Hide and Seek Part 8
Disclaimer: ER and all it's characters belong to NBC etc and no infringement of their copyright is intended
Except for the continuous torrent of rain falling all was silent in the dimly lit area where the ambulance lay still. After spinning almost an entire circle around it had finally come to a heart wrenching stop at the side of the empty highway. There were deep gashes in the mud where tyres had skidded, trying desperately to grip onto anything in their path.
A lone figure quietly approached the vehicle, treading carefully so not to slip and lose his advantage. He crept up to the driver's door and paused for a moment placing his hand on the cool slick metal of the ambulance. The man cocked his head to the right slightly and strained his ears in an attempt to discover if anything moved from within
the vehicle.
Satisfied at the quietness he stepped closer to the driver's door and peered through the misty window. A broad smile crept upon his features as he took in the sight of the driver slumped over the steering wheel. Not an ounce of sympathy was evident in his dark orbs and his gaze wandered to the rear of the ambulance without another thought to the driver.
The figure made his way slowly round to the back of the vehicle, taking small steps due to the slippiness of the ground below his feet. A sudden crack of lightening illuminated the grass in front of him and he side stepped a large puddle that had remained unnoticed until the flash.
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Inside the vehicle all was not as quiet as Smith had assumed as Benton slowly roused from unconsciousness. With a slightly blurred vision the surgeon wearily looked up into the concerned face of Mike and it took him a moment to realise that the paramedic was urgently slapping his face.
"I'm awake okay, I'm awake. You can quit hitting me now." The surgeon grumbled, shaking his head. He rubbed at tired eyes trying to dispel the disorientation.
"Thank God. How do you feel? Any dizziness, nausea? Can you focus on my finger and follow it?" The younger man quizzed, holding his index finger up in front of Benton's face.
"I'm fine. How's Carter doing?" Benton asked, shoving Mike's hand away from his face and hastily struggling up. He pushed Mike out of his way and gazed down concerned at his friend. The last thing he remembered was frantically performing chest compressions on Carter then slamming his head on the side of the gurney due to the momentum of the ambulance. After that everything was blank.
"He's ok for now. I got his rhythm back but his vitals are still low."
"How's the driver?"
"It's hard to tell. He's unconscious but he has a steady pulse. Unfortunately the radio was damaged in the crash so I couldn't get in touch with anyone. If you want to stay with your friend I can get up front and take over the driving. We really need to get out of here."
"Yeah sure, lets get going."
Mike made a move towards the front compartment then stopped suddenly, fear spreading over his pale face. Benton didn't like the way he was staring terrified at the driver's window.
"What wrong?"
"Shh. There's someone approaching us. He looks like a security guard or a cop but I get the distinct feeling he's not coming to help." He whispered.
Both men froze like statues, holding onto to their breath tightly. Neither one moved or spoke as Mike stared transfixed at the dark image through the window. Benton nervously watched the paramedic for any clue as to what was happening whilst also trying to stop the pounding in his chest. It could be a policeman coming to help for all he knew but the surgeon had a gut instinct that wasn't the case. He had a sneaking suspicion that the person outside hadn't come to help them. Benton kept a close eye on Mike and after few heart pounding moments the paramedic released his breath.
"I think he's going round the back." Mike whispered wide eyed.
Benton nodded in response and slid out of the seat quietly and made his way slowly to the back of the door.
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Charles Smith finally arrived at the back door and reached his grasping hand out to grab the wet door handle. He was sure the doctor was in the back of the ambulance and his patience was running very thin. He was desperate for the truth about his mother and it seemed fate kept intervening in him getting it.
However at the exact moment that Smith opened the door, Benton lunged his foot out, and with all his remaining strength slammed his foot into the door. The force caused the door to swing out with a ferocious momentum and slam into the figure outside, sending him flying backwards onto the wet grass. Smith landed hard in a heap on the ground, motionless.
Observing that the man was out cold Benton turned and yelled at Mike to start the ambulance and the paramedic, after carefully moving the driver to the passenger seat, frantically did so, pushing hard down the accelerator. But it was a futile effort as the mud refused to release them and all the tyres could do was spin uselessly in their fixed spot.
"It's not use! We're stuck fast!" Benton screamed at the paramedic. "Try harder!"
The paramedic gave a laugh that held very little humour. "If I try any harder my foot will go through the floor! Get out and try pushing."
"Ok." Benton glanced back worried at his friend then lowered his voice. "Don't worry Carter, I'll be right back ok? I'm not leaving you. I'll have you at that hospital in no time."
With that the surgeon raced outside and positioned his shoulder against the wet metal.
"Go!"
As Benton used all his strength to try and dislodge the ambulance he could hear the engine straining to break free, but there just wasn't enough grip to get them loose.
The surgeon banged his fist against the side of the vehicle in anger before returning inside the vehicle, dripping wet.
Checking on his friend again, he saw that Carter's vitals remained the same. He tucked the blanket a little tighter around his friend's cool body before heading up front to speak with Mike.
"It's no use, there just isn't enough grip to get us free." The paramedic said despondently, switching off the engine.
Glancing downwards inspiration suddenly hit Benton hard and he cursed himself for being so mentally slow. He quickly bent down to the floor and peered underneath the dashboard then around the seats, shifting fallen items out of the way in his hunt.
"What are you looking for?" Mike asked confused.
"Do you have foot mats in ambulances?"
"No, why?"
"Damn it. They would be perfect for helping the tyres grip."
Benton heaved himself up and leaned sombrely against the passenger seat. He glanced out the windscreen into the night trying to come up with a plan, any plan, to get them out of there. He had to get Carter to County fast before his vitals dropped again. His eyes slowly wandered for anything that could help them and came to rest on the outline of a car parked on the edge of the highway.
Without saying a word the surgeon raced out of the ambulance and scrambled towards the smaller vehicle, praying that it would have what they so desperately needed. He knew full well that there was not enough room for them all to fit in the Porsche but it was bound to have foot mats. If the worst came to the worst they could always use the second vehicle to try and pull the ambulance free. What mattered was there were now more options.
Upon opening the car door relief flooded through Benton's body, as his assumption was proven correct and his hands grabbed the mats. Racing back to the ambulance he made sure that Smith was still lying motionless on the ground before placing the mats in front of the ambulance's wheels. He then returned to Mike and told him to start the engine again. The paramedic complied and after a few moments the ambulance began to slowly make its way back to the highway.
"It's working!" The paramedic yelled in delight.
Benton returned the smile and jumped back into the vehicle and closed the back doors behind him. He returned to his friend's side and sunk into the neighbouring chair with a deep sigh, praying that they would make it to County shortly.
As the vehicle resumed it's urgent course on the highway, lightening once again illuminated the terrain where the ambulance had stood. If the passengers of the ambulance had glanced back they would have seen in this bright flash of light the outline of a figure climbing into the Porsche.
