Dying Breath, page 2
part #5 of DI Kayli Bright Series
“Good luck. Let me know what you find,” Susan shouted.
“We will.” Belinda patted her jacket pocket to check she was carrying her phone.
It took the group ten minutes to reach the forest. They hadn’t travelled far when Belinda spotted something red ahead of her. “Damn, looks like we found her. Come on, quickly.”
The four riders upped their pace and came to a standstill alongside Jessica’s body, her saddle lying close by.
Belinda was the first to dismount. She raced over to Jessica. “Jess, oh my God! Jess, are you all right?” She shook Jessica a little until one of the other women in the group advised her not to touch her.
“Leave her be, Belinda. There’s no telling what damage has been done. I’ll call for an ambulance,” Maureen said.
Belinda sat back on her heels and stared at Jessica. She was unconscious, her body twisted at an awkward angle over the tree trunk. She could see from the rise and fall of Jess’s chest that she was alive but that her breathing was erratic. She figured that was due to the fall Jessica had likely had. “Will someone ring Susan, tell her we’ve found Jessica?”
“I’ll do it,” Paula said, fishing out her phone from the bumbag she was wearing.
“Jess, can you hear me?” Belinda asked, bending closer. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Maureen stood at Jessica’s head. “The ambulance is on its way. Should be here in around ten minutes.”
“I hope they get here sooner, her breathing has become far more irregular since we found her,” Belinda said, glancing up at the older woman.
“What do you think happened?”
Belinda surveyed the scene. “My guess is Nutmeg jumped the trunk then probably stood on something and reared up, tipping Jess off.”
“That’s all well and good, but what about her saddle? That should have remained in place, surely?”
Belinda nodded. “Perhaps Jess didn’t fasten it properly and it came loose in the fall.”
“Hard to believe with Jess. She’s an experienced rider, after all,” Maureen replied with a frown pulling at her brow.
Belinda threw her arms up in the air. “I don’t know. I’m just surmising. I’ll take a peep in my crystal ball if you like.”
“Whoa! Don’t get on your high horse with me. It was a simple suggestion. Maybe I’ll keep my theories to myself in the future.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. I’m concerned.”
“Aren’t we all?” Maureen backed away from Belinda, giving her a scathing look.
Ten minutes dragged by until finally, in the distance, the wail of the siren approached.
“I’ll go back to the opening and guide them through,” Maureen offered before setting off at a brisk pace.
Belinda ran a gentle hand down Jess’s face. “Come on, wake up, Jess. Don’t leave us.”
“Don’t talk like that, Belinda. She’s not going anywhere. She’ll pull through this, I’m sure,” Paula said.
“I hope you’re right. However, I think since we showed up, she’s deteriorated.”
The rustle behind them signified the arrival of the two paramedics, the first an older male and the second a young female.
“Step aside if you will, miss,” the man ordered.
Belinda stood and took a few steps back. She watched as the paramedics checked Jess’s vital signs and assessed her injuries.
“We need the back board. I’m assuming her back is broken,” the male paramedic said.
Everyone gathered gasped when they heard the news. Belinda shook her head. How dreadful, poor Jess. I hope the paramedic is wrong.
“Did any of you ladies see what happened? Was anyone with her?”
Belinda acted as spokesperson for the group. “No, she was out riding alone. Her horse came back to the yard, and we went out to find her immediately. We found her like this just before we rang you. Her breathing has got a lot worse since we discovered her. Can you help her? She’s not going to die, is she?”
“That’s extremely difficult to say at present. We’ll get her on a stretcher and back to the hospital as quickly as we can. It’ll be up to the doctors to try and do all they can to save her.”
“Shouldn’t a doctor be here? To evaluate her before she’s moved? Aren’t you at risk of causing more damage to her if you move her as she is?”
