Down But Not Out

Chapter 38

I ran alongside the bed that Josh was being wheeled in as the paramedics told the doctors what wounds Josh had sustained as I gripped his hand tightly. We headed in the direction of a room marked 'Theatre' and I bit my lip, knowing I would have to leave him but I really didn't want to. I didn't want him to be alone but I knew that he wouldn't wake up whilst in theatre, so it would be okay to leave him in the capable hands of the doctors.

The paramedic, who had stayed in the back of the ambulance with Josh and I, pried me away from Josh and steered me over to a set of blue cushioned seats where he sat me down and knelt in front of me.

"I have to go now, will you be okay until your friends get here?" he asked and I blinked at him as his words processed in my brain while I tried to come up with an answer. Finally I nodded and he studied me.

"The police will be here soon to question you and get a statement" he said, warning me that I would have to relive all that again so that I could tell the police what had happened. I nodded again and the paramedic sighed before standing up just as the doors down the end of the corridor slammed open and everyone hurried down, not running because you weren't supposed to run in hospitals but also hurrying quickly. I smiled a little when I saw them and nodded at the paramedic.

"Thank you" I whispered and he smiled at me before walking away.

"Liz" Summer exclaimed and rushed over to me as my gaze turned to my red stained hands. I'd forgotten about the fact that I'd pressed my hands against Josh's stab wound and so my hands were now stained red with his blood. Surprisingly I didn't feel squeamish about that fact, but it wasn't right having my hands covered in his blood, which was starting to dry now.

"Elizabeth?" Matt asked and I looked away from my hands to see that he was kneeling in front of me with his hands on my knees. I blinked.

"Matt" I whispered and he smiled at me before nodding.

"Josh?" he asked and I blinked, shaking my head. I needed to wake up and stop acting like something bad had happened because there was still hope for Josh. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat, realising I was parched but ignored that.

"They took him straight to theatre. I don't know what's happening" I shrugged, my voice a little raspy because of the fact that I'd screamed a few times. Matt nodded and sat down on the chair next to me as Ivy walked over, holding a bottle of water. I thanked her and after she'd unscrewed it for me- because my hands were a little shaky- I took a couple of gulps, feeling better already.

Ivy removed something from her bag and when she handed it to me and I saw that it was a pack of wet wipes. She handed me one and I took it but my hands shook and I couldn't seem to function properly.

"Here" Summer whispered taking the wet wipe from my hands and scrubbing them clean, taking a few more from Ivy until my hands were no longer stained red.

"Thanks" I nodded and she smiled before hugging me tightly. I hugged her back, gently tapping her back before I pulled away. Matt squeezed my hand and I turned to him.

"Come here" he whispered and I leaned into him where he wrapped his arms around me and I hugged him tightly back while he rocked me.

"Everything will be okay Lizzie" Dan said and I turned to see that he was crouching in front of Summer, but facing me. I took a shuddering breath and nodded before Matt let me go and Dan encompassed me in a hug.

"Josh is a fighter" Dan nodded into my shoulder and I nodded back, but felt the tension in his body.

"I know" I squeezed before releasing him as I thought of something and I looked back and forth between Matt and Dan.