A/N: Thanks yet again for all your reviews you lovely people! Your obvious interest in this story spurred me on to write this next chapter so I hope you all enjoy it!
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Chapter 7
Serena could see a young woman stood in the aisle as passengers began to move towards her, wanting to see what was wrong. Moving swiftly, Serena dodged her way down the aisle, reaching the woman and attempting to calm her.
"My name is Serena, I'm a doctor...can you tell me what's wrong?" The woman sobbed and pointed back at the seats to her left. Serena turned and saw a young man sitting there, leaning to one side with a large crimson stain seeping through the side of his shirt. "Shit..." she breathed as she turned around. "Mr. Hanssen! A little help!" she called as she saw Hanssen making his way towards her. "Everybody move back please...MOVE BACK." she ordered as people began doing as they were told.
"What's the problem?" Hanssen asked as she nodded towards the young man and his eyes widened. "What happened?" he asked the woman as he reached out feeling for a pulse.
"I don't know, I don't even know him! He got on at the last station and he looked like he had a stitch or something so I assumed he'd run for the train, y'know?" Serena nodded in understanding and backed the woman away, turning back to Hanssen.
"What do you reckon...stabbing?" she asked as he reached his hand gingerly across the body and felt for the wound. Bringing his fingers back, they were covered in blood as he nodded slowly.
"The wound is approximately 2 inches wide, possible major arterial damage considering the blood loss."
"We need to move him." Serena said quickly, but Hanssen frowned.
"We can't. We have no idea what we're dealing with...the weapon could still be in his side and we could do more harm than good!"
"If we don't move him, he'll bleed out and die. Either way, things aren't looking too great for him but I'd rather we at least tried to help him!" she snapped, glaring at Hanssen as he weighed up the options, frowning as he stared at the ground. Just when she was beginning to think he'd gone into a trance, he looked up and nodded stiffly.
"Alright. We'll need to get him to the end of the carriage where there is more room...we can't do anything here." Serena turned back to the crowd who had gathered and raised her arms.
"Excuse me, can I have your attention please? Now, my colleague and I are going to have to move this gentleman towards the end of the carriage and we do not need anyone in our way...okay? So please return to your seats." The passengers quickly and quietly obeyed as Serena turned and saw Edward heading towards them. "What did I just..." she began but he cut her off.
"Look Serena, right now we're all Medical professionals, okay? Now, I'm going to do anything I can to help." Hanssen watched in intrigue as she appeared to be about to argue, but backed down at the look on Edward's face. It wasn't often he saw Serena Campbell take orders from anyone.
"Alright, fine." she sighed, turning back to Hanssen. "It seems we have another pair of hands. Right, how do you want to do this?" The three of them stood looking at the young man before Hanssen stepped into the seat behind and reached over, hooking his hands under the man's armpits.
"Edward, if you grab his legs and Serena, you support his core? We need to move him as fluidly as possible, any unnecessary jolting could dislodge anything still stuck in his side, causing more damage. Are we clear?" Serena and Edward nodded their heads as Hanssen exhaled. "Right...on three then...one...two...three!" They heaved as one, lifting him into the air, Serena being careful to ensure she was supporting his centre as one block. She could feel the blood seeping through her shirt and gasped when she looked back at the chair, noticing how much blood he'd actually lost. She glanced at Hanssen who gave her a worried look before they shuffled carefully down the aisle and reached the end. "Alright, let's lower him gently altogether...now..." The three bent as one, laying him flat on the floor. Serena instantly bent to examine the wound, Hanssen ripping the man's t-shirt off so they could get a better view. Serena suddenly sat back, the colour draining from her face.
"There's something in there." she said quietly as Hanssen looked up at her in concern.
"Okay, then we attempt to stem the bleed and call for help. Can somebody please run and inform the driver of what's happened and ask him to contact the Emergency Services!?" Hanssen said aloud to the carriage, watching as a middle-aged gentleman stood up and rushed down the carriage away from them, towards the front of the train. Serena bent again to examine the wound as Hanssen removed his suit jacket, balling it up and passing it to her to use to stem the bleed. As she pressed it against his side, the man's eyes suddenly flickered and he regained consciousness.
"What...what's happening!?" he asked in alarm as he registered the pain and grimaced.
"It's alright...you've been injured but you're in good hands. My name is Henrik Hanssen and this is Serena Campbell...we're both doctors..."
"Argh...my side..." he moaned, trying to reach a hand to the offending area.
"No, don't try and move, just relax. What's your name?" Serena asked him as he looked towards her.
"Aidan...Aidan MacDonald..." he mumbled as he flinched at the pressure Serena was placing on his side.
