Previously: Ras and Susan’s father are worried whether Susan would make it the hospital alive.

by Shane Connell 24.OCT.08

It felt like aeons before they got to the main street; by then a crowd of people had circled around them. They had sent a boy to get the ambulance from the clinic and the crowd was wondering why it was taking so long for the ambulance to arrive. The boy came back and said that he found the ambulance but the nurse could not find the ambulance driver.{{more}}

There was a wave of relief when the van driver “Hot Gossip” volunteered to take them to the hospital. Ras had never been so grateful and proud by the reaction of a group of people. He had noticed that whenever the chips are down, Vincy people always seemed to pull together to do the right thing.

The journey to the hospital was fast and dangerous. Furiously, Hot Gossip would beep his horn hard for the other drivers to get out of the way. He gave a good cursing if anyone was too slow in responding. “Move wey, Move wey” he shouted, “Sick girl! Sick girl!” Some drivers would obey, others would cuss, but nevertheless Ras could see that Hot Gossip had been trying his best to get Susan quickly to the hospital.

Throughout the journey, Susan’s goans became quieter, and her body grew limp. She had eventually slipped into unconsciousness. Fear ran through them that Susan was dead. They turned to Ras to put their fears at ease, and he did the best to explain that she was just sleeping. Whether she was ever going to wake up from the unconscious state was another matter, but Ras was wise to keep any concerns to himself.

“Good, me nah want no dead girl at the back of me van. Bad luck that” said Hot Gossip.

They arrived at the hospital, only to be met by a voluptuous woman dressed in a security uniform. She got out of her seat and dawdled over to the van. “No van can park here”.

“This is not a van Mrs. This is an ambulance. I have a sick passenger. Call the nurse!” demanded Hot Gossip.

She said slowly: “This is the back of the hospital. You need to go round the front”.

“Why can’t you let her in the back? She sick,” demanded Hot gossip.

Again the security guard calmly told Hot Gossip that he needed to go round the front.

“You mean to tell me that dem have a sick person and she can’t come in unless it’s at the front.” complained Hot Gossip. “This country gone to the dogs,” he muttered.

He reversed, turned the van around and sped around the corner to the entrance. Hot Gossip beeped his horn and shouted for help, but no-one came. Ras jumped out of the van, ran through the gate and up the ramp to the entrance of the Accident and Emergency Department. He shouted: “Hello, we need some help”.

A nurse in her crisp white uniform peered out from a doorway. She then disappeared and reappeared with some other of her colleagues pushing a trolley bed. Together they managed to put an unconscious Susan on the bed and wheel her inside. Ras and Susan’s father thanked Hot Gossip and went in to see about Susan.

Hot Gossip and his conductor watched as the trio disappeared from view. Hot Gossip whispered “You know dem have a graveyard next to the hospital? Dat fi tell you something.” The conductor nodded and, in a matter of fact tone, replied: “She nah go make it.” The pair drove off.

The Windy Valley Secondary series is fictional. Any resemblance to real events, places or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.