Frog jumped into his van and he took off, singing to a song on the radio as he drove back to the place he was staying.
"Frog, you ready to move again?" he asked as he slowed for a stop sign. He turned his attention back to the road and glanced in his mirrors, seeing that the truck behind him wasn't going to stop.
He punched the accelerator and turned right, skidding around the corner. The truck didn’t slow, and plowed into the side of a car Thario had narrowly missed swiping when he turned.
Frog hadn’t been prepared for Thario to drive so wildly and had almost fallen off the seat. He recovered and was licking his lips as he stared at Thario.
"It's okay, boy." Thario pulled out his phone and dialed for emergency services. He was still shaking as the operator answered.
He gave a quick rundown of where he was and what happened. He slowly got out of his van, telling Frog to stay, and headed over to the twisted mess of metal and broken glass.
“Hey, you okay?” a truck driver asked as he ran closer.
"Yeah, that truck was going way too fast."
The other guy ran around to the side of the car that had been hit to check on the driver while Thario moved to the truck.
He looked in, not recognizing the guy. When he’d seen the speeding truck, he’d half expected to find Brent driving. This guy just looked like someone who had a medical emergency.
“Hey, you okay?” Thario asked. The guy didn’t move. “Hey.” Thario poked the guy’s shoulder. “You okay?”
Again, the man didn’t move at all. Thario reached in and touched the man’s neck, trying to find a pulse. It took a moment, but he finally felt it, though it was weak.
Another car pulled up, and a guy and a woman got out and approached. The man was young and the woman about the same age, but they looked determined.
“Anyone hurt?” the woman asked.
“This guy,” Thario said.
The person in the car that had been hit was standing on their own. They looked a little out of it, but they weren’t unconscious.
“I just finished my fourth year of medical school. I’m not a doctor yet, but I’ve had training.”
The guy with her smiled. “I’m in the second year. So mostly theory.”
“I have some medic training,” Thario said. “I think the guy was passed out before he wrecked. He was going fast.”
“He may have a neck injury,” the woman said.
Thario nodded. “The truck doesn’t seem to be close to catching on fire.”
“We can take some time then.” The woman pulled a stethoscope from her pocket. “Let me take a listen.”
Thario stepped back and let the woman work. He glanced back and saw Frog watching his every move, ready to leap into action if Thario needed him.
The sound of a siren approaching filtered through the trees. He couldn’t tell yet which way the siren was coming from, buthe was relieved someone official was headed this way to help. An ambulance or fire truck would have a backboard and equipment to stabilize the guy in the truck.
The ambulance was the first to arrive, followed by a fire truck, then a highway patrol. Thario stuck around long enough to make sure the guy in the truck was being taken to the hospital. It would be a long ride from here, but at least he would be looked after.
He had gotten the guy's name and heard where he lived. It wasn't too far from the place he was staying now. He thought about dropping by after he signed the papers. Maybe that was silly, but he had an urge to go by and make sure everything was okay there.
Chapter 30
After signingthe contracts to buy the house, he let Frog run around in an open lot downtown before loading him up in the van and heading to his rental.
He passed by the street the guy from the truck lived on, and he slowed, wondering if he should stop.
“What do you think, Frog?”
