Chapter 27
Nathan couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
One minute he was following the red glow of the horsebox’s rear lights, the next Bea’s car had swerved off the lane sharply, flipping up and onto its side, before coming back down to earth with a thud in the ditch.
He slammed on his brakes as he saw a pair of oncoming headlights hurtling towards him, the other vehicle coming off the road behind him.
He didn’t think, he just yanked on his handbrake, jumped out of his truck and sprinted towards Bea’s car.
Smoke was pouring from the engine, the windscreen smashed, the airbag deployed. The horsebox was on its side, back doors open, books all over the road and in the ditch.
It was carnage.
‘Bea!’ he yelled, banging on the driver’s-side window. He couldn’t see a thing. ‘Bea!’ he shouted again.
There was no response.
He peered through the windscreen. He could see her. Her head was slumped forward, resting on the steering wheel, her hair soaked in blood and falling across her face.
He pulled his phone from his pocket, his hands shaking as he dialled 999.
‘Is she breathing? Does she have a pulse?’ the emergency response operator asked after taking his details.
‘I don’t know, I can’t get to her.’ Nathan tried the car door again, but the impact had jammed it shut.
‘Hang on,’ he’d said, throwing the phone to the ground, pulling off his sweatshirt and wrapping it around his arm.
He slammed it hard against the driver’s side window, which shattered, covering Bea with shards of glass.
‘Shit,’ he muttered. ‘Bea? Bea?’ he said, desperately.
‘Come on, wake up,’ he pleaded, through gritted teeth.
He laid a hand on her neck and felt for a pulse, relief flooding through him when he felt it thrumming steadily beneath her skin.
‘Yes,’ he said, retrieving his phone. ‘I can feel it, she’s got a pulse. ’
‘That’s good, really good,’ said the call operator.
‘Should I get her out? The engine might explode!’
‘No, absolutely not, she could have a spinal injury. You need to wait until the ambulance and fire crew are with you. What about the other vehicle. Are the occupants okay?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Nathan, ‘I haven’t checked.’ He didn’t want to leave Bea’s side.
‘I need you to take a look.’
‘Okay,’ said Nathan, using every ounce of strength he possessed to tear himself away from Bea. He jogged back down the lane towards the other car where a man was sat on the grass verge looking dazed and confused.
‘Are you hurt?’ Nathan yelled.
‘I—I don’t know. I don’t think so,’ the man whispered, shaking.
‘Is there anyone else inside?’
‘No, j—just me,’ he stammered.
‘Emergency services are on their way,’ Nathan explained. ‘The other guy’s okay,’ he said into the phone, rushing back towards Bea.
He ripped off his T-shirt and placed it gently between her head, which was gushing with blood, and the steering wheel.
‘You’re going to be fine, Bea, just fine.
I’ve got you, okay?’ he whispered, sweeping the hair off her face.
‘Hang on, I can hear the fire engine,’ said Nathan, turning towards blue lights flashing in the distance.
‘They’re here,’ he said down the phone, ‘help’s here. ’
‘Good. I’m going to leave you with the crew now, Nathan. You take care.’
‘Okay, thanks,’ said Nathan, hanging up. ‘We’re here!’ he shouted. ‘Over here! We need help!’
‘Nathan?’ a familiar voice cried.
‘Leo, thank God!’ said Nathan. ‘It’s Bea, she needs help. Now!’
‘Okay, we’ve got you, mate,’ said Leo, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. He dropped to his knees and opened a medical bag. ‘Ambulance is right behind us. How long has she been out for?’
‘I don’t know, it feels like for ever – maybe ten minutes? I don’t know,’ said Nathan, running a blood-soaked hand through his hair.
‘Let’s get a neck brace on her and get her on a spinal board,’ said a female officer, crouching down to look through the side window.
‘Bea,’ said Leo, taking her hand gently, ‘Bea, we’re going to get you out, okay? I need you to wake up, though,’ he said, securing the neck brace and placing an oxygen mask over her face. ‘Come on, Bea, time to wake up,’ he continued.
Bea murmured softly.
‘You’ve been in accident, Bea, but we’re getting you out, okay? You’re doing great,’ Leo continued.
Bea emitted a long, loud groan, her head lifting slowly.
‘I need you to keep nice and still for me, okay, Bea? Nice and still,’ said Leo quickly.
‘Nathan?’ said Bea in weak voice.
‘Welcome back,’ said Leo, gripping her hand again tightly. ‘Nathan’s here, and we’re getting you out, okay? Just a few more minutes. Stay with us.’
‘Okay…’ Bea croaked, her breathing fast and shallow.
‘I need you to step back, Nathan,’ Leo said, ‘just while we get her out, okay?’
‘Okay,’ Nathan nodded, wringing his hands. He felt completely powerless. All he could do was watch as the fire crew took the car door off and gently moved Bea on to the spinal board.
‘The ambulance is here now,’ said Leo, nodding towards the two paramedics waiting patiently to transfer Bea onto a stretcher and whisk her off to hospital. ‘You going with her?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ Nathan nodded, ‘I’m not leaving her.’
