Chapter 37

"Andrew?" Josh said, as he saw him hutched over an unconscious Kate lying on the floor, face up, holding a tea towel to her head.

"Josh?" Andrew replied, shocked as he looked up at him.

"What happened? Is that Duffy's Mum?" Josh asked, as he bent down and started to examine Kate.

"Um, yeah, Kate, um, her name is Kate. Her GCS is 9, she's mumbling and incoherent, breathing on her own, um, she was unconscious for 5 minutes. Pulse was 90, now a steady 70. She has a cut to her forehead, I've stemmed the bleeding, but she'll need stiches. Um, it was, um, just, um, an accident. An accident Josh." He said, as he looked up at him in shock.

"She's going to be ok isn't she?" Peter asked Josh, as he stood behind her, looking down at her then at Josh.

"Well have a look, yeah, see how she is. Kate, Kate, can you hear me Kate? " Josh asked, as he tried to shake her shoulders to gauge a reaction from Kate, as he took over from Andrew and held the tea towel to her head.

Kate slowly began to come round, her eyelids flickered slightly, and she tried turning her head, and winced with the pain. She then opened her eyes and saw Andrew above her, she froze in shock, and then turned to look at Josh. She then grasped Josh's arm tightly, as her breathing increased dramatically.

"It's ok, it's alright Kate, I'm Josh, I'm a paramedic. You've had an accident. You're going to be ok, just stay nice and still for me." Josh said, as he tried to reassure her.

Kate looked at Josh, and then at Andrew, she shook her head.

"It's ok, you'll be ok. I need to examine you Kate, do you understand? Have you got any pain? Can you tell me where?" Josh asked, as he began his assessment of her, starting at her head wound.

"Can you pass me a pressure dressing?" Josh asked his paramedic colleague.

"Thanks." Josh said, as he began to removed the tea towel, and applied the bandage.

"Have you got any other pain?" Josh asked, as he began to check her neck, and shoulders.

"Your neck?"

Kate managed to speak.

"Yeah."

"Ok, ok, we'll get a brace on for you, keep you nice and comfortable." Josh nodded to his colleague, as they left to go to the ambulance to retrieve one.

"Just keep nice and still for me Kate." Josh said again, as he put his hand on her shoulder to acknowledge to her not to move.

"Any other pain Kate?" Josh asked.

"My back." Kate said, hoarsely.

"Can you wiggle your feet for me? Good, that's good. Can you tell me what happened?" Josh asked, as he turned to see her feet move up and down.

"Andrew." Kate said, but couldn't look at him.

"Andrew, he's right here Kate. Want to see him?" Josh asked, as he moved slightly so she could see him.

"No, it was Andrew." Kate said, as she froze as she looked up at him.

"Andrew did this?" Josh said, as he looked at her in horror, he then turned to Andrew and scowled at him.

"It was an accident, I just opened the door, and she, she just fell." Andrew tried to explain, as he put his hand to his forehead in shock.

"No, no... the door...he...pushed it...onto me... I fell." Kate said, as she looked at Josh, her voice slowly breaking.

"Andrew?" Josh asked, as he turned to look at him.

"It was an accident. I swear." Andrew said, at Josh.

"He did, it was Dad, he did this to Gran. He hurt Uncle Charlie too." Peter said, as he stood next to Kate, and looked at Josh.

Josh looked at Peter, frowned and then turned to look at Andrew, and exclaimed, "What?"

"That was totally different. For goodness sake Peter!" Andrew said, as he angrily snapped at his son.

"He bust Uncle Charlie's nose." Peter added.

"He did what?" Josh exclaimed again, as he scowled again at Andrew.

"He deserved it." Andrew said, as he then scowled at Josh.

"Excuse me?" Josh asked, his brows furrowed.

"He's been screwing my wife!".

"What?!" Josh replied, and looked horrified, but then swallowed hard.

Noticing this, Andrew exclaimed, "I might have known. You knew, you knew all along didn't you?" Andrew stood up and began pointing his finger at Josh.

"Andrew, come on mate." Josh replied, holding up his gloved hands in defeat at him, as Andrew pressed his finger into Josh's chest, forcing Josh to take a step back.

"You knew, you knew!" Andrew said, as he raised his voice.

"It's got nothing to do with me mate." Josh answered, and stepped back from him.

Andrew sighed, and dropped his hand, then ran his hand round the back of his neck.

"Can we focus on her? She needs to go to the E.D." Josh said, as he pointed at Kate.

Andrew looked down at Kate, then at Josh, and nodded.

"Right, we'll get you onto trolley and in the ambulance Kate. Alright?" Josh said as he bent down at told her.

Kate simply nodded, then winced with the pain.

-o-

"No, no, we'll take her from here Andrew." Josh said, as he pushed him back from the ambulance.

"But, the boys, no, don't let him near those boys." Kate said, as she tried to get up from the trolley.

"It's alright Kate, they can come with us. Peter, Jake, come on up here, sit with your Gran." Josh said, as he gestured to the boys, who willingly got into the van.

"Josh, come on, they are my boys." Andrew said, as he began to raise his voice at him.

"They'll be safe with us, go and calm down a bit." Josh said, as he looked at Andrew and scowled at him.

"Come on. You can't do this Josh." Andrew said, as he pulled Josh back by the arm, as he began to close the door to the ambulance.

"If you want to see them, they'll be at the hospital. With Kate." Josh said, as he withdrew his arm from Andrew's grasp.

-x-