Page 59 of Six Steps to Happiness
Ronnie kept one hand on Bea’s lap, while her fingers on the other drummed on the seat. She couldn’t agree with her daughter more.
“Sod it,” Willow said. “Hold on to your hats back there.”
Ronnie watched her daughter crane her neck as if trying to assess the various traffic flows around them. She obviously thought going for it worth the risk as, much to Ronnie’s horror, Willow suddenly rammed the car into gear, dipped her clutch and hit the accelerator. The car wheels screeched as the vehicle shot forward, at the same time throwing Ronnie and Bea headlong in their seats.
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Please be careful,” Ronnie said. But as her daughter put her foot down even further, it was clear she wasn’t listening. Ronnie tried to keep Bea secure in her seat as they were flung left and then right and back again, the poor woman whimpering throughout. With her panic rising and their seat belts struggling to keep them safe, Ronnie began to wonder if they’d get to the hospital at all.
A vehicle ahead should have been enough for Willow to slow down, but instead she sped up and pulled out for an overtake. Ronnie stared at the oncoming white van through the front windscreen, convinced they weren’t going to make it back into their own lane in time. The van driver frantically beeped his horn, the poor man obviously thinking the same thing. Willow yanked at her steering wheel only just getting them back to safety, before the van got the chance to hit them.
“I think I’m going to faint,” Bea said, barely audible.
The sound of a police siren suddenly blared from behind.
“Bugger!” Willow said.
Praise the Lord,a part of Ronnie thought.
As Willow pulled her car over to the side of the road and switched off the engine, Ronnie did her best to soothe her ailing mother-in-law. It might only have been seconds, but she felt herself getting impatient, wishing the police officers concerned would get a move on. She attempted to twist round in her seat so she could see for herself what was taking so long, but not wanting to unnecessarily disturb Bea, who leant against her for support, she soon gave up trying. “What are they doing back there?” she asked, noticing she wasn’t the only one getting frustrated.
Willow unclipped her seat belt and jumped out of the car, clearly as desperate as Ronnie not to waste any more time. Ronnie could hear her daughter, frantic in her attempts to explain the situation, the officer doing his best in response to calm her down. “At last,” Ronnie said, as footsteps finally approached.
“Jack?” Ronnie said, as the uniformed officer suddenly appeared at her window. In that moment she didn’t care what issues there were between them, she was simply glad to see him. “Thank God it’s you. We could do with some help here.”
Jack’s eyes widened at the sight of Ronnie’s mother-in-law. He hastily opened the car’s rear door and leaned inside to assess her condition.
“She suddenly came over all dizzy, but she’s getting worse,” Ronnie said.
“How long has she been unconscious?” Jack asked.
Ronnie looked at her mother-in-law, for the first time realising the woman had passed out. Ronnie’s heart raced, seeing Bea appear so lifeless. “I don’t know,” Ronnie said, panicking. “Think, Ronnie, think… A minute, maybe more.”
Jack positioned his cheek millimetres from Bea’s nose, before putting two fingers against her neck, assessing her carotid pulse.
“She is all right, isn’t she?” Willow asked, terrified. “She’s not going to die?”
“Please tell us she’s still breathing,” Ronnie said.
“She’s going to be fine,” Jack replied. He put a quick hand on Ronnie’s arm, before jumping out of the car and immediately talking on his radio.
Ronnie was too freaked out to follow his conversation; odd words likehospital, escort, andetareached her consciousness, but nothing else. Her eyes followed Jack as he approached Willow who stood there looking helpless.
“We’re not waiting for an ambulance,” he said. “You’ll have to follow me.”
Willow nodded, instantly pulling herself together. She jumped behind the wheel and turned the ignition key. The car engine fired up as Jack ran back to his vehicle. The wail of sirens sounded again and the police car, with its blue lights flashing, pulled out to lead the way. Willow immediately put her car into gear and hit the accelerator, making sure she was almost bumper-to-bumper with Jack as they raced to the hospital.
Throughout it all, Ronnie didn’t know how her daughter managed to remain so cool.
“Hang on in there,” Ronnie said to Bea, her voice cracking with fear. “Don’t you dare leave us.” She hugged Bea tight with relief as her mother-in-law stirred.
While Willow concentrated on keeping up with Jack, unlike her daughter, Ronnie struggled to keep calm. As they sped through the streets, cars didn’t seem to get out of the way quickly enough; lorries were too wide, forcing both Jack and Willow to slow down in order to squeeze past and, worst of all, arrogant drivers played chicken at various traffic lights, determined to get through before the police car hit them.What’s wrong with some people?Ronnie silently asked.Can’t they see we have an emergency here?
Finally, both vehicles screeched into the Accident and Emergency car park, Jack immediately jumping out of his before signalling to the waiting medical staff who sprinted over to assist.
Ronnie reluctantly climbed out from the back seat, giving the team of medics the room they needed to help Bea. Ronnie stood there, feeling powerless as they pulled her limp mother-in-law from the back seat and placed her on a stretcher. Ronnie tried to keep up with everyone as they rushed Bea into the building. Once inside though, a nurse stepped in front of Ronnie and her daughter, preventing them from going any further.
“You’ll have to wait here,” she said as Bea and her medical entourage disappeared behind a set of swinging doors.
“But she’ll be scared,” Ronnie said.
