She wiped the blood from her hands onto the blanket as best as she could. She wiped Tom’s hands and forehead. Their fingernails were filthy and they smelled putrid. Blackflies and mosquitoes were landing on them with impunity.
“OK, now we just have to get out of here,” Heather said as calmly as she could while putting the blanket back in the trunk of the Porsche. “Kids, I need you to help your dad push the car out of the ditch,” she said, leading them to the back of the car.
“What happened to that lady?” Olivia said.
“We’re moving her out of the sun and then we’re going to call the police,” Heather said.
“Do you know what you’re doing, Heather?” Olivia asked. “Shouldn’t we get an ambulance or something?”
“Yes, we’ll get an ambulance later, Olivia,” Heather said. “We just need to get the car going. Tom, please come here and show the kids what to do. I’ll drive.”
“I should drive,” Tom said.
“No, I’m lighter than you and you’re stronger than me. You push and I’ll drive.”
“That makes sense,” he said.
Heather walked along the ditch and got in the driver’s side. She adjusted the rearview and caught a glimpse of her own face.
Where had this Heather come from? Had this Heather been lurking there the whole time? Was it just because Tom was concussed and she had to step up, or was this always part of her? Adrenaline was some of it. When that wore off, she’d probably become a wreck.
She engaged the traction control and switched it to low gear mode. Her old Honda was a manual and she was comfortable with clutch and stick. This wouldn’t be difficult. She hit the ignition button and the Porsche started.
“Everyone ready?” she asked.
“Yes,” Tom said.
“Push!” she yelled and applied pressure to the gas pedal.
The wheels spun in the ditch and the car didn’t move.
“Did you switch on the traction control?” Tom shouted.
“Yes! Keep pushing,” Heather replied.
They shoved, and the front wheel began to crawl its way out of the ditch. She kept the steering wheel steady, and ever so slowly the heavy vehicle climbed out onto the road.
They were perpendicular to any oncoming traffic. “Get in! Get the kids in!” Heather said. Tom jumped in the front passenger seat. The kids got in the back.
Now all she had to do was turn the—
Something in her field of view.
Another car was coming. A Toyota. One of the vehicles from the farm. She was never going to be able to turn in time. Shit. Another thirty seconds and no one would have been the wiser…
She turned the Porsche onto the left side of the road, and the Toyota pulled up next to them. A window wound down. It was Jacko and Matt.
“Hi,” Heather said.
“What happened to you lot?” Matt asked.
“Nothing. Just turning,” Heather said.
“Did you go in the sheugh?” Jacko asked.
“The what?”
“Ma calls it the sheugh. That ditch. Did you go in it?”
“Yes, but we’re OK now,” Heather said.
“Your airbags went off,” Matt said.
“They did,” Heather said. “Car is so sensitive—we weren’t even going fast…anyway, we’re fine, thank you for stopping. We better go if we’re going to catch the ferry,” Heather said.
“Is your husband OK? You OK, mate? You look like shit. You hit your head?” Matt asked.
“I’m fine,” Tom said.
“What about the kiddies?”
“They’re fine. Everyone is fine. We just better go get that ferry.”
“Yeah, you should go,” Matt agreed.
“We will. Thank you.”
“You didn’t see Ellen by any chance? A girl on a bike?” Jacko asked.
“No,” Tom said quickly.
“We didn’t see anyone,” Heather added. “Well, I guess we better go. Bye.”
She wound the window up and waved and began driving down the road.
In the rearview she saw Jacko and Matt sit in the car for a moment before Matt opened the door and got out.
She saw him get down on one knee and begin looking at the ground before she lost sight of him at the bend in the road.
“Shit,” Heather muttered and hit the gas pedal hard. “Seat belts, everyone!” she called and drove the Porsche at seventy miles an hour in the direction of the ferry pier.
They reached the ferry terminal in two minutes, and fortunately the ferry was there.