Thursday's Child (3 page)

“No.”

“Go get it. That way we can start treating her until the paramedics arrive.”

Steve nodded and ran back to the fire engine. Jared smiled and then moved closer to the car. Though the teeming rain he could make out the start of the number plate in the tangled wreckage. ROO. The rest of the plate was torn off.

It’s the same as Niamh’s. Don’t be silly. There are probably a thousand red cars that start ROO, if not more than that.

He got closer and suddenly the Station Manager, Brad Peters was there, blocking his path. “Jared…”

Jared looked at him. The look on the Guv’s face said it all.
Oh, God, no, please…
“Guv?”

“I’m sorry. It’s Niamh.”

Nausea and sheer panic filled him. Dropping the equipment to the ground, Jared moved as if in fire or lime. Everything slowed down, voices and sounds echoing. He shook off the arm that held him, his whole being determined to get to her, his eyes fixed on the wreck. Somewhere in that tortured and twisted hunk of metal was his wife.

“N-n-n-i-i-a-a-m-m-h-h-h.”

Two firefighters caught him as he neared the car. “No, no. Jared, don’t.”

“Is she dead?”

Please, God, don’t let her be dead.

He looked at them desperate for them to say no.

“She’s unconscious.”

“I want to be with her.” He tore away and strode to the car. People moved around him. More sirens echoed as paramedics and additional fire engines arrived. Reaching the car, he leaned in through the shattered window. “Niamh? Baby, can you hear me?” He touched her face, but there was no response.

An ice cold spear pierced his heart and soul. He couldn’t lose her.

God, please, let her be all right.

He looked around. “There’s no response. I’m going in.” He slipped and slid his way around the car and pulled at the passenger door. It was unlocked and he started to haul it open.

“Wait,” Brad said looking at him. “Phil, run a hose out here, just in case. Jared, you don’t go in there until the chocks are in position to stabilize the car.”

Jared bristled and opened his mouth to object.

Brad cut him off. “I mean it. If you can’t do that, then you sit this one out. Over there in the fire engine. You know the rules, Jared, and I’m not breaking them for anyone. That includes you.”

“Yes, Guv.” Jared grabbed one of the chocks, helping set it in position so that the car wouldn’t move when he entered or when they began cutting into it. It seemed to take forever until the car was secured. He pulled at the passenger door until it opened. Knocking the glass from the seat to the floor, he slid sideways into the car, and somehow managed to squeeze his large frame into the tiny space between the seat and the crumpled dashboard. He pulled off his glove and tucked it inside his jacket. “OK.”

He touched the side of her neck and looked at the Guv through the broken driver’s window. “Pulse is weak.” He ran his hands down her body. “The dashboard is pushing down on her and the steering column is crushed against her legs. It’s going to be a ’mare getting her out.” He pulled his hand up quickly as it got wet. He looked at it. Red blood dripped from his fingers. “She’s bleeding out. I can’t tell where it’s coming from. I think she’s time critical.”

The Guv turned away, barking instructions.

Jared tuned him out and wiped his fingers on his fire kit. He knew she was unconscious, but also knew hearing was the last sense to go. “OK hon, I’m going to put my hands around your neck to keep it steady. I need you to stay still for me. Then we’re going to cut the car to pieces so we can get you out.”

Steve looked in at him through the window. “Guv says she’s your wife. The lads want me to tell you they’ll not rest until she’s out and safe.”

Jared looked at him. “There are other people trapped, too. I don’t want any favors done on my account.”

Skippy laughed from the other side as he put a thick fire retardant cloth over Jared and Niamh. “You ought to be grateful she’s unconscious, mate. Otherwise she’d hit you for that comment. Like that will happen, anyway. She’s one of us. We’ll get her out. There are other crews working on the other cars. We’re going to smash all the glass first, then cut off the windscreen, and then the roof so the paramedics can check her over and we can see where this steering column is at.”

“OK, I got her.” Jared held Niamh gently as his colleagues started working on the car. She still hadn’t said a word, and her pulse slowed each time he took it.

God, please overrule in this situation. Guide the hands of those working to free the people trapped. Not just Niamh, but all of them.

He looked down at his wife. “Niamh, can you hear me?”

