It was a warm summers day and both Cal and Ethan were on holiday. Cal had just started year 4 whilst Ethan was beginning year 2. Their mother was getting fed up of them being stuck in the house moaning that they were bored so she decided to take them to the park. Despite the three year age difference a 8 year old Cal, was determined to have fun.
As their mother walked them towards the play area, Cal took Ethan's hand, 'I'll race you, ready, on your marks, get set, go!' Cal shouted racing off ahead of his brother. Ethan tried to keep up but was no match for his older brother. Cal was close to the gates and saw Ethan struggling to catch up and ran back. He lifted his brother onto his back, and piggy backed him to the gate. 'There we both win!' Cal declared.
'Okay boys, you can play for half an hour then we need to get back for lunch, you dad will be back soon as well' Matilda Hardy told the boys before leaving them to play. She sat down on a bench near by the gate with a reading book. She was so busy reading her new book that she hadn't even noticed the boys leaving the enclosed play area and heading towards the forest.
'Come on Ethan, let's play like all of the big boys do, I tell you what, we could climb up to those top branches and sit there and we would probably see the entire world from up there. Do you think we can do that?' Cal asked.
Ethan as usual did anything his brother suggested as he was easily swayed and nodded his head. Cal helped him start off before climbing to the other side of the tree. He began hauling himself higher and higher up the tree. Ethan eventually climbed down because he didn't seem to be able to climb. All of a sudden there was a loud crunching sound, followed by a deafening scream and then silence.
'C-Cal?' Ethan stammered running to Cal's side. Cal didn't move. Ethan remembered their father telling them something about never moving a person when they have been hurt. Ethan wasn't sure what to do so he ran back to his mum. By the time he got to the play area he was out of breath.
'Oh my Ethan what's wrong?' Matilda asked noticing Ethan's pale face and his shallow breathing. 'Here take a puff on your inhaler' she told him handing him the puffer. Ethan tried to steady his shaking hands and took a quick puff. 'Where's Cal?' She asked him.
Ethan pointed towards the trees. He couldn't speak because his dreaded stutter combined with his breathing struggles would make it hard to understand what he was trying to say. 'C-c-come w-w-with m-m-me' he stuttered taking her by the hand to where Cal was sprawled on the ground.
'What happened?' She asked worriedly.
'F-f-fell, s-sorry' Ethan whispered his eyes brimming with tears.
'It's alright love, I'm just going to ring for an ambulance, try and talk to him and see if he wakes up' Matilda instructed. She rushed to a nearby phone box and dialled for an ambulance leaving Ethan and Cal together.
'E-Eth?' Cal stammered, his eyes fluttering open.
'D-d-don't move' Ethan instructed.
'Hurts' Cal groaned.
'W-what h-happened?' Ethan asked.
'Slipped, it was wet. Sorry' Cal whispered his eyes beginning to shut.
'No!' Ethan yelled punching Cal's arm. Cal's eyes shot open, fluttering slightly trying to adjust to the bright sun glaring in them. 'S-s-stay a-awake p-please!' Ethan pleaded.
Their mother returned a few moments later crouching beside Cal. 'Oh sweetheart, are you alright?' She asked.
'Really hurts' Cal sobbed. Ethan was holding Cal's head still just as their father had told them.
'Don't cry love, an ambulance is on its way and we're here' Matilda whispered holding Cal's hand tightly.
'I-I'll look a-after y-you' Ethan assured him.
'Paramedics!' A voice shouted out as a young man and woman clad in high visibility jackets carry large rucksacks jogged over.
'Hello young man, I'm Tom and this is Rachel, we're going to help you. Can you tell me your name?' The young man asked, setting his back down and kneeling beside Cal.
'I'm Caleb but everyone calls me Cal' Caleb whispered through his tears.
'Don't cry mate, everything is going to be alright, now can you tell me how old you are?' Tom asked him.
'Five' Cal said.
'Wow, you are so brave. Listen I need you to stay nice and still and don't worry, we're going to help you' Rachel assured him.
'Okay Cal, what I am going to do is put a small brace around your neck, then I'm going to put a small clip which looks like a clothes peg on your finger, it will check your pulse so we can make sure that you are okay' Tom told the frightened young boy. He began carefully putting the brace around his neck and attaching the monitors.
'Alright Cal, can you tell me where it hurts?' Rachel asked.
