Chapter 9 - One Old Friend
Jesse sat slumped against the side of the ambulance enshrouded in a blanket.
He was bruise and bloodied. He had a cut on the right hand side of his forehead from where his head had violently struck the dashboard. The seatbelt he was wearing may have stopped him from going head first through the windshield, but it still was not as secure as it should have been. Mark had faired better as an air bag had been fitted in the driver's side of the car. He had also managed to take a tremendous bump to the back of the head, too, from being thrown about as the car crashed into the ditch. The majority of damage had been done by the smoke inhalation, and obviously Jesse's condition was worsened by the fact that he had been exposed to it for longer. This was the principle reason he had not yet been taken to hospital. The effort from the coughing induced by the fumes had exhausted him and he needed some time to have a break and get some good old-fashioned fresh air.
The gash on his forehead now had a pad taped to it to absorb the blood and that cut, combined with the blow that he received to the back of the head, was making his head throb vehemently.
The EMT with him was hardly maintaining professional standards. Despite being there squatting down next to Jesse, her mind was evidently with her gaze, which was looking longingly over her left shoulder where everyone had congregated in a small cluster. Her partner was asleep in the ambulance after pulling a double shift.
Mark had already been taken to the local hospital and Steve had followed on in the Escort with CJ and Dion, Jesse knew that. Suddenly something occurred to him.
"Can you, can you." Jesse was thrown into a violent choking fit.
"There, there. I don't think that it's a good idea for you to say anything." Though it was obvious that her mind was on all the hubbub behind her.
"Can you tell me where Amanda is?" Jess managed "Is she OK?" His throat now felt like it was burning and his chest felt taut and painful as another coughing spasm overwhelmed him, though the EMT seemed oblivious
* * * * *
Amanda had stayed behind to allow Steve to be with his father and so that she could make sure that someone was with Jesse, should he need them.
"I have nothing to say to you!" Amanda snapped as someone thrust a camera in her face. "Do you mind!" she said to the same camera operator who has failed to withdraw. A female newscaster stepped up to her with a microphone and proceeded with attempts to try and get the equipment in Amanda's face.
Amanda marched through the crowd towards the ambulance looking for Jesse. All she didn't have to look too hard, all she had to do was follow the explosion of coughs.
As Amanda approached, she saw the small figure of Jesse sitting there bent double, his small frame looking even smaller as he shook in an effort to control the coughing.
"My goodness Jesse. You look awful." She knelt down at his right hand side and rubbed his back gently and firmly to try and dispel the coughing. Gradually, the coughing began to subside.
"Amanda," he rasped, "are you OK?"
"I'm fine Jesse. Just a little bit singed at the edges."
By this time the news crew had grown bored of filming the dying smoke plumes that were coming from the car an switched their attention to the side of the ambulance.
"Amanda," Jesse started. "I think I have a concussion, a mild concussion."
"Oh Jesse, you're priceless!" Amanda laughed.
Amanda happened to glance behind her and saw the news crew once more.
"I thought I already told you, no one has any comment."
The woman with the microphone whom Amanda had encountered earlier, threw herself in front of the camera.
It may now be a good time for the reader to learn who this newscaster is. You may recognise her as Rebecca Lockwood, the intrepid caster who managed to get herself some exclusive coverage of the Malibu Fire.
"Make sure you get them in the background." She said indicating Amanda, Jesse and the EMT. "Hello, and here I am at the scene of an horrific car accident. You the viewer may be wondering what makes this smash such a special one, well you're favourite newscaster was able to find out that the victim, seen behind me, is none other than Michael J. Fox, and assistance is being proffered by the great Whitney Houston. They will be taken to nearby Renihan-Pierce hospital for treatment."
"What? Oh! It's you." Amanda said accusingly as she recognised Rebecca. "When will you learn that I am not Whitney Houston and no matter how much you flatter his ego in saying so, he is not, never has been and never will be Michael J. Fox."
