Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1875

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The Daily Dormouse.
(aka Bike)
Part 1875
by Angharad

Copyright © 2012 Angharad
All Rights Reserved.
  
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The drive back was going to be a nightmare, so I pulled over and phoned home, saying not to keep us dinner, that we’d eat in Bristol and come back when the traffic had died down a bit.

Phoebe looked at me with one of those enigmatic expressions only teenagers can produce. “How about we have fish and chips?” I asked.

“Okay,” she said the expression remaining.

“If you want we could eat at my parent’s house?”

“I wondered why you weren’t pushing on through the traffic.”

Was I that easy to read? However, one of the advantages of local knowledge is knowing where they make the best fish and chips, so after we got to my house and switched on some heating, I gave Phoebe the grand tour and we had a cuppa–I got some milk on the way–we went off to get some fish and chips, plus peas for her and beans for me.

By now it was absolutely pouring down, and I put the telly on for the news, only to hear the motorway was closed due to flooding. Wonderful, just what we didn’t need. The meal was lovely, and as I washed up listening to local radio, Phoebe came to say the motorway was likely to be closed for several hours, because apart from the flooding there was now a multiple accident.

Just after she told me, the local radio station confirmed the problem. I wasn’t sure if I was glad we’d stopped or wished we’d pressed on–but then we might have been caught in the flooding, and trying to use smaller roads would be asking for trouble.

“Is there anything you’re missing at college tomorrow?”

“Not a lot, why?”

“Well, unless things get a lot better, I think we might be spending the night here.”

“Oh,” she said, and I couldn’t tell if she was happy or not from her expression.

“Either that or we try for the train–I’ll stay here with my car, but I’ll pop you on the train and Simon can collect you the other end.”

“There’s been a landslide somewhere on the railways, so it looks like we’re meant to be here tonight.”

I plugged in my laptop and called up the railway sites and it appeared there’d be no trains between South Wales and Portsmouth, which is usually where they start coming down through Bristol and Bath. At least the house was warming up and I got out some bedding which we’d take back with us to wash and then return. I kept a few clothes in my wardrobe too, including a nightdress which Phoebe insisted I use. She was contented to wear an old tee shirt of mine which was big on me. Quite why I’d bought one that size puzzled me, I couldn’t for the life of me remember buying it.

“This is like an adventure,” Phoebe chuckled.

“Is it?” I answered absently, checking out how much milk and teabags we had for breakfast. In the end I decided to get some bread and cereal and some more milk. We dashed out to the car and I drove off to the nearest supermarket.

It was still hammering down when we ran from the car to the store, and I’d changed into a spare pair of jeans and my flat shoes with a top I found in my chest of drawers. I keep a waterproof in the car, so I was okay, but Phoebe only had her thin coat on and the rain was going straight through it.

Once inside Asda–which is owned by the Walmart corporation–we grabbed the bits we needed for breakfast and also to make a sandwich for the return home, well you never know. Then we went into the home and wear and I bought Phoebe a nightdress and a waterproof coat thing in nylon lined with polyurethane–thin as tissue paper but waterproof. It folded up into a pocket, so she could carry it with her if she suspected there was rain about.

For a treat on the way back, we grabbed a couple of cream cakes from the bakery which had been reduced in price, but sadly not in calories. Going back to the car, Phoebe sporting her new coat, we stopped to wait for a car to go past when we heard a huge crack come from the centre of the car park and the limb of a mature tree crashed to the ground hitting a car on its way.

I gave Phoebe the keys to my car and the bag of shopping and rushed off to check there was no one in the car. There were lights on in the back of the car, though there seemed to be little movement from inside.

I saw someone else running towards it and we arrived together. A glance showed us there was someone trapped inside and they weren’t moving. In the light from a nearby lamppost I thought I could see a dark stain on the person’s head. Amazingly, although the roof had caved in neither the windscreen nor the side windows had broken, and of course all the doors were locked.

The other rescuer pulled out his phone and called the emergency services. They were on their way, but that would likely be seven or eight minutes away. I peered through the window and the mark was noticeably bigger on the victim’s face, a middle-aged man.

“He’s got a nasty head wound,” I said, still peering in through the window which was now misting up on the inside. We yanked at the doors but they were staying locked. We’d have to break a window. Phoebe arrived pushing a trolley out of the way. I looked at the young bloke who was standing there with me getting soaked and we had a moment of convergent thinking. We picked up the trolley between us and together we swung it at the driver’s side window.

There was sickening crunch and the window tinkled out onto the ground and into the car. While he disposed of the trolley, I reached in and unlocked the car, which was now beeping and flashing its hazard lights–how come that hadn’t happened when the tree hit it?