'Back, leg, head, shoulder' Cal whispered grimacing in pain.
'Alright buddy, just stay nice and still, I'm going to take a quick look at your leg and shoulder then I'll get you some medicine to make you feel better' Tom reassured him.
Tom gently examined Cal's leg, before placing it carefully into a fracture pack and then examined Cal's shoulder and put it into a sling.
'Right, we're going to put you on a spinal board, which is just a flat yellow piece of plastic which will help your back, then we're going to get you in the ambulance and take you to the hospital, if you are lucky Rachel might even let you listen to the radio' Tom winked.
They put Cal on the board and loaded him into the ambulance with his mother and Ethan. Cal was getting a bit scared by this point and was holding tightly to Ethan.
'Okay Cal, I'm going to give you some medicine now to try and make you feel a bit better, this might feel a bit uncomfortable but I promise it won't be for long' Tom explained as he began preparing to insert a cannula. He tied a tourniquet around Cal's upper arm and pulled it tight. He then tapped at Cal's arm to find a vein before cleaning his arm. 'I want you to squeeze your eyes shut as tight as you can for twenty seconds, don't open them' Tom instructed. As Cal shut his eyes Tom began inserting the needle. Tears dribbled down Cal's cheeks as he struggled to keep his eyes shut.
'D-don't c-cry C-cal' Ethan whispered holding his hand.
They pulled up outside the hospital and lifted Cal out of the ambulance, although he had been given some pain relief he was still in agony and was getting quite upset. A doctor hurried over, barely looking at the patient. 'Hello I'm Doctor Hardy, I'm going to be your doctor, how can I help?' a voice spoke sternly and in a business like manner.
'John, it's Cal' Matilda told her husband placing her hand on his arm.
John looked down to see his eldest son lying on the stretcher in pain, tears rolling down his cheeks.
'What happened?' He asked hurrying alongside the bed as they wheeled him to a cubicle. Cal was trying really hard to hold back his tears whilst his dad was there. If there was one thing John Hardy hated it was people breaking down into tears over something not worth crying over.
'He was playing with Ethan and they were climbing and he fell' Matilda told him.
John turned to the paramedics for the hand over brief. 'Okay, so I'm guessing this is your son, he has a suspected fractured tibia and fibula, he has a minor scalp laceration and his shoulder appears to be dislocated' Tom told the doctor as John pulled on some gloves.
'Thanks Tom' John stated as he turned to face his eldest son. 'It's alright Cal, I'm just going to check you over and then we'll give you some more pain relief' John assured his son, the faintest glimmer of worry shone in his eyes as he tried to help his son. He carefully began undoing the brace from Cal's neck. 'Stay still for me mate, I'm just going to check that there is no injury to your neck' John whispered.
Cal whimpered slightly as his father began examining his neck, his cold hands ran gently along his throat. 'It's okay Cal' Matilda whispered.
Ethan gripped his older brother's hand tighter as their father began undoing the fracture pack on Cal's leg. 'Hurts!' Cal cried as his dad lifted his leg out of the fracture pack. The swollen limb was beginning to turn a bluish purple colour.
'It looks like the circulation has been compromised, I need to get some of my colleagues to come and help' John said as he turned to leave. He called over some colleagues before returning to his son's side.
'What is going on?' Matilda asked worriedly.
'He'a not getting enough blood to his foot, it looks like the break has damaged a blood vessel and so we need to set his leg back into place' John told his wife. 'Okay guys, this is young Caleb, his left tibia and fibula are fractured, I think it's compromised the vessels in his leg we need to pull it quickly' John said turning to his colleagues. 'I'll pull, can someone sedate and someone else provide traction. Jess, you monitor his vitals' He asserted.
Cal was beginning to panic at the sudden appearance of five different medics. He was shaking as someone gripped his thigh, whilst his father held his foot in his hands. 'Matilda, take Ethan outside, this is not something I want him to see' John instructed. One of the medics began drawing up a syringe of medication before slowly injecting it into Cal's arm. John continued talking to his son. 'This medicine is going to make you feel sleepy so we can make your leg feel better, don't worry I'm going to be here and I will look after you' John soothed as he wiped away Cal's tears with his spare hand. He reached his hand out and held Cal's hand tightly.
