Just as David threw himself forward, a wind of hurricane force came from the sea and David thought he heard NO! The wind picked him up with such force that it threw him across the pavement into the path of an approaching car and his head banged on the road and the lights went out.
With a screech of tyres the car just about stopped before seriously hurting David as he crashed onto the road. Tony, as if by shear chance was the driver of the skidding car returning from the ASDA supermarket in the Brighton Marina. The car bumped into David as he lay in the road, hitting his left arm just hard enough to break it. Tony, although used to life's dangers was as white as a sheet when he leaped from the car to see what was in front of his car. Seeing it was a young boy he knelt down getting soaked in the rain to check boy the out. He had a pulse and was breathing. However, there was blood coming from his head and the angle of the boy's arm showed it was broken. Tony, well versed in first aid knew the boy should not be moved. He immediately asked a lady onlooker to call for an ambulance. There was a hotel just across the road and she headed in that direction. Tony meanwhile took off his coat and placed it over the boy to try and keep him warm.
It was just over five minutes later when Tony heard the approaching ambulance. As it stopped, a police car pulled in nearby to check the scene. The paramedics immediately set about checking David over. Meanwhile, the police were quizzing Tony about what happened. All Tony could say was what he had witnessed, that an object flew out into the road in front of him. It happened so fast and he had just managed to stop in time.
"Perhaps he jumped in front of you, sir?" One of the officers said.
"I don't think so," Tony replied. "He came from the railings there and that is a good six yards."
"It's a strange one indeed." The second officer said. "It looks as if you did well to stop in time. We've measured the skid marks and you were only doing 29mph. I can't see any blame can be laid on you, sir. Please give my colleague your name and address so we can contact you later if we need to."
Tony gave his details including showing his *MOT, insurance and driver's license.
They all then went to see the paramedics working on David. Tony and the policemen as with one voice asked how the boy was. "I can tell you, sir," one of them said to Tony. "He will be alright, his vital signs are fine but he does have a break to his upper arm." To the policemen, he said, "We will need to talk to you later at the hospital, something is not right here."
Within ten minutes David was loaded into the ambulance. Before it went, Tony asked one of the paramedics which hospital the boy was to be taken to. The medic told him. "We will take him to the children's hospital."
Tony thanked him and shaking hands with the policemen, he got back in his car and drove home. Tony, though not much of a drinker poured himself a large brandy before he settled to the rest of the evening in front of the TV. As often happens after stress Tony dozed off. He had a vivid dream where a boy sitting on railings was lifted into the air and blown backwards. The dream was accompanied by the words he had heard before repeated over and over. "Look out for the boy."
It was 2 am when Tony awoke with the dream still vivid in his mind. A sudden urge made him dress in his outer clothes and head off on foot for the children's hospital 2 miles away, not a long walk to him. The words of the dream along with the scene repeated in Tony's mind. Suddenly his mind went back to Borneo in 1965 when Britain was involved with an armed conflict there. He remembered the gunfight just outside a village when he saw the boy frightened by the side of a tree. He had shouted "Look out for the boy."
Sadly nobody heard and the boy was hit by multiple rounds. Tony had asked for cover fire and dashed to where the boy lay. A quick check had told him the boy was dead, an innocent victim of war. Tony had cried and suffered sadness for a long time after that but, as with all such events the memory slowly put to the back of his mind. Now again with the remembered words he thought. 'Is this where I can make a difference?'
Tony soon arrived at the children's hospital and went through the doors to the reception desk. Despite the hour, the desk was manned by a very friendly lady in what looked like her mid-forties. "Can I help you sir?" She asked politely.
"I hope so," Tony replies. "A young boy of about 8 or 9 years old was brought in earlier. I was wondering how he is. He had a broken arm and had banged his head."
"Let me see sir, are you related at all?"
"No, but he fell in front of my car and I am worried about him, I want to find out how he is."
"Ah, I see. Well, it says here, he was taken to emergency, then to x-ray then had his arm set in a cast and finally to a ward and he is now asleep. There are 2 policemen up there waiting to talk to the boy."
"Is it possible to go up and see the boy?" asked Tony.
"Let me phone the ward sister and find out." The receptionist replied. She dialled a number and spoke to the ward sister and then put the phone down. "The ward sister said it will be ok; please ensure you see her first though. It is policy to let only relatives visit but due to the circumstances she will make a concession in your case. It is Pinocchio Ward, along the corridor to the lift. Go to the second floor and turn left. The ward is on the right."
Tony thanked her for her kind help and headed toward the lift. The lift was already on the ground floor when Tony pushed the call button and the doors opened and he stepped in. Tony pushed the second-floor button and the doors closed. The lift slowly climbed up until the second floor and the doors opened. Tony was greeted by the 2 policemen he had met at the accident.
"Hello, again sir. What brings you here?"
Tony was at a loss for a second as to what to say. Then suddenly it was clear. "I had a dream and when I woke up I felt the urge to come to the hospital and check on the boy. It was as if I had to be here. So how is the boy officer?"
"Well, as you seem to be concerned, he is comfortable but I have concerns about other injuries on his body. I noticed them at the accident. There was a lot of discoloration of his skin on many parts of his upper body. Since he was admitted here we found out there is bruising all over his body. Old bruising some of it but a recent bruise to his lower ribcage and underneath they found two broken ribs. As luck would have it they had not punctured a lung, otherwise he could well be dead. He must have been in agony. What we can't figure out is what he was doing at that particular spot in the pouring rain."
Tony had a feeling he knew why but said nothing. "Do you know who he is yet?" asked Tony.
"Not a clue sir. We think he is off one of the estates judging by his dress, but we can't be sure. My colleague has checked for a missing child, but there is nothing on the computer."
"He must belong to someone," Tony said. "Surely someone must be concerned about him?"
"Well, it's early days sir. Hopefully, someone will turn up. If and when they do, I for one will want to have a severe word. Those bruises are not accidental."
Tony then went to see the ward sister. The name tag high in her chest said 'Sister Angela Wills.' "Sister, I am Tony Andrews. I came to see how the boy is?"
"Ah mister Andrews, do you know the boy?"
"I only know him from nearly squashing him under the wheels of my car, and almost dying of fright." Tony replied.
"Until he comes to, we are all in the dark Mister Andrews and that might be a while yet as we gave him a tranquilizer to help him rest. So I doubt there will be any more news until the morning. I finish my shift at 8 o'clock so I hope he wakes before then."
"Will it be alright if I wait to see how he is later sister?"
"You can if you like Mr Andrews but it will likely be a long night."
Tony smiled and said, "Long nights were a big part of my previous life, sister, and in a lot less pleasant surroundings."
"Did you work nights then Mr Andrews?"
"Not really, I am a retired soldier. I am job hunting at the moment."
The sister then smiled and said, "You could become a hospital volunteer here until you find one Mr Andrews. We are always desperate for help around the wards."
"I will think about it sister, it sounds good to me though."
"I will get you a form before I leave. Just fill it in and return it to me or reception."
End of part 2
More to come:)
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