As the ambulance bearers did their work, Drew stared down at his lifeless friend. He lifted his mobile phone with a shaking, bloodied hand, and tried to search for Mike Jarvis's number. "Fuck." He wiped his eyes with the back of his fingers to clear his vision, found the number and pressed call.

"Drew." Mike put his coffee cup on the staff canteen table, leaned back in his chair and said, "How are you mate?"

"It's... it's... Linc."

Mike lunged forward in his seat. "What about Linc?"

"He... he... fell. I'm... I'm... so sorry, Michael."

"What the hell are you talking about, Drew?" Mike's heart raced, he stood slowly as he struggled to take in air. "What do you mean?"

"I... we..." Drew held back a sob. "They're taking him now," he said as the paramedics lifted the stretcher. Drew followed, lowered the phone and called after them, "Which hospital?"

One of the first responders touched Drew's shoulder to get his attention. "He'll be taken to the Base first. They'll stabilise him there but I'm confident he'll have to be flown to Brisbane."

"What? Why?" Drew cried.

"We suspect that he has a fractured skull, mate." The officer directed Drew to sit on the rock wall adding, "And possible spinal injuries."

"No..." Drew tried to stand but the medic prevented him. "This can't be happening," he said as the last of his breath left his lungs.

"Are you on the phone to someone?" The ambulance officer gently pried the phone from Drew's hand and put it to his ear. "Hello. This is Brian Moss. I'm one of the paramedics here on the site." He listened, and then said, "Superintendent Jarvis. I'm sorry but your son has had a fall. He's been taken to the Base as we speak." Again he listened. After a moment he said, "Yes, sir. I'll meet you there and have Drew with me. He's in shock so I'd like a doctor to take a look at him."

"It was a second. It just took a second," Drew murmured. "I should have been paying more attention. It's my fault." He covered his face with his blood stained hands, as he tried to drag in air. Drew's body trembled as his lungs fought to expand. "I should have been watching him."

"Hey." Brian put pressure on Drew's shoulder. "These things happen. I know it means nothing to you right now but it was an accident and no one's fault." He waited for a moment, and then said, "Come on. You need to come with me to the hospital. It's my job to have you looked at properly."

"I can't." Drew shook his head. "The site. I have to pack up. Secure it."

"Don't worry about it." Brian encouraged Drew to stand. The young man was looking around in a daze. "There are people on their way right now. Superintendent Jarvis said he'd have his officers call your boss so it's all in hand."

"You're sure?" Drew looked at him with hope.

"I'm sure," Brian confirmed. "We're to meet Linc's parents at the hospital."

"Yeah." Drew nodded. "Okay." He nodded some more. "I gotta say sorry. I gotta be there for Linc." He burst into tears, bent over and clutched his stomach as the pain of grief raked his body. The world was crashing around him, crushing the air from his lungs and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.

"Come on, mate." Brian took a firm hold of Drew and walked him to the service car. "You're in shock. Everything is going to be okay."

"But is it?" Drew said with desperation.

"He's a strong lad," Brian said. "We can only wait and see." He opened the door and steered Drew to sit. "Do up your seat belt. The quicker we get there the sooner we'll know what's going on."

*****

The phone rang just as there was a knock on the door. Sheila paused before answering it, undecided if she should answer her phone first or check who was pounding on the timber panels. She lifted her mobile, saw that it was Michael, grinned at no one and clicked the green button as she made her way to the front entrance. "Hello you. What's up?"

"Sheila. I want you to sit down."

"What?" Sheila frowned. Her husband sounded weird. The knock stopped but was replaced by the doorbell ringing. "Someone's at the door. I can't sit down and why would you want me to do that anyway? What's going on, Mike?"

"Ah, good. They're there. Go answer the door."

"Michael! You're scaring me," Sheila pleaded as she pulled the door opened. With her mouth agape she said, "There's two officers here. Michael! What's going on?"

