Date: Sun, 08 Aug 2004 12:28:33 +1000 From: james robinson Subject: The Training Ship, The Restoration 3b This chapter was not written and included with The Restoration Part 4, my apologies but I had a mental block and completely forgot about the accident. Thanks to G, for pointing out my error, I'm glad to see that you are reading my story and remembering what was written in the previous chapter. The Training Ship, The Restoration Part 3a, justjames17. The screech of tires then the sudden impact as the limousine collided with the rear of a large tip truck that had accelerated through a red light. The chauffer had swung the wheel of the heavy car trying desperately to avoid the lumbering monster and had nearly succeeded in avoiding the collision but unfortunately the left hand mudguard crumpled as the car hit the truck's chassis. The car spun around and slammed into the side of the large trailer being towed by the truck, the driver of the limousine was thrown hard against the driver's door as the car crunched into the trailer. The impact ripped a large piece of pipe from the side of the trailer spearing it through the metal door of the car and impaling the unfortunate driver through the rib cage. The young man screamed in agony as the jagged metal crushed through his body breaking his ribs and deflating his right lung, the man screamed again as the car swung away from the trailer as the truck kept moving under brakes. The pipe tore his side open exposing the shattered ribs and the right side of his abdomen, blood sprayed all over the front seat and up onto the roof lining as the driver was thrown onto the dashboard. The limousine stopped moving in the middle of the intersection and the passengers still suffering from the shock of the collision sat there stunned as other cars brakes squealed as they tried to avoid the limousine stationary in their path. The traffic stopped finally and a police car appeared on the scene, the police ran to the limousine when they saw the crimson blood coated windscreen. They opened the passenger side front door to be greeted with the gory sight of the badly maimed young chauffer, his destroyed torso stretched across the seat as his heart pumped the blood from his torn body. One officer immediately placed a call for an ambulance using his radio as his companion tried to staunch the copious amount of blood spurting from the open torso. John, Frank and the others were still sitting stunned and shaken in the rear of the car and the second policeman opened the rear passenger door and asked if any of them were injured. Everyone moved about checking for any injuries and found apart from some bruising from the seatbelts they were ok, John asked after their driver and the policeman shook his head saying, " He is badly injured and they were waiting for the ambulance to arrive to take him to hospital." The driver was sounding worse as his breathing began to rattle in his chest, John looked over the seat to see the poor young man looking chalk white and unconscious as the police officer worked on him. The ambulance arrived and the paramedics rushed across as the policeman backed out of the car, they checked the driver's vital signs and gently removed him from the car with the help of the two policeman. They placed the bloody body carefully on the trolley and wheeled it over to the ambulance placing it inside and one paramedic climbed in the back setting up a drip into the unconscious driver's arm. His companion slammed the doors then hurried to the driver's cab jumped in and the vehicle screamed away through the traffic. One policeman hurried across to where the tip truck had stopped half blocking the intersection, the other asked the passengers in the limousine for their statements regarding the accident. Timmy was crying piteously as the horror of the event registered on his young mind, his tears triggered Nick and he too was in tears as he hugged the shaking youngster. The others recounted how the car had been traveling towards the Gold Coast and had been in the traffic flow with the green light when the tip truck entered the intersection through the red light with it's brakes howling but due to it's weight and speed it carried through the intersection in front of them, their driver had braked heavily and turned the wheel frantically trying to avoid the truck but he had no possible hope of avoiding the collision due to the length of the truck and the trailer towed behind the truck. The policeman nodded as he wrote down their information then he asked the bystanders if any of them had seen what happened, several had witnessed the collision and their stories agreed with the passengers in the limousine, amongst the bystanders was the driver of the car in front of the limousine who had luckily been able to accelerate out of the path of the skidding juggernaut. The officer wrote everyone's names and addresses in his notebook then asked John would he like him to contact the limousine company and get a new one sent out to finish their journey. John said, " Thank you officer that would be great but our journey will be back to the city and their hotel. They were too shaken up to go on to the Gold Coast to have fun." The policeman nodded and said, " If any of you feel woozy or ill you should immediately report to the hospital for a check up." The replacement limousine arrived as the tow trucks began clearing the car from the intersection, our group quietly boarded the car and John asked the driver to take them back to their hotel. The driver nodded and said, " Certainly sir, I hope you are all ok after your fright. Can you tell me how young Michael was when they took him to hospital?" John looked at the man in the rear vision mirror and said, " Well he was a bit of a mess but I hope they can fix him up at the hospital. Was he a friend of yours?" The driver looked worried and replied, " He is my nephew, and I got him the position with the company." John said, " I hope he pulls through ok, I'll ring the hospital later tonight to ask after him." The rest of the trip was silent and uneventful they pulled up in front of the hotel where they climbed out and John gave the man a large tip as he thanked him for his service. The man thanked him and drove away into the traffic. Our friends went into the hotel and used the lift (elevator) to reach their suite; they entered the luxurious rooms and just sat around silently reliving their horrifying afternoon except for poor little Timmy who was still weeping spasmodically. His great uncle Les was nursing him on his lap cuddling the distraught youngster trying to comfort him but all to no avail as the boy kept picturing the poor driver bleeding with his side torn open. Les finally decided he should have a doctor look at Timmy and frank rang the reception desk to ask if there was a doctor on duty in the hotel, the receptionist told him that they usually rang a doctor nearby and he would call in shortly. Frank thanked the girl and they waited for the doctor to arrive, a knock on the door announced that the doctor was there and Conrad hurried to open the door. The elderly doctor entered and they told him what had happened and he checked Timmy out carefully for any injuries then said, " He has a couple of bruises from the seat belt but other than that the damage is psychological I'm afraid. The boy needs something to calm him down, I have some Valium here just give him one now then see how he is tomorrow morning. He may need another then if he's still upset." Les thanked the doctor and paid the medico's bill and the doctor left the suite and headed for the lifts. Timmy was lying on Les's lap and soon became drowsy and his eyes closed as he dropped off into a deep sleep. They all decided that they weren't hungry and all would go to bed early and try to sleep. Silence descended on the rooms as they all traveled to the Land of Nod, nobody was in the mood for sex after the harrowing afternoon. Next morning John awoke refreshed and immediately rang the hospital to enquire about Michael's condition, the hospital reported that he was in critical condition and was in intensive care. John told the hospital that they were to spare no expense in his treatment and that he would pay for the best surgeons if needed. He told them who he was and the hospital knew of his great charity work and that he had financed a cancer ward in a hospital in Victoria. They told John that they were already doing their best for the young man but if needed they would get expert surgeons in. John hung up and told everyone the news, it wasn't terrific news but at least Michael was still alive and fighting to live. They felt a little happier now that they knew he was alive still and then Nick said, " I'm starving I think I could eat young Timmy." Timmy giggled for the first time since the accident and was obviously over the major trauma. They rang room service and ordered their meal as they had to go out later to check on the Siren's Song's repairs.