It looked nice. A little patch of grass that hadn’t been rained on steadily for the last two weeks. There were a couple of old deckchairs and a large metal barrel for a makeshift table.
‘Thanks.’ Mimi reached for the bag with the sandwiches and flask and opened the car door. In a gesture of old-world courtesy, the man held out his hand for her to take as she got out.
His bright blue eyes twinkled as he saw the size of her lunch bag. The cutting of sandwiches this morning had been more of a therapeutic effort than anything, and she had no idea how she and Rafe were going to eat them all.
‘You need to sit down and eat a good lunch. Keeps you going.’ The man was probably sixty if he was a day, but all the same he tucked her hand in the crook of his arm, in case she needed to lean on him on the way over to the tarpaulin.
It was a small act of kindness, magnified by the emptiness in her heart. ‘You’ve got yourselves all set up here.’
‘We’ve been digging along this stretch for days, all the men of the village in shifts. There’s another gang down the road.’
‘And no flooding so far?’
‘Touch wood.’ The man tapped his forehead.
‘What about the other side?’ The fields on the other side of the river were already deep in water.
‘Can’t do anything about the farm; Chris knows that. We’ve done what we can to help him. My wife’s up at the farmhouse at the moment, helping lay sandbags.’ The man took off his cap and scratched his balding head. ‘The water’s got to go somewhere.’
‘She’s not overdoing it, I hope.’
The man chuckled. ‘If you happen to be passing, you might just stop and tell her that; she doesn’t listen to me. Now, you just sit down here.’
He brushed the dingy canvas of the most stable-looking deckchair and motioned her into it. Then he produced an impossibly clean white handkerchief from inside his jacket and spread it on top of the barrel.
‘Thank you. This is nice.’ The view over the river would look almost idyllic if she hadn’t known that the bright reflections in the distance were the result of flooded villages and fields.
‘Pleasure. Always a pleasure to see one of your people.’ He nodded towards Mimi’s bright ambulance service jacket. ‘You’re doing a fine job.’
‘Thank you.’ Tears were beginning to mist Mimi’s eyes. She could just about handle the brittle good humour between herself and Rafe, the thought that after today she probably wouldn’t see him again, but right now kindness was the only thing that could threaten to break her.
Rafe was still with the other men, clearly discussing earthworks, five heads turning one way and another in synchronisation as the men surveyed the digging. Mimi put her Thermos down on the handkerchief, hearing a dull clang as she did so.
‘What’s in the barrel?’
‘That’s from the brewery, miss.’ The man tapped the side of his nose in a gesture of friendly conspiracy. ‘Came floating down the river. We called them, but they’ve got enough to worry about at the moment.’
‘The Old Brewery’s flooded?’ That didn’t come as much of a surprise; it was right by the river.
‘Three days ago. They’re clearing out the mess now but I say it’s too soon. There was more rain last night and the river’s too high just now.’
‘I’ll bet you’ve seen a few floods...’ This area was on a flood plain and the rivers broke their banks regularly every few years.
‘This is the worst. Never seen nothing like this.’ The man surveyed the expanse of water before them. ‘Want a sip of beer with your lunch?’
‘You’re drinking it?’ Mimi looked at the barrel more closely and saw a large shiny patch of metal where it had been cleaned and a tap inserted. ‘It’s been in the water.’
‘You’re telling a Somerset man how to drink his beer?’
‘Well, no...’ That would be sacrilege. And, anyway, Mimi knew that she’d be wasting her breath.
‘Just be careful, though; that water’s filthy. If I find you’ve made yourself ill I’ll rat on you to the doctors and they’ll be giving you every precautionary test that the hospital can throw at you.’ If she had no jurisdiction in the question of beer-drinking, she could at least exert some authority on the matter of infection control.
The man chuckled. ‘We gave the barrel a good wash before we tapped it. Made sure of that.’
Maybe she should get Rafe to enquire more closely on the matter. Or confiscate the barrel, or get the men to pour the beer away in the river. She glanced towards him. He was standing with his hands in his pockets, deep in conversation, obviously now a temporary member of the gang. He’d probably just clap the men on the back, congratulate them on their ingenuity and accept a pint from the barrel.