“Ordinarily, I would agree with you, but I fear there isn’t time to hang around waiting for the doctor to come. If the person who placed the call had indicated the likelihood of her having a broken back, then maybe a mobile doctor could have attended the scene.”
“I’m sorry. There was no way I could have known that when I rang 999,” Maureen stated.
“Sorry, I wasn’t casting aspersions. It’s just that the more information we are given at the time the better we can make an assessment of the patient’s needs going forward. You rang us, and that’s enough to get the ball rolling.”
Maureen nodded, appearing to be at a loss for anything else to say.
The female paramedic arrived with the back board and positioned it on the ground beside Jessica. The two paramedics lifted Jessica carefully onto the board. Then they carried her to the ambulance and set off towards the hospital while the women collected their horses and returned to the stables, fear and concern for Jessica steering their every move.
Susan was waiting anxiously in the middle of the yard when they arrived. “Well, what’s going on?”
Belinda sighed heavily. “They’ve taken her to hospital with a suspected broken back.”
Susan covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “No. Not Jessica. She’s such a safe rider—how the bloody hell could something like this happen?”
“It’s no good asking that now. What’s done is done. We need to keep her in our thoughts and pray that she comes through this. Her family should be told.”
“Oh gosh, you’re right. I’ll look up her husband’s number now. I think he’s down as her next of kin.” Susan rushed into the office while Belinda stabled Shadow, removed his saddle, then joined Susan in the office.
“He’s away at the moment. I managed to get in touch with him, and he told me he’s got a meeting to attend to before he can return home.”
Belinda frowned. “That’s odd. I thought he’d be here like a shot. I know I would be if my other half was in danger.”
“He’s up in Liverpool. It’s going to take him a couple of hours to get here. He told me to ring her daughter’s school. Make sure Cathy was aware her mother is in hospital.”
“Really? Would you?” Belinda asked, shocked by the decision.
Susan seemed confused. “I’m not sure I would, but it’s what he wants. Maybe they have some sort of code they adhere to in case something like this ever takes place.”
“I don’t like it. You don’t put that kind of pressure on a young girl’s shoulders. I’d be more inclined to ring Jess’s parents than her daughter, if I were in your shoes.”
“You’re right. Damn, I hope Wesley doesn’t take umbrage when he finds out I’ve gone against his wishes.”
“That’s tough. He should have thought about ringing Jess’s parents himself. Maybe they’ve fallen out? Who knows? That’s the best way to proceed in my opinion, Susan.”
“I think you’re right. Christ, what was Jess’s maiden name? My head is all over the place right now.”
“Watson. I remember Jessica recently introducing her sister Amelia to us.”
Susan clicked her fingers and pointed at Belinda. “You’re right—she did. Maybe it would be better if I rang her sister instead of her parents. What do you think?”
“It doesn’t really matter. We’re wasting time. I think she lives in the Abbots Leigh area. I’ll look her number up on the internet.” Belinda found Amelia’s number within seconds and called it. Her home number rang for a while before it was answered. “Amelia?”
“That’s right. You’ve come through to my mobile. Who is this?”
“It’s Belinda Moss, down at Hawthorn Stables. Not sure if you remember me or not?”
“I do. What can I do for you, Belinda?”
She inhaled a large breath then let it out slowly before she spoke again. “I’m afraid I have some bad news for you regarding your sister, Jessica.”
“What? Bad news? Tell me?”
“It looks like she fell off Nutmeg this morning in the forest. We found her as soon as we could, and the paramedics have taken her to the hospital.”
“What? No! Is she all right?”
“I’m sorry. I think you should know from the outset that the paramedics thought Jess had broken her back in the fall.”
“No! Oh my God. What about Wesley? Has anyone rung him?”
“Yes, he’s in Liverpool at a meeting he can’t get out of apparently. He wanted us to ring Cathy, but I thought that was a bit much and tracked down your number. I hope I’ve done the right thing?”