The cool liquid slowly made its way into Cal's bloodstream, a final tear rolled down Cal's cheek as his eyes flickered shut. John let go of his son's hand, placing his hands on Cal's foot. 'Okay on the count of three, one... Two... Three!' He exclaimed before pulling hard on Cal's leg, cracking it back into place. He nestled his son's tiny leg back into the fracture pack before leaving to fetch his wife.
'He'll be out of it for a while as the sedation wears off and he might feel a bit sick, his leg is okay, and we restored the blood flow to his foot so now we'll let him rest before taking him for an x-ray' John told them.
He led them to the cubicle where Cal was, his eyes still firmly shut, the tiny tear still sat, decorating his face. 'Hello sweetheart' Matilda whispered sitting beside the bed, pulling Ethan onto her lap.
A groan came from the bed and John hurried into action. He took the pen torch from his pocket, prising open Cal's eyes and checking his pupils. 'Caleb, it's dad, can you hear me?' John asked his son trying to gain a response. Cal moaned again, his eyes fluttering open. His hand shot up towards his stomach. John grabbed a bowl and rolled his son onto his side. 'It's alright buddy, I'm here' John whispered stroking his son's back gently as he threw up. Cal's back arched as he retched, his face turning purple as he heaved into the bowl. He was covered in a thin layer of sweat as he slumped carefully back onto the flat bed.
Ethan held Cal's hand as their father helped tidy him up. 'Okay let's get you to x-ray and see what is going on with your leg and shoulder, then I'm going to order an MRI to try and see what is wrong with your back and your head' Their father told Cal before pulling the rails up on his bed and wheeling him towards the lift.
After several scans and tests later, Cal was allowed to get some rest. Ethan and Matilda went home to fetch some things leaving their father to look after Cal. John Hardy sat down with his son, keeping a close eye on him whilst he slept. Cal began to stir. 'M-mum?' He whimpered.
'Its alright Cal, she's just gone home with Ethan to fetch some things. Don't worry I'm here mate' John Hardy assured his son.
'It hurts' Cal moaned as he tried to make himself comfortable.
'Where does it hurt?' His father asked gently.
'My chest' Cal wheezed, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.
'Okay calm down Caleb, let me have a quick look' his dad said peeling off his t-shirt. He took the stethoscope from around his neck and plugged it into his ears. He put the end on Cal's chest. His face slowly slipped into a frown as he examined his son.
He pulled the rails of the bed up and released the brakes. 'Can we get him into resus now please' John bellowed towards where his colleagues were gathered. The five medics who had been helping out hurried over.
'What's going on?' Cal asked, trying to stay calm. John Hardy pulled an oxygen over his son's face.
'We think your lung might have collapsed after you broke a few ribs. We are going to set up a chest drain to try and make it easier for you to breathe. Stay calm and don't worry I'll look after you' his father assured him, taking his hand in his.
He carefully rolled his son onto his side and laid some fabric drapes over his tiny form.
'Okay Caleb, this might be a bit cold but we need to clean your chest with some antiseptic' John murmured as he wiped some iodine across Cal's bare chest.
'Is it going to hurt?' Cal asked worriedly.
'It might feel uncomfortable for a bit, but we'll give you some medicine, don't worry I promise we will be as gentle as we can be' John assured his frightened son.
John pulled on some gloves, a gown and a mask and began preparing his equipment. Cal began to tremble. 'I'm scared' he whimpered.
'Don't be, I'm here, stop crying, you need to stay calm' John told his son.
A colleague held Cal's hand whilst John began tracing a line across his chest with the scalpel. Cal screamed out in pain, tears escaping and tumbling down his cheeks. 'Can you please give him a couple more units of morphine please' John ordered as he put the scalpel back on the equipment trolley. The dose was administered quickly and then John pushed his two fingers into the wound. Cal bit his lip hard, trying his best not to scream again. 'Okay son, just a few more minutes, I promise, we're nearly done' John whispered as he threaded the long tube into place. 'Cough for me' he instructed. Cal coughed gently, the drain bubbling to life. His dad ordered one of his colleagues to suture whilst he removed the gown, gloves and mask and sat beside his son.
'It's okay Cal, everything is going to be okay now, you just get some sleep' he whispered.
Matilda and Ethan returned a while later with some things. After the head injury Cal had sustained, he would need to stay overnight under strict observation but would be allowed home the next day. Although by the next day he was feeling better, Cal was made to stay at home and rest under the watchful eye of his parents and his younger brother who was determined to do everything he could to make sure his brother was alright.