Mimi puffed out a breath and reached for her pack of sandwiches. For the next ten minutes she was off duty.
Rafe had strolled across and helped himself to a sandwich from the pile. ‘These look good.’
She nodded. The coldness between them was already beginning to set in. When they were working and there was a shared objective, it was a little easier to ignore. ‘Did you know they’re drinking from there?’ She pointed to the barrel.
‘Really?’ He inspected the tap. ‘Looks as if they’ve cleaned it up...’
‘All the same. I wouldn’t take the chance on it...’
‘Yeah, you’re right. Leave it with me. I’ll have a word.’ He walked back over to the group of men, taking a large bite from his sandwich.
Ten minutes of welcome relaxation and then Rafe was back, jogging towards her, hastily putting his phone back into his jacket. ‘Time to go.’
‘What’s up?’ Mimi was on her feet instantly, grabbing her flask and the rest of the sandwiches and stuffing them into the bag. There was an urgency in Rafe’s movements which meant only one thing.
‘You know where the Old Brewery is?’
‘Yeah, just follow the barrels floating down the river.’ She threw the bag into the car and scrambled in. ‘It’s a couple of miles that way...’
Rafe started the SUV up with a jolt, spraying mud from the back wheels, and then they were on the road again, the group of men returning her hurried wave goodbye.
* * *
This call was going to need an ambulance in attendance, but they were nearby and every minute might count. A man working at the brewery had got careless and touched a live cable running from a generator.
‘The ambulance controller told us not to move him. But the water’s rising again...’ The man who greeted them was obviously in authority here and he guided them quickly towards the redbrick building. The yard was awash with water and duckboards were laid across it.
‘Where is he?’ Mimi seemed concentrated on only one goal, striding towards the building. Rafe followed, carrying the holdall which contained the emergency resus gear.
He moved past her to lead the way, reckoning that since they were barely talking to each other she could hardly object. They went up a flight of steps, leaving the sludge-covered ground floor to find that the rooms upstairs were clean and dry, their white-painted walls seeming to defy the mess downstairs.
They were shown through to a large open area which smelled strongly of malt. A man was lying on the floor, a folded coat under his head. The small group of his fellow workers parted as they saw Rafe and Mimi.
Mimi was on her knees next to him. She looked down at the man and smiled. ‘Hi there. Stay still now; the doctor’s here.’
Rafe heaved a sigh of relief. He was obviously breathing and conscious. He dumped the bag and knelt down on the other side of the man. As he examined him, he heard Mimi questioning the men who were standing around, getting the information that he needed to know. The man hadn’t been unconscious; he’d been thrown clear of the cable. His name was Grant.
‘I’m going to clip something on to your finger now...’ Rafe turned to fetch the pulse monitor and found that Mimi was already holding it.
‘Thanks.’ Rafe checked the small display and nodded in satisfaction. The man had some nasty burns on his arm and had cracked his head on the concrete floor when he fell, but he was breathing and his pulse was fast but steady.
The sound of running footsteps behind them, and a man’s voice. ‘Mr Harding... The water’s rising fast...’
Everyone’s head turned towards the man who had ushered Rafe and Mimi inside. ‘How much time have we got?’
‘Fifteen, twenty minutes. The water’s building up at the back and it’ll be coming in through the windows soon...’
Mr Harding turned to Rafe. ‘We need to evacuate the building as soon as we can. The ground floor’s about to be flooded again.’
Rafe turned to Mimi and she nodded in answer to his unasked question. ‘Okay, we’ll move him now.’ He looked around for something that might be pressed into service as a makeshift stretcher.
‘We’ve got a carry cot.’ Mr Harding gestured towards a large canvas bag which lay on the floor.
‘Really?’ Mimi’s eyebrows shot up and Mr Harding smiled grimly.
‘Health and Safety. We don’t take any chances.’
‘Nice one.’ Mimi was already unzipping the bag and taking out the tubular framework. The cot wasn’t as sturdy as the ambulance issue ones, but it would do.