“You have. Thank goodness you didn’t ring Cathy. What was he thinking? I’ll call the rest of the family, and we’ll get over to the hospital as soon as we can. Thanks for ringing me. I really appreciate it.”
~ ~ ~
Amelia rang her parents and arranged to drop by and pick them up twenty minutes later. Together, they drove to the hospital in stunned silence.
Amelia approached the young lady on reception and said, “Hi, we’re Jessica Porter’s family—sister, mother, and father. Is it all right if we see her?”
“Let me check our records. Ah, yes, the doctor is in with her now, assessing her injuries. I’ll get someone to show you through to the family room and inform the doctor that you’re here.”
“Thank you.” Amelia stepped away from the desk to join her parents. She clung to her mother’s hand tightly until a male nurse arrived to speak to them.
“Hi, if you’d like to follow me.” He led them up the hallway and around the corner into a large family room that had a child’s play area off to one side. On the other there were seats placed along the length of the wall. “The doctor should be with you soon. Try not to worry too much.”
The three of them sat down.
However it wasn’t long before Amelia’s father stood up again and paced the room. “How could this happen? Jessica has always been extra cautious when she’s been out riding.”
“Now, Gerald, until we know all the facts, we can’t be sure what Jessica failed to do to ensure her safety. What I do know is that our daughter is now in hospital, fighting for her life.” Mary Watson broke down and cried.
Amelia placed an arm around her mother’s shoulders and pulled her in tight. “There’s no use speculating until we know all the facts. I’m going to try and ring Wesley. He should be here.” She stepped out of the room and rang her brother-in-law’s mobile number. It went into voicemail after the second ring. “Wesley, we’re at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. We’ve yet to see the doctor about how bad Jessica is, but we sure could do with you being here. Please come as soon as you can.” She hung up and trudged back to the family room on heavy legs. “What shall we do about Cathy?”
Her mother looked up as fresh tears swam in her eyes. “Someone should be there when she gets home from school. We’ve got a few hours before then. Hopefully, we’ll find out what’s going on soon then we can decide what to do for the best. Did you get through to Wes?”
“No. I left a message on his voicemail.” Amelia sat next to her mother again.
“He should be here,” her father said angrily.
“He’s away on business, Dad. He couldn’t have known anything of this nature was going to happen. I’m sure he’ll get here as soon as he can.”
“We’ll see. I know if any of you lot had an accident, wild horses couldn’t keep me away. Oh no, did I really utter those words? Was that damned horse all right?”
Amelia nodded. “As far as I know. He returned to the stable to alert them. The search began instantly. He’s a clever horse. Don’t blame him for this, Dad.”
Her father flung a hand in the air and grunted his disapproval. Amelia gripped her mother’s hand for support, and the room fell silent.
Around ten minutes later, a middle-aged doctor with thinning hair and spectacles walked into the room. “Hello there. Are you Jessica Porter’s family?”
Amelia and her mother stood.
“We are,” Amelia said, her heart pounding with fear.
“Please, sit down.” The doctor sat in one of the chairs along the adjoining wall. His expression was serious, his brow wrinkled in concern. “Here’s where we are at the moment. It’s clear that Jessica has a broken back. What we’re uncertain of is the extent of any internal injuries she may have suffered. We’ve stabilised her the best we can at this point. Now we need to send her for an MRI scan before we can decide what else we can do for her.”
“She’s going to be all right, though, Doctor?” Amelia’s father asked.
“I can’t lie to you. As much as I’d like to keep your hopes up, I think you should be prepared for the worst. A fall from a horse can be life-threatening in itself. With her injuries and the fact that she’s still unconscious—well, that’s simply adding to our concerns and frustrations. Bear with us until we see what’s going on inside. I want to assure you that she’s in the best place possible, and we’ll do everything we can to make her comfortable in the hope she regains consciousness soon.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Please keep us informed when you can,” Amelia said, clasping her mother’s hand tighter.
“Is your daughter married?” the doctor asked Amelia’s father.
