Gen X - Roadside Assistance (backdated)

[xp-friedlander.livejournal.com]

Sharon, Ty and Kitty save the driver from the truck who caused the accident.

"You have to make sure you keep up pressure on the wound." Sharon instructed the man sternly who was pressing a sweater against a woman's shoulder. "Help will be here soon, otherwise I'll be back to check on her in a bit."

At his nod she moved over to the next car, containing a male single driver with his head resting on the steering wheel. Reaching inside, she rested her fingers on his carotid artery and when she did not find a pulse, she shook her head sadly and looked for the next place to check... which was the tanker which had caused the initial accident.

The smell of gas was strong in the air and a thick substance coated the road. "Dammit." She cursed. Sharon could see the driver moving feebly in the cabin, but there was no way to reach him.

Sharon's curse made Ty break from his overwhelmed stupor. He trotted over to her side and observed the scene. "I might be able to get to him," he said. "And I think the shadows are strong enough to rip the door open if it won't open right. But it's going to make me hungry."

"Anything special we need to do with that kind of hunger?" Sharon quizzed quickly, before she committed to him helping out. "And maybe we can get some more help..." She looked around her spotting one of the adults on the bus close by. Kitty, she thought her name was. "Kitty, we could use a hand."

Kitty had been staring at the wreckage, dazed for a moment with her memories. The voice saying her name snapped her back into the present. There are people here who need my help now.

She ran to Sharon, looking up at the other woman. "Where should I start?" Her eyes caught sight of the driver and she moved forward, her eyes evaluating the situation.

"Wait... the gasoline..." Turning to Ty, she asked: "Can you clear a path to the cabin for us? Kitty and I hopefully will be able to get him out."

Ty's expression twisted up into one of consideration. "Hadn't thought of that, I think it'll be easy enough." He grabbed nearby shadows, gave them more substance, and sent them to feed on the gasoline. He felt the liquid envelope into the shadow, like sweat evaporating from skin. It disappeared far more quickly than he anticipated, and all the fuel was gone in seconds.

"I can phase him," Kitty said. "But you'll need to help me lift him." She looked over at Sharon as she knelt, touching the driver and concentrating hard. She hoped that he didn't wake in the middle of the lift--it was going to be hard enough keeping them all under her control.

Sharon knelt down next to her, grabbing the driver's head and shoulders and tried to keep everything as stable as she could. "Ready."

Kitty took a deep breath,  then lifted. She kept the three of them phased as she moved,  focusing as well as she could.  The sounds around them distracted her but she fought to ignore the tears and moans.

Biting her lip,  Kitty called back to Ty, "Everything okay over there? "

Could one get metaphysical indigestion? That's exactly what it felt like to Ty. But other than mild discomfort, he felt fine. "Good to go, though I hope we get out of here before someone thinks to wonder where a couple thousand gallons of gasoline went. Somebody's losing a lot of money."

"They are lucky their driver is still alive, not moaning about lost gasoline." Sharon muttered as she helped Kitty ease him down on the road and started her assessment. "Kitty, I want you to keep his head stable. Can you do that for me? Kneel down behind his head and put your hands like this." Sharon explained as she showed Kitty how to hold his head to immobilize him. "Your arm helps to keep his head steady."

"Okay." Kitty bit her lip, glancing over her shoulder.  The driver felt warm in her arms and she forced herself to focus on that.  She released her phase hold on them in order to concentrate on their surroundings.

Ty released the shadows with what <i>felt</i> like a burp. It was very disconcerting. He shook himself and turned to the women with the driver. "Anything else I can do?" he asked uncertainly.

Sharon was already performing her first assessment, checking his vital signs and looking for any life threatening injuries. " Damn, sucking chest wound." She muttered after lifting his shirt. "Ty, do you have a plastic bag or a plastic wrapper? I need to seal this." She pulled out a role of medical tape she put in her pocket.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, then his jacket pockets. He came up with the wrapping for one of those gas station cookies. "Will this work? It's plastic."

"Good enough." She took the wrapper from him and carefully put it with the clean side down on his skin and taped it on three sides. She observed for a moment, seeing the air escape during exhale, while being sucked against the would on the inhale.

"Think he'll make it?" Kitty asked.

"With some luck and if further aid will arrive quickly, he should be fine. We should keep immobilizing his spine though, but if we have to leave before aid come..." Sharon considered for a moment. "Mind losing that sweat shirt, Ty? I can improvise something of a collar from it."

Ty stripped off his hoodie without objection. Goosebumps briefly pimpled his skin, but he ignored it. He had enough energy left from consuming the fuel that the cold didn't bother him much yet.

Sharon very carefully moved the man's head in neutral alignment before tucking the sweatshirt around as carefully as possible to support the driver's head in the same position. "Hopefully this will do."

"I see flashing lights," Kitty said. She smiled at Sharon. Her hand reached out to steady the driver's shoulder. "Help is on the way."