Young, Gifted and Dead by Lucy Carver

Author:Lucy Carver [Carver, Lucy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Children's Books, Growing Up & Facts of Life, Friendship; Social Skills & School Life, School, Mysteries & Detectives, Children's eBooks
ISBN: 9781447241393
Amazon: B00DTUKKPS
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Published: 2013-10-09T23:00:00+00:00

chapter ten

‘Why didn’t I do something?’

Jack had heard me say this over and over. ‘What? What could you have done?’ was the question he put to me each time.

I would shake my head. ‘I don’t know – just something.’

He held my hand, didn’t push me for a more logical answer as we waited in the old library.

The ambulance hadn’t reached the stable yard until twenty endless minutes after I’d made the call. There’d been rush hour traffic, a thickening fog – the roads were chaotic.

‘Don’t move her!’ I’d said to Guy, who was first-aid trained and had checked that Paige’s airway was clear. He nodded then stepped back. There was no blood, like I said. She was unconscious, but maybe she would be OK.

I’d brought a horse rug from the tack room and gently laid it over her. Guy had cornered Mistral and led him into his stable.

Then other people had arrived – Zara and Hooper, Luke in sweatshirt and shorts. He’d knelt beside Paige and spoken her name, given me a quick, scared glance when she didn’t answer.

‘Don’t move her,’ I’d whispered automatically to anyone who went near. Then I told Zara and Hooper to chase after the person who’d caused this. ‘A skinny kid in a grey hoodie. He climbed over the wall and ran away. But watch out – he has a knife!’

Zara was the first to react. Before I knew it she was hauling herself up and over the wall, yelling at Hooper to follow her.

Luke, Guy and I were the only ones left, waiting those endless minutes for help to arrive.

In the middle of our vigil Harry Embsay had ridden Franklin into the yard and immediately started yelling at people – blaming them. ‘Somebody, do something,’ he’d demanded as he vaulted from the saddle and seen how bad things were – Paige lying spread-eagled and white as a corpse, eyes closed, the minutes ticking by. ‘Don’t just stand there!’

I’d listened for every breath, watched for even the slightest movement and seen nothing.

Fifteen minutes passed then we’d heard a siren muffled by the fog, had another delay as the ambulance driver navigated through the press pack then discovered exactly where to come, blue lights still flashing.

Two paramedics – a man and a woman – had jumped out as Harry, Guy, Luke, and I stepped back to give them room.

After that I had the temporary memory collapse that comes over me when I’m in shock and everything becomes a blur. The paramedics had followed their procedures, testing vital signs and hooking Paige up to tubes and monitors before they immobilized her with back and neck braces then carried her on a stretcher into the ambulance. No one had spoken – I do remember that – not until the ambulance door was closed and the vehicle had backed out of the stable yard. We’d heard the fading siren, felt empty and numb in the silence that followed.

Then it had been D’Arblay who’d taken control. He’d issued the orders

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