Nobody's Perfect

by Steve Kirby

  Fear and panic took over he was trapped and sinking under the water he was going to die, he was on his own and he was going to drown.

  The water was up to his waist, he closed his eyes he felt drained he wanted to sleep the buzzing seemed to have a soothing effect it was like a voice in his head calling him to follow, he began to drift away, the buzzing was constant the voice became louder calling, then there was another noise a loud splash it brought Colin back he opened his eyes again fear the buzzing then the voice calling.

  “Hello? Are you alright? Stay there I’m coming, stay there.” A hand appeared on the open door Colin turned his head to look at his saviour.

  “Sam!” Colin grabbed at Sam’s arm.

  “Please Sam help me, please.” As he tried to pull himself forwards there was a loud bang he slumped back into the seat his hand fell from Sam’s arm, the buzzing stopped.

  “What was that bang Sam?” Sam shook his head.

  “I didn’t hear one.” Colin’s eyes were wide with terror.

  “There was one Sam, you have to get me out of here, I must be stuck on the seat belt or something I can’t move.” The car was sinking slowly the water was up to Colin’s chest, this made it difficult for Sam to see what was holding him.

  Sam checked for what was trapping Colin in as he ran his hand down the back of the seat his hand hit something metallic, he moved back to look through the rear side window his jaw dropped sticking out of Colin’s seat were four spear like objects, the car had landed on top of the railings from the section of wall he had knocked out, these had come up through the bottom of the car through the seat and through Colin pinning him down.

  Then Sam heard another voice he looked for the source, a man was looking down from the road.

  “I’ve called the Fire brigade and Police, are you alright?” The water was still rising.

  Sam held on to the door and the roof.

  “I’m ok, but the driver’s trapped how long will they be?” The guy shrugged his shoulders.

  “Don’t know mate, about five minutes?” Sam turned back to look at Colin the water was up to his chin and with every slight surge it covered his mouth and nose, there was a loud scraping sound as the car eventually came to rest on the wall.

  “That’s it Colin, it’s stopped sinking now and the police are coming.” Colin opened his mouth to speak water filled it instantly he began to cough and tilted his head back as far as he could.

  “Please don’t let me die please Sam.” Sam looked at him, memories came flooding back.

  “I should let you die you bastard for what you did to me and my family and what you put us through, isn’t it ironic, this is the spot where my son nearly took his life and it’s here were you could lose yours.

  I should just hold your head under until you drown no one would be any the wiser and the world would be rid of you.”

  Sam saw the fear in Colin’s face he reach in and put hands on Colin’s head, Colin shook his head from side to side trying to break free from Sam’s grasp.

  “Keep still Colin, I’m not going to hurt you I want to lift out the head rest.” Colin stopped shaking Sam eased his hands around the back of Colin’s head he pressed the button to release the headrest, pulled it out and threw it onto the back seat.

  Colin tilted his head back and looked Sam in the eyes.

  ”Please Sam help me, don’t let me die, I’m sorry about Jack.”

  Again old feelings entered Sam’s head, he reached down, put his right hand under Colin’s chin Colin opened his mouth to yell fearing the worst but Sam lifted Colin’s chin tilting his head out of the water and held it there.

  The sound or sirens filled the air.

  “They are here now Colin, won’t be long and they’ll have you out of here in no time.” Sam could see the relief in Colin’s eyes he nodded his head slightly; he looked at Sam his eyes full of tears.

  “Thanks Sam.” Five firemen came down a ladder from the road and dropped from the banking into the river they waded over to the car, one of them took over from Sam holding Colin’s head above the water.

  Sam quickly explained about the railings holding Colin in, he was then led back to the bank and helped up the ladder where an Ambulance man wrapped him in a thermal blanked and ushered him towards a waiting Ambulance, he was given a quick check over by a Paramedic who diagnosed mild hypothermia he was then taken to Dewsbury General for further checks.

  Chapter 16.

  It took the fire brigade five hours to free Colin from the car, they had to send for specialist underwater cutting equipment to cut the railings from the wall, the cross members of the railing had snapped with the force of the car landing which left the four spikes like individual spears sticking into him, this meant once they were free from the wall they could lift Colin,(complete with the back of the driver’s seat,) clear of the car.

  He was laid on his side on a stretcher propped up with pillows and foam blocks borrowed from the Fire Brigade he was then heavily sedated for the slow transport to hospital the usual ten minute journey took forty five even with a police escort.

  A team of surgeons were on standby waiting for his arrival, as soon as he got to the hospital he was rushed straight into theatre, Rachel was already at the hospital when they brought Colin in when she saw him she began to shake his face was grey she thought he was dead.