‘I want everyone out of here. Pete and Stan, supervise that, will you?’ Mr Harding gave the crisp order and no one moved. Clearly no one was going anywhere until they saw their workmate safely down the stairs and out of the building.
Mimi snapped the carry cot framework open, testing its stability before she laid it next to Grant. ‘You, and you...’ She pointed to Mr Harding and another man. ‘I’ll need you to help us hold the cot steady and lift him on to it.’
She put everyone exactly where she wanted them, issuing directions to everyone. Grant was lifted carefully on to the carry cot and she tucked the pulse monitor alongside him.
‘I need a coat...’ Everyone immediately started to take their coats off and Mimi smiled. ‘Thanks, guys, just one. That’ll do.’ She took a light waterproof jacket and tied it over Grant, securing the sleeves together under the cot to augment the flimsy-looking straps.
‘Ready?’ Rafe had been keeping an eye on Grant, trying not to notice that Mimi was both unstoppable and magnificent when she swung into action.
‘Yep. I want three volunteers to help with the stairs...’ Mr Harding signalled to two burly men, who stepped forward with him. ‘Right, now. This is what I want you to do.’
Under Mimi’s direction, Rafe and the two volunteers manoeuvred Grant safely down the stairs. Dirty brown water was already sloshing around on the concrete at ground-floor level, and two ambulance men met them at the bottom of the stairs.
‘We need to get a move on. Looks as if we don’t have as much time as we thought...’ Mr Harding was looking anxiously towards the back of the building, which faced the river.
‘Okay.’ Rafe allowed one of the ambulance men to take over his place at the carry cot and turned back up the stairs. ‘You go on ahead; I’ll fetch the medical bag.’
He took the stairs two at a time, glancing behind him when he got to the top to see Mimi, standing alone in the middle of the loading bay. ‘What are you doing, Rafe? We need to get out...’
‘I’ll only be a minute. You go.’
‘Forget the bag; we can collect it later...’ She turned as an ominous groaning came from the back of the building, accompanied by the crash of metal hitting metal.
‘Mimi. Go...’ He shouted the words but she still hesitated, as if she was waiting for him. ‘Now!’
She glanced at the stairs, then the entrance to the loading bay, obviously gauging which she should make a run for. Then she started to sprint towards the sunlight pouring through the entrance.
She didn’t make it.
A loud crack sounded and a metal door at the far end of the loading bay flew off the wall, a great plume of water behind it. It travelled six feet and then crashed down, catching Mimi on the side of her head. Rafe heard her scream above the roar of the incoming flood, and then he lost sight of her.
‘Mimi...’ Her name tore from his throat in a ragged cry as he raced down the stairs. Pausing for one moment to try and locate her, he ripped off his jacket and plunged into the water.
Buffeted by the powerful force of the flood, he waded through waist-high water to the spot where he’d last seen her. Groping for her, almost blinded by mud, he plunged down into the water again and again. Choking and retching as dirty water found its way into his throat, he ducked under the torrent again. If he couldn’t find her, then he too would be lost.
His hand touched something soft. He reached for it and found her arm, and tugged her towards him. Now that the water was reaching the same level as it had been at the back it was calmer and he managed to haul her lifeless body up into his arms. As he did so, a long shape disentangled itself from her leg and Rafe saw it borne away from them in the rush of water.
As he pulled her over his shoulder, it registered at the back of his mind. The dark brown body of the snake, with black zigzag markings. It looked like an adder, but he couldn’t stop to find out. His first priority was to get Mimi out of here, and get her breathing.
He heard her choke, one feeble sign of life, and pushed doggedly forward towards the light coming in through the open shutters of the loading bay. Willing hands were there at the door, guiding him up to dry ground. Carefully, he laid her down on her side, on the bed of coats that had hurriedly been prepared for her.
‘Mimi...’ Rafe cleared her mouth and dirty water dribbled from her lips. Then she choked again, expelling the rest of the water from her lungs.
‘That’s right, honey. Breathe for me.’ She had to breathe. If she didn’t he would suffocate too.
