"Follow them!" shouted Brass at the slightly dumbfounded officer that stood staring at what was happening. Brass had seen it all too well: he saw as the car had crashed into the ladder Sara was on, sending her flying and landing with a thud on her back. He was now torn between catching the people who did this, and helping his friends.
"Ow!" Cath pulled herself out of the bush she had thrown herself into a moment ago, brushing leaves from her hair.
"Sara?" she shot up with little grace and ran with Brass the couple of feet to where Sara was laying on the ground.
"Are you ok! Brass, call an ambulance!"
"Don't," replied Sara, moaning slightly as she did. "I'm ok, just winded," she said, attempting to sit up but wincing as she put pressure on her left arm.
"That might be broken, we need to get you checked out," said Brass, helping Sara sit up. She wrapped her right arm around her left side, which was throbbing. As she sat up for a moment, she thought she was going to be sick, and faltered.
"Sara?"
"I'm ok, just felt a bit sick, that's all."
"Did you hit your head? You might have a concussion!" Cath turned into a panicked mother, feeling Sara's head for bumps or cuts.
"I'm ok mom!" said Sara, hitting her with her right arm.
"I'm concerned, and Nick's going to be even more when he finds out," added Cath, helping Sara to her feet.
"I'm going to have bruises tomorrow," said Sara as Brass supported her to the car.
"Well at least you'll have something to show for it!" smiled Brass, getting in the driver's seat of the Tahoe while Cath got in the back with Sara.
"Cath, I can sit by myself," said Sara
"You might pass out, or stop breathing!"
"Thanks Cath, that cheered me up."
"Always look on the bright side of life!" sang Brass as they set off.
"I've only hurt my arm."
"And your side, you might have a broken rib causing internal bleeding," said Cath, getting looks from both people in the car. "Ok, so Lindsey's been making me watch ER with her!"
"Cath, I'm pleased you're concerned, but you know, I don't think it's even broken," said Sara, flexing her wrist slightly and wincing at the pain.
"Well it's turning a nice shade of red and blue," said Cath looking at the wrist Sara was gingerly holding on her lap.
"Um…" Sara nodded and made a noise she hoped Cath would take as a reply as her stomach decided now would be a good time to rebel. She closed her eyes willing the growing nausea to go away. If she told them she felt sick Cath would panic, and if she told them she had felt sick before too, they would panic even more.
"You doing ok back there?" asked Brass.
"Sara? You're pale," asked Cath, gently knocking Sara's shoulder. Sara nodded, not turning her head or opening her mouth for fear she'd vomit over the back seat.
"Sara answer me, you're worrying me!" said Cath, her eyes full of concern.
"Bumps" said Sara holding her side as the car jolted.
"Brass, could you try and drive more carefully?"
"Carefully?" asked Brass, mocking Cath.
"She might have injuries we don't know about and you're bouncing the car all over the road!"
"Sorry," muttered Brass, slowing down a bit to make the ride smoother.
"Better?"
Sara nodded in response; feeling slightly less sick than she had a minute ago, but still had one arm wrapped around her stomach in an attempt to settle it. As Brass hit a hole in the road Sara didn't think she'd be able to hold the contents of her stomach any longer. She snapped her head to the opposite side of Cath shoving one hand to her mouth and making an array of gagging sounds.
"Sara damn, are you sure you didn't hit your head?" asked Cath, rubbing Sara's back as she managed somehow to keep her dinner down and sit back.
"I'm ok, I didn't hit my head, it's probably a bit left over from the bug I had," said Sara, trying to reassure Catherine who had gone back to poking Sara's head, checking for lumps. Not having the energy to stop her, Sara sat back and closed her eyes.
"Don't go to sleep!" Cath shouted as Sara waved an arm at her to show she was awake. "Nick, he'll worry," muttered Sara.
"I'll phone him," said Cath, giving up her search for other injuries and whipping her phone out as Brass pulled into the hospital car park.
"Nick pick up your damn phone!" shouted Cath as she got out of the car, placing one hand on Sara to prevent her getting out until Brass was there to help.
"Do you want me to get a wheelchair?" asked Brass, helping Sara out but getting such a death glare he decided against it.
"Nick, it's Cath. I don't want you to worry but we're at the hospital with Sara. It's nothing serious, maybe a broken wrist, ok? So don't crash driving here like a maniac," said Cath flipping the phone shut. "Voicemail."
"Your telling him not to panic you had me on Doc's slab, death due to internal bleeding," mocked Sara as she made her way slowly inside, trying not to set off the pain in her arm or side
"Cath why don't you take Sara to sit down?" said Brass once they were in the reception area. Sara knew why he wanted her away, she saw him flash his badge at the women on the desk and within seconds a nurse was escorting her through to a curtained area.
"Hello," a man walked through with Brass and pulled the curtain shut around the bed Sara had been forced to sit upon.
"So from what I hear you fell from quite a height," smiled the man, looking all too cheery.
"Not that high" replied Sara, wincing as he placed a hand on her side, invading her personal space a bit too much for her liking.
"Did you hit your head?"
"No. Well--"
"—Maybe," said Cath and Sara at the same time.
"We're not sure, but she felt sick afterwards," said Cath, getting a death glare from Sara.
"I had a flu bug, it's just from that," said Sara, glaring at Cath who was patting her hand in a patronising way.
"You didn't lose consciousness?"
"No."
"Well I don't think there's any need for a scan, you're probably just a bit shook up," he smiled, making Sara more at ease.
"May I see?" asked the doctor holding his hand out and taking Sara's wrist that had swollen up and turned very red and blue. As he did the nurse placed a blood pressure cuff around Sara's arm.
"Look, it's just my arm and side," insisted Sara, not liking everyone prodding at her.
"Well we'll get a X-ray of that but I think you may have broken something. Would you lift your top for me?" he asked, ignoring Sara's comment.
"BP's normal," said the nurse removing the cuff from Sara's arm. As Sara pulled her top up there was a large red patch but no bruise on her side. The doctor pressed gently at it.
"Well I don't think you've broken any ribs, but we'll get a chest x-ray to be sure Rebecca," he said, smiling at the nurse before leaving.
"Right we'll get you up to X-ray, just a few question's first. Are you allergic to any drugs?"
"Penicillin," replied Sara.
"Any medical conditions we should know about?"
"No."
"Any chance you could be pregnant?"
"No."
Sara froze. She'd replied on autopilot, but something made her stop and think. She mentally began calculating in her head. She wasn't exactly regular so it was hard to keep track.
"Oh." Sara's mouth hung open as she said it. Cath looked at Sara knowing exactly what that "oh" meant. She'd done the same when she found out about Lindsey.
TBC …….