  A nurse came over to reassure her and tell her what was going to happen next, under her breath Rachel said a prayer for him, the nurse helped Rachel to the waiting room and sat her down with a cup of coffee in a cardboard cup from the vending machine.

  “Right Mrs Wilson, you wait here and I’ll go and see if there is any further news about your husband’s condition, won’t be a moment.” She gave Rachel a smile patted her on the shoulder and left, Rachel sat there staring at the wall, nothing made sense total disbelief at what was going on all the noises and voices around her were echo’s she wasn’t there she was watching someone else’s life not hers this wasn’t happening.

  She felt numb and began to shake again, the coffee cup fell to the floor, it bounced on its base the coffee erupting from the cup like lava from a volcano, Rachel watched the cup fall in slow motion as the coffee spread out on the floor Rachel looked at herself in the hot steaming liquid, she sat mesmerised, the reflection looking back wasn’t hers, it was the face of another woman smiling up at her, Rachel blinked and the vision was gone and replaced with her own.

  ***

  The surgeons battled for twenty five hours to save Colin’s life, For all that time Rachel sat staring out of the window.

  The door to the waiting room opened and one of the surgeons still dressed in his scrubs walked in and looked around the room.

  Rachel was the only person in there, She just sat motionless looking ahead oblivious of him entering , he walked over and stood between her and the window.

  He put his hand to his mouth and coughed slightly, still no reaction, He crouched down to be on a level with her.

  ”Mrs Wilson?” he reached forward and touched her gently on the shoulder, her eyes flickered her mind was brought back from some other place, she blinked and began to focus on the face in front of her.

  She looked at him confused.

  “W-w-what?” The surgeon gave her a warm smile.

  “Mrs Wilson, I’m Mr Chaudry one of the surgeons who have been operating on your husband, Now I don’t know how much you have been told about his condition.” Rachel shook her head.

  “Nothing Doctor.” He sat on the chair to her right and turned in the seat to face her.

  “Well during the accident his car landed on some railings, these penetrated the floor of his car passing up through the driver’s seat and into your husband.

  Four of the spikes went through his thighs, through his pelvis and exited out of his upper back.

  Unfortunately one of them severed his spinal column just below his shoulder blades.

  The fact is Mrs Wilson he will be paralysed from the chest down.
” Rachel just stared at him, no emotion on her face, he bottom lip began to tremble, and then realisation came into her eyes.

  “Paralysed? From the chest down?” She repeated letting the words sink in.

  “We don’t know whether he’ll have any mobility in his arms yet, he is very heavily sedated yet and will be for some time.” Rachel turned to him her eyes filling with tears.

  “Can I see him please?” Mr Chaudry nodded and again gave her a smile.

  “Of course you can he has just been taken up to ICU, I’ll take you up there.” He stood up and offered her his hand to help her from the chair.

  Rachel stood up her back and legs ached with being sat for so long, she felt guilty feeling the pain knowing Colin would never feel his legs again.

  After a month of heavy sedation the Doctors slowly began to bring him out, Rachel was there when he first opened his eyes, he looked at her and gave her a weak smile, but that was enough to send her into floods of tears.

  Over the next week Colin got stronger and after the initial shock of being told he would never walk again and be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life he started to come to terms with it, the Doctors were happy with his progress and he seemed to have some use of his right hand.

  Slowly his recollection of the accident came back to him, one morning as Rachel was reading him the daily paper Colin butted in.

  “He tried to kill me.” Rachel stopped reading and looked at Colin.

  “Who did?”

  “Sam, he tried to kill me. He held my head under the water. I have to tell the police I want him arresting for trying to kill me.” Rachel laughed.

  “Sam saved you, he jumped into the river and stayed with you until the Fire brigade got there, He’s a hero.”

  “He’s no hero, he tried to kill me now get the Police, Now!” Rachel looked at Colin; his face was full of hate.

  “I won’t get the Police Colin, Sam saved your life, you should be thanking him, Look, I think you’re still a bit confused about what happened, you’ll see it’ll all come back to you one day.”

  “I know what happened and when I’m out of here I’ll sort him out, once and for all.”

  Two weeks after the accident he was moved into a private room, paid for by Wormalds.

  “I was thinking of bringing the children to see you If you’re up to visitors.” Rachel said straightening the bed clothes.

  He had been a bit depressed the last couple of days the Doctors reassured Rachel that this was usual as patients come to terms with a disability.

  The darkness in Colin’s face seemed to disappear with the thought of his children; he lifted his head from the pillow.

  “That would be great; I’d love to see them, all of them.”

  “What do you mean? All of them? You mean Vicky and Ben also?”

