The Next Generation Chapter 3
| The Next Generation | |
|---|---|
| Chapter 3 of 19 | |
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| Time frame | May, 1983 |
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Summary
Irene muses that Judith is doing too much, and is dismayed that Norman even thinks that she should go to college. Her thinking was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.
Judy had not yet had the promised date with Ken, and hadn't been expecting it because she knew he was busy planting corn. The phone was Ken calling her, telling her that the planter had broken down and needed parts, so he had some time free; she agrees to go out to the farm for a ride on Candybar, who by now was an old horse, rarely ridden and always at a walk. Judy finds that riding is something that she is comfortable doing and enjoys.
While the corn planter is out of action, Chet decides to do some maintenance and discovers a weld that had broken loose and needed to be repaired. While he is getting the arc welder, Tom takes the tractor and front loader that had been holding up the tongue of the planter, replacing it with a precarious 2x4. Chet swore, but went on with the repair underneath the implement.
While Judy was riding around, she heard a "thud" and a scream; she rides over and finds Chet's leg pinned under the planter; he was bleeding and groaning in agony. Judy rode over, dismounted Candybar, and got Chet to hold on to one of the stirrups. She then slid under the machine and used her upper body strength to lift it off his leg, yelling "Getup" so that the horse would pull him out from under the machine before she had to let go. She wiggled out from under, fixed a tourniquet made from her shirt on Chet's leg, and then pulled herself up onto Candybar and rode to get help.
The doctor told her that she had saved Chet's life. Ken looked at Judy; She had dirt in her hair, grease on her arms. Her jeans were still damp with his father's blood, and she looked frazzled in a a shirt six sizes too large. Now, there were tears rolling down her face.
She was concerned that when her mother found out what she had done, she would never be allowed to see Candybar again. Lydia said that they would take her home, and that Irene would have to deal with the Sorensens first.
