"Hide and Seek"
Part 7
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Thank you everyone for your support and kind words of encouragement.
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The heart monitor's continued noise radiated into Benton's ears as he anxiously pressing his fingers against Carter's cool neck, examining for a pulse. The younger doctor was utterly unresponsive to all of Benton's actions and it was obvious that he had slipped into unconsciousness while they had been taking his vitals.
"I don't understand. He's got a pulse, albeit weak and thready, so why is the monitor reading asytole?" The surgeon demanded to the neighbouring paramedic, Mike.
The younger medic quickly assessed Carter and wandered his eyes over the doctor's body. Looking down to Carter's hand he noticed with relief that the pulse ox clip had slipped off Carter's finger with the recent jolt.
"It's okay." He explained to Benton. "The clip came off, that's all." He quickly reattached it to Carter's finger and watched the flat line on the monitor return to the familiar sight of a pulse.
The surgeon deeply exhaled in response and lowered his head, releasing the breath he had been holding.
"How's his BP?"
"Low. 100 over 70."
Benton grabbed the stethoscope from around the paramedic's neck in one fluid motion and pressed it to Carter's bruised chest, listening to his ragged breathing.
"His breathing is shallow on the right." Benton explained to no one in particular. He pressed his hands gently on the right hand side of his friend's chest and swallowed hard looking at the vividly coloured bruises that were now starting to appear. They hadn't been as obvious to him when he had examined his friend's chest earlier next to the lake.
"I think he has some broken ribs as well. One of them might have punctured his lung. That's why his breathing is so laboured."
"Don't worry. We will be at County shortly and they will take good care of him." Mike assured him.
Benton just glared at the paramedic for a moment then closed his eyes tiredly and pulled his long coat a little tighter. The icy temperature had also affected him and he was trying hard to keep his shivering at bay. He leant slowly back and quietly listened to the rain as it hammered at the roof of the ambulance in a continuous torrent. Benton also heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance and wondered tiredly if the bad weather was ever going to give up.
Wrapping his arms around his chilled body he briefly opened his eyes to take another worried glance at Carter. After observing that his friend was still stable and being taken care of well by Mike he wearily closed them again, hoping he was mistaken about his diagnosis of his former student. From the deep colouring of his bruises it looked liked his chest had taken a serious battering. Benton prayed that his friend was not suffering from internal bleeding.
"What the hell………!!!"
A panicked cry from the front of the ambulance forced Bentons eyes open in surprise.
"What's the problem Steve?" Mike asked his colleague with fearful bewilderment.
"This maniac with the Porsche is back. He keeps swerving in front of us. What the hell is he playing at?" The paramedic driving grappled with the steering wheel as the ambulance skidded slightly to the right. He chewed his lip in concentration as he tried to avoid the car in front, keep in his lane, and make sure that they were not jolted around to much. After a moment's pause he was able to return the vehicle to the middle of the lane again.
Benton tried to lean forward and crane his neck to get a look out of the windscreen but the ambulance braked suddenly forcing him back into his seat.
"Damn! What's his problem! It's almost like he's trying to run us off the road!"
The awful truth suddenly hit Benton hard and his stomach lurched in response. The surgeon grimly realised just where exactly Carter's captor had vanished to when he had escaped from the submerged van. He must have car jacked a passing car somehow and caught up with the ambulance.
Benton quickly grabbed the door separating the ambulance compartments and turned slightly to face the driver. He could see the man struggling with the wheel and knew this bad weather was not helping him.
"We have to radio the hospital or your base and let them know the situation. The Police need to be here now!" The surgeon's tone conveyed the seriousness of the situation and the paramedic nodded wide eyed to let him know he understood.
Benton carefully watched as the driver grabbed the radio and relayed their position and asked for assistance immediately.
Through the rain battered windows Benton searched frantically for any sign of the Porsche. Even on the highest setting the windscreen wipers were practically useless against the assault of the rain. It lashed at the glass with a ferocious force, and Benton could feel the ambulance skid slightly with the slickness of the road.
He leaned forward over the passenger seat and rubbed the sleeve of his coat against the mist forming on the passenger window. Peering through the hole he had made Benton tried to use the side mirror to see if the they were being tailed but it was pointless as all he could see was darkness.
Scowling Benton returned his gaze to the driver. "Did you see where the car went?"
"Are you kidding me! I'm having a hard enough time trying to see the road in front of me."
"Dr Benton." The surgeon quickly turned his attention back towards the other paramedic and locked him in a stony gaze.
"What?!" The tension in the ambulance was palpable and the surgeon struggled to remain calm. Hope was alternating with panic inside of him and he was having a hard time keeping his cool. He had no idea what the maniac in the car had planned but whatever it was Benton knew it could not be good. It was obvious he felt ill will towards Carter and for what reason he had no idea. He just had to keep his head and try and get Carter to hospital as quick as he could for his friend's sake.
Benton paused for a moment then repeated his question with a lot more composure.
"What?"
The medic gestured to Carter as he quickly updated the elder doctor on his friend's deteriorating condition.
"He's getting worse. He has depressed vital signs – his BPs falling as are his resps."
Benton hastily turned to his right to view the heart monitor and wordlessly took in Carter's vitals. His eyes raced back towards the paramedic and they bespoke of the horror of the situation.
"Damn it. He's going into v-fib. Bag him now!"
As Benton raced to start chest compressions he heard the screeching of rubber on tarmac and the sickening thud as Smith finally succeeded and the ambulance was forced off the road.
