I wonder… Without the use of the torch Steve made his way through the dark, his eyes now sufficiently accustomed to the lack of light to allow him to walk without crashing into anything.

If the thought which had just occurred to him panned out then their problems might just be solved. A funny tingling sensation started to bubble through his stomach; a feeling of anticipation and excitement that he dared not share with anyone for fear of letting them down if things did not work out.

Please he thought, please let the radio be working.

The thought had come to him only minutes before. It had been lost in the images of Jesse and the blood; remnants of the nightmare.

The radio.

It was so simple. Steve couldn't understand why it hadn't occurred to him before, he did, after all, use it almost every day to call in emergencies. I'll go out to the car and radio for help. Jesse will be fine. It all sounded so easy yet he knew that the storm which was interfering with the phone reception may well be disturbing the radio signals as well. But still he hoped. He had to hope.

Steve wrenched open the front door and quietly made his way outside. He didn't want anyone to question him as to what he was doing so maintained as much quietness as he could and only switched on the torch when the door had been firmly closed behind him. In his haste he ignored the slippery wood and suddenly found his footing fail him. He tumbled forwards and threw his arms out to break his fall, the torch flying from his grasp. His left wrist emitted a sickening crack as it impacted with the puddle ridden floor. A wave of pain spread through his wrist, sending tendrils of electric-like agony radiating up through his fingers and shooting down through his elbow. He immediately shifted his weight onto the uninjured arm, the action of which threw him off balance even more and he found himself falling heavily onto his right side. His head cracked painfully onto the muddy ground and he was left lying in an unceremonious heap at the bottom of the steps.

Steve lay for a moment, unmoving. His wrist throbbed painfully and his head ached at the point of impact. Using only his right hand he pushed himself up into a sitting position and rested back against the bottom step. Rain pounded down onto his unshielded body but it was pointless to try and seek shelter, he was already soaked to the skin, great streaks of mud dirtying his wet clothes. The action of moving sent a wave of dizziness washing through his head and he raised a hand gingerly to the spot which seemed to be the epicentre of the pain. Prodding it gently he found a small hard lump protruding from his forehead and he groaned inwardly. This was all he needed. Being careful to protect his damaged wrist Steve got first onto his knees, then his feet. His clothing was absolutely saturated and clung heavily to his skin. Cursing himself silently Steve faltered, looking back up the steps to the house then into the darkness in the general direction of his parked car. He felt like a greatly enlarged heart was pulsing heavily in his wrist and he wondered fleetingly if he should go back up to the house and strap it up. The idea was dismissed almost as soon as it had entered his head however, the urge to investigate the radio was too strong to ignore or delay any further. Stepping carefully towards the narrow beam of light being emitted from the fallen torch Steve stooped down and swept it up. Aiming the light in the vague direction of his car Steve carefully made his way through the darkness. After fiddling awkwardly with his keys and trying to juggle the torch with only one hand Steve managed to open the car door.

Sitting in the car it was with some relief the he was able to shelter from the rain. Resting the torch onto the dashboard of the car Steve wiped a hand over his eyes, managing only to spread the water rather than clear it from his face. Blinking a few times he sought out his radio, and somewhat clumsily with his left hand he flicked it on.

Waiting with baited breath he listened for the usual buzz of static. Nothing. But for the rain beating down onto the car and the rumble of thunder creaking through the sky. Steve's breath caught in his throat with disappointment and reached out his hand to the radio to change the frequency band. Before he could touch the dial the radio crackle into life.

Steve felt like cold water had trickled down his back as his senses came to life, he grabbed the radio handset.

"This is Lieutenant Steve Sloan, do you receive me?"

"This is dispatch, we are receiving you."

Steve froze. All knowledge of proper protocol evaporated form his mind and he stumbled over his next words in his haste to get the help Jesse desperately needed.

"Uh, I need… I mean" Steve paused and took a deep breath and started again, "Urgent request for an ambulance. We have one casualty – male; he's sustained a serious knife wound to the stomach, please respond…?"

"We copy you, please confirm your location and we will dispatch paramedics to you."

Steve shakily answered the question, confirming the address and awaiting a response.

"We have alerted the paramedics to your situation and location, however they will be unable to reach your exact position due to flooding on Route 17. In order for the ambulance to reach you, you will have to go to a halfway point. Due you copy?"

Steve stopped. The flooding on the road had slipped his mind and presented another problem to the dozens which already filled his thoughts. The earlier lapse in professionalism behind him Steve ploughed ahead with the necessary questions he knew he should ask, ascertaining the exact position

of the flooding and the closest point to which he could take Jesse where the paramedics would meet them.

It was with a shaking hand that Steve laid down the radio receiver. He was breathing harder than when he went for his usual morning jog, and a strange sense of calm had washed over him as it dawned on him that he had done it. He had called for help. Jesse's going to be ok…

Steve pushed open the car door and stood abruptly, a fresh surge of dizziness prickling through his head, but he ignored it. A ripple of excitement was churning in his stomach; a kind of giddy happiness that he hadn't known since he had been a young boy on Christmas day. His eyes felt hot and every fibre of his being agitated as the thought flushed through his mind. Jesse's going to be ok…!

Careful to mind the swampy puddles of mud he pointed his torch towards the house. He fought hard to resist the urge to run, images of Amanda's and his father's faces when he told them the news flashing through his mind. His wrist still throbbed painfully however, and he didn't want to run the risk of falling again. Holding his wrist protectively in to his chest he made his way up the steps to the darkened house, a tingle of anticipation crawling up and down his spine.

"Dad!" he called, unable to hold off the impulse to blurt out his news any longer.

"Dad!" he called again, rounding the corner to the living room. His next words failed to make it from his lips however as he took in the scene before him.

Jesse lay on the floor, deathly still as his father and Amanda knelt over him. Mark's fingers were intertwined, his elbows locked as his arms pressed up and down rhythmically onto Jesse's chest. Jesse's head was in Amanda's hands, one palm resting on his upturned chin, the other squeezing gently on his nose as she sealed her lips around his mouth, exhaling deeply into his lungs. A steady stream of tears cascaded down her face, falling onto Jesse's cheeks. The small pearls of water shimmered in the candlelight as they trickled across his pallid skin leaving a trail of dampness. Steve thought for a moment that Jesse was crying. But he wasn't crying. He wasn't breathing. The realisation seemed to suck all the air from Steve's lungs until he too felt like he could no longer breathe. He stepped backwards, trying to distance himself from what was happening. He searched his surroundings with his eyes, looking desperately for something, anything, which might end the nightmare that he and everyone he cared about seemed to be trapped in. But there was nothing to find, nothing to stop his best friend from dying. Steve fell back against the wall, his shoulders slouched. He desperately wanted to run away, to leave everything behind, to be on his own. He felt as though he would suffocate, his blood pounded through his veins and the sound of his father counting out the compressions which were forcing Jesse's heart to beat rang in his ears. Steve squeezed his eyes closed to block out his surroundings. He was in his home, a place he should feel safe and protected, and yet he felt he was drowning in a sea of despair, his nightmarish dream becoming reality.

Hi everyone, sorry for the delay on uploading this chapter – server hasn't been able to load the site since Thursday (????). Anyway, thanks for reading – I hope you enjoyed this instalment.

Sarah J