Page 4 of Strike a Chord
“Okay.I’m not going to touch it.But I’m going to carefully remove your shoes and get you to wiggle your toes for me, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Great job.”
The sound of sirens off the in distance inflated Jennifer’s heart and a moment later red and white flashing lights filled up the rearview mirror.
Dax returned to Jennifer.“Where abouts do you live, Jennifer?”
“Qu-Qualicum.We were in Vancouver visiting f-family.”She was shivering even though she wore a heavy sweater and had on warm wool socks.
“You’re going into shock.Hang on.”Dax disappeared.
“Wait!Don’t go.”
He appeared again.“I’m just getting you a blanket from my truck.I’ll be right back.I promise.”
She nodded.“O-okay.”
“I’m also going to close the doors so you guys don’t get wet.”He closed her door and Levi’s, then disappeared.
“Mum, I’m scared,” Levi said.
“I know, sweetie.Me, too.”
True to his word, Dax reappeared with a thick Mexican blanket draped over his arms.He opened her door again and placed it across her body, just beneath her neck.“The paramedics are here,” he said, smiling.“They’re going to check you guys out properly.”
“P-please don’t leave,” she stammered.
He squeezed her shoulder.“I won’t go anywhere.I promise.”Then he stepped aside so the paramedics could properly evaluate her and Levi.
It felt like hours that they were out there in the cold, dark and rain, when in actuality it was probably closer to an hour.Traffic was, of course, backed up and even though it wasn’t Jennifer’s fault, she felt guilty for inconveniencing people’s travels.
The Tesla driver was a young man, who besides a few bumps and bruises, walked away fine.Levi was the one to end up with a fractured wrist, and Jennifer had whiplash.
Not to mention a totalled car.
She sat in the back of the ambulance shivering, only warmed by the slowly building rage inside of her as she glared at the Tesla driver, who sat in the other ambulance talking to a police officer.
Dax approached her, his hands in the pocket of his plaid coat.“I’ve already given my statement, as have others.You were not at fault.”
“Oh, I know I wasn’t,” she said through clenched teeth.“That little son-of-a-bitch was.And now I don’t have a vehicle and my kid has a broken wrist, because he was an impatient little prick who couldn’t wait for the advanced green.”
Dax smiled.“Is that fire warming you up?”
Even though she was full of rage, that made her laugh.“A little, actually.”
“Are they taking you to the hospital?”he asked.
She nodded.“Yeah, Levi needs a cast.”
“Then how are you going to get home?Can you call your husband or family?”
Her laugh was humorless this time.“No husband.And no family.We moved to Qualicum for a fresh start and although we have friends there, it’s so late I would never call them to come get us.”
“So notthosekinds of friends.”
Her heart shrunk.“I guess not.”She frowned.“I mean, I could call my landlords.But they’re older and definitely asleep.I can’t do that to them.”
