by Tony Butler
“Right, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Mary said. “Dad’s waiting for me over there. He’s talking to Miss Hollinghead, and your grandparents look as though they’re waiting to go too.”
“Right, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jay said.
Chapter Two
Carl and Alex waited for Sophie by the pedestrian shortcut that ran between the houses of their estate. She came hurrying in their direction carrying her backpack, but slowed her pace when she saw them.
Alex wondered why she was looking so mad when she finally reached them.
“It’s not my fault you didn’t win,” he said quickly. “I didn’t even know that Slymond could sing, but I’ll get Williams for crossing us.” He slid an arm around her shoulders, intending to kiss her, but she shrugged his arm off.
“We’re finished,” she said. “I can guess what you and Carl were doing in our changing rooms.”
Alex flinched. How had she learned about the photos?
“You were spying on us getting changed,” she said. “Well, I hope you got a good look because that’s all you’re going to get from me from now on.”
She didn’t know! Alex breathed a sigh of relief. “You’ve got it all wrong,” he said. “We saw this guy coming out and we—”
Sophie cut him off. “You’re a liar and must think I’m stupid!” She pushed past him, but he grasped her coat, stopping her.
“No one dumps me,” he growled.
Sophie laughed in his face. “They do now.”
He didn’t know what to do. He wanted to bash her—hurt her, but most of all he wanted her to be his again. But somehow he knew he couldn’t, that Sophie meant what she’d said. They were finished. He felt as though his insides were tearing apart, and his anger at the thought of her kissing, or having sex with some other boy, made him suddenly want to hurt her. He was strong for a seventeen-year-old and he shoved her hard into Carl, who automatically grabbed her.
“Hold her for me,” Alex snarled. He seized a handful of Sophie’s hair and yanked her head back.
“I’m going smash your face in, you bitch. No one will fancy you when I’ve finished.”
“No,” she cried.
“Yes,” Alex laughed, and threw a punch at her face. But Carl blocked the punch and grabbed Alex’s arm.
“Pack it in, Alex,” Carl said. “I’m not going to let you hurt her.” He released Sophie and Alex jerked his head back just in time so that her fingernails only clawed his cheek. Her knee rammed into his balls, and even though he’d managed to deflect most of its force with his inner thigh, the pain was incredible.
“Bastards!” she hissed. “I’m going to report you two to the police!” She snatched up her backpack and ran.
Ignoring the pain, Alex straightened up and went after her, shouting threats of what he was going to do to her when he caught her. Carl followed along behind him, shouting for Alex to let her go. Alex ignored him and continued the pursuit. He was breathing awkwardly but gaining on her and all notions of making up with her had gone. Now he wanted to crush her and to make her cry, but most of all he needed her to suffer.
They were almost at the end of the walkway when his hand brushed the back of her coat. She ran faster out into the road and he made another lunge, catching hold of her sleeve. Then – as though in slow motion – she was snatched out of his grasp. Headlights filled his vision, blinding him, and the sound of Sophie being hit by a car played in his head, over and over again.
* * * *
If it hadn’t been for her seat belt, Mary would have been catapulted out of her seat when her father swore and stamped on the car’s brakes. She saw a dark shaped flying over the roof of the car in front of them. It took her a second to realise that the dark shape that landed in the road just in front of them, and on the opposite side of the road, was a body. There was a shriek of brakes and the squeal of rubber and then, as if in slow motion, a bus seemed to slide over the crumpled form.
“Oh no!” Mary cried out in horror, but her dad was already half out of the car.
Mary was quick though and, flinging open the car door, she ran over to where her dad and some other people were crouching around the victim, whose legs were pinned beneath the front wheels of the bus.
“Someone phone for an ambulance,” Mary’s dad snapped. “She’s alive.”
Someone bundled up a coat and was about to slide it under the girl’s head but her dad stopped him.
“Better not to move her,” he said. “She may have a broken neck.”
“She just ran out in front of me!” A woman appeared from behind the first car, tears streaming down her face. “There was nothing I could do.”
