by Anne Fraser
But Jamie was already emptying his car boot of the climbing ropes he had brought with him. ‘I’m going down.’ He said. ‘We don’t know how long the emergency services will take. I need to assess their injuries. We don’t know how badly they are hurt. If we wait, it could be too late.’
As Jamie spoke, one of the men called out. ‘There’s smoke coming from the car!’
Sarah felt fear close her throat. If the car was on fire, it could explode.
‘I’m coming with you,’ she said, already beginning to slip on her harness.
‘No, you’re not! It’s too dangerous. The car could go at any time.’
‘For the last time, Jamie Campbell, stop telling me what to do.’ But Sarah smiled wanly to take the sting out of her words.
Jamie gripped her by the shoulders. ‘Good God, woman, think of Calum. He needs his mother.’ For a moment a look of anguish crossed his face. ‘And I need his mother.’ For a moment he brushed her ear with his lips. ‘I love you, SJ. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.’ Jamie looked at her steadily for a long moment. Then, reading the determination in her expression, he made a decision.
‘You always were the most stubborn woman. OK, we don’t have time to argue. You head for the driver and I’ll head for the car. Here, let me check your gear.’
Despite everything, Sarah felt her heart soar. There was no mistaking the expression in those eyes. He did love her. Of course he did. She knew it now—there was no more doubt in her mind!
Sarah tried to open her mouth to tell him that she loved him, too. So very, very much. But as she tried to form the words, Jamie began issuing instructions to her, pointing out the best route for her to take to get to the injured man.
Sarah slipped over the side as Jamie held the rope for her. Within a minute or two she was beside the driver of the car. The man was conscious, though clearly in a lot of pain.
‘My daughter. Is she all right?’
‘How many of you were in the car?’ Sarah asked, dimly aware of Jamie passing her on the way to the car.
‘Just me and Ruth. My three-year-old. Where is she? I couldn’t control the car.’ The man started to moan with pain and fear.
‘Jamie—just one other occupant in the car. A little girl.’ Sarah called out. Jamie acknowledged her with a lift of his hand. Sarah could see that the smoke from the car was getting thicker. Red flames licked at the car bonnet. The sound of a child’s terror and rage filled the air.
‘Everything is going to be just fine,’ Sarah soothed, checking her patient. Apart from a fractured femur and a few cuts and bruises, he appeared remarkably unharmed. Trying to ignore the burning wreck below her, she strapped his legs together and made him as comfortable as possible. All she could do now was wait for the emergency services to remove the man safely.
She glanced up to see the anxious faces of the bystanders looking towards the car.
Jamie was half in and half out of the back door. The flames were getting bigger by the minute. What on earth was taking him so long? He seemed to be struggling to remove something from the back seat. Was the child pinned in the seat? Sarah felt her blood run cold. Surely there was only a minute or two before it exploded. She knew with a dread that froze her blood that Jamie would never leave the child.
If anything happened to Jamie, she couldn’t bear it. How could she have been so stupid? Why had she wasted so much time? Time that they could have been together. Whatever the future brought, she needed to be with Jamie. She, Jamie and Calum together. That was her life, her future, her destiny. She knew now with absolute certainty that Jamie loved her, and not just because she was the mother of his child. He had been prepared to give up everything for her and Calum—to be a permanent part of their lives. He had put his own needs and dreams to one side. And still she hadn’t trusted him. What if she lost him now? Before she told him how she felt about him? She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. She couldn’t let herself think like that. She needed to concentrate. Work out how to help him.
He was still struggling to pull the child from the wreckage. Sarah knew she had to go to him. She couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
‘I’ll be back as soon as I can,’ she told the driver. ‘Just a little longer and we’ll have you out of here.’
It only took a few seconds until she was almost down by the car. She could hear the crackle of flames and smell the acrid smoke. In the distance she could hear the sounds of sirens.
Jamie must have sensed her approach. ‘Sarah, get out of here!’
‘What’s wrong? What’s taking so long? Why aren’t you getting the hell out of there?’ she yelled.
‘The seat belt’s jammed. I can’t get the child or its seat out of the car. Don’t come any closer.’
