Second Chance with the Playboy Page 4

  “I guess, I just don’t want anybody left behind.”

  Marcus held her hand. “There won’t be. The emergency service will make sure of that.”

  ****

  Marcus couldn’t believe how different Annabel was from the girl he once knew. Even though it was brief, she had never been this sure of herself. Now, here she was taking charge of the situation whilst he felt like a bystander. He was no doctor. Crunching numbers and making people money was one thing; saving people’s lives every day was another. He knew they couldn’t save everyone, but today Annabel ordered people around in the nicest possible way, doing more than he ever could.

  Emily would really have liked her for a mum. Marcus blinked hard. Where had that errant thought come from? They had only just called a truce, and now he was thinking she would have been the perfect mother for his late daughter?

  “Marcus, I need you to help.”

  “Eh, what did you say, Anna?” Marcus shook himself back to the situation in hand.

  “I need you to go and tell the paramedics and fire brigade we need them in here.” Annabel checked the driver’s pulse. “The driver’s pulse is slowing. He needs help now.”

  “On it, boss.” Marcus did as he was asked, running over the fallen masonry and out into the daylight. He searched for the ambulance. They were a few meters away from the service station entrance.

  So many people mingled everywhere, blocking his path. Marcus did what he used to do before he grew up; he shoved and pushed people out of the way. Seeing a couple of paramedics treating someone with cuts and bruises, he grabbed their arm. “I need you to help the coach driver.” Marcus struggled to get the words out. “He’s seriously injured, in the building. My girlfriend’s with him.”

  Anna isn’t your girlfriend; get a grip on yourself.

  The paramedics grabbed a stretcher and followed him. “There’s two people trapped on the coach too.” How could he have forgotten them? Annabel was running on and off the coach to treat all three. She was an amazing woman; Marcus wasn’t sure what was happening to him. When the coach had come toward the window and she still stood there, he was terrified. He didn’t want anything to happen to her.

  Annabel was back on the coach when he came back. “Marcus, their condition is deteriorating.”

  Marcus didn’t even need to say anything. He just turned back around and went for more help, returning a few minutes later with extra hands and firemen with cutting equipment.

  “Look, you two. You need to get out of here,” one of the firemen told them.

  “I’m a doctor. Don’t you need my help?” Annabel was trying to insist that she stay.

  “Come on, sweets. You’re exhausted and mucky,” Marcus quipped.

  “Yes, like you look any better.”

  ****

  She had been grateful for his help, but she was still far from forgiving him. Her entire body tingled when she was close to him. She couldn’t trust him with her heart—not after what happened. But Marcus had proved just how reliable and trustworthy he was in an emergency.

  A secret smile crossed her lips. Would it be possible, could it be possible that there was something more to him that meets the eye? Had she gotten him wrong all this time? Her mind was in turmoil. She was worried about all the passengers and worried about her own heart. Could she be falling for him after so short a time in his company? Annabel had known Marcus before, the playboy with the love-them-and-leave-them attitude.

  The man who stood next to her was different; he had grown, become someone she felt she could spend more time with. Have some fun for once.

  Marcus clicked his fingers in front of her face. “Earth to Anna, come in, Anna.”

  “Er, sorry, I was thinking,” she apologized.

  “You seem miles away. Let’s go outside. Maybe there is someone you can help.”

  ****

  He had reached her. One thing he was learning was Annabel would be there for anyone. A doctor was always on call. It warmed him. She was definitely special. He wished he had seen it properly before and fought for her; instead, he had let her go and walked away.

  As they stepped outside, a cold wind blew suddenly. It felt nice, breathing in some fresh air after being sat in that dusty dangerous atmosphere.

  “I’ll be back, Marcus,” Annabel said, a hand on his arm.

  “Don’t go back in there. Promise me, Anna!” He filled with fear.

  “I won’t, I promise.”

  Marcus watched as she walked away from him.

  “Don’t light that cigarette.” Marcus heard the desperate shout—but it was too late, whoever they were shouting at had already done it.