  “Yes, I’m in a bad place at the moment Rachel, I need all my family round me to help me get through this.”

  Rachel shrugged her shoulders.

  “Well I’ll see if they are still at their last address but it’s been a few years.”

  Colin slumped back onto his pillow.

  “Please Rachel if you don’t mind, I need everybody’s support to help me come to terms with it.”

  The following day Rachel went to the last address she had for Vicky and Ben but they were no longer there, she asked at the flat below, the guy living there remembered them and said Ben had given him an address for him to forward any mail that came to the flat for either of them.

  An hour later Rachel was in Barnsley Knocking on the door of the address given to her by Vicky and Ben’s old neighbour.

  After five minutes of knocking Rachel had decided they were out, she took some paper and a pen from her handbag and was just about to write a short note and a contact number when the door was opened by Ben.

  Rachel was taken aback by his appearance, gone was the long haired rebel, standing in front of her was a good looking, clean shaven, well groomed young man.

  “I’m sorry, I thought there was nobody home I was just going to leave you a note.” Ben looked passed her at the empty car parked outside, and then back at Rachel.

  “We were out in the back garden; it’s our day off today.” Rachel shuffled slightly feeling awkward.

  She took a deep breath.

  “Can I come in for a second I need to talk to both of you; it’s about your farther.” Ben took a step back.

  “Well you’d better come in then.” She walked past him into a beautifully decorated room that ran the length of the house, at the far end was a doorway to the right which she assumed was the kitchen.

  “What a lovely house.” Ben came alongside her.

  “Thank you, Vicky’s the decorator, just a second I’ll go get her. Please sit down would you like a cup of tea or coffee.” He said gesturing to one of the chairs; Rachel sat down on the offered seat.

  “Tea please if that’s ok.” Ben nodded and disappeared through the kitchen door.

  Rachel sat and looked round the room there was a large unit against the long wall opposite the kitchen door there was a television on the centre shelve, DVD and video players below, books and photographs above.

  Rachel studied the photographs they were all of Ben and Vicky together or with others, one photograph stood out from all the others it was of a young woman she was sat on a seawall smiling, Rachel sat mesmerised by the woman in the picture she seemed so familiar.

  The door opened and Vicky came through she was stunning, her long blond hair was in a lose ponytail she was wearing a bikini top and cut down jeans, her body was well tanned and toned to perfection.

  Rachel stood up as Vicky came towards her, she held out her hand to Vicky, Vicky walked past the hand and gave Rachel a hug.

  “I’ve missed you.” That was too much for Rachel she held onto Vicky and began to sob.

  “And I’ve missed you two so much, tell me everything. You look wonderful you’ve grown to be a beautiful woman Vicky.” They moved to the settee and sat side by side holding each other’s hands.

  Vicky talked nonstop telling Rachel briefly about what they had been doing since they walked out all those years ago, About the squat, them getting free of drugs, getting jobs and how they saved all their spare money and invested in a small cafe in the centre of Barnsley which was doing very well, they both had nice cars and enjoyed holidays abroad.

  Rachel walked over to the unit.

  “Are these pictures of your holidays?” Vicky moved to her side.

  “Yes, that’s me and Ben in St. Tropez last year.” She said pointing to one of them both drinking large cocktails.

  “And who’s this one.” Rachel said pointing to the photograph of the smiling woman.

  ”That’s our mum; it was taken in Bridlington ages ago.” Rachel stared at the woman.

  “She looks so familiar.” Then her blood ran cold as she realised the woman’s face was the reflection she saw in the spilled coffee in the hospital after Colin’s accident.

  “Are you alright” Vicky asked putting her hand on Rachel’s arm. Rachel shook her head to clear the image from her mind.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Why didn’t you get in touch?” Vicky turned from Rachel and walked towards the window.

  “Because of him.” She said as she walked away.

  “Who? Your Father?” Rachel said as she followed her.

  The door to the kitchen opened and Ben came out carrying three cup’s.

  “What about him, what does he want now? To ruin our lives again eh?” He said putting the cup’s down on the coffee table.

  Rachel ignored Ben’s outburst.

  “He’s been in an accident, he’s in hospital, he’s going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, look he asked me to come and find you he wants you there with him, please” Ben looked at Rachel pursed his lips and shook his head.

  “We’re not bothered.” He said walking over and putting his arm around Vicky’s shoulders.

  “We don’t have a father he
died a long time ago as far as we’re concerned.” He looked at Vicky who was nodding her head in agreement.

  Rachel turned to face them.

  “I don’t believe that, what did your father ever do to both of you for you to hate him so much?”

  “He murdered our mother.” Vicky said through gritted teeth, glancing up at the photograph.