The Three Birds

I looked back to where Derek was lying, but could not see what was happening because the ambulance crew were bending over him. There seemed to be police everywhere. One police officer shouted to one of the workers to go along the road and divert the traffic along a little byroad, and then he shouted to another young lad to go in the opposite direction and divert the oncoming traffic. Then, another police car turned up. I saw another policeman with a camera taking photographs. A lady police officer came over to me and asked me some questions about Derek: name, address, date of birth, and other things I cannot now remember. Then, all of a sudden, there seem to be a strong wind blowing and a very loud noise. I turned round and it was the East Anglian Air Ambulance landing in the field behind us. There seem to be white debris blowing everywhere (afterwards, I learnt it was polystyrene and ash where there had been a bonfire). I ran over to where Derek laid and knelt down and opened my jacket as much as I could to prevent the dust and dirt from blowing on Derek and on the paramedics as well. At that point, I remember asking if I could go with Derek, and the reply from one of the paramedics was, “We don’t know which vehicle he’s going in yet, Love.” Two men in red overalls came running over, carrying a large bag, a rucksack type bag, I think it was. At that point, I leaned against the tall conifer hedge and started to cry. The owner came over to comfort me and tried to turn me away so I could not see what was happening to Derek. I could then hear Derek making a gurgling noise, so I pushed the owner away and went over to Derek. The paramedics were telling him to keep still. I saw he was trying to move his feet and legs, so I pressed my hands down on them hard to stop him moving. He then seem to lay quite still, so I moved back out of the way, when one of the Air Ambulance paramedics came over to me, with a pen and notepad and he started asking questions—how old was Derek and what medication was he on—just as Derek’s mobile phone rang. I pressed the green button, but the paramedic shouted, “Leave it!” but I forgot to press the red button to switch it off again. Stuart was on the other end, and he heard the conversation with the paramedic. He then knew it was serious. I told the paramedic that Derek was not on any medication whatsoever. The only time he went to the doctor’s was every five years for his truck-license medical, and he never liked taking tablets. If he got a headache, which was about twice a year, he would always say, “It came on its own; it’ll go on its own”. With this information, the paramedic ran back to the patient and the other paramedic. I remembered at this point that, when the new surgery opened and Derek was due for his medical, I had to go with him to show him where the doctor’s surgery had moved to. It was so cold. It had just started to snow, and I looked over to where Derek was lying and all he had on was his underpants. I just wanted to run over and cuddle him to keep him warm. Then, I saw one of the paramedics cover him with a thin, silver-foil blanket, but it only just laid over the top of him and you could still see the bare left side of his body, arm, and leg. I just stood and thought, This is like watching a film, only this time you’re in it, and he’s the leading man, playing a key role. At this point, Gary saw on his mobile phone what he thought was his dad ringing him and returned the call. He was shocked at the news, and he said he was loading at Fakenham and would be home as soon as he could. Seconds after that, one of the air-ambulance crew ran back to where the helicopter had landed and got in. Rotors started turning, and it began to lift into the air. My first reaction was, Thank god, he’s not that bad, otherwise he would have been taken to hospital in the helicopter, or were they too late to save him?