Unusually for Jesse he just looked on in silence. No smart comments, witty one-liners, just a vacant expression. Amanda noticed this and returned her whole attention to her friend.
"Jesse you look so pail. Are you all right?" she now turned to the EMT, "Have you been monitoring him?"
The news crew perversely continued filming.
"What?"
"Have you been monitoring him? Why has he not been given oxygen for goodness sake?"
The EMT could only stammer something about fresh air being sufficient.
"Jesse, Jess, how are you feeling, honey?"
"Bad."
"Do you have a headache? Feel any nausea?" Jesse half-shrugged. "Jesse." Amanda called to get his attention. She placed her hand beneath his chin in attempt to hold his now swaying head, stationary. Amanda made him follow her finger from side to side to evaluate the function of the cranial nerves. Jesse's eyes followed, but his giddiness was apparent. "Jesse honey, you have to help me here. Your symptoms could be a result of any singular or combination of three conditions: concussion, shock or the inhalation of gasoline fumes."
"Amanda, would you mind if I just.?" Jesse simply grew limp and flopped towards his right hand side, where he was deftly caught be Amanda.
"You," Amanda said, pinpointing the EMT, "help me lay him down, then bring some more blankets and some oxygen out."
"And who do you think you are telling me what to do like that?"
"Doctor Amanda Bentley, and I'll be the person reporting you for professional negligence." The grumbling EMT decided that under the circumstances, the best thing for her to do would be comply, which to her credit she did, though she grumbled all the way.
"Jesse, can you hear me?" Jesse responded through slight and gradual movement.
"Amanda?" Jesse opened his eyes gradually. He was visibly disoriented, repeatedly blinking his eyes in attempts to decipher his surroundings.
"Lay still Jesse. We're just getting you some extra blankets, then we'll get you to the hospital."
"Hospital? I don't wanna go to hospital. I don't need to go to hospital."
"Jess, you've inhaled a lot of gasoline fumes, you already look like you're going into full-blown shock and you almost definitely have a concussion."
"I have a concussion? Hey! I have a concussion. I told you that I had a concussion, Amanda."
"Yes Jesse."
The EMT brought out a couple of spare blankets, the oxygen and a stretcher, and laid them down next to Amanda and Jesse's prostrate form. As Amanda wrapped Jesse up in the extra blankets and rigged him up to the portable oxygen tank, the EMT proceeded to the front of the ambulance to wake up her colleague in order for him to help move Jesse.
"Liam, Liam! Wake up. We gotta role!" Liam was about five foot eight with free-willed brown hair and small wire-rimmed spectacles. He was also in great need of a date with a razor! He hailed from South Carolina and had a strong accent, apparent when he responded to his colleague, revealing her name to be Laura.
"What'chu on Laura? Cain't you see ah got better things on ma mind?"
"Don't push it Liam. We got one already threatening to report us for occupational negligence."
"When will people get off," he drawled, as he dismounted form the ambulance, "anyways, it weren't me that was dealing with it now, was it?!"
"no. you were just asleep in the rig." Laura hissed, as Liam walked round to join her. "Which makes you doubly negligent, by my reckoning!" not a word was uttered in response and no further comments were exchanged until they reached Amanda and Jesse, who was now making every attempt to get up from his blanket cocoon, despite his disoriented and weakened state, along with Amanda's countless protestations. His success however, was so non- existent, she really need not have worried.
"Now will you calm yourself down, sir, so we can take y'all to hospital, ya hear?"
"I don't want to go to hospital." Jesse sulked. He had been betrayed by the irrationality of his emotions as a result of the concussion.
"Jesse please. Mark, Steve, CJ and Dion will be waiting." Amanda coaxed.
"But we have to get on, get to Susan. She may be in trouble." Jesse began to get agitate, leading to further convulsions and an increased throbbing in his head. This thus convinced him to gracefully concede, as the other three helped move him onto the stretcher and get him on board the rig.
Amanda inwardly sighed with relief, knowing how stubborn Jesse could be.