“Yes, her husband has been informed, and we’re hoping he’ll show his face soon.”
“Dad! That’s totally unfair,” Amelia said. “Sorry, Doctor. Yes, he’s aware. I’ve just rung him, but his phone went through to voicemail. As soon as he receives that message, I’m sure he’ll be here soon. He’s in Liverpool on business, you see.”
“I see,” the doctor said. “I’d better get on and organise things. Once Jessica has had the scan, she’ll be moved to the Intensive Care Unit. They’ll keep an eye on her twenty-four hours a day.”
“Thank you for the update, Doctor. Please do your best for her. We don’t want to lose her.”
“We will. No one in this hospital likes losing a patient.” With that, he smiled and left the room.
The family sat around for the next few hours until Wesley finally showed up, looking distraught. He hugged Amelia and her mother then shook her father’s reluctant hand. “What’s the news? Have you seen her?”
Amelia gave a faint smile. “Thanks for coming back so quickly. She needs us all to be here.”
Wesley frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She’s having an MRI scan, then they’re going to move her to the Intensive Care Unit. She has a broken back. I know we shouldn’t speculate, but when I hear that, I immediately think that she’ll be paralysed for the rest of her life.”
Wesley ran a hand through his short black hair. “What? That damn horse needs a bullet in its head.”
“There’s no good speaking like that, Wesley Porter,” her mother said. “If it wasn’t for that animal going back to alert the staff at the stables, she could’ve been lying in that forest for hours, if not days.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean it, Mary. I’m just lashing out. My God, poor Jessica. I’m going to find the doctor, ask what’s going on.” He walked towards the door.
“Please don’t cause any trouble, Wesley. The doctors and staff have a job to do. The doctor promised he would keep us informed.”
Wesley paced in a circle close to the door.
Finally, it opened, and the doctor who had updated them earlier walked into the room. “I’m so sorry for keeping you waiting. Your daughter is now settled in the Intensive Care Unit. I’ll show you where that is so you can see her.”
Amelia and her mum jumped to their feet.
“What about the scan, Doctor? Did it make anything clearer?” Amelia inclined her head as she asked the question.
“Yes and no. There’s no internal bleeding to contend with, and that’s a blessing in itself. However, I can’t lie to you. Several vertebrae are broken, and there is definite spinal damage visible on the scan. Your daughter remains in critical condition and is still unconscious. That’s what is worrying us the most at present. It’s possibly her body wanting to shut down in order to repair itself. Please, don’t be alarmed when you see her. She’s hooked up to several machines to monitor her vitals.”
“That sounds bad, Doc. What are her odds?” Wesley asked, his manner forthright and business-like.
“I’m really not one for putting odds on a person’s life, sir. Let’s just leave it a few days to see what we’re truly dealing with before we reassess the situation. She’s in the best hands possible. I can assure you of that.”
“She better be,” Wesley said, glaring at the doctor.
“Stop it, Wesley. Don’t make this worse than it already is. The doctor and his staff are doing their very best,” her mum said.
Wes’s shoulders dropped. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled-for. As you can imagine, I’m worried about my wife’s condition. Striking out at you guys won’t help matters.”
“Apology accepted, and I can totally understand how you must be feeling at this time as the uncertainty mounts. Come on, I’ll take you up to see her now.”
CHAPTER TWO
When Amelia laid eyes on her sister, she gasped. The others gasped as well as she approached the hospital bed. Jessica’s face was pale and bruised, swollen around the eyes. Her head was swathed in bandages, and tubes were coming out of her nose.
“Hello, Sis, how are you doing?” She’d recently read in a magazine how important it was for an unconscious person to hear their loved ones’ voices. It helped the recovery, according to the article. She turned to look at the other three members of the family all standing at the end of the bed, afraid to approach it. “Come on, guys, come closer. Let her know that we’re all here. Speak to her.”