She took one huge gasp of air and then her eyes snapped open suddenly, wide and frightened.
‘All right. It’s all right, Mimi, I’ve got you.’
Her hand moved unsteadily to the side of her face, where blood was trickling from a nasty gash. Rafe caught it in his.
‘I see it. Just lie still for me, honey; you’re going to be all right.’
She started to whimper, hanging on to his hand. Mr Harding was kneeling down on the other side of her, watching anxiously, and Rafe spoke quickly to him. ‘I think I saw an adder in the water. Tell everyone to be careful...’
Mr Harding nodded. The word was passed around the group of men behind them as Rafe wiped the blood from her face, hoping that none of it was the result of a bite.
Nothing. Just the cut, running along her jawline. Mimi was moaning fitfully and Mr Harding caught hold of her hand, talking to her and keeping her still. Rafe turned his attention to the leg of her trousers, which was ripped and soaked with blood.
There was a four-inch cut on her ankle, and blood was pumping from it. Above it, three double puncture marks, just below her knee. The snake, washed out of its home and terrified, had bitten her repeatedly, probably releasing its full supply of venom. Rafe pushed back the instinctive dread which clutched at his heart. No one had died from an adder bite in years.
‘Mimi...?’ A man’s voice behind him. Rafe glanced round and saw one of the ambulance crew who had come for Grant.
‘I need gloves, a dressing pad and a splint for her leg. We go in two minutes.’ Rafe rapped out the words and the man nodded, turning.
‘Rafe... Feel...sick.’
‘I know. I want you to stay still, honey. Can you do that for me?’ He wrapped his hand around hers.
‘Yes. Stay still.’ Somehow she managed a lopsided smile. ‘Hold on to me...’
‘I’m here.’ Her brea
thing was becoming increasingly laboured and she had started to wheeze. Her eyes fluttered closed and Rafe shouted for adrenaline.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THEY RAN ON sirens and flashing lights, Grant on one side of the ambulance, Mimi on the other. She had gone into anaphylactic shock, but prompt treatment with adrenaline had stabilised her. Rafe had splinted her leg to keep it still and now all he could do was watch and wait until they could get her to the hospital.
A team was waiting for them in A and E. Rafe followed the gurney in a daze, pushing past the nurse who caught his arm.
‘I’m sorry...’ He felt the nurse’s grip on his arm, tighter now and more insistent, and he stopped, keeping his eyes on the retreating back of the doctor who was walking beside Mimi. ‘But I have to go to her...’
‘You have to step back now.’ The nurse looked up at him, oozing no-nonsense sympathy. ‘We need to get you clean and dry and then examine you.’
‘I’m all right.’
‘Maybe. But you’re in the way here.’ Rafe didn’t move and the nurse leaned closer. ‘Mimi’s one of ours. We’ll look after her.’
* * *
Rafe had called Charlie and they’d waited together in one of the family rooms. Finally the doctor who had been treating Mimi appeared, her face impassive.
Rafe had hung back, knowing he had little right to stand with Charlie and hear what the doctor had to say, but Charlie had beckoned him over. They listened together and Rafe numbly shook her hand, thanking her.
‘Now tell me what all that means.’ Charlie spun his wheelchair around, motioning Rafe to a chair opposite him.
‘It means...’ Rafe could hardly bear to think about it, but he knew that Charlie needed to know and he had to be strong for him. ‘She’s come through the worst of it. Mimi’s very ill at the moment, but she’s strong and fighting back. There’s no reason why she can’t make a full recovery.’
Charlie nodded. ‘What is she facing now?’
‘She went into anaphylactic shock when she was bitten. That means they probably won’t use any antivenom unless they absolutely have to, in case her body reacts by going into shock again. At the moment she’s fighting back, but they’ll need to keep a close eye on her. She’s also inhaled a lot of dirty water, and that’s irritated the lining of her lungs. That’ll mend, but she’s been admitted to the ICU and sedated. Rest and care are the best things for her right now.’
Rescued by Dr. Rafe Page 12