"It's alright, honey. If you sit down, I'll tell you."

Sheila's face caved. She dropped to her knees. "No... no... please don't tell me something's happened to one of the kids."

One officer took her by the arm, lifted her onto her feet and helped her into lounge while the other gently pried the phone from her hand, and then lifted it to his ear. "It's Officer Rattray, sir." He listened, and then said, "Yes, sir. I will. We'll be there very soon."

"Dennis," Steve Rattray said. "Can you go get Mrs. Jarvis some water please?"

"What's going on?" Sheila sobbed.

Steve reached over to the corner coffee table, pulled out a bunch of tissues from the box there and handed them to her. "Mrs. Jarvis, the Superintendent wants me to tell you not to panic. He said to tell you that Linc has had an accident and we're to transport you to the hospital. He'll meet you there."

"What kind of accident?" Sheila demanded as she scrunched up the paper handkerchiefs.

"We haven't been told all the details, Mrs. Jarvis. The Super said he'd tell you everything when you get to the hospital but you're not to panic. Your son is being taken care of as we speak."

"Okay. Right. Ah..." Sheila stood up and paced. "I was going to put a roast on." She turned to walk toward the kitchen, and then spun back to face the officers. Royer held out the glass of water to her but she shook her head and said, "Should I do that? Put the roast on. Linc'll be hungry when he comes home." She looked from one to the other and then said, "I better go empty the bin and make sure there's some Coke in the fridge."

As she turned away from them, Dennis and Steve exchanged glances. She was obviously in shock. Steve quickly took her gently by the arm and said, "It's all good, Mrs. Jarvis. We'll take care of that."

"Oh, yes. What was I going to do?" Sheila gave them a puzzled look, and then said, "Should I pack him some pyjamas?"

"Maybe later," Officer Dennis Royer said. "I'll lock up the house while you grab your bag, and then we'll take you to the hospital."

"Yes. That's right. I'll just go get it. I'm like a chook with its head cut off." She gave them a smile and headed to the kitchen where her bag was hanging on the back of one of the barstools.

*****

Sheila clung to Michael's forearm as the doctor spoke. It all seemed so unreal. Not a dream but a nightmare. She fought to push the worst thoughts from her mind and concentrated on what was being said.

"We're flying him out immediately," the doctor said. "He'll be taken to The Princess Alexandra. They're the experts for head traumas."

"What about his back?" Michael insisted. "We were told he might have a spinal injury."

"I'm glad to be able to tell you he has no spinal injuries but he's got a severe break in his right hip." He glanced at his notes. "His records show that he's broken this hip before."

"Yes." Michael nodded. "When he was eleven. He was in a car accident."

"Right." The doctor lowered his paperwork and focused on the family. These were the moments he hated about his job. Distraught parents, grasping for hope in his words but anything could happen in cases like this. Honesty was the best policy. "His hip will heal but of course you realise he'll need physio and time." He brought his fingers tips together as he said, "The skull fracture is our biggest concern but he's going to a top hospital, will have the best care available and I'm confident that he'll get through this. At worse, he may have some brain damage but with therapy and proper care..." His words lingered as he looked at the two faces in front of him.

"So... so..." Michael didn't want to say it but he had to know. They had to know. "You're saying he might not be the same; that he might have sustained permanent brain damage."

"Yes. I'm sorry. That is always a possibility when there's been a head injury this serious but, let's not rush to any conclusions." The doctor gave them a hopeful smile. "I've found positivity helps both the patient and their family."

"Okay." Michael hung his head and clutched his hands together. Positivity? At the moment he didn't feel very positive of much. He sucked in a lungful of air, and then looked up at the doctor as he said, "We'll do that." He held out his hand to the doctor. "We'll be by his bedside the whole time."

Poor Sheila. I'm not sure that she's coping very well with this news.

Photo copyright - Queensland Ambulance Paramedical College.