A Tough Choice

Chapter Twenty Six

"What's your name?" I quickly asked the passer by.

"Louise." she told me.

"I need you to put some pressure here." I said as I took her hand and placed it on Emma's abdomen.

"We need to try and control the bleeding." I added.

I smiled as Louise as she did what I asked. I checked Emma's vitals and made a mental note in my head, so that I could tell the paramedics.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard the ambulance pull up.

"Ethan!" I heard Dixie exclaim in shock as she ran over.

"She was hit by a car approximately ten minutes ago, has been unconscious ever since. She dislocated her right shoulder which I have put back in and had a bleed to her abdomen. She arrested about five minutes ago, but responded to chest compressions and was only arrested for a couple of minutes." I told her.

"Okay we'll take over from here." she said.

I glanced at Emma and saw that she was still unresponsive. I didn't want to leave her side. I knew how to care for her and wanted to be the one to take care of her.

"Ethan honey, you've done a great job, you saved her life, but we need to take over now." she told me gently.

"I want to stay with her." I whispered.
"You can come in the ambulance with us." Dixie reassured me.

"Danielle can you fetch a board and a neck brace please." she told the paramedic that was with her.

"She'll need fluids and morphine too." I told her.

"I know how to do my job." Dixie told me.

I felt bad for taking over, but I couldn't help myself. She was my fiance, it should be me taking care of her. I knew that Dixie was experienced and good at her job but I wanted to ensure that she was in the best hands.

I watched them numbly as they gently placed a board under her and a brace around her neck. She looked so lifeless. Danielle quickly applied a pressure bandage to control the bleed in Emma's abdomen.

"We need to get her to Holby now." Dixie stated, a concerned edge to her voice.

They quickly picked her up and placed her into the ambulance. I climbed into the ambulance and sat next to her. I couldn't resist taking her hand and placing my fingers on her wrist. I kept them there. I had to be able to feel her pulse, I had to know that she wasn't going to leave me. I braced myself as the ambulance sped up, the sirens blaring loudly. I glanced up at Danielle as I felt her watching me.

"She means a lot to you doesn't she?" she smiled.

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

"It's sweet." she said quietly.

"Did you see it happen?" she asked.

I knew that she was trying to keep me talking to assess whether or not I was suffering from shock.

"Yeah." I whispered.

"That must have been awful." she breathed.

"She'll be okay, she has to be." I whispered.

Danielle lept into action as we finally arrived at Holby City A and E department.