There was still no response. The car suddenly jerked, and a blast of cold air and rain flooded the too warm compartment as the roof came off and was lifted away. The roar and chugging of the spreaders stopped, the silence almost as deafening.

The cover pulled back and a man in a green fluorescent jacket stood there. “I’m Ray Harper, one of the doctors from Headley General ED. I came out with the paramedics.”

Jared nodded. “Jared Harkin. I’m her husband, but here because I’m working. I wasn’t expecting this when we got the shout.”

“I’m sorry, mate. What’s her name?”

“Niamh. She’s thirty-six, not allergic to anything, perfectly healthy.”

“Is she pregnant?”

Jared shook his head. Children weren’t an option now, for either of them. After Dayna they’d both said no more. “No.” He held Niamh’s neck firmly as Dr. Harper started checking her over. He looked down at his wife. “Niamh, please wake up.”

Phil tapped Jared on the shoulder. “I need to know how badly she’s trapped. You up to doing that?”

Jared nodded. “Put a collar on her so I can move my hands.”

Once that was done, he reached down feeling between the steering column and Niamh’s legs. He closed his eyes for a moment, his stomach dropping. It wasn’t good. No, make that it was worse than he’d first realized. He glanced up at the others. “The whole dash has moved. There’s a centimeter, maybe two fingers width at the top. Nothing below mid-calf.” He looked at his hand as he pulled it free. “Blood loss is increasing. We’re just going to have to do it.”

Dr. Harper finished setting up the IV. “You release that dashboard and steering column, and she may just bleed out. If you don’t know where the blood’s coming from she could crash almost instantly.”

Despair flared within Jared, making him short tempered. “I know that! I’m no medic, but from what I can tell, it could be her femoral artery. We don’t have an option as she’ll bleed out anyway.” He looked at Brad. “Tell them to do it, Guv. We delay and we lose her.”

Brad held his gaze for a long moment, and then nodded. “OK. Maybe it’s time for more of your prayers.”

Jared looked at him. “I haven’t stopped since we got here.”

“Good. Out you get. Now.”

“But, Guv—”

“Out. Skippy will sit with her.”

Jared nodded and climbed out. He caught Skippy’s arm. “Take care of her.”

“Of course.” Skippy clambered into the remains of the car.

Jared stood as close as he dared and kept praying while Dr. Harper made his final check. Rain dripped off his helmet, masking the tears in his eyes.

Dr. Harper turned back to the firefighters. “OK. If you’re going to do this, start now. She’s stable, but I can’t say for how long, so move quickly.”

Jared watched on tenterhooks as his colleagues worked to remove the steering column. With a crunch and shriek of twisted metal it finally moved.

Skippy raised his hand and yelled. “Doc! She’s crashing…”

Jared’s heart sank into his boots. He started to run, but strong arms held him back. Things slowed down. His hands waved and his voice echoed as he desperately tried to get to Niamh.

****

Voices permeated the thick fog surrounding her. Niamh struggled to wake despite the stabbing pain, and she moaned as she fought to open her eyes. It would be better to keep sleeping, and she closed her eyes again. She was drowning in a sea of pain and darkness.

Distorted images flooded her mind. A car spinning, a lorry, brakes squealing behind her. A thud as her brake pedal uselessly hit the floor over and over again. Children frolicked in a playground, laughing and calling to each other. A young child sat on a swing, her long blonde hair spreading out behind her as she flew through the air. “Faster Mummy. Make me go faster. I want to fly.”

A small white coffin, bearing a gold plaque engraved with the name Dayna, and an unbearable ache filled her heart, then more pain and so much noise. A weight suddenly lifted. Someone shouted from a great distance. Was it her name? She didn’t know. For a moment there was darkness, and then gentle arms surrounded her, bearing her towards a bright white light.

She’d never known such peace and stillness, yet at the same time there was a rustle and flapping like wings on a bird. Another voice spoke, a kind and gentle voice that filled her with peace and hope, cradling her in love. “It’s not your time, go back to him. He needs you.”

Darkness crept over her again and the pain returned. The voices echoed, something beeped in her ear. “We got her back. We need to move now.”

“Niamh, Niamh just hang on, love. Don’t leave me.”

