Page 41 of Abigail
“It was just me and Ellie. Robert came to help us. He chased off the men who caused the accident,” Abigail is suddenly trembling. The adrenaline rush is finally reaching its end, and she is crashing hard. She feels so damn weak. She begins to tremble even more, which frightens her. She doesn’t want to be in an ambulance. She just wants to make sure Ellie is unharmed then get them home.
“We need to get you both to the hospital,” Marcie declares as she takes Abigail’s vital signs. Abi tries to get up from the stretcher. Pain shoots through her stomach, causing her to double over. Straw and Marcie move to hold her back.
“Hey Dave,” Marcie calls out. “We need to roll!” Abigail hears the concern in the medic’s voice. Marcie begins wrapping straps over her from the hard board that is under her back. Robert helps her get them secured.
“Please, I’m fine. It’s just a catch. I need to see about Ellie. You can take her to the hospital, but I don’t need to be seen.” Abigail is babbling in her haste to get out of going to the ER. She hates hospitals. She’s spent too many nights in ER getting treated for injuries caused by either her father or later by Todd. She never wants to be in one again but is willing to go for Ellie’s sake.
“Abigail,” Robert says in a stern voice. “You will be seen and checked out. You were in a roll over MVA, for Christ’s sake. You could have any number of internal injuries.” The thumb on his hand holding hers is drawing soothing circles on the back of her hand. Abigail looks deep into his deep blue eyes. She can feel the love he is conveying through his eyes. She squeezes his hand.
“I’m fine, Robert. I had my seatbelt on, and the airbags came out. I don’t want all the expense when I know that I’m fine,” Abigail grumps. She hopes she is being convincing because she knows she’s not telling the full truth. Something is wrong, but she doesn’t want to acknowledge it.
“You are going to the hospital, Abigail. You are getting checked out. If the doctor says you are okay, I’ll take you home to rest and recover while I take care of the problem.” Robert’s voice holds a commanding tone that Abi has come to love when they are in bed, but he’s not going to boss her around in every aspect of their lives. However, she’s come to know him well enough to know when he won’t take no for an answer. She glares at him but doesn’t argue anymore as the other medic comes to the back of the truck. Tank is right behind him. He climbs into the back and takes a seat next to Robert. He sits Ellie’s car seat between them. Robert helps Tank get the child secured.
“Hi, baby,” Abigail says reaching toward Ellie, but they can’t touch. Her eyes burn with unshed tears. She doesn’t want to cry in front of Ellie, fearing it will scare her even more.
“Mommy?” Ellie’s little voice wavers. “Are you hurted?”
“I’m okay, baby.” Abi hurries to assure her child. “They are just checking me out like they are you. We are going to be fine. We just have to see the doctor at the hospital. Tank and Robert will be with us the whole time.” Ellie seems to relax a little. Her little hands reaching out for the men on either side of her. The men don’t hesitate taking her small hand in their much larger ones, offering the child comfort.
“What do we have?” Dave asks Marcie as he gets into the back. The small space is getting terribly crowded.
“Looks like a head injury and some internal injuries, too,” Marcie answers. “No broken limbs that I can tell, but pupils are unequal and sluggish; abdomen is tender.” The woman moves toward the back, handing the patients off to Dave.
Dave, the medic moves to assess Abigail again. “Headache?” he inquires. Abi nods briefly. Dave grabs both of her hands, which temporarily angers Straw as Dave has dislodged his hold on Abigail. Straw needs to be touching her, reassuring himself that she’s still alive.
“Squeeze my hands, tight as you can,” Dave instructs. Abigail frowns at him but does as he has asked. “Now stick out your tongue.” She quickly complies. “Name?” Dave says. Abigail frowns at him in question. “What’s your name?” Dave repeats the question.
“Abigail Miller,” she replies. Dave begins to feel of her abdomen, and Abi winces, her hands moving to stop him as she pulls away from his probing hands.
“Is that painful?” Dave asks as he frowns down at her. She nods. He continues his survey of her body, places his hands on her pelvic bones, gently rocking her hips. “Any pain with that movement?” Abigail shakes her head to the negative. He quickly moves his hands down her legs, checking for injuries as he goes.
The medics look at the two huge men sitting in the back of their ambulance. There is absolutely no way either of them is going to ask them to leave. A police officer sticks his head in the back door to look at the patients. “Dave, can I have a word with them before you leave?” the officer asks.
“I would like to get them transported. That was a violent crash. Looks like some internal injuries. Meet us at the hospital?” Dave asks the man. He nods then makes eye contact with Abigail before stepping out of the way. Marcie jumps out the back, closing the door, leaving Dave in the back with Straw, Tank, Ellie, and Abigail. As the ambulance begins to move, Dave gets on his radio.
“Med 4 to ER,” Dave clicks his mic.
“Med 4 this is ER go ahead,” A male voice answers over the crackle of the radio.
“We are transporting 2 patients; emergency…1stpatient female five-year-old, restrained passenger in a roll over MVA. Pt is alert, interactive. No obvious deformities. Vitals: Pulse 136 Respirations 24 BP 90/50. GCS: 15. 2ndpatient female…” He looks at Abigail. “How old are you?” Abigail blinks in surprise, but immediately answers. “Thirty,” she replies.
“Thirty-year-old, restrained driver. Pt is alert, interactive. Left pupil dilated at 5 millimeters right 3 millimeters. Denies LOC GCS: 15. Vitals: Pulse 140 Respirations 24 BP 120/60. Abdominal pain with palpation. No obvious bony deformities. Pelvis stable. ETA 8 minutes. Anything further?”
“Med4 this is ER. Nothing further, transport to Trauma Bay 2 on arrival. Team is ready and waiting. ER out.” Dave clicks off his mic.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
“You all right, sweetheart?” Straw asks Abigail. Straw does his best to convey his love for her though his touch and his eyes. He has never experienced the level of fear and helplessness as he did when he saw her SUV swerve and begin to roll over and over. He can’t imagine how he could go on without her. She just has to be all right, but her color doesn’t look good. He has a bad feeling in his gut that she’s injured more than she’s letting on, despite the fact she’s protesting going to the ER.
Abigail just nods. The medic is again checking her vital signs. He frowns and checks her blood pressure again. Straw is getting concerned. Abigail is pale, a fine sheen of sweat has broken out on her skin, and the medic is starting to look worried. The medic begins to grab things from a shelf and quickly starts an IV on Abigail. “What’s going on?” Straw asks the medic.
“Her blood pressure is falling; heart rate is up. I’m concerned she has internal bleeding,” Dave responds. Straws eyes swing to Abigail. She is looking at him. He tightens his grip on her hand.
“You are going to be fine, sweetheart. We will be at the hospital soon.” Straw tries to assure her. Her eyes are wide and frightened. She looks at Ellie; tears begin falling from her eyes. She motions to Straw to lean closer to her.
“I love you, Robert, so much,” Abigail whispers, glancing at Ellie. “Please make sure Ellie is taken care of please. Don’t let Todd get his hands or her or allow her go to foster care, please, promise me?” Straw’s heart is pounding. His fear ratcheting up at her words. She’s giving up thinking she’s going to die.
“Abi, you are going to be fine, but I promise that I will always take care of Ellie and you. Todd won’t get near her ever again, and I promise you, she’ll never be in foster care.” Straw leans down and kisses her soft lips. He feels it in his heart. Abi and Ellie are meant to be his and he will move Heaven and Earth to make sure she is going to be around to help him care for Ellie. The wailing of the siren feels ominous, though, under the circumstances.