Sarah ignored him and slithered the few inches towards him. ‘Here.’ She handed him her climbing knife. ‘Try this.’
‘Thanks!’ Jamie said ‘Now, get going.’
Reluctantly Sarah moved to a safe distance. There was nothing more she could do. She sent a prayer heavenwards.
She heard Jamie’s yell of triumph as the girl came loose. Cocooning the child in his arms, he turned away from the car and edged along sideways. As Sarah watched him make his painstakingly slow way, there was a sudden whoosh and the car exploded, rocking the surroundings with the blast. Sarah’s heart stopped as she cried out his name.
‘Jamie!’
As the smoke cleared she could make out the still form of Jamie lying on the ground. There was no sign of the child. Tears running down her cheeks, Sarah scrambled her way back down the slope, loose gravel causing sharp spasms of pain through her trousers like the sharp bites of tiny predators. She was barely aware of voices calling to her, telling her to stay where she was. She ignored them. She had to get to Jamie. He needed her. One of the rescue team arrived just as she got to Jamie, whose still body showed no sign of life. He had sheltered the child from the worst of the blast with his body. Judging by her loud wails, she seemed to be in one piece.
She shook him roughly. ‘Jamie, wake up. Please—I need you. For God’s sake don’t leave me—I love you.’
Jamie came to slowly. The noise of the blast still rang in his ears. He couldn’t hear anything else. Dimly aware of being shaken, he struggled to open his eyes. He saw Sarah bending over him. She was shouting at him. Typical he thought. I’m half-dead and she’s still finding something to complain about.
He looked at her. He saw her lips moving. Tears were cascading down her face. Could he be hearing things? Had the blast addled his brains on top of everything else, or was she really telling him she loved him, would never leave him?
Twenty long minutes later Jamie was being stretchered into the ambulance along with the driver and his daughter. The ambulance would be taking them to the local hospital, from where Jamie would be airlifted to Glasgow if necessary.
He opened his eyes as the paramedics were securing his stretcher.
‘Is the child all right?’ he asked Sarah.
‘She’s fine. Frightened but fine. How are you?’
‘I’ll live.’ He smiled painfully. He reached out a hand to Sarah and clasped hers in a surprisingly strong grip. ‘You’ll have to marry me now.’
‘I suppose I will.’ Sarah smiled down at him, her eyes awash with tears. ‘I guess it’s the only way I can keep you from doing crazy things.’
‘At least life will never be boring for us,’ Jamie murmured, before he lapsed once more into unconsciousness.
* * *
Sarah stood at the side of the ship, holding Calum’s hand. A few more hours and they’d be docking in Cape Town. From there they would be taking a flight to Johannesburg, before completing the rest of their journey by car. Although she felt a little apprehensive when she thought about the future, she knew with absolute certainty she had made the right decision. The hospital had been sympathetic to her request to take an eighteen-month sabbatical. Especially when she’d been able to convince them that the
husband-and-wife team would be perfect locums for the time that she and Jamie would be away. Just thinking of Jamie brought a smile to her lips. While he had recovered in hospital, they had talked for hours, discussing their hopes and dreams. She had realised that Jamie needed to be back in Africa, that he still had work to do there, and had decided that she and Calum would go with him. Her job would be kept open for her.
She felt warm arms enfold her.
‘No regrets?’ Jamie asked, nibbling her ear.
‘None. There’s plenty of time for me to be a consultant. This way I can spend more time with Calum. And anyway…’ she laughed ‘…how could I possibly not go to Africa? I have to see this place you love so much for myself.’
‘And you’re sure you don’t mind Sibongele living with us?’
‘How could I? I know that Calum and I are always going to have to share you. But somehow I think there is enough love in this family to have some to spare.’
Jamie bent down and scooped his son into his arms before he made his escape. He had just started to toddle in the months leading up to their departure and was constantly trying out his new-found freedom.
‘They’ll be no more running away, Calum,’ Jamie said with mock severity. He looked at Sarah, locking her eyes with his. ‘For any of us. Ever again.’
ISBN-13: 9781460376423
© Anne Fraser 2007
DR. CAMPBELL’S SECRET SON
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