She tried to open her eyes, but they were just too heavy. She wanted to go home. Things swam again, and she was back in the park. Tall trees swayed in the wind, leaves rustled and cast dappled shadows on the ground. The little girl skipped at her side, holding her hand.

A male voice whispered in her ear. “Don’t leave me, Niamh. I love you far too much to ever let you go.”

Then she could smell burning and smoke, and images of a coffin draped in a Union Flag filled her mind. A voice echoed in the growing darkness.

I will wait for you. I will always wait for you. And if you don’t remember me when you come back, then I will find you, and make you fall in love with me again and never let you go.

****

Jared paced outside the Resus room in the Emergency Department. He felt sick with worry and constant prayers wound their way to the One who was always listening. It hadn’t worked before, but maybe this time it would be different.

Running footsteps came up behind him and someone called his name. “Jared.”

He turned to find himself enveloped in a pair of arms. “Liam, you’re here. But I didn’t call you yet. How did you know?”

Liam Page, Niamh’s twin brother, looked at him, his eyes red rimmed and full of pain and emotion. “I knew. I just knew. I was just picking Jacqui up from work and had the most awful pain in my chest, stomach and legs. She drove us back to my place. I was going to call you when the police arrived on my doorstep. How is she?”

“They won’t tell me. She crashed once on the scene, and again in the ambulance on the way here. There’s a whole team or two in there working on her, trying to stabilize her before surgery. I can’t lose her, too, Liam, I just can’t—”

He broke off, aware of how selfish that sounded. Liam of all people understood just how he felt, having seen Sally, his first wife murdered in front of him.

Liam just hugged him. “Do they know what happened yet?”

“I don’t know. The police would have told the Guv when we arrived, but I didn’t pay much attention. Could be the weather or she hit a puddle and aquaplaned or someone else did, but somehow her car shot the lights and ended up in front of a lorry. There wasn’t much left of it when we cut her out.”

Liam looked at him closely. “
We
cut her out? Jared, you’re in uniform. Were you on a shout when they rang?”

Jared looked at him, as tears slowly tracked down his cheeks. “We got the call. Mine was the first crew on the scene. The Guv let me sit with her, but she didn’t wake up. There was so much blood. I think one of her legs is broken, not sure what other damage there is. It could be anything as the dash and steering column were crushing her. I have never felt so helpless on a shout before, ever. All my training just…All I could think of was her and losing her.”

Liam hugged him tightly. “I’m so sorry. What happens now? Will there be an investigation?”

“Yeah. SOCO are going to look at all the cars involved.” Jared looked at him. He didn’t need to explain. The Scenes of Crime Officers only attended when foul play was suspected. “They would anyway, in light of who she is, but under the circumstances they can’t take any chances.”

Liam’s expression darkened. “SOCO? I can understand the Road Traffic people, but
forensics
? They think someone tried to kill her?”

“It’s a possibility they want to rule out. She’s been getting death threats at work.” Jared looked back at the door. “I just wish they’d let me in there. I hate all this waiting. I feel so useless.”

“You’re not. You did your part. Now let the docs do theirs.”

“I should call Patrick and Mum and Dad.” Jared realized with a sickening thud that he hadn’t told Niamh’s older brother or her parents. Or his parents.

Liam pulled out his phone. “Let me call them and Jacqui and then we’ll sit somewhere quiet and pray. Ask God to put His healing hand on her and the medics in with her.”

3

A loud beeping sound roused Niamh from the black pit which ensnared her. Before she could turn it off someone else did. Her eyes flickered open. A stark light, so bright it hurt, assailed her, and she screwed her eyes shut, flinging her left hand up to protect them. Pain shot down her arm. Cautiously she opened her eyes and looked at her hand. An IV needle protruded from the middle, the tubing snaking somewhere way above her head. Tape surrounded the base of her ring finger and what appeared to be a crocodile clip sat on her index finger. She wriggled her fingers. That caused another stab of pain, but at least they moved.

She wrinkled her nose at the tangy clinical smell filling her nostrils. Machines beeped and hissed. Taking a deep breath, she did a quick mental inventory of her body. Ribs hurt, there was something heavy on her left leg, most likely a cast. She ran her tongue over cracked and dry lips. There was a tube in her nose, but thankfully it didn’t go down her throat.
What happened? Did someone pull me through a hedge backwards?