اورژانسی

Chapter five

Emergency

“Ricki? Ricki, can you hear me?” asks Mr Stockton.

The principal kneels next to Ricki and puts his hand on his head. Ricki is lying on the ground but he isn’t moving. His eyes are still closed.

“Stacy, call Ricki’s parents and tell them about the accident. Tony and Trish, ask for an ambulance. Ricki needs to go to hospital.”

Stacy uses her cell phone to call Mr and Mrs Anderson.

Trish runs into the school to call the hospital but she can’t find a telephone. She stops one of the students and says, “Please help me. This is an emergency. We need an ambulance. can I use your cell phone?”

The girl looks shocked. She gives Trish the phone.

“Hello? 911? We need an ambulance at Howard High School immediately. There has been a road accident. It’s an emergency! Please hurry!”

“Ricki, can you hear me?” asks Mr Stockton again. He looks at Stacy. “Stacy, you try. He knows your voice,” he says. Many of the students are coming out from the school now.

They stand together, pointing at Ricki and talking.

“What’s the matter?” asks one girl.

“Ricki Anderson had an accident. A car hit him,” replies another girl.

“Is he dead” says the first.

“Oh God, I don’t know, but he isn’t moving.”

Stacy is trying to talk to Ricki. She is crying but she tries to make him hear her voice.

“Ricki, can you hear me, honey? Ricki, it’s Stacy. Please, say something!” Mr Stockton looks carefully at Ricki. “He’s breathing normally. I don’t think he is hurt badly but his head is bleeding. He could have concussion.” Mr Stockton looks at the crowd of curious students.

“Did any of you kids see the accident?” he asks.

“Yes, me,” says Charlie Bell. “A red car came out of the parking lot very fast. It went straight at Ricki and knocked him down.”

“What about the driver?” asks Mr Stockton. “Who was it?”

“I don’t know. The car had dark windows, but I think there were two people in the car,” replies Charlie.

“Did you recognise them?” asks Mr Stockton.

“No, sorry, Mr Stockton,” replies Charlie.

Suddenly, Ricki moves a little bit. He groans. “Ohhh, my head hurts” he says.

“Oh, Ricki, you’re okay” cries Stacy. She holds his hand. She is crying. “My leg. I can’t feel my leg,” Ricki says weakly. “Help me, please.” Tony kneels down next to his friend.

“Ricki, listen. Don’t move. The ambulance is coming. Your parents are going to the hospital,” he says.

Ricki is very weak. He can’t speak hut he nods his head.

The ambulance drives up to the school, its siren flashing, and two paramedics get out.

“Move please, kids,” says one of the men. “We want to talk to the boy.”

“What’s your name?” the paramedic asks Ricki while his colleague examines him carefully.

“Ricki Anderson,” replies Ricki very quietly. He tries to move and groans with pain.

“No, don’t move, son. Where’s the pain” asks the paramedic.

“In my head and in my leg,” replies Ricki.

“What happened?” asks the other man, looking at Mr Stockton.

“It was a hit-and-run,” says Mr Stockton. “A car knocked him down, then drove away.”

“In that case we must inform the police,” replies the paramedic, pressing a number on his cell phone.

They put Ricki on the stretcher and take him to the ambulance. Stacy gets into the ambulance too.

“Ricki, don’t worry. You’re going to be okay. I’m going to the hospital with you.” She holds his hand.

“Are you a relative, Miss?” asks one of the men.

“No. but.” begins Stacy.

“I’m sorry, Miss, but you can’t come in the ambulance,” says the paramedic.

Stacy gets out again. She is very upset.

“Don’t worry, Stacy, we’re going to the hospital,” says Tony. “Come on, we can go by bus.”

Trish, Tony and Stacy are shocked by Ricki’s accident. They sit in silence on the bus. All of them are thinking that maybe it wasn’t really an accident.

“We have to find the driver of that red car,” says Stacy. “I’m sure he has some connection with the notes and e-mails you guys got. Those notes were not a joke. Someone wants to hurt Ricki. And Tony - you’re next!”