When her phone rang, she thought it must be her granddad making sure everything was okay. But Zac’s name appeared at the top of the screen. With a trembling hand, she answered the call. “Hi, Zac. Is Granddad all right?”
“I’m not calling about Benjamin.” There was an edge to his voice that made her frown. “There’s been an accident just out of town. A shuttle bus ran off the road and there are multiple casualties. I’m sorry to ask you this, but the paramedics are at least twenty minutes away. If you’re in town, can you come with me?”
Harper’s breath caught in her throat. The sudden flashback to the overwhelming days at Bellevue Hospital during the pandemic flooded her senses. The sound of the monitors, the despair, the touch of fleeting hope—it was all rushing around inside her, making her feel sick.
“Harper?” Zac’s voice, edged with concern, pierced her memories.
“Yes, yes, of course. I’m at Owen’s studio. I’ll meet you at the clinic,” she managed to reply, her voice stronger than she felt. Ending the call, she turned to Owen and his family. “I have to leave. There’s been an accident and Zac needs me.”
Owen left the box he was holding on the counter. “I’ll take you.”
Daniella rushed behind the counter and grabbed Harper’s jacket. “We’ll turn off the lights and lock the door after we leave.” She squeezed Harper’s arm before turning to her brother. “If Zac needs more help, just call.”
Owen pulled up the zipper of his jacket. “I will.” With a quick goodbye to his family, he held Harper’s hand. “Let’s go. Are you all right?”
Harper didn’t know how she felt. All she knew was that people needed her help.
Chapter13
Driving to Zac’s clinic from the studio was quicker than walking. Tension filled the cab of the vehicle as Harper prepared herself for what lay ahead, for the injuries they could face when they arrived at the accident.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, drawing on her years of experience to steady her nerves. Owen was quiet. She looked across at him and sighed. “I appreciate you taking me to help Zac.”
He sent her a reassuring smile. “If it’s okay with you and Zac, I’d like to come with you. You might need another pair of hands.”
Harper didn’t expect him to do that. “Are you sure?”
“It’s better than being at the studio and worrying about you.”
She appreciated his support, but that didn’t make her less worried about his PTSD. “If it gets too much, sit somewhere that’s away from the accident. I’ll find you before we leave.”
Reaching out, Owen squeezed her hand. “I’ll be okay. I’ve done enough first-aid training to know what to do.”
As soon as they arrived at the clinic, Harper jumped out of the truck. Zac was waiting for them, his face grim. “Owen’s offered to come with us.”
Zac breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Owen. I’ve already put the extra supplies and equipment we might need in my truck.”
Without wasting a moment, they climbed into Zac’s truck and drove toward the edge of town.
Harper’s breath caught when she saw the shuttle bus. It lay awkwardly against a tree, its side crumpled, windows shattered. Six passengers had managed to get out of the vehicle, their expressions a mix of shock and pain. She didn’t know how many were trapped inside, but their moans of distress cut through the evening air.
Zac was immediately in doctor mode, his voice calm but authoritative as he opened the truck’s tailgate and pulled out a medical bag. “Harper, can you come with me? We’ll assess the people in the shuttle bus. Owen, can you make the people on the side of the road as comfortable as possible? Take the first aid kits and the defibrillator with you, and make sure you put on a pair of gloves. If they get caught on anything, sanitize your hands before putting on another pair. Harper will be back as soon as we’ve stabilized the people in the bus.”
As Owen reached in to retrieve the medical supplies, Harper grabbed a kit and followed Zac.
Her heart raced as she stepped over broken glass and twisted metal. Inside the bus, the scene was even more dire. The trapped passengers were in varying states of consciousness, their injuries more severe than she’d imagined.
The driver was pinned to his seat by the steering wheel and was unconscious. While Zac tried to stabilize him, Harper moved to the other side of the vehicle. The woman in the front passenger seat had taken the worst of the impact. Her legs were crushed and she had severe abdominal pain. The teenager sitting directly behind her couldn’t move or feel her legs.
“I’ll ask Owen to help us,” Harper told Zac.
As soon as he arrived, Owen put a cervical collar on the teenager and applied pressure bandages to the worst of her injuries. His quiet, reassuring voice helped Harper as much as it did the young girl.
Zac pulled an oxygen mask over the driver’s head. “How are the other patients, Owen?”
“They’re doing okay. All six have cuts from broken glass or hitting their heads on the side of the bus. I left some bandages and foil blankets with them. They’re able to help each other until I get back.”
Zac nodded. “That’s great. How are you both feeling?”