“There’s an ambulance on its way,” a young man said, and then turned to the weeping woman.
“I saw her run out of that alleyway. There was no way you, or the bus driver, could have missed her.”
The bus driver staggered out of his cab, took one look at the girl trapped under his vehicle, and fainted.
Mary, who was edging closer and hoping that there wouldn’t be too much blood, froze when she saw that it was Sophie who lay on the ground. It looked as though she’d landed on her face, which was covered in cuts and abrasions. Blood trickled from her nose and there was a huge bruise just above her right eye.
“Sophie!” She rushed forward and knelt beside the unconscious girl and took one of her hands between her own. “You’ll be alright, Sophie,” she said. “You’ll be alright.”
“Let me through, I’m a doctor.” The man was elderly but efficient and within seconds he was examining Sophie. He listened to her heartbeat and, when he removed his stethoscope, he examined her eyes. “She’s bleeding internally and I suspect she has suffered some damage to her brain. Her vital signs are very weak and I’d suggest that your daughter waits in the car,” he said. Her dad nodded and Mary reluctantly relinquished Sophie’s hand.
Leading her firmly back to their car, he opened the door for her. “Wait here until the ambulance comes,” he said. “I’ll need to talk to the police.”
“Is Sophie going to die, Dad?” Mary asked, fearing the worst.
“I don’t know, love,” he said. “You could try praying for her.” He re-joined the doctor and in the distance Mary heard the wail of a siren. She sat shivering in the car, not through cold, she realised, but because of shock. Mary took out her mobile and with a trembling hand pressed a pre-dial button.
“Hi, Mary,” Jay said. “Are you ringing to gloat?”
“No, Jay. It’s Sophie. She’s just been hit by a car and is trapped underneath a bus.” Mary started to cry. “There’s a doctor here and I think she’s going to die. He says that she’s got brain damage and internal bleeding. The ambulance hasn’t arrived yet. She looks so pale though, Jay. It’s awful. She was hit by the car in front of us and the bus—”
“A drunk driver?”
“No, at least I don’t think so. It’s a woman and someone else said they saw Sophie run straight in front of her.”
“Whereabouts are you?”
“In Lexington Street, you know, by the post-box.”
“I’m on my way,” Jay said and hung up.
Mary jumped when Jay tapped on her window a few minutes later. Climbing out of the car again, Mary wondered how on earth Jay had got there so fast. Before she could ask, a strange look came over Jay’s face and she hurried over towards Sophie.
The ambulance and the police arrived simultaneously and one of the policemen tried to bar Jay’s approach.
“Stand aside!” The voice came from Jay’s mouth but it wasn’t hers. This was a voice so authoritative that police, ambulance men and even Mary’s father moved to one side. Jay straddled Sophie and, stooping, she grasped either side of the huge tyre that was crushing Sophie’s legs and heaved. Incredibly, the bus tilted away from her. Mary heard the startled cries of the onlookers as Jay lifted the huge wheel up off the road and tilted the bus.
Mary’s dad and the doctor ran over and dragged Sophie clear. Ja
y released the tyre and, turning, she knelt down beside Sophie, holding her hand, exactly as Mary had done earlier. Suddenly, a blue light shot from Jay’s hand and travelled along Sophie’s arm, over her shoulders and head then flowed downwards until Sophie was completely encased in a blue pulsating light.
Mary stared in shock, trying to take in the incredible things her best friend had just done, but then Jay crumpled. As though awakening from a trance, the ambulance men rushed towards Jay and Sophie.
“No!” One of the policemen cried. “That light or whatever it is could be dangerous.”
The men hesitated, but Mary’s dad pushed past them.
“Dangerous?” he said, bending and scooping Jay up into his arms. “Are you going to let a bit of light stop you from helping that girl?” He carried Jay over towards Mary and lowered her onto the back seat of the car. “Take care of her,” he said, then turned and walked back towards Sophie. Ignoring her luminous covering, he squatted and took her hand in his. “Now then, who’s going to give me a hand with this girl?”
