6. Chapter Six #2
Please, don't let me have wrecked the car and lost my chance at helping my aunt because I imagined there was a goat in the road. If her mind was going to play tricks on her, it wouldn’t have conjured up a goat. Definitely not a goat. It would have been something like a cat or a dog. But a goat? No.
She reached for the strap on her helmet.
When she moved her left arm, she groaned in pain.
She lowered her left arm and struggled to release the strap with her right arm.
But she felt claustrophobic wearing it. Her fingers fumbled until at last she was able to work the strap loose. And then she yanked off her helmet.
She heard footsteps rush up to her car on the other side. When she went to turn her head, she found her neck sore. This was her first car accident, so she didn't know what to expect.
"Hey, are you okay?" a male voice called out to her.
"I..." Was she okay? Her mind felt as though it had gotten a good shaking in the wreck. It was shock. "I am fine." She turned her head and was met by familiar blue-gray eyes.
"Maxine." There was a definite note of surprise in Owen’s voice. He opened the passenger side door. "Are you all right?"
She went to nod her head, but just a little bit of movement had her wincing. "I'm okay."
And then she heard the wail of sirens in the distance. They were coming for her. She inwardly groaned. Not only had she wrecked her car, but now she'd ruined the race for everyone else—including Owen. Thankfully, it was only the practice race.
The next thing she knew, Owen leaned into the car. He grasped her hand and then pressed his fingers to her wrist.
She attempted to yank her arm from him. "What are you doing?"
"Relax. I'm taking your pulse." When she sent him a confused look, he said, "I'm a trained paramedic."
She stopped trying to move and let him take her pulse, which she was certain was well into the three-digit range. “Was anyone else involved in the accident?”
There was a distinct pause. She couldn’t tell if it was because he was concentrating on checking her out or if he didn’t want to break the bad news.
“No. The other cars got stopped in time.”
The relief washed over her. As her gaze moved over the raceway, she wanted to ask him more questions, but she didn't get a chance.
"Where do you hurt?" Owen asked.
Her chest tightened. She felt like she couldn’t take a full breath. She reached for the seatbelt. "I need to get out of here."
"Whoa." He reached out, placing his hand gently on her shoulder. “You need to stay still until we get a neck brace on you.”
“I told you I’m fine. I want out.” When she attempted to move again, she winced.
“See,” he said. “You are not fine. You were just in a car accident. And as a paramedic, I’m telling you not to move.”
The ambulance, with its flashing red lights, pulled up next to them.
Everything started to move in fast motion as more paramedics joined Owen.
Together, they worked to get her out of the car.
It wasn’t a straightforward process as the driver’s side door was smashed against the concrete barrier.
Against her protests, they transported her via ambulance to the new Bluestar Hospital.
Maybe if she wasn't so angry with herself for wrecking the car and losing her chance to win the money to help her aunt, she would have noticed the beautiful hospital with all of the latest technology. But as her gurney was whisked down the hallway, she was lost in her own grief.
In between x-rays and scans, her aunt showed up with a worried frown on her face. "What happened? I couldn’t see from where I was standing.”
"You mean the wreck?" When her aunt nodded, Maxi glanced around to make sure they were alone before she continued. She lowered her voice. "You aren't going to believe this, but I swear I saw a goat in the road."
Aunt Bonnie's eyes widened. "A goat?"
"I know. It sounds ridiculous, but I swear that's what I saw."
Her aunt was quiet for a moment. "It's not as ridiculous as you might think. There is a goat on the island who is known to come into town to visit."
“No way.” Her aunt was probably just telling her this to make her feel better, but as Aunt Bonnie continued to nod, Maxi asked, "Really?"
“Really. His name is Dasher. He’s a miniature black and white goat. He’s really cute, but he can get himself in all sorts of trouble.”
“Is he all right?”
“I don’t know.” Her aunt sent her a concerned look.
It took hours, but eventually, the hospital staff was done poking and prodding her. Now, the doctor stood there. His name badge read: Dr. Grant Turner . He was a nice guy with a friendly bedside personality.
"Ms. Daniels, I've gone over all of your test results, and you are fortunate not to have any serious injuries."
Those words were music to her ears. If only her car had the same diagnosis.
"So, this means I can go?" She sent him a hopeful look before turning to Aunt Bonnie. "Can you grab my clothes?"
"Not so fast," Dr. Turner said. "Your shoulder has a severe bruise.
You're going to need to apply the RICE method.
" After Maxi sent him a confused look, he said, "It's an acronym for rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
You'll need to rest your left arm. That means no lifting or doing anything strenuous for a week or two.
You'll also need to apply ice to your shoulder for twenty minutes at a time.
You'll need to do this several times a day.
And the nurse will bring in a sling for your arm.
" He must have noticed the frown on her face because he said, "You only need to wear it for a little bit to help with the swelling. You'll be better in no time."
It wasn't her shoulder she was worried about; it was her car. She'd invested so much time and money in it. How was she supposed to go home and tell the people that had been so generous to sponsor her in this race that she'd lost before she’d even made it to the start of the race.
She couldn't wait to get out of the hospital. She needed to see the car. Maybe it wasn't a total loss. Maybe there was something she could do to fix it.
Even as the thoughts were going through her mind, she recalled the accident. It hadn't just been a fender bender. The impact had been much more substantial. All she had to do was look at her shoulder to realize it.