Page 69 of A Bridge Through Time
“She’ll be fine. I stitched up the sword wound in her arm. Fortunately, it didn’t do any major damage. She has a wee bit of a concussion, from a blow to her head. The cuts and bruising will disappear in a week or so and the only other real issue is the broken bone in her arm. We’ll have that x-rayed at the hospital and put it into a cast, and she’ll be back to normal in no time,” Dr. Donaldson said.
Cailin breathed a sigh of relief and moved to stand beside Ashley, who had her eyes closed and seemed unaware of his presence.
“She’s asleep, lad. She’s been through a great deal and she’s mentally and physically exhausted. I’ve given her some medication for the pain, so she’ll sleep for a while. Now, go and get dressed so you can travel with her to the E.R.”
Cailin did as he was told, but he had no idea what an E.R. was or how they were going to travel there. Would they travel on horseback? Or was he expected to get into one of those horrifying boxes on wheels, which he’d seen travelling at such speed on the hard path outside? He was about to ask Dr. Donaldson, when he heard a horrifying sound which grew louder by the second. He searched frantically for the source as the noise got closer and thankfully, it suddenly stopped.
“What was that?” Cailin asked.
“Don’t worry yourself, lad. It’s just the ambulance come to get Ashley,” Edna explained.
Cailin watched Edna open the chamber door to two men who entered wearing strange, matching clothing. They talked withthe doctor for a few minutes and then brought a strange, narrow bed on wheels into the room. They carefully placed Ashley on this narrow bed and covered her with another of the thick plaids. Cailin hovered close by, prepared to pummel anyone who might hurt Ashley. The men pushed Ashley carefully through the chamber door and Edna pulled Cailin aside before he could follow.
“Cailin, you can ride with me, if you’d like,” she suggested.
“Can I nae go with Ashley?” he demanded.
“Yes, of course, but if anyone asks you any questions, you can’t tell them what really happened,” Edna warned. “The bridge and the fog are a secret to most people. Only a few of us know about it.”
“What should I say?” Cailin asked, worried about what would happen if he made a mistake.
“Be vague,” Edna suggested. Cailin stared at her in puzzlement and she continued with a sigh. “If anybody asks what happened, tell them she was attacked by a stranger while you were on a camping trip. You saved her, but the culprit got away.” Edna patted his arm reassuringly. “Don’t worry. I’ll be right behind you in my car. I’ll get to you as quickly as I can, so I can deal with any questions.”
Edna led Cailin down the stairs and outside to the ambulance. The two men had just finished loading Ashley into the back. Cailin tried his best not to look terrified at travelling in this strange rolling beast.
Edna gave him a shove. “Get in with her, Cailin,” Edna ordered. “I’ll be right behind you.”
THIRTY-FIVE
Cailin got situated by Ashley’s side, and placed his hand on her leg, which seemed the only part of her body not attached to some strange items he’d never seen before. Some had numbers written upon them, which changed constantly before his eyes, and strange small flashing balls of red and green light, similar to the amazing candle which lit Edna’s bathing chamber, but tiny and round. Others beeped continuously, creating an unholy din that hurt his ears.
The doors to the ambulance were slammed shut and the ambulance jerked forward, startling Cailin. He wished Ashley were awake to explain it all to him. The man who had remained with them when the doors were shut gave him a curious look and Cailin did his best to act as if he rode in the back of these strange moving wagons all the time. He had the uneasy sensation that they were covering the ground at a verra fast speed. After a few minutes, Cailin’s initial apprehension died down, and as he relaxed he began to enjoy the speed at which they were travelling. He peered through the panes of glass and saw Ednatravelling behind them in a much smaller wagon. She was clutching some kind of wheel in her hands. Cailin guessed that the wheel Edna held somehow steered the wagon she travelled in. He wanted to examine it more closely and hoped Edna would allow him to do so when Ashley was well.
They came to a stop and the doors were pulled open. Cailin watched in amazement as the two men pulled Ashley from the horseless wagon. He saw the strange metal legs unfold from beneath the bed, the wheels allowing the men to push the narrow bed along again. Cailin was piling up questions he’d have to ask Ashley when she awoke, about the strange world he found himself in.
They went inside a very large building with large panes of glass, which magically slid open as they approached. Cailin tried to see who had opened them, but there was no one near them. A number of women stopped what they were doing to stare appreciatively at Cailin, who nodded in their direction, but remained focused on Ashley.
“This must be Ashley Moore.” A woman approached holding a board in her hand and wearing odd clothing and a strange item around her neck.
“Aye, ‘tis Ashley,” Cailin answered.
“Dr. Donaldson phoned ahead with the details. We’re going to take her straight to x-ray.” The woman motioned to the two men pushing Ashley’s narrow wheeled bed and they started down a long hallway.
“Can I nae go with her?” Cailin asked, apprehensive at the number of strange and frightening things that surrounded him in this large chamber. He didnae understand any of it and marveled at how well Ashley had adapted to Breaghacraig and his time. He wasn’t sure he could do the same thing here in her world.
“I’m afraid not.” The woman pointed towards a row of chairs, filled with a variety of people in strange clothing. “You can wait over there. We’ll call you when she’s done.”
He didn’t feel like sitting down, so he leaned against the wall and waited impatiently for Edna to arrive.
“Cailin,” Edna called when she came through the sliding panes of glass. “There you are, dear.”
“The lady told me to wait here.”
“Did they take Ashley to x-ray?”
“Aye,” Cailin nodded, but he was confused. “What is x-ray, Edna?”
“It’s a way for the doctor to see the bones in Ashley’s arm.”
