I scrabble when I unhook the seatbelt and realize we’re tilted. My body falls to the driver’s side and I slam into Dr. Knight.
“Oof! Jesus, I’m sorry. Let me just get straightened out.” But there’s no reply.
“Hello? What’s going on?” My fingers skim up his limp body. Nothing. Not even a moan.
“Shit!” I root around on the floor for one of our bags. I find my purse and lift it up, using just my fingers to try and find my phone.
“Thank heaven!” I breathe out a sigh and flip on the light on it, trying to let my eyes adjust to the dark and light.
When I turn around and flash the light at Dr. Knight, I see him slumped to the side, a trickle of blood trailing a crimson streak down his unusually pale skin.
I take a deep breath and reach over to lay shaking fingers on his throat, falling forward when I feel his strong heartbeat.
“Oh thank god!” I reach into my purse and pull out a clean handkerchief and press it hard to the wound. “Head wounds always bleed more. You’re not really that hurt,” I mutter to myself, trying to convince myself even more than the unconscious man next to me.
But he needs help. And we’re obviously stuck. There’s no way we’re getting out of here without help.
I pick up the phone one-handed and call 911. “Hello? This is Nurse Jones. Dr. Knight and I were coming back from a call and now we’ve slid into a ditch. Yes, he’s unconscious right now. I only see a head wound that’s bleeding, nothing else.”
Nodding, I answer all of her questions and groan to myself when she says that there was a tornado that went through and the ambulances are all busy but she’ll get to us as soon as she can, considering that he’s stable.
“Yes, thank you. We could also use a tow truck…”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. You’ll have to call for that yourself.”
“Thank you.” I hang up and sigh when I see I have about ten percent battery.
“Just what I fucking need,” I grunt, dropping the cloth and shakily dialing Clay.
“Hello,” he growls and I jump.
“Clay?” I whisper.
“Who is this?” I roll my eyes. It’s a cell. Just check the number.
“Clay, this is Poppy.”
“Oh good. We were just trying to call you and doc. We need you at the clinic.”
“I’m sorry, Clay. But we were at Liam’s and we…”. I gulp, feeling my head swim. “We were in an accident. Dr. Knight is unconscious and we’re in a ditch, I think. I can’t see anything. I just know we’re sideways.”
“Shit! And all the damn ambulances just took victims off to the hospital. They’ll be gone for awhile. How far from Liam’s are you? Can you walk back?”
“No. I can’t see anything. My phone is dying and he’s not gonna move right now.”
“Alright. Just take care of him. I’ll try and get someone out there as soon as I can. I’m so sorry about this, Poppy. It might be awhile.”
“Hopefully not all night.”
He doesn’t respond when I laugh. “Those two farms out on Wright Road took a direct hit. We’ve got injured hands and a lot of hurt people, Poppy.”
I swallow hard, tears crowding my eyes. I’m okay. I can wait. Those other people need help more than me.
“Okay. I understand,” my voice hoarse with tears, I hang up the phone.
“They’re not coming are they?” a deep voice says.
“Shit!” I jump and shriek, my hand clutching at my scrub top. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”