  A fireball leapt into the air as the petrol ignited, scattering people everywhere as they ran for cover. The flames licked and engulfed everything that they touched. Mini explosions sounded as cars that stood wheels deep in the river of petrol went up in flames. Huge plumes of black smoke rose high above their heads as the petrol station ignited. Firemen ran with extinguishers. They sprayed marshmallow foam over the whole area trying to put out the fire.

  Marcus was scared when he couldn’t see Anna. He searched frantically through the thick black smoke and the crowds to find her.

  Chapter Five

  Marcus breathed a huge sigh of relief when he looked into one of the ambulances and saw a calm, cool Annabel helping to treat a patient. The fire brigade had the fire almost under control before everything went up and everybody with it. All he could do was stand back as the emergency services did their jobs. He and Annabel had done as much as possible. They, with others around them, had gotten everyone or at least they thought they had.

  He watched as the fire crews sprayed sand on the petrol slick to stop it igniting. Marcus thought how lucky it was nobody had lit another match or else they would have all been blown to kingdom come. Looking through the dust, he spotted what looked like a silver arm, near the back of the café.

  “Annabel, we didn’t miss anyone, did we?” he asked hastily.

  “No. At least I don’t think so.” He caught the puzzled look on her face. “Look in the back”—he pointed to the building—“there’s someone under that concrete.”

  “Marcus, just tell the firemen. They will go in.”

  Marcus had already decided what he was going to do, dashing past the taped line that had been placed to cordon off the building.

  “Oi, you can’t go in!”

  Marcus heard the stern shout behind him, but chose to ignore it; he couldn’t leave anyone trapped in there. He stumbled with each step he took, dodging the live wires, which now hung from the ceiling like hungry animals just waiting to pounce on their next victim.

  “Marcus, wait,” a breathless female voice called out to him.

  “Go back, Anna. Don’t come in.” He waved his hand toward the opening. “It’s not safe. You can’t come back in here.”

  Marcus carried on. He couldn’t worry about her now. He had to get to that arm, to the person trapped helplessly beneath the rubble and dust. Would they be okay? Would they be seriously injured? Marcus had no idea what that person was going to be like. All he knew was he had to be the one to get them out. He couldn’t save his daughter, but perhaps he could save one more person here. Suddenly, it was there before him, the silver arm sticking out beneath the rubble. Leaning forward he took hold of the arm and pulled it a little, Marcus breathed a huge sigh of relief. It was only someone’s jacket that they had left behind.

  He pulled on it harder, falling backward onto the floor. A loud creaking sounded out. Marcus screamed as a piece of ceiling fell onto his ribs, knocking all the air out of his lungs.

  “Marcus!”

  Anna was there somewhere in the distance. A dust cloud blew through the hole covering him with debris. “Anna, I need…” But he couldn’t get his words out, it was so hard to breathe. He tried to move the concrete block from his chest, but it was no use. Marcus lay there feeling helpless and alone. Was this where he had been destined to die? He t
hought he could hear a young girl’s tinkling laughter. “I’m not ready yet, Emily,” he whispered.

  ****

  “Marcus, where are you?” Annabel shouted out, she had a feeling where he was, but she couldn’t see him, couldn’t even hear him. Annabel called a few more times and then walked boldly forward, ducking under the wires and climbing over the shattered remains of the café.

  “Here,” he called, his voice a faint whisper.

  Annabel saw him then, or at least the reflective stripes of his jacket. Her heart raced as she rushed carelessly toward him. The last thing she had ever wanted was for Marcus to be hurt, no matter how badly he had treated her.

  Kneeling down, she called to him, “Marcus, are you okay. Can you stand?”

  “I can if you help me push this bit of concrete off,” he replied breathlessly.

  Annabel felt along Marcus’s body trying to find where the concrete lay. Her pulse quickened as her hands ran up his leg briefly touching his ass. She was scared he would hear the pounding of her heart. Her slow movements were stopped in their tracks by the discovery of a cold hard object. Pushing with all her might, she eventually got the piece of concrete off him. “Marcus, are you okay?”

  “Yes.”

