The Ambo Ride

Ben, Liana, Zack, Tom, Stevo, Dan, Frank

Ben was crooning to the crying baby, but still looking worriedly at Liana. She was so pale and so still. "Where's that damned ambulance?" he growled to Dan.

"It's coming, Ben." Dan was washing Liana face with a cool cloth. "Gettin' louder all the time." He could hear the sirens.

Frank Parker had remained outside all this time. One reason was to make sure there was no one else around involved in this thing besides Charlie and Luke. Another reason was because there were enough people in there already. The third was that he really wasn't sure he wanted to see a baby being born. Reminded him too much of the daughter he'd lost years ago.

For whatever reason, he was still outside. He stepped in the front door for an instant, eying the two bodies on the floor. Charlie's with a gunshot wound straight through the heart, Luke's which had bled out on the floor from the large fork sticking in his neck. Zack Grant was inspecting the scene, having left Bud White to handle things in the bedroom.

"Ambulance is nearly here," Frank told Grant. "I'll show 'em in when they arrive."

"Thanks, Frank," Zack nodded. The sooner they got Liana and the baby squared away, the sooner they could wrap up the investigation. He and Bud would still have to question Liana about abduction, but for now that could wait until she and the baby had medical treatment.

"There likely to be any charges filed in this mess, Grant?" Frank asked.

"Possibly," Zack replied, "but I doubt any of them would stick."

Frank was relieved to hear it. He didn't want the sheriff's department to have any reason to look at Ben's background too closely. Especially not now. Not with that crying baby he could hear coming from the bedroom. Hearing the ambulance pull up outside, Frank went back out to show them in.

Stevo was out the door before Tom had brought the ambulance to a halt. He rushed round to the back doors and flung them open. Tom reached his side and took the medkit while Stevo got the stretcher out, silently thankful that the path wasn't too rutted for the wheels.

Frank showed them in and stepped back outside. They heard the baby crying and followed the sound to the bedroom. Ben looked up from the baby and then towards Liana. Tom understood the silent pleading in his eyes. Leaving Stevo to check over the bub, he walked to the bed to take care of Liana. He was worried, she was so pale and still. Tom wondered why she was here, and why there were two bodies in the other room.

"She gonna be all right?" Ben was cradling the baby girl so tenderly for such a big man, but his eyes were still on Tom and Liana.

Stevo didn't think Ben would let him take the little baby from him, so carefully unwrapped and examined her. "She's a bit on the small side, Mr. Wade, but she looks and sounds pretty healthy for coming early. With your permission, we'll get her to the hospital for a thorough checkup and some cosy clothes." Stevo looked over at Tom, "How's it going, mate?"

"Leave the bub with it's dad for a tick, Stevo, and come over here.."

"It's a girl, mate."

Tom smiled at the news despite his worry over the mother. "Stevo, she's lost a lot of blood and I think she's in shock. We have to move her fast."

Ben looked grim at his words. He knew it was serious, but having one of these men say it somehow made it worse. For a moment he was unable to speak and then he said, "Yeah, get 'em both to the hospital now. I'm comin' with you."

"I'll follow you," Dan Evans told him quickly. "Me and Frank."

"Okay, Mr. Wade. You keep hold of the baby while we get your wife on the stretcher. We'll get her comfortable in the ambo, then you can jump in with the bub. She's fine for you to hold her, we'll strap you in nice and tight so you're both safe. We need to be fast; unfortunately, Mrs. Wade has lost a fair bit of blood, and going into shock is pretty serious. We'll get you all to Coffs in record time, mate. No worries, okay?" Tom gave his most reassuring smile and signaled to Stevo to help lift Liana off the bed and onto the trolley.

When Liana was settled on the stretcher, Ben held the baby cradled in one arm and leaned over her to kiss her forehead. "Don' you leave me, Liana Wade." It was an order. As though she wouldn't dare disobey him. "Don' you dare leave me and this little girl."

Then he stood straight again and nodded to Tom and Stevo.

They got her settled and wired up in record time, taking an ECG to transmit to the hospital. Liana's heart beat was slow, but steady. Stevo turned and held out a hand to Ben to help him up into the back of the ambulance. He wasn't sure if Wade would accept help, but Ben grabbed hold of his hand to steady hiself up the step with his precious one close to his chest, enabling her to hear his heartbeat.

With everyone secured, Tom jumped behind the wheel, and rushed off towards Coffs, sirens blaring and blue lights flashing.

The ride was much shorter than the usual half-hour it took to get to Coffs, but to Ben it seemed to take years. His eyes kept going back and forth between Liana, lying so still against the sheets, and the baby girl he held in his arms.

She looked like her mama, he saw. The same round, delicate face and the few brown curls lying against her head were darker than his own. Like Liana's.

Once again, he was feeling helpless. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd felt that way over the days that Liana had been missing. His wife's life was in someone else's hands and that was difficult for Ben Wade to deal with.

After what seemed like ages, he felt the ambulance being backed up, and then the doors opened.

Stevo had radioed ahead, and a welcoming committee consisting of a midwife, two trauma nurses and two doctors was outside the A&E entrance. Tom helped Ben step down from the back, noting that he looked like a man that wouldn't give up his daughter to anyone without a fight, and helped Stevo pull Liana out on the trolley. Giving the doctors all the information he had on her condition, he and Stevo wheeled her through to the emergency room, and very reluctantly gave her up to the care of the hospital staff.

Stevo touched his arm, "We're through now, Tom. You wanna hang around for a while?"

"I'd like to, mate, but I think there are enough bodies around as it is. Let's leave them alone, we can call later to see how they're going. That baby sure is a beautiful little thing isn't she?" The friends smiled at each other as they made their way back to the ambulance to clean it up.