Ann Purser - Threats At Three

Then two policemen emerged from the crowd, and in no time had moved curious onlookers out of the way. An ambulance, already on duty in the village in case of need, came screaming down the track, and Mrs. T-J saw to her horror that three blanket-wrapped figures were then loaded on to stretchers and lifted quickly inside. The silence continued until the ambulance had left the village, and then a different kind of noise began. This time it was full of anxious voices and crying children. Some adults were crying unashamedly, too.

“Attention, please,” said a voice over the loudspeakers. “There has unfortunately been an accident on the track, but those involved have been taken to hospital, not thought to be seriously hurt. We are therefore happy to announce that the champion driver of the first Long Farnden grand prix is Mrs. Tollervey-Jones, well-known charity worker and magistrate!”

Somebody tentatively clapped, and slowly others joined in, until a decent reception was given to the worried-looking champion. She made an effort, waved and smiled, and accepted the silver cup, which she had given for the occasion, from her grinning son Robert.

“Well done, Ma,” he said, and kissed her cheek. As he did so, he whispered in her ear that in his opinion the casualties were more than seriously hurt. She nodded, and said that as soon as possible she would be in touch with the hospital to discover the truth.

AS SOON AS LOIS COULD MAKE HER WAY FROM THE SHOP TO THE place where she last saw Paula Hickson, little Frankie in her arms, she saw that she had gone. “Did Mrs. Hickson go with the ambulance?” she asked a stranger.

“Wouldn’t know,” he said. “There was a woman holding a baby, and she screamed and ran when that box went off the course. I think she went down to where it happened.”

Lois retraced her steps, and found Derek with his arms around Paula, and Josie holding the baby. “Douglas has gone to find a policeman to take her in to Tresham,” Derek said. “Only a police car could get through this crush.”

“I can take her,” Lois said. “I left my van outside the village, parked down by Gypsies’ Thicket. Come on, Paula, and you, Josie. It’ll be quicker than waiting for the police.”

“What about the twins?” Paula said.

Lois saw then that the two were standing behind their mother, looking terrified.

“They can come home with me,” said Gran. “Come on, loves, we’ll go and find some ice cream. Everywhere’s sold out, but I’ve got a secret horde in my freezer. We’ll see you later, Lois.”

The twins looked doubtfully at their mother, but she nodded and said they were to go along with Gran. “I’ll soon be back,” she said. Lois shepherded Paula and Josie, still holding Frankie, through the lingering crowds and down to where her van was parked.

PAULA HAD RALLIED A LITTLE, AND SAID WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO call the hospital on a mobile and find out if they were all… She dried up here, and Josie looked at her mother. “What d’you think?” she said.

“Probably best to wait, Paula,” Lois said. “Not far now, and you know what mobiles are. The signal will probably fail, and then we’ll get a muddled message, and it could be a really bad thing to do.”

“Okay,” Paula said, and took Frankie from Josie. “He should be in his safety seat,” she added, “but I expect if we get stopped I can say it’s an emergency.”

“We won’t be stopped,” said Lois. “I know a back way to the hospital. Only about five minutes and we’ll be there. Hold on, Paula.”

JACK HICKSON SR., BANDAGED UP LIKE THE INVISIBLE MAN, KNEW that Paula would be coming. He knew this absolutely, and had insisted on waiting in reception so that he could be with her from the moment she arrived.

“Are you all right, Mr. Hickson?” The young nurse looked at him anxiously. She had been told to not let him out of her sight, as he could easily be suffering from confusion with delayed concussion.

“As well as can be expected,” he said, patting her hand with a swathe of bandages wound round his arm and wrist.

“Let’s sit down, then,” she said. “You’ll still be able to spot your wife when she arrives.”

AH, THERE YOU ARE, MRS. HICKSON,” THE YOUNG NURSE SAID. Paula had half run into the reception area of the hospital, followed a little way behind by Lois and Josie once more holding Frankie. He began to laugh as he was joggled up and down by Josie as they made for the entrance, and Josie kissed him and held him tight.

As Paula approached, she suddenly saw a bandaged figure stand up from a chair behind the nurse. “Paula,” he said, and held out his hand.

“Jack! Are you all right? What on earth happened? Where is our Jack and is he all right?” And then she burst into tears, as her wounded husband did his best to put an arm round her.

“Would you come with me, please?” the young nurse said. “Perhaps you would like to wait here?” she said to Lois and Josie. “Whose baby is it?”

“Mine,” said Paula, holding out her arms to Frankie.

“Ours,” Jack answered, and kissed him lightly. “I’m his father. Let’s go, please.”

Frankie began to bellow as this strange man touched him, prohibiting further conversation until they met a senior nurse waiting at the entrance to the children’s ward. “Into my office, please,” she said kindly. “Do sit down,” she added. “We need to have a talk before we go to see young Jack.”

“Oh, my God,” said Paula, in tears again, “is he all right?”

“Of course he’s all right, Mrs. Hickson,” the nurse said, raising her eyebrows. “Very much so, if you don’t mind my saying so. We’re having difficulty keeping him quiet. Now, you must understand that he was quite seriously bruised and concussed in the accident. I can’t think how the organisers got away with racing those dreadful soap boxes. No safety belts, apparently! And then we have to pick up the pieces…”

“Funny way of putting it, nurse,” Jack Sr. said. “Just how much treatment does our son need? And when can he come home?”

The nurse explained that the bruises would go away in time, although the boy would be sore in quite a lot of places, mainly where Rebellion had slammed into his chest as he hit the crowd. He had been thrown back, and hit his head on the raised seat frame behind him.

“Was anyone else hurt?” Paula said. “I wasn’t down at the finish. I couldn’t bear to look in case he came in last. By the time I got down there it had happened. But people said there were three stretchers put in the ambulance?”

The nurse paused and looked at Jack. “Well, obviously your husband was badly cut and bruised. I believe there was a knife.”

“Who had a knife, Jack?” Paula said urgently. “What the hell was somebody doing with a knife?”

Jack shook his head. “Don’t know,” he said. “It all happened so quickly. I didn’t see. Just felt the sharp pain in my arm and hand.” He looked away from her, thinking that it hadn’t taken long for him to break his resolution to tell her only the truth from now on. But now was not the time for long explanations. They needed to see Jack, and get him home as soon as possible.

When young Jack saw his mother and little Frankie, and then his father, being led down the ward by the nurse, he stopped shouting and trying to climb out of the bed with raised sides where he’d been put for his own safety. He stared from one to another, and then back to his father.

Frankie began to struggle when he saw his big brother, and Paula smiled unsteadily. “What you been getting up to now, then?” she said. “And here’s your dad come to see you. You nearly killed him from the look of him.”