Smoke
Seventeen
17 hours, 47 minutes. That’s how long it had been since the accident, that’s how long it had been since everything had ground to a screeching halt in front of him, she shouldn’t have been there, she was the driver she should have been on the pump. He knew as soon as he saw her tally on the crew board, as soon as he heard sub shout and that stomach churning crack followed by a thud then a deafening silence he knew she was in there.
Then there was the confirmation, a high-pitched screech came from the centre of the carnage. A distress signal unit had been trigged, the wail was undeniable, she was in there somewhere.
He fought, by god did he fight! Shouting, pushing against those restraining him, most of them his friends but their voices were nothing more than white noise,
“Leave it Kev! Calm down it’s going to be alright mate!”
Now he found himself sat at her bedside, watching her, her face still had a dusting of soot, her red hair slightly matted with blood on her temple with bruises becoming more apparent across her body.
“Hello Love” A gentle voice jolted him awake, he rubbed his eyes and looked up, Scarlett’s mother stood close to him holding out a polystyrene cup “any news?”
He shook his head,
“Not yet, waiting for surgeons, they’re going to…” he paused his stomach churning as reality washed over him again, he ran his hands over his face, tears making his throat feel tight, “I think they’re going to pin the bones in place, it’s erm, it’s a few bad breaks”
“A few?”
“three they think, two in the legs one in the pelvis” as his voice grew thick his mother in law placed an arm over his shoulder “She had a punctured lung, but they fixed that, she’s breathing by herself now”
“She’s a tough girl is our Scarlett” she took her son in law’s hand “Kevin, she’ll be okay”
Doctors buzzed around the young woman, using language Kevin didn’t understand, they kept glancing at him giving him sympathetic looks,
“Now, Mr Medhurst?” He nodded “We’re hoping to be as quick as we can but as Scarlett needs extensive work we can’t guarantee a time”
“I’ll wait” he said determined “In the relative’s room”
Her mother interrupted
“Kevin, love maybe you could go home get some sleep and a shower you’ll have time”
Nausea washed over him,
“But I…what if something happens”
“Then I’ll let you know love, I’ll call you as soon as I know anything”
He shook his head,
“I’ll be seeing her off to theatre” her mother nodded “and I’ll be back by eight tonight”
“we’re just taking her down”
The surgeon said quietly, Kevin stepped over to her bedside taking her hand and sweeping her hair from her forehead, with tears obstructing his vision he brought his face to the side of her placing a small kiss on her cheek,
“Don’t you dare leave me”
He whispered his voice fractured.
He sat on the bed, his hair still dripping from the shower, he had tried to sleep but had no joy, his mind raced with his thoughts always snatched back to what could be happening in that operating theatre, he shuddered.
He paced up and down the relatives room, the door squeaking behind him making him jump,
“Kevin!” His mother in law pulled him in to a hug “I told you to stay at home!”
“I couldn’t! any news?”
“She’ll be back on the ward in about an hour love, she’s in recovery at the moment, you can’t see her yet love”
He followed the porters back to the ward, only stealing a split-second glance at his wife, pale bandaged and bruised, pipes and wires tracing her usually freckled skin, His heart fell in to his stomach.
“the worst is over now love it’s all over”
He was pulled in to another hug
“I need to be with her, I need to go”
He sped to her bedside silently slipping in to the chair, returning to his usual position, one hand in hers the other trailing through her hair, he remained still just watching her chest rise and fall slowly,
“Come on Dolly, wake up”
Her legs felt as though they were suddenly made of lead, she opened her eyes, squinting as the shapes around her came in to focus, with magnolia walls, garish upholstery and faded water colours on the walls there was no mistaking where she was, her stomach dropped, she attempted to sit up, pain tore through her abdomen forcing her back down, confused, she began to panic, she lifted her arm, dozily pushing the oxygen mask from her face, head swimming she looked around, her husband slept peacefully in the chair next to her, she attempted to reach out to him, more pain shot through her once more, she whimpered defeated.
Then there was the confirmation, a high-pitched screech came from the centre of the carnage. A distress signal unit had been trigged, the wail was undeniable, she was in there somewhere.
He fought, by god did he fight! Shouting, pushing against those restraining him, most of them his friends but their voices were nothing more than white noise,
“Leave it Kev! Calm down it’s going to be alright mate!”
Now he found himself sat at her bedside, watching her, her face still had a dusting of soot, her red hair slightly matted with blood on her temple with bruises becoming more apparent across her body.
“Hello Love” A gentle voice jolted him awake, he rubbed his eyes and looked up, Scarlett’s mother stood close to him holding out a polystyrene cup “any news?”
He shook his head,
“Not yet, waiting for surgeons, they’re going to…” he paused his stomach churning as reality washed over him again, he ran his hands over his face, tears making his throat feel tight, “I think they’re going to pin the bones in place, it’s erm, it’s a few bad breaks”
“A few?”
“three they think, two in the legs one in the pelvis” as his voice grew thick his mother in law placed an arm over his shoulder “She had a punctured lung, but they fixed that, she’s breathing by herself now”
“She’s a tough girl is our Scarlett” she took her son in law’s hand “Kevin, she’ll be okay”
Doctors buzzed around the young woman, using language Kevin didn’t understand, they kept glancing at him giving him sympathetic looks,
“Now, Mr Medhurst?” He nodded “We’re hoping to be as quick as we can but as Scarlett needs extensive work we can’t guarantee a time”
“I’ll wait” he said determined “In the relative’s room”
Her mother interrupted
“Kevin, love maybe you could go home get some sleep and a shower you’ll have time”
Nausea washed over him,
“But I…what if something happens”
“Then I’ll let you know love, I’ll call you as soon as I know anything”
He shook his head,
“I’ll be seeing her off to theatre” her mother nodded “and I’ll be back by eight tonight”
“we’re just taking her down”
The surgeon said quietly, Kevin stepped over to her bedside taking her hand and sweeping her hair from her forehead, with tears obstructing his vision he brought his face to the side of her placing a small kiss on her cheek,
“Don’t you dare leave me”
He whispered his voice fractured.
He sat on the bed, his hair still dripping from the shower, he had tried to sleep but had no joy, his mind raced with his thoughts always snatched back to what could be happening in that operating theatre, he shuddered.
He paced up and down the relatives room, the door squeaking behind him making him jump,
“Kevin!” His mother in law pulled him in to a hug “I told you to stay at home!”
“I couldn’t! any news?”
“She’ll be back on the ward in about an hour love, she’s in recovery at the moment, you can’t see her yet love”
He followed the porters back to the ward, only stealing a split-second glance at his wife, pale bandaged and bruised, pipes and wires tracing her usually freckled skin, His heart fell in to his stomach.
“the worst is over now love it’s all over”
He was pulled in to another hug
“I need to be with her, I need to go”
He sped to her bedside silently slipping in to the chair, returning to his usual position, one hand in hers the other trailing through her hair, he remained still just watching her chest rise and fall slowly,
“Come on Dolly, wake up”
Her legs felt as though they were suddenly made of lead, she opened her eyes, squinting as the shapes around her came in to focus, with magnolia walls, garish upholstery and faded water colours on the walls there was no mistaking where she was, her stomach dropped, she attempted to sit up, pain tore through her abdomen forcing her back down, confused, she began to panic, she lifted her arm, dozily pushing the oxygen mask from her face, head swimming she looked around, her husband slept peacefully in the chair next to her, she attempted to reach out to him, more pain shot through her once more, she whimpered defeated.