A Time to Love

Chapter 2

Her heart was pounding as she ran down the street; the sight in front was worrying. The car had become wedged under a skip containing old, battered household furniture which was sitting by the roadside.

'Oh no! Please don't be too serious' she whispered frantically, upon realising it was the car her parents owned.

She reached the scene of the crash and relaxed a little when she saw the passenger door open and her mother step out.

She had her hand placed around the back of her neck and was limping slightly as she tried to get around the opposite side of the car to free her son's.

'Mum' Sarah shouted as she got closer to the scene.

'Sarah... Your father... Rosie... The twins' her mum said between breaths.

'Don't worry. I'll get them, you just sit there' Sarah said as she held her mother by the wrists and helped her lower herself on to the kerb.

***

Marina Lawson was sitting in her living room; the sound had meant nothing to her before, it was the screaming that had caught her attention, grabbing hold of the crutch by her chair, she gripped it tightly until it helped her to her feet and then, taking small baby steps, she made it to the window- outside, she could see a few of the neighbours surrounding a car while one stood by the roadside on his mobile.

A woman whom she thought was familiar sat on the pavement, sobbing and looking on in shock as everyone tried their hardest to free the passengers from the stricken vehicle. She could hear young children screaming frantically and it was when she heard their names that she remembered who the family were- the Smythe's-their daughter, Sarah was best friends with her own daughter, Lucy

With the help of the neighbours and passers -by, Sarah had managed to free her brother's from the back; however, both Rosie and her dad were unconscious and trapped. Their rescue attempts would be futile, all everyone could do was wait for the emergency services to arrive and hope.

***

Sarah watched on helplessly as Rosie and her dad remained there, unable to move even if they wanted to and her brothers being comforted by their mother. It was now more than ever that she wished he could be here to hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay. She would have believed anything he told her, if only he was here to hold her in his arms.

She could feel his body against hers and smell the scent of his aftershave. It was very comforting in this moment of dire need.

The distant wailing of sirens alerted Sarah to the nearing presence of the emergency services, she was glad they were here to help her father and sister but it was in that moment that he slipped away from her grasp and she was left there, standing alone, with no one to help her.

The fire service arrived shortly after the paramedics as it soon became obvious that the only way to free the father and his daughter was to remove the roof of the car. The family stood back and watched on nervously as the delicate task was carried out and one at a time, Rosie and her dad were attached to spinal boards and then pulled out from the wreckage.

Twenty minutes later and they were sitting in the hospital waiting room, not that they did much waiting, as shortly after their admission, a senior doctor entered the room

'Hello Mrs Smythe' he said as he sat across from the family

'I'm Doctor Schroeder and I'm the senior consultant here.'