One Last Risk

by Nancy Stopper

  The woman groaned. Whew. Groaning was a good sign. Groaning meant consciousness. He brushed a strand of hair back from the woman’s face and she moved, starting to sit up from her hunched position over the steering wheel.

  “Whoa, hold on there. Take it slow, ma’am. You’ve been in an accident.” He placed one hand on the woman’s back and one on her forehead and guided her head from the steering wheel and easing it back to the headrest. As he brushed more hair off the woman’s forehead, she blinked several times, struggling to open her eyes.

  Oh, My God!

  “Sarah?” His pulse thumping, he reached his hand out. It couldn’t be. No. “Sarah?”

  “What happened?” He barely heard her words spoken on a single, weak breath.

  He stroked her cheek, hoping to convey a calm he didn’t feel. “You had an accident, honey.”

  Sarah turned her head toward him, her eyes glassy and staring blindly past him. She blinked several times and her eyes locked on his. “Lucas? Oh God, I hurt.”

  Pain cut through him, as though he’d been in the accident himself. He couldn’t remember a time he’d experienced such strong emotions at an accident site. He was supposed to be cold, detached, focused on helping the victim. But how could he do that when the woman who’d occupied his thoughts for the last three days lay injured in front of him. “Hold on one minute. Just let me update the crew.”

  “Okay.”

  He kept his eyes locked on hers as they fluttered closed then turned and yelled up the hill. “Single female occupant. Airbag deployed. Front end crushed. We may need extraction.”

  Okay. He could do this. He was a professional paramedic and EMT. It shouldn’t matter that he knew the victim. In a town this size, it was common to treat your friends and neighbors. “Where does it hurt?”

  “Everywhere. It hurts everywhere.”

  If only he could wish away her pain, take it on himself. But he couldn’t. All he could do is comfort her until they could get her in the ambulance. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get you out of here real soon. We need to check for back or neck injuries first.”

  Damn it, Stacey. Hurry the hell up.

  Every bit of his training fled his mind as he stared at the woman that had filled his thoughts the past few days.

  “My chest and my face hurt.” She paused before wriggling in her seat and then she gasped. “Lily.”

  His pulse raced. There was someone else in the vehicle? He eyed the passenger seat and then the back seat. Empty. He leaned back in the window. “Who’s Lily, Sarah? Was she with you? I don’t see anyone else in the car.”

  “With… sister…” Her words were forced but she seemed to be worried about someone else. He couldn’t worry about that person now. Not while Sarah was trapped and injured. She swiped at her face. “Raining? Face wet.”

  Lucas whipped off his coat and laid it over the gaping hole created by the open door. Leaning back into the car, he stroked her face. Rain mingled with blood and ran down her cheek. He brushed his fingers gently across her forehead, pushing the hair back and wiping the blood away from around her eyes. He pressed his hand firmly over the cut on her head for a moment before he cupped her cheek. At least she could feel his touch, know he was near, while they waited for Jake and Stacey. He wasn’t about to lose her before he had a chance to get to know her.

  No further blood ran down her face and he breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “Sarah, can you do something for me? Can you wiggle your toes for me?” Come on, Sarah. You can do it.

  After a moment and a groan, she finally responded. “Yeah. It hurts, but I can move them.”

  He breathed another sigh of relief. The risk of spinal injury just went down. “Good. Really good.”

  A creaking sounded behind him, accompanied by thumping footsteps. About damn time. Jake’s voice rang out as he shouted orders back up the hill.

  Lucas tried to stand but Sarah’s hand fumbled for his. “Don’t leave me.”

  He leaned back into the car. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. The gurney’s here. Just let me talk to Jake for just one minute, okay? Then we’re going to get you on a backboard and on your way to the hospital, alright? I’ll be right by your side the whole time.” He pressed his cheek to her forehead and then stood and turned his back to Sarah. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath while Jake surveyed the damaged front end.

  Calm Down. You’ve got this. This was about Sarah, not his own out-of-control feelings.

  “You okay, man?”

  He opened his eyes to find Jake hovered over him.

