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And while Emma bound the man’s other leg, Marty fastened a collar around the man’s neck while Dave slid a spine board down behind him. Once strapped to that, Emma was happy for them to lift him onto the stretcher.
‘Let’s get him airborne,’ Marty said, hurrying to the chopper, Mark and Dave following him with the stretcher, while Emma jogged alongside, adjusting the oxygen mask the ambos had fitted.
He had the aircraft ready for lift-off by the time Mark confirmed the patient was secure, and as they rose into the air, he glanced into the rear-view mirror in front of him and saw Emma kneeling by the patient, fitting a cannula into the patient’s hand, ready for fluid resuscitation.
All in all, it had been a good grab and go—slightly delayed by the problem of extricating the man but they’d still make it to hospital not far outside what the emergency staff considered the first golden hour.
He felt a sense of satisfaction, although another glance in the mirror—another glance at Emma attending to their patient—reminded him the job wasn’t finished.
Not yet.
* * *
The flight home from Retford to Braxton was uneventful, and beyond Marty congratulating them all on a job well done, there wasn’t much chat.
No doubt, Emma thought, because none of them felt confident about their patient’s future. His injuries had been horrific, not only the damage to both legs but internal injuries caused by the steering wheel being driven back into his body.
‘I’m glad I’m not in Retford Emergency tonight,’ she said quietly, and while Mark and Dave murmured their agreement, Marty was far more positive.
‘At least there they had a full team of trauma specialists standing by and he’ll be whisked into Theatre probably before we get home.’
‘Is he always this positive?’ Emma asked, and Mark and Dave laughed.
‘He’s the world’s greatest optimist,’ Mark told her.
‘Yep,’ Dave added, ‘his glass isn’t just half-full, it’s practically brimming over.’
Why? Emma wanted to ask, but the two crewmen were indulging in a ‘remember the time’ conversation and she tuned out to think about her own positivity, which she believed was fairly strong.
Except when she was tired, or the boys were playing up, or—
No, she told herself firmly, she was a very positive person.
But driving home with Marty, in the close confines of a vehicle, with whatever it was going on inside her body whenever he was near, she was positively confused.
How ridiculous!
She was tired, probably exhausted, that’s all it was.
‘You tired?’ he said, picking up her thought.
‘Not really,’ she said, though why she denied it she had no idea.
‘Liar,’ he said softly. ‘I can see your head nodding. You’re nearly asleep.’
And whatever restraint she’d been managing to hold onto snapped.
‘Okay, I’m tired, exhausted, in fact. There, are you satisfied now?’
‘Hey,’ he said softly, reaching out to touch her arm. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just teasing.’
‘Then don’t,’ Emma retorted, although she rather thought she meant Don’t touch me rather than Don’t tease.
‘I won’t again, I promise,’ he said, but as she turned towards him she saw a smile hovering about his lips and knew his eyes would be smiling as well.
What was it with this man, that stirred her up so much?
He pulled up outside her house and she hesitated before opening the door, wanting to make amends for her earlier tetchiness.
‘I’m having a cup of tea before I go to bed. I find it relaxes me. Do you want something?’
Idiot!
Fool!
Imbecile!
The words raged through her head, but it was as if this man had mesmerised her in some way.
‘I won’t, thank you,’ he said, and an unlikely feeling of disappointment descended like a cloud.
He was turned towards her as he spoke and she turned her head away, hoping her feelings weren’t obvious.
Apparently not because now he was getting out of the car and walking around to open her door. Well, hold the door because she’d managed to open it as soon as she’d realised what he was doing.
She slipped out past him, far too close, said thank you and good night and hurried towards the front steps.
He was waiting by the car, a tingling sensation up and down her spine telling her he was watching her go. Sheer politeness to see she got safely inside, she knew that, but…
She turned at the top of the steps and waved, absent-mindedly patting the dog who’d heard her arrival and come to stand beside her.
Marty waved back and drove off, while she stayed where she was and watched until the two red tail-lights disappeared from view—