Two of the ambulance men shrugged and carried a stretcher over and one of them gingerly lowered his hand through the glowing blue shroud, feeling for Sophie’s pulse. Apparently satisfied, he nodded towards Mary’s dad.
“This stuff seems harmless,” he said and turned to his colleague. “We’ll need a collar and a head brace. Come on, let’s get his girl in the ambulance and to hospital.”
They worked quickly and at last Sophie, who was still encased in the strange light, was lifted onto a stretcher.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t move her!” A police officer wearing sergeant’s stripes barred their way and two other officers joined him. “That stuff—whatever it is—could be radioactive or something,”
he said. “My instructions are to keep you isolated until a rapid response team arrives. You are all under quarantine restrictions.”
“We have to get this girl to hospital,” protested one of the paramedics. “She’s in a critical condition.”
“I’m sorry but I have my orders,” the sergeant said. “She’ll have to stay where she is.”
“Sophie?” Jay asked, weakly, making Mary jump. “Is she going to be okay?”
“They ought to have taken her to hospital by now, but the police have put us under quarantine,”
Mary said. “Are you okay? How did you do that, and what’s that blue light?”
“How did I do what? What light?” Jay asked and then sat up. “What are you talking about?”
Mary pointed to Sophie. “You lifted the bus off her and the stuff that’s covering her shot out of your hands.”
“I don’t remember,” Jay said. “I feel as though I’ve just run a marathon. I’m shattered.”
“There’s something you’re not telling me. You must have run at about ninety miles an hour to get here so quick,” Mary said. “Now you’re lifting up buses and shooting out blue light. What’s going on, Jay?”
A puzzled expression came over Jay’s face. “I don’t know,” she said. “I can’t remember anything after getting your call.” She rubbed her forehead as though trying to remember. “It’s just a blank.”
The car door opened and Mary’s dad looked at Jay in concern. “Are you alright?” he asked.
“Everyone’s talking about what happened and the police want a word with you.”
“She can’t remember anything, Dad!” Mary said, determined to protect her best friend. She was worried about Jay, who looked dreadful. She looked so tired, weak and confused. “Has anyone told Sophie’s mom and dad about the accident?”
“Yes, her home number was in her mobile and the police are sending a car around to their house. Is it true you can’t remember what happened, Jay?”
“Yes, I don’t remember anything.”
Mary’s dad nodded. “Maybe it’s for the best,” he said. “I’ll tell the police that you can’t remember anything about it. Then I’ll ring your grandparents and tell them that you’re with us and explain what’s going on.”
“Thanks, Mr Slymond,” Jay said.
“Dad, do you think that light is dangerous?” Mary was frightened for her dad. He smiled and stroked her cheek. “No, I don’t,” he said. “It’s just that the police can’t afford to take any chances. I feel fine so stop worrying. Okay?”
She nodded and hoped that he was right.
* * * *
Dr Newman was on duty with the emergency response unit. Wearing his air-fed protective suit, he approached the group of people who were surrounding the casualty and he stared in amazement at the translucent blue pulsating light that completely enshrouded a young teenage female. They moved aside to allow one of his colleagues to run a Geiger counter over the girl while taking care not to come into contact with her extraordinary coating.
“What the hell…?” he began, but one of the paramedics interrupted him.
“We don’t know what it is,” he said. “But it seems harmless.”
“We’re not getting any traces of radiation from this light, whatever it is,” the scientist with the Geiger counter said. “Whatever this stuff is, it’s not radioactive but it may contain an electrical field.”
“Excuse me, doctor, I’m Bryn Slymond and I’ve touched Sophie. The light seems harmless.”
Cameras flashed and Jacob Newman realised that the press had arrived. “Then let’s get that girl to hospital.” He turned to the paramedics who were picking up the stretcher. “How’s she doing?”
“Her heartbeat’s stronger and—” The paramedic broke off and pointed at Sophie in surprise.
