Everyone listened in silence as Cameron took the call. It was evident from his expression that it was more bad news. As he replaced the receiver he turned to the anxious group, his expression grim.
‘More trouble, I’m afraid. A car has gone over the side of one of the causeways. Luckily it isn’t submerged—at least not yet—but the driver is trapped and the tide is rising. The fire brigade is on it’s way now. Dorothy, could you get me the surgical kit? I need to go. The driver may have to be cut out.’
‘I’ll go, Cameron,’ Meagan offered quietly. ‘You wait here for the helicopter.’
He shook his head. ‘It’ll be at least an hour before it’s here. The other doctors should be here by then if I’m not back.’
‘Then I’m coming with you,’ Meagan said. ‘No argument. We can keep in touch with the hospital by radio. If the helicopter looks as if it’s on its way and the others haven’t made it by then, one of us can come back.’
‘I haven’t time to argue. Dorothy, we’ll take the radio with us. Keep in touch. Come on, then, Meagan. Let’s go. We’ll take my car. It’s too risky for you on your own.’
Once again Meagan had to brave the lashing rain and wind. She couldn’t begin to imagine what it was like for the fishermen. If they were alive they must be freezing as well as shocked. Although the outside air temperature wasn’t particularly cold, she knew the temperature of the Atlantic sea could kill within minutes.
It took them ten minutes to drive to the causeway connecting the middle Island to the southern one. The fire engine was there before them and they were glad of its flashing lights to guide them quickly and safely towards the stricken vehicle. Cameron was out of the car almost before he had brought it to a halt and Meagan hurried after him.
‘Any luck, Angus?’ he called out to the fireman as he approached.
‘Hello, Cameron, it’s good to see you,’ the burly islander responded. ‘It’s a visitor to the island. His wife and two kids were in the car with him. We’ve managed to get everyone but the driver out. His foot is stuck and the tide is rising. It’s up to his shoulders now and he’s beginning to panic.’
‘Any chance you could pull the car out, occupant and all?’ Cameron asked.
‘We’ve already thought of that. But I’m afraid there’s no chance. If we had more time then maybe. As it is, we have ten, maybe fifteen minutes left before the water rises above his neck level.’
‘Right, then, let’s take a look.’ Cameron slid down the side of the causeway and slipped into the water. Tall though he was, the water came up to his hips. The front of the car was pointing downwards, meaning that the driver would be even lower than they were. Meagan knew that unless Cameron could release the man, they would have to amputate the foot. But she didn’t know if it was even possible to amputate below water. And if they couldn’t amputate, what would they do? They couldn’t just leave him to drown.
She slid down the slope after Cameron, knowing that a fireman was following with the medical kit held above his head clear of the swirling water. Whatever Cameron decided to do, he’d need help. She watched as, after leaning through the passenger window to say a few words to the frightened but conscious driver, Cameron’s head dropped below the water. A minute later he surfaced.
‘It’s pretty murky down there,’ he shouted over the wind. ‘Even if I had time to amputate, there is no way I’d be able to see well enough. However, there is a little bit of space between his foot and the pedal. I think I might be able to pull it out with brute force. I am just going down for another look. Keep an eye on the patient, would you?’
As he dropped once more below the surface of the water, Meagan slid into the freezing cold water, gasping as she felt herself lose feeling. If it was this cold for her and she was only in up to her waist, what would it be like for the car driver? She also knew that the car was in a precarious position. At any moment it could slide deeper into the water, taking its occupant—and possibly Cameron—with it. She realised they were working against the clock.
‘What’s your name, sir?’ she asked
‘Richard,’ he said.
He looked pale and his lips were blue. With the cold, or did he have internal injuries? Whatever the reason, Meagan was sure he was going into shock soon, if he didn’t drown first. She reached into the bag for an oxygen mask and cylinder. ‘Could you hold on to the cylinder?’ she asked the fireman standing beside her. She slipped the mask over Richard’s face, talking to him in a calm voice. ‘We’ll give you something for the pain in a second,’ she said.
Suddenly the car, with a screeching of metal on rock, started to slide further into the sea. The fireman pulled Meagan away from the car, preventing her from being dragged with it.
Meagan held her breath as for one dreadful moment she thought the car was going to completely disappear under the water, but it stopped after sliding a few inches. Without thinking about the danger, Meagan went back down after it. Richard grasped for her hand and held it. He was clearly terrified. Meagan looked around for Cameron. Had he been trapped under the moving car? She couldn’t stop herself crying out with relief when his head reappeared.
‘Whew! That was close,’ he said, and unbelievably he winked at Meagan. Was it possible that the man was actually enjoying the danger?
‘I think we can get him out if the firemen pull while I manoeuvre his ankle. The only thing, Richard,’ he said, turning to the patient, ‘is I’m almost sure your ankle is broken. It’s going to be pretty painful doing it this way.’
Richard lowered his mask and managed a nervous smile. ‘A bit of pain is better than the alternative, wouldn’t you say?’ he said. ‘Just do what ever you have to, but get me out of here.’
The wind was still rising and the waves whipped the words from his mouth, but Meagan knew what Cameron intended to do.
‘There’s no time, Meagan. We have to give him a shot of morphine, then the firemen will pull him out while I dislodge his ankle. It’ll be painful, but with a bit of luck he’ll pass out.’
In the end it happened just as Cameron said it would. They got him out and he came around in the ambulance a few minutes later.
‘My family?’ he moaned. ‘Are they all right?’
‘Yes. They’ve gone ahead to the hospital to be checked over,’ Meagan soothed the frantic man.
Richard tried to sit up.
‘Just relax. It’s only a precaution. They’re fine. They didn’t leave until they knew you were safely out of the car and we promised we were right behind them.’
He sank back down and Meagan replaced the oxygen mask.
‘You go in the ambulance with him. I’ll drive,’ Cameron said.
Meagan looked at Cameron. His hair was plastered to his forehead and streams of water ran down his face. Although he must be very cold, he showed no signs of discomfort. If anything, Meagan thought he looked entirely at home with the elements. She, on the other hand, was shivering.
Cameron ran to his Jeep and returned with a thick jacket.
‘Here,’ he said. ‘Put this around you. When you get to the hospital, make sure you get out of those wet clothes immediately.’
‘Second time today I’ve been soaked,’ Meagan said, attempting a smile. ‘And the second time today I’ve borrowed your clothes.’
Cameron looked at her. ‘You did all right back there.’ He grinned and Meagan’s heart thudded. But before she could reply he was running back to his car.
The hospital was a hive of activity when Meagan arrived with Richard in the ambulance. The injured man’s family were sitting in blankets, looking