There was a box of tissues on the dashboard, so I grabbed a handful and pressed on the driver’s wound. He was unconscious but groaning–something wasn’t right. I looked again and he had blocked his airway, his head slumped forward onto his chest.

Phoebe went round to the other front door of the car and together we lifted his head back just a fraction to give him an airway. He was breathing better now, and he still had a pulse, I could feel it under the tissue I was pressing against the cut in his temple. We could hear sirens approaching and the young bloke who’d been helping went off to guide the ambulance and accompanying fire tender to the accident site.

We left it to the experts to deal with the unconscious man and took our leave. By this time, despite my waterproof, I was soaked, so it was back to the house for a hot shower for both of us.

“Is it always like this with you?” asked my young companion.

“What gave you that idea?” I challenged.

“Just what Julie said a while back.”

“Which was?”

“When you go out with Mummy, expect anything to happen–because it will.”

“Based on what sort of evidence?” I said, and Phoebe nearly choked she laughed so hard.

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Comments

I hope this wan't inspired ...

... by a real incident down your way. I know it's been a bit damp in Dorset and even we've had most of our fence blown down. It's good job exciting things happen when Cathy's around otherwise bike wouldn't be half so much fun to read.

Robi

Julie is right about Cathy.

Never a dull moment with her. No wonder Simon loves Cathy.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

excellent

Maddy Bell's picture

I had the same thought as Robyn - hope the outcome is better.

Even up in my eyrie i've got flooding - my flat was surrounded by water, not deep but extensive, at one point this morning - and i live at the top of a hill!

Does the early post mean theres more later?


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Madeline Anafrid Bell

As far as I know

Angharad's picture

no one has been hurt in this vicinity, although a woman was killed in Exeter when a tree was blown on top of her tent - a tent in this weather!

The extra was early - I posted a short story earlier, with emphasis on short.

Angharad

It's like...

The kids and Burt talking in Disney's version of "Mary Poppins"... :-)

Quite an adventure for Phoebe. Hope she appreciates all the trouble Cathy's gone to keep her excited. LOL

Thank you. Hope the bloke in the car survives (even if it is only fiction).

Annette

Well I hope that never happens to me

... the tree falling that is. My future house is next to a lot full of trees and they are only about 30 feet from the house. One good long rain fall. Fortunately they are not the thickest trees so my bedroom might survive :(.

Kim

A productive outing for Phoebe

The past few episodes dealing with Phoebe's grief have been wonderful, including Cathy spending time with her to help her over the hurdles. This trip to Bristol with Cathy is a good thing for her, as now they are talking about something other than the death of Phoebes' mother. They are getting to know and appreciate one another better, and that can only bode good for both of them. I suspect Phoebe will stop being the trouble causing girl she has been, will go back to the beauty school, and then use that training to help pay for University.

Bonzi and Izzy, it amazes me that the two of you are capable of including such tenderness in your ongoing story, and may it continue to be ongoing.

Don't let someone else talk you out of your dreams. How can we have dreams come true, if we have no dreams?

Katrina Gayle "Stormy" Storm

Murphy strikes again

"If something can go wrong it probably will".

Another tree-mendous Bikeisode.

S.

Keep the paws dry

Thank you for another chapter.

There have certainly been a few incidents around England in recent days where people have suffered from bad weather. Mostly flooding, just glad I live on one of the higher areas. Would not recommend a cycle ride at present.

Brian

Things happen if you let them.

It doesn't often happen to me, though I am quite open. About 20 years ago, we were out in outback Oregon "camping" in a huge 5th wheel trailer. :) As we were moving that day, we were pounding down a remote road, then I saw a 50' Ford flatbed truck sitting in a lay by, with a set of feet sticking out from under it. In an instant, I knew exactly what his problem was because that is where you have to postition yourself to change the clutch. I had a very difficult time doing the same thing to mine a number of years past.

So, we pulled over and the girls got in back to play cards and eat chips. I walked over to the stranger's truck and helped him get the transmission out, took him to town to get a replacement bolt, and since it was so late when we got finished, he drove home and we simply spent the night.

Having spent most

of Saturday traveling, I can certainly sympathize with the travel problems Cathy and Phoebe encountered, Thankfully my return trip from Scotland was only plagued by insistent rain , The strong winds Cathy and Phoebe encountered were on their passage up the country but the knowledge that they were on their way meant i didn't hang around too much admiring the Scottish scenery, Beautiful as it is.

Thankfully Cathy's good driving manners meant she was in the position to help the injured driver, Who knows if the position had been reversed,Would the other driver have been able to help Cathy or Phoebe? Maybe now is the time to make basic first aid training mandatory in schools...

Kirri