Amnesia

Chapter 18

                      Evan

My head reeled. I steadied myself against a wall, then went into the sitting room  to tell Alfie. I grabbed Rubin and Alfie grabbed Kazia. We jumped into the ambulance, and that's when we saw how bad they got hit by the car.
  Mum's right leg was bent inwards, looking almost shredded. Blood spilt off of it onto the stretcher. The skin was peeling of her right arm, the elbow bone visible. Her ear was surrounded with skin and blood.
  One side of her face was blue and black, blood trickled around it.

I let out a whimper as I looked at her, tears dropping off my cheeks. Alfie sat down beside Erin with Kazia and Rubin.
  "Mummy? Mummy! Wake up! Mummy wake up!" Rubin yelled, shaking Erin's shoulder.

Rubin's way to deal with pain was anger, whereas Kazia just cried.
  "Mummy," Kazia whispered, her tears dripping on Erin's cheek.
  Erin's jaw was bleeding, and her teeth were covered in blood as well. She must have been facing the car. Through her top you could see blood seeping through the material.
  There was black, purple and red around her swollen eye. Her collarbones and chest were badly bruised and bleeding.

"Mummy," Kazia whispered again, laying her head on Erin's chest. Blood got on Kazia's head, but she didn't care. She weeped into Erin.
  I walked over to Erin and hugged Rubin, who was fighting back tears and punching the walls. He struggled for a moment in my arms, then let himself rest. I knew that if I cried in front of the kids, that would just set them off more. But I needed to cry.
  I let silent tears drip down, rocking Rubin in my arms.

"Clarissa was hit from the side, Erin was hit at the front, and Sam was hit at the back. They all have the possibility of broken bones. I'm so sorry," A paramedic says.
  Rubin still in my arms, I walk over to Sam's stretcher. Her brown waves are spread around the pillow, her dark blue eyes closed. I don't see any damage, but that's because she was hit at the back.

Holding Rubin in one hand, I clench my fist. Whoever did this, whoever was driving, I will ruin them. I place a kiss on Sam's forehead, then sit beside Mum, holding her hand.
  I beckon Kazia over to us, giving Alfie some privacy so he can cry in peace.

Kazia climbs on my lap, and I place her on my left knee, Rubin on the other.
  "Erin will be fine. She'll be as right as rain, just after a bit in the hospital. And then, she'll go home, you'll see." I reassure them, half reassuring myself too.

"Will she die? Will any of them die?" Kazia looks up at me with green eyes.
  "They'll all be OK, Kaz."
Kazia rests her head on my chest, and Rubin does the same.

                         ***

Kazia swings her booted feet, shifting on the hard cold chairs.
  "Whats an MRI scan?" She asks.
"You know what an X-ray is, right?" I ask. She nods. "It's an X-ray for your whole body, so they can see what's broken."

I glance at the clock. 1 hour waiting.
  Rubin runs around the waiting room, laughing at his reflection in the funny mirror.
  Alfie looks at him, frowns, then goes back to being sad. I sigh.
 
"Rubin, sit down, you rascal," I order, swooping him up and tickling him. Rubin laughs and begs for mercy, sitting back down.
  Kazia slides her tiny hand in Alfie's, searching for comfort. Alfie looks back at her, and pulls on an encouraging smile.

"It'll be OK, sweetie," he says, pulling Kazia onto his lap and holding her close.
  Rubin fidgets beside me. I sense that he needs a stretch of legs.
  "C'mon Rubin, let's go for a walk." I say, standing up and brushing imaginary dust off my jeans.

Rubin runs ahead, laughing. He stops at the vending machine and stares at it in envy.
  "No way, hosay, Rubin. You literally just had a banana." I say with a  chuckle.
  "But," he protests. "But I want chocolate!"
  "No, you greedy maggot. Come on, let's go look at the fish."