frank screamed.

“I’m sorry dear one.”

Frank stuttered “I don’t… have… much time. Please help me.”

Vivian heard loud talking coming from outside. She rushed to her window to see if she could see anything. Vivian’s bedroom was upstairs over the garage. Looking down she saw Josephine, Sarah and Frank.

“Why is Frank on the ground?” she asked herself.

Curious she went running down the back stairway towards the side door leading to the garage. Opening the door Vivian screamed.

“Oh my God what’s wrong with Frank?”

“Calm down child, where is your phone?”

Reaching in her pocket Vivian handed the phone to Sarah. Shaking trying to stay positive she dialed 911.

“We need help! Please come right away Frank has been bitten by a snake.”

The operator asked “Ma’am how old is Frank?”

“He’s 16”

“Where was he bitten?”

“His hand, he was bitten twice on his hand.”

“How long ago? And, what kind of snake?”

“About five minutes now.”

Sarah asked Frank what kind of snake bit him but, he was drifting in and out of consciousness. The pain and venom was taking over. Josephine answered instead.

“I think it was two baby rattlers.”

“Frank was it two baby rattlers”? Asked Sarah.

Nodding his head yes, she told the emergency operator.

“It was two baby rattle snakes.”

“Okay ma’am help is on the way. I have your location as the Labelle Ranch. Is that correct?”

“Yes we are here out front near the garage in the driveway, you can’t miss us.”

The operator was talking to Sarah asking more questions, getting as much information about Frank as possible, while they waited for the ambulance.

“He tied his belt around his arm but, I don’t think that’s helping.” replied Sarah.

The fire station was about 10 minutes from their ranch. Vivian ran down to the front gate to let the ambulance enter once they arrived. It seemed as though hours had passed. Soon she heard and saw a fire truck that resembled an ambulance coming up the drive towards the gate.

“I have to enter the code.” she yelled to the driver.

Vivian entered the wrong code twice.

“Look at me. What’s you name?”

“Vivian, my name is Vivian.”

“Okay Vivian calm down you can do this. Now take a deep breath and enter the number.”

She did as she was told. The gates opened, stepping back from the truck Vivian ran up the driveway along side the ambulance pointing towards the garage. Upon reaching the scene they saw someone performing CPR. Two firemen rushed out of the truck quickly reaching Franks side.

“Excuse me ma’am we’ll take over now.” Voiced one of the firemen.

Sarah reluctantly moved back, she stood and hugged an emotional and visibly shaken Josephine. Jo was crying uncontrollably, Vivian was standing to the side looking on in disbelief.

A pickup truck pulled up, three men exited the truck running towards the commotion. Ryan Applebee, the head stableman in charge of handling all that happened on the ranch with the horses yelled.

“Sarah what happened? We heard the sirens and Jake was at the barn when he saw the ambulance drive up and ran to get me.”

Jake was one of the many hired hands that worked with Ryan training and breeding the prized horses on the ranch.

“Frank was bitten by two baby rattlers.”

Sarah explained very quickly what had occurred up to where the firemen took over the performing of CPR from her. Still holding onto Josephine she looked into Ryan’s eyes wiping at the tears falling down her face.

“Ryan… he stopped breathing. Frank stopped breathing.”

The fireman in charge approached them.

“Sir, Ma’am. I’m Paul, we are trying to stabilize him. I want lie to you a lot of time has passed. Can you tell me what happened?”

Sarah again explained the events leading up to finding Frank by the car. After getting as much information as possible, Paul was called over to help assist the other two firemen with lifting Frank onto the gurney.

“What’s his condition?”

“He’s stable, we’ve administered the anti venom, started the IV drip. His breathing is shallow, pulse is weak. We have to go now sir.”

Everyone over heard the firemen talking. They rolled the gurney with Frank laying so still into the back of the ambulance.

Paul looked toward Sarah and others he shouted.

“We are taking him to St. Anne hospital someone needs to contact the parents as soon as possible.”

The doors to the ambulance closed. Vivian was still standing to the side by herself. Ryan glanced over and saw her shaking. Sarah with Josephine in tow rushed inside the house to call their mother Grace.

Ryan went to Vivian’s side and picked her up saying, “I have you princess, it’s okay. He’s going to be okay.”

“No he’s not.” Vivian begin crying on Ryan’s shoulder.

“He’s dead uncle Ray, he’s dead.”

She grabbed onto Ryan’s shoulder sobbing so hard she started hyperventilating. Putting her down he kneeled on the ground in front of her.

“Look at me princess. Look at me! Calm down and breathe slow. Do that for me, slow breaths.

Vivian begin breathing slower. Ryan held her hand and walked with her into the house. Sarah was on the phone with Grace when they entered.

“Yes ma’am, St. Anne’s hospital. About five minutes ago. Hurry ma’am, hurry. I’m with the girls, Ryan is here too.”

After getting off the phone with Grace, Sarah told the girls their mother wanted them to stay home. She would contact them once she was at the hospital and knew more about Frank’s condition.