  “Yeah, I’m okay.” He really wasn’t but he could fake it, right. He wasn’t about to blow his time on the ambulance because he let his personal feelings get in the way of his professional responsibilities. “What do you think? Do we need to call for extraction?”

  “I think we can get her out. The dashboard is crushed but her knees look free. We should be okay.”

  “She can wiggle her toes,” Lucas said.

  “That’s good news.”

  “It’s Sarah.”

  Jake’s eyes snapped to his. “Really? Sarah?”

  “Yep.” He’d discussed Sarah with Jake during their last shift. He didn’t want to admit it, but he’d wanted to stake his claim, to let Jake know Lucas was interested. No way would he let Sarah get scooped up by someone else in town before he had a chance with her.

  “You up for this? I can get Stacey down here.”

  “No. I’ve got this.” No way would he let anyone else help Sarah. She was his… to help, that was. The minute he had to be removed from a scene because he couldn’t do his job was the day he hung up his uniform.

  He leaned back into the car and placed his hand over Sarah’s. She opened her eyes and stared at him. “I’m going to slide the seat back now, Sarah. You let me know if you feel any sharp pains, okay?”

  “Okay.” Her voice was so weak. Nothing like the strong but frazzled woman he met the other day.

  He found the seat controls and pressed the button. It took forever until the seat stopped moving as far as it would go.

  “How you doing, Sarah?”

  “I’m okay.”

  That was good, because he wasn’t. But it was his job to be calm for her, so he gritted his teeth and bit out his next statement. “Stacey’s going to hold your head steady so we can get a board under your back.”

  Lucas motioned and Stacey climbed into the car and placed her hands on either side of Sarah’s head. “You ready, Sarah?”

  Sarah nodded.

  With Jake on the other side of the car, they gently slid the backboard behind Sarah’s back. As they fastened the straps over her body and Stacey secured her head, Sarah’s deep blue eyes—filled with pain and fear—stared into his. He couldn’t look away. She begged him with her eyes and he wouldn’t let her down.

  “We’re ready.” Jake’s voice startled Lucas. Get your head in the game, Bennett.

  “Sarah, we’re going to move you now. We’re going to be nice and gentle, but it may hurt. Are you ready?”

  “Yeah.”

  He drew in a deep breath, summoning the details of his training. They had this. Sarah was going to be alright. “Okay. On three. One. Two. Three.”

  Lucas and Jake gently slid the board, with Sarah strapped to it, from her car. As they righted the board, she gasped.

  “You’re doing great, Sarah. We’re almost there. Just a minute longer.”

  Stacey clamored out of the back seat while Lucas and Jake placed the backboard on the waiting gurney. After securing the straps around Sarah, Stacey and Jake drug the gurney up the incline while Lucas ran beside it, holding Sarah’s hand. Sure, that was a breach of protocol but right now, he couldn’t care less about procedure. This was Sarah.

  Once they reached the back doors of the ambulance, the three of them lifted Sarah into the rig. Even though the rig was warm, it would take a while to shake the chill and dampness from his body. And he didn’t know exactly how long
Sarah had been trapped before they got there. Thankfully it was warm enough to stave off frost bite. Lucas slid up beside her and leaned over. “How are you feeling now?”

  “It hurts.”

  “I know. We’re on our way to the hospital.”

  Stacey leapt out of the back of the ambulance and slammed the doors, and Lucas turned to gather some supplies.

  “No! Don’t leave. Stay here with me. Please.”

  The words speared him, her pleas desperate. He turned back to her, his face just over hers so she could see him. Sarah’s hands flailed beneath the straps and she tried to turn her head. He saw the fear in her eyes. “Don’t try to move your head. It’s immobilized as a precaution. I’m not going anywhere. I just need to start an IV.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes. He swiped gently under her eyes, wishing he could remove her pain as easily as the tears.

  “I’ll be right here with you. Every step of the way.” There was nowhere else he wanted to be. “Drive faster, Stacey,” he mumbled under his breath. How long should this drive take?

