Hazel- On the Run

Chapter 19- Help

Chapter 19:  Help

The next part of the journey was subdued. The teenagers were in silence for most of the time they walked. Ruby hobbled along, using someone to lean on.

They followed the train tracks for the main part of the journey, walking through the forest while keeping the tracks in view; somehow they had managed to find them again.

Various trains went past over the time they were there.

Two teenagers carried the stretcher on which Alice lay, a still life form, barely breathing. Her wound had stopped bleeding but she was very pale and fading.

Every so often they would stop, check Alice, have a snack and swap over the people carrying the stretcher.

Hazel cared for Alice every moment she could. Alice had saved her life from the dogs and nearly gotten herself killed. As it was, she was barely alive.

***

A day later, after hours of walking through the forest, they reached the first sign of civilisation. They reached a road.

Hazel checked Alice. Her pulse was getting harder and harder to find. Alice needed help now.

They continued down the road. Everyone was tired and their legs were aching. A stop was called and the group collapsed gratefully onto the roadside grass. They lay Alice down beside them.

Hazel saw Ruby rubbing her ankle.

“Can you keep going?” Hazel asked.

“I think so,” Ruby answered.

Hazel saw that Ruby wasn’t as sure as she sounded.

Melanie brought out some fruit.

They didn’t know what was going to happen to Alice now. They were barely able to go any further themselves.

A miracle came to them in the shape of a teenage girl riding her bike towards them.

Seeing the grubby teenagers sitting around a girl on a stretcher, she climbed off her bike.

When she took a closer look she saw that the girl on the stretcher was covered in blood and looked unconscious or dead.

“What happened?” the girl asked.

“We were walking through the forest and our friend was attacked by a wild animal.” Hazel answered.

“Is she still alive?” the girl asked.

“Barely,” Melanie replied. “We’ve been trying to reach a town and get her help but we’re all tired and the cell phones we had on us died.”

The girl reached into her pocket.

“Here, use mine,” she said, handing Melanie the phone.

“Thank you,” Melanie answered.

Melanie dialled the emergency number.

The phone picked up.

“Fire, Ambulance, Police?” the operator asked.

“Ambulance,” Melanie answered.

“Just a minute,” the operator said.

The phone clicked.

“Hello, how may I help you?” a second operator answered.

“My friend was attacked by an animal while we were in the forest and has lost a lot of blood.”

“We’ll dispatch an ambulance immediately. Please stay on the line while you wait.”

Melanie smiled.

“An ambulance is on its way,” she told the group.

Melanie put her ear back on the phone and Hazel heard her answer more questions.

“How long do you think it will take for an ambulance to get here?” Hazel asked the girl who had sat down on the grass with the rest of them.

“Probably about half an hour,” the girl answered. She paused before saying, “My name’s Emma.”

“Hazel,” Hazel said.

Time ticked away.

Silence fell as the group waited.

All they could hear was Melanie answering questions over the phone.

Melanie had to give her details, which everyone was edgy about. They couldn’t risk getting caught again.

Melanie had to ask Emma what their location was and luckily she knew exactly where they were.

As Emma relayed the information to Melanie, a certain aspect of the location name brightened the teenagers’ spirits.

Toulon, they were sitting on the outskirts of Toulon, the town they had been trying to get to the whole time.

An ambulance turned up half an hour later like Emma had predicted.

Melanie told the operator on the phone this and the call ended.

She handed the phone back to Emma.

The ambulance paramedics jumped out and they looked over Alice.

One got a stretcher out of the ambulance and Alice was put onto it.

The paramedic said that two of the teenagers were allowed in the back to go with Alice to the hospital.

Ruby and Hazel were chosen to go, since Ruby had to admit that she couldn’t walk any further on her ankle and Hazel was the closest to Alice.

Conrad, Aimee and Melanie said that they would meet the other two at the beach house in Toulon.

Emma said she was going that way so she could guide them into the city.

They would wait at the beach house until Hazel, Ruby and Alice came and found them.

The group said goodbye while the ambulance staff were putting Alice into the back of the ambulance.

The ambulance drove off.

Alice had a chance.

The two girls sat in silence in the back of the ambulance.

The ambulance paramedic checked over Alice, monitoring her.

Finally they arrived at the hospital. Alice was loaded off into the hands of doctors. Ruby and Hazel were directed into a waiting room and the wait began…

***

Aimee, Melanie and Conrad walked along the road. Emma pushed her bike beside them.

They made it into Toulon after an hours walk and the three teenagers were worn-out and relieved. Nearly there.

Emma asked where they were going and they worked out that Emma was going past Lintoch Drive.

They found the road. Emma got on her bike and rode off after saying goodbye.

The three teenagers walked down the long driveway that led to the beach house.

Aimee found the key she knew was hidden under a pot plant.

Everyone went inside.

Melanie checked and confirmed that everything was still there, as they had left it over a week ago.

After warm showers, the teenagers each found a bed.

Even though it was only midday they found they fell asleep quickly.

-A/N- What do you think? Please review/ comment. :)