She reached over, took the strap and attached it to the other side of the stretcher. Smithy glared accusingly at Gina, then closed his eyes as Mary pulled the strap so that it was snug. Smithy rolled over, the whole stretcher tipped with him.
The paramedics pulled Smithy back over so he was lying on his back secured to the stretcher. Gina rubbed soothing circles on his arm, "Smithy! Get a grip! Stay still."
"You said you wouldn't let them! Oww! You said you wouldn't let them hurt me!" Smithy said glaring accusingly at Gina.
"They're trying to help you Smithy." said Gina. "Gina, they're hurting me. Oh God," he moaned as Mary secured the last strap. "I'm so sorry Liz! It's all my fault!"
Gina looked at the paramedics, "I'll come with him on the ambulance." she said. "OK," said Mary. The paramedics picked up the stretcher, Smithy's face twisted "Gina? Are you there?" he asked.
"Yes Smithy, I'm right here." said Gina reassuringly.
As Smithy was taken through the room where Liz had committed suicide he began to sob quietly to himself, Gina leant closer to hear what he was saying. "My fault. All my fault."
Mary stayed in the back of the ambulance with Smithy and Gina, "Alright, Sgt Smith I need you to tell me what happened." said Mary. Smithy shifted on the stretcher. Gina noticed that the straps were digging into Smithy's flesh. "Could you just loosen the straps a bit? It looks like they're digging in." she asked.
Mary ran her hand along the strap and loosened it a little. Smithy shifted experimentally, trying to get comfortable.
"Get the wire off," said Smithy. "I'm sorry Sergeant Smith but it wouldn't be safe for you not to be secure while you're in the ambulance." said Mary.
"Gina. Get her to loosen the straps a bit." said Smithy.
Gina looked inquiringly at Mary, who shook her head. "I'm sorry but that won't be possible." she said firmly.
"Sgt Smith I need to know what happened." Mary said again.
"It was my fault." said Smithy simply. Then he looked horrified with himself, "No! I'm sorry Liz! It is my fault!"
"What is? Did you do this to yourself?" Mary asked.
"No. I drove Liz to do it. I should have been there for her when she needed me. I deserve this." said Smithy becoming steadily more agitated.
"So this Liz, is she the woman in the house?" Mary asked.
"Yes, she self-harmed. I should have supported her more." said Smithy.
"Liz self-harmed?" asked Gina shocked.
Smithy nodded, "It's my fault that she's dead."
"Smithy, did she do this to you?" asked Gina.
"Yes, my fault." said Smithy, "I should have been there."
"Sgt Smith, you were there for her, but she was beyond help." said Mary.
Smithy lunged towards her, "Don't you dare blame her! It is my fault! Gina, I'm sorry. It is my fault!"
Mary gently pushed Smithy back down onto his back, "Okay, alright Sgt Smith."
"Just call me Smithy, everyone does." said Smithy.
"Right. Smithy, I need you to tell me what happened. Not who's fault it was but what happened." said Mary reaching across Smithy to reach the oxygen mask, she settled the strap round Smithy's head then pulled it down so that she could hear what he was saying.
"We were asleep," Smithy began, "Then I felt her tightening something around my wrists behind my back, I struggled a bit and she said that she was sorry. She injected herself with something, I don't know what. I asked what she was doing and she kneed me in the stomach, then she put her foot on my back. I tried to throw her off, it's all my fault. She hit me with her glass, I made her. I should have been there for her. She told me to lean on the banisters, then she must've tied the rope around something, she came back. I'd stood up, she had said I should lean on the banisters and I hadn't. She pushed me over the banister, oh it hurts. Help, oh God it hurts."
"Okay, calm down Smithy." said Mary placing the mask over Smithy's mouth and nose, "Alright just breathe, you'll be okay. I'm just going to make the pain go away. This'll stop it hurting."
Smithy's eyes widened, he shook his head frantically, he looked appealingly at Gina. Gina shook her head at Mary, "No. Let me talk to him. Smithy, you keep saying it hurts. If it hurts let Mary make it stop."
Smithy shook his head and started to talk, Gina pulled the mask down. "What? Smithy, say it again."
"You don't understand, Liz said pain would help. My fault." said Smithy.
The ambulance swept into the yard at the front of the hospital, the sirens were switched off and the other paramedic, Rose, opened the back doors.
"Smithy, we're going to get you on a trolley, then a doctor will look after you." said Mary.
A trolley team came into the ambulance, they lifted the stretcher and put it carefully down on the trolley.
Gina walked alongside Smithy's trolley as he was wheeled into A&E.
A female doctor with dyed blonde hair came over, Mary gave her a sheet of paper with the details of the incident. The doctor came up beside Smithy's head, "Hello Sgt Smith, my name's Debbie. I'm going to be looking after you. I need you to tell me why you don't want to have an injection?"
Smithy shook his head.
"Right, Sgt I need you to bring your arm round so that I can take a blood sample." said Debbie.
"I can't it hurts. My wrists.." said Smithy.
Mary undid the straps across Smithy's chest, "His arms are tied behind his back," Mary explained.
"Why is he lying on his back if his arms are tied behind him?" Debbie asked.
"Because he was being difficult, we were quite lucky to get him on the stretcher at all." said Rose.
"We need to get him onto the bed, if you undo the straps around his legs.. okay when I say three. One, two, three." said Debbie.
I'm not sure that anyone's reading this, if you are could you please review? Pretty please?
I'm going on holiday so I won't update for a while but please review anyway.
