Farmer Dennis looked at Joe lying in the field, the remnants of his scattered bike lying around him.
"Christ," he muttered under his breath. He ran up to the road, but the road was deserted. He ran to the phone box that was closer than the farmhouse then returned to Joe and hovered worriedly over his inanimate form.
"Mate," he said giving Joe a slight shake. He was starting to get worried about the lack of response, but was reassured by the fact he was obviously still breathing. After some thought, he decided to remove Joe's helmet, whilst trying to minimise movement. He noted the large cut and bruise on his forehead, but knew he had no way of knowing if there were any broken bones or internal damage.
After what seemed like forever, he heard the distant ring of the ambulance siren getting closer, so he ran up to the road to flag it down.
He knew Joe from the Aidensfield arms, so he gave Joe's name and age to the ambulance men, and told them what he thought had happened, then watched as he was gently lifted onto a stretcher, still unconscious. Joe was strapped to the stretcher then lifted into the back of the ambulance, then it left for the hospital.
Dr Oakley was sitting behind a desk in Ashfordly general A&E. It had been a rather quiet day so far, and he was bored, hoping for something to stretch his abilities. Suddenly there was a hustle from the ambulance bay entrance, so he got up and ran over to assist the new patient.
He was surprised to see Joe Masons unconscious form on the stretcher, so he turned to the ambulance driver who was pulling the stretcher.
"What happened to him?" Chris asked
"Not sure," replied the driver, "farmer found him in the corner of his field, thinks it looks like he came off the road for some reason, hit a tree, then fell down an embankment."
"How long has he been out of it for?"
"Farmer found him about quarter of an hour before we arrived, then another 15 minutes to the hospital, but we don't know how long he was there before the farmer found him."
"Ok thanks," said Chris "I know him I'll take it from here."
With a nurses help, he transferred Joe onto a hospital trolley and wheeled him into one of the curtained cubicles whilst giving instructions to the nurse.
"Can you please go and organise a head and chest x-ray – we need to check for a fractured skull and broken ribs. It doesn't look too serious but we should be careful for internal damage, and it's slightly worrying he has been unconscious for so long."
The nurse left the cubicle, and Chris gently removed his bike coat and jacket, being careful to minimise movement, then unbuttoned his shirt and draped a blanket over his legs.
He lifted Joe's eyelid and shone his light to check Joe's pupil, then just as he let it go again, Joe groaned and his eyelids began to flicker.
"Joe, its Dr Oakley, can you hear me?" Christ spoke in a loud clear voice whilst giving him a shake on the shoulder.
Joe opened his eyes, blinked a few times then screwed his eyes up and looked around uncertainly.
"Wha-wha-what…where..?" he stuttered groggily.
"You've had a bike accident, you're in hospital."
Chris had enough experience with unconscious patients to know what was going to happen next, and sure enough, no sooner had he placed a bowl under Joe's chin than Joe copiously threw up into it. Not being particularly good at or interested in offering patients sympathy, he just supported Joe sitting up until he was finished, and then gave him a tissue to wipe his mouth.
He then took Joe's temperature, listened to his heart and took his blood pressure. He gently ran his hand over Joe's ribcage and noticed as he winced a few times.
"X-ray are ready for PC Mason," the nurse said, re-entering the cubicle.
"Perfect – can you please dispose of this?" Chris said, handing her the bowl.
She pulled the curtain back and left the cubicle, as a porter arrived.
"I don't need to go to x-ray, I just need to get back to work," Joe protested trying to sit up
"Don't even think about it, you've had a nasty bang on the head, we need to be sure there is nothing more serious going on."
"No, I feel fine…" Joe sat up and tried to swing his legs off the stretcher, but Chris stopped him.
"Look Joe, this can be easy or hard – you can go willingly and have an x-ray, then probably be discharged later this afternoon, or I can anaesthetise you, x-ray you, then keep you under sedation overnight and discharge you in a few days."
"Fine," Joe huffed, swinging his legs back onto the trolley.
"Thought you would see it my way," Chris said smugly, wheeling his trolley out of the cubicle and along the corridor.
"Has anyone told Sergeant Miller I'm here?"
"I'll phone him while you're in radiology."
Joe, accepting his fate, sighed and leaned back against the stretcher and resigned himself to being x-rayed. He didn't fuss or cause the radiography staff any trouble – it wasn't their fault Dr Oakley was a pompous moron.
Sergeant Miller was sat at Joe's desk in the duty room, having spent the last 15 minutes pacing anxiously back and forth. There had been no sign of Joe on the road, so he didn't know if he had just wandered off and got lost, or been picked up by someone. When he had phoned the hospital 45 minutes previously there had been no sign of him.
The phone rang, breaking the tension, and Miller snatched it up before anyone could move.
"Ashfordly Police station, Sergeant Miller speaking," maintain professionalism despite his overwhelming worry.
"I see… yes … yes, ok we will come immediately." Sergeant Miller put the phone down and looked at Don.
"That was Doctor Oakley – Joe is in A&E, lets go!"
TV HOSPITAL SCENE FITS IN HERE
As Joe sat up and swung his legs off the trolley, Sergeant Miller held out his jacket so Joe could slot his arms into the sleeves.
Fully dressed, he hopped down off the stretcher and staggered slightly, before being steadied by Miller, who's usually gruff exterior was temporarily replaced by concern.
"Are you sure you don't…"
"I'm not staying in, I'm fine," Joe insisted.
Miller and Christ exchanged the "there's no point in trying to argue with him" look, so Miller put a hand on Joe's elbow as they walked down the corridor towards the admissions desk.
Joe was looking furtively at Miller, clearly aware of the trouble he was in having disobeyed his superiors orders, and exposed as a complete fool. At the desk, Chris signed Joe's discharge papers with a flourish, then left him with the parting orders that he was to be watched for a while, and to be brought back in if he started feeling ill. He walked off down the corridor, and Don, sensing the awkwardness of the situation, tactfully excused himself to the toilet to give Joe and Miller the chance to talk.
Sergeant Miller helped Joe into the front seat of his car, then went round and got in the drivers seat. An awkward silence ensued.
"I'm SO sorry Sergeant, I've been an absolute fool, and …"
"Stop right there lad." Sergeant Millers soft tone was NOT what Joe had been expecting.
"You were concerned about the young lady's welfare, and were determined to do your duty and make sure there wasn't a threat to her or the public- I cant fault you for that."
Joe couldn't believe what he was hearing – "But you know better, and I disobeyed your orders, and…"
"Yes you did, but you were only doing what you thought to be the right thing. Given your accident and Injuries 'I told you so' isn't appropriate, and hopefully this will show you to be more cautious in the future. Domestic disputes are complicated, and best stayed out of. Another thing you will learn from being a village bobby – posh housewives get bored, and try to do anything to set the cat among the pigeons. This particular one has played both you and her husband for fools just to suit her own ends. Even the best of officers can be duped, and I wont think any less of you due to this incident."
"Thanks Sarge," Joe was slightly relieved he wasn't being reprimanded, as he still had a fairly bad headache.
At that opportune moment, Don got into the car and they headed back to the station.
Tv scene again – Joe interviews Mr Fausset, then goes to the hotel with Sergeant Miller. They inform Mrs Fausset of her husbands arrest (as she had planned)
After returning to the nick from the hotel, Miller helped Joe into his seat, made him a cup of tea, then gave Alf and Don orders to make sure he didn't move from the chair for the rest of the afternoon.