  The sirens that normally excited him pricked his already frayed nerves. He breathed deeply, narrowing his focus on Sarah and not his out of control feelings. He had to help her, protect her. This was what he did. This was who he was.

  Sarah’s head relaxed and her eyelids closed. She’d passed out, which was probably a blessing. That would give the pain meds time to work. If he could take away her pain, he would. But since he couldn’t, he could at least make sure she was comfortable. He sat by her side the entire time, only letting go of her hand when he needed to check her vitals. Finally, the ambulance slowed and then came to a stop. He leaned over Sarah one last time, his mouth right next to her ear.

  “Sarah, we’re here, honey. You’re going be okay. And I’ll be waiting.”

  Chapter Five

  BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. THE sound poked at her head like a woodpecker, its sharp beak driving nails into her brain. Over and over. Pain. Pain. Pain.

  What’s going on? Where am I?

  What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she open her eyes? She drew in a deep breath and tried again. Finally, she wrenched them open. Fuzzy images danced in front of her, a mix of grays and whites but nothing distinct. She blinked once, then again. Finally, things came into focus. Off-white pocked panels of a dropped ceiling hovered above her. That’s all she could see.

  Something’s not right.

  She tried to turn toward the beeping sound, but her head was so heavy. She drew in a deep breath. Searing pain shot through her chest. Strong, pungent, antiseptic smells filled her nose, and she wrinkled it in disgust. She tried to lift her arm, but it caught on something. She fumbled with whatever restrained her but everything hurt. Every muscle ached. Even the weight of her body pressed against the soft mattress hurt. She groaned.

  “Sarah?” A male voice penetrated the fog. A face hovered above her; soothing eyes filled with concern gazed at her. Whose voice was that? The calm sound echoed in her head and a few fleeting memories of his voice in her ear flooded her mind.

  “It’s me, Lucas.”

  Lucas? The man from the coffee shop? Where was she? What happened? Oh God, what if something happened to Lily? Her heart raced and she flailed her arms. She had to get out of the bed.

  “Sarah, honey, it’s alright. Calm down.” His voice was soothing and slowed her racing heart. He rested his hand on her shoulder. “You had an accident. Do you remember what happened?”

  She narrowed her mind and snippets of memories broke through.

  “Lily? Where’s Lily?” she croaked, the words barely reaching her own ears.

  Lucas laid his warm hand on hers, his voice wrapping around her like a fuzzy blanket. “We found your cell phone in the car. You had several messages from your sister. I talked to her a couple of hours ago. I let her know what happened. Lily is fine.”

  Sarah sighed. Thank God.

  “I’m going to go get the nurse. I want to let her know you’re awake. I’ll be right back, okay?”

  She nodded, at least she thought she nodded. Regardless, Lucas’s face disappeared from above her. Slowly and painfully, she turned her head to watch him leave. Then she turned her head slowly to the other side of the room. Bright light smacked her in the face where it shined through the open blinds. Burning pain shot through her head again and she snapped her eyes shut. Daytime? Last she remembered, it was nighttime... and it was raining.

  Why was Lucas here?

  Right. He’d been with her. In the car. His eyes had locked on hers, the deep brown whiskey color spinning in deep circles calmed her. He’d held her hand, his rough callouses rubbing her skin, giving her focus, passing his strength to her with a single touch. She couldn’t remember everything that happened, but she could see his eyes as sure as if she were looking into them now. And his voice, the soothing sounds that talked her through her harrowing ordeal and stayed with her. Just like he’d said he would. When had he promised her that?

  Chattering from the hall carried into the room. She wrenched her head toward the door. Lucas stood in the doorway, his white button-up shirt stretched tight over his chest with some kind of patch on the front. What was he wearing?

  A nurse followed behind Lucas.

  “Hey, sweetie. My name’s Kara. We met last night, but you probably don’t remember.”

  She shook her head and quickly regretted it as another stab of pain shot through her skull.

  “What do you remember about what happened?”

  “Not much. Everything’s all mixed up in my mind.” But she remembered Lucas for some reason.

  “That’s no surprise, sweetie. You weren’t awake much. It was a pretty bad accident. But you’re lucky. No internal injuries. No broken bones. Very lucky indeed.”