“Look at her face,” he said. “The abrasions and bruises have gone.” His gaze swept down to the girl’s legs and he gasped. “I don’t believe this!”
“This is impossible,” the doctor, who’d first examined Sophie, said. He peered at her legs and shook his head. “This is quite extraordinary,” he said. “I’ve never come across anything like this before.”
Jacob Newman listened to the exchange and frowned. “Would someone mind telling me what’s going on?”
The other doctor nodded distractedly. “She had severe facial lacerations, a fractured cheek bone and I suspect a fractured skull. Her pulse and heartbeat were erratic, and both of her legs had multiple fractures. But as you can see for yourself, except for the bruising, both legs seem to be normal now. Whatever this light is, it appears to have the most amazing recuperative power that I’ve ever heard of.”
Jacob did not doubt the older man’s diagnosis or conclusions for a moment, for both the paramedic and the doctor had observed the same phenomenon. Apparently the girl’s injuries had started to heal themselves in a matter of minutes. “Well, let’s get her to hospital where we can conduct a thorough examination,” he said.
“Can you tell us what the girl’s name is and what that light is?” A reporter holding a camera moved towards them but was intercepted by one of the policemen.
The paramedics hurriedly carried the girl towards the ambulance and he hurried along behind them.
When the ambulance came to a halt outside the Accident and Emergency ward at the hospital, within seconds they were wheeling the girl inside.
A couple, obviously Sophie’s parents, were already waiting for their daughter inside the emergency admissions ward, and they came hurrying over towards Jacob as he supervised the girl’s emergency treatment.
“I’m her mother. How is she?” The woman’s attractive features were twisted with worry.
“She’s not critical but we haven’t started doing our tests yet,” he said. “We’re arranging the XRays now.” Jacob looked down at the girl and frowned. There was something different about her but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Then he realised what it was. Her blue shroud had gone.
“You’re sure she’s not in any danger?” Her father asked anxiously. “She will be okay?”
“Yes, but we’ll be able to give you a more accurate diagnosis after the tests,” Jacob said, his mind still on the mysterious g
low. “If you wait over there, I’ll—”
“Mom?” Sophie’s eyes opened and she struggled to sit up.
“Sophie!” Mrs Anderson put a hand on Sophie’s shoulder and eased her back down on the stretcher. “Don’t. You’ve got to have some tests. How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
“Weak but alright I think, although I’m starving, Mum. Can I have something to eat?”
Mrs Anderson looked at him, and Jacob, stunned by the turn of events, shook his head.
“Not until after the tests,” he said. “If we find anything wrong we may need to operate.”
Somehow though, he didn’t think that they would.
A nurse came hurrying over. “The X-Ray department are ready for you, doctor,” she said.
“Take her along to X-Ray and I’ll join you there,” he said. The nurse helped the porter to wheel the girl away.
By the time Jacob had reached the X-Ray department, the results were ready. According to the plates, a bus had run onto her legs and yet apparently Sophie Anderson had received no skeletal or internal damage.
Her parents were delighted and it was all he could do to persuade them to let their daughter remain in hospital for twenty-four hours, which was normal policy following a head injury. After making sure the girl was safely installed in a ward, Jacob was about to enjoy a cup of coffee when he received an urgent request to go to admissions.
He rounded the corridor to find an agitated Mark Hammond, a hospital administrator, trying to usher a group of men and women towards the exit. It took a few seconds for Jacob to realise that the group were, in fact, reporters. Mark spotted him and waved him over, but then the reporters also saw him and they surged towards him.
“What can you tell us about the glow that’s covering the girl, Doctor? Is it true that it seems to be healing her?” The woman who’d asked the question pushed a microphone into his face.
“The patient does not seem to have suffered any serious injury and should be released in the morning,” he said.
“Doctor! What about the reports that the girl was covered in some kind of blue light? Witnesses, including the doctor who made the initial examination and the Paramedics, insist that the teenager who was kneeling beside the girl lifted the bus off her and is responsible for the light, too. They also say that the girl’s injuries were critical but started to heal themselves.”