Barging In by Josephine Myles

Author:Josephine Myles
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Published: 2011-09-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

A round-faced woman and a skinny blond lad in green appeared at the top of the bank. It wasn’t until they called to him that Dan recognised them as paramedics. The woman tried to persuade Dan to let go of Robin. He fought her off, snarling, but she plied him with offers of blankets for Robin. He followed as she led Robin up to the pathway. He didn’t see what happened to the body. He didn’t care.

“D-Dan? Where are you?” Robin’s voice was weak, almost hoarse.

In a couple of strides, Dan was at Robin’s side, wrestling him out of the paramedic’s grasp.

“Please, Dan, we need to get your friend some medical attention.” The woman attempted to loosen Dan’s hold on Robin. “We need him to get into the ambulance. You can come too.”

Dan clung on tighter, pressing his body against Robin in an attempt to transmit his warmth through the sopping-wet clothing. He buried his face in Robin’s neck, his head shaking as Robin’s teeth chattered by his ear. Robin’s arms came around to circle him, the grip almost as tight as his own. Eventually the paramedic gave up trying to separate them, and sometime later Dan felt a warm blanket being draped around them both.

“Dan, my love, could you tell us your friend’s name?” It was the woman. The one whose face reminded him of his mum. He told her, hoping she’d leave them alone.

“Robin? Can you hear me? My name’s Julie, and I’m here to help you. We need to get those wet clothes off you and check you over. Can you please ask Dan to let go?”

Reluctantly Dan complied, but he refused to let go of Robin’s hand, forcing Julie to work around him in the confined space of the ambulance. He wouldn’t let her strip Robin’s clothing—that was his job. Robin’s skin was damp and clammy—the touch of it almost too much to bear.

Warm, dry clothes miraculously appeared, and Robin obediently lifted his arms for the Pfizer T-shirt, then stepped into the faded jogging bottoms when Dan asked him to. There weren’t any spare socks, but there was a fluffy towel for Robin’s feet. Julie draped another dry blanket around Robin, this one powder pink and full of holes like something his baby cousins would have come wrapped in. They sat on the two flip-down seats by the back door as the other paramedic wheeled out the gurney; then Julie shut the door behind him, keeping the warmth inside.

Robin’s reactions were slow to begin with. Julie took his pulse and temperature, all the while asking gentle but insistent questions. Dan needed to keep reassuring himself that Robin was there—it had been such a close call. He twisted up inside every time he thought about it. He squeezed Robin’s hand, watching the animation and colour slowly return to his face. Julie brought them both lukewarm tea in plastic cups. It tasted like the inside of a Thermos flask, but Dan didn’t care. All he was concerned about was the way Robin’s hand shook as he lifted the cup to his mouth.

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