St Piran's: Daredevil, Doctor...Dad!

She tiptoed over to the edge, following Mac’s earlier example, and lay flat on her stomach and peered over. Although Mac was picking his way carefully down the cliff he was moving faster than she would have thought was safe. From this vantage point she could see that although the cliff was steep, it didn’t fall away as sharply as she’d thought. Relief swept through her. Perhaps Luke had a chance.

As Dave returned with the bag, rope and Mac’s fluorescent jacket she became aware of a whooping sound in the distance. Shielding her eyes against the sinking sun, she could just about make out the large yellow shape of a Sea King helicopter. Thank God! They would have proper equipment and hopefully a way to get both Mac and Luke up.

‘Come on.’ She jumped up and shouted across to Dave. ‘We need to find a decent landing place to direct the pilot to land.’

‘How is my son? Could you see him? Is he okay?’

Abby moved towards open ground and yelled back over her shoulder. ‘Mac will be with him in a few minutes. He’s a doctor. He’ll do everything he can to help Luke.’

Without waiting to see whether Dave was following or not, she raced over to the flat piece of ground. It was just about big enough for the helicopter to land and thankfully the previous days’ rain had run away, leaving it solid underfoot.

Abby waved Mac’s jacket and immediately the helicopter headed in their direction. Dave was standing behind her, looking lost and terrified. She summoned up a smile. ‘I promise you, your son is in good hands.’ And she believed it. ‘Stay back until they land, then tell them everything. Okay? I’m going to lower the medical bag down to Mac.’

She ran back to the cliff edge and dropped on to her front again. Mac was at the bottom now and kneeling next to the prone figure of the boy. At least he had made it down in one piece. But Mac couldn’t risk moving the child on his own. If Luke had survived the fall, there was every chance he had serious neck and head injuries and any movement could mean the difference between a full recovery and life in a wheelchair.

Mac glanced up and gave her a thumbs-up. Luke must still be alive. She tied the medical bag to the rope and lowered it down but it snagged on the jagged rock face. The incline may have helped Mac reach the boy, but it was hampering her efforts to get the bag down to him. Almost crying with frustration, she was only vaguely aware of a hand touching her shoulder. She looked up into calm green eyes of a crew member from the helicopter.

‘Miss, you have to stand away from the edge.’ Before she could protest, the man took her arm and raised her to her feet. ‘We’ll take it from here.’

‘Mac—Dr MacNeil—is down there with the boy. Mac’s a doctor with the air ambulance. He needs his bag.’

‘Mac, as in Daredevil Mac? ‘ A broad smile spread across the man’s craggy face. ‘Well I’ll be bug—blown. We know him well, and if he’s onto it, everything will be A-okay. Don’t worry, I’ll get the bag down to him.’

Pulling the case back up, the man, whose name badge said Roberts, took it and ran back to the helicopter. Seconds later the Sea King took off again.

Abby joined Dave, knowing that for the time being there was little she or the anxious father could do. She hooked her arm in his as they watched the helicopter hover over the cliff. A couple of tense minutes passed before a figure, clutching a stretcher and the medical bag, was lowered from the side of the helicopter. Abby’s heart thudded painfully. In many ways she would have preferred to be down there helping. This waiting was worse than anything.

Minutes crawled like hours. Then suddenly the crewman came back into view. He was holding onto the stretcher, which now contained a figure. Immediately after the winchman and the stretcher were pulled on board, the helicopter lowered the rope again and after a few moments Mac appeared above the top of the cliff. He, too, was pulled into the waiting Sea King.

Instead of flying off, the helicopter landed again. Abby grabbed Dave’s hand and ran towards it. Roberts had barely pulled her and Dave in before the helicopter banked away. Roberts passed her a helmet with a radio attached.

With a brief word to Dave to stay where he was, Abby hurried over to Mac, who was bent over the stretcher.

‘He has a compound fracture of the femur. I can’t rule out internal injuries and of course we have to suspect head and spinal injuries. I’ve given him IV morphine for the pain.’

Mac attached his patient to the pulse oximeter while Abby checked Luke’s vital signs.

Although Luke’s blood pressure was low and his pulse elevated, and he wasn’t out of the woods yet, he was a very lucky boy. His leg would take time to heal and would have hurt like crazy before the morphine took effect, but as long as he didn’t have internal injuries he’d probably be able to leave hospital in a week or two. Abby shuddered when she thought what might have happened if she and Mac hadn’t come across Dave when they had. She was even more confused about Mac than ever. He had risked his life for Luke, he had been thoughtful with Tim, yet he had made it clear that he didn’t believe in getting involved with patients. Which one was the real Mac?

Luke tried to sit up, but Abby pushed him gently back down.

‘Dad?’ he asked. ‘Where’s my dad?’

Abby beckoned to Dave to come forward. Anything to help the child stay calm was good.

‘He’s right here,’ Abby said gently. She moved away slightly so Luke could see his father. Both father and son started to cry. ‘Dave, you need to move away again so we can work on your son, okay? Try not to worry, I’m sure he’s going to be okay.’

When they touched down at St Piran’s the staff from A & E were waiting for them.

‘Status update?’ the A & E consultant, bearing the name badge Dr Josh O’Hara, asked. Abby had only the briefest impression of dark hair and deep blue eyes before Luke was rushed inside.

Abby, her part in the drama over, went in search of Dave. He would be desperate for news of his injured child. She found him sitting outside Resus, his head in his hands.

She tapped him gently on his shoulder. ‘Dave.’

He looked at her with red-rimmed eyes. He tried to speak, but couldn’t. He shook his head, almost as if he were too scared to ask after his son.

‘How is he?’ he managed after clearing his throat.

Abby sat next to him and took his hand in hers.

‘I think he’ll be fine, Dave. It was good we found him when we did, and that we were able to start giving him medical treatment straight away. All that will make a big difference to his recovery.’

They sat in silence for a moment. ‘Is there anyone I can call for you? Luke’s mother? She’ll need to know he’s in hospital.’

Dave took a deep shuddering breath. ‘She’s dead.’ He buried his face in his hands. ‘She died from breast cancer six months ago.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ Abby said.

Dave’s eyes were bleak. ‘She’d never forgive me if I let something happen to our child. I promised her I’d look after him and I fell asleep. What kind of father am I?’

‘You’re human. It can be difficult, bringing up a child on your own. You can’t watch them all the time.’

Dave raked a hand through his hair. ‘But I fell asleep! I’ve been working overtime so I could afford to take Luke away on holiday. So he and I could spend more time together. He needs something to cheer him up. The loss of his mum was a terrible blow. To both of us.’ Abby was only dimly aware of Mac coming to stand next to them. ‘And I could have lost him, too.’

‘You’ve not lost him,’ Mac said quietly. ‘He’s got to go to Theatre to get his leg pinned where it was broken, but he’s going to be fine.’

‘He’s going to be okay? ‘ Dave said almost as if he didn’t dare allow himself to believe what Mac was telling him. The relief in Dave’s eyes brought a lump to Abby’s throat.