"Well Aidan...try and stay with us, okay?" Hanssen said as he watched Aidan's eyes begin to roll before he promptly lost consciousness again. Looking down as Serena pulled back the clothing from his wound momentarily, he caught her worried glance.
"Organ damage..." he mumbled as he sat in silence for a moment or two. "We need to get him to a hospital now or he's going to die."
"You think I don't know that!? But there is no way of getting him there!" she said in exasperation as she removed her own shirt quickly and bunched it up, holding it against the wound.
"His pulse is weakening...we need to do something now." Edward said as he held up Aidan's wrist.
"Short of sticking my hand in there and fishing around for whatever it is that's worked its' way in...there is nothing we can do!"
"Maybe that's not such a bad idea..." Edward mused as Serena stared at him, hoping he was joking.
"Come on Aidan, stay with me..." Serena breathed as she began chest compressions, Edward kneeling on the other side of his body, keeping him under close observation.
"Still nothing." he said as he felt the pulse becoming weaker and his breath refusing to return.
"Come on!" she urged as she began compressions again, counting as she went.
"Switch." Hanssen said as she moved aside and he took over, giving her a moment's rest. They had been keeping this up for almost ten minutes, knowing that as long as there was a pulse, there was a chance. They had been informed that the Paramedics were making their way to the train on foot, as the train itself was still unable to move. Hanssen stopped and leant down to Aidan's face, feeling no breath escaping his lips. He looked up at Serena in uncertainty and she shook her head.
"No. We carry on." she demanded, nudging him aside and beginning compressions again. Hanssen watched as she struggled with all her might to bring Aidan back from the brink, watching as she refused to allow herself to think the worst. He glanced down at Aidan's side and noticed the sheer volume of blood that had been lost. Suddenly there was a sharp breath as Aidan's eyes flickered open and he began to shake as his lips began to slowly turn blue. "Aidan, I need you to keep awake for me, can you do that? Tell me about the Campbells and the MacDonalds!" she urged as she held a hand against his cheek, looking over at Edward who was using one hand to hold her shirt against the wound and the other to keep a tab on Aidan's pulse. He shook his head slightly, feeling the pulse becoming slower, more drawn out with each breath. "You!" she shouted, looking up at a man watching from his seat. "Give me your jacket and any other ones you can gather...now." she urged as he leapt up and began to gather peoples' proffered items of clothing. Handing them to Serena, she piled them on top of Aidan, determined to keep him as warm as she could. She watched as his eyes began to roll again and his breathing hitched slightly. "Come on Aidan, just hold on...help will be here soon." she promised, stroking his forehead. Hanssen noticed his skin becoming paler and paler as the blood loss became too great. Suddenly, there was a sharp banging from down the corridor on what he assumed was the train doors.
"Get the door open!" he shouted at the driver who immediately rushed over, unlocking them and helping the Paramedics up into the carriage.
"Oh thank God." Serena breathed as 4 Paramedics surrounded them, and she filled them in on everything they knew. "...the weapon which we believe caused the wound is still in there..." she said as Aidan suddenly stopped breathing again.
"Step back please." one of the Paramedics ordered as Hanssen reached for her shoulders, drawing her back towards him but not removing his grip on her arms. He was afraid that if he let her go, she'd sink to the floor from all the stress and exhaustion.
"He's in VF...Defib now." Serena, Hanssen and Edward stood and watched as Aidan's body was shocked to return the heartbeat to its' regular rhythm. After what seemed like a lifetime, the first Paramedic spoke again. "Okay, we've got a rhythm. Right, we need to get him out of here now." Turning back to the train driver, she stood up and went over to him. "You move this train now, or this man will die." The driver looked at her momentarily, before making his decision. Bidding a hasty retreat, it was mere minutes before the train began moving again after okaying the movement with the track master. Hanssen shifted, so his arms were around Serena's waist, as they watched the Paramedics struggling to keep Aidan breathing. It was 10 long minutes before they pulled into the station and they watched as Aidan's limp body was removed from the train and packed into the back of an ambulance. Stood rooted to the spot in shock, Serena raised her head and noticed two Police Officers board the train, looking around them.
"Is there a Mr. Hanssen and Ms. Campbell here?" the male officer asked as Hanssen and Serena nodded their heads.
"Would you please come with us and answer a few questions?" They nodded absently as Serena turned to see Edward looking just as shell-shocked as she did.
"He comes too." she nodded in his direction as the Officer glanced at him and nodded stiffly.
"Is he a doctor?" he asked as Serena nodded. "Right, well if you grab your belongings, we'll meet you on the platform." The three of them nodded as they returned to their seats, receiving words of praise from passengers as they went. Picking up her bag and coat, Serena turned to see Hanssen waiting for her by the door. As she approached him, he smiled gently and led her from the train and into the blinding sun.