Jesse sat slumped against the side of the ambulance enshrouded in a blanket.
He was bruise and bloodied. He had a cut on the right hand side of his forehead from where his head had violently struck the dashboard. The seatbelt he was wearing may have stopped him from going head first through the windshield, but it still was not as secure as it should have been. Mark had faired better as an air bag had been fitted in the driver's side of the car. He had also managed to take a tremendous bump to the back of the head, too, from being thrown about as the car crashed into the ditch. The majority of damage had been done by the smoke inhalation, and obviously Jesse's condition was worsened by the fact that he had been exposed to it for longer. This was the principle reason he had not yet been taken to hospital. The effort from the coughing induced by the fumes had exhausted him and he needed some time to have a break and get some good old-fashioned fresh air.
The gash on his forehead now had a pad taped to it to absorb the blood and that cut, combined with the blow that he received to the back of the head, was making his head throb vehemently.
The EMT with him was hardly maintaining professional standards. Despite being there squatting down next to Jesse, her mind was evidently with her gaze, which was looking longingly over her left shoulder where everyone had congregated in a small cluster. Her partner was asleep in the ambulance after pulling a double shift.
Mark had already been taken to the local hospital and Steve had followed on in the Escort with CJ and Dion, Jesse knew that. Suddenly something occurred to him.
"Can you, can you." Jesse was thrown into a violent choking fit.
"There, there. I don't think that it's a good idea for you to say anything." Though it was obvious that her mind was on all the hubbub behind her.
"Can you tell me where Amanda is?" Jess managed "Is she OK?" His throat now felt like it was burning and his chest felt taut and painful as another coughing spasm overwhelmed him, though the EMT seemed oblivious
* * * * *
Amanda had stayed behind to allow Steve to be with his father and so that she could make sure that someone was with Jesse, should he need them.
"I have nothing to say to you!" Amanda snapped as someone thrust a camera in her face. "Do you mind!" she said to the same camera operator who has failed to withdraw. A female newscaster stepped up to her with a microphone and proceeded with attempts to try and get the equipment in Amanda's face.
Amanda marched through the crowd towards the ambulance looking for Jesse. All she didn't have to look too hard, all she had to do was follow the explosion of coughs.
As Amanda approached, she saw the small figure of Jesse sitting there bent double, his small frame looking even smaller as he shook in an effort to control the coughing.
"My goodness Jesse. You look awful." She knelt down at his right hand side and rubbed his back gently and firmly to try and dispel the coughing. Gradually, the coughing began to subside.
"Amanda," he rasped, "are you OK?"
"I'm fine Jesse. Just a little bit singed at the edges."
By this time the news crew had grown bored of filming the dying smoke plumes that were coming from the car an switched their attention to the side of the ambulance.
"Amanda," Jesse started. "I think I have a concussion, a mild concussion."
"Oh Jesse, you're priceless!" Amanda laughed.
Amanda happened to glance behind her and saw the news crew once more.
"I thought I already told you, no one has any comment."
The woman with the microphone whom Amanda had encountered earlier, threw herself in front of the camera.
It may now be a good time for the reader to learn who this newscaster is. You may recognise her as Rebecca Lockwood, the intrepid caster who managed to get herself some exclusive coverage of the Malibu Fire.
"Make sure you get them in the background." She said indicating Amanda, Jesse and the EMT. "Hello, and here I am at the scene of an horrific car accident. You the viewer may be wondering what makes this smash such a special one, well you're favourite newscaster was able to find out that the victim, seen behind me, is none other than Michael J. Fox, and assistance is being proffered by the great Whitney Houston. They will be taken to nearby Renihan-Pierce hospital for treatment."
"What? Oh! It's you." Amanda said accusingly as she recognised Rebecca. "When will you learn that I am not Whitney Houston and no matter how much you flatter his ego in saying so, he is not, never has been and never will be Michael J. Fox."