  “Very.” Luck wasn’t what she felt at the moment, though. Right now, all she felt was pain. Everywhere.

  “And this handsome man stayed by your side all night. He never left, even fought with the doctor over it. You’ve got a great guy here.”

  “Oh, no, he’s…” Behind the nurse, Lucas grinned.

  The nurse ran through several routine checks while Lucas stayed behind her, his brow furrowed and gaze intense on the nurse’s movements. Why was he so interested in the nurse? Is that why he stayed last night?

  “Everything’s looking good. I’m going to call the doctor and let him know you’re awake. I’m sure he’ll be by in a little bit to check you out and talk about your injuries. It could have been much worse. He’ll probably want to keep you at least one more night. In the meantime, you just push that call button if you need anything.”

  Kara stepped out of the room, leaving Sarah alone with Lucas.

  Sarah attempted to lift herself up, but she’d barely moved when pain shot up her back and she flopped back onto the mattress. “Where’s my phone? I need to call my sister.”

  Lucas’s gentle arms held her down. “Hold on a minute, Sarah. I’ll raise your bed up and then get your phone for you.”

  His voice didn’t slow her racing nerves. She wouldn’t calm down until she’d talked to Lily, to know for herself that her daughter was safe. He fiddled with the buttons on the side of the bed, her head and shoulders eventually rising.

  She finally wrestled herself into a sitting position, fighting through the knife-like pain that coursed through her body. On top of that, with Lucas here, her stomach was a bundle of nerves. She raised her hands, threading her fingers into her hair until they stuck in the matted strands. She twisted and curled and wrestled her fingers free from the tangles and ran them down her forehead toward her cheek. Her hand brushed over something on her temple.

  “You hit your head pretty hard, probably on the door, before the airbag deployed.”

  She closed her eyes again. Fragments of what happened flooded her mind, and she struggled to organize the images. The traffic signal… bright lights…

  The mattress sank beside her and Lucas’s hand covered hers. “Did you want to get clean
ed up before you call your sister? I can call the nurse back.”

  She gazed at Lucas’s concerned expression. “No. It’s fine… Thank you. For everything.”

  “You’re welcome.” His plush lips formed into a smile, one that conveyed gentleness, protectiveness, and caring. Either the accident had scrambled her brain more than she knew, or Lucas was to blame for her confusion, because for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why he was here.

  “Why are you here… I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right. How are you here? How were you at my accident last night? It was last night, wasn’t it?” Maybe he’d just been passing by and had seen the wreck. Or had he been the other driver?

  Lucas smiled and chuckled. Good thing he found this all amusing because she didn’t. “Yes, it was last night. I’m part of the ambulance crew that responded to your accident. I recognized you. Do you remember what happened?”

  “Only bits and pieces. I’m not quite sure how they all fit together.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what you remember, and I’ll try to fill in the gaps for you.”

  “There was a deer on the road. But that couldn’t have caused the accident, because I talked to Jessica after that happened. I’d almost made it home. The light turned green and then bright lights.”

  “Well, I don’t know anything about the deer, but the owner of the truck with the bright lights is the newest guest of the Oak Grove Sheriff’s department. Drunk driver ran a red light. Slammed right into your passenger door. Good thing he didn’t hit you from the other way, or you might have been killed.”

  Her hands shook. “Oh God.”

  “You slammed into a tree near the intersection. Your airbag deployed, which probably saved you from some major internal injuries but your car’s probably totaled.”

  “I’m alive. That’s all that matters.” Her hands shook harder. She could have died. Lily was only four. She’d already lost her father. What if Sarah had been more seriously injured… or… she refused to think about that scenario. Thank God she’d made it through—for her sweet Lily.

  “Yes, it is.” Lucas placed his hand over hers again and squeezed. For all the gaps in her memory, Lucas holding her hand while she lay trapped in the car was brighter and bolder than the lights that had blinded her vision and sent her car careening off the road. He was the calm in the storm that swirled around her. And he’d stayed with her… just as he’d promised.