| Wounded
Vanessa has been at a Good Charlotte concert. The show has just finished and she's hanging around outside hoping to catch a glimpse of the guys. There is quite a few other fans hanging around nearby, also hoping to see the guys. All of a sudden a bunch of teenage girls start squealing. �Oh my god! It's them!� Everyone turns to look towards where the girls are pointing. Sure enough Vanessa sees Benji and Joel standing there, they look a bit daunted by all the squealing girls. Some people start taking photographs while others ask for autographs. Vanessa just stands there patiently hoping that the twins will notice her standing there. Suddenly there is a lot of shouting and screaming. Vanessa sees a teenage boy in a blue tracksuit running off. He has blood on his hands and shirt. A girl in front of Vanessa looks like she's going to be sick. Vanessa looks over to where Benji and Joel are, and to her horror, she sees Benji lying on the floor in immense pain. He has a knife lodged in his stomach. Vanessa looks around frantically for a security guard, but there isn't one anywhere nearby. It's up to her to save Benji's life, since none of the other kids are going to do anything. Vanessa runs forward and kneels down beside Benji. The wound looks pretty serious. �Move back everyone, give him some air.� she shouts to the group of fans. They all do as she says. �Somebody call an ambulance.� She calls out. She sees someone dialing a number on their phone. Vanessa really hates blood, but she hates it even more to see Benji in pain. She needs something to use as a bandage. She looks around quickly. �Joel, gimme your t-shirt.� she says to Joel. He just looks at her blankly. �Now!� she says. He does exactly as she tells him. She folds up Joel's t-shirt and using one hand she pushes it onto Benji's wound to stop the bleeding, being careful not to move the knife. With her other hand she gently strokes Benji's head to reassure him. �Stay with me Benji.� She says to him as she notices his eyes are beginning to close. Vanessa looks over at Joel, who is now sat on the floor with his head in his hands. �Joel, come here and keep him talking.� She says to him. Joel crawls over to Benji and starts talking, but he breaks down crying. �He's gonna be alright.� Vanessa tries to reassure Joel, but he's not convinced. �Where's the ambulance?� Vanessa asks the crowd of bystanders. �It's on its way.� someone replies. Right on cue Vanessa hears the siren of the ambulance. The paramedics arrive. Vanessa tells them what happened. �This is Benji, he's been stabbed, he's still conscious... just,� Vanessa says to the first paramedic. �That's Joel, Benji's twin brother, I think he's in shock.� Then she stands out of the way and lets the paramedics take over. The paramedics give Joel an oxygen mask, then they concentrate on Benji. Vanessa sits down next to Joel and gives him her jacket. The paramedics should have given him a blanket, but they were too busy with Benji. The paramedics lift Benji onto a stretcher and put him in the back of the ambulance. Vanessa helps Joel up and leads him to the ambulance. �Don't leave me.� Joel whispers to her as she stands outside the ambulance. Vanessa doesn't think there's enough room for her in the ambulance too. �Come on, we've just got room for one more.� the paramedic says to Vanessa. She climbs on board and sits down next to Joel. Five minutes later the ambulance arrives at the hospital. Benji is rushed straight into casualty. A doctor checks Joel over and says he's okay, just a bit shaken. Nothing a nice hot drink won't cure. Vanessa goes to the drinks machine and buys two cups of hot chocolate; one for her and one for Joel. The two of them sit down on a seat outside casualty. �Is he gonna be alright?� asks Joel. �He's in the best place.� says Vanessa, not knowing what else to say. They sit in silence for about two minutes. A doctor comes over to update them on Benji's situation. �He's been taken through to theater for surgery. They will remove the knife and sew up his abdomen.� the doctor informs them. �He's gonna live though right?� asks Joel. �Yes, providing the operation is a success.� says the doctor. �Don't let him die, that's my brother in there man.� says Joel, starting to cry again. The doctor's pager bleeps and he walks off down the corridor. Vanessa puts her arm around Joel and tries to comfort him. �I hate hospitals,� Joel says. �They're full of death.� he says bluntly. �Yeah, but they're full of life too,� Vanessa reminds him. �Think of all the babies that are born here everyday, and all the lives that are saved. They're gonna save Benji's life too.� �I hope you're right.� Joel whimpers. On to page two |