  But she noticed his breathing was erratic like he was gasping for breath. Grasping his hand, she helped him back to his feet. Almost immediately, he doubled over in pain.

  Annabel thought for a moment and glanced at the jacket he held in his hand. “I need to take your coat and T-shirt off, Marcus and I see you rescued the jacket.”

  “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.” He was becoming more breathless with each second that past.

  “Come on. Let’s get your stuff off.”

  “Oh yes!” Marcus winked.

  “Don’t get any ideas. I think you’ve broken a rib, maybe more. We need to strap it up.” Yanking her backpack off, she then dived in and retrieved a bandage. Wrapping it tightly around Marcus’s rib cage, Annabel heard him wince each time the bandage went around his body.

  “Good job you brought that along,” he conceded. “I didn’t think it was worth you carrying it all this way.”

  Annabel looked at him angrily. “Well, it’s a good job someone thinks of these things.” She noticed that his breathing was still very labored, and each step seemed to be extremely difficult for him. They made slow progress trying to dodge the bits of falling concrete and the large pieces that lay all over the floor. “All this to rescue a coat.”

  “All right, enough of that, thank you.”

  “Listen, Mr. Narky, I did tell you. Should have listened to me.” Annabel sounded like a schoolteacher telling off a naughty pupil. “Come on,” she replied, taking hold of his arm as they slowly and steadily walked outside.

  ****

  “Yes, yes.” Marcus had had enough of Annabel’s little digs. That was one thing he had missed about her. She would always tell him how it was, and four years later, Annabel was still the same.

  The last thing he was going to do was admit she had been right. It hadn’t been a good idea to go back in, not when there were people around wearing the proper safety equipment.

  Annabel had let go of his arm. “You, go stand over there and out of trouble, whilst I go fetch someone to have a proper look at you.”

  “But…” It was too late. Annabel had wandered off in the direction of the ambulances.

  Marcus walked slowly over to a group of cars; a snail would have got there faster. His head began to spin. He needed to sit down. He banged into a car allowing his body to slide against the cold paintwork down to the ground. He couldn’t breathe. He tried desperately to remove the bandages from around his body. The pain intensified as he did so. He found himself being dragged down into the blackness even though he was trying desperately to fight off the feeling. The hairs on Marcus’s neck stood on end. It was getting so cold.

  As Marcus lay on the floor, the ground still spun beneath him. Wave after wave of nausea washed over him. Finally, he gave in to the blackness as it consumed him.

  ****

  Annabel looked around for Marcus, but she couldn’t see him. “Marcus!” She shouted his name but received no reply. Incessant chatter from everyone else made it difficult to hear anything.

  She thought of the last place she had seen him. He had been walking toward some cars. Marcus hadn’t looked great. Maybe he had just gone to find a place to sit down. She raced over to the furthest part of the car park and checked around the dozens of cars. They were still blocked in and had nowhere to go to. They couldn’t leave until the police said it was okay.

  Annabel checked all around the cars, nothing. Where are you, Marcus? She ran back toward the ambulances to see if he was anywhere near them. Could he be chatting to some of the people injured? Trying to keep them calm, she stopped a paramedic. “Have you seen a guy in black leathers come past?”

  “No, sorry, love, we haven’t. Got our hands full, we have,” he replied stiffly.

  She stood still for a moment turning around in a circle. Where the hell was he? “Marcus!” She shouted as loud as she could, but over this din with sirens blaring out and loads of people stood around chatting, her voice didn’t carry. There was one more group of cars left to try. After that, Annabel had no idea what to do. He hadn’t given her his phone number, so she couldn’t ring him and find him that way.

  Her whole body was cold with fear. What if he really was hurt and not just with a few broken ribs? She hadn’t had a chance to examine him properly. It had been too hectic to get everyone out of the coach and to safety. Annabel knew she herself needed stitches as blood continued to seep through her clothes. She hadn’t checked the cars near the fallen building.