‘Okay. Give me your keys, I’ll get your truck moved out the way.’
‘Cheers, mate,’ said Nathan, climbing into the ambulance.
‘Right then, Bea, this is where you leave us,’ said Leo, giving her hand a last squeeze. ‘You’re in good hands.’
‘Thanks, Leo,’ she whispered.
The doors banged shut and the sound of sirens pierced the night air.
Bea groaned as she tried to sit up,
‘Owww!’ she said, a sharp pain searing down her left side.
‘It’s okay, sweetheart, don’t try to move.’ Bea’s mum reached for her to try to keep her still.
‘You’re all right, love. We’re here.’ Gordon took her hand to reassure her.
‘Where am I?’ Bea asked, confused, slowly opening her eyes. She winced at the bright lights. ‘What’s happening?’
‘You’re in hospital, love,’ said Carol. ‘You were in an accident.’
‘An accident?’ Bea repeated. ‘No, I was at book club, it was raining and then…’
And then, what?
‘And then… well, I don’t know what happened. Ow,’ she repeated, clasping her side.
‘You’ve got a couple of broken ribs, but you’re going to be okay, Bea, I promise,’ said Gordon, squeezing her hand again.
‘What happened? I can’t remember….’ said Bea, trying to sit up.
‘Here, let me,’ said Carol, propping an extra pillow behind her. ‘Is that better?’
‘Thanks, Mum,’ said Bea. ‘I’m thirsty,’ she said, aware of how dry her mouth was.
‘Here,’ said Gordon, pouring a glass of water from the jug on the bedside cabinet. ‘And a straw might help,’ he said.
‘Thanks,’ said Bea, leaning forward as he held up the glass for her. ‘Uh,’ she moaned, raising a hand to her mouth, her lips felt swollen and sore. ‘What accident?’
‘A car accident, sweetheart,’ said Carol.
Bea tried to remember. ‘It was raining… and there were lights coming towards me…’
And then? Nothing.
The next thing she could remember was waking up here in a hospital bed.
‘The main thing is you’re going to be okay. You’ll be sore for a few weeks, while those ribs heal, but the doctors are confident there’s no lasting damage,’ said Gordon.
‘Was there another car involved? What happened? Are they okay?’ Bea asked, anxiously.
‘Yes, the driver’s fine, he’s already been discharged. One of the bloody Fallon boys. Over the limit, too. The police want to speak to you, once you’re feeling up to it,’ said Gordon.
‘Oh, okay,’ Bea nodded. She felt so confused. Why couldn’t she remember what had happened?
‘The doctor said you can go home in a couple of days. They need to keep you under observation for a while; you took a pretty nasty bang to the head and it needed stitches,’ Carol explained.
‘Hang on,’ said Bea, any colour she had draining from her face. ‘I was towing the horsebox. What’s happened to it? Is it damaged?’ she asked, pulling at her dad’s arm.
She saw her parents throw each other a worried look.
‘What happened to it?’ she asked again.
‘It took a bit of a battering,’ Gordon whispered. ‘Nothing that can’t be fixed,’ he added quickly, ‘but it’s going to take time.’
‘What?’ said Bea, her heart pounding. ‘But I’ve got bookings, commitments… what am I going to do?’
‘Don’t worry about that now, just concentrate on getting yourself better,’ said Carol, patting her arm gently. ‘You’re okay, and that’s the most important thing. It could have been so much worse.’
Bea knew her mum was right. Broken ribs and a few stitches was getting off lightly, she could have been seriously injured, or worse still…
‘We’ll figure everything out once you’re home. We’ll get on to the insurance and it’ll all be fine,’ said Gordon.
‘Oh no!’ Bea groaned.
‘What is it, sweetheart?’ Carol asked, her voice filled with concern.
‘The insurance,’ Bea whispered. ‘On the horsebox.’
‘Yes?’ said Carol.
‘You do have insurance, don’t you?’ Gordon asked, his voice serious.
‘Well, no. It’s not a legal requirement and I was trying to save money,’ Bea muttered, a tear rolling down her cheek. ‘But the accident wasn’t my fault, if the other driver was over the limit and on the wrong side of the road, I can claim on their insurance?’
‘Ah,’ said Gordon, screwing up his face. ‘He was driving without insurance, love. The police are going to charge him, but that doesn’t help you with the horsebox.’
‘Oh, God,’ said Bea. She felt physically sick.
‘Forget about all that for now,’ said Carol, waving a hand. ‘Just focus on getting better and coming home.’
‘But, Mum, I—’
‘I mean it, Bea. I don’t want you thinking about it right now. Just get some rest, okay?’ said Carol.
‘Okay,’ Bea repeated.
‘Now, your Dad and I need to go home to see to Wordsworth, but Archie’s on his way with Jess. They’ll be here soon,’ said Carol.
As her parents left and Bea closed her eyes, laying her head back on the pillow, rest was the furthest thing from her mind. If she didn’t have the money to get the book wagon back on the road, her fledgling business was ruined, and then what was she supposed to do?