Chapter 3

                                    

                                          
To get to the path though, you have to cross the A345, a nasty road if there ever was one. The zebra crossing is on the sharpest bend, and the cars come whizzing round like bullets from a gun. It’s the council’s fault that the crossing is in such a stupid place. There’s a perfect stretch of straight road just further up, but one lady, ONE lady protested against the proposals, and so it got moved to the sharp bend. It has a variety of nicknames, most of them including the word ‘death.’ Several people have been knocked down there, one of them killed. I'm always extra careful there. One of my friends was knocked down there. Luckily it was only a glancing blow, and she only got a broken arm, but she is well aware of how bad it could have been.
                          
Me and Liam walked and chatted, catching up on a week of missed gossip. Liam's holiday went ok, although his twin sisters had a fight and his baby brother got a pea stuck in his ear. This is not the first time. Liam's baby brother seems to be a pro at getting things stuck in his ears and his nose. As we approached the crossing, we stopped talking so that we could concentrate on not getting run over. We waited and listened until it sounded safe to go. I thought it was safe so I began to cross. It's a wide road and there's no island in the middle. I was halfway across the first carriageway when I heard Liam yell "MOLLY!!!!" And then for split-second I saw the car that was speeding towards me. Then it hit me. I felt my legs break and then I was flying through the air. I heard my own high pitched scream. I heard Liam's gasp of horror and shout of my name. Then I landed on the hard tarmac with a loud crunch. My body felt broken. I lay in the road, half conscious. I heard the cars screech to a halt as they saw me. Then I heard running footsteps and a familiar voice calling my name. "Molly? Molly? Talk to me honey. Please. Please Molly . . ." I could hear the tone of panic in his voice. I heard his voice crack and I felt the hot tears drop onto my face. He didn’t lose his cool though. He's a Scout and he's done first aid training so he knew not to move me. I heard the slamming of several car doors, and Liam telling someone to ring an ambulance quick. All he could do was hold my hand. He stroked my forehead, told me that it would be ok. He still had the panic in his voice. I felt a few more tears fall onto my face. Gathering up the last of my strength, I squeezed his hand gently, to let him know I was there. But a moment later, I felt my consciousness slipping away. I couldn't hear Liam's voice properly and everything was echoey. But then I began to come back. I was still in terrible pain. I tried to move my fingers but I couldn't. I couldn't move. I couldn’t wake up. Inside my head I was awake. I could hear but I couldn't move or talk or see. I was just there. I heard Liam keep trying to reassure me. He was still crying, and tears were still dropping onto my face. I wanted to reach out and hug him, but all I could do was lie there. Finally, I heard the ambulance come. I was put on a spinal board and slid into the ambulance. I could hear that Liam was on the phone to my mum now. She told him to go in the ambulance with me and that she would meet in an hour at the hospital. I was wired up to all kinds of tubes and monitors, strapped up and bandaged. The paramedic stuck a needle in the back of my hand, and the pain lessened. I heard Liam clamber into the ambulance and sit down next to me. He held my hand, continued to reassure me. I knew he was still crying, but he was trying to hide it. The paramedics told him that I was going to the best place, that I would have the best care, that it would all be ok. But when Liam asked whether I would be ok, the answer was "we'll see." We drove to the hospital and when I was unloaded from the ambulance I felt the air on my face. Liam was by my side, and I needed him there.