Unusually for Jesse he just looked on in silence. No smart comments, witty one-liners, just a vacant expression. Amanda noticed this and returned her whole attention to her friend.
"Jesse you look so pail. Are you all right?" she now turned to the EMT, "Have you been monitoring him?"
The news crew perversely continued filming.
"What?"
"Have you been monitoring him? Why has he not been given oxygen for goodness sake?"
The EMT could only stammer something about fresh air being sufficient.
"Jesse, Jess, how are you feeling, honey?"
"Bad."
"Do you have a headache? Feel any nausea?" Jesse half-shrugged. "Jesse." Amanda called to get his attention. She placed her hand beneath his chin in attempt to hold his now swaying head, stationary. Amanda made him follow her finger from side to side to evaluate the function of the cranial nerves. Jesse's eyes followed, but his giddiness was apparent. "Jesse honey, you have to help me here. Your symptoms could be a result of any singular or combination of three conditions: concussion, shock or the inhalation of gasoline fumes."
"Amanda, would you mind if I just.?" Jesse simply grew limp and flopped towards his right hand side, where he was deftly caught be Amanda.
"You," Amanda said, pinpointing the EMT, "help me lay him down, then bring some more blankets and some oxygen out."
"And who do you think you are telling me what to do like that?"
"Doctor Amanda Bentley, and I'll be the person reporting you for professional negligence." The grumbling EMT decided that under the circumstances, the best thing for her to do would be comply, which to her credit she did, though she grumbled all the way.
"Jesse, can you hear me?" Jesse responded through slight and gradual movement.
"Amanda?" Jesse opened his eyes gradually. He was visibly disoriented, repeatedly blinking his eyes in attempts to decipher his surroundings.
"Lay still Jesse. We're just getting you some extra blankets, then we'll get you to the hospital."
"Hospital? I don't wanna go to hospital. I don't need to go to hospital."
"Jess, you've inhaled a lot of gasoline fumes, you already look like you're going into full-blown shock and you almost definitely have a concussion."
"I have a concussion? Hey! I have a concussion. I told you that I had a concussion, Amanda."
"Yes Jesse."
The EMT brought out a couple of spare blankets, the oxygen and a stretcher, and laid them down next to Amanda and Jesse's prostrate form. As Amanda wrapped Jesse up in the extra blankets and rigged him up to the portable oxygen tank, the EMT proceeded to the front of the ambulance to wake up her colleague in order for him to help move Jesse.
"Liam, Liam! Wake up. We gotta role!" Liam was about five foot eight with free-willed brown hair and small wire-rimmed spectacles. He was also in great need of a date with a razor! He hailed from South Carolina and had a strong accent, apparent when he responded to his colleague, revealing her name to be Laura.
"What'chu on Laura? Cain't you see ah got better things on ma mind?"
"Don't push it Liam. We got one already threatening to report us for occupational negligence."
"When will people get off," he drawled, as he dismounted form the ambulance, "anyways, it weren't me that was dealing with it now, was it?!"
"no. you were just asleep in the rig." Laura hissed, as Liam walked round to join her. "Which makes you doubly negligent, by my reckoning!" not a word was uttered in response and no further comments were exchanged until they reached Amanda and Jesse, who was now making every attempt to get up from his blanket cocoon, despite his disoriented and weakened state, along with Amanda's countless protestations. His success however, was so non- existent, she really need not have worried.
"Now will you calm yourself down, sir, so we can take y'all to hospital, ya hear?"
"I don't want to go to hospital." Jesse sulked. He had been betrayed by the irrationality of his emotions as a result of the concussion.
"Jesse please. Mark, Steve, CJ and Dion will be waiting." Amanda coaxed.
"But we have to get on, get to Susan. She may be in trouble." Jesse began to get agitate, leading to further convulsions and an increased throbbing in his head. This thus convinced him to gracefully concede, as the other three helped move him onto the stretcher and get him on board the rig.
Amanda inwardly sighed with relief, knowing how stubborn Jesse could be.