Saving My Hope

Chapter 4- The Fight

Prince Edward Viaduct is where the crash was.
I pull a set of paramedics with me and Joel follows behind as we rush to the scene.
When the ambulance stops, I jump out from the back and run to my sister's blue chevrolet silverado that has the front end hanging over the edge with a bigger grey tundra at the backend.
Joel shuts his car door quickly and runs over.
I bang on the window behind the driver seat and shout her name.
She is unconscious and has blood pooling everywhere from the windshield shattering.
I pull the door handle but groan, "Its locked!".
"I have a tool box in my car. I'll be right back" Joel tells me and runs to his trunk.
The paramedics rush the hurt middle aged man from the tundra and onto a stretcher and pile him in the ambulance first.
Joel comes back with a screwdriver and starts hitting the window with the pointed end.
A few good hits and the window cracks before he uses his elbow to knock the pieces out and onto the seat.
I quickly put my hand through the broken window and push the unlock switch on the inside door handle.
I pull open the door and get in the back.
My hands come in contact with the glass and pierce my skin.
In the moment, I do not care.
I lean in between the driver and front passenger seat and shake my sister to wake up.
She doesnt and I fear the worst.
I go to undo her seatbelt but its jammed.
I yank at it a few times.
Suddenly the car jolts forward abit and I grab the seats for support and balance.
"Shaneria! You got to hurry!"Joel says, fearing that the car would slide down onto the busy highway underneath with me and my sister in it.
"Pass me a knife or some scissors" I call out to him and outstretch my hand.
He pulls some good quality scissors from a pocket in his scrub pants and hands them to me.
I snip away at the tough belt and it finally gives way.
I put my hands under my sister's arms and try to pull her back with me.
Its really hard considering the small space and lack of room to move in.
The car again jolts forward and I put one hand on the driver's seat to prevent me from falling forward with Daniére and through the open windshield.
"Shan!" Joel shouts and I reply with rigid breathing, "Im fine...Im fine".
"Here. Quickly pass me her and take my hand!" He orders.
I moan as I pull her against gravity and fully into the back seat.
Her head falls onto my shoulder and I push her towards Joel, back first.
Joel takes her from under the arms and lays her gently on the pavement.
I go to move towards the open door but an unexpected movement of the car causes me to fall past the drivers seat and I scream.
I luckily grip the steering wheel and my legs dangle on the hood of the car.
"Shaneria!!" Joel shouts and decides to get in the back.
He stretches forward, extending his hand.
"Grab my hand" he demands.
I try to reach but miss.
"Come on. Reach farther" he tells me.
I do it again and just barely graze his fingers and I groan in frustration.
"Come on" He tells me again.
I practically do a chin up and then throw my right hand out at him.
He grasps my forearm and starts pulling me up.
My shoelace gets hooked on the gear shift and he tugs but doesn't get me up any farther.
"Joel, my shoe is caught" I say in distress.
"Kick it off!"he tells me.
"These are $200 shoes!!" I protest.
"Get rid of it! Its not worth dying over!" He hisses.
I put my foot to my heel and push it off.
"Ok. Its off" I tell him.
The car creaks, signalling the next action: tipping.
He quickly pulls me up. Puts an arm around my waist and then we jump out.
Our bodies come in contact with the hard pavement.
The sound of the car hitting the highway below and being crushed, echoes amongst our ears.
Joel groans from the pain of landing on his back.
And I painfully suck in air as I slowly yet painfully push my chest up from bellyflopping on the ground.
The paramedics are now rushing to see how we are doing.
In pain obviously!
But that doesnt stop me from inspecting my sister who lays on the pavement unconscious.
There is clear evidence of a rupture of the Brachial artery in her upper right arm and serious and not so serious abrasions on her body.
I take a long stretch compression bandage from the ambulance and wrap it around the the open wound of her arm and tie off circulation.
The paramedics load my sister on the stretcher and hook her up to monitors.
I start an i.v. drip for both my sister and the man in the ambulance.
Then immediately we rush back to Hope Zion.