  Please, please, be all right, Marcus. I couldn’t cope if anything happened to you. Would he hear her silent prayer? Annabel dashed to the cars. She couldn’t see him, but then she stopped dead. Marcus lay on the ground, his eyes closed, his chest barely moving. Oh God, no. Her hands flew over her mouth. “No, Marcus,” she screamed at him.

  Kneeling down by his side, she listened to his breathing. It was labored and shallow. Annabel had a sinking feeling his broken ribs had punctured his lung as well. Leaning over, she unzipped his jacket and tried removing it as best she could away from his waist. Annabel’s hands shook as she pulled his T-shirt up over his taut stomach. “Please don’t leave me,” she whispered into his ear.

  Annabel hoped that wherever Marcus was, he could hear her. After taking her backpack off, she searched frantically for her scalpel and a piece of tubing. She would have to cut his side, underneath his arm and try to inflate his lung back up, draining any fluid. She had no anesthetic with her, just some morphine. “Please forgive me.”

  She gave him a shot of morphine. Using her fingers, she guided the scalpel and cut an incision into his side, threading the tube slowly and steadily into his lung. “Get the paramedics,” she shouted to one of the many people standing around helplessly watching.

  Annabel had no idea how the paramedics managed to lift Marcus onto the stretcher, but they managed it. She couldn’t leave his bike here; she didn’t even know where here was.

  There was a loud rumbling noise as a stream of bikers poured into the destroyed services, pulling to a stop near Annabel.

  “Dr. Simpson, where’s Marcus?”

  “He’s got to go to hospital with a punctured lung and fractured ribs.” She dug in his pockets for his bike key.

  “Look, please take this and get his bike back to Brighton.”

  “No problem. Everything will be cool.”

  Annabel had no idea who the biker was, just that he was friends with her Marcus. No, come on. He isn’t your Marcus.

  “Miss, we really need to get your boyfriend to the hospital.”

  “I’m not his girlfriend, and it’s Dr. Simpson. Take him back to Brighton.”

  “I’m sorry, Doctor, isn’t Southampton nearer?” the paramedic apologized. Any more nodding and he would be bowing.

>   “You will only have to transport him back in a few days. Take him to Brighton,” Annabel replied, her voice stern and cold.

  “Yes, Doctor,” the paramedics said in unison.

  Annabel didn’t think they were too happy about it, but she didn’t care. She wanted to personally oversee Marcus’s care, and she couldn’t very well do it away from where she lived or worked. This way, he was in easy reach.

  Climbing into the ambulance was a huge relief. After all the devastation and panic, now there was a calm efficiency that only the paramedics seemed able to give. Annabel was still concerned for Marcus, but he would fare much better in the hands of a surgeon.

  ****

  Marcus tried to open his eyes and emerge from the darkness, but it was not ready to release him from its grip. He could hear voices in the distance, just a quiet rumbling. He couldn’t make out what they were saying. A small chink of light intruded on the darkness. Marcus’s head pounded. He willed himself to sit up, but his body remained unresponsive to the demands that his brain was sending. He tried to move his arms, but they were like lead, and no matter how hard Marcus tried, he couldn’t move them on demand.

  Marcus heard the door close. Bright light intruded into his darkness, but instead of disappearing as it had before, it stayed. His head and his entire body ached even more. Someone needed to turn off that damn light. Whoever had decided to leave it on had to be out to punish him.

  The male and female voices he heard didn’t sound like they wanted to hurt him. Marcus tried to move his fingers. At first, they were stiff, but after several minutes, he could bend them. Willing his eyelids to open, he saw the bright light that intruded on his darkness. The effort exhausted him. Marcus drifted in and out of sleep—at least he thought he was sleeping. He hadn’t heard the strange voice for a while. Where had it gone? Was he alive or was this heaven?

  Determination swept over him. He didn’t like this dark place, and he was desperate to see the sky, the sun. As his eyelids slowly opened, the light became brighter until it was a constant presence. Turning his head, he could see shapes; they were blurry at first, but as he concentrated, everything came into focus. He smiled triumphantly. Turning his head to one side, he saw Annabel sleeping in a chair next to his bed, her hand in his.